The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 22

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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 22

“Oh my goodness…”

Lea covered her mouth with both hands upon seeing the marks of beatings that were so dark red they were almost black.

Henri turned his head away under the Duke’s ice-cold gaze. The corners of his stubbornly pressed lips trembled violently.

“I hate liars. Even more so if it’s my son.”

“…”

“Speak.”

“…”

“Henri!”

“Don’t!”

As soon as the Duke’s voice turned sharp, I screamed and squeezed myself between the two of them. Then I clung to the Duke’s arm, squeezed my eyes shut, and shook my head.

“Henri is scared. Duke-nim is also scaring Henri.”

And I was scared too.

If I could, I would have run away as fast as my legs could carry me.

‘I must be crazy. Clinging to a monster who activates mana without incantations.’

It would probably be less scary to crawl into a lion’s mouth.

Just as my whole body was trembling with fear, the strength slowly drained from the Duke’s hand.

Henri, finally released from the Duke’s grip, gritted his teeth and soon ran out the door.

I also hurriedly chased after him.

I barely managed to grab his collar and hang onto his waist, but Henri shook off my hand.

‘Ack!’

I nearly fell over from being pushed away so suddenly.

I hastily spoke to Henri again.

“Henri, you’re not defective.”

“…”

“I’m also scared of sharp things. I’m scared of frogs. It’s not bad to have things you’re scared of.”

“…”

“I’ll protect you. So let’s go to Duke-nim.”

“Who asked you to do that!”

Henri’s shout echoed sharply through the dark corridor.

I froze in surprise, and Henri glared at me while gritting his teeth.

“Why are you meddling? Who do you think you are!”

“…”

“Just because you were adopted, do you really think you’re my sibling or something?”

“…”

“Don’t make me laugh. Where in the world would you find someone who truly considers an orphan with no blood relation as family.”

Henri, who had shouted harshly, raised the corner of his mouth crookedly.

“Stop fooling around and mind your own business. You’re annoying.”

With those words, he turned his back.

‘Stubborn kid.’

And I stood there blankly, watching him walk away.

* * *

People asked me about what had happened, since Henri had locked himself in his room, and I told them the truth except for the part where I deliberately trapped Teramore.

“…So when I went to the study, Henri was getting hit.”

North and Viscount Dubois became extremely agitated at that part and spat out murderous curses.

“That bastard needs to die.”

“Son of a bitch─!”

Soon North’s face became gloomy as he muttered.

“Why on earth didn’t the Young Master tell us about such things…”

“He’s still a child, so he must have been afraid that speaking up would cause even bigger problems.”

Viscount Dubois let out a deep sigh.

“What shall we do, Your Excellency?”

“Lock Teramore in the underground prison, and have the Viscount handle the torture.”

“If only the Senate hadn’t pushed that bastard as a tutor, this wouldn’t have happened. Shouldn’t we hold them accountable for what the Young Master has endured all this time?”

“Keep Henri’s ongoing physical abuse a secret.”

“What─?! No, of course today’s incident alone is enough to kill Teramore, but why do you want to keep the past incidents secret!”

Viscount Dubois asked in confusion, but the Duke dismissed them.

After leaving the room, Viscount Dubois and North spoke in low voices.

“He probably doesn’t want to disband the Senate.”

“That must be it. If he disbanded the Senate, it would lead to civil war.”

“I understand his intentions, but as a father with a child, it’s too cold-hearted.”

Everyone shook their heads, saying the Duke had no affection for his child, but I thought differently.

The Duke carried out any dangerous orders without complaint until the Previous Duke’s death.

That must have been because the Previous Duke held the Three Young Masters hostage.

Perhaps he even fought at the forefront of dragon subjugation, risking his life because his children were held hostage.

‘The same goes for the Duke hiding the fact that Henri’s abuse had been going on for a long time.’

If the Senate were disbanded and civil war broke out, it would take time but eventually be resolved.

He gave up the opportunity to deal with the troublesome Senate himself because doing so would prevent Henri’s weakness from being exposed.

‘He noticed that Henri has trauma because of the Previous Duke.’

Children of powerful people with weaknesses are always in danger, so he had no choice but to give up the opportunity.

“Shall we go, Young Lady? I’ve prepared warm milk for you.”

I stared intently at the Duke’s door before taking Lea’s hand.

* * *

Henri’s room.

North, who had come to check on the child’s condition, confirmed that the boy was asleep, then turned his head to the Wolves (Dubbled’s elite forces) he had brought with him.

“Make sure today’s incident doesn’t leak out, and issue an emergency order to strengthen security inside the castle.”

“Should we station guards beside the Young Master?”

“Do so. His mood will become even more troubled.”

The Wolf with dark blue hair shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, Teramore will be tortured mercilessly until death, and even the Senate chairman was summoned in the middle of the night, so who would dare harm the Young Master?”

“Can’t you watch your mouth?”

Another Wolf frowned.

Soon North and the Wolves left the room.

The room, left alone with the sleeping child, was buried in deep darkness.

The faint breathing sank into silence, and only quietude floated to the surface.

How much time had passed?

Creak─

A small friction sound was heard.

The one who opened the door and entered the room was Leblaine.

She struggled to close the large door, then tiptoed across the carpet and approached the bed.

“Is he sleeping?”

He had refused the doctor’s treatment and locked himself in his room, so it seemed he had been sleeping all along.

Leblaine carefully rolled up Henri’s sleeve. The bruise she had seen during the day had turned blue-black.

And she gently applied ointment over the bruises and wounds, but Henri tossed and turned as if it stung.

“Hup.”

She pressed her small hands firmly against her pounding heart, then looked at Henri again.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have woken up.

‘Let’s go back. If he wakes up, he’ll yell at me again.’

As she was putting the ointment back into her pocket, she heard a small groan: “Hmm…”

Leblaine hesitated and looked at Henri. Then she carefully patted the blanket covering Henri.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

When she had collapsed after being beaten by Duke Valois, after being tortured as Mina’s attempted murderer, she had wanted someone to comfort her like this.

That it was okay.

That tomorrow would be better.

So she hoped it would be comforting to Henri too.

After Leblaine left the room with a click, Henri carefully lifted his eyelids.

“Who’s calling who a baby?”

Even when he showed his dislike, she stupidly followed him around—was she really an idiot?

“Idiot…”

“Why are you meddling? What are you to me!”

I had shouted.

“Just because you were adopted, do you really think you’re my sibling? Don’t make me laugh. Who would truly consider an orphan without a drop of shared blood as family?”

I had vented my anger so cruelly.

Henri bit his lips tightly.

What he said to that child wasn’t sincere. He had lashed out and shouted because he was embarrassed to be caught showing fear.

In truth, he had been scared.

When Teramore swung his hand, his grandfather’s phantom overlapped with the scene. The phantom soon became his father, who looked exactly like his grandfather, and shouted.

Why can’t you meet expectations?

A defective child is not my child!

Soon the phantoms of his father and grandfather swung their swords at him.

They grabbed his fleeing hair and drove a blade deep into his throat.

Just as his grandfather had done to Uncle long ago.

So in truth…

“I’ll protect you, Henri.”

─It had been salvation.

Henri buried his face in the blanket and wept silently.

* * *

The Imperial Palace was in complete chaos.

Two of the three elders who had recommended Teramore lost their positions and their territories.

The establishment of the Advisory Council, which the Senate had so strongly opposed, had no choice but to pass completely.

Teramore’s condition in the underground prison was miserable. But he never gave up, reaching his hand through the iron bars and pleading with the soldier.

“To His Excellency… please tell His Excellency. I know the secret of the Child of Fate!”

If His Excellency learned that she was actually a demon, he could turn the situation around.

Previously, he couldn’t use that information because he was cautious about his elder position, but His Excellency would be different.

The soldier clicked his tongue and kicked his hand away mercilessly.

“What nonsense. Who would believe the words of a madman?”

“I’m not mad!”

“If you weren’t mad, how would it make sense to dare lay a hand on the Young Master?”

The soldier shook his head and continued.

“His Excellency would cut off your head the moment he sees you. If you want to live even one more day, stop talking nonsense and─”

Just then, the prison door opened and someone came down the stairs.

“Young Master.”

The soldiers bowed toward Henri.

“…!”

Teramore’s face brightened upon seeing Henri.

‘Heaven has not abandoned me!’

He must have come to find him out of fear that his trauma would be exposed.

Henri commanded the approaching soldiers.

“You guard outside the prison until I call for you.”

The soldiers looked at each other, seemingly concerned about leaving him alone with Teramore, but soon bowed deeply and left through the door.

Left alone with Henri, Teramore grabbed the iron bars and shouted.

“Quickly, quickly get me out of here.”

“….”

“I won’t reveal Young Master’s trauma. So please let me meet with the Chairman.”

“What do you plan to do after meeting him?”

“Of course, get revenge on that bitch, gah!”

A chilling aura emanating from Henri’s body constricted Teramore’s throat.

“Wh-what are you doing, urgh…!”

This can’t be happening.

Something was wrong.

There was no way Henri would dare look him straight in the eye and strangle him.

“Y-you defective… product…!”

He used the words that always drove the child to the cliff, but Henri looked at Teramore with an indifferent expression.

“I’m not a defective product.”

“I’m not defective.”

Teramore reached out toward Henri with a face pale as a sheet.

Henri, who would normally tremble just at the sight of the wrinkles on his hand, kicked his hand away.

For some reason, he was no longer afraid.

When he thought of that trash harming that small, tiny child, something surged within him before fear could take hold.

Henri smiled coldly and said.

“And my younger sister isn’t a bitch, she’s Leblaine.”

Leblaine, sleeping soundly in her room, had no idea.

That she had gained a puppy whose specialty was intimidation, whose hobby was tax evasion, and whose weapon was his good looks.

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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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