The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 280

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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 280

The communication stone rang once again. Seria chuckled softly, and I also smiled as I connected the communication.

[Please, let me meet and speak with you. I’m in front of the mansion…]

“I’m not at the mansion right now though?”

[What did you say? Are you telling me you violated the Imperial Palace’s house arrest order?]

“When was the house arrest order lifted? His Majesty personally sent a letter to Dubbled in his own handwriting. Saying he doesn’t suspect me.”

It was words that meant the house arrest order had been lifted. Of course, the Emperor’s true intention was probably ‘So please stop this protest,’ but the investigators’ words must have played a part too.

During the investigation, they had been very favorable toward me. They also didn’t believe I was the culprit who cast the meteor.

“Oh my, it seems Mina’s house arrest order hasn’t been lifted? Ah, that’s right. That girl went to prison~! Because there was a ‘flight risk’!”

When I imitated the Empress Dowager’s infuriating way of speaking, a grinding sound came from the communication stone.

[Young Lady.]

“But do you have time for this?”

[Pardon?]

“I mean, that person named Max remembered who used the curse at the Seven Families Mock Battle. From his description, it was a cardinal.”

[…]

I remember Reginald’s trembling eyes the moment he heard that Max had spilled about the curse.

‘The culprit is most likely this bastard.’

I continued speaking with a bright smile.

“At this rate, he might remember that it was a cardinal with a mole on his cheek and a scar near his collarbone.”

You, I’m talking about you.

Reginald, you with a mole on your cheek and a scar near your collarbone.

[…I know that Young Lady instructed that man to point to a cardinal.]

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

[Please stop this. If you return to God’s embrace, I will step forward and mediate between His Holiness and Young Lady.]

“You know what, Lord Reginald.”

When I spoke in a sweet voice, Reginald must have thought his words had worked, as he sighed and answered [Yes.]

“Don’t mess around with me.”

[Yes, what?!]

“Instead of talking nonsense, if you want Dubbled and me to stop here, bring Benedict before me.”

[That’s impossible.]

“You don’t understand the situation.”

I laughed heartily as I spoke.

“Listen here, Lord Reginald. The residual mana left in the shopping district during the meteor incident was divine power. That’s why Mina and I, who had the strongest divine power among those in the shopping district, became suspects.”

[…]

“But no one thinks I’m the culprit. Then naturally it would be Mina, right? Do you think the Pope will just stand by and let Mina become the culprit?”

Mina is the irreplaceable ‘Child of Fate’.

Since he can’t lose her, the Pope will try to resolve the incident by handing over some suitable person to the Imperial Palace.

“What do you think will happen if Max points to Lord Reginald as the culprit then?”

They’ll probably try to pin the meteor incident on Reginald, who’s already become a criminal anyway.

“Bring Benedict. There isn’t much time left.”

With that, I ended the communication.

“Seria.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

“We’re going there. Prepare the carriage.”

“You mean the place where Duke Amitie is hidden?”

“That’s right.”

I got up from the sofa and headed there with Seria.

The place where Duke Amitie was, which the shrine and Mina couldn’t find no matter how thoroughly they searched.

In other words, the ‘Imperial Palace.’

‘You never dreamed he’d be hidden in the Imperial Palace, did you?’

I grinned wickedly.

* * *

Beryl Palace.

Cecilia had named the palace where she resided after her beloved sister.

When I entered Beryl Palace, Cecilia greeted me.

“What about that man?”

“He’s underground.”

I followed Cecilia deep into her palace. Duke Amitie, trapped behind iron bars, was gagged with both his wrists bound.

“Why is he in that state?”

When I asked, Cecilia covered her cheek with one hand and said.

“He kept trying to bite through the rope with his teeth and smash the iron bars with aura. I thought he might die if left alone, so I took protective measures.”

Those measures are quite brutal indeed.

I chuckled and crouched down, reaching my hand through the iron bars. When I removed the gag, a furious shout burst out.

“What is the meaning of this!”

“You’re the one making a scene, Duke. So noisy.”

“What?”

He frowned and squeezed his eyes shut. It was an expression of barely containing his anger.

“If you release me, I’ll consider this just an excessive prank this once. People learn from their mistakes—”

“What are you talking about? How can kidnapping be a mistake?”

When I brought up the word ‘kidnapping’ that the Duke couldn’t bring himself to say, he let out a hollow laugh.

I placed both hands on my hips and said.

“I lied about dying to call you here, our soldiers ambushed you, and you were secretly moved to the Imperial Palace while bound with gold restraints—that’s kidnapping!”

When I declared with an “ahem” that kidnapping could never be a mistake, Duke Amitie looked utterly dumbfounded.

“What are you trying to do by kidnapping me?”

“To make Mina anxious. That way the shrine will be too busy being swayed by Mina to properly respond to me, right? So here’s the thing, Duke.”

Duke Amitie let out a deep sigh.

“What wrong has Mina done to you? Leblaine, the way things turned out between you and Mina isn’t because of that girl’s malice.”

“Does there have to be malice to become enemies? Mina isn’t trying to destroy me out of malice.”

“Leblaine.”

“Does having no malice mean there’s no guilt? Just because it can’t be helped, does that make it okay to ruin others?”

“Why have you changed like this?”

“…”

“Is it Theodore? Did Theodore plant evil thoughts in you? Leblaine, return to your original self – pure and innocent without a stain.”

“Really. You’re just as good at spouting nonsense as Reginald.”

“…What did you say?”

I gripped the iron bars roughly.

“Telling someone not to fight back against an opponent with spears and swords is just telling them to die. They’re killing countless innocent people to harm me, but I should forgive and understand?”

“You…”

“Just tell me to die instead.”

“…”

“But I have no intention of just dying. You’re right. Mina is innocent in this incident. But I’m innocent too.”

“…”

“I’ll fight malice with malice. I won’t regret involving innocent people one bit. I am a villain, and if I have to pay the price, I will. Of course, like a proper villain, I’ll try my best to evade it with all my might.”

The Duke’s eyes trembled slightly.

“Anyway, the reason I came here is because I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“I’m going to cut off some of your hair. A lot of it. Or just cut off one finger for me!”

With that, I can properly shake up Mina.

If Mina gets shaken up, won’t the shrine get shaken up too!

‘The Pope is no ordinary person, so he doesn’t get shaken easily.’

When I smiled brightly, the Duke let out a hollow laugh. “Hah…”

* * *

I left Beryl Palace humming a tune. Then, together with Cecilia, I headed to the prison where Mina was with light steps.

Cardinals and priests were prostrated in front of the prison, wailing. They seemed to think they could somehow look pitiful and shake the hearts of the people and the Emperor. That way they’d be able to see Mina.

I shook my head and said,

“Fools. What a waste of time. They should take an easy and quick method like me.”

Then Cecilia’s eyes widened.

“An easy and quick method?”

“Offering a bribe to His Imperial Majesty is easy and quick!”

“A bribe…?”

“Since Hope Trading Company cut off the blue spinel distribution, even one piece is precious, right? I offered His Majesty blue spinel and asked him to let me meet Mina.”

“Did he agree?”

“Yes!”

“This person really….”

Cecilia frowned.

‘Of course, that’s not all there is to it.’

The Emperor would want the war between the Children of Fate to end as soon as possible. After all, the Empire had become terribly chaotic because of it.

I greeted Cecilia and headed to the prison. The jailer who had received orders in advance opened the door without question, and the Cardinal and priests gaped at me as I casually entered the underground prison that they couldn’t access no matter how hard they tried.

I was truly like a beast that had broken free from its leash.

After abandoning every last bit of conscience that remained, things couldn’t be easier.

Sometimes the memories of my first life would ask ‘Is it really okay to do this?’ but then I just had to think of Lea lying collapsed.

Mina inside the prison was broken like a malfunctioning doll. Her face was sallow yellow, her eyes bloodshot red, and her fine hair was disheveled even worse than before.

Mina, seeing me, muttered.

“…It’s because I did bad things to you. You lied to punish me, right? Right? You didn’t actually do anything to Father, did you?”

Tears welled up in Mina’s eyes as she sat slumped down.

I looked at her with an emotionless face from outside the iron bars and casually threw something.

It was a clump of hair.

“…!”

Mina immediately recognized it as Duke Amitie’s hair.

“You, you…!”

“Next will be an arm.”

“Leblaine─!!”

“After that, a leg.”

Mina’s entire face contorted. Seeing her prostrate on the floor sobbing, my first life self whispered once again.

[You’re a bad child.]

I know.

[This villain.]

I know.

I looked at Mina clutching her chest with an indifferent expression.

“I’ll even bring you his heart, Mina. If you want to stop me, hand over Benedict.”

Her eyes rippled with murderous intent.

“Evil girl! You evil…! I’ll kill you!”

Heart-rending screams echoed through the prison.

* * *

After Leblaine left, an unfamiliar jailer visited the prison. To her as she lay prostrate sobbing, the strange jailer said.

“This is a message from His Holiness.”

“….”

“Only Young Lady’s decision can reverse this situation.”

Mina slowly raised her head.

“I’ll do it. Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

That girl, I absolutely won’t let her be.

‘This is all your fault, Leblaine.’

Why did you drive innocent me, my poor father, into this corner.

‘It’s all your fault.’

The stranger said.

“His Holiness will create a place of proof. At that place, summon an angel with Young Lady’s Etoile. You must become the perfect Child of Fate and judge the First One.”

As Mina nodded, a silver Etoile glinted between the folds of her clothes.

The fake Etoile made by Sandra’s son.

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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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