The last event of the two-person, three-legged race was in a large outdoor kitchen. Dozens of cooking stations were set up in the open air. Leon and Rossweise, still tied together at the ankle, were the first to arrive.
"Welcome to the final challenge, 'Cooking with Love'!" the host announced. "A true family dish isn't just about the best ingredients or skill. It must be filled with love! Only then can it be truly delicious!"
"The rules are simple," the host continued. "Each family will draw a lot to decide what dish to make. You have one hour. The judges will be Vice Principal Wilson, a representative from Teswah Noodles, and a famous food critic."
"The first family to arrive, the Melkvey family, please begin your cooking filled with love!" the host cheered. "Remember, you cannot untie the ropes around your ankles. Let your love flow through the bond you share!"
The couple rolled their eyes at the same time. This was so awkward. Even a real family would find this cheesy.
Their thoughts were interrupted by another family arriving.
"My dear husband! I will use my deepest love to make the most delicious dish with you!" the wife declared.
"My darling! I will return your love with all my heart! Let's start!" the husband replied.
Leon and Rossweise felt nauseated.
"You're trying too hard. What if we draw 'dog food' later?" Rossweise snapped back to reality and nudged Leon. "Let's go draw our lot."
"Alright."
They went to the drawing box. Leon volunteered, "I'm feeling lucky. I'll do it!"
Drawing lots was important. A simple, tasty dish would help them win. A complicated one could ruin their chances.
Leon reached into the box and picked a slip of paper. Rossweise leaned close as he slowly opened it.
"Cream—"
The first word made them both sigh with relief. It was a good draw! Cream could make any dish taste better and secure their victory.
"Cream… puffs."
"Cream puffs?!"
Their relief vanished instantly. It brought back vivid memories of that night with the Dragon Strength Pill. The mad passion, the resistance and welcome… and the cream puffs from the next morning that Rossweise used to tease Leon.
They never thought they would face revenge from cream puffs!
Both of them blushed, overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
"So, this is your good luck?" Rossweise teased, her face red.
Leon's face was also red. "This is targeted! It's unfair!"
It made him think of things he shouldn't!
"Can you even make cream puffs?" Rossweise asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"How would you know if I can?" Leon shot back.
"You…!"
"Besides, you made them once before."
"That was Anna, not me! I don't know how to make pastries!" Rossweise insisted.
Leon buried his face in his hands. "Who put cream puffs in here? I want a redraw."
"We can, but then we give up our chance to win."
As they worried, a staff member came over. "What did you draw? Oh, cream puffs! Great draw."
Leon forced a smile. "Thank you."
"Are you not good at pastries?" the staff asked.
They both nodded.
"That's okay. We have detailed instructions for every dish." The staff gave them a sealed plastic sheet with a step-by-step cream puff tutorial. "It's a family competition, so just have fun. Good luck!"
Still tied together, they helped each other put on aprons without making eye contact. Even this simple act felt strangely intimate.
After preparing, Rossweise rolled up her sleeves and focused on the tutorial.
"The first step, milk…"
Just the word 'milk' made her pause.
"Pour the milk into a small pot… milk… oh, there it is. Pass me the milk," she said, reaching out.
Leon quietly handed it to her.
The second step, butter…
Butter? The innocent words were starting to sound inappropriate in their minds.
The third step, fill…
Fill what?
Rossweise's face got redder the more she thought about it. The memories of that night were too strong.
"Why are you blushing? Are you shy about making cream puffs?" Leon asked, trying to get ahead of her teasing.
"Who's blushing? It's just hot! Are you thinking something dirty?" Rossweise retorted.
"Enough." She slapped the recipe onto Leon's chest. "Let's work. You sift the flour, I'll beat the eggs. Hurry."
"Okay, okay."
Just then, they heard commentary from a nearby field. "Oh! The balloon battle royale is heating up! Only four young dragons remain! Two are from the Claw Dragon tribe, one is an Ice Dragon, and for some reason, all three seem to be teaming up against the last one, a young Silver Dragon!"
"I remember her! That's Noah, the youngest in the Dragonling department this year, but she excels in everything!"
"Can little Noah break free from this three-on-one siege? Let's find out!"
Hearing this, Leon and Rossweise looked over. Sure enough, three larger young dragons were surrounding Noah.
"It looks like Noah's reputation for fighting multiple opponents has spread. They're teaming up to take her out first," Leon said.
"Is she in danger?" Rossweise asked, worried.
"No. I believe in our daughter."
Rossweise blinked, processing his words. "Our… daughter…"
Before she could think more, Leon shouted excitedly, "Yes! A beautiful backflip! Show them, kiddo!"
In his excitement, he swung his fist, flinging a puff of flour onto Rossweise's cheek.
"Sorry, sorry! Our daughter was just too awesome!" He quickly used his sleeve to wipe the flour from her face.
This small action was spotted by the host.
"While Noah holds her own against three opponents, her parents, in the heat of cooking, still care for each other! What a loving couple, showing affection in such a small detail!"
Leon's hand froze. What was a minor incident had just become a public display of affection.
"At least the audience is far away and can't see clearly," Leon whispered.
Unfortunately—
"Since everyone might not see clearly from afar, let's use our large photo-stones to project a live feed above the field!"
Large stones on both sides lit up, projecting the image of Leon wiping Rossweise's cheek for everyone to see.
Principal Wilson, in the VIP seats, leaned back smugly. "Truly the model couple I chose. They might as well have 'loving couple' written on their faces."
The noodle representative and food critic nodded in agreement. The entire audience was moved.
But the couple was not.
"Which dragon do I have to slay to end this sports day early?" Leon gritted his teeth.
"My suggestion is to slay all the witnesses," Rossweise replied flatly.
They refocused on their cream puffs.
"The fourth step, shape the cream puffs."
Rossweise frowned. "The shape I want… but the only mold the school provided is…"
Leon picked up the lone mold, examining its length and thickness in his hand.
Rossweise silently covered her face.
"Ah, forget it! This is the mold's fault, not mine! I don't like this shape at all!" she told herself, and began shaping the dough.
As the cream puffs were almost done, good news came from Noah's area.
"Let's congratulate Noah C. Melkvey for her incredible victory, winning the balloon battle royale against all odds!"
The small figure stood in the center of the field, panting heavily, but she raised her hand high and gave a thumbs-up towards her parents.
"Sis did great! Did you see that? That's Muen's sister! She's super awesome!" Muen cheered from the stands.
If their daughter could achieve such a victory, how could the parents fall behind?
With new determination, Leon and Rossweise faced the final step.
"Slice open the side of the cream puff and fill it with cream…"
Rossweise swallowed hard. "Fill it…"
That verb brought back everything she wanted to forget. She remembered every detail of that night.
"What's wrong? Afraid of making a mess? Don't worry, I'll fill them. You just hold the cream puffs open," Leon said.
"Ah… ah?"
"What 'ah'? The team next to us is almost done. Hurry, take this." Leon handed her a sliced cream puff.
Rossweise lowered her head and gently opened the slit.
This felt familiar. Very familiar. From that night…
"Hold it steady. I'm squeezing the cream in," Leon reminded her.
"…Okay."
Squish, squish—
"Hey, slow down! It's leaking!" Rossweise cried out in panic.
"Oh, sorry, sorry. Too much pressure."
Finally, they finished three cream puffs. They leaned down, shoulders touching, to look at their creation.
"Okay, the dirtiness is in our minds, not the cream puffs themselves," Leon admitted.
"Remove the 'we.' It's just you who's dirty, thank you," Rossweise retorted.
"Tsk, you're the one who used them as a metaphor first. I was innocent back then," Leon said.
Rossweise gave him a look, picked up the tray, and said, "Let's go. Time to turn them in."
It was time to present their dish. Leon wasn't sure if it was filled with love, but it was definitely filled with complicated feelings.
The judges arrived. A staff member finally untied the rope from their ankles. Freedom at last!
They carried the tray to the judges' table. Each judge took a cream puff and tasted it carefully.
The Teswah Noodles representative spoke first. "Hmm, not bad. But it would be better with some shredded meat. I give it a seven."
The famous gourmet was next. "The pastry is crispy, the cream is smooth. It lacks a certain shy charm, but it has a unique taste of happiness. I give it a nine."
Leon whispered to Rossweise, "If that's what it takes to be a gourmet, then I'm one too."
Rossweise suppressed a smile and shushed him.
Finally, Vice Principal Wilson gave his review. "This cream puff is full-bodied and aromatic. I suppose you two make these often at home?"
The couple looked at each other, silently urging the other to answer this embarrassing question.
Rossweise whispered, "Seven-day vacation."
Leon bravely spoke up. "Yes, Principal. My wife and I often make them. We both love cream puffs and enjoy the process of making them."
He told himself: Cream puffs are pure. It's my mind that's dirty! As long as my heart is pure, I'm talking about cream puffs!
"Haha, it seems your private life is quite colorful. So, does this cream puff contain your special feelings?" the Vice Principal asked.
They knew what he wanted to hear. It was time to lie with their eyes wide open.
They exchanged a glance and held hands. (Why were they getting so good at this?)
"Yes, Vice Principal. Though cream puffs are ordinary, we filled them with our deep and special love," Rossweise said.
Leon looked at the creamy white filling and nodded. "Hmm, very rich… very rich."
"What a satisfying answer! Full marks! I give full marks! Congratulations!" the Vice Principal declared.
He was pleased. This model family's love could make ordinary food taste so good. How many families could do that?
After the scoring, Noah joined them to wait for the final ranking.
About half an hour later, Vice Principal Wilson held the list.
"The rankings for the first Family Parent-Child Sports Festival are out! Now for the top three!"
"Third place goes to the Alex family from the Claw Dragon Clan! Their prize is a fifty-year coupon for Teswah Dragon Noodles!"
"Second place is the Rose family from the Wind Dragon Clan! Their reward is a B-rank rare Magic Grimoire!"
"And the winner is~~~"
The principal dragged out the pause, making the audience curious. Leon clenched his fist. Noah held her mom's arm tighter.
"Before that, how about a short word from our sponsor, Teswah Noodles? Teswah Noodles Extra~~~ Silky~~~"
"Sigh~~~~" The crowd groaned in disappointment.
The Vice Principal chuckled. "Stay calm, it was just a joke. Now, the first-place winners are—"
"The Melkvey family from the Silver Dragon Clan! Let's congratulate them!"
Thousands of dragons in the audience stood up and applauded. Noah and Rossweise sighed in relief.
"As the winners, your prize is a luxurious seven-day hot spring vacation!"
Hearing this, Leon's smile froze.
LUXURY HOT SPRING TRIP + ROSSWEISSE = HOMEWORK = ONE WEEK WITHOUT REST
My vacation! Nooo! Leon cried inside.