The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 126
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 126
Just as I was tilting my head in confusion, Father wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“I’ll escort you to the carriage.”
When I glanced sideways, I found Empress Yvonne’s gaze fixed on me.
Since the Valois House, which the Imperial Consort had been courting, had fallen, she would need reliable allies for the Prince’s future.
Dubbled was a family that would suit her tastes perfectly. Moreover, with my stock rising from the mock battle, the Imperial Consort would want to get me under her control by any means necessary.
It was a situation Father had reason to worry about.
‘And now that I know Duke Marche is involved in the kidnapping incident, continuing to chat feels uncomfortable.’
“Yes!”
After answering Father, I quickly bowed my head to Duke Marche.
“Farewell!”
The Duke smiled kindly, and I faced him with a bright smile as well.
‘What a formidable old man.’
It would be easier to deal with someone who openly displayed hostility like Valois did.
An old man like Duke Marche, who wore a benevolent expression as if he knew nothing of schemes, was a much more troublesome enemy. Because I couldn’t gauge his intentions at all.
“Well then.”
Father and I headed to the carriage rental station together.
After lifting me into the carriage, Father looked around at the guards with darkened eyes.
“Keep a particularly close watch on the surroundings. Birds of prey with their quarry in sight sometimes lose all sense of direction.”
He was referring to the nobles whose eyes had turned red with greed for the Valois Territory.
“We receive your orders.”
Tension appeared on the guards’ faces.
“Leblaine.”
“Yes.”
“For the time being, if you need to leave the mansion, you must take the captain and the wolves with you.”
I nodded my head. Only after hugging Father’s neck as a farewell did the carriage depart.
I, who had been greeting Father with a bright smile until then, instantly changed my expression and closed the curtains on the window.
Then I shared with the captain, who was alone with me inside the carriage, what I had heard from Duke Valois.
After hearing the story, the captain slowly stroked his chin.
“So the ringleader was Duke Marche— What could be his reason?”
“Well. If I were to guess, there’s no end to the possibilities. Either he’s mad with power, or I have some tremendous hidden power I’m unaware of.”
“Hmm….”
“It could also be Duke Valois’s last desperate attempt to make me and Marche hostile toward each other.”
The captain, who had narrowed his eyes, raised an eyebrow slightly.
“In any case, Marche would be worth investigating.”
“Just for information. There’s no need to move so obviously that Duke Marche becomes wary while trying to find out if he’s really the ringleader.”
“Why is that?”
“If he’s the mastermind, he must want something from me, so he’ll make the first move without us having to figure it out.”
“Still, don’t we need to prepare defenses? This isn’t just anyone – it’s Duke Marche. We need to be especially careful.”
As the Chief Chamberlain said, Duke Marche was different from Duke Valois’s case.
House Valois was the lowest among the five ducal houses, and without allying with other families, they could hardly dare to oppose Dubbled.
But Marche was different.
Duke Marche was the Emperor’s father-in-law, the father of Empress Yvonne who controlled the Inner Palace, and the maternal grandfather of the prince currently closest to the throne.
Not only that, but as a founding merit family, they had continuously occupied the pinnacle of power since the nation’s establishment.
The wealth they had accumulated over time rivaled Dubbled’s, they possessed formidable military power based on that wealth, and were a treasury of outstanding talent that surpassed even Dubbled.
“Still, there are a few fortunate points. One is that whatever the mastermind wants, I’m the one holding it.”
“And?”
“The fact that he can’t attack me.”
“…Excuse me?”
“If Marche is the mastermind, he had plenty of opportunities to target me. Especially during the mock battle. But unlike that coward Duke Valois, he couldn’t bring himself to interfere with the mock battle to kill me directly.”
“You mean there’s a reason why you mustn’t die.”
“Exactly.”
I pointed at myself with my index finger and continued.
“In other words, I have the hostage in my hands.”
“Where in the world does someone take themselves hostage?”
The Chief Chamberlain spoke in an incredulous tone, so I grinned wickedly.
“If I could, I’d take even worse things hostage – myself is nothing.”
“In any case, you’re saying Young Lady has the upper hand.”
“They don’t know that my life actually has little value to me. Since I’ll just regress again even if I die. If I can figure out the mastermind and regress, it’s a profitable deal.”
Who would have thought the time would come when the repetition of regression, which felt like God’s curse, would become so precious.
‘You never know what life will bring.’
When I covered my mouth with both hands and giggled, the Chief Chamberlain let out a helpless chuckle.
‘The mastermind is getting impatient. Time is on our side.’
Then I could just spend my time leisurely until the mastermind made his move.
* * *
When I arrived at the mansion, my aunt and brothers were waiting for me.
“Little one, Duke Valois is dead, right?”
Isaac grinned wickedly.
“It’s fortunate you don’t have to witness that horrible heresy trial.”
Henri smiled gently and patted my head. My aunt and Johan seemed to agree with Henri’s words, but I tilted my head inwardly.
‘Missing out on a spectacle?’
Duke Valois had conducted far more terrible experiments on me countless times – would I find a heresy trial horrifying?
But there was no need to advertise ‘I’m a child with no mercy when it comes to revenge!’ so I awkwardly looked away.
“Mm, well…”
“Let’s go. I told them to prepare tea and pastries.”
“I’m excited!”
Since I was hungry, I just took off my overcoat and quickly followed my brothers.
When I sat on the sofa, Henri handed me warm milk tea, and Isaac gave me a large cookie.
I slurped and munched on them while listening intently to my family’s conversation.
“The Emperor seems extremely angry, doesn’t he? Even though the culprit who attacked the Imperial Palace was revealed, to hold a heresy trial this quickly…”
At Isaac’s words, Aunt picked up her teacup and answered.
“He must have thought this was his chance. The nobles have been united in checking imperial power, so the imperial authority strengthening he so desired has remained just a dream.”
“If he wants to strengthen imperial power, there’s an easy and simple method. Making the successors fight each other. Just like grandfather did.”
At Isaac’s words, Henri gently brushed off the cookie crumbs around my mouth and replied.
“That’s why he called Second Prince Adrian back to the Imperial Palace this time. But it won’t be easy. Empress Yvonne has control over the Imperial Palace.”
Johan, who had his legs crossed, slowly tapped his knee with a thud, thud.
“Aunt, are you keeping watch on the Imperial Palace’s movements?”
“Of course. Why? Is there something concerning?”
“The Emperor won’t miss this chance, will he? I think he’ll soon bring up talk of selecting an Imperial Consort.”
“That’s true too… He might issue an Imperial Consort selection decree, targeting how the nobles are eyeing Valois Territory.”
“Yes, the reason he couldn’t issue a selection decree until now was because the nobles won over by Duke Marche and Empress Yvonne were united. If there’s a chance, it’s now.”
I crunched on my cookie while lost in thought.
‘An Imperial Consort selection decree.’
An Imperial Consort isn’t just the Emperor’s wife or mistress.
Now that polygamy is forbidden due to shrine doctrine, the Emperor being able to have multiple Imperial Consorts is all for political purposes.
The current 【Imperial Consort】 prepares for the future of the Imperial Family, which lacks heirs, serves as a gateway connecting each region to the Imperial Family, and has a meaning similar to an official position that helps the Emperor govern the country.
Even before my regression, the Emperor had tried to take a new Imperial Consort, but it failed due to Empress Yvonne.
‘They said she was poisoned to death. Who was that person…’
She wasn’t from an outstanding family, and Empress Yvonne had thoroughly silenced everyone, so I never even heard her name.
‘But I did meet her when I went to see the Empress Dowager.’
It hasn’t been long since I sent the demon back, so my adult thinking doesn’t seem to be working well yet.
Her face was on the tip of my memory.
‘So that person was… Hmm.’
“But why didn’t Father come with Little One?”
“He said there was more to discuss. Duke Marche is also there, so he’ll probably be late today.”
“Duke Marche? How unusual? Father really dislikes him, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. He did dislike him. Because he teased Father by calling him ‘Lord of the Blue Rose’…”
“What’s that funny name?”
“Father used to be the Lord of the Blue Rose.”
Suddenly, all my brothers’ gazes turned toward me at once.
Aunt let out a small chuckle.
“That’s a nostalgic name.”
Isaac’s eyes sparkled as he leaned toward Aunt.
“What is that? Lord of the Blue Rose. What kind of name is so embarrassing?”
“It’s too embarrassing for me to say with my own mouth. Lea, why don’t you tell her.”
Lea, who had been guarding me from behind the sofa, smiled awkwardly.
“Well…”
Henri smiled sweetly.
“Tell her.”
Isaac added “Right now,” and even Johan focused on Lea.
“In the past, the Young Masters who were popular among the young ladies and young masters were called the ‘Three Flower Young Masters.'”
“Who were these poor people who were called that?”
“Duke Amitie, Duke Grimoire, and Master were called that.”
Laura, who had been huffing and puffing beside Lea, suddenly raised her hand.
“I know those gentlemen’s nicknames. If it’s alright, shall I tell you?!”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
When Isaac’s eyes sparkled, Laura clasped her hands together with a dreamy expression and said,
“Duke Amitie was ‘The White Narcissus,’ Duke Grimoire was ‘The Black Violet.’ And Master was…!”
“The Blue Rose, right.”
Isaac muttered ominously, Henri raised the corners of his mouth in a terrifyingly sweet smile, and Johan raised his eyebrows.
Aunt was covering her mouth with a book, but she had a rarely seen, very pleased expression.
For some reason, I felt a chill run down my spine as I sat between them.
* * *
Theodore returned home.
The mansion’s butler took his overcoat and asked,
“I have prepared your bath water.”
“I’ll eat first. Leblaine must have been waiting. Where is she?”
“Well…”
The butler trailed off as if perplexed.
“What happened to Leblaine—”
“Father.”
“You’ve returned.”
“You’re late.”
Theodore turned his head and furrowed his brow. His three sons, who usually never bothered with homecoming greetings, had all come out to welcome him.
“…What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing special.”
“If it’s nothing special, then why are you all… What is this smell?”
A thick floral fragrance wafted from the direction his sons had come from. And it was a very unpleasant fragrance at that.
That fragrance that made him avoid the garden in summer.
A small child was walking down the corridor, struggling while carrying a flower bouquet.
It was Leblaine.
Theodore’s expression hardened when he saw the flowers.
“That’s….”
Blue roses.
The only flower that still made him angry to this day.
The sons gestured to Leblaine, who was hesitating.
“Come here, little one.”
Theodore looked back at his sons with a terrifying expression.
“It’s a gift from Leblaine.”
“To you, the Blue Rose.”
Pfft.
The young masters turned their heads and their shoulders shook, and Leblaine, who had been struggling to walk while holding the flower bouquet, flinched when she saw her father’s expression.
A demon.
There was a demon here.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
