Just as Leon had predicted, Aurora bore him gently into the mountain ravine, coming to a halt before the familiar waterfall.

Aurora flapped her wings and parted the cascading water—a movement identical to when Roswitha once brought him here. It was hard not to suspect if the mother dragon herself had taught her daughter this trick.

This action further bolstered Leon’s suspicion: his daughters had likely already discovered his human identity.

But why hadn’t Aurora exposed this fact? Leon was at a loss.

Upon entering the cave, Aurora assumed her human form and called into the depths, "Sister."

Though her tone kept its characteristic clinical coolness, Leon could still detect a hint of warmth.

And it was this single call, "Sister," that made Leon tense involuntarily.

As a father, he had imagined a thousand times what his daughters would become.

Aurora stood by his side. She hardly differed from the future self he had envisioned.

If he had to nitpick, it was perhaps that, even at twenty, she hadn’t forgotten to greet her father with an uppercut upon meeting.

It seemed paternal doting and filial punches were ingrained in the Melkevi bloodline..

But Noa... What had become of her? From the self-titled "Involuted King" to the serious little sister playing adult—what now?

Leon felt his chest tighten with anticipation.

As he stared into the cavern's depths, a tall figure materialized from the gloom.

The click of low-heeled boots on stone echoed rhythmically through the cave.

The girl wore fitted black. Her trousers hugged powerful legs, while her slender waist spoke of resilience.

Cropped black hair, streaked with silver. Her exquisite face betrayed nothing—the Melkevi were masters of stoicism.

She had grown taller. Her steps fell heavier now, steadier. That blade-sharp gaze could belong to a veteran general—every inch a commanding presence.

“Noa...”

Leon was struck with an indescribable feeling.

Certainly, in his vision of the future, Noa should indeed look this dashing and resolute. After all, she was a born warrior—a force destined for an extraordinary life.

But now that he stood face-to-face with his daughter, whom he once cradled in his arms, and saw her transformed into this, his heart churned with a flood of mixed emotions.

From being the little elder sister pretending to be a mature adult, she had now become the icy-faced warrior. Just how much hardship had she endured along the way?

As Leon’s thoughts caught up to him, Noa had already approached him.

His daughter had blossomed—into a stunning beauty much like her mother.

But this beautiful face bore a faint scar.

Although it was subtle and inconspicuous unless you got up close, any parent would notice even the smallest mark on their child.

Just as he suspected, Noa must have gone through a lot over these years.

In fact, with her personality, she was undoubtedly the one who had suffered the most among the three sisters.

Leon locked eyes with his daughter, and Noa returned his gaze.

Her sharp features strongly resembled her mother’s. At first glance, she seemed cold and indifferent, detached from everything around her.

But if you could just break through the icy exterior, there was no doubt one would feel the fiery passion from within.

Noa’s pupils quivered slightly, and the frost on her face melted into faint traces of emotion.

Unlike Aurora, who could fully suppress her feelings with absolute composure, Noa’s maturity had its limits—she relied more heavily on her father.

To Noa, it had been twenty long years since she last saw him.

Now, the family member who had been on her mind so constantly was standing right before her. Countless memories surged through her mind, stirring her emotions to the brink of tears.

Seeing his daughter’s face beginning to crack under the weight of emotion, Leon slowly raised his hand toward the corner of Noa's eye, intending to wipe away the tears welling up.

However—

*Crack.*

Noa's hand snapped out, trapping his wrist in a vise-like grip.

"Wha—?"

The straight jab came faster than thought. Fist met solar plexus with a sickening thud.

Leon instantly buckled at the knees, his mind momentarily spinning.

Still, with the last remnants of his consciousness, he managed to tap Noa on her nose and mutter, “You Melkevi dragon women… not only are experts at keeping poker faces… but also experts at patricide…”

And with that, General Leon’s vision darkened, and he collapsed backward, fainting on the spot.

Aurora’s face flickered with a trace of panic, but it quickly vanished.

She walked slowly to her sister's side, looking down at their unconscious father.

“Dad just came through the rift earlier; his body hasn’t fully recovered yet. That punch of yours was a tad on the heavy side,” Aurora remarked casually.

This came from Aurora, who had herself knocked their father out with an uppercut just hours ago.

Noa wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and composed herself, saying, “That was only the first punch; there are three more to go.”

Aurora raised an eyebrow, mentally calculating, before replying, “Actually, it’s two punches—one from Mom and one from our second sister.”

“What about yours?”

“I already delivered mine.”

“Ah.”

Noa glanced at their unconscious father lying on the ground, a hint of guilt flickering across her cold face. “Then I... might’ve been too harsh.”

…

When Leon finally regained consciousness, he found himself sitting in a chair facing an old wooden table.

There was a kerosene lamp on the table, its flame flickering and wavering, almost extinguished.

Across the table sat his two dutiful daughters.

“Dad, you’re awake.” Aurora’s pink eyes twinkled as she spoke.

Leon barely managed a smile, suppressing the pain in his abdomen, first glancing at his younger daughter, then turning to his eldest. “Are you mad at me, Noa?”

He had a fairly good idea of why Noa had greeted him with a punch the moment they reunited.

Years ago, he had promised his daughters that the family would never be separated, yet the incident involving the spatial rift had caused him to disappear from their world for a full twenty years.

In fairness to him, Leon’s departure had been an act of protecting their family; he hadn’t left without reason.

But losing one's father—that was a pain no logic could justify or erase.

It could only be understood by delving into the realm of emotion.

Noa’s punch wasn’t a complaint against Leon; it was her simplest way of telling her father how deeply they had struggled during his absence.

Her grievances, her longing, and all her feelings about Leon—whether calm or impulsive—were contained within that punch.

Noa had indeed considered hugging him, but a hug could only express emotions that were too singular.

She would embrace him, of course, but not at the moment of their reunion.

“I don’t know,” Noa replied.

Leon was slightly taken aback, then lowered his gaze. “…Alright. Whether or not you’re angry with me, I owe you an apology.”

“Okay, I accept your apology—though I still don’t know if I’m angry with you.”

Emotion is always blurry, messy, and tangled. Noa truly didn’t know whether she should resent Leon or not.

But hey, if she could get an apology out of her dad, why not take advantage of it?

After all, her mother had once said that there were no more than five people in the world who could make their stubborn father admit fault.

“Oh… That was quick. I’d thought there’d be more back-and-forth,” Leon remarked.

“Back-and-forth? What do you mean?”

Noa leaned back against her chair, crossed her arms, and lazily propped her legs up—a sitting posture identical to her mother’s.

“You mean the back-and-forth, push-and-pull like you used to have with Mom, where neither of you even bothered confessing in the end?”

Leon pursed his lips. “…Has your mother told you everything about us?”

“Mm.” Noa nodded.

“Oh yes. Not just ‘told.’ Let me summarize—every single detail, blow-by-blow, not withholding a single syllable. It wouldn’t even be a stretch to compile it all into a tragic coming-of-age romance novel.” Aurora added, ever the opportunist with a dagger-sharp tongue.

Leon: …So I am the male lead of a tragic romance novel featuring your mother, huh?

Dragons damn it! What kind of romance novel involves the couple having kids before they even fall in love?! This defies all narrative norms!

“Of course, besides the so-called ‘love story’ between you and Mom—well, let’s just generously call your awkward relationship ‘love.’ Right, Aurora?” Noa glanced at her younger sister.

Aurora nodded knowingly.

Clearly, both sisters shared equal disdain for their parents’ outdated, clumsy approach to romance—both their father and mother were painfully awkward.

Two peas in a pod, indeed. You couldn’t find a more matching pair anywhere.

“Besides your romance story, Mom also told us how you two ended up together.”

Noa’s way of phrasing was subtle.

But anyone with half a brain could deduce what she was implying.

Leon’s heart trembled. So, they really knew everything now.

Choosing silence, he kept his eyes lowered.

“So, the harmonious little family we had back then was fake, wasn’t it? It was all just a lie woven by you and Mom.”

Knowing the truth, Noa hadn’t fixated on the nature of her lineage. She cared more about what had once been their family.

“You claimed, over and over again, that you loved Mom, loved us, but it was all—”

“All true, Noa.”

Leon finally spoke.

Staring intently at the table, he said firmly:

“Indeed, the circumstances that led your mother and I to join forces were entirely accidental, and so were your births.”

“And yes, perhaps—as you said—the family we created was spun from lies, a façade.”

“But.”

“Noa, Aurora, the love I have for you is real.”

“I love you all. I love Muen. You’re my daughters—you’re the most important people in my world.”

He pressed his chapped lips together and rubbed his chilly palms, proceeding quietly yet resolutely:

“You’re what made me a father. I’m genuinely… so grateful to all of you.”

“Because of your existence, I found someone worth risking everything to protect.”

“Noa, you can blame your mother and me for what we hid from you back then in an attempt to maintain our family, but please don’t undermine my love for you.”

“I truly… love you deeply, deeply…”

Sitting before them was once the strongest man they’d known. Now, however, he sat with his head bowed, voice subdued, repeatedly professing his undying love for them.

Constantine may have been right: the ones you love are also your greatest vulnerability.

Leon was willing to be bound by his vulnerability.

Those were his family, the most significant ties he had in this world.

Noa and Aurora exchanged a glance before looking back at the man sitting across from them.

"You haven't gotten to the point yet."

"Huh? Ah?" Leon looked up, utterly puzzled.

"Just messing with you, Dad. Who in the world doesn't know you're a full-blown daughter fanatic?" Aurora couldn't hide her amusement.

Leon instantly wore a speechless expression, lines of frustration forming on his face. "You've grown up, huh? Learned how to mess with your old dad's feelings now, did you?"

"Who's messing with your feelings? It's been twenty years since we've last seen each other; we're just trying to make sure you still love us."

Aurora offered a flimsy justification before swiftly changing the subject, "Ahem, Big Sis is right—you didn’t get to the point just now."

"And what point would that be?" Leon asked.

Noa crossed her legs off the armrest, leaned forward on the table, and fixed Leon with a stare. "You love me, you love Muen, you love Aurora. But don’t you think you’re forgetting one last family member?"

Leon blinked, then suddenly realized, "Ohhh~~~ I get it!"

"Well, go ahead, then."

"I also love... the donkey."

Noa and Aurora: "???"

"Big Sis, I take back what I said earlier—your punch wasn’t hard enough."

Smack—

Noa slapped her hand on the table. "Take this seriously, you old bastard! Say it—do you love her or not?"

"D-Do I really have to say it..."

The two sisters nodded in unison.

Seeing no way out of the situation, Leon let out a deep breath, adjusted his feelings, and then solemnly nodded.

"I love her. Roswitha Melkevi—your mother... I love her."

Thinking back, his confession just before stepping into that rift in time—there was no way that scatterbrained dragon must’ve clearly heard it...

That’s probably why his daughters were pushing him now.

But one thing still puzzled Leon: why did this “I love you” have to be said now?

Couldn’t it... wait until later, when he saw the heroine of all his memories and said it face-to-face?