After carefully cleaning the newborn and gently placing it beside Seol, she began licking its face despite her exhaustion.

Although I had already wiped the newborn clean, it was only natural for the mother to lick its snout and face to remove any remaining amniotic fluid or birthing membrane. It was an instinctive act, after all.

‘Whoa! She’s taking care of the baby herself!’

That moment made me realize something crucial—unlike most lizards that become independent immediately after birth, Seol and Bini were a species that cared for their offspring. This was similar to Girdle-Tailed Armadillo Lizards, which live in family groups in rock crevices, or Solomon Islands Skinks, which care for their young for six months to a year.

It made sense. The majority of lizards are born fully developed, looking just like their parents and capable of hunting for food right away.

But licking off the birthing membrane and amniotic fluid?

That was a common maternal behavior, yes, but it was a trait more commonly seen in mammals that actively raise their young. This meant the probability of Seol personally nurturing her offspring was high.@@novelbin@@

—Kkukku.

As if to confirm my suspicions, Seol continued licking the newborn, making sounds that seemed like she was asserting her role as its mother.

Or perhaps she was imprinting her voice onto the baby.

The newborn responded with an adorable cry.

—Kkyuut.

The two exchanged cries as if having an actual conversation.

Watching them with a warm expression, I turned my head and noticed Bini staring at the scene with a blank look on his face.

‘Ah, I need to check the parenting style too.’

Seeing Bini dazed like that reminded me of something important—I had to determine the method of parental care.

It was clear the mother would be involved in raising the baby, but the next most important factor was how they raised their young.

In nature, there are various parenting styles.

Some species are raised solely by the mother, others by the father, some engage in cooperative parenting, and some even practice brood parasitism, leaving their offspring for others to raise.

That’s why I had to confirm this.

From Seol’s actions, it was almost certain she would take care of the baby. But if she was the sole caretaker, Bini might be chased away until the offspring matured.

In other words, Bini might be exiled soon.

‘Sorry, Bini. It’s all part of the process. If not, you’ll just get smacked around by Seol and kicked out. It’s instinct—I can’t interfere with that.’

I gently pushed Bini’s frozen body toward Seol and the baby.

I needed to check their parenting style anyway, and besides, it’s always better to take the hit first and get it over with.

—Kku?

Bini looked at me in confusion, startled by the sudden push.

I pressed his rear closer to the baby, forcing them into proximity.

Thankfully, he quickly caught on and followed Seol’s lead, licking the baby’s other cheek.

Now came the decisive moment for Bini’s fate.

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