There’s No Way I Can Raise a Dragon Daughter

The news that the Holy Maiden gave birth to a child of the devil spread quickly.

I thought people would be fleeing and passing on the rumor.

However, contrary to expectations, it seemed the refugees had said not a word about the Holy Maiden’s child.

They must have been embarrassed.

In a village with a small population and no specialties, the only pride was that the Holy Maiden was vacationing there, and defaming her would have been tantamount to destroying their own reputation.

It was certainly a topic of interest, but that’s just how things turned out.

“Ugh. It’s ridiculously heavy.”

The moment I lifted the heavy bundle, all my distracting thoughts vanished.

It wasn’t just a feeling.

It was definitely getting heavier as the days went by.

At just two weeks old, the child’s cheeks were already plump, and they were even starting to sprout teeth; their growth was astonishingly rapid.

They must not be an ordinary baby.

I found myself thinking that it might be time to feed them something other than breast milk.

Sucking had become too intense and uncomfortable.

“Hey. What do you want to eat?”

“Ummama.”

“What are you saying? But how should I call you…?”

While heading toward the market, my steps suddenly halted.

I had been calling this bundle various things and hadn’t yet given them a name.

For convenience, they should have a name.

But then, what should I call them…?

“Tiamat?”

It was a name that suddenly popped into my head.

Since it’s a dragon, I thought it might be a fitting name.

But Tiamat was too long and a hassle to pronounce.

“Tia?”

“Mmaa!”

“Do you like it? Is Tia good?”

“Mee!”

“Alright. We’ll go with Tia. It’s easier for me to call you that too.”

It seemed the child also liked the name Tia.

Although it wasn’t exactly adorable once I named them, I decided to stick with it.

No matter how unpleasant it might be, I couldn’t name my child’s name a curse.

While I walked, gently patting my butt with the child on my back, soon all I could hear was their breathing, and the movement felt like it had stopped.

It seemed they had fallen asleep.

“I wish it could stay like this forever.”

Though I was tired from nursing, changing diapers, and bathing them every day, I knew that once they started crawling all over the place, things would only get more tiring.

How nice it would be if they continued to sleep quietly on my back like a high-maintenance doll.

At the same time, I also hoped that they would grow up quickly and support me one day.

I didn’t know if that day would really come, though…

No matter how much I imagined it, I only saw a future where I got caught by the Heretic Examiner and was executed.

“Ah. No. I guess it’s better for them to grow up quickly.”

I was just hoping that future would come sooner.

Since I didn’t have the courage to kill them, I was fervently wishing that someone else would take my burden off me.

Just picturing a more hopeful future made my steps feel a little lighter.

*

“Hmm…”

In an empty bar.

A man dressed in a suit trimmed his mustache and stepped out to the bar table.

With plenty of time before opening, it was one of the few quiet and peaceful moments he could enjoy each day.

Upon closer inspection, this place that looked like a high-end bar would soon become a noisy low-end bar, filled with all sorts of people.

There was still much to prepare before opening.

First, he decided to take some linen from a drawer to wipe the glasses that had collected dust overnight.

As he examined the dust and stains under the light, he carefully wiped the glasses to avoid leaving fingerprints when—

Bang!

“Inkeeper!”

“Oh crap.”

Startled by the loud noise that shook the entire bar, he accidentally dropped a glass.

He turned his gaze towards the door that swung open, allowing bright daylight to pour in.

A silver-haired girl with stunning beauty, wholly unsuitable for such a lowly bar, stood there.

“Another glass broken… and it was an expensive one.”

“Is that my fault?”

“Yes, it is your fault.”

“Then I’ll bill you for it. I’m already buried in debt after covering for some lunatic’s refund. Ugh. I can’t take it anymore. Should I just die?”

“You do realize it was your fault that the refund was necessary… right?”

“Ah, that troublesome one keeps causing a scene. If they want to go have fun, they should just go to a brothel.”

Despite having exceptional beauty, she spent her time in this low-end bar due to her unstable mental state, hitting customers based on her mood.

There was no way he could charge a girl who was constantly singing songs about wanting to die for the price of a glass.

With a deep sigh, he quietly fetched a broom to clean up the broken glass.

“Why did you come so early today?”

“What’s it to you? Just give me a scotch, Innkeeper.”

“Hey. We’re still closed.”

“I know. That’s why I just want one drink.”

“One drink, and you’re out of here.”

“You know I’m not going anywhere.”

“………”

Seeing Julia’s bitter smile, he shook his head and pulled out the remainder of a bottle of scotch from yesterday.

If it were any other employee, he would never serve alcohol before opening.

But with Julia, it was an entirely different story.

It seemed she had a liver made of steel; no matter how much she drank, she never got drunk.

This was one reason why Julia was so popular among the customers.

“You’re an alcoholic.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t even get drunk! Just pour me some already.”

“Why do you even drink? You don’t get drunk.”

“Ugh. While I’m drinking, I feel a little buzz. Then, just a little while later, it wears off really fast… but that little moment makes it impossible to stop.”

“You do know that all your drinking expenses are deducted from your salary, right? Over half of your first paycheck has already been deducted.”

“Hey. Isn’t there a staff discount?”

“Even with a 90% discount, look where you are. Drink less.”

“Cheh…”

Julia clicked her tongue and pushed the glass away.

He, still smiling, corked the bottle and took the empty glasses.

Of course, it was a lie that the drinking expenses would be deducted from her salary.

He intended to give her a bonus added to the salary specified in the contract.

Because Julia wasn’t on her own…

“Did I ask why you came so early?”

“Yes.”

“Why? I just stopped by for food. Make me some stir-fried rice on the iron plate, Innkeeper. Staff meals don’t get deducted from my salary, right?”

“Eat something else too. Your stomach will get grease-coated, you little brat.”

“What can I do about not having money?”

“What about the money I lent you?”

“I spent it all, on the liquor, diapers, and the cost of blankets… and… I forgot. Anyway, it’s all gone. I thought diapers were just any cloth, but if they aren’t made of expensive fabric, they leak everywhere, and it’s a huge hassle, you know?”

“If you had spent just a little less on booze, you would have had enough to save.”

“Why should I save? I don’t see the need for it.”

“………”

He felt slightly dazed as he blinked.

This must be the mindset of the current generation.

Not wanting to sound like a nagging elder, he swallowed his words.

“By the way, is the baby healthy?”

“Healthy. Too healthy. Despite being mostly starved, they’re getting exponentially heavier every day.”

“Hahaha. That’s how babies are supposed to be.”

“No, I’m serious! The baby is growing explosively, like bread rising in the oven. It’s disgustingly fast.”

“What will you do if they grow up in a few moments and start talking and walking around?”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”

“Then you’ll have to be cautious. If the child goes outside alone and gets caught…”

“Caught doing what?”

“Ah.”

The moment he met Julia’s sharp gaze, he froze up.

He once visited the storage room, worried about her working overnight, and saw it.

The black horns that sprouted from the baby’s head.

It seemed Julia sensed that, as her expression grew serious.

“I’m sorry. I saw it…”

“Are you going to spread rumors? Are you going to tell the church? Huh? Are you?”

“No, I won’t say a word. I promise to keep it a secret.”

As her breathtakingly beautiful face loomed closer, he nodded repeatedly and made his promise.

There was no way he could spread such a rumor and tarnish the reputation of the bar’s ace.

With a conflicted look, Julia sat back down, though she still wore an unfriendly expression.

“That child… indeed…”

“Yeah. The Innkeeper would probably think the same. A devil’s—”

“A demon’s child, right?”

“Uh?”

“Huh?”

A demon’s…?

Feeling he might have misheard, he tilted his head.

If it were a race with black horns, the only thing that came to mind was demons; none other.

That terrifying race that had once thrown the human world into panic…

“Isn’t it that you’re raising a demon child?”

“Ah? Uh? Yes. That’s right. Um… I just happened to take in a demon child… Yeah. Let’s go with that…”

“………?”

Julia nodded as if coming to a realization, muttering.

It seemed the situation was quite complicated.

If a young woman had to secretly raise a demon child, then it wouldn’t be something easily disclosed to others, so he decided not to pry too deeply.

In time, she would probably tell him about it.

“You’re going to keep it a secret, right Innkeeper?”

“Of course. The central government says they’ll grant equal human rights to demons migrating here, but if the church gets wind of it, they’ll easily lash out with all sorts of ridiculous accusations and kill you.”

“Hmm. But do you think they’ll capture a child too? Aren’t you curious, Innkeeper? Should we confess and test it out? Even if they’re zealots, they wouldn’t kill a child, would they?”

“Julia…”

It seemed her mental state wasn’t particularly healthy.

Just then, he was about to call her softly and gently hold her hand when he heard an unusual commotion outside.

Wondering what was happening, he stepped around the bar table and opened the door.

For some reason, a crowd of regulars had gathered outside, all looking agitated and panting.

“Innkeeper! You were inside! We heard a rumor and came to check if it’s true!”

“What rumor—”

“Julia is there too! We can ask her directly! Julia! Juliaaa!”

“Ah, why is everyone acting like this in the middle of the day?”

As they suddenly tried to rush inside, he struggled to block the door.

It was obvious why the regulars were so angry.

Bad rumors about the staff had clearly spread.

“………che.”

Seeing the back of someone slipping away among the crowd, he clicked his tongue.

Although he only glimpsed their large fox ears, he could guess who it was.

The employee known as “the big sister,” who had a history of spreading dirt about her coworkers three times over.

“Is it true that Julia has a baby? Innkeeper, you must know!”

“………”

So it was that rumor.

So the time had finally come.

In situations like this, he needed to remain calm.

He took a deep breath and said,

“Ah, well, you see…”

“Why the delay? This is so frustrating! Julia! You answer! Is it true? Do you really have a child?!”

“Haa….. Yes! It’s true! So please calm down and settle down!”

His voice rose sharply.

Now that the rumor had spread, there was no way to control it.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, Julia’s career was essentially over.

From now on, all he could do was help her leave gracefully without suffering any damage.

At least, he firmly believed so.

“Is it really true?”

“Does Julia really have a baby… wow…”

“Then…”

He squeezed his eyes shut.

He could already hear the avalanche of curses coming towards him.

However, the next sound that came out was completely unexpected.

“Julia! If you had such circumstances, you should have said so earlier! You were working here to make ends meet for the baby! I always believed you were different from those girls selling their bodies!”

“Don’t work here so hard! Come work for me as my mistress! I’ll treat you well, Julia!”

“What is this guy saying? Mistress, my foot! Julia! I’ll divorce my wife and make you my main wife! I’ll treat your child like my own! So please, marry me!”

“Um…?”

Sitting at the bar table and blankly staring at the door, Julia found herself at a loss for words, her throat tightening.

The raw sweetness pouring out uncontrollably left her feeling dizzy, making her want to lose her composure entirely.

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