Next Tuesday is Roswitha’s birthday.

Leon has plenty of time to prepare.

The first step is to figure out what Roswitha likes.

Leon does know what she *doesn’t* like—cilantro.

But since it’s her birthday, Leon doesn’t plan to tease her with something so childish.

Making her angry is a minor issue; the biggest priority is making sure his daughters aren’t disappointed.

Actually, Leon doesn’t know much about Roswitha’s preferences.

She’s not someone who expresses her likes and dislikes directly. Most of the time, her attitude seems to say, “This is fine, but it’s also fine if it’s something else.”

After being her captive for so long, all Leon has deduced is that she likes oranges—she even chooses orange-flavored ice cream.

But that’s about it.

Of course, simply preparing oranges for her birthday wouldn’t do—Roswitha would probably scoff:

“Is this how you humans celebrate birthdays? So stingy!”

For now, Leon had no real clue where to start. Coincidentally, there was a knock at the door.

Leon got up to answer it—it was Noa and Muen.

“Daddy~ It’s time for class~” Muen chirped.

Leon crouched down, holding her small hand, and smiled as he asked, “Even on a Saturday? Don’t you want a little break?”

Muen shook her head and answered earnestly, “When big sister started learning magic, she didn’t take a break on Saturdays either. I want to be just like her!”

Hearing this, Leon glanced at Noa, who silently nodded.

“Alright then, Daddy will take you to the library. Noa, do you want to come too?”

“Mhm!”

“Let’s go.”

Leon picked up Muen, held Noa’s hand, and the three of them headed to the library together.

After finding a few relevant books, Leon sat down with Muen on his lap and began to teach her, as he usually did.

On the opposite side of the table, Noa sat quietly, engrossed in a more advanced book on the introduction to magical theory.

Technically, that book was for higher-grade students, but Leon couldn’t help but marvel—could Noa actually understand it at her age?

He pulled his thoughts back and opened the book in front of him.

“Muen, today we’ll learn about a different way to use magic—magic circles.”

Muen’s big, pretty eyes lit up as she listened intently.

“This world is full of diverse magical arts, and naturally, the methods to apply magic are just as varied. Magic circles are one of those methods,” Leon explained in detail. “They assist users in achieving their magical objectives more efficiently. For instance, if someone lacks sufficient magical explosive power, they can accumulate energy using a magic circle and release it all at once to achieve their desired effect.”

“Of course, that’s just the most basic application. The more proficient you are with magic, the more versatile magic circles become, and the more they can help you.”

“Hmm… let’s use an example. Muen likes steaks, right?”

At the mention of this, Muen’s energy surged; she nodded enthusiastically, even the little tuft of hair on her head bouncing with excitement.

Across the table, Noa also set down her book and glanced at Leon.

It wasn’t that she was particularly interested in steak—she merely wanted to see how her father would connect steak to magic circles.

“To make a delicious steak, there are two general steps: One, find a cow. Two, process the cow—right?”

Muen nodded again.

“Now, if we break down ‘processing,’ there are a lot of complicated steps. Wouldn’t Muen prefer to skip all that trouble and just have a delicious steak appear before her?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

“Well then, why not design a magic circle that integrates slicing magic and fire magic? That way, all you’d have to do is push the cow into the circle, and by the time it comes out, it’s a cooked steak,” Leon said.

For a moment, Noa didn’t know what to say in response to her father’s unusual analogy.

She couldn’t dismiss it outright as nonsense; such a magic circle was indeed feasible.

It’s just… no one would waste their time and magical energy on making a steak-producing magic circle—unless it was for amusement.

On second thought, Noa realized why Leon had chosen such a peculiar analogy.

When Leon had helped Noa prepare for her entrance exams, he was always serious, efficient, and methodical. He knew that was the best way to teach her, and it worked—within just one month, she had reached a level adequate to pass the entrance test for Saint Hiss Academy.

But with Muen…

This lively, playful little dragon girl thrived on fun and lightheartedness.

Naturally, Leon tailored his teaching style to suit her personality—hence the steak analogy.

Watching her younger sister hang onto every word of their father’s playful teaching, Noa could tell Leon used this method often during Muen’s lessons.

She smiled to herself, thinking, *I truly do have the world’s best dad.*

Noa lowered her head and returned to reading her book.

“Ohh, I get it now, Daddy~”

“Good! Let’s move on to something a bit more complicated...”

…

The afternoon lesson passed quickly.

Before dinner, Leon took his two daughters out to the garden to enjoy the evening breeze.

Muen sat in his lap, while Noa sat beside him.

The cool breeze ruffled the tuft of hair on Muen’s head and brushed softly against Leon’s face.

As he watched the distant sunset, Leon suddenly asked, “By the way, Muen, Noa, do you know what Mommy likes?”

He decided to try gathering some intel from the girls first.

But he didn’t mention Roswitha’s birthday.

After all, he had promised to make up for his daughters’ regret from last year, so Leon wanted Roswitha’s birthday to double as a surprise for them too.

“Muen knows! Muen knows!”

Leon’s eyes lit up. His little sweetheart didn’t let him down; she really came through when it mattered!

“What does Mommy like?” Leon asked expectantly.

“Mama likes Daddy! She likes Daddy *so* much!”

“...”

Well… you’re not wrong.

In your and your sister’s eyes, your mom and I are the epitome of pure romantic devotion.

“Huh? Daddy, why aren’t you saying anything? Was Muen wrong?” Muen leaned against Leon’s chest, tilting her head up to look at him.

Leon lowered his gaze, pinched her cheek gently, and said, “You’re right, sweetie. Mommy does like Daddy. But Daddy wants to know if she likes anything else—like foods, activities, stuff like that.”

Muen’s eyes immediately filled with confusion.

*Welp, looks like I’m not getting an answer from her.*

Leon turned to Noa.

His eldest daughter sat quietly, gazing at the scarlet sunset. The crimson hues reflected in her eyes took her back to the time when her parents had gone on a date.

Their date had ended beneath a sunset just as beautiful as this one.

Though Noa wasn’t allowed to watch the very end of the date—Anna had covered her and her sister’s eyes, declaring it “not suitable for kids.”

Oh!

Noa remembered something.

“Mom once said that the lifespan of a dragon clan member is far too long, and everything beautiful has an expiration date—a time when it’s no longer loved. So, for her, fleeting beauty is what’s truly worth cherishing,” Noa recalled.

She turned to Leon. “This is all I can think of.”

“Fleeting beauty, huh…”

Leon mulled over her words. Though it wasn’t a concrete answer, it at least gave him a general direction to work with.

Just wait, you stubborn dragon, Leon thought. I’m going to throw you a birthday party you’ll find unforgettable.

And as for how ‘unforgettable,’ we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.