The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 16

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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 16

Leblaine left the room with the maid, and Henri’s eyes narrowed.

“What’s with that kid.”

Was she pretending to be innocent? Or was she no ordinary child?

Henri had grown up between his older brother, a genius of the century who learned to read at three, and his younger brother who, while somewhat stupid by his standards, had a more exceptional mind than most.

He was surrounded by cunning adults everywhere.

At the Academy for Gifted Children, there were peers who could already recite foreign languages fluently.

Having lived in such a world, Henri couldn’t understand a naive little child.

Moreover.

‘A child who confessed about the Religious Order and Imperial Family affairs couldn’t possibly know nothing.’

For nearly a month, he had been warned repeatedly.

A rolling stone had come in and was about to settle.

Apparently, she acted so cunningly charming that all the servants at the territorial castle had completely fallen for her.

Most importantly, she had supposedly claimed the Duke’s lap as if it were her rightful place.

His tutors, academy professors, and even relatives had come to visit and warned him several times about the child who had come to the Imperial Palace.

‘I’ll need to keep an eye on her.’

Henri carefully folded the parchment and tucked it inside his book, then turned to look at Isaac.

“You, if you keep acting stupid, there won’t be any place left for you…”

His younger brother was punching the wall with his fists, thud, thud, while giggling.

“That kid thought I was really cool when she realized how mature I am.”

Henri made an expression like he was looking at an earthworm sprawled on the roadside. Isaac flinched and his face hardened.

“She’s not cute at all.”

“Looks like you’ve already fallen for her.”

“I have not!”

She really wasn’t cute at all.

He just thought he wanted to touch her chubby cheeks once, that’s all.

Even when he tried to yell, his throat tickled and he couldn’t do it properly.

He wouldn’t fall for her like the adults did.

‘I’ll torment her.’

That afternoon, Isaac approached Leblaine when no one was around.

The child who had been fiddling with buttons by herself looked up.

“…”

Isaac had approached first but then remained silent, making it awkward, so Leblaine showed him her buttons and mumbled.

“Thewve twell. (There’s twelve.)”

“You.”

“Yeth.”

“Don’t covet a position above your station. If you cause trouble─”

When Leblaine blinked her eyes, Isaac fumbled around his waist.

Henri, who happened to spot Isaac and Leblaine while passing by, furrowed his brow.

‘Is he trying to draw his sword?’

I kept calling him stupid, but had he really become brainless? The moment he threatens with metal, this side would be destined for defeat.

Isaac, who had pulled something from his waist, cruelly declared to Leblaine.

“I’m going to do something very scary─!”

“….”

“─I’m going to eat bread all by myself in front of you.”

Then Leblaine flinched! and backed away with a frightened face.

Henri muttered with a deflated expression.

“Aren’t those two idiots?”

* * *

I looked at Isaac making scary threats and made a tearful face.

‘How─!’

What a cruel child.

Eating bread all by himself! Without sharing.

‘What if I get hungry watching Isaac eat bread.’

If I completely turn into a child’s mindset, with my already big appetite, I’d probably grab Isaac’s hair and try to snatch the bread away.

‘If I grab the precious young master’s hair, I’d be kicked out immediately.’

“Ang nembo ggeoya. (I won’t covet it.)”

“Good. That’s how you should be a good child.”

Isaac smiled with a triumphant face. Then he tried to pass by me, so I quickly grabbed his collar.

“Why, why.”

He asked in confusion.

“Bba…. (Bread….)”

“This?”

When I nodded my head, Isaac rolled his eyes and then cut the bread in half for me.

I quickly bit into the bread.

‘Ah, it’s sugar after all.’

This stimulating taste.

Isaac stared at me eating hurriedly, then glanced at the bread he was holding.

And he sneakily took a bite of the bread.

“…It’s not bad. I just grabbed anything.”

Before we knew it, we were crouched by the wall, munching on bread.

Servants passing through the corridor laughed at us, and Henri, who was walking with a book, looked at Isaac like he was watching an earthworm on the street before leaving.

When we had almost finished eating the bread, Lea came looking for me.

“Oh my, Young Lady.”

Oh no, I got caught.

They said they’d give me strawberries for today’s snack, so I wasn’t supposed to eat sweets.

Lea’s recent worry was all about whether I might get cavities from loving sweet things too much.

When Lea narrowed her eyes, I quickly made an excuse.

“Ishack gave it! (Isaac gave it!)”

Isaac, who saw how flustered I was, said.

“I gave it to her.”

“I see.”

Lea smiled as if she couldn’t help it and brushed off the bread crumbs around my mouth.

“Since you shared it nicely with the young master, I’ll let it slide today.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Then, young master. I’ll take the Young Lady with me. It’s time for her nap.”

“Alright.”

Lea held me and turned around. I waved at Isaac, who was slowly getting up.

Lea walked toward the room while stroking my head.

“I heard you looked very happy in the dining room.”

“…”

“Our Young Lady is so lovely that everyone will fall for you. I knew the young masters would like you too.”

No, Lea. Henri and Isaac don’t like me.

I let out deep sighs.

I had barely climbed Mount Duke Dubbled and gotten adopted, only for Mount Henri and Mount Isaac to appear that I had to climb again.

‘Let’s think positively. Henri and Isaac were people I had to get close to anyway, right?’

I have to live here for several years until exile. It’s better to gain their favor.

For that, I’ll have to diligently follow those two around.

First, I need to see them often for affection to grow.

‘I’ll gain the favor of the Dubbled people and live carefree until exile.’

With that resolution, I clenched my fist tightly.

* * *

The next day.

I woke up early in the morning targeting the Duke’s lunch and came down to the dining room.

Recently, the Duke and I often eat meals together, but breakfast was an exception.

His breakfast was incredibly early for a child like me, so to eat together, I’d have to nod off like a sick chicken all day long.

But the reason I woke up this early today was.

‘He said he’d announce to the retainers at lunch that Henri and Isaac had returned!’

In other words, both children would also attend today’s lunch.

Henri and Isaac were busy, so I couldn’t see their faces often.

If I didn’t meet them at times like this, I’d have no choice but to follow them around all day long.

But that would annoy the kids, so it would backfire.

‘So I should naturally suggest playing together after lunch ends.’

I peeked my face through the gap in the dining room door.

The Duke was sitting at the head of the long table.

To his right sat Henri and Isaac in order, with familiar and unfamiliar retainers filling the seats around them.

“Isn’t that the Young Lady?”

It was North who first acknowledged me.

Then all eyes in the dining room focused on me at once. The Duke also looked at me.

‘The atmosphere is too stiff, what should I say before going in?’

While I was pondering, North smiled and said,

“You must have come because you missed His Excellency!”

That wasn’t it, but I had nothing particular to say, so I just blinked my eyes.

When I glanced at the Duke, he looked triumphant for some reason.

“Come here.”

I toddled over to him.

When I approached his chair, he lifted me up and seated me on his lap.

Having eaten on his lap several times, this position had become quite familiar.

I had a nonchalant expression, but the retainers seeing this for the first time looked like they might have heart attacks.

“The rumors… were true.”

When an unfamiliar retainer muttered this, Viscount Dubois, who was familiar with me, laughed heartily.

“The Young Lady has been sitting comfortably on His Excellency’s lap from the beginning. Even now she eats her meals on his lap.”

“Such…”

“The Young Lady is truly gentle and kind.”

“Ah…”

“She doesn’t even pick at her food. Isn’t it amazing how this young child eats bell peppers and carrots so well?”

When carrots were mentioned, Isaac flinched.

But several retainers who didn’t notice continued chattering away.

All the ones talking were the Duke’s closest retainers who had experienced the ‘Imperial Palace and Religious Order informant incident’, the ‘Marco incident’, and the ‘fraud elimination incident’ together.

‘It seems it’s not just the employees who are severely blinded by favoritism.’

They lifted their chins and spoke confidently.

She has a good memory too.

And she’s so smart.

She even bought a carnation corsage herself.

“She greets people so well too~!”

Viscount Dubois laughed heartily after saying this.

The dining room’s attention focused on me once again.

In the eyes of Viscount Dubois and the other retainers who knew me well, words like ‘show them’, ‘let us brag’, ‘hurry!’ seemed to be written.

I made a reluctant expression at their passionate gazes that made my cheeks tingle, but I opened my mouth for the sake of social relations.

“…Hello.”

Then Viscount Dubois and the familiar retainers laughed proudly.

I deliberately looked away in a situation where they did the bragging but somehow the embarrassment was my share.

Henri and Isaac, who were today’s targets, were looking at the giddy retainers like they were crazy people.

Viscount Dubois was just a kind grandfather to me, but he was the man who oversaw Duke Dubbled’s Intelligence Department.

I had seen with my own eyes a spy sent from House Valois return half-dead after falling into Viscount Dubois’s hands.

The spy’s tongue was mangled, several fingers were missing, and he was barely recognizable as human.

Even after barely surviving, he would foam at the mouth and faint whenever the word ‘Dubois’ was mentioned.

So this kindness was proof of my constant social efforts.

Starting with my story, the retainers began talking about various things.

While boring political discussions were being exchanged, the dining room door opened once again.

“My apologies. I’m terribly late.”

The person who entered was an elderly man with snow-white hair.

‘Duke Teramore.’

He was the very retainer that North had found suspicious before.

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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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