Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!

Chapter 162 : The Responsibilities of a Guardian

Brin lowered her mask, revealing an unusually compassionate expression,

"You should be mentally prepared, this child likely has a weak magical constitution."

"...What's that?"

It was the first time Yvonne had heard this term.

"Among beastfolks, children who are very sensitive to magical fluctuations occasionally appear. Because their bodies are more susceptible to the influence and erosion of elements in the air, their constitution is also weaker. Although it's actually beneficial for learning magic... just being physically weak is a fatal flaw among beastfolks who value strength—"

"Taking care of a child is far more troublesome than you might imagine. What to do after caring for it—you should think carefully before making a decision."

Although her words were unsparing, it was clear that Brin was considering their best interests.

"I remember there should be similar shelters in the royal capital, right? Can't the church take in this child?"

Although it was a chaotic otherworld, generally speaking, this country's welfare system was quite comprehensive. Yvonne vaguely remembered that the church in the royal capital would take in some homeless children.

However, Brin denied her student's naive idea:

"I think you might be thinking too highly of those church people—those clergy don't have such kind hearts towards children of different faiths."

beastfolks are, after all, a foreign race, and their beliefs and deities are different from humans. The gods they worship are viewed as evil deities by the orthodox Goddess faith, so as heretics, they are not recognized by the local church.

"Then shouldn't the Pelo tribe take in this child? They're the same race—"

Previously, she and Elsa had helped the Pelo tribe, and Yvonne felt that the dog-people were very friendly, treating her, a human, kindly as well. Surely they would be willing to adopt one of their own?

However, Brin once again negated her idea:

"The Pelo tribe you helped before was the Bernitz tribe, which is different from the Anubis jackal tribe. Among beastfolks, even within the same race, if the branches are different, there can be as much difference as with foreign races. The distinctions in this aspect are quite strict."

"...Does this child really have nowhere to go?"

"That's why I told you to think carefully."

"Achoo—!"

A faint little sneeze interrupted everyone's conversation. The little jackal trembled on all fours as it sneezed, curling up with its tail tucked in, shivering.

In recent days, the temperature had dropped sharply. For a beastfolks cub whose fur had not yet grown thick, this temperature was undoubtedly lethal.

"...If this continues, the child will catch a cold!"

Elsa hurriedly took off her knitted wool cardigan and covered the cub with it, then picked it up.

"Evie... I think we should take care of her for a while."

"Are you serious? This isn't an easy task, you know?"

Feeling the small life's heartbeat in her arms, Elsa made up her mind.

"...Mm."

Because Elsa herself was an abandoned child, she couldn't ignore such a situation.

"Since you've saved her, let's give her a name then."

Brin jumped down from the wooden stool she had been standing on tiptoe to reach, and began tidying up the surrounding medical equipment.

"Giving a name feels like taking on responsibility..."

Yvonne hesitated a bit.

"You saved this child's life. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you've given her a second life. It's just giving a name, so go ahead and do it."

"Then... what would be a good name?"

Looking at the little puppy with round, grape-like black eyes staring at her, Yvonne fell into deep thought.

Naming a new life is a big deal in any culture.

She didn't want to carelessly give a thoughtless name just because it was a rescued child.

A flash of inspiration struck her mind.

"Since she's from the jackal tribe, let's call her Bebe."

"Evie... isn't this name too simple?"

"No, no~ It's just right, actually."

In Egyptian mythology, the death god Anubis had a daughter named 'Kebechet', which means "cooling water" and carries the meaning of 'purification'.

The name Bebe is just right.

"Okay! Now that we've decided to take care of this child, we need to prepare—"

Yvonne first found a branch point of the Leinster Trading Company in the royal capital, ordering some sheep's milk and poultry eggs from the company's people, and also got some fine cotton and fabric.

"Whoa— So many things... What are they for?"

"This child hasn't been weaned yet. For the nursing period, it's best to find milk substitutes and supplementary foods... As for those cotton balls, they're for making changeable diapers."

Seeing her consider things so thoroughly, Elsa was somewhat surprised.

"Evie is amazing... I didn't realize you seemed to have so much experience in raising children."

"...I-I just did some part-time work taking care of children before!"

Suddenly being told this, Yvonne felt somewhat embarrassed. She knew it was a bit strange for a young girl to be so good at taking care of children, but her proficiency was only due to some experience in childcare, not because of anything else.

"Hehe~ Our Evie will definitely be a good mother~~~ Right, Bebe?"

"Wugu~~"

Elsa teased with a smile, and Bebe responded by waving her paws.

"...Don't joke like that! I'm still young!"

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But... as humans... could they really raise a beastfolks child well?

With such doubts, they nevertheless steeled themselves and sat down.

Raising a child is always a nerve-wracking affair.

Yvonne tied cotton to all the furniture with edges in the room and added a cradle.

"Come on, open your mouth~"

"Ah-woo ah-woo—"

She fed the cub some very soft chestnut porridge mixed with some minced meat.

Compared to when they first brought her in, she could now eat much more.

Yvonne had checked Bebe's mouth and found that she had started teething, so eating some minced meat and corn should be fine. Therefore, she would sometimes give her extra meals like this.

Compared to the gamey sheep's milk, Bebe seemed to prefer the supplementary food Yvonne made.

The chestnuts they had picked earlier, steamed and mashed, mixed with rice paste, also made for very good supplementary food.

Chestnuts are rich in protein and are a great supplement for growing children.

"Ah!! So unfair! I haven't even eaten any of the chestnuts we brought back!!"

Elsa looked enviously at Bebe being fed.

Yvonne felt a bit helpless,

"Then you open your mouth too."

With a puzzled expression, Elsa had just opened her mouth when a peeled chestnut was tossed in.

The hot roasted chestnut, when broken open, revealed a clear yellow chestnut inside, sweet and delicious.

Chewing it in her mouth, she could feel full of happiness.

"How is it, tasty?"

"Wuhu~~ Very very delicious~~"

Indeed, freshly roasted hot chestnuts are the best!!

"Now that you've eaten, come and give me a hand."

"Okay~"

Originally, Yvonne thought that taking care of a child would be a very tiring thing, but compared to human infants who would cry incessantly, Bebe basically didn't make any noisy sounds. At most, she would whimper a bit when her diaper was dirty or when she wanted to poop, which could be said to be quite worry-free.

"Let me feed her next."

Of course, the most important thing was having a partner willing to raise the child together.

"But... compared to me, this child seems to prefer being held by you."

After taking her, Elsa looked somewhat depressed at Bebe, who seemed reluctant to leave Yvonne's arms.

Is it because of the chest? After all, a larger chest is more maternally radiant, right?

"Hahaha... I don't think so though? This child is very close to you too."

"Is that so?"

Elsa still didn't quite believe it.

But Bebe, lying in her arms, seemed to be able to read people's hearts. Her black little tail curled around Elsa's little finger, and she lifted her head, looking at Elsa with round, big eyes.

"Wu... gugu~~"

Her little mouth opened and closed, as if trying to say something.

"What's wrong, Bebe? Did you eat something bad?"

"Guo—"

"Muh, mai, mah... mama (mom)!"

"!!"

Ah ah ah!!!

Yvonne felt her little heart being pierced.

"—Bebe, Bebe can say mama!! Oh my, this child is so smart—"

In this world, only the term for mother is similar.

The 'm' sound at the beginning, with the upper and lower lips touching to make the sound, is the easiest sound for infants to produce.

The expectations for little babies are not high, so even the slightest bit of progress will be treated as a topic of conversation by foolish parents, who can't help but want to lift them up and circle the earth three times.

Yvonne was very delighted. She instinctively turned her head to look at Elsa, wanting to share this joy with her, but found that her expression was a bit strange.

"...Elsa?"

Although she was fortunate enough to meet someone who cherished her, Elsa still harbored some reservations about her own abandoned birth.

All along, she had felt that her birth into this world was not blessed.

But... such a person as herself, actually had a day when she could be called a mother.

The cycle of life, it seemed like a miracle.

"Are you okay?"

Yvonne compassionately wiped away her tears.

"I'm fine... I'm just too happy..."

She lifted Bebe up, frantically nuzzling that fluffy little face.

"Wugu~"

As if able to read people's hearts,

Bebe stuck out her pink tongue and licked away the tears on Elsa's face.

"~~~So cute!!"

Elsa couldn't help but pick up Bebe and spin around several times.

"Cough cough—"

"Idiot!! Don't make such violent movements! Look, the child is spitting up milk!"

"Ah~~ Sorry!!"

Elsa hurriedly put down the dizzy Bebe and used a handkerchief to wipe the milk foam hanging from her mouth.

"Really..."

Yvonne had never seen Elsa in such a flustered state before and found it somewhat interesting.

"Ah-woo—"

While wiping, Bebe suddenly bit onto Elsa's finger that was near her mouth.

"This is a hand!! You can't eat it—"

"Wu~"

Bebe gnawed and bit, seeming to treat the finger as a substitute for something.

"Wuwuwu~~~ So cute—"

"You... don't let the child do this just because you think it's cute! It will develop bad habits!"

Yvonne made Elsa pull out her finger, and then, using a somewhat stern tone, lightly tapped her little head.

"Wu... wuwuahwuahahahah!!"

Losing the finger to suck on, Bebe looked like she was about to cry, and tears immediately started flowing.

"—Evie! Quick, think of something"

Elsa let out a wail, and the scene suddenly turned into a duet.

There was no help for it, because these two were both too cute

"Why are you just watching from the side?! It's too much— Come help quickly~~!"

"Alright, alright~"

Yvonne reached out her hands, carefully lifting and cradling Bebe.

She had seen this kind of buffering hold that minimizes discomfort on a childcare program before.

An infant's skeletal structure is quite fragile, and with an adult's strength, it's easy to cause injury to the infant if not careful.

Children's bodies are already very soft, and beastfolks are covered with fur. The down covering newborn cubs is softer than most people imagine.

It's just like holding a small cloud.

"There, there—there, there—"

Rocking back and forth and lifting her up high, using toys that could divert attention, it took quite a while to finally completely comfort her.

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"...Ah."

"What's wrong?"

Seeing the awkward expression on Yvonne's face as she held the child, Elsa immediately had a bad premonition.

"The diaper pad feels warm... she probably peed."

"...I'll do it."

Unlike human babies who are completely bare-skinned, if diapers are used on beastfolks cubs, it will dirty the fur on their tails.

If the tail is left wet for a long time, it's easy to cause diarrhea. This was some common knowledge about beastfolks learned from the Pelo tribe mothers.

However, if water + wind combination elemental magic can be used to handle it, it would be much more convenient. This task naturally fell to Elsa.

"So tired..."

After cleaning up and eating their fill, it was time for sleep, which was also a rare moment of peace for the guardians.

"Wugu..."

With her face buried between her pink little paws, her tail twitching, the sight was incredibly adorable.

I wonder what this child is dreaming about?

Looking at this cute sleeping posture, it felt like one's whole being was healed.

However, although she was a little angel while sleeping now, up until just now, as soon as Yvonne and Elsa left her, Bebe would immediately start crying, truly a little demon that tormented people.

"I never thought taking care of a child would be such a tiring thing..."

The two collapsed onto the bed, completely unwilling to move, and also lacking the strength to move.

"Evie! ...You're crushing me!"

Elsa complained in a small voice.

"Who told you your body is so comfortable... Let me lie like this for a while..."

She pressed down and hugged Elsa from above.

Normally, in this situation, they might have gone all the way, but now they couldn't.

"Be quieter, what if we wake the child??"

Elsa blushed, with Bebe sleeping in her arms.

"...Pfft."

"Evie... What are you laughing at?"

"I just feel that if it's like this, Bebe is almost like our child..."

"Then who's the dad and who's the mom?"

Elsa asked half-jokingly, wanting to use this opportunity to determine who was the top and who was the bottom, but Yvonne gave a very serious answer:

"—Of course, we're both moms."

For a moment, Elsa felt something in her heart suddenly become clear.

If in the future, the two of them really formed a family, it wasn't necessary for one person to play the male role and one person to play the female role. For them, it didn't have to be that way.

They are both women, so they are both moms—this was the best answer.

So... Bebe, you now have two moms, okay?

The little paw with its soft paw pad gripped her finger, and Elsa thought this way, beginning to look forward to the future.