The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 25
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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 25
“Are new people coming here?”
“Yes. We held an exam last month and selected the brightest candidates. Starting tomorrow, there will be training along with a second exam. Those who pass will become administrators of Dubbled.”
Dubbled doesn’t consider one’s background when selecting people.
They select candidates purely through exams, and because the treatment is good, talented individuals from all over the country flock here.
So while Dubbled has many outstanding talents, there was also a downside.
Criminals could hide among them.
‘I might be able to catch that wanted criminal more easily than I thought.’
Just then, the library door burst open and Henri and Isaac entered.
Seeing the two, North quietly got up from his chair and stepped aside.
Isaac came straight to me and suddenly stuck his face close.
“Are you all better?”
“Hm?”
“Your cold. Are you completely recovered?”
“Yes.”
When I answered, Isaac narrowed his eyes and hummed thoughtfully. Then he looked at his older brother.
“Why is she so weak?”
“Because she’s a little kid.”
“But I was incredibly healthy when I was her age?”
“That’s because you’re a monster.”
Henri pushed Isaac’s face away from in front of me and asked.
“Hello, Leblaine.”
“Mm-hm.”
“Has anything strange happened since you collapsed? Like spots appearing on your body, or something wrong with your divine power. Those are signs of a curse.”
His voice was quite gentle, and the formal speech he had deliberately used in front of others like putting up a wall had also disappeared.
When I blinked wondering what was going on, Henri spoke with a pitiful and wistful expression.
“I’m sorry for saying harsh things last time.”
“Hm?”
“I’ve been wanting to apologize. If it’s okay, will you forgive me?”
The words Henri had said back then did hurt my feelings a little, but to me, who had heard all kinds of hurtful words in my previous life, it was nothing.
“Mm-hm, it’s okay.”
When I answered like that, Henri brushed my hair aside and said, “You’re so kind.”
‘Wow.’
It was the kind of sweet gesture befitting someone who would have followers lining up in the future.
At his spring breeze-like smile, the maids sighed “Ahhh.”
They say handsome men are different from the start, and indeed his destructive power was incredible.
I was inwardly clicking my tongue at his amazing beauty when Isaac frowned at Henri.
“That’s completely different from how you act toward me.”
“I only care about my people.”
“Why is the little one your person? She’s my little one!”
“She’s my younger sister.”
“I said she’s my little one!”
The brothers glared at each other menacingly, so I frantically looked back and forth between them.
‘Why are these guys acting like this!’
Just then, someone entered through the open door. It was the Duke.
He stared at the brothers glaring at each other and me caught in the middle, unable to do this or that.
‘Duke Dubbled’s sons are acting strange!’
Please take them away quickly.
As I was insisting with my eyes, the Duke suddenly picked me up.
“My daughter.”
─He said.
* * *
Henri and Isaac looked at the Duke holding Leblaine in one arm and frowned with all kinds of expressions.
‘How unfair.’
‘How petty.’
The Young Masters had been pacing in front of Leblaine’s room for the past few days.
But they had suppressed their desire to visit her, being told she needed rest.
However, unlike the two of them, the Duke went in and out of her room once a day without fail to check on Leblaine’s condition.
And now he was completely taking her away today too.
‘I had prepared snacks that the little one likes.’
Leblaine would have clapped her hands in delight. And she would have said ‘Isaac is the best’ again.
Isaac looked up at the Duke with a very displeased expression.
“It’s unfair.”
“Unfair?”
“You’re always the only one holding the little one!”
“What’s unfair about a father holding his child?”
“That’s… but still…”
When Isaac couldn’t find words to retort and rolled his eyes around, Henri stepped forward.
“We also need time to spend with Leblaine. If she only stays with you all the time, won’t it be awkward forever?”
“Brother is right!”
These guys who usually couldn’t wait to fight each other were in perfect harmony today.
“Getting close can be done later. Today the child’s condition isn’t good, so step back.”
“The little one said she’s all better!”
“Yes, Leblaine’s opinion is important.”
The father and sons, who had been glaring at each other with fierce eyes, simultaneously looked at Leblaine.
“Don’t you want to be with Father?”
“Little one, you want to play with us, right? Huh?”
“Who is it?”
“Who do you like? Hm?”
Leblaine, who had been frantically looking back and forth between the Duke and the Young Masters, fidgeted with her hands.
“Umm, I choose…”
Everyone in the library focused on the child with tense expressions.
“Lea!”
With that, she jumped down from the Duke’s arms and ran to Lea, who had just entered the library.
“I like Lea the best.”
“Oh my, Young Lady. I like you the best too.”
“Yes!”
“Shall we go have lunch?”
“Yes.”
As Leblaine took Lea’s hand and toddled out of the library, a whoosh of wind passed between the three family members.
* * *
Walking down the corridor with Lea, I made a subtle expression.
‘Why are they acting like that over me?’
It feels ominous.
‘What did I do wrong?’
On the surface, it looked like a father and older brothers competing over their daughter.
‘But I won’t let my guard down.’
From my experience at House Valois, I know that whenever I get excited about such ‘family moments,’ something always happens to blindside me.
Lea chuckled as she watched me with my triumphant expression.
“Are you that excited about lunch?”
“Huh? Oh yes, I guess so.”
“It’s the cream stew you love, Young Lady. I asked them to put lots of meat in it.”
I immediately brightened up and squeezed Lea’s hand tightly.
‘Lea really is the best.’
I’m glad I said I’d go with her.
The stew Lea gave me was even more delicious than I expected.
After eating two whole bowls of the generously portioned stew, I patted my belly, and the maids looked at me with expressions as if they found me adorably irresistible.
* * *
Isaac, who was heading to the training ground with Henri, thought with a gloomy face.
‘Why does the little one want to be with the maid rather than us?’
Come to think of it, this wasn’t the first or second time she’d been with him only to quickly leave when that damn Lea showed up.
“Do the employees like you more than me? That’s strange. That can’t be right, can it?”
“What nonsense are you talking about.”
Henri, who had been walking alongside him, frowned and asked.
“When I gave the little one cake, she said ‘Isaac is the best! Amazing!’ and all that.”
When Isaac spoke triumphantly, Henri narrowed his brow.
“She’s just being polite.”
“No way. The little one really likes me. She greets me cheerfully whenever we meet.”
No one greeted Isaac so cheerfully.
The employees and retainers would bow their heads deeply with formal greetings, and the children at the Academy for the Gifted would usually avoid him when they saw him.
Henri narrowed his brow and replied.
“Leblaine greets other people cheerfully too.”
That’s probably why even the employees around her had fallen for her charm.
In the bleak Dubbled Castle, something small like a kitten had suddenly appeared, going around greeting everyone with “Hello!”
It was a sight that couldn’t help but capture people’s attention.
Isaac stopped walking abruptly.
“So you’re saying the little one doesn’t really like me the most?”
His face looked tremendously disappointed.
Henri shrugged and said.
“She probably doesn’t dislike you. She might even like you somewhat. But not the most.”
“Then what do I need to do to make her like me the most?”
At his younger brother’s question, Henri grimaced with frustration.
He was curious about that himself.
Originally, Henri had found it easier to gain others’ favor compared to his other family members.
Unlike the Duke who could freeze people just by standing still, his older brother Johan, and his younger brother Isaac, he possessed sweet looks. Moreover, he knew well how to make people treat him kindly.
But Leblaine was different.
That child was very fair.
She showed equal disinterest in Father, himself, and Isaac alike.
‘No, I’m actually at a disadvantage.’
Father and Isaac hadn’t earned her dislike, but he had poured out plenty of hurtful words to her.
‘I need to repair our relationship and find something that can at least put me ahead of the Duke and Isaac.’
It was just as he was pondering this.
He saw servants walking around carrying some toys.
“Did you buy one too?”
“Yes, with Children’s Day approaching, the toy store was so crowded that I had to search for quite a while to get this one.”
Henri and Isaac, who had casually overheard the servants’ conversation, spoke while keeping their eyes fixed on the gifts in their hands.
“Isaac.”
“Yeah. Are you thinking the same thing, brother?”
“Yes.”
“Cooperation this time?”
“Good. Let’s save our competition for after we’ve shaken off the frontrunner.”
Even if not as much as that maid named Lea, he would shake off at least the Duke who constantly interfered with his time with Leblaine.
For the first time since birth, the brothers were in agreement.
But the boys didn’t know. That there were hawk eyes watching them.
“Therefore, the Two Young Masters have departed to the shopping district to prepare gifts.”
The Duke, who was receiving a report from North, let out a small chuckle.
“Buying gifts from a store. How shallow.”
North said with an awkward laugh.
“Well, trying to win over the Young Lady’s heart with a bribe is…”
“We should buy the store.”
“Pardon?”
The Duke looked at North and the other secretaries and administrators with an intimidating gaze and said.
“Buy the largest toy store in the shopping district.”
At those resolute words, North, who was destined to fall into document hell once again, let out a silent scream.
* * *
The next day.
After confirming that new administrative officers had arrived, I headed to the first floor courtyard where they were.
And I stuck close to the courtyard corner to watch the new administrative officers.
‘My money. Who among them will be the criminal who becomes my money.’
Perhaps because it was their first day, they all looked somewhat clumsy but appeared normal.
Well, it’s not like criminals walk around with ‘Wanted Criminal’ written on their foreheads.
Just as North, who was in charge of all the administrators, was announcing precautions and assigned departments, I made eye contact with one of the new administrative officers.
“Oh? It’s a kid.”
There were several people among the new administrative officers who noticed I was there.
But they were all pretending not to see me even though they knew, being mindful of North.
‘That man has no sense, so he probably won’t do his job well either.’
As I was thinking that, North and the existing secretaries discovered me and bowed their heads.
I also sheepishly came out from behind the wall and returned their greeting with “Hello…”
North picked me up and headed to the center.
“This is Lady Leblaine, His Excellency’s youngest daughter.”
Then he stared intently at the secretary who had called me ‘kid’ and continued speaking.
“Not just ‘a kid.'”
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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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