Whenever Aurora talked about her father’s love for her mother, she always spoke with a proud tone. 

It was clear she wasn’t bothered by being a half-blood. In fact, when she first learned that her father was human, Noa was the first to accept it, openly embracing the concept of "accepting oneself." Of course, little Moon at the time likely didn’t fully understand, and Aurora had chosen to remain silent, playing the part of the quiet observer.

But regardless of the circumstances, the best outcome was that there were no racial barriers between Leon and his daughters. 

Leon breathed a silent sigh of relief. 

The reason he had brought up the subject earlier was because he had noticed something subtle: ever since he reunited with the adult Noa a day ago, she hadn’t called him "Dad" even once.

Not even once—he was sure of it.

Moon had called him "Dad" like before, and Aurora, with her more casual attitude, had referred to him as "Old Man." 

But Noa had only referred to him as "you" or "him," always avoiding the word "Dad."

Leon understood that Noa might still be angry with him for his twenty-year disappearance. 

But he also worried that her reluctance to call him "Dad" might have something to do with his human bloodline, or perhaps some other reason.

Just like when Noa was younger. For a long time after Leon had awoken from his two-year coma, she hadn’t called him "Dad." 

The first time she said "Dad" was at a family sports event at Saint His Academy. Watching Leon compete with everything he had for the honor of their family, Noa had cheered him on with a loud, "Go, Dad!" 

Afterward, Leon had hugged her and asked her to call him that more often. 

Though Noa had been a bit tsundere, she had obediently done as he asked.

Little Noa’s emotions were easy to read, and Leon had gradually won her heart through his actions.

But now, adult Noa had an air of aloofness about her, like she was saying, "Don’t mess with me." Her expressions were hard to read, and Leon had no idea what she was thinking.

Do you know how important it is for a doting father to hear the word "Dad"? 

Rosvisser’s "husband" might rank second, but the daughters’ "Dad" was always number one!

(Leon’s beloved donkey doesn’t count, since it can’t speak.)

Even though Aurora had reassured Leon that Noa wasn’t troubled by her mixed bloodline, Leon still wanted to know what was going on in his eldest daughter’s mind.

After chatting with Aurora for a while longer, it was time for dinner, and the father-daughter pair returned to the underground space for the meal.

Dinner was simple: wild fruits, grilled meat, and mushroom soup—all ingredients they could gather from the wilderness.

Leon understood the situation. The times had changed. There were no longer maids to prepare meals for the royal family. 

Now, with Rosvisser in a crystal, the daughters busy with research and magic training, and Leon gone for twenty years, the fact that they weren’t starving was already impressive.

The seating arrangement at the table was also interesting. 

Moon and Aurora, of course, sat close to their father.

But Noa sat alone at the other end of the table, slowly sipping her soup.

“Dad, try this! It’s made from the dangerous beast meat I hunted myself!” Moon said proudly.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

Leon cut a piece of the meat and took a bite. The flavor was good, but the meat was a bit overcooked, with a slight char that affected the texture.

“How is it, Dad?” Moon’s eyes were full of anticipation.

“It’s good, very good,” Leon said, finishing the rest of the meat. “How about I teach you a few more ways to cook meat later?”

“Uh... Dad, I caught the beast, but my sister was the one who cooked it,” Moon admitted.

Leon was surprised. He glanced across the table at Noa, who didn’t seem to have any intention of saying anything.

“Oh, I see...”

“Yeah, try this, Dad! My sister’s cooking is amazing!” Moon chimed in, eager to share.

Noa, the sister who wasn’t particularly skilled at cooking, was lucky to have a sister who adored her and a father who doted on her.

Noa remained silent, eating her meal without comment.

After the simple dinner, Moon and Aurora took on the task of cleaning the dishes.

Noa, meanwhile, went outside on her own.

Leon hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow her.

When he stepped outside the underground space, Noa was nowhere to be seen.

He looked around, but with the late hour and the thick canopy of towering trees blocking the moonlight, his search was made difficult.

After a few minutes of searching, Leon sighed, lowering his head as he prepared to return inside.

Just as he took a step, he heard Noa’s voice from above.

“Do you have something you want to say to me?”

Leon stopped in his tracks and looked up. Noa was sitting atop the large boulder near the entrance, one leg dangling over the edge, her arms wrapped around her knees.

“Uh... yeah, I was hoping to chat with you,” Leon said. “Do you have time?”

“I do.”

“Should I come up there?”

“Mm.”

Leon nodded and, after glancing around, found a slope that wasn’t too steep and carefully made his way up to sit beside Noa.

Noa didn’t pull away, but she didn’t get closer either. She remained in the same position, gazing out into the deep night sky.

Leon looked at her profile.

Her face was refined and elegant, her eyebrows carrying a resemblance to her mother’s.

The two of them sat in silence, neither making an effort to start a conversation.

A cold wind blew past, and Noa shivered slightly, pulling her shoulders inward. “If you don’t say something soon, I’m going back inside. It’s cold out here.”

“Oh... right.”

“Don’t just say ‘oh.’ You said you wanted to talk, so talk,” Noa urged.

Leon scratched his head, unsure of how to start.

His daughters were grown now, with their own thoughts and perspectives, so he couldn’t communicate with them the way he had when they were younger.

After thinking it over, Leon decided to be direct.

“Noa, are you... upset with me?”

Noa turned her head slightly, glancing at him. “Why do you think that?”

“Well... because... from the moment we reunited yesterday, you haven’t called me ‘Dad’...”

Noa raised an eyebrow, her tone indifferent. “That’s what this is about?”

“Yeah...” Leon admitted. “When you were younger, there was a long time when you didn’t call me ‘Dad’ either. Back then, it was because you thought I didn’t love you. Is that what this is about now? Do you still think I don’t love you?”

His heart was racing.

Leon was normally calm and composed in his interactions, but now he was desperate to understand what Noa was thinking.

Noa was aware of her father’s usual demeanor, but she wasn’t surprised by his current urgency.

She let out a small huff through her nose, then looked down, speaking seriously. “I’m just... scared.”

Leon blinked in surprise.

It wasn’t the answer he had expected.

“Scared? Of what?”

“We used to have such a happy family, didn’t we?” Noa said quietly. “I once responded to your love with everything I had. You know, I was always proud to be your daughter, Leon Cassmod.”

“I knew my father was strong—unbelievably strong.”

“I was proud to have a father like you.”

“I felt the same way about Mom. Being your daughter was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.”

“But... all of that was shattered by that disaster.”

“Everything I cherished, everything that mattered to me, everything that loved me... along with my love for you... was buried twenty years ago.”

“I thought that as long as you came back, everything would be okay.”

Noa buried her face in her arms, gripping her own arms tightly.

“But it’s not that simple.”

“Now, I’m even more afraid of what will happen when this all ends.”

“What if you fail? What if you leave again? What will Moon, Aurora, and I do then? What will Mom do?”

“I do love you, Dad. I love you so much. But I can’t love you the way I did when I was a child.”

She lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes meeting Leon’s.

In that moment, Noa’s face, marked with faint scars, seemed to overlap with the image of her younger self in Leon’s mind.

Her voice trembled, but her words were clear.

“Because I’m terrified of losing you—again.”

Noa, the strongest of Leon’s daughters, had the most fragile heart.

She had always carried more weight in her heart than Leon had realized.

Looking at her, Leon slowly reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

When he saw she didn’t pull away, he carefully pulled her into his embrace, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Noa,” Leon whispered. “It’s my disappearance that caused all of this, that made you and Mom suffer so much.”

“I won’t make any big promises, because none of us can know how this will end.”

“But Noa, please believe me—no matter what, I’ll

 do whatever it takes for you, your sisters, and your mother.”

Noa, still leaning on her father’s shoulder, wiped her tears and murmured, “People who make big promises... they’re all talk.”

Leon blinked, glancing at his own tailbone. “Well, that’s a problem, isn’t it? I don’t even have a tail to talk with...”

Noa burst into laughter through her tears, sitting up and wiping her nose before holding out her fist to her father.

Looking at her slightly raised fist, Leon immediately understood.

When she was younger, Leon had used this gesture to make promises to her.

“Alright.”

Leon smiled, nodding as he reached out his fist.

Their fists bumped gently, just like they had back then.

“But before you save the world, I’m still not calling you Dad,” Noa said, her stubborn side showing, just like her father and mother.

“Ah... why not?”

“Why not? That’s just the way we Melkwy women are—stubborn to the bone. You got a problem with that?”

Leon chuckled. “None at all.”

Apart from being stubborn, the women of the Melkwy family—from the eldest to the youngest—were all remarkably good at keeping Leon Cassmod wrapped around their fingers.