There’s No Way I Can Raise a Dragon Daughter

“Because of you······!”

Because of you, someone was almost killed.

No, you almost killed someone.

By that thought, I had already lost my sanity.

I grabbed Tia by the collar.

I pulled Tia, whose eyes were wide with surprise, towards me.

Was it because it was my first time seeing myself like this?

Even though I sometimes muttered quietly when I cursed, it was the first time I had lost my reason and gotten angry.

Tia soon burst into tears.

A child’s tears are merely a nuisance and a source of irritation.

I thought Tia’s tears would be no different.

“Sorry······. Huhuhu. I’m sorry······.”

But the moment that small mouth made the sound of sniffles and sobs, I froze right there.

It wasn’t a “Mom, I’m scared,” nor a “Mom, you’re too much.”

I’m sorry.

Even without knowing the reason, Tia was clearly saying she was sorry between her sobs.

At that moment, my anger faded away, and my strength left my hands.

No, perhaps the anger simply lost its direction.

Could there really be something to blame in this innocent little child?

If there was a fault, it must be mine for knowing about this child’s poison and taking no action.

As that thought crossed my mind, I was engulfed in darkness, wondering what I had done.

I had crossed an irreversible line.

I bit my lips tightly.

I felt the dried blood on my lips.

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! Ugh. Huh······.”

“······.”

Tia was still shedding tear drops like chicken droppings, repeating the same words.

Perhaps she couldn’t bring herself to come to me, holding onto her skirt with small fists that seemed pitiful.

I wanted to hold her.

But did I have the right to embrace her?

Just then, as I hesitated without courage,

“Julia! What are you doing?!”

I was roughly pushed back by a harsh touch.

Irina, whose complexion had returned to normal, was now looking at me with a horrified expression while hugging Tia.

She had fully recovered.

I’m glad.

Really, I’m glad.

At that moment, that was all I could think of.

“Why are you suddenly yelling at a child?”

“Ah······.”

But Irina’s gaze was truly unbearable.

That look in her eyes, as if she were regarding me as a monster, was truly painful.

I saved you.

If it weren’t for me, you would have been gasping for breath on the floor by now.

For a moment, in the midst of those resentful thoughts, seeing Tia sobbing in Irina’s arms made my heart feel like it was being torn apart.

Everything is my fault.

The unavoidable reality pressed down on me.

I felt like I wanted to die.

*

“Huhuhu. Ugh······.”

The whole time she came to me, Tia cried without stopping, and even as she closed her eyes and fell asleep, she still sniffled.

Looking at this angelic face, a wave of regret washed over me.

What kind of child would say they’re sorry first in such a situation?

There probably isn’t a child as good as Tia in this world.

Realizing that truth only made my regret heavier and pressed down on my chest.

I gently stroked Tia’s horns, covered her with a blanket, and stood up.

I found it hard to take a step.

If it were up to me, I would want to hold Tia and fall asleep together.

But I had things to do, so I left the house.

It seemed that a strangely foul smell was wafting through the air, and there was Irina leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

I approached quietly, unable to bring myself to meet Irina’s gaze.

“So what happened?”

“······What do you mean?”

“I mean what happened while I was dozing off with you two.”

“······.”

I kicked a stone that got in my way and bit my lip tight.

Where should I start explaining?

I wasn’t sure.

As I tried to think about it, my mind felt like it was on the verge of collapse.

Was I normally this dense?

“My daughter’s saliva is actually the strongest poison, and you almost died from drinking just a little bit of it. But my blood is a miraculous medicine, which is how I could save you. Easy, right? You got it?”

It was absurd enough that it made me want to laugh hollowly.

To tell that story, I would ultimately have to reveal to Irina that I’m a Holy Maiden.

It would be the dumbest thing ever to increase the number of people who know my identity when I’m being chased by the church.

“Ha······.”

The strength left my legs, and I sat down right there.

At that moment, Irina crouched down beside me, the sound of her skirt rustling as she did.

Irina didn’t say anything, quietly smoking her cursed cigarette next to me.

As if to say she would wait.

I felt like if I left it too long, she would finish an entire pack, so I finally moved my lips.

I was worried about Irina’s lung health.

“Aren’t you asleep?”

“Huh? Then what was I doing?”

“I was dying······.”

“What?”

“I recently found out that Tia’s bodily fluids seem to act as poison to humans. Even a slight amount can be fatal.”

“I’ve never drunk Tia’s saliva······. Ah.”

As if she had caught on to something, Irina’s words cut off.

She seemed quite shocked.

“I just received some recovery medication from the church earlier. Luckily, I was able to save you with that.”

“Is, is that true? Tia’s saliva is poison? Is that a trait of demons?”

“Yeah······. It seems so······.”

“I see. I had no idea.”

Of course, she wouldn’t know.

That would be nonsense.

More and more lies were piling up like a snowball.

It wasn’t that I had only recently learned about Tia’s saliva, that it was a trait of demons, nor that I had actually received recovery medicine from the church.

It was entirely a pack of lies from beginning to end.

“It’s okay. By the time I’m found out, I can just run away.”

I know.

I know that they are all flimsy lies that will eventually be exposed.

So, once the time is right, I intend to escape.

Leaving the innkeeper, Sasha, and Irina behind, just me and Tia.

Ah, after solving that hero problem, of course.

“Did Tia know? That her saliva was poison.”

“No······.”

“Oh. So she got angry without telling her? At a child who knew nothing? That’s completely disqualified as a mom.”

“I know. I know I’m an idiot······.”

Disqualified as a mother?

I didn’t want to be accepted as a mother.

I didn’t even want to be a mother.

I buried my head in my knees, feeling overwhelmed.

I’m so glad Irina came back to life; otherwise, I might have never forgiven Tia.

I almost hated innocent Tia without knowing that it was all my fault.

“Do you know? Tia said sorry the moment I got angry. She asked what she did wrong. I’m the one who did everything wrong. Everything is my fault······.”

“How much did you scold her that she automatically says sorry as a reflex?”

Is that true?

Have I scolded Tia too much?

Have I sworn too much in front of Tia?

Is that why she seems so subdued?

Suddenly, I felt apologies washing over me, and I burst into tears.

“Ugh. Is that so······? Have I been too harsh?”

“Hey, I was joking, so don’t cry. I’ve seen you not shout at her even once, so I know well. Tia, well, how should I put it? She’s just too smart. She realized that saying sorry could quickly end a scary situation.”

“I looked at Tia as though she were a murderer, and I got angry. I dumped all my faults on Tia. I hurt Tia. What should I do, Irina? How can I make this right? I don’t want Tia to hate me······.”

It’s just foolish for a man to cry.

But I simply couldn’t hold back my tears.

While I hate Tia, I didn’t want her to hate me in return.

It was a mindset that was disgustingly nauseating.

Irina wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into an embrace.

“It’s okay. Kids forget everything quickly.”

“The memories that scared them don’t linger?”

“Those get forgotten quickly too. I’m sure when she wakes up, she’ll run to you, smiling brightly.”

“Really?”

“Of course. But you still need to apologize. Make sure to reconcile with Tia when she wakes up. And about Tia’s physical traits, be sure to inform her so she can be careful herself.”

“Yeah······. But how do I make up with her······?”

I had no idea how to reconcile with my daughter.

Especially a daughter who could use complex vocabulary at just two months old.

I desperately needed advice from a parenting senior.

“First, buy her a doll.”

“A doll?”

“Speaking of which, Tia doesn’t have any dolls. Buy her one. You’ll reconcile while giving it to her.”

“Will that really cheer her up?”

“Of course. It’s the most favorite gift from her mom. From her perspective, it’s the best gift since she can think of you while holding it when you’re not around.”

“······.”

The most beloved mom in the world······.

Maybe I never considered Tia’s perspective at all.

To me, Tia was merely a bundle of burdens that brought back painful memories, while I was her entire world.

Her whole world.

It was finally starting to dawn on me what I had done to Tia.

My chest tightened even more.

“Hurry. I want to go buy a doll before Tia wakes up······.”

“Do you need help choosing?”

Thud.

A pretty hand reached out in front of me, who had stumbled and fallen forward onto my skirt.

I looked up at Irina for a moment and, almost in a daze, grabbed her hand.

“Yeah······.”

Today, Irina seemed to shine even brighter.

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