Chapter 37: Father and Child

“I’m asking you two… don’t you have anything to say?”

Sal, despite being the one stuck between them, was the first to speak.

Xu Yan and Rein exchanged a glance.

The Xu Yan who once tried to kill Sal without hesitation now spoke with a complete one-eighty shift in attitude.

“Sal… have you been doing well lately?”

“……”

Sal didn’t respond.

She simply looked at Xu Yan with a “your brain is broken” expression.

In Sal’s eyes, Xu Yan did not deserve to be called a father—

Not physically, not mentally, not by action.

In her view, Xu Yan should be talking to her in the same cruel, vicious tone as before.

After all, that was the kind of dragon she was—

The kind who cheated with a human while Dragon Mother was pregnant, then shamelessly excused it as “earning money for the household.”

Then after Dragon Mother left her, she wouldn’t give up and kept searching for their location.

And when she found it, she attacked Dragon Mother without hesitation.

If Sal hadn’t escaped with Dragon Mother’s help…

She and her mother would’ve been killed by this useless father.

So the fact that Sal once made a deal with Rein to release Xu Yan—

That was already the greatest mercy she could give this ridiculous parent.

She thought that was the end of it.

But now she had to see her again…

“Rein, are you doing this on purpose just to screw with me?”

Sal gritted her teeth, ignoring Xu Yan for now and questioning Rein, who brought her here.

Xu Yan, who had wanted to speak, fell silent the moment she saw Sal didn’t want to acknowledge her.

And from the guilt in Xu Yan’s eyes, it was obvious—

She already knew some things.

Things that made her feel she owed Sal a debt she couldn’t repay.

Rein had expected Sal to turn on him first.

Sal had just told him her dragon-line bottom limits—

And one of them concerned her family.

But the important part was… Rein didn’t bring Xu Yan to threaten Sal.

He was trying to help them reconcile.

Even if they couldn’t be a loving parent and child—

At least they should be able to tolerate each other.

To help Sal let go of that resentment.

To repair even the tiniest fragment of their bond.

When Rein first had this thought, he almost laughed at himself.

He really was sick—

The day Sal entered his life, the sickness only grew worse.

A boy orphaned young, who never had parental affection, was now worrying about fixing someone else’s family.

Even though he never experienced such warmth himself.

But self-mockery aside, Rein still honestly explained the reason he brought Sal here.

“This meeting… wasn’t my request.”

“If it’s not you, then who—”

Sal stopped mid-sentence.

If it wasn’t Rein, then there was only one other possibility.

She fell silent.

Seeing the timing was right, Xu Yan finally spoke.

“I’m the one who asked Rein to bring you here, Sal.”

Xu Yan reached out to pat her head—but Sal slapped the hand away hard.

Under her golden hair, her eyes were full of naked hatred and disgust.

“Don’t touch me.”

“I…”

Xu Yan withdrew her hand.

But instead of anger, her face showed guilt and sorrow.

She looked like a completely different person from the mad, twisted woman Sal knew.

And soon she explained why.

“Rein told me everything, Sal… I didn’t expect… you were my child.”

“You only realized now?” Sal scoffed. “I thought you attacked me and Mother knowing exactly who we were!”

When Sal said the words “attacked us,” she deliberately emphasized them.

Her grudge was clearly far from forgiven.

“I’ll be straightforward, Xu Yan… I will never call you dad or father.”

“I already did enough for you when I negotiated with Rein to release you.”

Her tone was absolute, her expression even more so.

Neither Rein nor Xu Yan thought she was exaggerating.

She genuinely had no trace of affection for the biological father who betrayed them.

The situation was dire—

Rein knew exactly how strained their relationship was.

He also knew how hard it would be for Xu Yan to earn forgiveness.

But to the bartender and the customers nearby, the scene was completely different.

All they saw was a bunny-girl half-dragon staff member chatting with a blonde child.

So far, still normal.

But then—

Ignoring why a child was even in a bar—

They heard:

“I’ll never call you dad or father.”

…What?

A child calling a bar waitress “dad”…?

The bartender—who had just finished wiping glasses—actually wondered if his ears were malfunctioning.

Judging from their expressions and tone—

This didn’t seem like a joke.

Not a joke?

Could they actually be father and daughter?

Even with the music still blasting, everyone at the bar counter was now listening in.

Drama was a better distraction than alcohol.

“I’m not here for that.”

Xu Yan had clearly seen Sal’s cold eyes.

After learning the truth from Rein, she never expected forgiveness.

“I don’t expect you—or your mother—to forgive me.”

“I know exactly how horrible the things I did were… blinded by a hatred I thought was betrayal.”

Her voice trembled.

“If I had just calmed down a little… I would have seen you weren’t like those mongrels…
If I’d looked closer, maybe…”

“Maybe I would’ve noticed the similarities between us as parent and child.”

Sal still faced away, but from Rein’s angle—

He could clearly see her wavering expression.

She said she wanted to cut ties completely…

But a soul craving love, a body tied by blood—

Couldn’t help but react.

…

(Parent and child?!!)

The bartender accidentally tore the cleaning cloth in half with one pull.

You’re telling me…

These two long-haired beauties—one grown, one small—

Are FATHER and CHILD?!

(They’re not drunk… Am I the one who’s drunk?)