There’s No Way I Can Raise a Dragon Daughter

Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Guilt? I Admit You’re a Fool!

The Vladimir Empire, located in the southeast of the continent.

On the surface, this country claims to be a multi-ethnic nation, but about 70 percent of the population is human, 20 percent are half-humans, and the remaining 10 percent consists of minority races such as elves, orcs, and demons.

Among the minority races, the population of demons is almost non-existent; even if there are demons, most of them are likely in slave status and thus are not counted in population statistics.

Despite being so inconspicuous, the level of hatred towards demons is sky-high.

However, if demons from the demon realm were to see Tia, they would quickly notice she is not a demon.

Except for the fact that she has two black horns, Tia is entirely unrelated to demons; she is a dragon-human hybrid.

Although many people have been asked, it seems no one has ever heard of a dragon-human hybrid.

No one even knew whether humans could become pregnant with dragons’ children.

For those who are that uninformed, it was questionable whether Tia would be accepted as the daughter of a dragon, and she did not feel capable of handling the subsequent barrage of questions.

Creating a story about a woman who, overcoming a tremendous size difference, became pregnant by a giant dragon and subsequently tried to abort several times, ultimately leading her to reluctantly give birth, seemed less plausible than claiming that Tia was merely a newborn demon found on the street.

Thus, Tia was a truly ambiguous existence.

Neither welcomed in the human realm nor integrated into the demon realm.

At its essence, she is a completely unfamiliar and unknown being.

That is Tia.

“Why am I different? What are these horns? Who am I?”

“······.”

Hence, it was even more difficult to respond to these tearful questions.

What should I even say to her?

Even if I racked my brain right now, there would be no sharp answer that I hadn’t thought of until now.

It wouldn’t make sense to say, “You are the dragon-human hybrid that your mother was forced to give birth to after being raped by a huge dragon and tried multiple abortions, all of which failed.”

But saying “You are a demon that I picked up” felt distasteful, too; that was the answer I’d given to others.

Thinking about how she might later long for her hometown only to be rejected by those she believed to be her kin filled me with a profound sense of loss.

I knew this day would come eventually.

I had a premonition that Tia would one day feel confused about her identity.

But this was too soon.

I thought only her physical growth would be rapid, not her mental development being even swifter.

Tia’s question loomed over me like a threat, as I felt her future hung on every word I might say.

The weight of that responsibility felt overwhelmingly heavy, causing my chest to tighten and my breath to become shallow.

“Ugh?”

As Tia cried out for an answer, I silently approached and embraced her.

I needed time to choose my words.

But trying to sort out this complicated mind of mine yielded no satisfactory answers and was merely wasting time.

I wanted to cry too.

“Mom isn’t really my mom?”

“Who said that?”

“A certain uncle said so. Mom isn’t really my mom…”

Which bastard said that?

I would be sure to add him to my blacklist.

“Don’t listen to that person. Mom is Tia’s mom.”

“Then what about these horns? Why am I different from Mom?”

“That’s because Tia is special. Tia has horns because she is special.”

“Really…?”

Of course.

As the child of a dragon, how could she not be special?

I worried that one day, she might grow wings or breathe fire.

I would need to explain about her father at that time, but I had no idea how difficult that would be.

“Is Tia weird?”

“No. There’s nothing weird about Tia. Tia is just Tia. Our cute and pretty daughter Tia. And Mom loves Tia. That won’t change no matter what anyone says. It’s okay if you look a little different. What matters is that Tia is Mom’s daughter, and Mom loves Tia.”

“Mmuhh…”

Eventually, I gave a vague answer that circled around the point.

For now, it seemed enough; Tia began to sob heavily in my arms.

I slowly patted her back and sighed quietly.

I was more worried about the future.

Right now, she only questioned why her appearance was different from mine, but I wondered what terrifying questions she would ask as she grew older…

The thought of me giving clear answers to those was unimaginable, making that future even more frightening.

“I regret it. I regret it so much…”

At first, I didn’t realize what it meant to raise Tia rather than abandon her.

I had no clue.

And the price of that ignorance would be paid more harshly in the future.

—

As the night deepened, the atmosphere in the Ryuba Tavern also grew lively.

Today, Julia had to be repeatedly called here and there without a moment’s rest.

Tia, leaning on the bar table and sipping milk through a straw, made a sulky face as she watched Julia being called away again.

“Oh? Tia, where did you get that milk?”

“Mom gave it to me.”

“Oh, Julia did. Huh? But wasn’t there no milk delivery today because the milkman got hurt? Where did that come from?”

“Mm…”

Ignoring the innkeeper’s words cheerfully, Tia rested her chin in her hand and made a sound as if in pain.

Recently, she had too many questions.

However, there was no one who could give her clear answers.

Although she had heard fragmented stories about demons and adoption, when Tia tried to inquire further, everyone evaded her questions and smiled awkwardly.

“Tia! Want to arm wrestle with the uncle? If you win, I’ll give you some pocket money!”

“Really?”

Suddenly, a male customer seated at the bar proposed a match.

The mention of money transformed Tia’s gaze.

She learned that money was important since Julia often talked about it when she came home from work, and this was enough to pique her interest.

To think she could get such money simply by winning an arm wrestling match.

Tia stretched and loosened up, preparing to wrestle.

“Uncle, just so you know, I’m the champion of the neighborhood arm wrestling competition!”

“Tia can win!”

“Hahaha! That’s the confidence I like!”

The man couldn’t help but laugh at Tia’s enthusiasm as she reached out her little hand.

Her tiny fingers were adorable, making it impossible for him to hold back his laughter.

When Tia shot him a serious glare, he quickly clamped his mouth shut and took her hand.

Her hand was so small it barely made up a fraction of his, meaning he enveloped her entire hand.

“Okay. When I say go, we start. Ready…”

“Go!”

“Hohoho! That’s not how manners work.”

“Mmuuuhhh!”

As soon as the match started, Tia began to strain so hard her face turned crimson.

The man, who had been smiling casually, soon realized something was amiss as embarrassment flashed across his face.

Something was wrong.

It was normal that an adorable child who looked no older than two or three years could not physically affect him, yet he felt his arm trembling and couldn’t hold his ground.

“Mmuuuhhh!”

“Uh? Uh-oh?”

“Wow. This kid has some acting skills. The shaking of his arms is so realistic!”

“If someone saw this, they would really think they are neck-and-neck.”

It was not a draw at all.

Even just attempting to hold Tia back was draining the man’s energy, as he struggled to remain strong while bewilderment washed over him.

He was indeed trying to let her win, but the situation was entirely unexpected and threw him off balance.

As he abandoned his efforts, his arm suddenly collapsed, slamming onto the table with a thud.

“Tia wins!”

“Muhihihih! I won!”

“You actually withstood Tia for five seconds!”

“Uh-oh…”

Cheers erupted.

But the man alone held his aching arm, unable to laugh.

While everyone else applauded Tia playfully, only he looked at her with a mix of admiration and fear.

“To defeat the champion already! Outstanding!”

“Is it because she’s a demon? She’s exceedingly strong!”

“Because she’s a demon…?”

Tia tilted her head in confusion.

The name ‘demon’ had surfaced again, this veiled term that had drawn her curiosity.

Yet she knew that if she inquired further, the atmosphere would become tense, and everyone would avoid her questions. Thus, she dared not ask anyone.

It felt lonely.

Even surrounded by so many people cheering and shouting for her, Tia strangely felt a sense of isolation.

“Tia…”

Meanwhile, Sasha, watching from a distance, let out a sigh.

Having completed her serving duties, Sasha approached Tia cautiously, careful not to poke anyone with her horns as they passed by.

She couldn’t stand by quietly, seeing Tia with that seemingly sad gaze, despite being outwardly cheerful.

“Tia! Shall we go for a walk together?”

“Mom says I need to get permission before going out…”

“Ah, but going with me is fine. How close are Julia and I!”

Sasha stammered a little, feeling guilty as she said this.

Now that she thought about it, were she and Julia really that close?

After all, Julia was just a co-worker who occasionally exchanged words, and she was merely someone who helped deal with a difficult customer once.

But that was neither here nor there, so Sasha shook those thoughts out of her head.

“I want to go! Walk! I feel like I’m going to die from being cooped up!”

“When did you learn to say that…?”

Tia stood confidently and stretched her arms wide.

It was a kind of protest that she didn’t want to stay in her chair anymore.

Sasha smiled and lifted Tia by slipping her hand under her armpit.

Holding Tia’s hand, she anxiously watched as Tia took fragile steps towards the back door.

“Haah…”

Outside the shop, Sasha, about to light a cigarette as usual, flinched at Tia’s sparkling eyes.

She couldn’t possibly smoke in front of the child, yet Sasha found her hands moving contrary to that thought.

Without even realizing it, she had lit the end of her cigarette.

Just as she was surprised by her own subconscious act, she rationalized that it would be a waste to extinguish the already lit cigarette and ultimately hesitated to throw it away.

As she squatted down to pull the moist tobacco into her mouth, Tia tilted her head in confusion.

“What’s a walk…?”

“Sorry. I lied about smoking. Still, didn’t Tia want to get some fresh air?”

“Muhh.”

Tia puffed her cheeks out, expressing her displeasure.

The outdoor scenery she’d wanted to see was not this gloomy, narrow alley confined by walls, but rather an open and crowded area filled with people.

“Tia, do you have any concerns lately?”

“······.”

“It seems like you do. Go ahead, tell me. I’ll listen.”

Tia plopped down beside Sasha.

There were plenty of concerns.

So many that it was overwhelming.

However, already afraid Sasha might evade her question like everyone else had, Tia…

“What are these horns? Why do I only have these weird horns? Why doesn’t Mom have horns? Who am I? Am I different from Mom? Mom isn’t my real mom? Then who is my real mom?”

Before she knew it, she was unleashing all the questions she had saved up.

They were all questions that had not received clear answers.

Inadvertently inhaling smoke poorly, Sasha coughed and sputtered, finding herself in a bit of a mess.

These were deep concerns for someone so young.

Sasha took another puff from the cigarette and exhaled before releasing her lips.

“Tia isn’t the only one with horns. I have them too.”

“Oh, really…?”

From Tia’s perspective, Sasha’s horns were something she had to tilt her head painfully up to see.

Recalling that Sasha also had long horns, Tia raised her head excitedly, inspecting them closely.

“Will Tia’s horns grow longer like yours?”

“Well, I’m a unicorn half-human, you know. See? So, I just have one horn on my forehead. Tia has two.”

“So does that mean you and I are different?”

“Different for sure. But having horns is not weird. It’s something to be proud of. How about it? Isn’t it cool to have horns?”

“Yeah, yeah! So cool! Super cool! Horns are cool!”

Tia, who had just been fiddling with her own horns, now had her fists pumped with excitement.

In fact, horns weren’t common even among half-humans.

There had been numerous unpleasant experiences because of those long and large horns.

Yet if it could eliminate Tia’s complex, Sasha could spend today feeling proud of her own complexes.

“And about Mom… umm… Julia has them…”

As Sasha began to answer the next question, her words dragged on.

She kept wondering if she should even share this.

‘Is it okay for me to say this?’

‘Isn’t this the role of a mother?’

‘It’s because that mother couldn’t fulfill her role that Tia seeks answers from me.’

Having her head filled with mixed thoughts, Sasha finally pressed out the tiny end of her already small cigarette and spoke.

She absolutely detested pondering others’ troubles.

“Tia is a member of the demon race. They live up north in harsh lands known as the demon realm.”

“Then what about Mom?”

“Mom is human. From what I’ve heard, Julia took Tia in after losing her real parents and being left alone.”

Even as she said this, Sasha continued to question whether it was right to share this information.

Was it correct to present hearsay as fact?

In the end, only Julia, the real mother, would know the true circumstances.

Yet, letting the child continue to feel confused seemed unsuitable.

“Why?”

“Uh?”

“Why did Mom take me in?”

“Well…”

Sasha hesitated and took a deep breath.

The last memory of her parents, with their contemptuous expressions, surfaced, causing her body to freeze.

She remembered the memories of having to navigate this world all alone, without parents.

Wondering what it would have been like to have a mother like Julia made Sasha unintentionally say something she didn’t mean.

“Because you looked pitiful.”

Silence fell.

By the time Sasha regretted it, it was already too late.

---