The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 216

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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 216

Empress Yvonne, standing by the window, asked while keeping her gaze fixed on the sky where snow had begun to fall.

“What about Arabelle Second Daughter’s movements?”

“She headed to Dubbled Territory with her father. Since there’s been no reaction from Dubbled, it seems they didn’t accept the Arabel father and daughter’s apology.”

“Was there no mention of anything related to me?”

“Unless their liver has jumped out of their belly, how would they dare speak Your Imperial Majesty’s name?”

“Those cornered tend to lose their reason.”

At the Imperial Consort’s words, the Head Maid glanced at the parchment on the side table and replied.

“That’s why you inserted a safety pin.”

When directing this affair, the Imperial Consort had invested a considerable sum in Arabel through a trading company that Marche operated underwater.

The moment they opened their mouth about this matter, even a noble family based in the Imperial Capital would have to immediately pay an enormous debt to the Imperial Consort that they couldn’t repay.

Arabel was already in a situation where their foundation would be completely blown away since Dubbled had withdrawn from business. There was no way Count Arabel would open his mouth.

“My dreadful sister, Lady Arabel, won’t be able to abandon her promise with Your Imperial Majesty. Above all, Arabel won’t be able to resolve this matter unless their eldest daughter Francis becomes Imperial Consort. At a time when they desperately need Your Imperial Majesty’s help, they can’t easily step forward.”

The Imperial Consort’s lips curved up crookedly.

“I should see His Majesty.”

“I’ll prepare for it.”

Though things had gone awry for a moment, she had achieved her original purpose.

Now that she had thrown mud on both Cecilia Olga and Dubbled, it was time to bring them both down.

Imperial Palace.

When the Imperial Consort entered, the Emperor, who had been handling official duties, put down his glasses and looked at her.

“Did the sun rise from the west? What brings you to me?”

“I apologize for interrupting during your busy schedule with heavy duties. I need Your Majesty’s wise opinion.”

“About what?”

The Imperial Consort sat on the sofa and glanced at him.

“The selection.”

“Do you have reason to interfere in the selection? The selection should be under the jurisdiction of the Late Empress and the Grand Lady.”

The Imperial Consort’s expression hardened.

Originally, it was the Empress Dowager who oversaw the selection, and if the overseer was the Empress Dowager, the worst-case scenario could have been avoided.

She knew that the Empress Dowager was trying to create a new Imperial Consort to check Yvonne, but manipulating one short-sighted old woman was nothing.

However, when the Grand Lady’s fainting incident got entangled in this, the Empress Dowager suddenly lost her reason and began supporting Cecilia Olga.

She had thought she could somehow manipulate the Empress Dowager, but the Grand Lady, who had only been an examiner for fairness, became involved in the final examination as well.

Even if she manipulated the Empress Dowager, if there was an upright Grand Lady behind her, the desired result wouldn’t come.

That’s why she had stirred up Arabel to create an incident. To somehow prevent Cecilia Olga from becoming Imperial Consort.

Empress Yvonne, quickly composing her expression, opened her mouth.

“The atmosphere is unsettled due to the selection. Dubbled has formally protested to Arabel, and as the one who commands the Inner Palace, how can I just stand by and watch this?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“A problem has arisen between the families competing in the final selection. Either way, they must have moved for the sake of the selection. If His Majesty accepts Dubbled’s protest and punishes Arabel at such a time, it will be seen that His Majesty’s intentions lie with Cecilia Olga.”

“….”

“If Cecilia Olga becomes Imperial Consort, there will be those who doubt the transparency of the selection. There will be those who gossip that His Majesty was blinded by romantic feelings.”

“So Cecilia Olga cannot be selected?”

The Emperor snorted and glared at the Imperial Consort.

Anger rose on the Emperor’s face. The Empress grasped the Emperor’s hand with a pitiful expression and said.

“I too had hoped that His Majesty would find someone to lean on, but as the mother of the nation, I cannot help but consider the future of the Imperial Family.”

“I too have long hoped that Your Majesty would find someone to lean on, but as the nation’s mother, I cannot help but consider the future of the imperial family.”

“….”

“Please show wisdom so that I do not have to seek help from the Gold Thread Council (a council composed of Imperial bloodline).”

“Please have mercy and do not make me seek help from the Golden Council (a council composed of imperial bloodlines).”

It meant she would pressure the Emperor through the Gold Thread Council.

As the Emperor’s face hardened, a subtle smile appeared on the Empress’s face.

After she left, the Emperor slammed his desk.

Bang─!!

BANG─!!

The Gold Thread Council was an institution to check the Emperor from tyranny. Just having the Gold Thread Council step forward would remain as a shameful record for future generations.

The Censorate is an institution designed to check the emperor and prevent tyrannical rule. The mere involvement of the Censorate would leave behind a shameful record for future generations.

“I’ve been told he cannot enter the palace for the time being.”

“After complicating matters with a protest, what on earth…!”

“I heard that you won’t be able to enter the palace for the time being.”

“However, Your Majesty. When Dubbled sent word that they could not enter the palace, they also conveyed the Young Lady’s words, and they were strange words.”

“Making a mess of things out of protest, what the hell…!”

“Strange?”

“However, Your Majesty. Dublede sent word that they cannot enter the palace and also conveyed the young lady’s words, which were quite strange.”

“What?”

“Those were the Young Lady’s words.”

“What kind of reward will you give me this time?”

When things have gotten complicated, why?

“That’s what Yeong-ae said.”

“Yes.”

The Emperor’s expression became mysterious.

Things got messed up, but why?

But that afternoon. Strange rumors began to circulate.

“Yes.”

The emperor’s expression became mysterious.

But that afternoon, strange rumors began to spread.

“I heard the Empress used Arabel’s second daughter to nullify the selection process?”

“She threatened my sister. What devoted sisters they are.”

“My goodness, how pitiful.”

“It was strange, wasn’t it? The rumors were so malicious.”

“Yes. The real issue was ‘Lady Dubbled might not be the Child of Fate’ and ‘the Shrine made Dubbled adopt a commoner disguised as the Child of Fate,’ so why would rumors about Duke Dubbled and Lady Cecilia Olga having an illegitimate child be attached to that?”

“Exactly. It was a rumor that didn’t make sense from the start. Even if they were just children, it would have been difficult to spread rumors to this extent.”

“Did you hear? A distant relative of Marche who attended the Empress Dowager’s tea party criticized Lady Dubbled in front of the noble ladies, intending to make a big scene.”

“Poor Lady Dubbled. How much mental anguish she must have suffered being caught up with the Imperial Consort…”

Like with Leblaine, the rumors swelled rapidly.

By the time it reached the Imperial Consort’s ears, it had inflated to ‘The Imperial Consort was jealous of Cecilia Olga and committed all sorts of schemes to ruin the selection. Even the Grand Lady’s collapse was the Imperial Consort’s machination to prevent the selection.’

Crash─!!

The teacup thrown by the Imperial Consort shattered into pieces with a sharp explosive sound.

“What is this supposed to mean!”

“Im-Imperial Consort, please calm down.”

“Calm down? Do I look like I should calm down! Is it Arabel’s second daughter? Did that wench lose her mind and open her mouth!”

“No. The rumor didn’t start with Arabel. Arabel never broke their contract with you, Imperial Consort.”

“What?”

Then what on earth is going on!

* * *

I hummed a tune as I looked around the shopping district.

Whenever two people gathered, they would chatter about the Imperial Consort.

‘Good, good. Well done! Talk more! Talk plenty!’

As I walked with a cheerful face, bouncing along, Seria, who was wearing a robe pulled over her head, asked.

“How exactly did this happen? You said Blake wouldn’t be able to speak because of her contract with the Imperial Consort.”

“Blake doesn’t necessarily have to be the one to speak, right?”

When I said this with wide eyes, Seria and the guard looked at each other with expressions of incomprehension.

I grinned and gestured with my chin toward Count Arabel, who was just coming out of a jewelry store.

“Can you really repay that money this time?”

“Ah, I told you I can!”

“Did you discover a treasure island or something? To suddenly say you’ll repay such a large sum. And buying so many jewels…”

Count Arabel laughed heartily and patted the merchant’s shoulder.

“You just think about calculating the interest.”

“Yes, yes. Please go inside.”

Seria, who had heard the conversation between Count Arabel and the merchant, widened her eyes and looked at me.

“I see!”

“Right. I told Blake to stir up her father.”

“What should I tell Father?”

“Father, the Imperial Consort won’t just leave us alone like this. She’s staying silent now because she fears the rumors, but I think I overheard something when leaving the Imperial Consort’s palace before. If things go wrong, she said to help us through Marche’s proxy trading company.”

“…You never said such a thing though?”

“It doesn’t matter whether you actually heard it or not. What matters is that your father feels secure and spends money freely.”

I delivered the money through Hope Trading Company. Count Arabel thought it was money sent by the Imperial Consort, and feeling reassured, he spent money freely.

“Instead of Arabel struggling because Dubbled cut off their funding, they’re spending money freely. What do you think people will think?”

“They’ll think they have someone to rely on!”

“And I told Blake to spread the word that ‘the Imperial Consort won’t just stand by and watch us.’ So what do you think they’ll think this time?”

“That their backing is the Imperial Consort?”

“Look, has Blake broken any contract with the Imperial Consort?”

“No~!”

Seria shouted joyfully as if she was about to jump. The aide chuckled.

“Along with the story that the Imperial Consort’s distant relative child criticized the Young Lady as if targeting her, it must have been easy to guess the situation.”

“My goodness. Our Young Lady is so clever!”

I chewed proudly with a satisfied expression.

‘Did you think only I would fall victim to rumors?’

And looking at the Imperial Palace visible in the distance, I hummed again.

‘Now it will be the Imperial Consort who falls victim to rumors.’

Seria, who had been smiling brightly, asked hesitantly.

“What will you do if the Imperial Consort interrogates Blake Arabel? If she finds out that the Young Lady was the mastermind…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m nine years old. Do you think this kind of scheme could come from a nine-year-old child’s head? If Arabel confesses, the Imperial Consort will instead suspect Blake.”

“Ah.”

“The Imperial Consort won’t even think to suspect me in the first place.”

‘Because─’

I said as I entered the tea leaf shop next to the jewelry shop.

“Please give me some high-quality tea leaves suitable as a gift for the Imperial Consort!”

And the next morning.

I entered the Empress Palace.

As soon as I faced the haggard Imperial Consort, I trembled my hands and covered my mouth.

“Imperial Consort…”

“What brings the Young Lady to see me?”

I quietly presented the tea leaves and said.

“My aunt says that perhaps I might be able to help you with this matter.”

“What?”

“I’ll help you, Imperial Consort. Because I like you the most!”

So please give me some land.

Dubbled needs to become independent, you see.

‘And even when Mina comes, don’t get too close with her, okay? Be closer with me instead. I’ll make good use of you!’

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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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