CHAPTER - 174

  Leo remained silent, clenching his hands under the table as he began to eat slowly.

  Each bite carried a deep sense of satisfaction.

  He was happy, and for once, he felt no need to say anything: he let the warm, simple food speak for him.

  He lifted his gaze toward the professor sitting across from him, meticulously cutting the hamburger with almost surgical precision.

  A sincere smile formed on Leo's lips.

  He looked at him for a moment and thanked him with that grateful, radiant look.

  "A question, professor..."

  he then said, breaking the silence with a curious voice.

  "Do we need to train like before, every time, or should I continue doing it alone with Fin?"

  Dav raised his eyes toward him as he calmly cut the last piece of the hamburger.

  The tone he used was calm, almost reflective.

  "You know what they say, right? If you really want something, you have to be willing to make sacrifices..

  in certain circumstances, at least."

  He paused for a moment, set down the knife, and looked at him with a serious but not harsh expression.

  "In this case, you have freedom.

  Train as you wish, as long as you truly train."

  Leo nodded firmly, clenching his fists in his lap.

  A determined smile spread across his face as he continued to eat in silence.

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  After a few minutes, Dav looked at him curiously.

  "Leo, have you already decided who you'll participate with in the tournament?"

  Leo simply chewed calmly, then replied naturally.

  "With Fin, of course.

  As for the others... I'm not sure."

  Dav nodded, bringing the sandwich to his mouth.

  He added nothing more.

  "I see. I'll ask them directly."

  After dinner, Dav stood up, took both trays, and bid Leo a gentle farewell.

  He headed to the kitchen, left the trays there, and without wasting time, made his way toward the female dormitory wing, curious to see how the training for the

  tournament was progressing.

  Arriving in front of his daughter's shared room, he knocked with two light taps.

  "I'm coming in,"

  he announced in a calm and gentle voice, as if it were a ritual.

  He slowly opened the door and saw the three girls in their respective beds.

  Martina was sleeping soundly, wrapped in a floral blanket.

  Leona lay with headphones on, her gaze lost in the void as she listened to music with closed eyes.

  Elysia, on the other hand, lay on her stomach with her legs stretched out, engrossed in flipping through a cake magazine.

  Her face serene, focused, completely absorbed in those colorful pages.

  "Girls,"

  he said in a slightly louder tone,

  "how's the training going for the tournament?"

  No one responded.

  Martina continued sleeping, Leona in her musical world, and only Elysia seemed awake, though too immersed in her reading to notice his presence.

  Dav silently approached Elysia's bed and leaned in close to her, observing the magazine with a playful expression.

  He pointed to a multi-layered cake decorated with cream and strawberries.

  "This one looks nice,"

  he said, smiling with a playful look.

  Elysia, surprised, smiled without looking up.

  Her legs moved slowly up and down under the covers.

  "Yes... really beautiful."

  Then, suddenly, she lifted her head and turned toward him with a menacing look, as if she had just sensed a dangerous shadow.

  "Who's there?!"

  she shouted with a tense voice, almost ready to jump out of bed.

  But as soon as she saw her father's familiar face, her expression softened.

  "Oh... it's you, Dad.

  You gave me a fright!"

  Dav remained still, an amused and feigned surprised expression on his face.

  "I did knock... and I also said I was coming in.

  But I guess no one heard, huh?"

  Elysia laughed softly, then sat up slightly to hug him tightly.

  She embraced him affectionately and looked up to smile at him, happy as a child.

  He patted her head, then sat next to her.

  "Who will you participate with in the tournament? I'm curious."

  Elysia made a slight grimace, crossing her arms.

  "With that girl... hoping she doesn't get in my way."

  Dav chuckled softly, shaking his head.

  "Try to get along, okay."

  He stood up, kissed her on the forehead, and headed toward the door.

  "Go to sleep.

  There's training tomorrow. Night, Ely."

  "Night, Dad.." she replied softly, watching him leave.

  She closed the magazine, put it away, and lay down with a tender smile on her face.

  "I guess I'll go to sleep too..."

  And in the silent darkness of the room, calm settled.

  END OF CHAPTER - 174