The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 252
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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 252
My school uniform hung loose like I was wearing a sack, my hands and feet were as small as when I was four years old, and my arms were plump like linked sausages.
‘I’m certain. I’ve gotten younger.’
[Little One, are you okay? Hm?]
Bune’s urgent voice echoed in my head. Judging by how my breath was coming up to my chin and cold sweat was flowing all over my body, I wasn’t in good condition, but I wouldn’t say I felt like dying.
I looked around. Mina was sprawled on the ground. When I hurried over to check, Mina was panting but didn’t seem to be in a dangerous state. She hadn’t gotten younger like me either.
‘Why did only Mina collapse? Her Divine Power is supposed to be much stronger than mine.’
I examined Mina’s Etoile. Unlike in my first life, the edges of her Etoile were completely empty.
‘Don’t tell me Bune protected me?’
[That’s right, the waves seemed unusual so I was prepared.]
[Me too, me too! I protected you faster than this idiot!]
Bune spoke with a somewhat proud voice, and Pur quickly interrupted, claiming his contribution was greater.
I was able to avoid fainting because my familiars protected me, but Mina seemed to have fainted after being swept up in the waves since she had no familiars.
‘But why did only I get younger?’
As I was examining Mina with a serious expression, I heard the sound of people approaching from the distance.
“The semester needs to end quickly. These new students don’t know how to clean up after themselves at all.”
“Didn’t you complain the same way last year?”
The maids were walking over while giggling and carrying laundry in their arms.
‘This is bad. If they find out I got younger…!’
I frantically ran into the bushes.
And as I was crouched down trembling, the maids who had reached the back gate discovered the collapsed Mina and let out a scream, “Kyaah─!”
“It’s a new student!”
“Is anyone there?! A student has collapsed!”
People began to gather.
‘They’ll take care of Mina. But what should I do?’
If my getting younger became public knowledge, there was no telling what would happen. Gossipmongers would spread rumors that what I summoned in the last battle wasn’t actually an angel but a demon, and that I got younger due to a demon’s curse.
“Hiing…”
What is this? What are you doing, my mouth!
I was startled and covered my mouth with my small hands that were like maple leaves.
‘Oh no, because I got younger, Adult Thinking is becoming difficult again.’
I was gradually getting hungry. If my mind completely became that of a child in this situation, uncontrollable things might happen.
I thought with a pale face.
‘For now… let’s run away.’
Having decided that, I stood on my tiptoes and carefully turned around.
* * *
Senior Dormitory, Henri’s Room.
Isaac rubbed his stiff neck as he sat slouched on Henri’s sofa.
“It would be better if they just told me to go catch a few guys. I really can’t stand sitting for hours just flapping my mouth.”
“It’s a meeting, a meeting.”
Henri looked at Isaac like he was a cockroach as he handed him a teacup. Isaac replied lightly with “Whatever” and took the cup.
“Chief Kuhelm doesn’t seem to have any intention of opening his mouth. At this rate, won’t we spend the entire vacation torturing that bastard?”
“That can’t happen.”
“Right, this year is Little One’s Last Holiday!”
In the Empire, one becomes an adult from their eighteenth birthday. So seventeen is considered the last period of youth, and a grand festival is held every time the roses wither. This is called the Last Holiday.
“I’m telling you in advance. Little One will dance the last dance at the Last Holiday with me.”
“Nonsense. It’ll be me.”
“Damn it, I figured you wouldn’t give up quietly. Father and Eldest Brother are probably aiming for the last dance too, right?”
“Usually the last dance at the Last Holiday is with the father or the eldest son of the family.”
“I can’t let them steal the last dance like this. …Alliance?”
“Alliance.”
Isaac and Henri lightly clasped hands as their eyes gleamed.
Just then, a small knocking sound was heard.
“Who is it?”
He asked, but no answer came back for a while.
Isaac furrowed his brow and asked again.
“I asked who it is.”
A small mumbling could be heard from outside the room.
“I came to tean. (I came to clean.)”
“Sounds like a little kid?”
They had never heard of such a young child among the school’s maids. Just as Isaac and Henri exchanged puzzled glances, mumbling was heard again from outside the door.
“Teaning… (Cleaning…)”
Isaac got up from the sofa and approached the doorway. He yanked the door open, but no one was visible in front of him.
“What. There’s no─”
─Isaac’s expression twisted as he said this and looked down.
A small girl who seemed to be dragging cloth on the floor as if she had thrown bed sheets over herself was looking up at him with both hands clasped together.
Messy light brown curly hair.
Small hands.
Plump cheeks that looked soft and squishy.
Frightened blue eyes.
“…Little One?”
“What?”
Henri approached Isaac after hastily placing his teacup on the tea table with a clatter. The child visible beyond Isaac’s back was definitely young Leblaine.
When the two of them stiffened awkwardly, Leblaine wiggled her two hands and said.
“It got difficuwt… (It got difficult…)”
* * *
Henri and Isaac looked at me with bewildered expressions as I frantically devoured bread.
I had already finished my fourth piece of bread the size of Isaac’s hand, yet I was still frantically eating like I was possessed by hunger – even I was amazed at myself, so how must they feel.
“Cough─! Cough, cough!”
When I started coughing from eating bread too frantically, Henri handed me a glass of milk.
“Eat slowly, Leblaine.”
While I was drinking milk with gulping sounds, Isaac, who had been resting his chin on his hand, spoke.
“So you’re saying Mina’s passage overlapped with your amethyst and this happened?”
“Yesh. (Yes.)”
‘…That’s not right!’
I quickly answered again with a serious expression.
“Uh-huh. (Yeah.)”
‘…That’s even worse!’
This is serious, really serious. I must have gotten so young that it’s amazing my brothers can even understand what I’m saying.
“Just how old have you become.”
“Four years old.”
“No, you’re smaller than when you were four.”
“Four years old wight.”
“No. When you were four, you were the size of a bean, but now you’re the size of millet. You’re definitely not four.”
“Then am I thwee years old… (Then am I three years old…)”
My pronunciation seems even worse than when I was four.
‘Since I was originally a late bloomer, it’s hard to gauge my age.’
“So what are you going to do now.”
“That’s the pwoblem… How do I go to schoow? (That’s the problem… How do I go to school?)”
“It’s amazing that you’re worrying about school first in this situation. What do you think, Elder Brother?”
“…”
“Elder Brother?”
Henri didn’t answer and was quietly staring at my hands holding the milk glass.
“…Cute.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Henri cleared his throat and sat down next to me.
“It’s okay. There’s a way.”
As expected, Henri. He’s more reliable than Isaac.
I waited for Henri’s answer with sparkling eyes. Henri smiled gently and patted my messy hair as he said.
“You just need to grow up well like this.”
“…What did you say?”
“I’ve done it once, so I’m confident I can raise you better the second time, Leblaine.”
“That’s weird!”
I slammed down my milk glass with a bang! and waved both arms wildly in protest.
“If people find out I got younger, there’ll be chaos. I need to hide, so how can you create an identity for me!”
Then Isaac spoke up.
“What if we say you’re Father’s illegitimate child….”
“Are you crazy?”
“Just kidding, just kidding. I have another idea, Little One.”
I looked at Isaac with expectant eyes again. Isaac spoke with a triumphant expression.
“Let’s say you’re Second Brother’s illegitimate child.”
“….”
“….”
Henri and I stared at Isaac with glazed eyes.
Isaac spoke with a pleased expression.
“Eldest Brother won’t work. He lives too righteously, so no one would believe it. Second Brother is perfect. He looks like he’d secretly do mischievous things behind the scenes.”
“Isaac.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t think from now on.”
Isaac became dejected, and Henri nodded.
“For now, you… no, the seventeen-year-old you needs to apply for a leave of absence. Let’s say you’re recuperating in the territory.”
“That sounds right. Then what about little me?”
“We can’t send you to the mansion where Father and Elder Brother are. They’re so busy they’re hardly ever at the mansion, so it would be difficult for them to look after you.”
“What about sending Little One to the territory?”
“If we say seventeen-year-old Leblaine is in the territory, many people will try to make contact, so the territory would be more dangerous than the Imperial Capital.”
“But we can’t hide Little One in some remote area either. If Dubbled’s military suddenly moves to a remote area, it would look suspicious.”
I agreed with both of their thoughts.
‘I guess there’s no choice then.’
I let out a deep sigh.
“I have a way. But first….”
“What is it?”
“Tell us.”
“Do you have any strawberries?”
…Let me eat strawberries first.
[Baby’s strawberries!]
When I’m hungry, Adult Thinking becomes difficult, that’s why. It’s not like I particularly want to eat strawberries.
No, that’s not it.
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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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