The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 214

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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 214

I looked at the butler and continued speaking.

“Don’t go to the trading company, let’s look around the shopping district. Butler, contact Rain.”

“What message should I convey?”

“Tell her to properly incite the nobles. If possible, not just to the point of being ignored, but to the point of being scorned.”

When I grinned mischievously, the butler frowned.

“I wonder what kind of bad thoughts you’re having again… I’ll convey the message.”

“Please do.”

And I cheerfully looked around the shopping district.

* * *

In less than a day, the social circle was in an uproar. It was because of the rumors spread by Ball-jointed Doll Rain, who had received my orders.

‘The claim that Leblaine Dubbled is the Child of Fate is false. That child is an orphan whose exact birth time is unknown. House Dubbled feels something suspicious about calling her the Child of Fate, and has completely cut off contact between the child and the shrine. This is because if the shrine re-appraises the child and changes their stance, she would have to give up all the rights she enjoys as the Child of Fate.’

Additionally, the finishing touch.

‘Rain has evidence that the child is not the Child of Fate!’

Along with the incident of Marquis Schuheil’s failed healing, the story that I might not be the Child of Fate quickly grew. As gossip among busybodies always does.

Come to think of it, it’s suspicious. Why does that child protect Cecilia Olga so much? That child might be Cecilia Olga’s daughter.

It’s also suspicious that Duke Dubbled is keeping close the Child of Fate sent from the shrine. Ah, yes. Leblaine is the illegitimate child of Duke Dubbled and Cecilia Olga.

No, I heard from my in-law’s distant cousin’s friend’s nephew that the Duke is also being deceived. Cecilia Olga apparently tricked him by claiming a child she had elsewhere was the Duke’s daughter.

My goodness, how terrible.

Starting from the social circle, false rumors spread even to the common people. Those with impatient temperaments set up camp in front of the shrine demanding explanations. The situation was beginning to escalate significantly.

And someone came from the Papal Court to Dubbled.

It was Cardinal Reginald.

As soon as he finished exchanging greetings with Father, he got straight to the point.

“Do you know how much damage the religious order is suffering due to the Young Lady’s rash actions?”

“Rash actions?”

When I asked while pretending to shrink back, Reginald’s lips twisted.

“Unverified healing, no less. The situation is already not good, and if Marquis Schuheil receives God’s calling in this state, what great turmoil would we face.”

Johan, who had greeted the Cardinal with me, spoke while lifting his teacup.

“So.”

“…Pardon?”

“The preamble is sufficient, so please state what you want.”

“From today, the shrine will take charge of the Young Lady’s education as well as her personal protection.”

“Impossible.”

Johan’s ice-cold gaze and the Cardinal’s arrogant stare clashed fiercely in mid-air.

“Young Lady’s willful behavior to this extent is not without Dubbled’s responsibility.”

“Those embraced by God, look after the weak. Isn’t that the doctrine of the shrine? Younger Sister merely followed God’s word as the Child of Fate.”

“That’s only when one has the ability to do so.”

Isaac’s body jerked with emotion.

‘No, no!’

When I urgently signaled with my eyes, Henri, who had been warned by me beforehand to absolutely not intervene, grabbed Isaac’s wrist.

I spoke as if dejected.

“I healed Marquis Schuheil. He hasn’t awakened yet, but still…”

“Young Lady, it’s not that I don’t understand a child’s heart wanting to be with family. But does that mean you should speak false excuses?”

Right. I knew he wouldn’t believe me.

The Cardinal suddenly thrust his face close to mine.

“If you refuse the Papal Court’s decision for Young Lady’s sake, we have no other choice. We’ll have no option but to hold Young Lady responsible for undermining the people’s trust in the religious order.”

“…”

“How troubled your beloved family would become then. This foolish servant of God eagerly awaits Young Lady’s wise growth.”

Father said “Enough.” in a low voice and looked at the Cardinal.

“Don’t threaten the child.”

“Please make the right decision.”

The Cardinal, who bowed his head before Father, smiled sinisterly.

I pretended to be frightened and hid behind Father’s back.

The Cardinal’s visit to the mansion further inflated the rumors.

‘Since they have something to hide, someone as high-ranking as a Cardinal personally came forward to have secret discussions with Dubbled’ was the gist of the inflated rumors.

Dubbled’s situation grew increasingly worse.

That was probably what Cardinal Reginald was aiming for.

To pressure Dubbled until they had no choice but to hand me over.

* * *

The next day, I reluctantly attended a party.

Grand Lady Camilla, who came to the party venue with me, spoke with a worried expression.

“The gazes won’t be kind. How about returning to the mansion today.”

“If I hide, they’ll look at me even more strangely. Because of my rumors, Cecilia’s charity party invitations keep getting rejected, so I need to dispel them at this point.”

When I spoke while lightly clenching my fist, the Grand Duchess sighed softly.

“Sometimes I worry about how brave you are. …Let’s go in.”

I took Godmother’s hand and entered the party venue.

Today’s party was hosted by Countess Wiltro, one of the leaders of the Social Circle.

The party where I first met Duchess Valois and her son Nils in this life was also her 10th wedding anniversary celebration party.

Lady Wiltro was surprised to see me arriving with the Grand Duchess and approached.

“My goodness, I didn’t expect Lady Dubbled to come.”

The Grand Duchess gripped my hand tightly and looked around the party venue that was beginning to stir.

“If the godmother has an invitation, there’s no need to specifically announce the attendance of her ward (Social Circle slang for a lady being educated by a Noble Lady).”

“The Grand Duchess’s wit is unmatched. I also have several adopted daughters myself. Would I have asked without knowing about him? It was said out of joy.”

Countess Wiltro smiled kindly at me and gestured to Isabella Hadelloro, who was at one side of the party venue.

“Isabella. Show the Young Lady where the lychee juice is.”

“Yes, Godmother.”

Lady Hadeloro, Countess Wiltro’s adopted daughter, quickly approached me.

As I followed Lady Hadeloro, Countess Wiltro turned her body and moved closer to the Grand Duchess.

“To bring Young Lady Dubbled here.”

“Why, even though you said that, is it actually troublesome?”

“I am indebted to the Grand Duchess. How could I think that way about the Grand Duchess’s adopted daughter? It’s just that the rumors about Young Lady Dubbled are so ominous that I’m worried. Especially since—”

Lady Hadeloro, who heard the whispers along with me, smiled awkwardly.

“Young Lady, well… not everyone believes the false rumors.”

“Where is the lychee juice? I love lychee juice!”

Lady Hadeloro, who noticed I was deliberately changing the subject, drooped her eyebrows.

“It’s over there.”

I approached the table lined with juices along with Lady Hadeloro.

The juices prepared by Countess Wiltro, who was said to own the largest fruit farm in the Empire, were all sweet and delicious.

As I was sipping the lychee juice, I suddenly gripped the juice glass tightly.

I heard a noise-like sound in my ears and felt slightly floating.

‘My body has completely recovered. I’m connected to Storas.’

It was delayed by a day or two because I had many things to worry about due to the rumors.

‘Indifference. I am indifferent now. I have no thoughts.’

I closed my eyes tightly and thought as if chanting a spell.

It would be troublesome if Storas read my thoughts.

‘I have no thoughts. I’m stupid right now. Don’t think. Don’t think—’

“Lady Hadeloro!”

A familiar voice came from behind me.

A group of girls and boys were looking at me and Lady Hadeloro.

A girl with orange curly hair in the group gestured to Lady Hadeloro.

“What are you doing?”

“Pardon?”

The girl quickly grabbed Lady Hadeloro’s arm and pulled her toward the group.

“Didn’t you hear the instructions?”

“B-but that’s ostracizing. I don’t like that kind of thing—”

Then Blake Arabel, who was standing in the center with her arms crossed, spoke up.

“Lady Hadeloro is also kind. But Young Lady, kindness and ignorance must be distinguished. No matter how the engagement was broken, Prince Suheil was your fiancé, wasn’t he? Also, how much did Marquis Schuheil help the Hadeloro family both materially and spiritually?”

“That’s…”

“We’ve seen your excessive kindness since childhood, so we think nothing of it, but if strangers saw this, they would gossip that you’re an ungrateful beast.”

Then others agreed with Blake.

“There’s no innocence like this.”

“Innocence?”

“Her affection for Dubbled’s young prince runs so deep.”

“Ah, I heard about it. The story about Lady Hadeloro stalking Lord Henri?”

Pfft.

As a snicker escaped, Lady Hadeloro’s face turned pale.

“S-stalking… that’s not true! I, I…”

Blake smiled pretending to be kind and grabbed Lady Hadeloro’s shoulder.

“Don’t misunderstand. It was just kind advice that acting rashly when such rumors exist wouldn’t be of any help to Lady Hadeloro.”

“But… b-but, I…!”

I grabbed Blake’s wrist that was holding Lady Hadeloro’s shoulder.

Blake instantly glared and swatted my hand away.

Smack!

With the sound, the back of my hand burned as if scorched, and all eyes in the party venue focused on me.

Blake rubbed the wrist I had grabbed and frowned.

“Didn’t you learn that touching others without permission is rude?”

“I did learn that. But since Lady Arabel was touching Lady Hadeloro’s body without permission, I thought etiquette had changed without my knowledge.”

At that, she bit her lips tightly.

“Lady Hadeloro and I have been close since we were in our mothers’ wombs.”

“Then it’s okay to touch someone’s body without permission? In that case, can coachmen, butlers, and even slaves that Count Arabel illegally bought from foreign countries freely touch Lady Arabel too?”

“What…! Stop this vulgar nitpicking!”

“Is nitpicking more vulgar than creating false rumors to ostracize people?”

When I asked with wide eyes, Blake let out a hollow laugh.

“How exactly do you see us that you call it ostracizing… I’m speechless.”

I glanced briefly at the wall clock on the wall surface.

‘7:54.’

After gauging the time, I looked at Blake.

“Then why do you ignore me?”

In high society, revealing one’s circumstances was shameful. Blake’s group couldn’t hide their mockery.

Blake shrugged and looked around at her group.

“Us?”

“Yes. You just took Lady Hadeloro away. While saying you were worried about her.”

“Young Lady, as a senior in the social circle, let me teach you. It seems you don’t quite understand the situation. A very vulgar rumor follows you around. That you might not be the Child of Fate.”

“So.”

I tilted my head and stared intently at Blake.

“Since I’m not the Child of Fate, I’m just a commoner, so nobles with noble blood can’t associate with me? Listen here, Young Lady. Ever since I came to the Imperial Capital, I’ve heard those words about being a mere commoner countless times.”

“Oh my, how pitiful.”

She giggled with a face that looked not pitiful at all. It was behavior bordering on mockery.

I spoke nonchalantly.

“Do you know why?”

“It must be because of your origins. Young Lady, don’t feel too upset—”

“No. It’s because that’s the only way they can attack me.”

“…What did you say?”

“Lady Dubbled, Child of Fate, the title of treasure. Everything is inferior to me, so that’s all you have to attack.”

“…Your confidence is remarkable.”

“Then tell me. What is Young Lady better at than me?”

When I blinked my eyes pretending to be innocent, Blake’s mouth twitched.

“I don’t want to make such low-quality comparisons!”

“When I wasn’t around, didn’t you gossip behind my back that I’m just a commoner? Really? Couldn’t you say anything else besides that?”

The expressions of the noble children who had heard such words from Blake became subtle.

Blake’s face turned red.

Sharp gazes pouring down when you think you have the upper hand make people flustered.

When flustered, emotions come before reason.

It was sufficient conditions for a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, what Cheolsu would call having eighth-grader syndrome, to get excited.

“This is why origins are…!”

“See that. That’s all you have to say.”

And I pushed her, who was excited, to the cliff with an attack.

“I understand too. Young Lady has divine power, you might be the Child of Fate? But you haven’t repeatedly solved incidents and received the title of treasure, have you? If you strip away the wrapper called nobility, you’re just a pitiful little child who would fall over if I just poke you. Actually, I’m really scary, aren’t I? Right?”

Then someone snickered from afar.

Blake, whose face had turned red, raised her hand while going “Eek─!”

Blake was originally a child with bad hand habits. The fact that she would beat employees on days when she was in a bad mood was something everyone around her knew.

It was natural for habits to come out when cornered.

I grabbed her wrist and twisted it while whispering.

“You threw the first punch. Everyone here is a witness, okay?”

“…What?”

Smack!

When I slapped her cheek, Blake staggered and stepped backward.

“You, you hit me? How dare─! How dare a mere commoner hit a noble…!”

“Well, I said I’m not a commoner.”

“Everyone says so. You’re a commoner! You’re not the Child of Fate! You killed Marquis Schuheil! You murderer! You, who aren’t the Child of Fate, will return to being a commoner!”

Just then, dong─ dong─ the wall clock announced 8 o’clock.

I looked at the door of the hall, and with good timing, someone came running into the door.

“Marquis Schuheil has awakened!”

“…What?”

Blake widened her eyes and looked at the man who had shouted.

The man said.

“His rotten leg has completely recovered. The Child of Fate succeeded in healing! It’s an unprecedented ability─!”

Then the faces of Blake and the group that had been mocking me turned pale.

“She succeeded in healing? Then she really is the Child of Fate?”

“But Lord Rain said he had evidence that she’s not the Child of Fate…!”

“Blake, what’s going on here!”

And the final blow.

A group of Dubbled administrative officers poured into the hall.

And they thrust some document at Count Arabel, who was hurriedly approaching Blake.

North, the head of the administrators, spoke in a low voice.

“Blake Arabel has spread malicious rumors about the Dubbled Princess, so we formally report this to the Imperial Palace.”

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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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