Chapter 107: A Moment of Tenderness

Lamia Talia approached the child, watching the little one tumble about with soft grunts.

“Mmmph… Wah!”

Even a small pillow seemed like a towering mountain to the child.

The other children nearby seemed oblivious to Lamia Talia and Wade Nairt’s arrival. Clearly, they were well-protected; their instinctive reaction to strangers wasn’t caution or evasion, but rather to keep their gaze fixed on the tumbling child, just as before.

‘Human toddlers who show no caution… is that a good thing?’

‘Is it a sign of happiness, or perhaps—too much complacency?’

The blue mat before them was a grand obstacle course for the child. Beyond the small pillow, there were taller bolster cushions and mountains formed from stacks of clothes.

The child struggled to climb, yet persisted in their efforts. They wobbled precariously atop a messy pile of clothes, which felt like treacherous quicksand underfoot. Slowly, painstakingly, they crawled forward, their sole aim to reach the lion plushie at the finish line—a symbol of victory.

“—!”

In the next instant, the child’s foot slipped.

The pile of clothes wasn’t high, and the mat beneath offered some padding. However, as the child swayed, about to fall, Lamia Talia instinctively reached out. She bent down, catching the little one in the red romper with both hands.

“Oh!”

With a soft thud, the child landed precisely in Lamia Talia’s hands. Lamia Talia froze for a moment, as did the cheering children nearby, and even the little one themselves.

“…”

“…”

Lamia Talia looked down at the child cradled in her arms. A wobbly pigtail adorned their short, light golden hair, and a pair of bright, light blue eyes gazed up at her.

The child’s coloring was very similar to Wade Nairt’s. This was not unusual; it wasn’t the first time she had encountered people with golden hair and blue eyes, having seen men, women, children, and elders alike.

Yet, as she held this child, Lamia Talia couldn’t help but wonder: ‘Was he like this when he was little?’

‘Did that man, who constantly bombarded city walls, ever stumble over clothes or pillows when he was a child?’

“This child truly resembles you.”

Lamia Talia smiled at Wade Nairt, who had followed her, and commented on the little one.

“You shouldn’t joke like that, Lamia Talia… I’m a…” Wade Nairt paused for a second, organizing his thoughts. “I’m a newlywed man who just got married.”

‘That phrasing was truly terrible.’

“Such bright, watery eyes. Were yours like that when you were little?”

Seeing that the child didn’t resist her embrace, but instead grabbed her sleeve with a tiny hand and smiled, Lamia Talia stood up, holding the child directly in her arms.

‘This child is surprisingly affectionate towards me… I thought they’d be scared after seeing me.’

She wasn’t very adept at holding children, using a somewhat awkward half-hug, half-clamp motion. Fortunately, Lamia Talia possessed ample strength and wouldn’t be troubled by a human infant.

“I was not like that.”

Wade Nairt instinctively objected, though he wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to. He couldn’t recall anything from his infancy, and his parents had died long before he had any memories.

“Haha.”

Lamia Talia seemed to be merely teasing, showing no obvious reaction to Wade Nairt’s protest. She continued to adjust her hold, trying to find a more familiar position—from lifting the child by their armpits, to cradling them, and finally letting them lie in the crook of her arm. It seemed like quite a fuss, but Lamia Talia found immense joy in it.

“This little one feels so different to the touch, unlike either you or me.”

Holding the child with one arm, Lamia Talia playfully poked their cheek with her other hand. The soft, chubby flesh of an infant was delightful to touch. The child also had a good temperament; instead of recoiling when Lamia Talia playfully rubbed their face, they let out a high-pitched baby giggle and tried to grasp Lamia Talia’s finger with their tiny hand.

“After all, they’re just a child. They’re naturally different from us, who are exposed to the elements…”

Wade Nairt was somewhat swayed by Lamia Talia’s words and felt tempted to reach out and poke the child’s cheek as well.

However, when it came to children, Wade Nairt’s movements were noticeably stiff. He seemed hesitant, unsure how to interact with such a small child, so his actions were slow and tentative. The child, raising their hand, instantly caught his finger.

“…!”

The warmth on his fingertip surprised Wade Nairt for a moment; the sensation was indeed unique.

Unlike holding hands or shaking hands with anyone else, the child’s entire hand struggled to grasp just one of Wade Nairt’s index fingers. They held on tightly, with great effort, yet for an adult like Wade Nairt, breaking free from their ‘restraint’ would have been effortless.

But Wade Nairt didn’t pull his hand away. He merely paused, then, still feeling the tiny grip, gently tapped the child’s nose with his finger.

“—Haha!”

Laughter, the purest form of laughter.

It came from the child, a sound devoid of any desire or impurity.

The child laughed so hard their eyes squinted shut, and their chubby face jiggled uncontrollably.

Wade Nairt had initially been at a loss with the child, but when the child laughed, he couldn’t help but smile along with them.

“Haha—Pa… M-Ma—Ma-mwa…!”

Then, amidst their laughter, the child spoke. Though their words were slurred and difficult to articulate, the child managed to say them.

“Ma… Pa… Mama!”

The simplest sounds, born from the simplest desires deep within their heart, speaking both ‘Papa’ and ‘Mama’ together.

“Not ‘Mama’ yet, dear.”

Listening to the child’s words, Lamia Talia chuckled and joined Wade Nairt in poking their cheeks. She arranged it so the child held Lamia Talia’s finger with one hand and Wade Nairt’s with the other.

“I’m just a newlywed—a newlywed woman, that’s all, not a mother yet. Wade Nairt isn’t a father yet either.”

Lamia Talia’s words sounded like another tease directed at Wade Nairt, who sighed helplessly.

“Alright, little one, no more fussing. Your training isn’t over yet, is it?”

Noticing the curious gazes of the other children around them, Lamia Talia chuckled. She patted the child’s back and readjusted her hold.

Holding the child, she turned to look at Wade Nairt. The golden-haired child rested gently in her arms, and a tender smile reflected on both their faces.

“I’ll take this child back first.”

“Mm… alright.”

Unconsciously, they had taken a few steps aside with the child, resembling a couple out for a stroll with their new baby.

“…”

Wade Nairt had once been against marriage, but Lamia Talia’s arrival had cruelly shattered that conviction.

Afterward, Wade Nairt had lowered his standards to ‘even if I marry, I won’t raise children with the Demon Lord.’

However, seeing Lamia Talia gently holding the child, her face adorned with such a loving smile—

‘My bottom line! What are you doing?!’