The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 268

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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 268

I looked at Duke Amitie with eyes shaking as if an earthquake had struck.

“Who is it?”

“What child is that?”

“A child has been following behind His Excellency?”

The surroundings were noisy.

That was understandable since Duke Amitie was moving with an investigation team to find the alchemy caster, and attention was focused due to the incident with the seven families.

Should I run away?

A young child following like this isn’t particularly suspicious… Right. Right. It is suspicious.

Sometimes beastfolk who look younger than their actual age are sent as spies. They have excellent instincts and agile bodies, plus their childlike appearance makes targets likely to let their guard down.

Or there are cases where those damn scumbags use children as alchemy mediums to make them stick to targets. To borrow Cheolsu’s words, it’s like a human bomb.

I appear to be three or four years old. There’s no reason for a three or four-year-old child to chase after a duke.

‘Whether I’m seen as a beastfolk spy or a human bomb, I’ll end up being investigated.’

Anxiety spread out like branches.

They investigate. → They discover that powerful divine power lies dormant within me. → I get handed over to the shrine. → My identity gets exposed at the shrine?

When my thoughts reached that point, I turned pale.

“I asked why you’ve been following me around since this morning.”

Dry saliva went down with a gulp. At this point, there was no other way.

“…Pa.”

“What did you say?”

“Papa!”

Waaaaaaah!

When I called Duke Amitie papa and burst into tears, Duke Amitie froze, and gasping sounds erupted from the surroundings.

“Papa? Did she say papa?”

“That can’t be! His Excellency is a bachelor…! Though he’s old!”

“Yes, very old.”

“Could it be an illegitimate child?”

“Is the reason he hasn’t married until now because he had an illegitimate child?”

The surroundings erupted into chaos, and Duke Amitie let out an incredulous laugh, but I just kept crying.

“Papa, I wanted to see you! Waaah!”

When I glanced back, I could see Seria with her mouth hanging wide open.

* * *

As soon as Duke Amitie and I sat at the bakery table, gazes poured down like arrows.

He placed a tray with a glass of milk and bread in front of me.

“You lost your father?”

I didn’t answer. I was already extremely tense and incredibly hungry, so I was too busy frantically tearing into the bread to pay attention.

Duke Amitie, who glanced at me briefly, soon let out a big sigh. Then he spoke to the knights of the investigation team who were covering their faces with menus and stealing glances this way.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, so turn your eyes away.”

The startled knights of the investigation team quickly lowered their heads.

Meanwhile, I stole glances at Duke Amitie.

‘How do I get out of here.’

Ah, why did my stomach have to growl while I was crying!

If it hadn’t, he would have taken me to the lost child center.

When my stomach growled, he had no choice but to bring me to the bakery.

‘Actually, this worked out well.’

It’s better to stick close to him than to follow behind. I might get a chance to throw sand in his eyes or something.

“What’s your name?”

Mumble mumble.

“How old are you?”

Mumble mumble mumble.

“How did you get separated from your parents?”

Mumble mumble mumble mumble.

Duke Amitie pressed his forehead as he watched me chew my bread without answering.

Even though he pretended otherwise, the looks of ‘maybe Duke Amitie is human scum who made an illegitimate child’ that he was receiving for the first time in his life seemed bewildering.

“Can’t you understand what I’m saying? I should really send you to the lost child center—”

“Mama went to work.”

When I answered quickly, the Duke’s eyes widened slightly.

“How old are you—”

I was about to say four years old, but I hesitated.

‘Isn’t four too young? He might not be able to communicate with me.’

“Five years old.”

My body was too small to be five years old, but Duke Amitie, who had never raised a child, didn’t find it strange.

“…What’s your name?”

“My name is… name…”

Cold sweat broke out.

‘I can’t say Leblaine, so what do I do.’

“Name… my name is… because it’s difficult…”

“That’s right. Bu, you’re doing well.”

Suddenly, I remembered Duke Amitie from my first life, who used to call me ‘Bu’ and teach me the alphabet.

It was the first time someone had called me so affectionately. The first time someone patted my head, gave me sweet praise.

He was my first, and so I had to be a good child. Because I didn’t want to lose his gentle voice that called me Bu.

“Little one?”

“…Bu.”

“Bu?”

“Daddy…”

There was a time when you used to call me so affectionately.

“Dad…”

He chuckled and patted my head.

“What an unusual name.”

Somehow I felt a lump in my throat. This place became uncomfortable as if it wasn’t where I belonged, and my chest felt tight.

Just like when I first went to Duke Amitie’s mansion with the priest.

“Alright, Bu. Do you know where your mother works?”

“…No.”

“The place where you got separated from your mother?”

“Don’t know.”

Duke Amitie groaned with a troubled expression. Just then, a knight wearing the uniform of House Amitie entered.

“Your Excellency.”

“Has anyone seen this child?”

“There was someone who saw her with some woman near the shopping district main gate.”

Near the main gate would be where Hope Trading Company’s office is located. Someone must have seen me together with Seria.

It was fortunate that I had Seria disguised just in case. Since Hope Trading Company has many business dealings with Dubbled, it could have seemed suspicious if it was revealed that she was Hope Trading Company’s deputy leader.

Duke Amitie said.

“Take the child and look for her parents.”

“Yes. Come on, little one, let’s go.”

The knight reached out his hand to me, but I shouted “No!” and hugged Duke Amitie’s arm.

‘How could I let go of this opportunity I finally caught.’

Duke Amitie won’t be able to leave me until I cry.

“Mister scary.”

The knight looked hurt, and Duke Amitie chuckled.

“Sir Oswalren isn’t a scary person. He’s a good person.”

“No. Scary. Want to stay with this mister.”

The knight smiled awkwardly at being called mister.

“Little one, he’s not mister but Duke. He’s a very high-ranking person, so you mustn’t be rude.”

“…Duke-nim.”

“That’s right.”

“Want to stay with Duke-nim.”

The knight was flustered, and the gazes pouring on us became increasingly interested.

‘As if you’ll let me go.’

I recalled the ultimate tantrum pose that the Grand Duchess’s grandson Lionel used to do back in the day.

‘If it really doesn’t work, I’ll throw myself on the floor!’

Just as I was thinking that, the Duke opened his mouth.

“I’ll look for the child’s parents myself, so you continue with the investigation.”

“Pardon? But…”

Really?

Duke Dubbled stood up while holding me in his arms.

“Join us before the sun sets.”

“Yes, understood.”

And Duke Dubbled and I left the bakery.

I felt a little amazed.

This was the first time walking while being held by him. It was something I couldn’t even imagine during my time as Duke Amitie’s young lady.

Duke Amitie was a stern person. He was somewhat, no, quite lenient with Mina, but when raising me, he set boundaries and never allowed me to cross those lines.

I felt bewildered, wondering if this was really the same person who had been my father in my first life.

* * *

At that time, at Duke Dubbled’s estate.

Theodore returned home after finishing his private audience with the Emperor. He handed his jacket to the butler and looked around the central courtyard.

Leblaine, who would normally come running out shouting “Father!” as soon as he entered the front door, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Leblaine?”

When he asked, the aide who had been waiting for him in the central courtyard with the butler cleared his throat with a cough.

The atmosphere was strange.

Theodore narrowed his brow and looked at the aide.

“Leblaine is.”

“Well…”

“Nuanok.”

“She’s at the shopping district. …Together with Duke Amitie.”

Who?

Theodore’s expression turned menacing.

Why is that man with my daughter?

“Prepare the carriage. We’re going to the shopping district.”

An unprecedented storm cloud gathered over Duke Dubbled’s estate.

* * *

“Not here either?”

At Duke Amitie’s question, I quickly nodded my head.

He had spent a full hour taking me around searching for the ‘place where I was separated from my mother,’ but there was no success. This was because I firmly shook my head and said no to every place he asked about.

Just then, the nearby fruit shop owner who had been looking around the area at Duke Amitie’s request returned.

“Your Excellency, I asked around the whole area, but there were no parents looking for a child.”

“What kind of parents don’t even know they’ve lost their child?”

Our father probably returned home by now. Not knowing that I’ve become someone else’s child.

‘Father must be worried. I should have told him why I was going out before leaving.’

The fruit shop owner spoke with a troubled expression.

“Um, could it be that they abandoned her?”

“What did you say?”

“There are often such parents.”

Duke Amitie’s face contorted with emotion.

That’s when it happened.

“Your Grace!”

Someone came running toward us with a familiar voice.

“I heard you were here… I kept going to the mansion but couldn’t meet you, so— Huh?”

It was Mina.

Her expression hardened when she saw me being held in Duke Amitie’s arms.

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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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