The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 15

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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 15

North gulped down his dry saliva.

“Th-that is, I was trying to deliver His Excellency’s message to Duke Teramore when I saw the Young Lady, and she seemed bored, so for a moment…”

His face had turned pitifully pale.

‘The Duke really is scary.’

I looked at him with sympathetic eyes, while the Duke watched him with extremely cold eyes.

“She’s a child who’s shy around strangers, yet you two seemed quite affectionate.”

“It-it’s not like that—”

“You have quite the talent.”

The Duke spoke in a distinctly sarcastic tone.

Duke Dubbled must be a petty superior. To threaten his adjutant so frighteningly just for playing around a little during work hours.

‘Poor North.’

North quietly set me down.

“Come here, Leblaine.”

I’m scared to go.

It feels like the sparks might fly to me too.

But when I hesitated, North’s face went from white to blue, and the Duke’s glare became even more murderous.

“Come here.”

I had no choice but to hesitantly approach him.

As soon as the Duke picked me up, North bowed as if folding his waist in half.

“Th-then I’ll go finish my work…”

Even if a pack of wolves were chasing him from behind, his tone wouldn’t have been this desperate.

After North fled like an arrow, only the Duke and I remained.

I was scared of the Duke, whose gaze seemed sharper than usual today, so I fidgeted with my hands.

Surely he wouldn’t punish me just for playing with his adjutant a little?

When I looked up at him with an anxious face, the Duke’s eyebrows twitched. Then he muttered something quietly.

‘Didn’t he say something like “You seemed so happy with North”?’

I tilted my head and looked at him.

He stared at me intently, then grabbed my sides and lifted me up slightly.

“High.”

“…”

“High.”

“…”

What’s this?

Is this some sophisticated way of scolding me?

* * *

What on earth was that yesterday?

I kept my eyes narrowly open the entire time Lea was dressing me, thinking about the Duke from yesterday.

“High. High. …Is this not high enough?”

When I froze in panic, he carried me into the room and quickly left. Then in the evening, I heard North’s screams.

‘Maybe he was trying to play with me.’

Was he trying to act like a father since he adopted me?

I didn’t know since he’s called the world’s greatest villain, a demon with monster blood mixed in, but maybe he has quite a bit of humanity…

Thinking that, I shook my head back and forth.

In the end, he was ready to throw me into the air saying “Should it be higher then?”

I was afraid he might actually throw me, so I pretended to enjoy it and smiled until my mouth almost tore.

Just then, Lea, who had finished buttoning up all my clothes, spoke.

“Shall we go to the dining room now?”

Why not eat here?

Most meals were usually taken care of in the room.

Since the Duke was always busy, he preferred to roughly finish his meals in his office.

When I looked at her with puzzled eyes, Lea laughed “Ohohoho” and took my hand.

Somehow she had the expression of someone who had prepared a gift and was excited all by herself.

‘I should go eat first.’

When I’m hungry, it’s harder to think like an adult than it is now.

I took Lea’s hand and walked down the corridor with small steps.

When I opened the dining room door and entered, I saw the Duke sitting at the head of the table.

‘Huh?’

And to the Duke’s left, boys were sitting in a row.

“Leblaine.”

Then, the Duke patted his knee and called me. I walked over to him with small steps and reached out my hands.

The Duke lifted me up, sat me on his knee, and showed me the children in detail.

“This is the second son, Henri.”

The child the Duke pointed to smiled brightly.

The child had dazzling silver hair and blue eyes like a cold sea, and was incredibly beautiful.

If the Duke was a handsome man carved to perfection, this child was like a delicately crafted doll.

He was so pretty that you might mistake him for a girl at first glance, with an extremely sweet impression.

“This is the third son, Isaac.”

The child he pointed to this time looked completely opposite to Henri.

Even though he had the same silver hair and blue eyes as Henri, he gave off a cool feeling.

Though they were so different, both children were truly beautiful. Moreover─

‘Miniatures of the Duke!’

Their eyes, nose, face shape, lips, and such resembled him.

The eldest was apparently at a foreign academic institute and didn’t come.

The Duke introduced me last.

“This is Leblaine.”

Henri, with his sweet impression, smiled brightly and took my fingers.

“Hello, Leblaine. Nice to meet you.”

Then he poked the side of Isaac, who was having a staring contest with the carrot next to him.

Isaac had a sullen expression, but glanced at the Duke and gave a brief introduction, saying “Isaac.”

‘He’s incredibly tall for his age.’

To strangers, he’d probably look about ten years old. His features were also remarkably distinct.

‘I guess it’s true that beautiful people are born complete.’

Being naturally slow in growth, I couldn’t help but feel envious.

Moreover, a brilliant future awaited them.

Children born in the wild-like Dubbled were all exceptional, but the Three Young Masters were special even among them.

‘Those who climbed to the top of the pyramid without family help.’

The second son, Henri, was perpetually top of his class at the Capital Gifted Academy and would follow his older brother into the foreign academic institute.

He would graduate with perfect grades and grow into a talent who controlled the Empire’s purse strings at a young age.

For this achievement, he would become the leader of the Dubbled Branch Family in his early twenties – a genius.

‘Duke Amitie hated him, calling him a cunning fox who evaded the law while expanding his black fleet.’

Isaac had exceptional talent in martial arts.

He handled aura from a young age, and there were rumors that he defeated the Imperial Knights’ captain at twenty.

‘Duke Valois was disgusted, calling him a violent thug.’

Having actually seen the Young Masters who had only been rumors, I felt slightly nervous.

They were like Mina’s sworn brothers.

When I was framed for attempting to murder Mina, people said:

Consider yourself extremely fortunate that you didn’t get caught by the Dubbled Young Masters.

So until right before my death, just the mention of the Dubbled Young Masters made my heart sink to my feet.

‘It’s okay, they’re not Mina’s knights now.’

As long as I don’t act annoying, I won’t have to tremble just hearing their names like before.

I smiled warmly at the Young Masters with a “hehe.”

“Hewwo. (Hello.)”

Anyway, they’re the family’s young masters, so I should make a good impression.

* * *

One hour later.

I kept glancing nervously at Henri and Isaac.

‘This is scary…’

After the meal ended, I had been quite confident until the adults pushed us all into one room so we could get to know each other.

Since they’re kids, it shouldn’t be hard to become friends, and they both greeted me nicely, I thought.

But as soon as Isaac entered the room, he glared at me menacingly. Henri paid no attention to Isaac at all.

“You.”

“Yes….”

“Do you know how to eat carrots?”

I’m not picky about food.

Back in the very old days when I was the Young Lady of Duke Amitie, I might have been picky, but not now after experiencing House Valois and the Beggar Gang.

“Yes.”

Then Isaac’s eyebrows twitched.

“Are you a rabbit?”

He spoke with a growling tone. It seemed threatening, but strangely, I wasn’t scared this time.

Then Henri, who was turning pages of a book, muttered something.

‘I think he just called Isaac an idiot.’

Henri seemed to have no particular interest in me.

As soon as he entered the room, he pulled out a thick book, and now he was writing something densely on parchment.

Curious about what it was, I kept glancing at the parchment.

Numbers, numbers, numbers.

And occasionally some difficult symbols.

Curiosity arose, so I slowly approached and peeked my head over the desk.

Henri glanced at me sideways.

“Do you have something to say?”

He added “Young Lady” in a gentle tone.

It was a coldly distant attitude, as if drawing a clear line.

I became dejected and fidgeted with my hands.

“I wanted to see what it was….”

Then Isaac, who had picked up the wooden sword that was lying on the floor, snorted.

“She’s probably trying to sneakily embezzle money again.”

“It’s called creating a slush fund, you idiot.”

I was startled and widened my eyes.

A little kid knows about slush funds?

When I opened my eyes wide, Henri pulled out a newspaper and muttered.

“The domestic and international situation is gradually becoming chaotic. At times like this─”

“I know. I learned about it last time. You buy iron, right? Because when war breaks out, the price of iron used to make weapons rises first.”

When Isaac spoke triumphantly, Henri’s lips curved up crookedly.

“What a half-witted answer.”

“Why? I’m right.”

“That’s what merchants think. Nobles have to donate iron to the state when war breaks out.”

When Isaac clicked his tongue, Henri shrugged his shoulders.

“At times like this, it’s gold. During war, the value of currency drops.”

I think I understood why people here weren’t greatly surprised to see a four-year-old who knew terms like ‘unannounced tax audit.’

A little child reciting difficult words like domestic and international affairs.

‘I feel like I’ve come to a strange world.’

When my brother ignored him, Isaac frowned and whipped around to look at me.

“You, if you ignore me thinking I don’t know about gold, you’re dead.”

I quickly widened my eyes and waved my hands.

“I’m not ignowing you. I knew about iwon too. (I’m not ignoring you. I knew about iron too.)”

He grinned saying “Right?” then suddenly came to his senses and glared.

“Don’t think about showing off just because you’re the Child of Fate. I’m a really strong kid too. So—”

Henri slapped the newspaper shut and looked at Isaac with a pitying expression. Then he curved his eyes sweetly and spoke to me.

“They say war doesn’t distinguish between human emotions and reason. That’s how House Dubbled is. They don’t consider blood relations or parent-child bonds.”

“….”

“So wouldn’t others who don’t share even a drop of blood be in even greater danger? I do hope your life won’t be shortened by excessive greed.”

Henri’s eyes gleamed bright blue.

‘Ah, maybe I ate too little because it was uncomfortable eating on the Duke’s lap.’

I’m so hungry my brain isn’t working.

I have no idea what he’s talking about.

‘Still, I should answer for now.’

Children who answer well are the ones who get loved.

I responded loudly with “Yes!”

Then Henri somehow looked flustered.

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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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