The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 192
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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 192
The Emperor shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Court Physician! Bring a doctor, immediately!”
An attendant rushed out frantically, and a knight from the Grand Princess Palace lifted her into his arms.
Even as the Grand Lady was carried away in the knight’s arms, she did not regain consciousness. Outside the Great Hall, a doctor could be seen running toward the knight.
After the Grand Lady returned to the palace, amid the chaos, people’s gazes turned to one person.
To the Empress Dowager, who was at a loss for what to do.
‘Could it be…’
‘Did she really order the poisoning?’
Since the Grand Lady had collapsed right after the spy was revealed, the Empress Dowager could not escape suspicion.
“N-no. It’s not true. I, I was just trying to find weaknesses to st-stop Deglid from interfering with the selection…”
“Mother!!”
The Emperor’s angry voice echoed throughout the Great Hall. The Empress Dowager, who had been clenching both hands tightly, flinched and shrank her shoulders.
“A-Alexandre…”
“Just how much more must you disappoint me? How long must I bear the consequences of the things you’ve done─!”
“H-how can you say such cruel words? I don’t see even a trace of respect in your eyes. How can you treat me so coldly…”
The Empress Dowager’s eyelashes trembled, but the anger in the Emperor’s eyes did not subside.
He slumped heavily onto the Golden Throne and commanded the soldiers in a flat voice.
“Escort the Late Empress to the palace. The doors of the Empress Dowager’s Palace shall not open again without my express command.”
“Alexandre…!!”
The Empress Dowager screamed as if in agony, but the soldiers silently approached her.
Even as she was practically dragged out of the Great Hall, the Empress Dowager’s screams did not cease.
The expression disappeared from the Emperor’s face, which had always been cunning. What was strange was that when his expression vanished, his true self became visible.
Not the Emperor, but Alexandre Luergue, enduring in a terribly cold and lonely position.
His essence was vividly clear, as if it could be grasped.
“So, what do you have to say to me?”
At the Emperor’s voice, I flinched and met his gaze.
‘Oh right, I received permission to enter the Imperial Palace under the pretext of having something to tell the Emperor.’
“Seeing as you came to find me at such a time when this kind of incident has occurred, it must be urgent. Does your father have something to convey?”
“Well… uh, that is…”
I could use Suwon or the Long-Distance Teleportation Circle as an excuse, but I hesitated to answer.
The Emperor had suffered because of the Empress Dowager since childhood.
The fact that the Former Emperor, enraged by some incident, entrusted the Emperor’s education to the Grand Duchess showed the extent of his suffering.
The Grand Duchess was a good person, but she had Grand Duke Rocar as her own child. No matter how sincerely the Grand Duchess treated the Emperor, what must have been the feelings of the young Prince watching the relationship between mother and son?
Having watched Duke Amitie and Mina from behind, I could understand.
That wasn’t all. Even after he barely returned from the Grand Duchess’s care to the Empress Dowager, she continued to cause trouble. Due to the Empress Dowager, he earned the Former Emperor’s displeasure and grew up being discriminated against by other members of the Imperial Family. To resolve this, at the age of fifteen, he had to risk his life and achieve merit on the battlefield, living prostrate in the most humble circumstances.
Having been desperate to gain Duke Valois’s recognition myself, I could understand the Emperor’s heart.
Having lived with problematic parents myself, I know that wounds inflicted by parents are more vicious and painful than any other hurt.
What was needed in those lonely moments was human touch, rather than profit.
‘So what the Emperor needs right now is….’
I quietly turned my gaze. Toward Cecilia, who was standing there blankly, looking at the Emperor.
“She said His Majesty seemed like his heart would be hurting today. So she didn’t want to leave him alone. Cecilia heals people who are in pain. So she should be able to heal His Imperial Majesty’s heart too.”
“How dare you spy on the Imperial Family’s shame for such a reason. This is outrageous. This one and that one, all of you mock me.”
The Emperor’s dry gaze turned toward Cecilia. She was momentarily flustered.
‘Go, Cecilia.’
When I silently grinned and tugged on her sleeve, she carefully stepped forward.
“May I come to your side?”
“After mocking me.”
“I want to go.”
“….”
“I will go.”
Cecilia slowly approached him. He, who had been sitting alone on the jade throne, slowly lowered his head as she drew closer and closer. When his head finally dropped completely, he embraced Cecilia’s waist.
“You are despicable.”
Cecilia, who had been looking at the Emperor with a flustered face, very carefully stroked his hair.
Golden hair that greatly resembled Adrian’s flowed softly through her fingers.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I am despicable.”
“After mocking me, you struck at my weakest moment.”
“Yes.”
“Damn it. Stay by my side.”
“…Yes.”
The attendants quietly left the Great Hall. The Emperor’s Chief Chamberlain made way for me and whispered, “Please go.”
As I was led out of the Great Hall by the Chief Chamberlain’s hand, I looked back at the gradually closing doors.
The Emperor, collapsed on the solitary golden throne, was embracing Cecilia’s waist with his head lowered, and Cecilia was gently stroking the lonely man with his bent back.
‘They suit each other quite well.’
I smiled brightly and left the corridor of the Great Hall.
* * *
That evening, at the lodging.
I glared at the messy handwriting in my notes while holding the tip of my pen in my mouth.
[The Grand Lady collapsing in the Great Hall was an act.]
But if she collapsed at the moment her use of spies was discovered, the Emperor would obviously summon the court physician immediately.
Since the court physician is the Emperor’s person, if he examined her, it would easily be revealed that it wasn’t poison consumption.
‘The Grand Lady wouldn’t make such a reckless move.’
I shook my head and put checkmarks on the sentence.
[It’s really poison consumption.]
No, no matter how short-sighted the Empress Dowager is, she wouldn’t have tried to kill her.
‘There’s no reason for it. Using poison just because of the selection process doesn’t make sense. There are still the 3rd and 4th tests left.’
Even before my regression, the Empress Dowager wasn’t hostile toward the Grand Lady.
After making another checkmark, I looked at the last sentence.
[She had a pre-existing illness.]
I nodded as I recalled how she had covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed on the day of the 2nd test.
‘No matter how I look at it, this is it. She originally had an illness and just collapsed at the right timing. But what kind of illness is it?’
Even if she was staying in the back room, she would have received devoted care from the doctors.
If the Grand Lady was sick, there’s no way the Emperor wouldn’t know about it.
‘Is it an unusual illness?’
An unusual illness that strikes suddenly.
When my thoughts reached that point, I flinched and gripped the edge of my notes.
Then I quickly took out my communication stone.
[Yes, Leblaine. Have you been well?]
Henri’s gentle voice flowed from the communication stone.
“Does the Grand Lady happen to have divine power?”
When I asked abruptly because I was in a hurry, Henri answered with a puzzled voice.
[Probably.]
“Probably?”
[During the Former Emperor’s time, she led the paladin order into battle. The Former Emperor kept her under fierce surveillance so he didn’t reveal the details, but the fact that she led the paladin order instead of the central army means there was something there, doesn’t it? Though she did flee from the battlefield.]
“She fled?”
[Yes. She withdrew from the battlefield using illness as an excuse.]
“When was that? And where was the battlefield?”
[Neutra Duchy, it was during the winter 30 years ago. She abandoned the soldiers and returned using illness as an excuse, but when she was actually examined, there was nothing wrong with her.]
The puzzle pieces were starting to fit together.
I smiled wickedly.
“Maybe this incident could be beneficial for us.”
[Beneficial?]
“I know what it is. The Grand Lady’s illness. She didn’t flee from the battlefield. She was really sick.”
[But the doctors couldn’t figure it out. Not even until now.]
That’s because it’s a special illness that ordinary doctors could never know about.
“Haro flower allergy.”
[The Grand Lady has a haro flower allergy?]
“Yes, it’s like a miracle medicine for mages, but those with divine power extremely rarely develop haro flower allergies. I have one too.”
[If the Grand Lady has an allergy, that means there are haro flowers in the Imperial Palace.]
[Haro flower?!]
[A haro flower?!]
Johan and Isaac must have been listening too, as both my brothers’ voices came through at once.
“It’s okay. Bring the antidote. If the symptoms aren’t severe, the antidote should be enough… Oh my God.”
I dropped my pen with a thud, horrified.
‘If she’s collapsed, that means the symptoms are severe!’
This requires a doctor from the future.
‘But I can’t bring a doctor from the future, and no matter how much knowledge I have, I can’t treat diseases as perfectly as a doctor!’
As I was rolling my eyes around in panic, someone came to mind.
“I’d like you to call me uncle.”
“So, what will you do for me, your lifesaver?”
“I’ll settle for a kiss from my cute niece.”
The illegitimate child born from Previous Duke Dubbled’s one-night mistake, and Father and Aunt’s half-brother.
The mad doctor rumored to have conducted unauthorized human experimentation on a thousand people.
The lunatic who poisoned his own half-brothers at the age of fifteen.
Taylor Dubbled could treat the Grand Lady.
‘One mountain after another.’
How am I supposed to get help from that Taylor Dubbled…!
I held my head in both hands and screamed silently.
* * *
But just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean I can give up. If I can just improve the Grand Lady’s condition, there’s a gold mine right in front of me.
I obtained the Emperor’s permission and left the palace.
When I told the Emperor I would save the dying Grand Lady and prove it wasn’t poisoning, he was delighted and immediately let me go.
“If you solve this matter, I will repay you. I promise this in the Emperor’s name.”
Since he’s even staked the Emperor’s name on it, I have to try something.
I sent word to Father and headed to where Taylor Dubbled was.
“Why the hell is this crazy bastard going down to civilian houses instead of staying quietly at the territorial castle?”
“If he stayed at the territorial castle, that would’ve caused troublesome problems too.”
…Together with Isaac and Henri, whom Father had assigned to me.
He said he trusted me, but not Taylor Dubbled, so he told me to stick close to my two brothers in case of emergency.
I looked with clouded eyes at Henri and Isaac, whose expressions had been grim since we came down to the territory.
‘But Father, it seems like my brothers would create an emergency rather than help.’
Isaac was already gripping his sword hilt, and activation seals had appeared on Henri’s hands.
“What? Why are you looking at us with such cute eyes?”
“Leblaine being cute isn’t anything special.”
I lowered my head with a tired expression, then gasped and stretched out my index finger.
“We’re going to coax Taylor to ask for help. So the one who should be bowing their head is this side.”
I pointed at myself with my index finger and continued speaking.
“The master is over there.”
I pointed my index finger again toward the inn where Taylor was.
Isaac made a displeased expression, but when I glared at him, he clasped his hands behind his head and replied, “Fine, I get it.”
I took a deep breath to steel myself, then opened the door to the inn.
The inn was completely empty. Taylor had apparently rented out the entire inn, and it seemed to be true.
‘Is no one here?’
I was tilting my head when I heard sounds from the kitchen area. When Isaac kicked open the kitchen door with a bang, a woman’s scream of “Kyaa!” came from inside.
Then someone walked out. It wasn’t the person who had screamed, but a tall man.
A half-unbuttoned shirt, traces of lipstick smeared around his mouth, fine black hair disheveled and tangled around his sharp jawline. Blue eyes similar to Father’s, but with a decadent and languid feeling.
‘Taylor Dubbled.’
Henri clicked his tongue, and Isaac muttered “Damn it” while covering my eyes.
“What the hell are you doing in the kitchen, you crazy bastard.”
“Leblaine is listening.”
When I pushed away both of their hands, Isaac frowned and said.
“Don’t look at disgusting things like that.”
“That’s right, Leblaine.”
I narrowed my eyes and said.
“I know everything too.”
Isaac snorted and said.
“What do you know.”
“I know. You came out after doing human reproductive activities.”
When I put my fist on my hip and spoke with a triumphant expression, for some reason a whooshing wind blew between the three people.
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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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