Leo went to bed, and woke up early. Today was the day when he started the light workout sessions recommended by the physiotherapist. Snow was still in the bed, she had her own time to get up in the morning, so Leo did not bother her.
He went out, did some basic warm up and then followed with squats and inclined pushups. For the current Leo even five pushups were a project, but he managed to do a bit more than he was told to. He took a shower, and then he made a little breakfast.
Snow woke up, she realized that she was getting late and was in a rush. Leo said, "It's okay, you can go and grab a bite outside. I will take Lily to the new school."
Snow sighed, she pecked his lips and then rushed out of the house. Lily was also ready to go out. She wore a clean and crisp white frock with a pair of bellies. Leo smiled and then said, "My dear princess, it would have been nice if mom had some extra time to give you a hairstyle."
Lily nodded and said, "I think you should learn how to style hair as well Baba, I hear that men who can do hair are liked by women. Ma would love you more."
Leo was surprised, he scooped up the little one in his arms and tickled her a little before he asked, "Where did you learn all this from? Huh?"
Lily giggled in his arms, but the next moment, Leo heard a notification in his mind, 'Host, to complete your daughter's wish, you are granted with the basic skills of a hairdresser. With every successful and likeable hair style, you will receive experience points to upgrade the skill level.'
Leo sensed a surge of warmth in his head as the information was unveiled for him. The young man took a deep breath and calmed down after a few moments. He then opened his eyes and said, "Come, Baba will give you a hairstyle, and make you a pretty princess."
Lily was surprised and said hurriedly, "No! Baba, I was joking."
Leo could see that she was lying and he rolled his eyes and said, "Kiddo, do you think I cannot tell if you are lying or not?"
Lily froze, and then she was placed before the dresser where her mother combed her hair, and put on some minimal makeup everyday. Leo looked at the almost barren dresser and his heart clenched, he decided to go and buy some stuff for Snow later in the day.
He picked up the comb and gently untangled Lily's hair before he used his hands to make a pair of french braids on the side of her temples and pinned them at the back of the head.
Lily was surprised, although Leo was moving very cautiously and he was clumsy, he did a satisfactory job and Lily looked ten times more adorable with this look. She raised her head to look at her father and asked, "Baba, are you a god?"
Leo was stunned for a second and then he smiled at her as he shook his head asking, "Why do you think I am a god?"
Lily shrugged and said, "Gods can do anything."
Leo shook his head and said, "My dear it is the one who can do anything that becomes a god, and not the other way around. Also, by anything, it means good things, not bad."
Lily was confused and Leo poked her nose as he said, "You will understand what I mean in the future for now, let's head to the school."
Leo collected all the documents that were needed, and then they hailed a cab from the community gates before they drove away. One of the security guards looked at them and said, "Boss, don't you think Mister Cardinal is very low-key?"
The Boss in his mouth was the superior posted on the gates. He looked at the junior guard and said, "The stronger one gets, the less they need weapons. Mister Cardinal is probably someone who believes in that philosophy. Anyway, our task is to secure the neighborhood, and not talk about the affairs of the rich. Do you hear me?"
The cab stopped at the gates of Primus Elementary. The school was a small castle, inside the building there was a completely different world.
Leo called Aston on his mobile and asked, "Hello, Mister Aston, it is Leo, I am at the gates, can you send someone over?"
Aston quickly responded, "Yes, Sir. I will ask a guard to lead you inside, please wait a moment."
Leo agreed and after two minutes, a security guard approached him and asked, "Excuse me, are you, Mister Leo?"
Leo nodded and said, "Yes."
The guard bowed slightly and said, "Sir, the Principal has asked you to come in. Please follow me."
Leo nodded and then followed the burly guard inside the castle. They took a small golf cart to cut the distance short. Lily asked, "Baba, is this a school?"
Leo nodded and said, "Yes, this will be your new school. Do you like it?"
Lily nodded while gazing around curiously and said, "This is like a fairy tale castle."
Leo smiled and patted her head as he said, "You are a fairy, a little pixie. So, Baba arranged for you to study here. Be good to others when you go to class, okay?"
Lily nodded sincerely, and the guard smiled at the interaction between the two. He hardly got any chances to come in contact with the families of the children who studied here. Although the students did not create any fuss here, they were not warm to the others as well. Such was the pressure on the scions of the rich houses.
They reached the castle gates, and then Leo walked inside after thanking the guard. Lily followed his habits, she thanked the guard with a sweet smile on her face, and held her father's hand as they walked inside the big reception room.
Leo had just come inside when an attendant dressed in a royal blue colored office uniform approached her and asked politely, "Good morning, Sir, how may I be of help?"
Leo greeted her back, "Good morning, I have an appointment with the principal. Can you tell me where I can find her?"
The attendant gestured for him to follow her. They did not exchange names, firstly, Leo was not interested in this, and secondly, it was unnecessary.
The attendant knocked on the door, and went in after being granted the permission, and almost instantly, Leo was called inside with her. The young man walked inside the office, where he spotted a lot of portraits of great personalities hung, similar to the corridors outside.
Leo looked to his left after entering the office and found an old lady sitting behind a huge mahogany table. He took a couple of steps forward and greeted her, "Good morning, Madam principal."
The old lady nodded and gestured for the attendant to leave. She then said, "Please have a seat, Mister Cardinal."
Leo nodded, and led Lily forward as he first pulled a chair for her, and then sat down beside her. Lily was a sensible child and was very well behaved. The old lady scrutinized the little girl for a prolonged moment and then said, "She seems to be very well behaved."
Leo smiled faintly and looked at his daughter as he said, "She is fine. Lily, what do you say to someone when they compliment you?"
Lily chirped, "Thank you, Ma'am."
The old principal then asked Lily a few questions, such as her name, age, her favorite colors, and poems. The basic stuff that a child should know. Then the lady asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up, Lily?"
Leo did not object, he was curious as to what Lily wanted to be. Usually, children would all say that they want to be a doctor, or a few fancy terms they have heard from the elders, or the second most common answer would be to follow their parents.
However, Leo and the Principal were taken aback, when Lily said, "Ma'am, can I answer this question later? I have not yet decided what I want to be, but I want to learn."
The Principal could not help but reveal a smile and said, "You are a good girl. In a minute, a teacher will come and take you to the class. Today, you should familiarize yourself with the people and the school. Okay? I look forward to your time here, Lily."
Lily sighed and replied with a smile, "Thank you, Ma'am."
The old lady called a teacher who would be responsible for teaching Lily, and after a brief exchange with Leo, the teacher provided a few details to contact her or the class, before she left with Lily.
Leo waved at his daughter, and then the Principal said, "Mister Cardinal, please submit the documents, I will ask the administration office to go through the procedure, and as a member of the board, your child can go to school here for free."
Leo bowed to the old lady and said, "Thank you, Ma'am."