The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 261
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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 261
“H-hey, I said let go!”
When Isaac shouted angrily, Mina furrowed her brow before soon letting out a small laugh.
“How is it that you haven’t changed one bit. …Ah, I mean you’re exactly as I imagined.”
“What?”
“The person who seems the roughest in the world actually has the most gentle heart.”
“….”
“How about it? I got it exactly right, didn’t I?”
It was when Isaac couldn’t say anything in response. Henri, who had been standing one step behind them, kicked Isaac in the lower back.
With a thud! Isaac staggered but barely managed to regain his balance and frowned. Mina looked back and forth between Isaac and Henri with wide eyes.
“Henri, that’s danger—”
“Cardinal Reginald.”
When Mina started to complain, Henri cut her off mid-sentence and turned his gaze to Cardinal Reginald.
“If you truly wish for The Second to establish himself in the Empire, it would be best to teach him at least basic manners.”
“Acting too familiarly in the Imperial Palace would also be difficult to consider proper etiquette, wouldn’t it?”
When he pointed out Henri’s act of kicking Isaac, a cold smile appeared on Henri’s lips.
“Too familiar.”
He glanced at Mina and continued speaking.
“I agree with that assessment. Please teach The Second proper manners so that I won’t forget my etiquette any further.”
Mina’s expression darkened, and Reginald’s lips twisted. Henri gave a light bow and left, leading Isaac away.
Only when they could no longer sense each other’s presence did Henri glance at Isaac.
“If you haven’t lost your mind, then you seem to have gone mad.”
“Huh?”
“Even if there’s a stray dog that hasn’t learned noble manners, if you get swept up by it too, bad rumors will follow. Please remember that even someone like you bears the Family House crest.”
“I know, I know that.”
“If you know, then be careful.”
“Strangely, I just can’t shake off that guy. Don’t you feel the same way, Elder Brother?”
“Nonsense.”
“It’s true though. …Anyway, it’s strange.”
Henri stopped walking abruptly and glared at Isaac.
“You, could it be—”
“I can guess what you’re thinking, but it’s not that at all, so don’t look at me like you want to devour me.”
“Don’t even dream of it.”
“I just understood how a falsely accused criminal feels.”
When Isaac made an aggrieved expression, Henri clicked his tongue lightly. Right now, there was something more concerning than his stupid younger brother.
“How is it that you haven’t changed one bit. …Ah, I mean you’re exactly as I imagined.”
Mina’s words were strange. The words she added at the end felt like a desperate excuse.
‘Nothing else, huh.’
Henri, who had been lightly rubbing his chin, picked up the communication stone. After it flickered several times, Viscount Dubois’s voice could be heard.
“What about him?”
[If you’re referring to the weasel, he just returned from his mission.]
“Attach him to The Second.”
[To what extent should we proceed?]
“Don’t miss even a single eyelash.”
[Yes.]
If the words that were supposed to be in the middle of Mina’s statement were ‘first life,’ then no amount of preparation would be enough.
* * *
I spent the entire afternoon pacing around the study, and sometimes hung from the window to see if there was a returning carriage. When I acted impatient, Zachary, who was assigned as my guard captain, said:
“Acting like a piglet with its tail on fire won’t make time go faster, Miss.”
“Why are Eldest Brother and Second Brother so late? …Don’t tell me something went wrong?!”
“If something went wrong, they would have communicated. Sit still and wait. Your energy will be completely drained before the Two Young Masters arrive.”
“But still…!”
I absolutely need Engelot. Only by summoning Marchosias with it can I escape from this tiresome child’s body.
I felt my lips jutting out and startled, quickly pushing them back in with my fingertips.
See. With a child’s body, it’s difficult to hide emotions if you let your guard down even for a moment.
“Growing up like this doesn’t seem too bad though?”
Zachary spoke as if it was no big deal, so I asked “Huh?” He shrugged his shoulders.
“I mean, ultimately all of this comes down to the shrine not knowing that you’re Leblaine who received the Evil God’s choice, right? You said you returned to your previous life’s body, and while you’re quite similar when young, you become quite different faces when you grow up.”
“That’s right.”
“Then can’t you just live a new life as someone other than Leblaine Dubbled? Even if some people from Odis and the beastmen’s country have noticed your identity, there’s no way to prove that you’re Leblaine.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then?”
I pointed to my eyes and said to Zachary:
“Look, my eyes were close to sky blue, but now they’re blue. They’ve gotten darker since yesterday. (Look, my eyes were close to sky blue, but now they’re blue. They’ve gotten darker since yesterday.)”
“Isn’t that better?”
“No! If this continues, I won’t be the modern Leblaine but will completely become the ancient Leblaine.”
Over the past 7 years, I had confided to my people within Hope Trading Company and to Zachary that my previous life was Neriad’s younger sister, so I could speak comfortably.
As time passed, my body was becoming more like the ancient Leblaine. My brown hair was gradually turning white.
In my ancient memories, Neriad and I had snow-white hair and deep blue eyes, and I was changing to look just like that time.
After I died in ancient times, I manifested my ability as an Oracle, that is, regression. And after being born in modern times, I gained the ability to summon demons as a Child of Fate.
In other words, my modern powers weaken the more I return to ancient times.
The voice of my familiar that I could hear occasionally last week can’t be heard at all now.
‘Even though Mina’s Etoile is with me, Etoile is merely a medium that makes it easier to release power.’
Just as I summoned Bune before I obtained Etoile, Mina would also be able to summon demons without Etoile.
Of course, if I summoned without Etoile, I wouldn’t last even a day like when I was four. Then it would be either death or madness.
‘Besides, I wouldn’t be able to make them my familiar, but anyway, there’s a big difference between being able to summon demons and not being able to.’
If what Mina summoned happened to be a demon that chose Neriad and was favorable to her, then if Mina ever commanded it to attack me.
‘I’d die without being able to lift a finger.’
Didn’t I feel it during the Glashalabolas incident? Even someone who competed for first or second place in martial prowess in the human realm would find it difficult to defeat a demon.
Zachary groaned and nodded his head.
“It would be difficult to grow with that body.”
“Right, so that’s why I absolutely need Engelot. And more than anything…”
“What is it?”
“If I stay in this body, I feel like I’ll devour all of our family’s food supplies.”
Even today I displayed tremendous appetite. To the extent that Father ordered the plates to be cleared away while carrying me, who looked like I’d eat until my stomach burst.
That’s when it happened. Through the open window came the sound of a horse neighing. I quickly looked out the window and smiled brightly.
“Eldest Brother, Second Brother!”
Henri and Isaac were looking up at the second-floor room where I was, so I quickly crawled down from the dresser by the window and hurried down to the first floor.
I clasped my hands together and looked at Isaac with sparkling eyes.
“How did Engelot turn out?”
“We stopped the shrine from taking it. Father and Eldest Brother turned the central tower (the council of great nobles with decision-making power) upside down, and we provided perfect support.”
Isaac spoke boastfully, so I raised both arms high.
“Thank you Second Brother, amazing, dazzling!”
“That’s right. I am dazzling.”
“Then did we get Engelot?”
“That… well…”
Isaac glanced sideways at Henri.
“Let Elder Brother tell you about this.”
“Why doesn’t the dazzling one tell me?”
“Elder Brother handles the bad news.”
Bad news?
When I looked at Henri with an anxious expression, he bent one knee to meet my gaze.
“We told His Majesty that in exchange for handing over Suwon to the Imperial Palace during the great drought and presenting spinel every year, we wanted Engelot.”
“Mm.”
“But the shrine’s opposition was stronger than expected, so His Majesty was greatly troubled. You know that the shrine has been establishing relief centers and sending healing priests to various places since the year before last, right?”
“Uh-huh…”
“If they close all the relief centers at once, the common people who have already started depending on them would be greatly affected. So…”
“So?”
When Henri trailed off looking troubled, Isaac clicked his tongue as if he had no choice and spoke.
“They made it a prize.”
“A prize?!”
“There’s the mock battle of the seven families this year.”
The mock battle of the seven families.
It was a festival to commemorate the founding of the Empire by the first emperor Freed I joining forces with the seven families.
Simply put, it’s a mock battle between families.
Unlike the mock battle for boys and girls under 17 that happens once every 4 years, the only difference is that adults participate.
After going through various incidents, only three families survived among the Seven Families, so they select seven families with support from ducal houses─marquis houses─count houses to conduct virtual battles.
‘The Seven Families’ mock battle is held once every 10 years on Foundation Day. Let me see, this year is the 10th year and Foundation Day is….’
I was counting on the calendar when I flinched and looked at Henri and Isaac.
“It’s in two weeks. What if the applications are all finished?”
“The Emperor extended the application period. It seems the Temple is going to temporarily register Mina’s name to a family so she can participate. I don’t know which family it is though─”
“Amitie.”
Henri’s, Isaac’s, and Zachary’s gazes focused on me.
‘Right, I remembered.’
That Amitie would participate in this year’s Seven Families’ mock battle.
“Amitie? Well, if it’s Duke Amitie who’s called the knight among knights, the possibility of victory is high.”
“That’s not the problem….”
I looked at the three people with drooping eyebrows.
“What?”
I saw it in my first life. For some reason I don’t know, all Five Ducal Houses participated in this mock battle, including the annihilated Valois….
“Amitie won…!”
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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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