The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 164

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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 164

Cecilia seemed extremely flustered and frozen upon seeing the ceremonial guard that came with Seria. Having stayed in Dubbled, she would have known about the ceremonial guard.

“Why is Duke Nuanok here…?”

I stepped forward and removed my wide-brimmed hat.

“Hello, Miss Olga.”

Cecilia’s expression became strange upon seeing me. She quickly looked at Seria to figure out why I had come here.

“Don’t tell me this child is your niece?”

The ceremonial guard answered that question.

“Sir Olga, I shall introduce this person.”

“…I abandoned the knight’s name long ago.”

“Are you still tormented by guilt for failing to protect Lady Lisette? Is that why you don’t hold a sword like Sir Lea Chabanole?”

“…Let’s start by introducing the child. ‘This person’? Who exactly is someone that His Excellency addresses with such respect?”

“She is Lady Dubbled.”

Cecilia’s face contorted.

“You mean the Child of Fate? Your Excellency! What on earth are you thinking…! It’s already outrageous enough that our lord cherishes the child the shrine put forward like his own, but to bring this child before me, who was Lady Lisette’s loyal servant…!”

Cecilia was raging with veins bulging in her neck, then suddenly looked at me with a start.

She had gotten excited and lost her composure, but it seemed she realized she shouldn’t say such things in front of me, as her face was filled with deep embarrassment.

“This is… Young Lady, I… it’s not that it’s your fault…”

“I know.”

“…”

“I know, Cecilia. You can hate me.”

Lady Lisette’s death was because the Previous Duke, who had been pushed out by Father, brought in troops to regain power.

And among those troops was a holy knight mixed in. I couldn’t be certain they weren’t blessed, but Lea definitely said she felt divine power.

The people around Lady Lisette were convinced that the Previous Duke and the shrine had conspired together.

That’s why my aunt, who dearly loved Lady Lisette, suffered when looking at me.

She couldn’t hate a child, but seeing me reminded her of the shrine.

But I was fine with it. I had been thoroughly hated since my first life. If there’s any child with as much resistance to hatred as me, come and show me!

I smiled inwardly and took Cecilia’s hands with both of mine, shaking them like a handshake.

“But please believe what I say. I know. I know where Cecilia’s niece is.”

“…”

“I was at the Imperial Orphanage, you see. So I have friends from the orphanage. Those kids told me. There’s a kid called ‘Tree’ in Max’s Beggar Gang.”

Since I couldn’t reveal that I was a regressor, I cleverly mixed in lies as I spoke.

Cecilia murmured “Tree?” and I nodded.

“That child’s real name is Triloni.”

That’s why I remembered it.

—Looking at her with that meaning, Cecilia gripped the hem of her overcoat tightly.

“Triloni….”

“Triloni who grew up in the Westian Region Orphanage.”

“…!”

Seria handed over Tree’s portrait that she had commissioned an artist to draw in advance.

A portrait of a child who looked very similar to Cecilia and had the mole under her chin that her sister had.

Cecilia covered her mouth.

After exchanging glances with the captain and Seria, I smiled inwardly.

I found your niece for you. So let’s be friends, shall we? Preferably very, very close friends.

‘And please save Tree from the danger of the epidemic, Tree’s aunt.’

“Use this money to buy a clean shirt. That way you won’t be looked down upon when you go to the temple.”

“But this is money you saved for 3 years, Tree.”

“I can save money again! …You know, Leblaine. I don’t mind if you hate me. Because I want you to be happy.”

That child’s misguided kindness ultimately led to my death, but the good memories just wouldn’t fade away.

So much so that I desperately understood that child who had pushed me into the abyss with her misguided kindness.

I smiled bitterly.

* * *

“Tree is… ah, I heard she calls herself Tree. She’s a very good child who is kind, cute, and gentle.”

“I see….”

Cecilia said while stroking Tree’s portrait with trembling hands.

“To be such a good child despite growing up without adult protection. How could she resemble her strong sister so much?”

It was a very affectionate expression.

“But why did you lose Tree?”

“My sister opposed me taking up the sword. When I joined Dubbled’s Knight Order despite her opposition, my divine power manifested. She must have disliked it even more. If I had divine power, I could have become a priest and lived comfortably, but she wouldn’t have wanted me to become a knight who constantly faces life and death.”

“….”

“I cut off contact with my sister as if we had severed ties. And then ‘that incident’ happened.”

“Lisette and Baby Bird….”

Cecilia nodded.

“We were attacked by assailants and lost Lisette and the youngest young lady, and I was on the brink of death. For two whole weeks. During that time, my sister died from the epidemic, and no one in the village knew my niece’s whereabouts.”

So Tree’s mother also passed away from the epidemic….

She failed to protect her loyal master and precious Baby Bird, and then her sister died from the epidemic and she lost her niece.

Cecilia’s life was so tragic and sorrowful.

“I retired and searched for my niece. My lord offered to give me a long leave, but I had no confidence to wield a sword again. A knight who can’t protect anything isn’t needed.”

“Cecilia….”

“The year before last, I learned that Triloni had stayed at the Westian Region Orphanage. But her whereabouts after that were completely unknown, and I had almost given up. I tried to live for children her age in place of my niece.”

“….”

“It’s thanks to Young Lady. Really, truly, thank you.”

Cecilia, who had bowed deeply once, spoke with a determined tone.

“I will repay this kindness with my life someday. This is the oath of one who was once a knight, Young Lady.”

“Then don’t make it take long and repay me now.”

“…What?”

In my first life, I lived as the daughter of Duke Amitie who believed in goodwill, great causes, and justice.

It was sad and painful, but ironically, I learned something from it.

I know the words that work best on this type of person.

“When you went to the orphanages while searching for Tree, you must have seen the children there?”

“…It was terrible. Most private orphanages are places filled with garbage who only have their eyes on the support funds.”

I heard a grinding sound, and I nodded my head.

“So, Cecilia. Don’t you want to change the world?”

“What?”

“Leblaine, and Mina. Father dreams of it. A world where justice takes priority over desire.”

“We can create a world where justice takes priority over desire.”

Cecilia’s eyes trembled.

“A world where children don’t go hungry.”

“…”

I pointed at Cecilia with both hands with a very, very benevolent face.

“Cecilia Olga will create it.”

Your clean vote, dear citizens… no, the support of you people!

“…”

Cecilia’s eyes widened, the chairman held his forehead, and Seria rejoiced saying “How sharp you are!”

A long silence followed. And then.

“Pfft.”

Cecilia covered her mouth and her shoulders shook slightly.

“That’s quite a wholesome slogan. It would never work in today’s world.”

“Making it work is our job.”

I pounded my chest confidently.

We have Henri, the genius of public opinion warfare, and Duke Dubbled, the richest sponsor in the Empire!

“Young Lady must be quite a special person. In many ways.”

The nuance of “in many ways” was strange. It definitely wasn’t the look one gives a nine-year-old child.

‘My goodness, she’s quick to catch on too!’

Then I asked Seria the most important question.

“So, Cecilia.”

“Yes.”

“What’s your criminal record?”

Tell me quickly so I can fix it before making you Imperial Consort.

Cecilia said.

That in her childhood, she broke the necks of thugs who were harassing an old woman at the market.

“He has a record of physical abuse. Compared to others, it’s quite minor.”

“That’s right. It’s a very wholesome crime.”

This shouldn’t be difficult to handle. I could even exaggerate it and use it as a means to gain more support from the people.

“Then I’ll send someone soon. Be prepared.”

After finishing the conversation, I rose from the sofa. As I tried to pass by Cecilia with the ceremonial officer and Seria, she called out to me.

“Young Lady…!”

Startled, I turned around to see her biting her lips tightly.

“I don’t hate Young Lady. Young Lady is not at fault.”

“…”

“So please don’t take hatred for granted anymore, little miss.”

Looking at Cecilia who smiled faintly, I smiled back.

‘Ah, I really love the Dubbled Knights so much.’

Aunt, Lea too. Even Cecilia.

* * *

Tree, with a bowl in front of her, hugged her shoulders. Her body trembled as if she had been beaten. It seemed she had caught a cold due to the large temperature difference as autumn arrived.

Among the children who were enthusiastically singing the begging song composed and written by Max, Tree groaned. Her fever made her vision blurry, but she couldn’t help but come out.

Since Emeline was holed up in the lodging, she had to earn more. Max already didn’t seem to favor Emeline much, and if she rested too, that child might get kicked out.

“We are hungry. We couldn’t eat breakfast or lunch, so our stomachs are stuck to our backs.”

“We are hungry!”

“Passing mister, please give us just 1 franc. We want to eat bread today. We are hungry. We are hung…”

She kept sniffling and tears came out, making her voice crack. Max, who had been dancing among the children, shouted “Hey!” and ran over.

“Are you crazy and want to die? Are you going to keep crying like bad luck? The kids are crying along!”

“I, I’m sick…”

“Where is there anyone here who’s not sick! Damn it!”

“Huuung… we are hungry… passing mister… huuung!”

Looking at Tree who was crying and singing, Max raised his hand.

“Fine, you want a beating today? Alright, let’s see you take Emeline’s share of hits too… Ack!”

Someone picked up a begging bowl and struck the back of Max’s head.

“What?!”

It was when Max screamed and turned his head.

The face of the assailant, hidden in the shadow of the sun, was revealed.

“Why are you hitting her? She says it hurts, so why are you hitting her!”

It was a girl with her hair braided and hanging down. She wore a luxurious dress rarely seen in the alley.

“Wh, what are you.”

“You hog all the money the children earn by yourself, you eat until your belly is greasy every day and gamble, so why won’t you let a sick child rest!”

“Wh, who are you…!”

“Get lost right now.”

“This little! Do you want to die?!”

The girl wildly stirred the begging bowl. When the enraged Max clenched his fist and charged at her, she quickly tripped him and knocked him down, then climbed on top of the boy and bounced up and down.

“M-Max is getting beaten up.”

“W-wow…”

The children widened their eyes and stared at the girl who was skillfully pummeling the chubby boy.

Eventually, Max, exhausted from being beaten, fled in a panic.

“Y-you’re really dead. I’m going to kill you…!”

Seeing Max shouting until the very end even while running away, the girl clenched her fist once more.

“Stop right there, you bastard!”

“Damn it!”

Even after Max had fled with his tail between his legs, the girl continued to fume for a while.

“I’ve figured out all the attack patterns from when I was in the Beggar Gang.”

The child who had muttered quietly glared at the bewildered Tree.

“Th-that voice… from the fabric shop…”

It was definitely that child who had been with the beautiful boy.

The girl wiped her runny nose with her sleeve and knelt down in front of Tree. The flustered Tree unconsciously recited the begging song she always sang on the streets.

“W-we are hungry…”

And then the child struck Tree’s shoulder with a thud! It didn’t hurt at all.

“Don’t sing that!”

“…”

“Why did you come out? You’re hurt, so why did you come out!”

“…”

“Why are you making me sad, you idiot!”

Tree stared blankly at the child who was crying with her face horribly contorted, which didn’t match her fancy dress at all.

Why was this child crying so sorrowfully upon seeing her for the first time?

As Tree pursed her lips and held back tears, the child spoke.

“Hello, Leblaine. Nice to meet you. I’m Tree!”

“Hello, Tree. Nice to meet you. I’m Leblaine.”

The greeting she had heard on the day she first got an older sister.

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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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