As evening fell, all the drama performances had concluded, and it was time for the final scoring and awards.
The young directors and writers from each group were called up onto the stage—five groups in total, standing in a line.
The guest judge from the top drama troupe in Sky City slowly ascended the stage, standing before the young dragons.
Meanwhile, in the audience, Leon, Rosvisser, Claudia, and the rest of the family sat in anticipation, anxiously awaiting the announcement of the results.
Leon himself wasn’t entirely confident about their performance this time.
In past competitions, he and Noa had always relied on their top-notch skills, and both were naturally confident in their abilities. As a result, they were never particularly nervous when awaiting results.
But this drama competition was uncharted territory not only for Noa but also for Leon.
So much goes into judging a drama performance, and Leon, not being an expert, had no idea how he and the others had fared on stage.
Everything would come down to the professional theater judge.
He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then turned to look at Rosvisser beside him.
She gazed ahead, her beautiful, cool face expressionless, as usual.
But Leon noticed something in her expression—she seemed... distracted.
And if he looked closely enough, he could even see a faint blush on her cheeks.
“Hey,” he whispered.
No response.
“Hey, what’s on your mind?” He nudged her shoulder playfully.
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Snapped back to the present, Rosvisser stammered, “Huh? Oh, it’s... it’s nothing.”
“Really, nothing?”
“Really, nothing. I’m just... just a little nervous, that’s all. Yes, a bit nervous.” She pursed her lips, adjusted her hair, and looked back at the stage.
Leon studied her profile, sensing that she wasn’t as nervous as she claimed.
He knew how she acted when she was truly nervous; she’d try hard to stay calm, an unmistakable inner tension in her expression.
But right now, she seemed distracted by something else entirely.
Noticing Leon’s inquisitive gaze, Rosvisser shot him a sidelong look and gave a little pout.
Hmph, as if she’d actually tell him the truth.
Tell him she was still lingering over his last line on stage?
That secret was staying buried deep within her heart. No one would know, not even Leon.
Even with his sharp gaze fixed on her, Rosvisser decided to play dumb to the end.
Sure enough, after a few seconds of staring her down, Leon gave up. He didn’t push any further; his focus turned back to his daughter’s results.
“Everyone’s performances today were exceptional. Each group brought something unique to the table. Truly impressive work, all of you!” The judge waved a sealed envelope and continued, “And here, in this envelope, are your scores.”
“Starting with fifth place, we’ll go up from there. Ready?”
The judge slowly opened the envelope.
To build tension and engage the young dragons’ emotions, the judge employed an exaggerated series of facial expressions—surprise, excitement, and finally, a calm acknowledgment.
Noa raised an eyebrow, muttering, “No wonder they’re a professional actor.”
Helena covered her mouth, giggling. “Do you know what I like most about you, Noa?”
“What?”
“No matter who it is, you always give credit where it’s due.”
Noa smiled. “Praise is just a label to work toward. It’s about reaching that level myself.”
Helena tilted her head with interest. “Who’s the one you’ve labeled the most, then?”
Without hesitation, Noa replied, “My dad.”
The two friends exchanged a smile, then fell silent, waiting for the results.
“Fifth place goes to...”
Drawing out the last word, the judge scanned the young dragons in the audience, heightening everyone’s nerves.
“Angela and her team! Congratulations!”
Angela and her co-writer exchanged a look, their smiles tinged with a hint of disappointment.
Though their ranking was lower, the five teams selected to perform had all been chosen from a large pool of competitors.
So, even though the placing wasn’t ideal, it still represented an achievement above many others.
Everyone applauded Angela and her writer for their efforts.
“Now, moving on to fourth place~~”
After two more rounds of announcements, it was down to the final two—the championship and the runner-up.
The last two groups standing were Noa and Helena’s team and one other group.
The other team consistently ranked among the top in their grade, putting quite a bit of pressure on Noa.
During the main event, they had also received rounds of applause from the audience.
No one knew who would ultimately take first place.
“And the second place goes to...”
“Noa—”
Both Noa and Helena felt their hearts lurch.
Even Leon and Rosvisser tensed in their seats, barely containing their nervous sweat.
Claudia, however, leaned back in her chair, arms crossed and legs elegantly crossed, looking completely at ease.
“Noa, who do you think second place will be?” she asked.
“...”
Leon muttered through gritted teeth, “Can I go up there and smack that teacher with a thousand birds?”
Rosvisser pinched the bridge of her nose. “Be patient. Just be patient, please.”
The judge finally got serious after seeing the audience’s mixed reactions to the drawn-out suspense.
“The championship title will go to either Noa’s team or Vivienne’s team.”
“The styles and themes of both works were very different.”
“Noa’s team conveyed the message, ‘breaking free from societal expectations and courageously pursuing one’s desired life.’ A serious topic, but they balanced it with humorous touches. The depth of the actors, writers, and director’s skills was evident.”
“On the other hand, Vivienne’s team presented a more grounded concept, portraying how an unremarkable dragon lives a simple yet fulfilling life. It’s a reflection of most of our lives.”
“So, which message ultimately stood out?”
The judge flipped to the last page of the results.
On that page was the name of the winner.
With a smile, her gaze fell upon Vivienne, who immediately sat up straight, her eyes full of joy and anticipation.
But then...
The judge’s eyes shifted to the person beside her—
“Noa K. Melkvey and her co-writer, Helena Poseidon! Congratulations!”
With the announcement, all the tension in the room dissolved.
Noa let out a sigh of relief, her cheeks flushed from holding her breath.
Helena wrapped her arms around her, rubbing her cheek against Noa’s. “Noa, we won! We won!”
“Yes, we... won.”
The audience rose to their feet, applauding.
Noa looked out at the crowd, remembering the words her dad had told her before the performance:
“Do you hear that applause, Noa? It’s all for you.”
Once again, Dad’s words rang true.
“Congratulations, Noa!” Vivienne and the other young directors stepped forward to offer their congratulations.
“Seriously! How is your mom and dad’s acting so good? They totally crushed us!”
“And that blue-haired lady’s presence was amazing—I almost thought she was a professional actor.”
“Just you wait, Noa. Next time, I’ll beat you!”
The young dragons gathered together, praising one another and setting friendly rivalries, keeping the spirit of friendship above competition.
After the brief celebration, it was time for the commemorative photo.
All of Noa’s team joined the stage, with the principal, vice principal, and the judge standing with them for the group photo.
Leon sidled over to the vice principal, whispering, “Vice Principal, we must’ve gotten first place because you gave us all the points, right?”
“Not at all, Mr. Leon. Headmistress Ouellette anticipated my personal bias, so she voided my scores entirely.”
“Respect to the headmistress!”
So they’d earned first place entirely on their own merit.
Satisfied, Leon thought proudly.
Once the group photo was done, Leon scooped Noa into his arms, giving his eldest daughter a tight, joyous hug.
Just then, Claudia approached.
“Leon, do you have a moment?”
Still holding Noa, Leon turned to her. “What’s up?”
Claudia lifted her camera, giving it a little wave. “I’d like a photo with just you and Rosvisser. Just the three of us.”
Leon blinked, glancing at Rosvisser beside him.
She shrugged, indicating she didn’t mind.
“Alright, sure.”
Leon gently put Noa down and stepped beside Rosvisser and Claudia.
Claudia raised her camera and snapped the shot.
“All done. Thanks for cooperating.”
She lowered her gaze, examining the preview on her camera with a satisfied nod. “Hmm, not bad.”
The couple exchanged a look, a bit puzzled by Claudia’s request.
“Mom, Dad, can we go for barbecue to celebrate tonight?” Moon ran up, and Leon instinctively bent down, scooping her into his arms. “You little glutton, always thinking about food.”
“Hehe~ Let’s go! Let’s go!”
“Alright, barbecue it is tonight.”
With the St. Heith Academy drama competition officially concluded,
Elsewhere in the human empire, however, the curtain was rising on a different kind of ‘drama’...