The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 272

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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 272

I looked at Duke Amitie with a displeased expression. I had no choice but to come out because of the deal, but how could I be happy about it?

The Duke said nothing. After staring at me intently for a while, he soon took the lead and walked ahead. I followed behind him. Only awkward silence lingered between us.

The situation was uncomfortable. Moreover, my legs were short while the Duke’s were too long, making it difficult to keep up with him.

“Where are we going?”

“To the Black Sacred Tree.”

The Black Sacred Tree.

To be precise, it was a dead tree with only its trunk remaining, but it was called the Black Sacred Tree. There was a legend about the Black Sacred Tree.

Once upon a time, lightning struck a tree that had lived for a thousand years. The tree burned black, leaving only its trunk. But surprisingly, sprouts began to grow from the dead tree trunk at some point. Those sprouts gradually spread little by little, creating this Wenton Forest.

Because of such legends, people regarded the Black Sacred Tree as sacred, and pregnant women, those facing exams, those suffering from illness, and others would gather to make wishes to the sacred tree.

‘Why are we going there?’

I grumbled inwardly. That place held no good memories for me alone.

The Duke and I arrived in front of the Black Sacred Tree. Around the ancient tree, there was always a shallow water pit. Inside the pit was money that people had thrown while making wishes.

Duke Amitie threw a silver coin into the pond.

‘A silver coin?!’

I was startled and quickly picked up the silver coin the Duke had thrown.

“If you take money from this place, you’ll be cursed.”

Duke Amitie spoke sternly, so I snorted inwardly.

What curse.

“It’s all lies. The Forest Keeper collects them every day.”

“That’s why they put the most unfortunate person as the Forest Keeper.”

“Right now I’m the most unfortunate one, so I should be able to take it.”

“Is being with me unfortunate?”

“That’s also true…”

I bit my lips tightly and stubbornly turned my head away. Duke Amitie stared at me intently. As if trying to confirm something.

“…”

“…”

A long silence lingered between us.

Ah, I really hate this forest. To be precise, I hate the memories from this forest. This place holds the memories that the me from my first life treasured most.

“Father, what is this tree?”

“It’s a sacred tree. It’s a place sought by those with worries and those with wishes. Parents sometimes come here to pray for their children’s good fortune. My father also brought me here and prayed for my happiness.”

“…”

“I pray for your happiness.”

“…”

“So that you won’t be hurt, so that every day will be incomparably happy, and so that the misfortunes you occasionally face will merely become trivial conversation topics for tomorrow.”

Back then, the foolish Leblaine didn’t know what to do and could only quietly watch Duke Amitie’s back.

Without being able to say a word of gratitude or joy, I returned to the mansion late at night, pulled the blanket over my head, and cried endlessly.

Because I was so happy. Because having a father, having someone who wished for my happiness, was so overwhelmingly touching.

The foolish Leblaine of my first life died clutching only that one memory, and that’s why I hate this place.

I hate remembering that foolish version of myself from back then, I hate that I’m still clinging to those few precious memories, and I hate realizing that Duke Amitie’s steps gradually slowed to match a child’s pace as we came here.

In the end, what I hate is myself for being unable to completely despise that person.

“The me in the illusion knew you, who was at a loss for words at what I said, but in the end couldn’t comfort you.”

“…I’m leaving.”

“Because I didn’t know how to approach my first daughter.”

“I said I’m going.”

“Even now, I don’t know how to approach you.”

“I’m leaving!”

I shouted loudly.

I’m leaving. I’m going to my dad. My dad, not the Duke. I’m going to my dad who doesn’t make me sad!

Even though I knew I shouldn’t say such things, my child’s body cried out before I could think. I was so heartbroken that tears kept flowing. I cried uglily with my lips pouted out.

Why did you do that?

I was just a little child who desperately wanted family. I was just a child who didn’t know what to do because I didn’t want to disappoint my first family, so why didn’t you ever look back at me?

Why didn’t you smile kindly in front of me? All that foolish Leblaine wanted back then was her father’s smile.

To me glaring at him with a resentful face, he said.

“You see. Your tears are so precious to me, how could this be just an illusion.”

* * *

I stared at the sausage the Duke had bought from the Wenton Forest shop with a sullen expression. I wanted to flatly refuse the sausage the Duke offered, but after crying for so long, my stomach was screaming with growls and rumbles.

‘If I can’t use Adult Thinking because of this, it’ll be a big problem. That’s why I’m accepting it.’

After hesitating, I quietly reached out my hand and said.

“…It’s not because I like you that I’m taking it.”

“I see.”

“It’s because I’m hungry. A child’s body needs to eat a lot.”

“I know.”

I snatched the sausage as if stealing it. Then I glanced at him and stuffed it into my mouth greedily.

He looked at me with a surprised face. He seemed shocked that my dining manners weren’t befitting of a noble. That made sense since Duke Amitie had seen me in the illusion perfectly mastering noble dining etiquette.

He didn’t know that I, with my extraordinary appetite, had desperately restrained myself because I wanted to be a daughter he could be proud of.

The Duke was almost certain. That the illusion wasn’t just an illusion.

‘That wasn’t where I was supposed to cry. Stupid, stupid.’

He must have brought me to Wenton Forest to confirm how I would react in front of the ancient tree.

I knew this, but I was so resentful that I couldn’t hold back my tears. The ancient body was much more sensitive to emotions than my original body.

‘Besides, just because the Duke is certain doesn’t mean anyone would believe it.’

I munched on the sausage while glaring at the Duke innocently.

“Now I’m going home.”

“Alright.”

The Duke tried to wipe my greasy hands with a handkerchief, so I quickly pulled my hands away. I had the strange feeling that he looked dejected.

I left Wenton Forest together with the Duke.

We couldn’t return through teleportation magic. Duke Amitie, who had become the head of the investigation team for the mock battle curse incident, was under public scrutiny. If people knew that a child was meeting with someone so busy he barely had time to breathe, and that he was even using teleportation magic, various parties would try to investigate me.

“The carriage?”

“It’s waiting near the shopping district. It’ll come if I communicate.”

“Let’s move to my carriage.”

“I prefer to walk.”

“Then I shall wait with you.”

“What if someone sees us?”

“Don’t I need something from you?”

“…”

I hesitated for a moment.

‘Right. It’s better to finish this today rather than making excuses about giving him what he wants to meet again.’

He probably wouldn’t easily cry for me in broad daylight outside, so let’s ask him to cry inside the carriage.

I headed toward Duke Amitie’s carriage with a reluctant expression.

‘Was his carriage always this shabby?’

I was startled when I saw Duke Amitie’s carriage in the distance.

In my first life, I didn’t even know it was shabby. My father, who possessed things far superior to others, always gave me only the best of what he had.

After riding around in my carriage made of ebony wood with various magical enchantments, Duke Amitie’s carriage looked shabby.

That’s when it happened.

“Master.”

The Amitie family’s coachman approached him with quick steps.

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, you see… I…”

It was just as the coachman was hesitating with a troubled expression.

“Duke.”

A familiar voice was heard.

‘Mina?’

She must only follow Duke Amitie around.

‘Since they were inseparable father and daughter in the first life, it’s understandable that she’d be affectionate. …But her hair color has returned to normal?’

During the shopping district incident, her hair had definitely changed to blonde, but now it had returned to its original black.

‘Did the color change temporarily due to the aftereffects of the incident? But hair isn’t a mana detector that changes color back and forth like that.’

While I was thinking this, Mina looked back and forth between me and Duke Amitie. Her expression wasn’t good.

“I heard there was a fire near the Investigation Team Building yesterday. I was worried and kept trying to contact you, but there was no response…”

“…”

The atmosphere between the two was strange. It was completely different from what I had seen at the shopping district.

‘Well, I wasn’t the only one who saw things in the illusion. She must have seen how much he loved Mina too.’

Mina gripped her skirt hem tightly and asked.

“I know I must seem strange to you, Duke. But I was so worried… I’ll leave once I confirm you’re okay…”

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Thank goodness. I heard the smoke was severe, so I requested medicine from the shrine. It’s supposed to be good for damaged throats. I had it moved to the carriage, so…”

Tears welled up in Mina’s eyes. Duke Amitie, who had been quietly watching her, carefully reached out his hand.

“You’ve grown thin.”

“…”

“Are you eating your meals properly?”

I made an “ugh” expression and shook my head vigorously.

It was the ‘father-daughter world’ I had always experienced in my first life. No matter how touching a father-daughter relationship they became, it had nothing to do with me, but I wished they would become touching after I sent her back.

Just then, my communication stone flickered. I moved a little away from the two people with the improved magic tool based on the communication stone plugged into my ear.

[This is Trigon.]

“Yeah.”

[I found the reason why the young lady’s condition was strange during the shopping district incident.]

“What?”

[Two people’s divine power had mixed inside the young lady.]

“What? That’s impossible!”

Divine power couldn’t possibly mix. Unless one had special quality divine power that could match others like Adrian. The reason priests couldn’t share divine power with each other was because even though it was the same divine power, the quality couldn’t be exactly the same.

Cheolsu had described this by saying, ‘Like blood of different blood types, they shouldn’t be mixed!’

[Such cases aren’t entirely nonexistent. …If it’s between parent and child.]

‘What is this supposed to mean? That I gave birth to Mina or something… wait a minute.’

I suddenly turned to look at Mina.

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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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