Star Child's Parenting Diary - Chapter 2

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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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Episode 2
Chapter 1. The Condition for Succession Above the Duchy (2)
Ethan spoke with finality.
“I want the oldest child here.”
“Won’t you take a look around first?”
“What for?”
“Well, my lord. Raising a child is far more difficult than one might think.”
Terisa bowed her head gently as she tried to persuade Ethan.
“Of course I have no doubt you’ll provide a good environment, but for the child’s emotional wellbeing, it would be wise to look around first.”
“I’m busy.”
Ethan’s eyebrows twisted into a scowl.
Though he’d said he wouldn’t look, Lily couldn’t tear her eyes from Ethan’s expression as it shifted so vividly.
What kind of face was that?
The emotion emanating from that twisted countenance was something Lily had not yet learned to name.
[That’s a sulky face, little star. It’s one of the bad ones.]
The Spirit, sensing Lily’s thoughts, offered an explanation from beside her.
Ah. A bad face.
Lily followed Ethan’s lead and furrowed her brows, then quickly smoothed her expression.
“I’m the oldest girl in this orphanage.”
“How old are you?”
“Six… teen years old.”
“I’ll provide for you until you reach adulthood.”
“I’m grateful for your regard, but I must apologize and decline.”
Lily rejected Ethan’s offer.
“I’d prefer that the younger children here receive your support instead. If it’s acceptable, I can show you around the orphanage.”
At that, Ethan turned to the man standing behind him and grumbled with clear displeasure.
“……Aspe.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Not once in my life has a woman refused me.”
“Ah, indeed.”
[That’s a startled face. The expression one makes when surprised.]
I see.
At the Spirit’s explanation, Lily nodded quietly to herself.
[Little star.]
“Hm?”
Lily tilted her head and looked toward the Spirit.
[Won’t you follow that man?]
“Mm?”
Lily’s head tilted further.
‘Follow him?’
That man?
The moment Lily turned her gaze toward Ethan with a confused tilt of her head, their eyes met once more.
“Brat.”
This time, Lily fired back first.
But Ethan pretended not to hear and, ignoring her, casually pointed at one of the children visible through the window.
“I’ll take that child instead.”
“Pardon?”
“You there!”
He went so far as to open the window and gesture dismissively with his finger.
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Will you be adopted by me?”
“Who are you?”
“Come with me and I’ll give you delicious sweets every day.”
“Everyone knows you shouldn’t follow someone just because they offer you food.”
The child answered in measured tones before hurrying away.
“Why are you refusing?”
“It’s not wrong what I said. You shouldn’t follow strangers.”
Lily watched the ‘startled’ Ethan.
[You’ll learn much from following that man.]
“Mm.”
Bell was decidedly reluctant.
Ethan seemed to feel the same way.
Rejected a second time, he decided to tour the Orphanage instead of pressing Bell about adoption.
“How about becoming a young nobleman?”
Ethan told every child in sight to follow him.
But…
“I don’t want to!”
They refused him outright.
“Aaaaaah!”
Or they ran away.
“Waaah!”
Some even burst into tears.
With each rejection, Ethan’s expression shifted—a flicker of something almost hurt crossing his face.
Bell tried to mimic him, fluttering her pupils, but her head only swayed side to side.
“Aspe.”
“Yes. What is it?”
“Why do they hate me? Isn’t becoming nobility an opportunity?”
“Perhaps it’s not the opportunity they dislike—it’s you.”
“What did you just say?”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Bell mimicked him again, tilting her gaze sideways.
‘Mean eyes.’
That was when it happened.
[But little star, listen to this.]
“Your Highness, there’s something I wanted to ask.”
[Why doesn’t this man propose adoption to you alone?]
“Why didn’t you offer to adopt this child as well?”
Both the guest called Aspe and the Spirit spoke almost simultaneously.
At those words, Bell looked at Ethan, and Ethan looked back at Bell.
“Tsk.”
His expression darkened again.
“What am I supposed to do with something the size of a peanut? Raise it?”
“Please say something that makes sense. The child is hardly that small.”
“Fine. A pebble, then.”
“At least try speaking properly. Or shall we tour another Orphanage instead?”
Aspe reproached Ethan.
Ethan’s face went sullen, and he asked Bell bluntly.
“What’s your name?”
“Bel.”
“Bel?”
“No! Bel-el. Like the character for rice paddy.”
Bell corrected him, but Ethan still didn’t understand and said something else entirely.
“Right then. I’m the Duke of Aivec. So you do recognize me.”
“How could that possibly be the case?”
Ethan completely ignored Aspe’s objection.
“So, what is your name?”
“It’s Bel! Bel-el!”
Bell burst out in frustration.
This old man couldn’t understand anything.
“This child is called Berta. We call her Bell.”
“Bell? You should have pronounced it clearly.”
And he even blamed Bell for his own poor hearing.
“Old man.”
“…What?”
“Idiot.”
In the end, Bell fired back at him.
Mimicking his mean expression as she did.
Ethan let out a hollow laugh at her jab.
“What did she just say?”
“Your Highness. Let’s take this child instead.”
“What? You didn’t hear what she just said? Need me to clean out your ears?”
Ethan grabbed Aspe by the collar as if he might shove a skewer straight into the man’s earhole.
The Spirit jumped in alarm and quickly shielded Lily’s view.
[Good heavens. What a gruesome expression. Don’t you imitate that.]
“Mm.”
Lily nodded and poked out her lower lip.
“Quite the audacious little thing, isn’t she!”
Meanwhile, the adults had taken matters into their own hands entirely.
“She didn’t hide from Your Highness, didn’t complain, didn’t cry, didn’t run away — just followed along the whole time.”
“Right. And she’s no bigger than a pebble.”
“Children grow quickly anyway.”
Aspe persuaded Ethan by saying a nursemaid would handle all the child-rearing, and Setia was probably waiting with her neck stretched out in expectation.
Ethan, worn down at last, exhaled a long sigh and crouched before Lily.
He looked exactly like a gang leader holding court in some shadowy back alley.
“Come with me, and I’ll give you bread every day — much tastier and bigger than what you’re chewing on now.”
He pointed with his chin at the bread Lily was gnawing on as he made his offer.
Lily opened her eyes narrow and studied him from head to toe.
‘……Bread? She’s giving me bread?’
“Why do you keep trying to bribe a child with food?”
“It’s the only way I might give her a reason to reconsider.”
Lily kept her gaze fixed on Ethan as he went on shouting, but only moved her mouth as she gnawed at her bread.
Ethan’s expression was remarkably expressive.
His eyebrows twitched and his eyes narrowed to sharp points.
When he spoke, his lips trembled and his hair seemed to gleam.
She could feel his emotions as clearly as if they were her own.
In a world shrouded in endless gray, only Ethan stood out with pristine clarity.
[Little star. You need parents.]
“…….”
Veins bulged across Ethan’s brow as he continued to scold Aspe.
Seeing the faint mark that had risen there, a small smile curved Lily’s lips.
His temperament seemed poor, but he was like a funny old man.
“I can’t believe there’s a child in this world who’d just follow a stranger like that when he promises food…….”
Lily crawled between Ethan’s crouched legs and nestled against him.
“There is. There is, Your Highness.”
Aspe said this as if completely bewildered.
He even tried to talk Lily out of it again.
“Little one.”
“Mm?”
“Even if a stranger offers you food, you shouldn’t follow him, right?”
“Mm.”
“So should you follow this man or not?”
“Man.”
“See? Don’t you think you’ve made a poor judgment here?”
“Fool.”
At that single word from Lily, Aspe turned to stone on the spot.
In truth, what Lily had meant to say was: ‘I’m not foolish. I understand things just fine.’
But since she still struggled to form full sentences, she’d simply spoken the essential words.
“Me, me…… a fool?!”
“Blockhead. Get out of the way.”
Ethan pushed Aspe aside.
“You said you’d come with me?”
He checked Lily’s resolve one more time.
Lily looked directly at Ethan and nodded firmly.
“Mm.”
“Go buy some bread. I’ll be handling the adoption proceedings.”
Ethan scooped Lily up into his arms and gave Aspe’s backside a sharp kick.
“Ow, please don’t hit!”
“Get going before the girl changes her mind. If she says no, I’m burying you right here.”
* * *
Duke Ethan Aybeck had decided which child he would adopt.
The protagonist was none other than…
‘Would it be all right?’
Berta.
‘Sigh.’
Terisa recalled the day she first met Berta.

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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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