The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 213

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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 213

[This is the Social Circle! A fierce battlefield no different from the jungle or Serengeti!]

Cheolsu’s voice reached my ears. I didn’t know what jungle or Serengeti meant, but I deeply agreed that this was a fierce battlefield.

This was a space where power and hierarchy mattered more than anywhere else. The only difference from a battlefield was the absence of swords—otherwise, fighting for one’s family made it no different from war.

To protect oneself, one had to be perfect, and not even a moment’s retreat was allowed.

Disgrace led to defeat, and if you didn’t want to be defeated, you had to bring your opponent to their knees—it was truly a world of survival of the fittest.

Since these were children who had seen and experienced such a world through their parents and siblings, it wasn’t incomprehensible that they would act so petty.

It was also understandable that they would attack me directly without considering Dubbled’s power or status.

Though it had been hidden behind Dubbled and the title of Child of Fate until now, deep in the nobles’ consciousness was the thought that I was a commoner.

When I was riding high on the family’s power and the nameplate of Child of Fate, I was Young Lady and Little One, but if I fell, I would just be a mere commoner child.

Since I had killed a high-ranking noble like Marquis Schuheil while attempting to heal him, they probably thought the Shrine or Dubbled might abandon me.

The Shrine was making a big deal out of my failure to heal Marquis Schuheil to pressure Dubbled, and Dubbled wasn’t trying to contain the rumors.

‘Even so, their reaction is too vicious. For them to start ostracizing me so openly means there’s a ringleader.’

It was obvious who it was.

Empress Yvonne must have stirred up the Social Circle to prevent Cecilia’s selection.

With the Imperial Consort backing her, Blake was probably acting so brazenly.

The young princes and princesses would gladly join Blake, seeing this as an opportunity to bring down the annoying me who had been riding high despite my commoner status.

“Young Lady, are you alright?”

Cecilia brushed off my skirt and looked at me with a worried expression.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

When I smiled brightly, Blake’s group twisted their lips.

A chubby boy from the group asked in a subtle voice.

“But why does Lady Olga call Lady Dubbled ‘Young Lady’?”

Blake answered.

“Lady Olga has her name registered in Dubbled’s branch family records. It’s common for branch families to call the main family’s children Young Lady or Young Master.”

“Even if she’s from a branch family, isn’t Lady Olga a final selection participant? Calling someone ‘Young Lady’ when she might become an Imperial Consort—isn’t that rather ridiculous?”

“Lady Olga was Dubbled’s retainer, wasn’t she? It would be respect for her master’s child.”

“Then will she continue to show respect to Duke Dubbled even after being selected? Calling him Master like an employee? An Imperial Consort is the nation’s mother. For a nation’s mother to call her own child subjects Master, Young Lady… That’s not a reasonable situation.”

“That’s…”

Blake looked at me with an ambiguous expression, trailing off her words.

The chattering boy stepped forward in front of Blake and looked at me.

“A wise Young Lady wouldn’t be unaware of this, so what’s the reason you didn’t correct Lady Olga’s form of address? Weren’t you enjoying receiving excessive treatment from someone who might become an Imperial Consort?”

“…”

“Born a commoner, you were happy to receive respect from someone with a high possibility of becoming Imperial Family. Isn’t that right?”

Saying this, the boy grinned wickedly, and Cecilia’s face hardened.

“Have you ever thought of me in such a way—”

I blocked Cecilia with one arm and stared intently at the boy.

“So… um, who were you again?”

“Pardon?”

“I apologize. I don’t bother remembering the names of those I have no need to remember.”

Seeing as you’re not in my memory, you must be from a humble family, right? You’re probably not even a talented child. Am I right?

At those words with such meaning, the boy’s face turned red.

“My father is His Excellency Duke Marche’s eighth cousin, and I am like a nephew to Empress Yvonne—”

“Like a nephew… You’re not actually her nephew?”

“Her Imperial Majesty usually cherishes me greatly, and today I was also invited to the Imperial Palace—!”

“Young Master who is like a nephew to Duke Marche. Since you’re distant from the central nobles and seem ignorant of etiquette, shall I kindly inform you?”

“Wh-what…!”

“Being named in the final selection doesn’t make you Imperial Family. I am one who received the title of treasure from His Imperial Majesty. As a quasi-Imperial Family member, it would be proper for Lady Cecilia to show me respect.”

“That’s—”

“According to your words, Young Master, shouldn’t you be torn limb from limb first for daring to speak such disloyal words about origins in front of Lady Cecilia, who is a prospective Imperial Family member?”

I continued with a bright smile.

“You should try thinking, Young Master. Not everything that comes out of your mouth qualifies as words.”

“How rude!”

“I—!”

When I shouted angrily, the Young Master flinched and shut his mouth.

“Don’t make me really enforce etiquette, Young Master. Finding even a single line of obsolete regulations to ensure you can never set foot in the Imperial Capital again would be a bothersome task for me.”

“Wh-what, what are you saying…”

“If you’re going to challenge me, do it properly. Don’t childishly nitpick words—throw down your glove.”

I smiled brightly and walked past the Young Master, then turned back to him with an “Ah.”

“I don’t want to encounter you anywhere in the future. This is a warning.”

Not a single one of the noble boys and girls defended him.

They might want to see a little girl who would sit quietly and burst into tears saying ‘Oh, how could you say such things…! That’s not what I meant…!’ and wailing, but a Lady Dubbled with her eyes rolled back was frightening.

And those beasts of survival of the fittest had no loyalty to protect a boy who would criticize me.

I approached Blake and reached out my hand.

She flinched and stepped back, so I smiled sweetly and removed a loose thread from her shoulder.

“You should be selective about who you befriend.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

“Don’t provoke me anymore.”

I whispered in the Young Lady’s ear.

“I’ll give you five minutes. Get lost.”

“…!”

The Young Lady’s face turned bright red as she gaped. However, she couldn’t say anything more.

Chattering within the safe fence created by her parents and brothers was probably all this child knew about fighting.

But I had been at the front lines of an even harsher social circle in my first life, and grew up in the back alleys in my previous life.

It meant this child was no match for me.

Looking at the frightened Blake with a bright smile, I turned my gaze to the noble ladies behind her.

“Hello, my lady. We met at my godmother’s party before, didn’t we?”

“Ah, yes, that’s right.”

“It’s so wonderful to see you again at the Imperial Palace. Cecilia, please come greet her. This is Marchioness Eschwar!”

When I spoke cheerfully, Cecilia approached with a bright smile.

Blake, who had been glaring at me from behind as if she wanted to tear me apart, bit her lips tightly.

Her sister Francis quietly tried to calm her down, but Blake, whose eyes had turned red, left the party venue.

Cecilia followed me around, frantically chatting with the noble ladies.

When there was a brief moment of respite, she whispered to me with a worried expression.

“Will it be alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“The intimidation… There will be people talking behind your back.”

“It’s fine. I was thinking it was about time to reveal my true nature anyway.”

“Pardon?”

“When I was living in the back alleys with Emeline and Tree, there was one lunatic in the alley. He was truly insane, pointing fingers at thin air and fighting, and would charge at you if your eyes met.”

“…?”

“But in reality, he rarely actually fought. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“You can’t win against a madman. Whether it’s people or beasts, they absolutely won’t attack if they think they’ll lose.”

What reason would the nobles have for not picking fights with the excessive House Dubbled until now?

Because once Dubbled bites, they don’t let go.

And so do I.

The children who met my eyes flinched and lowered their heads.

* * *

Blake, who had returned to Arabella, burst into tears.

The boys and girls gathered around her spoke to the sobbing Blake as if they felt sorry for her.

“Please don’t cry so much, Young Lady…”

“Think of it as bad luck—”

Blake, clutching her handkerchief tightly, shouted.

“Bad luck? No! Leblaine Dubbled is a lunatic. How could she humiliate me so much in front of the leaders of the social circle… How vulgar!”

“Her blood is of low quality to begin with.”

“But…”

The curly-haired girl clicked her tongue.

“She must have gone insane after what she did to Marquis Schuheil. Young Lady, there’s even a saying about stepping aside when a madman and a bull pass by. You’re a rational Young Lady, so please forgive her. What’s the point of dealing with a lunatic?”

Blake bit her lips tightly and looked around.

“Why should we bow our heads to some commoner girl? I never believed in that Child of Fate nonsense from the beginning. Divine Oracle, God’s mark… Those are all just words from the shrine, aren’t they?”

“Well…”

“Only the shrine knows what God’s mark looks like. What if the shrine manipulated the mark for the Child of Fate we created?”

“…This is terrible.”

“That child was adopted into Dubbled entirely because she’s the Child of Fate. But what if the Empress Dowager was deceived by the shrine, and Duke Dubbled had no choice but to accept the child because of that?”

The young nobles gathered at Arabel House gasped in shock.

“I feel sorry for His Grace. And what about the Young Masters? They’ve cherished that child like their own flesh and blood!”

“Now that I think about it, you’re right. The oracle said the Child of Fate would bring light to the Empire, didn’t it? That’s why all the people revered that child so much. But since that child appeared, has light come to the Empire? Has it developed?”

“Development, my foot. That child has only caused chaos. Duke Valois summoning demons, the Grand Lady collapsing. Even the Empress Dowager fell ill after that child came to the imperial court, didn’t she?”

“She almost killed Marquis Schuheil while trying to heal him!”

Blake nodded her head.

“We intellectuals must step forward. We can’t let the common people be manipulated by the shrine’s schemes.”

“Is there a way?”

Blake turned over her empty teacup.

“The method for dealing with troublemakers in high society is obvious.”

Complete ostracism.

As sinister smiles appeared on the boys and girls’ faces, Blake crossed her arms and leaned back deeply in her chair.

“Let’s protect the Empire in our own way.”

From that day, the bullying of Leblaine began.

* * *

Having come out to the shopping district, I looked around and suddenly stopped in my tracks.

The nobles who made eye contact with me flinched, bowed their heads, and quickly walked away as if I didn’t exist.

It’s been like this for several days now.

The attendant who had come with me to visit Hope Trading Company frowned.

“It’s a demonstration by high society.”

“You mean treating me like I’m invisible? That’s a punishment from high society reserved for those who commit treason or adultery.”

“That’s correct.”

“Who’s the source?”

“…It would be Blake Arabel.”

“How petty.”

I turned my head sharply.

Even the commoners quickly bowed their heads. The ostracism that started in high society was beginning to spread to the commoners as well.

“Young Lady.”

The attendant swallowed a sigh and continued speaking.

“The charity party is coming soon. The final selection will be decided at this charity party. The timing is not good.”

“If I continue to be ostracized, no one will come to Cecilia’s party. Especially since Empress Yvonne is already keeping Cecilia in check.”

“Please ask His Excellency and the Young Masters for help. At least Young Master Javelin should step forward for this to be resolved.”

I tapped my skirt hem with my fingertips.

“This is serious.”

“I can understand your concern about worrying the family members, but.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“This makes me really not want to let it slide, doesn’t it?”

“….”

“I happen to have a talent for petty fights, you see.”

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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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