The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 123

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 123

 

Duke Valois’s wavering gaze fixed on one spot and wouldn’t leave. On his eldest son, Hayton.

 

His pale complexion, bowed head, and tightly clenched hands. Everything gave him an ominous feeling.

 

“Don’t tell me you…!”

 

“…”

 

Hayton’s silence was the most definitive answer possible.

 

Duke Valois pushed through the crowd and roughly shook Hayton’s shoulders.

 

“What did they do to you at Dubbled? How did that girl manipulate you…!”

 

Hayton slowly raised his head. With his pale blue lips trembling, he met his father’s gaze without flinching and muttered.

 

“You taught me to follow the prevailing trend.”

 

“…What?”

 

“You said to quickly discard what’s unnecessary and take what’s needed regardless of sentiment. So I did as I was taught.”

 

“You, you… you ungrateful bastard!”

 

“Just as Father abandoned Mother when she was no longer needed, I abandoned Father too.”

 

“…!”

 

As Duke Valois froze, Hayton gritted his teeth and shook off his hand.

 

“I did as I was taught!”

 

Duke Valois, pushed down by his son, sat there staring at the monster he had created with an expression of complete disbelief.

 

Leblaine, who had been watching them, smiled brightly.

 

* * *

 

A few hours earlier.

 

Right after the investigators left, the person I sought out was Duchess Valois.

 

Since her relationship with her husband had deteriorated beyond repair, given the Duchess’s temperament, she would need a new place to lean on.

 

But the person I sent secretly returned empty-handed.

 

“Did Duchess Valois turn you away? That doesn’t make sense.”

 

“No. I couldn’t meet the Duchess at all.”

 

“Did Duke Valois, furious as he is, issue a house arrest order or something…?”

 

As I muttered, Curtis, Seria’s childhood friend and assistant to the Deputy Leader of Hope Trading Company, tilted his head with a strange expression.

 

“That’s possible, but… Guild Master, there’s something unsettling.”

 

“Something strange?”

 

“According to our spy planted in Valois, the Duchess’s belongings haven’t been brought to the new estate they recently moved to. Even her children don’t seem to know her whereabouts. Nils Valois, the second son, is desperately searching for his mother.”

 

“Only Nils? What about Hayton?”

 

“The eldest son has locked himself in his room and won’t come out.”

 

Suddenly, an ominous premonition sent chills up from my toes.

 

Seria, who had been listening to the conversation, let out a troubled “Hmm…”

 

“He didn’t even bring in his wife’s belongings. Could Duke Valois be considering divorce?”

 

“…No, that’s not it.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Perhaps Duchess Valois is…. Curtis, go to the new Valois Mansion again. This time in my name to Hayton.”

 

“What should I tell him?”

 

“…’Where is Mother?'”

 

“Will that be sufficient?”

 

I nodded, and Curtis departed.

 

‘Hayton is a smart kid. He’ll understand what my message means.’

 

And if that child comes looking for me, then my ominous suspicion will be true.

 

I sat on the sofa with my hands clasped tightly together, organizing my thoughts.

 

Around sunset, Curtis returned. With Hayton.

 

I stared intently at Hayton’s surprised expression. He seemed not to have expected that I would be the one who summoned him.

 

“…Your mother was murdered, wasn’t she.”

 

“….”

 

“You must have been scared.”

 

Rising from the sofa, I quietly gazed at the child’s trembling eyes.

 

“I won’t say I’ll protect you from the monster.”

 

Hayton flinched and looked at me.

 

“I know you summoned me because there’s something you want to get from me. If you want to get what you desire, pay the price!”

 

“You also have something you want to get from me, don’t you. You followed my person despite being afraid of your father.”

 

“…What are you trying to do.”

 

“Let’s make a proper deal. Don’t appeal to emotions.”

 

I slammed the documents down on the table with a bang.

 

The content of the documents was that I would provide monthly living expenses to Hayton Valois until he turned 18.

 

“Protect yourself. I’ll give you money and opportunities.”

 

“That pathetic amount of money….”

 

Hayton Valois gritted his teeth, and I crossed my arms and turned my head.

 

“Think carefully. You know you can’t continue living under your father’s protection like before. Didn’t you follow my person because you’re afraid you’ll be the next target of the monster that even devoured his wife?”

 

“….”

 

“Even if you can endure the fear, your family house will soon fall. Because Dubbled and I will make it happen no matter what. You’re clever enough to know where the odds lie.”

 

“….”

 

“What will you do after that? Valois’s debt is a larger sum than you think. Once Duke Valois is captured, creditors will swarm in and take away everything down to the last teacup. Can you even imagine living in a shabby hut without even cooling facilities?”

 

Hayton Valois couldn’t respond with a single word. His eyes grew dim, so I spoke once more in a clear tone.

 

“So seize the opportunity while I’m offering it.”

 

“…What do you want.”

 

“The ritual chamber. The place where the demon was summoned.”

 

“…!”

 

Hayton Valois muttered in a small voice, “How do you know about that….”

 

“Where is it.”

 

“….”

 

The child pondered. However, it didn’t take long to reach a conclusion.

 

Since I knew even that ‘Duke Valois had summoned a demon,’ he would be certain this was a game with no chance of winning.

 

“The study.”

 

“The investigators and I thoroughly searched Duke Valois’s study, but there was nothing there.”

 

“…The button to open Father’s study bookshelf isn’t there.”

 

“Is it portable? Where is that thing?”

 

“I never said it was a thing.”

 

Hayton quietly rolled up his sleeve.

 

‘A scar? …No way!’

 

A scar was clearly visible on the child’s forearm.

 

It was a terrible and hideous scar, as if someone had randomly drawn a picture with a knife tip.

 

Seria, who was disguised as an elderly woman, covered her mouth upon seeing the horrible scar.

 

“The previous ‘button’ was Mother, and now… it’s me.”

 

So that’s how Hayton was able to watch the Duchess being murdered.

 

This was the reason why Duke Valois couldn’t abandon Duchess Valois, no matter how much trouble she caused.

 

I carefully placed my hand on the tattoo carved into the child’s forearm.

 

“You were scared.”

 

“….”

 

“It must have hurt a lot.”

 

“….”

 

The child quickly turned his head away, as if he didn’t want to show his reddened eyes.

 

“It’s just ugly to look at.”

 

“Our Lea said this. Scars are medals for overcoming pain!”

 

“….”

 

“This scar will become a medal for escaping from a monster.”

 

When I smiled brightly, Hayton’s gaze trembled slightly.

 

After that, I opened the bookshelf door with Hayton, found evidence of alchemy and summoning circles there, and reported it to the Imperial Palace.

 

* * *

 

Hayton did well.

 

He told me that Duke Valois would bring a child to be sacrificed to the mansion today, and contacted me at the right time.

 

The evidence at Valois Mansion, the summoning circle remaining in the secret warehouse in the shopping district that belonged to him, and even the child brought as a sacrifice.

 

As evidence of summoning a demon, it couldn’t be more perfect.

 

“Damn bitch, what have you done! To my son…! Let go, I am the 21st Family Head of Valois House, a meritorious subject of the Empire!”

 

I kept my eyes fixed on Duke Valois as he was dragged away, screaming desperately.

 

After the Imperial Guards dragged away Duke Valois and his distinguished guests, Valois’s new estate looked like ruins after a war.

 

The aide approached me as I stood there blankly in that quiet place.

 

“His Excellency has summoned the great nobles.”

 

“About Duke Valois?”

 

“Yes, it seems he intends to hold an apostle trial with lightning speed so that he absolutely cannot escape.”

 

“I see. Father would proceed thoroughly. Oh, and the child who was almost used as a sacrifice this time…”

 

“The trading company will take care of them. It might be a child who stayed at the House of Hope with Seria.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

I staggered while answering.

 

My head felt dizzy.

 

I had kept the demon summoned for a long time with my already insufficient Divine Power, and had been on edge the entire time to corner Duke Valois. It would have been strange if I wasn’t exhausted.

 

‘My head isn’t working. I need to go back and rest quickly.’

 

Just as I was thinking that, someone supported me. It wasn’t the aide’s hand. It was the firm hand of a boy with scratches on it.

 

“Adrian.”

 

The person I had chosen as my contact to report to the Imperial Palace was Adrian.

 

There were many suspicious points about a young me immediately recognizing evidence of alchemy. Especially in a situation where I was at odds with Valois.

 

Instead, there was room for it to appear that I had fabricated evidence to frame Duke Valois.

 

So among the princes who had nominally become heads of the imperial investigation team, I asked Adrian, who was on friendly terms with me.

 

I asked him to relay the message that he had discovered something suspicious during final inspections after the investigation team returned.

 

‘I’m really grateful to Adrian.’

 

Since Empress Yvonne had close ties with House Valois, the aftermath could affect Adrian too, but this child followed my words without asking anything.

 

“Adrian, today really…”

 

“I’ll hear your thanks next time. Just rest for today.”

 

“Then I’ll visit you later… Ah!”

 

Adrian lifted me up with both hands.

 

“I’m heavy!”

 

“Not at all.”

 

“But still…”

 

Adrian smiled faintly and spoke in a gentle voice.

 

“You’ll fall.”

 

I hesitated for a moment, then wrapped my arms around his neck.

 

‘Actually, it was hard to stand. Adrian is such a considerate child.’

 

Since it’s come to this, let’s just comfortably be carried!

 

“Am I really not heavy?”

 

“Yeah. Not at all.”

 

I felt a little amazed. When did this small child grow so tall that he could lift me up like this?

 

Come to think of it, his hands and muscles had somehow become similar to those of an adult.

 

His height was as tall as Johan’s, and his hands had become very large.

 

A pleasant scent came from his firm shoulders and straight neck.

 

It seemed that having a large amount of Divine Power made his growth rate noticeably faster than his peers.

 

Just as Adrian and I were about to leave the completely ruined reception room, someone grabbed my wrist.

 

For a moment, I staggered in surprise.

 

‘Ugh, I almost fell!’

 

If Adrian hadn’t quickly wrapped his arm around my waist, I might have fallen flat on my bottom.

 

Hayton, who was gripping my wrist, glared at Adrian with a displeased expression. Yet he spoke to me.

 

“Where are you going? You have something to discuss with me.”

 

“I’m tired. Can’t we do it tomorrow?”

 

“Do it now.”

 

“No, we can do it tomorrow…”

 

“Take responsibility.”

 

As I gaped in bewilderment, Adrian asked in a low voice.

 

“Responsibility?”

 

But Hayton didn’t answer him, instead turning his intense gaze to me.

 

“If you protected me, then take responsibility until the end.”

 

What nonsense is this guy spouting right now!

 

“Let go of that hand.”

 

“I cannot let go.”

 

“I don’t give warnings twice.”

 

And why on earth is Adrian angry!

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