The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 313

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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 313

Marriage?

Who?

Surely not you and me?

It was so absurd that I wondered if I had misheard.

“What did you say?”

When I asked, Andre ran his hand through his hair. He seemed to think it was charming in his own way. However, to my aesthetic sense that had been elevated to the top of my head by my surroundings for over a decade, he was nothing but a squid.

“That’s right, Young Lady won. We lost.”

“Pardon?”

“You must be honored. I know. In the Young Lady’s bet that staked the empire’s people and your family, a big catch like me got hooked.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

So to summarize what he was saying, it meant this:

‘The demand for independence was a political strategy for Dubbled to show off their power.

A marriage alliance with First Prince Andre would be satisfactory enough for Dubbled.

So Prince Andre, who is too good for someone like Leblaine Dubbled, will graciously marry her.’

I naturally got a headache.

As I held my forehead, Prince Andre continued speaking.

“First, let’s deal with the monsters that have swarmed the Imperial Capital. Starting with the ones positioned in the airspace above the Marche Ducal House and my private residence.”

“….”

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you moving quickly? Don’t tell me you plan to act like a clueless child even after becoming my woman? If that’s your intention, I can’t marry you.”

He spoke as if it were some great threat.

That’s when Isaac exploded.

Isaac shouted “Crazy…!” and placed his hand on the scabbard at his waist, while Henri blocked him.

But veins were bulging at Henri’s temples too, showing he was ready to aim fire magic at that crazy bastard’s head if necessary.

Johan and Father were no different.

If he had any sense, he would realize this was a life-threatening crisis, but true to being the Empress Dowager’s grandson, Andre was completely oblivious.

“It would be wise to pretend you can’t resist while I’m giving you this opportunity. Once you miss it, it’ll be too late to regret it even if you beat the ground…”

“I won’t have anything to regret.”

“Are you being shy because your true feelings were exposed?”

“Since you don’t seem to understand what I’m saying, I’ll answer clearly.”

I frowned and said,

“I have absolutely no intention of marrying Your Majesty.”

“…What?”

Andre gaped with an expression of disbelief.

He looked extremely bewildered.

Only after letting out several hollow laughs did he finally manage to speak.

“There’s nothing more fitting for the Young Lady’s purpose than marrying me.”

“I don’t know where you misunderstood my words, but nowhere in my purpose is there anything like marriage to Your Majesty.”

“I’ll say it again. Seize the opportunity while I’m giving it to you.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t want to get married.”

“The Young Lady is lying right now.”

“No, I’m sincere. I swear on my family and myself. I don’t want to marry Your Majesty.”

“What’s the reason? Am I too good for the Young Lady? If that’s the case, forget it. No marriage is completely satisfactory. You can gradually learn to become my consort─”

“Since you ask for a reason, I dare to answer.”

Andre’s expression crumpled completely, but I answered with an indifferent expression.

“First of all, I hate that curly hair.”

“What, what?!”

“It’s very regrettable that none of His Majesty’s beauty was inherited. The worst of the worst is your personality. Your stupidity… short-sightedness, and the arrogance of thinking the world revolves around Your Majesty is very off-putting.”

“Hey, Young Lady!”

“I also hate how insincere you are. I hate how you don’t listen to what others say. I also hate your frivolous way of speaking despite pretending to be dignified, your inability to live without lording over others, and your hot temper where your hands move before your words. And─”

“Stop, stop!”

Andre shouted as if having a fit, so I smiled brightly and drove in the final nail.

“Your Majesty, you have bad breath.”

“Leblaine Dubbled!”

“So don’t worry. I swear I’ve never coveted Your Majesty for even a single second.”

“You, you…!”

“Your Majesty thought yourself precious, so this worked out well, didn’t it? Well then.”

I waved my hand toward the servants.

“The client is leaving, please see him out.”

Then I went up the stairs with a refreshed face. I heard familiar mocking laughter from behind me. Even without looking back, I knew it was my older brothers.

“Ah, bad breath.”

“Bad breath won’t do.”

“Besides the bad breath, everything else is also unqualified, elder brother.”

* * *

Andre returned to the palace fuming and headed to Yvonne’s palace.

When he kicked open the door and entered, Yvonne, who had been conversing with her maternal grandfather Duke Marche and her younger brother Eslon Marshu, frowned.

“What kind of behavior is this, so rude.”

At the Late Empress’s sharp voice, he cleared his throat and lightly bowed his head toward his maternal grandfather.

After exchanging greetings, Duke Marche continued the interrupted conversation.

“The problem is when to withdraw from the shrine.”

“But father, what if the shrine makes an issue of our shameful secrets? There are already countless people questioning Andre’s legitimacy, and if it’s revealed that the First Family Head was a strategist for Ivan, who rebelled against the Founding Emperor…”

“The Prince’s legitimacy is no longer the issue. We’ve become too deeply involved in the shrine’s affairs. If it’s revealed that we funded the holy water experiments, our downfall will be instantaneous, Imperial Consort.”

“Please give us a solution. What should we do?”

At the Imperial Consort’s words, Eslon Marshu answered.

“The only way is to achieve merit in the shrine subjugation.”

“In the end, the key is Lady Dubbled…”

“Don’t you have a good relationship with Lady Dubbled, sister? You seemed quite fond of her.”

“She’s a clever child. She bows her head before me, but never truly submits. She’s walking a tightrope.”

“How about proposing a marriage alliance? A marriage with the First Prince wouldn’t be a bad proposal for them either.”

At that, Prince Andre frowned.

“Don’t even mention it!”

“Nephew, this is a matter that concerns not only your succession to the throne, but also Marche’s future. You shouldn’t think emotionally—”

“She’s a crazy girl. She dared to say she dislikes me. That damn…!”

Empress Yvonne and Duke Marche’s expressions hardened.

The Imperial Consort asked in a sharp voice.

“What are you talking about.”

“Her arrogance reaches the sky. How great does she think she is, to dare treat me, the Empire’s First Prince…”

“Andre, speak so I can understand.”

“Why do you think that girl spouted such nonsense about independence in front of His Majesty and the nobles? I could tell at a glance it was bluffing to get the Empire in her grasp with this opportunity, so I said I’d play along as she wanted.”

“What…?”

“I said I would marry her. I even said she could gradually learn what she lacked. But that crazy thing… Ah, Late Empress, please soften your expression. I’m fine. There’s no way I’d be swayed by such nonsense from something like that—”

“What on earth did you do!!”

Empress Yvonne let out an angry roar.

It was the first time the Late Empress had been so agitated in front of him.

Flustered, Andre’s mouth gaped open and closed.

“L-Late Empress…”

Empress Yvonne groaned “Ahh…” and grabbed her forehead.

Andre said with an aggrieved expression.

“I was bestowing grace upon Dubbled. Considering their evil reputation, how could she become the next emperor’s consort?”

“You insane fool!”

“Why on earth… Maternal Grandfather, why is the Late Empress acting like this? Please tell her to regain her reason.”

However, Duke Marche and Eslon Marshu only frowned and sighed.

Prince Andre fumed.

“Why is everyone acting like this! No matter how great that girl is supposed to be, she’s just a commoner. She should be loyal to the Imperial Palace—”

Slap!

His cheek burned as if on fire.

Andre looked at Empress Yvonne with an incredulous expression, holding his stinging cheek.

“H-how could the Late Empress strike me…”

“You’re disgusting to look at, so disappear from my sight immediately.”

“…I was trying to do well!”

“You should have rather stayed still. If you had just quietly eaten what was fed to you, things wouldn’t have become this complicated.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t you understand! We cannot survive without Lady Dubbled. We’ve become too deeply involved with the shrine that became traitors, so if we make one wrong move, forget about aiming for the throne—mother and son could both be deposed!”

“…”

Duke Marche supported Empress Yvonne as she staggered, clutching her forehead.

Eslon Marche sighed and shook his head back and forth.

“I knew he would cause trouble someday.”

“Uncle!”

Eslon Marche didn’t even respond to Andre’s words and looked at his father.

“What do we do now? My nephew has ruined everything before it even began.”

“We have no choice but to somehow appease Leblaine Dubbled.”

Empress Yvonne, Duke Marche, and Eslon Marche all looked at Andre simultaneously.

Duke Marche spoke.

“I will meet with Duke Dubbled, so Your Highness should go find Lady Dubbled.”

“That’s ridiculous! Why should I, the First Prince, go to that kind of girl…!”

“Your Highness─!”

Duke Marche shouted sharply.

Andre turned pale and looked at his maternal grandfather.

A greenhorn like Andre was no match for the cunning leader who had always reigned supreme among the great nobles.

Duke Marche, grabbing Andre by the collar, spoke.

“What is the reason Your Highness has not fallen behind in the succession order despite being no match for Adrian?”

“…”

“It’s all thanks to this Igor Marche. You have enjoyed everything because you are my daughter’s son, my grandson. But, Andre.”

“…”

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to look after you.”

“G-Grandfather…”

“Whether you prostrate yourself before Lady Dubbled or plead with tears, change her mind.”

“…”

“Answer me, Andre.”

“Yes… Yes.”

Andre, who had turned deathly pale, bowed his head.

Eslon Marche shook his head and stood up.

“I will go meet the Three Dubbled Brothers. Sister, please control Dubbled’s retainers, and Father, please meet with Duke Dubbled.”

The other two nodded.

* * *

The Pope looked at Mina, who was sleeping as if dead.

Her hair, which had been swaying at chest level, had grown endlessly long and now rippled across the sheets.

A priest who approached the Pope’s side spoke.

“Today she endured up to the fourth stage.”

“The completion.”

“It won’t be long now.”

Blue bruises had formed around Mina’s eyes. Looking closely, one could see multicolored crack-like scales.

The priest spoke while looking at Mina’s trembling eyelashes.

“She searched for Your Holiness anxiously today as well.”

“And so.”

“She becomes greatly anxious during experiments. If Your Holiness could stay with her as always, it would proceed more smoothly….”

Mina groped for his collar in her dreams as if searching for a last lifeline, but the Pope coldly brushed away her hand.

[The Human World belongs to humans! Only you can save yourself!]

The face of that girl who had shouted those words flickered before his eyes.

He took out a small portrait from his chest and smiled with infinite tenderness.

‘No, Goddess. God does exist.’

Didn’t He allow you and me to meet.

The Pope gently kissed Leblaine who was smiling brightly in the portrait and murmured.

Ah, finally.

Finally I have met you.

“My Maria.”

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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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