The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 170
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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 170
Emeline’s eyes widened. That child moved her lips several times as if trying to say something. I stopped her words by firmly grasping Emeline’s shoulder.
“We’ll be able to get along well. Won’t we?”
Augustino smiled, pretending to be benevolent. However, the filthy desire seeping into his eyes could not be hidden at all.
* * *
Before leaving the Dubbled Estate, Augustino exchanged private farewells with Emeline alone.
“I pray that God’s blessing will be with your life.”
“I… I, Priest…”
Emeline, who had been restless, grabbed Augustino’s sleeve.
“My mother is not a maid. I’ll be eleven years old soon, and also…”
“Emeline.”
Augustino’s face, which had been nothing but affectionate just moments before, twisted menacingly.
When Emeline, startled, let go of his sleeve, he feigned a benevolent expression again.
“How heartbreaking it is that you, as a child, have been swept up in adult circumstances and haven’t known the truth until now.”
“…”
“Your mother has been telling well-intentioned lies until now to protect you, the master’s daughter.”
“B-but…”
Augustino glanced at the inside of the mansion and knelt down to meet Emeline’s gaze.
“What’s important is that you’ve found your father. Look. How warm and affectionate a space that is inside.”
“…”
“God has arranged power and wealth in your life. So shouldn’t you repay that intention?”
Augustino smiled, baring his teeth.
“Right?”
“…Yes, Priest.”
“Good. It’s getting cold. Go inside.”
When Emeline hesitantly returned inside the mansion, Augustino’s eyes changed completely.
As his expression sank coldly, the Paladin who had been escorting him from the Temple approached.
“Won’t the child say nonsense to the Duke?”
“Don’t you see the desire flickering in those eyes? She’s a child who could barely get scraps under the bridge. If she enjoys luxury even for one night, she’ll never try to let go of the Duke.”
“Do you think so?”
“I’d bet on it. There won’t be any need to appease that child again.”
She’ll struggle to believe the lie I created for her is the truth.
When Augustino’s lips curved crookedly, the Paladin chuckled.
“It’s truly an excellent plan. If this matter goes well, won’t you be able to control and shake the mighty Dubbled, Priest?”
“And it will soon become reality. Since the Duke is so devoted even to his adopted daughter, the Child of Fate, how soft will he be toward his real daughter?”
“If the Papal Court learns of this incident, wouldn’t this year’s cardinal appointment be a sure thing?”
This winter there will be cardinal selection.
The honor of cardinal appointment that only the most outstanding among the Central Temple’s ’21 priests’ can enjoy.
‘If I properly achieve merit this time, I’ll be the one entering the Papal Court.’
“I congratulate you in advance, Priest.”
“Would I enter the Papal Court alone? It’s time for you to wear the Papal Court’s insignia too.”
“I’ll trust only you and wait, Priest.”
The Paladin followed Augustino who walked ahead with the enthusiasm of a wagging tail.
Revealing his yellowish teeth, he chuckled and patted the Paladin’s shoulder.
Those foolish ones in Dubbled probably don’t know. That they’re being used.
* * *
Trigon furrowed his brow watching me hum while reading the investigation report.
“What makes you so happy?”
“Isn’t Trigon happy?”
“There’s no reason to be happy. ‘Baby Bird’ is a weakness of Duke Dubbled and the Young Masters that they can’t help but fall for even knowing about it. There’s no reason to be glad that Dubbled’s weakness has been exposed to the shrine.”
Trigon and Seria seemed very shocked to hear that the priest had brought Emeline calling her Baby Bird.
‘That’s why they secretly rushed to the mansion as soon as they heard the story.’
I grinned and looked at the chairman.
“Do you think so too, Chairman?”
“…The situation doesn’t seem as serious as we thought.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re making that expression like you’re scheming something again, Young Lady.”
As expected of the chairman.
He’s not the Chairman of Dubbled Council of Elders for nothing.
“We learned many things from Augustino bringing Emeline.”
‘The Man with Red Spots is from the Papal Court.’
The Man with Red Spots once helped Duke Valois create a fake Baby Bird. So we would never easily believe it if the shrine brought a new Baby Bird.
But bringing a new Baby Bird without evidence means the Central Temple doesn’t know what the Man with Red Spots has been doing to Dubbled until now.
When I explained that point, the chairman, Seria, and Trigon nodded.
“But what can we do just by knowing that?”
“Yes, Young Lady. Even Dubbled can’t bring down the state religion. The Papal Court is the symbol of Neriad.”
While the two were making puzzled expressions, the chairman’s eyes widened.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of splitting the Neriad religion.”
“Right! If the shrine sticks together they’re a strong enemy, but if they split, not so much. So here’s the thing…”
I grinned and continued.
“Empress Yvonne receives help from the Papal Court, right? She’s our enemy.”
“Are you thinking of attaching the allies made in the shrine to Cecilia?”
“Right.”
“But how can we do that…?”
That’s when it happened.
With a knock-knock sound, Johan entered.
“Father is calling for you.”
“What for?”
“…The temple brought a fake Baby Bird, so we need to find countermeasures. Baby Bird is our weakness that we can’t help but fall for even when we know about it.”
Johan’s expression was cold.
As expected, the family members who had once been deceived by a fake Baby Bird wouldn’t think Emeline was real.
I waved to my people and followed Johan to Father’s office.
I asked carefully.
“Elder Brother, are you upset?”
“About what?”
“That Baby Bird keeps being used…”
When I asked with drooping eyebrows, he patted my head.
“Father suggested we discuss it together because he was worried you might think that way.”
“Yes…”
“Leblaine.”
He called my name and hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“The reason I tried to find Baby Bird without telling you…”
“Baby Bird isn’t dead. The Life Binding Tool is proof, right? Of course we should go look for her. Also, if anyone finds out, they’ll try to use Baby Bird like this time, so it must be kept secret. Even if it’s family, if there’s a chance word could leak out, we must be careful.”
“…Right.”
Johan tucked my disheveled hair behind my ear and smiled faintly.
“Thank you for understanding.”
I smiled back at him.
And when we entered Father’s office, Isaac and Henri were raising their voices.
“If we prove that the child the priest brought is fake, we’ll have justification for war with the temple! If we have justification, the nobles can’t easily side with the temple, so this opportunity…!”
“Even so, it’s war with the temple. They’re not opponents we can fight without preparation!”
“So you’re saying we should tolerate the temple continuing to shake us using Baby Bird?!”
Henri and Isaac were shouting with bulging veins, while Father was quietly watching the two of them.
I hadn’t thought about it because things had been peaceful until now, but Henri and Isaac were actually people with very different dispositions.
Once an argument breaks out, neither of them backs down.
“Just a coward.”
“Guys like you who lead with their fists are always the first to die.”
“What did you say? I’ve been going easy on you because I thought you were weak!”
“You shouldn’t mistake charging in first as being all there is to fighting.”
Aura began to ripple from both their hands. Just as their fists were about to aim at each other.
“Stop─!!”
I jumped between them.
“Leblaine!”
“Little One, are you crazy?”
“What if you got hurt!”
“Look, are you injured?!”
I pushed back the rigid Henri and the jumping Isaac respectively, placed my hands on my hips, and shouted.
“No way! Brothers throwing punches at each other!”
“….”
“….”
“Hurry up and apologize.”
“….”
“….”
Henri and Isaac stubbornly turned their heads away. So I decided to use my last resort.
“Leblaine is going to find her real father and mother now….”
“I’m sorry!”
“I apologize.”
I glared at both of them with narrowed eyes.
“Apologies should be sincere.”
“….”
“….”
“Goodbye, Isaac. Goodbye, Hen….”
“I’m sorry for throwing punches, Elder Brother.”
“I could have spoken nicely, I regret it. Younger Sister.”
Good.
I sat Henri and Isaac, who were making awkward expressions while looking at each other, in their respective seats and said.
“So the problem is that the Temple keeps using Baby Bird, right?”
My Family Members looked at me as if agreeing, so I cleared my throat and continued.
“Then there’s a way.”
“A way?”
“What is it?”
I grinned with a wicked expression.
“A very bad method that will prevent them from ever using her again, and even allow us to counterattack.”
When I whispered the method to my Family Members, their eyes widened.
“If it’s that….”
“That’s really wicked, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Father.
“May I do it?”
“…Dubbled specializes in underhanded and vulgar acts.”
Father’s permission was granted.
I looked at the Central Temple building that appeared small Outside the Window and raised my eyebrow slightly.
‘It’s been fun so far, hasn’t it? It won’t be anymore.’
The next day, I spread a rumor that I had found Baby Bird. And I made it very provocative.
* * *
Augustino, who was leisurely drinking tea in the temple garden, had an unusually pleased expression on his face.
The shrine was divided into factions over the cardinal appointment. There were overwhelmingly more priests supporting him than Stefano.
No matter how much support they had from the common people, they couldn’t receive an appointment without the priests’ consent.
‘If Dubbled falls into my hands through Emeline in the midst of all this…’
Dubbled was doing very well.
Having waited for Baby Bird for so long, as soon as they took Emeline away, they spread rumors throughout the nation that their youngest daughter was actually alive and had returned to the family house.
Now, once Emeline was officially registered, he could grasp and shake Dubbled with his own hands.
“Priest!”
A sound that broke the pleasant quiet came from afar. It was a paladin who was his subordinate. Augustino asked with a benevolent expression.
“Did Dubbled officially register Emeline?”
“Th-that’s not it…!”
Augustino furrowed his brow and asked.
“If not, what’s so urgent?”
“Children claiming to be Baby Bird are flocking to Dubbled from throughout the nation…”
“What did you say?”
“Orphanage workers, the Beggar Gang, even farmers raising adopted children have lined up at Dubbled with ten-year-old children!”
“What are you talking about! Emeline is there, so how on earth…!”
Augustino shot up from his seat.
* * *
I looked at the self-proclaimed Baby Birds lined up in front of the estate and smiled wickedly.
“My, it seems like all the Baby Birds in the world have gathered here.”
The maids shook their heads with disgusted expressions.
“There are even boys.”
“There’s also a girl who’s clearly seventeen claiming to be ten years old.”
“Everyone’s so greedy… Well, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become Lady Dubbled.”
Just then, I saw Augustino approaching the estate through the window, his face pale as a sheet.
‘Well then, now it begins.’
I chuckled and descended the stairs of the central courtyard.
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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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