"Mom, you're here!" Helena beamed, her face lighting up as she ran over to the door.
"Mm," Claudia responded with a calm, measured nod.
Helena took her mother's hand and gently led her further into the classroom. "Mom, let me introduce you. These are Noah's parents."
Seeing Claudia approach, Leon and Rossweise rose from their seats out of courtesy.
"Hello to you both. I am Helena's mother, Claudia Poseidon."
Her tone was polite yet carried an unmistakable chill, her voice possessing an aloofness that reminded Leon strikingly of how Rossweise had been before motherhood—cold, detached, and seemingly untouchable.
Even though her words were formally courteous, there was a clear, deliberate sense of distance.
"Hello, Ms. Claudia. I am Noah's mother, Rossweise Melkvey," Rossweise replied, her tone noticeably warmer, though she carefully tempered her natural enthusiasm.
As a queen who had ruled for decades, Rossweise was highly skilled in social graces. She knew that revealing too much eagerness too soon could easily upset a delicate balance. Even if Claudia wasn't an adversary, this first encounter was a subtle dance, requiring careful steps.
"A pleasure to meet you, Queen of the Silver Dragons, Ms. Melkvey." Claudia's form of address for Rossweise reflected both her own long lifespan and the dragon tradition of acknowledging relative age and status. In dragon terms, Rossweise, at just over two hundred years old, was still very much a "miss."
Then, Claudia's gaze, which had lingered briefly on Rossweise, drifted fully to Leon, formally acknowledging his presence for the first time since entering the room.
Leon, sensing the weight of her attention, took the initiative. "Hello. I'm Rossweise's husband, Leon Cosmodeous."
Rossweise's eyebrow lifted in mild surprise. She was so accustomed to Leon calling her "my dear wife," "my dragon queen," or, on rarer, more exasperated occasions, his less affectionate "dragon lady." Hearing him use her given name, "Rossweise," so plainly was unusual. Within her family, she was sometimes called "Little Rose," a nod to her status as the youngest of her generation, but "Rossweise" was her formal name.
And, surprisingly, she found she didn't mind hearing it from him. A small, unexpected warmth flickered within her.
Rossweise gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake of her head, clearing the thought, before they all took their seats. Helena handed her mother a copy of the script, which Claudia accepted and skimmed through with a critical eye, offering a single nod of approval.
"Very well done, Helena," Claudia remarked, the faintest hint of maternal pride coloring her otherwise reserved tone.
Receiving her mother's praise, Helena's tail gave a happy, involuntary swish behind her.
"Where are the rest of your group members?" Claudia asked, setting the script down on a nearby desk.
"They're gathering the props and costumes; they should be back soon."
"Good. For future activities like this, ensure all preparations are completed ahead of time."
"Yes, Mom," Helena nodded, her demeanor instantly obedient.
Watching this mother-daughter exchange, Leon and Rossweise shared a brief, knowing glance. The scene felt eerily familiar, a mirror of the early days when General Leon had first attempted to teach the Silver Dragon Queen a thing or two about "human-style" parenting.
Years ago, when Rossweise had first become a mother, she hadn't known how to interact with her daughters. She had been much like Claudia appeared now—always serious, always stern, correcting Noah and Muen over the smallest infractions. Her daughters had adapted to it, and she herself had seen nothing amiss in her approach.
But then Leon had awoken from his two-year coma, bringing with him the more openly affectionate and encouraging parenting philosophy common in the human world. Rossweise, initially resistant and skeptical, had found herself gradually charmed by its effects. Watching her daughters become more openly affectionate, more cheerful, and more confident, she had quickly seen the appeal and integrated his methods into her own.
Now, living in such a warm and expressive household, she had almost forgotten what traditional, stern dragon parenting looked like—until Claudia's demeanor provided a stark reminder.
As she pondered this, Leon tapped the back of her hand lightly. She turned to him, and in the space of a heartbeat, they activated their well-practiced "private channel," a silent communication born of long partnership.
Leon: "Doesn't this scene look familiar?"
Rossweise: "I know what you're thinking. I have changed a great deal."
Leon: "So, Claudia really has that 'commander' vibe. Think she holds a high rank in the Sea Dragon Clan?"
Rossweise: "Almost certainly. 'Poseidon' is a noble surname within their clan, typically reserved for the royal line or high council members."
Leon: "Guess it'll be tricky to dig up information on her background, then?"
Rossweise: "Extremely. Every question will need to be carefully weighed. A single misstep could be perceived as prying and lead to immediate distrust."
Leon: "Understood. Tread lightly."
Their silent conversation ended as Leon turned his attention back toward Claudia and Helena. Claudia was offering her daughter pointed feedback on the script.
"Helena, do you feel this line here truly conveys the character's pent-up emotions?" Claudia asked, her finger tapping a specific point on the page.
"Which line, Mom?"
"'I can't live without you. Please, you have to wake up,'" Claudia read aloud, her voice flat. "This is the climax, the finale. But in this two-hour play, the protagonists have never openly confessed their feelings. Their love has been shown through action and sacrifice, but never stated."
"Throughout all the twists and turns, the audience may have sensed the depth of their affection, but those moments are merely the 'fuel' for the emotional 'explosion' here, at the end. You need a powerful 'fuse' to ignite it."
"This line is meant to be that fuse."
"You need to think again about how to make this single line encapsulate all the prior buildup, so the audience can feel the absolute, desperate depth of the characters' connection in this final moment."
With that, she handed the script back to Helena.
Helena accepted it with both hands, her expression thoughtful. "Yes, Mom. I'll revise it."
"Good. I trust you to find an even more impactful line."
Leon, watching the interaction, couldn't help but blink in admiration. Claudia possessed a natural talent for direction, guiding Helena with a thoroughness and dramatic intensity that was surprising for what was, essentially, a children's school play.
Her practical, no-nonsense attitude reminded Leon strangely of his mentor's wife—a fundamentally kind woman who, in her own gentle but firm way, would deliver similarly unyielding commands to both Leon and Tiger.
As he watched Claudia, Leon took the opportunity to study her features more closely, the sense of familiarity nagging at him. He was certain he'd seen her face in the fragmented photos from the future timeline.
He scratched his head absently, trying to place the feeling. He wasn't some lovesick fool who saw a pretty face and imagined a past connection… though Aurora had once teased him mercilessly about exhibiting exactly that behavior.
His pondering was cut short by a burst of energetic footsteps and cheerful chatter filling the hallway.
All eyes turned toward the door.
The group of young dragon girls entered, their arms laden with colorful props and bundled costumes.
"Oh, everyone's here!" Noah announced brightly as she carefully set down her load, then turned to offer a polite greeting to Claudia.
"Hello, Aunt Claudia. I'm Helena's classmate and roommate, Noah C. Melkvey."
Claudia offered a slight, formal smile and a nod. "Hello, Noah."
"Aunt Claudia, my name is Muen C. Melkvey. I'm Noah's sister," Muen introduced herself with a shy smile.
"That is a beautiful name. It means 'Moon,' does it not? It suits you, Muen."
"I-I'm Aurora! But everyone calls me Little Light. Hug, please!" Aurora eagerly held out her arms, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Oh, dear! Sweetheart, let's not hug just yet!" Leon quickly intercepted his youngest daughter, deftly steering her away as he anticipated her signature flying-tackle hug. One wrong move from her, and they could kiss any chance of building rapport with Claudia goodbye.
Aurora looked up at him, blinking her large, innocent eyes in confusion. Leon immediately softened his tone, adding, "It's not polite to ask for hugs from someone you've just met, Little Light."
"Alright," Aurora nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly in disappointment. Her personal quest—Achievement Unlocked: Hug All the Pretty Aunts—would have to remain uncompleted for another day.
With introductions complete, Noah clapped her hands together, her voice taking on a director's tone. "Alright, everyone! Now that we're all here, let's officially begin our first rehearsal!"