After the stage props were arranged, Leon and his group gradually took their positions.

The first act proceeded just as during rehearsals: Roswitha dismissed Muen and engaged in a private conversation with the "captive" Leon.

After the classic performances of "Tail Locked Throat" and "Scars of a Handsome Man," the school leaders and judges below the stage began whispering among themselves.

"The young actor's performance is pretty good—so formal and precise, quite convincing."

"The leading actress delivered her expressions and tone very well, especially the cadence in her lines—it truly gives off an air of a cold and haughty princess, perhaps even a queen."

"Do you think... maybe she really is a queen?"

"Why isn't anyone talking about the leading actor's performance? Didn't you all notice his exceptional skill in portraying the defeated captive's conflicting emotions—unyielding yet resigned?"

"Hm, yes, noticed it. His acting is remarkably refined."

"It hardly feels like acting at all."

Hearing the judges' endless praise for the exemplary family's performance, Vice Principal Wilson, seated slightly to the left of center in the judging panel, stroked his white beard with satisfaction.

He leaned slightly towards the headmaster, Angelina Ouellette, and whispered, "What do you think, Headmaster? Didn't I say the Melkevi family would pleasantly surprise us?"

Headmaster Ouellette nodded in agreement. "Indeed."

The performances of the Leon couple did impress Ouellette.

She still remembered their first meeting in her headmaster's office, when Veronica entrusted her with delivering the Original Crystal as a wedding gift to Roswitha.

Back then, the couple left a very favorable impression on Ouellette—humble and courteous, with a knack for engaging in conversation without overstepping boundaries. They conveyed sincerity while simultaneously maintaining a sense of reservation, leaving room for maneuverability.

"Shrewd couple" was the label Ouellette affixed to them.

But now, watching their vivid and deeply immersed performances on stage, Ouellette found herself believing that they were not just a shrewd couple but also a loving and deeply harmonious one.

Vice Principal Wilson had often sung their praises, describing how loving and perfect they were. Ouellette had always been somewhat skeptical.

Watching their live performance today, however, she was now fully convinced.

"Did we capture everything with the Recording Stone?" Headmaster Ouellette inquired.

"Y-E-S," Wilson replied with a satisfied grin.

The headmaster smiled faintly.

Good. She'd make sure to hand over the footage recorded by the Recording Stone to Veronica later.

Let the old lady share in the joy of seeing her granddaughter and grandson-in-law as such a perfectly tacit couple.

Onstage, the first act had concluded.

In the second act, Aurora, playing a sprite, made her entrance, guiding the imprisoned male protagonist in his escape from captivity. After enduring countless hardships, he finally made it back to his homeland.

Yet, just as he was about to step onto his nation's territory, the princess, who had been pursuing him all along, appeared.

He expected her to block his way. Little did he know that the princess, having fallen for him, was actually there to bid him farewell.

The two lingered on their farewells, speaking in circles but ultimately failing to confess their feelings for one another.

The nearby pink-haired sprite was visibly anxious.

She had been anxious during rehearsals.

She was anxious now during the official performance.

But her elder sister had assured her that such a matter couldn't be rushed.

Otherwise, if the second act ended with immediate resolution, what would they have left to perform next?

Fine. The director's word was law. She'd abide by it.

At last, after their long-drawn-out farewell, the two parted ways.

Aurora waved her magic wand prop.

"Well then, brave knight, I foresee in the tales to come that you and the princess shall meet again. Now, hurry back to your homeland, regroup, and prepare for greater challenges ahead~"

With Aurora's wand flourishing, the second act also came to a close.

The performance of the second act was met with applause and cheers from the audience in attendance.

The judges resumed analyzing the actors' performances.

"If the first act served as a foundation for establishing the characters' core traits, giving the audience a clear impression of their roles, the second act then shattered those initial impressions through well-crafted plot developments, adding depth to the characters."

"Exactly. The emotional growth of the characters facilitates the narrative's transitions—rising action, climax, and resolution—in an organic and non-jarring manner. I must say, the scriptwriter for this play is truly outstanding."

"The screenwriting is indeed commendable, but in my opinion, it wouldn't have come across so seamlessly without the director. After all, a stage play's ultimate success lies in its execution, and this is where the director's skill comes into play."

"Mm... fair point. What was the director's name again? The host mentioned it earlier."

"Noa. Noa K. Melkevi. That little prodigy in the Young Dragons division—youngest in the grade but a reigning champion on the leaderboards every term."

"Oh? I usually guide drama troupes in Sky City and was invited here to be a judge for this competition. I must say, I didn't expect your school to have such an exceptionally gifted student."

"Professor, forget about trying to recruit Noa to your troupe. Directing is just one of her many talents. She’s destined to become one of the finest Dragon Clan warriors."

"Hahaha~ So easily seen through, eh? You're sharp."

The judges held a consistently high opinion of the first two acts.

Next up was the third act—the most intense and conflict-laden act of the play: the confrontation between Leon and Claudia.

In this act, Noa made a cameo as one of the attendants by Claudia's side.

Transitions, stage movements, and foreshadowing completed, Noa watched her father step forward to face Claudia.

Her father lowered his head slightly and bent at the waist, addressing the woman respectfully, "Your Majesty, Mother."

Hearing this, Noa silently sighed in relief.

Well done, Dad. You've finally delivered the "Mother" that you've been reluctant to say with flying colors!

The two exchanged a few more lines before the conflict escalated—in part due to the limited runtime of the play.

"You intend to return to that woman? Absolutely not! I will never permit such a thing!"

Claudia portrayed an air of regal authority. Her performance was so credible that it felt...

...as if Leon was truly her son, and she was genuinely forbidding him from loving a princess from an enemy nation.

No matter how many times Noa witnessed it, she couldn't help but admire it deeply.

Originally, she assumed her parents were naturally gifted actors. Little did she expect Aunt Claudia to also be a masterful performer.

Leon had once thought the same thing.

That was until Claudia told him and Roswitha that her Sea Dragon Clan had actually opposed her sister's marriage to her brother-in-law back in the day.

At that moment, General Lyon finally understood:

So it wasn't just him and Roswitha who lived by the motto, "All the world is like a stage, and all of life is like acting."

Ah, every family has its struggles, Leon mused internally.

"Mother, please allow me to see her just this once!"

"I said NO. If you insist, fine. Relinquish your armor, your insignias, strip yourself of all your honors with your own hands—then, and only then, can you see her."

"...Fine, fine! Mother, you said it yourself!"

Leon began removing his armor and other props in one go.

"Mother, are you satisfied now?"

"You... you would forsake all of this for her? Is she worth it?"

"She is. She is worth everything."

"Very well... very well... Guards! Exile him! Let him return only when he has come to his senses!"

As the powerful exchange of lines unfolded, Noa couldn’t help but revel in the performance.

Her father needed no further praise—the rebellious, devil-may-care attitude was as if tailor-made for him.

As for Aunt Claudia, she brought the nuanced emotions in her lines to life with such natural depth.

From shock, to anger, to reluctant acceptance—the transitions were so fluid.

Aunt Claudia, this performance doesn’t even feel like acting!

It's as if you really do have someone rebellious like this in your own family...

In the subsequent storyline, Leon, guided by Aurora, reunited with Roswitha.

But Claudia wasn’t the only obstacle to their love.

They faced the backlash and condemnation of two nations—suffering a nomadic existence, falling into a witch’s trap, and undergoing trials of life and death.

When they were finally close to reaching an ideal utopian haven, just before their new life could begin, the princess fell victim to a witch’s curse, slipping into an eternal slumber.

"No! No!"

(Snow swirled; the northern wind wailed.)

"My love, you can’t leave me like this! You can't leave like this!"

Onstage, Roswitha lay "unconscious" in Leon’s arms.

Leon, holding her head, gazed upward and cried out in anguish—tears streaming down his face...

...courtesy of the onion slice he had prepped at the corner of his eye before the scene. Otherwise, he would’ve been at risk of bursting into laughter.

Just the thought of the dragoness remaining unconscious thrilled him (because it meant he could doll her up again in black stockings and a bunny girl outfit and take countless photos, hehe).

But, though his internal thoughts were amusing, his performance exuded powerful emotion, resonating with the audience.

Many young dragons in the audience began worrying whether the beautiful princess would ever wake up or not.

The story pressed forward.

The knight, portrayed by Leon, traveled the world, seeking a way to awaken the princess.

This determined quest soon drew the attention of both nations.

The princess’s slumber was no trivial matter.

Yet, constrained by their long-standing wars, neither side wanted to make the first diplomatic move.

Ultimately, the knight’s unwavering love for the princess moved them both.

For the first time, the knight wasn’t confronting the world alone. He had people supporting his cause.

In the final act, the knight finally discovered a way to awaken the princess.

They reunited on a seaside at sunset, fulfilling the theme of the play, "As Love Descends with the Setting Sun."

Leon cradled Roswitha lovingly in his arms, patiently awaiting her awakening.

The stage lighting bathed the scene in the hues of a romantic, soft sunset.

Meanwhile, backstage to one side, Helena approached Noa.

"The final curtain call is almost here. We did it, Noa."

Noa nodded. "Yes, we... did it."

"Oh, and about that final line your mom wanted us to tweak—"

"Don’t worry. Before the curtain call, my dad said he already came up with the perfect delivery."

The young sea dragon’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Mm, really. Although I don't know what lines he will say, I... I believe in him."

On stage, Roswitha slowly awakened.

The male and female protagonists locked eyes, the 'sunset' glow reflecting in their pupils.

A subtle tension, like a thread of silk, shimmered between their gazes—entangling and inseparable.

"You’re finally awake," Leon said softly.

Roswitha also began to slip into the atmosphere of the performance.

She looked into Leon's deep, dark eyes and responded softly, "Mm…"

In the script, after the princess responds, the final line of the entire production is delivered.

That one line Helena had rewritten multiple times but could never seem to be satisfied with.

Roswitha, like everyone else, was curious about what Leon would say.

Would it be something simple but formal, like, "I’ve been waiting for you"?

Or something long-winded yet romantic—perhaps some "several-hundred-word declaration"?

Or maybe...

Roswitha couldn’t guess.

Because this man always managed to surprise her.

"Roswitha."

This wasn’t the name of the female character in the play, yet Leon deliberately chose to utter her real name in this moment.

Of course, Leon's boldness was measured; this single “Roswitha” was spoken softly enough that only the two of them on stage could hear it.

Even so, Roswitha looked at him with slight astonishment. This idiot... calling her real name... what on earth was he trying to do?

"Roswitha..."

He returned Roswitha's gaze, and under the scrutiny of hundreds in the audience, he slowly spoke,

"I love you."