Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22

A Magic Beast dwells beneath the Maze Garden in the heart of the Imperial Palace.
In the days of the founding emperor, even the Imperial Palace was not a safe place, so they released it there like a guard dog to protect the royal family. The imperial members of that era, who wielded the Power of Light freely, apparently found it no real threat.
Of course, by now it had become a useless burden that no one could control at all.
The only people capable of safely hunting it would be those from the Castrain Ducal House, but there was no way to ask them for help while revealing such internal secrets.
Since it never appears in the main spaces where people gather and only emerges in the Underground Labyrinth, as long as one simply avoids wandering carelessly in this area, there is truly no problem.
The Imperial Family, which had buried the past and hidden the truth since losing their power, left the Maze Garden to fall into disrepair precisely because no one with any sense of self-preservation would venture into that region.
I hadn’t even known that the way down would open like this—a hole suddenly gaping wide beneath my feet.
In any case, I leaped after Bibi Lutein El Castrain into the opening.
My vision swam for a moment, and when it cleared, I was lying on the ground. I brushed the dust from my skirts and got up, scanning the surroundings.
“…I’m scared out of my mind.”
The garden itself actually had a structure so simple it seemed laughable to call it a “maze.”
The true maze was underground.
Lamps installed centuries ago still glowed with light, and from far off came the faint chime of bells.
Damp, humid corridors with musty air and branching paths yawning open at random stretched out like something from a horror film.
Like a serial killer pinning victims down in a place like this, setting them loose and watching them flee from a distance.
Ugh, my mind’s running away with itself. Good thoughts. Think good thoughts.
What was Bibi doing down here anyway? And alone, no less.
“…Is anyone there…?”
A thin, eerie whistling sound answered instead.
Only the wind’s desolate cry reached my ears.
Relying on the dim lamp light, I advanced one step at a time. I’d left the Emoticon Sword behind so I’d have no excuse if I was discovered, but that was a mistake. Damn it.
Once I forced the fear down, the structure of the maze began to make a rough kind of sense.
Though I had to wind and turn back on myself, ultimately, if I just kept my bearing…
“…No matter which way you go, all paths lead toward the center.”
That’s right. There was a door there. The way up. The problem was that the presumed master of this maze—a Magic Beast—waited there.
Should I not go?
Should I turn back?
My feet stopped dead.
Reason whispered to me.
Why are you going to find Bibi?
What are you? What can you do? Improving relations with the Castrain House, trying to help the empire escape its doom—it’s all really about ensuring you survive well and live comfortably in this world, isn’t it?
You tell yourself that you must save Bibi so this world stays at peace, that without it the barrier will shatter and the empire will plunge into ruin—but that excuse rings hollow when
you’re just going to end up dead as a dog for your troubles, aren’t you?
That Magic Beasts in the Imperial Palace don’t attack the royal family… that was centuries ago. That was because of the Power of Light.
How long has it been since they’ve properly controlled the Magic Beast bound within the palace?
Are you really going to die pointlessly saving someone else again?
When this time, not a single soul would mourn you?
“…Because she’s just a kid.”
I spoke to myself, watching the flickering ceiling lamp.
“Even if Bibi did regress. Even with her extraordinary mental maturity and abilities that shouldn’t exist in a child, even if she’s destined to be abundantly loved and to love everyone in her future…”
Was she even seven years old?
No matter how I thought about it, we were still only at the beginning of the original story.
Bibi had just regressed, struggling with all her might just to survive.
Titania poisoning Bibi and her descent into ruin—that came in the depths of the original tale, far from now.
Until now, she only knew me as “the Princess Titania who misbehaved terribly toward the Young Duke Raymond before their broken engagement left her ruined.”
That’s right. Even in the timeline before Bibi’s regression, Titania’s engagement was broken.
Fate seemed to whisper, “You two were never going to work out anyway, you know?”
So even if Bibi had become everyone’s treasure the moment she entered the Castrain household,
even if love had begun to close the wounds in her heart—
“…it would be far too cruel if she were to lose everything just when she finally began to find happiness through her own efforts.”
I ran, pushing back the fear. Huff, huff—my deconditioned body tired quickly.
My mouth tasted metallic. A loud sound echoed from ahead.
Screech, bang, crack… Growwwwl, growlllll. The sound of a beast’s snarl, and a small, terrified whimper.
Then I saw it.
At the end of the corridor, backed into a dead end—a small child, trembling with terror.
And a Magic Beast advancing step by step, closing in as if to torment before killing.
A beast with a wolf’s head grafted onto an ox’s body.
I gritted my teeth.
“…Hey, you ugly Magic Beast, look over here!”
I threw the book I’d been carrying so carefully at my side with all my strength.
Whoosh, thump.
“….”
The book landed harmlessly on the ground near the beast’s front legs, never reaching it.
Damn it. How embarrassing.
But I’d succeeded in turning the beast’s attention this way. That was the point anyway.
The Magic Beast looked at me with puzzlement, then seemed irritated to find prey it couldn’t consume, and scraped the ground with its front legs.
I could sense it instinctively. The way it treated Bibi and the way it treated me—they were completely different.
Like it was operating under different primary commands?
With Bibi, the keywords seemed to be “annihilate,” “torment,” “slaughter.” With me, it was more like “observe,” “watch,” “banish.” Something along those lines.
Bibi, who had been trembling with terror, stared at me with wide, startled eyes.
There, Bibi. I wanted to wave hello, at least.
But I couldn’t let on that I knew her at this point. I simply locked eyes with the beast, buying time however I could.
Then, looking at me with annoyance, the Magic Beast held my gaze briefly before wheeling back toward Bibi.
It opened its maw wide, baring its fangs…
“No!”
Damn it—I threw myself in front of Bibi, grabbed her hand, and ran.
The beast’s yellow eyes blazed as the prey it meant to tear apart vanished from before its snout.
—Growwwwwwl!
Oh, it’s furious! I ran as hard as I could. For someone so terrified just moments before, Bibi kept up remarkably well.
But both of us knew this flight would be brief.
There were no obstacles inside the maze, the door was behind the beast, and we had no means to open it.
The passages all ran straight and true. Our strength would give out long before the beast’s.
—Gr-rowwwwling!
As our pace faltered for just a moment, the Magic Beast leaped through the air, snapping at Bibi.
I yanked her toward me in panic. Its fangs grazed my arm instead.
“…!”
—Howwwl, snarl, growwwwwl!
The beast let out a roar of fury. Looking at it now, I could see it was seething—as if confused why I kept interfering, irritated beyond measure.
Angry, it swung one forepaw at me. My body launched through the air for a moment.
“Agh!”
“N-no, Big Sister!”
…There’s no other way. We can’t run anymore.
I gritted my teeth, wrapped my body around Bibi, shielding her from the beast that was about to tear us apart.
Crack!
A sickening sound rang past my ears. I held Bibi, who was shaking violently in my arms, as tight as I could manage.
My back felt like it was burning.
“W-what is this…?”
“Shh. Little one. It’s going to…”
—Shrieeeeeek!
“…be fine—okay, it’ll be fine—ahhhhgh!”
The beast was completely enraged now.
Even though Bibi was only seven, smaller than her true age because she hadn’t eaten properly before coming to the Castrain household,
I was still only fifteen, with no particularly large frame. No matter how hard I tried to embrace her, I couldn’t shield her entire body.
The furious Magic Beast found the gaps and lashed out with its claws and teeth.
Especially as it tried to tear me away from her, it kept targeting my back, my arms, my legs—blood pouring down without pause.
Bibi’s face went pale as she saw the blood.
Tears welled in her blue eyes, trembling as she looked at me, threatening to spill.
“P-please don’t, Big Sister! You’re going to die like this!”
If I let you out of my arms now, you’ll die.
I said nothing instead, just smiled gently.
“It’s okay, it’s okay… Soon, soon… people will come. Don’t cry…”
Whether the Imperial Family abandoned Titania or not, once the mighty Castrain Ducal House sent Bibi to the Imperial Palace, they wouldn’t take long to track her down.
They would tear the entire palace apart if needed to retrieve her.
If I just keep this child safe here, she’ll be fine. So it’s okay.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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