The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 13

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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 13

* * *

I burrowed into the dresser where Lea kept my belongings and struggled around.

“Oh my!”

Startled, Lea quickly pulled me out of the dresser.

“What are you doing?”

“Gwandpa gave bag, where ish it? (Grandfather gave me a bag, where is it?)”

“You were looking for a bag?”

Retainer Grandfather, who had gone on a territory inspection with the Duke, was very fond of me and had once brought me a children’s bag.

He said he bought it out of curiosity while passing by – it was an apricot-colored elephant-shaped bag.

“If it’s that bag, it’s right here.”

Lea found the bag and put it on my shoulder, then looked at me with a curious expression.

But I fidgeted nervously for a moment before running out in a hurry.

Sorry, Lea.

This is something I have to do alone.

‘Since I’m preparing to escape.’

Probably, no, almost certainly the priests from the Religious Order will come to take me.

The Empress Dowager gave me a choice, but if the Religious Order insists strongly, she’ll pretend to be unable to resist and side with them.

The best thing for me right now would be if Duke Dubbled doesn’t send me away, but the possibility of that was slim.

First of all, Duke Dubbled isn’t even at the Imperial Palace right now, and even if he were, there’s no reason for him to keep me here while opposing the Pope.

‘If I get adopted by Valois, escaping will be impossible.’

So I’ll escape while traveling to the capital.

‘It’s dangerous with this body, but if I go to Valois, I’ll die from abuse.’

It’s better to choose the option with hope.

I entered the kitchen and poked my face up over the cooking table. The cook who was preparing a meal smiled brightly and asked.

“What brings you here, little one?”

“Give me water pwease.”

“Yes.”

“Lots. (Lots.)”

She said I would surely spill it if I carried a lot of water around, so she put water in a water bottle with a cap.

“Put it here pwease. (Put it here please.)”

When I turned my back to her, the cook chuckled and put the water bottle in my bag and closed it securely.

‘Water secured.’

Now for food.

‘I’ve prepared food by sneaking away snacks— Oh wait!’

I should prepare something sweet just in case. Sweet things are the most direct fuel for the brain.

Until my brain finished growing, I would often revert to a childlike mentality whenever I was tired, sleepy, or hungry.

So sweets were essential.

I headed to the candy room that the Duke had given me. I put my bag on the floor and packed one candy.

‘One is too few, isn’t it?’

One more.

‘Two is also a bit lacking.’

One more.

‘Ah, this won’t even make a dent.’

As I kept packing, the elephant bag became bulging. The button wouldn’t even close, so I struggled with it.

The bag is too small. I only put in thirty candies.

‘I need to pack the map and clothes too. And shoes.’

The soft children’s shoes would wear out quickly, so they weren’t suitable for a long journey.

Regrettably, I’ll have to pack only ten candies.

I took out candies from the bulging bag and returned to my room. I watched Lea carefully, then snuck behind the curtain while she was tidying the room.

And I took out several silver coins I had hidden in the window gap.

‘One, two, three, four… eleven.’

These were what I had collected from the retainers.

‘This should be enough for transportation.’

When I finished preparing and came out, Lea narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

“What mischief are you planning?”

“No!”

“Hmm.”

“I’m just packing my bag!”

Feeling guilty, I waved my hands frantically while making excuses, and Lea giggled.

However, her smile quickly faded.

Lea gently embraced me.

“I suppose we’ll have to let you go.”

“…”

“It’s an opportunity for you to grow up in a better environment, receiving plenty of parental love. It would be good for you, little one.”

She bit her lips tightly and stroked my hair.

“You’ll be happy. You’re such a lovable person that everyone will surely come to love you.”

Though her murmuring voice was tinged with moisture, Lea quickly smiled as if brushing it off.

No, Lea.

Those people don’t like me at all. I’d rather fall into a cesspit than go there!

That’s what I thought, but there was nothing she could do as she was merely an employee.

Even if I asked for help, it would only endanger Lea’s life.

“Now, shall we go read some books?”

“Mm-hmm…”

I nodded slightly and went with Lea to where the maids were waiting.

The maids who seated me on the sofa performed storytelling with gestures and expressions.

‘What’s this?’

Other employees were standing by the wall, holding palm-sized sparkling objects pointed toward me.

Lea also had a gem in her hand.

‘There have been a lot of things like that lately.’

Even while eating snacks, there were people holding those things. It was really delicious snacks, but I was so distracted that I left a piece behind.

Ah, I want to eat those snacks again.

I wonder if Lea would give me some if I asked.

But today’s snack is supposed to be cream puffs.

The cream puffs I had last week were so delicious that I was looking forward to them.

The piggyback ride I had then was fun too.

A tall servant gave me a piggyback ride and made realistic neighing sounds—hee-hee-neigh! I was so excited.

Recalling my memories at Duke Dubbled’s Castle made me feel sad.

Compared to my past life, this place was heaven. The thought of falling from heaven to hell made tears keep flowing.

When I started crying, the employees rushed over in surprise.

“Young miss, why are you crying?”

“Who made our little miss cry? Huh? Who?”

“I’ll give them a good scolding.”

Even Lea stroked my cheek with a very worried expression.

‘If I leave, I’ll never see Lea again.’

I became even sadder and burst into tears, wailing loudly. Perhaps because I kept thinking like an adult, I couldn’t suppress the overwhelming grief.

If only Duke Dubbled were here.

Then there might be a thread of hope that I wouldn’t have to go.

Since he despises the Religious Order, he might get stubborn and refuse to send me.

“Why is our little miss crying?”

“Wahhh…”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“I wanna see the Dook! Wahhh! (I want to see the Duke!)”

To think I would come to miss that cold-hearted man.

Even that made me sad, and I cried until my nose turned bright red.

The red gem in Lea’s hand sparkled.

* * *

The priests from the Religious Order arrived at Dubbled Territory Castle.

For the past few days, I had been crying constantly.

I cried while bathing in warm water, cried while eating snacks, and cried while sleeping.

If I get dragged away like this, I’ll surely face death again.

Regression was terrible, dying a dog’s death was unfair, and the unfairness made me sad.

I couldn’t stop crying because I didn’t even have a clear target to resent.

The employees seemed very worried. Even when they came out to see me off, they just looked at me helplessly.

Around me are plenty of things the Dubbled people packed for me.

There was a blanket and handkerchief they made by hand so I wouldn’t be cold on the way to the capital, and snacks they packed so I wouldn’t go hungry.

‘They’re really warm people.’

Looking at the priest grinning and showing his gold teeth in front of me made the wonderful qualities of the Dubbled people even clearer.

The person who came to pick up a child had sharp rings and chain-like bracelets dangling from his hands.

“Young master, have you been well?”

“Yes.”

“How much you must have suffered in a place with no connections.”

“I didn’t suffer. (I didn’t suffer.)”

“Don’t worry anymore. We have found someone who will raise you with love. Duke Valois is a renowned scholar and one of the Empire’s Five Dukes who will become a kind father to you.”

Raise with love, my foot.

That bad man raises me with beatings.

Besides, the Religious Order’s choice of Valois wasn’t entirely for my sake either.

They just picked a friendly family that would be easy to exploit when I manifested my power as the Child of Fate.

“Ah, don’t wanna go. (Ah, don’t want to go.)”

“Come now, let’s go.”

“Waah!”

His touch handling me was very rough.

He said “Come, let’s go!” and forcefully pulled my arm.

“It hurts!”

When I cried out loudly, the employees who came out to see me off were startled. As Lea tried to rush forward, the butler grabbed her shoulder and shook his head.

“If you throw tantrums like this, you’ll be cursed by God.”

Is that something to say to a child?

And I’m already cursed. This damn regression.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to shake off his hand.

“Don’t want to.”

“Oh my! Bad children get the rod!”

He pulled me with even stronger force. This time I really thought my arm would come off.

I was already wary of adult men, and now it hurt too, making it unbearable.

“If you’ve received God’s blessing, you should at least show some effort.”

At those words, Duke Valois’s face overlapped with the priest’s frowning face.

“If you’re lucky enough to be adopted into a prestigious family that has produced many great scholars, you should at least show some effort.”

The smell of alcohol.

The sight of a leather belt dragging on the floor.

The sound of leather cutting through the air.

“Crack!”

I had the illusion that I had returned to my second life.

The priest frowned as he looked at me panting. Then he gripped my cheek and turned my face this way and that.

“What, what’s this. Why are you acting like this.”

Just then.

“Take your hands off my daughter.”

A very low and cold voice came from in front of the castle gate.

* * *

‘This overwhelming presence…’

It was such a chilling aura that it instantly brought me back to reality from being trapped in memories from before my regression.

Duke Dubbled stepped between me and the priest.

The priest, who had been momentarily flustered, soon regained his composure and confronted the Duke.

“The matter of the young lady being taken in by House Valois has already been concluded.”

“Then we’ll have to discuss it again.”

“That’s absurd─!”

Shing─

As the priest protested, the Dubbled Knights’ swords instantly aimed at the priest’s neck.

The priest’s face turned deathly pale as he was surrounded by over ten swords in the blink of an eye.

However, the Duke spoke in a leisurely tone.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to open your mouth.”

“Y-Your Grace…”

Eventually, the Duke’s gaze slowly lowered and reached me. More precisely, it reached my arm that had turned red from the priest’s tight grip.

Just as a faint glint seemed to appear in his usually dry and emotionless eyes, a dull cracking sound rang out─! Crack!

“Aaaahhh!”

The priest screamed as his arm was bent into a grotesque shape.

“Go back and tell them. From today, this child will be taken care of by Dubbled. In the future, if you want to have a conversation about the child, you’ll need to bring at least the Holy Knights.”

After pushing the priest away, he gently lifted me up.

I sniffled, trying to suck back the snot that was about to drip from my nose.

“Duke… (Duke…)”

He lightly rubbed my cheek as I sobbed, then frowned and said.

“You look ugly.”

Well, of course. I keep crying and making all sorts of faces, so naturally.

“You’ll need to wash your face to look presentable.”

He held me close to his chest and patted my back. Then he turned toward the Imperial Palace without hesitation.

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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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