With the steady passage of time, her daughter gradually grew up.
Tilly’s learning ability differed from what Xuefei had anticipated. It far surpassed that of a human child with ease, yet it wasn’t outrageously exaggerated.
After spending just a few days mastering the language, Tilly quickly came to understand this world.
For Xuefei, this was undoubtedly a great relief.
Hadn’t her dream always been to cradle her daughter—to hold a soft, tiny, adorable little girl in her own arms?
What was this situation?
“Mom, can I eat this piece of meat?”
“No problem at all~”
“Mom~, what’s that on your head? It’s so hard and big!”
“You have one too, you silly daughter.”
“Mom, what’s that necklace?”
“It holds dragon gall inside—your little sister~”
“Mom~, did I lay this egg?”
“You’re too young for that, silly girl.”
“Mom, can I sleep lying on your tail?”
“Of course, no problem.”
“Mommy, how did Dark Filth come to be?”
“. . . Uh.”
“Mom, what if Leia cheats? Would you get mad?”
“. . .”
“Mom, can you eat souls?”
“Don’t go eating that stuff willy-nilly!!”
That’s right.
In the restaurant, the loli perched atop Xuefei—swinging her little tail—was the little dragon girl Xuefei had longed for, her very own daughter. Her cheeks were plump and bouncy, springing back at the lightest poke from a finger; her silver-white hair hadn’t yet reached her waist, but braiding it into twin pigtails was effortless; her tender young body was dressed in a frock that echoed Xuefei’s own petite frame, though her eyes carried Leia’s captivating allure; her legs were sheathed in soft white stockings that gently clamped around Xuefei’s nape.
She was still just a young girl by age, yet the subtle swell beneath her white blouse invited delightful daydreams.
Xuefei was certain she would grow into a wonderful daughter. Still, the reversal from “holding her daughter” to “being ridden by her daughter” felt a touch peculiar.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, her daughter—mimicking a motorcycle rider—latched onto Xuefei’s dragon horns and rocked back and forth with glee.
“I’m a dragon knight~”
“Tilly, careful not to dirty Mommy’s (meow~) clothes. Goodness, don’t go doing this with friends later on. In a few years, I’ll send you to the academy.”
“Nooo, I don’t wanna leave Mommy, waaah . . .”
Tilly didn’t slow down at all. If anything, she rocked even harder.
This silly daughter of hers.
She might mouth off about Leia cheating, but deep down, she was nothing but a simple tsundere.
The little one actually liked Leia more than Xuefei had imagined. She lay far more obediently in Leia’s arms than in hers. Who knew what secret deals those two had cooked up on the side? But it proved that even the Evil Dragon’s daughter cherished their mother-daughter bond, didn’t it?
Xuefei lifted her daughter down and settled her on her lap. In her little frock, Tilly looked like a pint-sized version of Xuefei herself—especially those adorable white stockings. Xuefei found herself wondering if Leia viewed her the same way.
“Alright, alright. Keep that up, and you’ll yank my horns right off. Want me to take you out to play?”
“But doesn’t Mommy need to incubate the egg?”
“We’ve got two hours till then. It’s early yet—I can play with you a little longer.”
If Tilly was a lively little girl, Dolores was a thorough shut-in. The dragon egg stayed warm enough, but it rarely stirred, offering only faint rustles during hushed conversations.
“Phew . . .”
“Where’s Mama Leia?”
“She’s out buying groceries and won’t be back for a while. It’s good she’s found something to occupy herself with.”
“Is Mama Leia lazy?”
“No, she’s just had nothing much to do lately. Aside from spending time with you, she heads out to shop~”
Tilly nodded with an “I see” look, tapping her finger against her lips as her little horned head brewed some unknown scheme.
Perched on Xuefei’s thigh, she wrapped her tail around it to keep from slipping off. Were it not for their shared bloodline warmth, Xuefei might have dismissed her outright as a thigh ornament. But try that, and Tilly would swiftly demonstrate the meaning of “revenge.”
Her way of draining energy was utterly unlike Leia’s.
All in all, motherhood was exhausting—no denying it. Xuefei couldn’t fool herself on that score.
The lack of true irritation stemmed from the way her heart blossomed like a flower whenever Tilly called her “Mom.”
And Leia caused no trouble. Beyond quietly tending to childcare, Xuefei had nothing to worry about. In a sense, she was the one being pampered. If she ignored the undercurrent of dark corruption, life right now was blissfully happy.
The only thing truly worth worrying about was the child.
Xuefei scooped Tilly up by the waist, holding her like a plush toy.
This kid absolutely could not take part in any battles!
Orman’s existence was a major thorn in her side. If Leia was dead set on reviving the Demon God King, what would happen to Tilly?
No matter how hard she racked her brains, she just couldn’t figure out these problems. Staying far away from the strife between the Gods and the Demon Race would be the best outcome imaginable.
“Mom, how long are you going to hold me?”
“Ah, sorry, sorry…”
Xuefei quickly set Tilly back down on her lap and patted her little head.
“So, after all that, it’s time to eat, right? Here, this is a fork, little one…”
Tilly took the spoon and fork, then turned around and wiggled on Xuefei’s lap. The soft sensation made Xuefei feel like she was hugging a warm hot water bottle.
She first glanced at the utensils in her hand and shook her head, seemingly a bit dissatisfied.
“Tilly?”
“N-Nothing…”
Tilly’s gaze shifted to the small cake on the table, eyeing it cautiously.
This was the sweet treat Xuefei often fed her, and Tilly liked it a lot herself.
Next to it was some lettuce soup—a strange combination that only Mom could come up with.
And just then, Tilly remembered a very important question.
“Should I hold the fork in my left hand or my right?”
“Mommy taught you the left hand, remember?”
“So, the right hand for the knife…”
“Yep.”
“Left hand knife, right hand fork, so…”
“No, right hand for the knife. You have to eat elegantly~”
“Mmm…”
Xuefei had always trusted in Tilly’s ability to learn, but whenever the issue of knives and forks came up, the little one would be completely at a loss, never quite sure what to do.
Seeing that she couldn’t get it right, Tilly puffed out her cheeks like a little balloon. Xuefei worried that if her daughter got mad, she might breathe fire and burn down the entire restaurant—though Tilly hadn’t done anything so reckless yet.
“If it’s too hard, want to try again?”
“Mommy…”
“What is it?”
Suddenly, Tilly looked up at Xuefei with eyes full of utter grievance, all her frustration instantly turning to heartbreak. Without warning, she threw herself into Xuefei’s arms, burying her face in the soft swell of her chest, and wailed:
“No! I want Mommy to feed me!”
