The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 176
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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 176
The Empress Dowager looked at the Young Ladies with a pleased expression. Even at a glance, she couldn’t hide her joy that the selection had taken place.
‘Well, of course.’
During the Former Emperor’s reign, she was overshadowed by Grand Lady Camilla, and in the early days of the current Emperor’s rule, she had to completely hand over command to Empress Elsa, and later Empress Yvonne monopolized power.
So this time, she must be grinding her teeth to get her hands on the Inner Palace’s power.
Sure enough, the Empress Dowager looked with subtle eyes at Lady Amboise, the Imperial Consort candidate she was backing. Then she flinched and muttered.
“No, the Young Lady’s condition…”
When the flustered Empress Dowager uttered improper words, the Emperor frowned.
“Late Empress.”
Then the Empress Dowager cleared her throat and asked Lady Amboise.
“What happened that the Young Lady’s appearance is so shabby?”
When the Empress Dowager asked coldly, Lady Amboise’s lips trembled.
“Please withdraw your inquiry, Your Majesty. How can one blame a child’s mistake?”
Her words pretended to be thoughtful, but she specifically mentioned the child. I was the only child in this place.
At those words, the gazes of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and everyone in the hall instantly focused on me.
“Little one, tell us. What happened?”
When the Empress Dowager asked me, Lady Amboise secretly let out a sneer.
The flustered Cecilia tried to step forward saying “Your, Your Majesty. The young miss…!” but I quickly stepped forward.
“I accidentally spilled juice. But don’t worry, Your Majesty. Lady Amboise will forgive me.”
The Empress Dowager frowned at my shameless words.
“Little one. Forgiving mistakes is consideration. You shouldn’t take it for granted. Properly apologize to Lady Amboise.”
The pure white-brained Empress Dowager, whose hobby was discrimination and specialty was nonsense, had spoken.
The Emperor’s expression hardened.
Demanding an apology in front of many people was no different from humiliating someone.
Especially to Dubbled’s daughter, who was in a fiery conspiracy with the Emperor.
“Late Empress, generously forgiving a child’s mistake is an adult’s virtue.”
“Teaching children is also an adult’s role, Your Majesty.”
The Empress Dowager, who cut off the Emperor’s words, looked at me with a benevolent face.
“Come now, little one. Hurry.”
“Your Majesty. Then the ones who should receive an apology first are Cecilia Olga and me.”
“What did you say?”
“Lady Amboise made a mistake first, but since you said mistakes should be forgiven, I had no choice but to forgive her.”
“That can’t be. Lady Amboise is such a virtuous lady. She’s a lady that I personally vouch for.”
“Lady Amboise called Cecilia Olga and me half-breeds. My aunt told me that anyone who calls me a half-breed is insulting the Empress Dowager and Dubbled.”
I continued speaking while keeping my gaze fixed on Lady Amboise.
“I am the daughter of Father, who was adopted into Dubbled because the Empress Dowager sent him there. So I shouldn’t be called a half-breed.”
Gloria Amboise had no idea that the word ‘half-blood’ would come out of my mouth, so she was flustered and didn’t know what to do.
Well, of course. In high society, they consider their flaws shameful, so they absolutely never speak of them themselves.
‘But I’m different.’
I can easily say a mockery like half-blood.
I lived as a beggar and heard all kinds of curses. In my first life and second life, I heard far worse words countless times among the socialites who were hostile to me and looked down on me.
But how refined is the word half-blood?
“I, I… I mi-misspoke… But this child deliberately…!”
At Gloria Amboise’s words, criticism erupted from all over the party venue.
“Is a child’s mistake the same as an adult’s mistake?”
“She should be grateful she didn’t get slapped. How outrageous.”
“What kind of thoughts must she normally have for such a low-quality word to slip out by mistake…”
The Empress Dowager, who had been glaring disapprovingly at the flustered Lady Amboise, tapped the table.
“Enough! What are you all doing in front of His Imperial Majesty!”
When Lady Amboise and the people bowed their heads, the Empress Dowager cleared her throat and continued.
“I will overlook this unpleasant incident between Lady Amboise and the child. Since they each gave and received one thing, do not harbor resentment.”
The people at the party venue twisted their lips.
Look how quickly she’s trying to clean up the situation, worried that Lady Amboise’s reputation, whom the Empress Dowager is pushing, might fall.
She had been going on about guaranteeing her as a virtuous lady.
The faces of the Empress Dowager and Lady Amboise were completely crumpled.
‘Now that this incident happened, no one will be able to call Cecilia half-blood anymore.’
The Emperor, who had been watching the situation, looked at me and smiled. As if he didn’t know what to do because I was so clever and adorable.
* * *
Cecilia and I walked down the corridor to go to the lodging prepared for the selection participants at the Imperial Palace.
“Um, Miss…”
Cecilia looked at me with a worried expression.
“Yes?”
“Please forget what Lady Amboise said. Who would see you that way?”
“Half-blood? I don’t mind at all.”
When I said this with wide eyes, Cecilia bit her lips.
“But among nobles, isn’t it nothing short of an insult…”
“Actually, the word half-blood isn’t that great of an insult, is it? It’s just crude slang. I brought up that matter in front of the Empress Dowager on purpose.”
“…So that the Empress Dowager would defend Lady Amboise?”
“Exactly! She defended her as expected. No matter how much the Empress Dowager supports Lady Amboise, if she pushes her so openly, the other participants get angry.”
“Lady Amboise became a public enemy.”
‘Cecilia is smart indeed.’
She’s perfect to become an Imperial Consort who will be Dubbled’s puppet.
As I was making a pleased expression, Cecilia said “Hmm…” and rubbed her chin.
“In any case, it was fortunate. If the other participants and sponsors hadn’t criticized the word half-blood, things wouldn’t have escalated this much.”
“Luck?”
When I tilted my head, Cecilia stopped walking abruptly.
“Don’t tell me it wasn’t luck?”
“Of course not.”
I am like a symbol of misfortune.
‘That’s why even after being adopted into the Duke’s House, I died twice, and when I ran away as a beggar, I starved to death.’
How could someone like me believe in luck?
“The people who criticized Lady Amboise were planted by you, Young Lady!”
I pulled up the corners of my mouth in a smirk.
“Of course.”
Given Lady Amboise’s personality, I thought she would definitely make such insults.
The one who helped plant those people was my wonderful Godmother, the most amazing person in the world.
“You really are amazing, Young Lady.”
“I know!”
When I puffed out my chest with a proud expression, Cecilia chuckled.
“Such an excellent child should return to her lodging and have some snacks. I baked a pie. Lemon pie is my specialty.”
“How exciting!”
I quickly pulled the Young Lady along, saying let’s go to the lodging.
But that’s when it happened.
Rumble─
I felt a small vibration. This was a sensation similar to when I held the Demon Passage.
‘What is this.’
I don’t have the Demon Passage with me right now. The amethyst that was definitely a passage is safely stored at home in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
‘There’s a passage so powerful nearby that I can feel this sensation even without holding it?’
If so, I need to get my hands on it as quickly as possible.
If the shrine finds this and Mina creates a familiar with it, I don’t know what misfortune might befall me as someone who opposes the shrine.
‘Damn it. I have no one to investigate this.’
During the selection, I can’t bring servants or knights from my family house.
And if I have Cecilia, who’s a selection participant, investigate and get caught, my path to becoming Imperial Consort will disappear forever.
‘It would be better for me to wander around the Imperial Palace on my own as a child.’
“Cecilia, go back to the lodging first.”
“Pardon?”
“Go back.”
When I spoke with a stern face, Cecilia’s expression darkened. But being perceptive, she immediately realized something had happened to me and nodded.
“You must return before the dinner banquet.”
“Yes.”
After saying that, I immediately headed toward the source of the vibration.
‘The vibration gets stronger as I go outside.’
And when I entered the Stone Wall Garden, I saw a shabby building.
‘The Empress Dowager’s Secret Library.’
It was the very place where I had received the original Scripture as a reward for solving the Empress Dowager’s atopic dermatitis last time.
But when I received the original Scripture, I didn’t feel this kind of sensation…
‘I need to check. To do that, I first need to get rid of that guard.’
I grabbed Etoile that I had secretly hidden in my pouch.
‘Pur.’
Etoile trembled faintly as if resonating.
Yesterday, I heard about his special ability from Pur, who had become my familiar.
[Even demons who have become familiars can’t do everything. They can only use their special abilities. Though they’re weakened compared to when the demon uses them directly, and there are several restrictions. And my special ability is…]
‘Make it rain.’
Then strength drained from my entire body, the sky instantly darkened, and rain began to fall drop by drop.
The guard who was watching in front of the library clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Those damn Weather Officials never get the forecast right.”
Then he hurriedly left the library to find an umbrella.
My whole body was trembling.
‘It’s the same feeling as when I summoned the Military Genius of the Century. I feel like I’m going to collapse.’
Gritting my teeth, I created a barrier and entered the room.
[Are you insane? If you do this, your divine power will be completely depleted and you could die!]
I heard Pur’s shout in my head, but I ignored it.
‘This is better than such a tremendous demon falling into the shrine’s hands.’
And I had one thing I could rely on.
I fingered the mana crystal I had brought just in case and thoroughly searched inside the library.
‘What? Why is the vibration getting weaker?’
It was definitely inside the library, but as soon as I entered, it seemed to move away toward outside the window.
“Someone was inside…”
They were moving away with the Demon Passage.
‘Who on earth… What is this?’
I frowned and looked at what appeared to be an old journal sticking out from the bookshelf.
‘Someone was definitely reading it and left hastily after sensing a presence.’
I took out the journal, which was the only clue to finding the whereabouts of whoever had been in the library.
[You fool. Use the mana stone right now. If you waste time like this…! Hey. Can’t you hear me? Hey!]
I let Pur’s words go in one ear and out the other as I froze while holding the book.
“What is this.”
[What?]
“Why is this here? No, why is it different from my memory?”
This journal is the orphanage’s childcare record.
A childcare record given to parents when adopting a child.
The name written at the front of the journal is…
‘Leblaine.’
This is my journal.
“But why is it from a different place instead of the orphanage I was at…”
[Leblaine – Sevilland National Orphanage. / Written by Ashital.]
The place I was at is Enoch Private Orphanage. Sevilland National Orphanage? I was never at such a place.
I turned through the journal with trembling hands.
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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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