The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 33

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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 33

Peek, peek, after checking the corridor, I dashed into the greenhouse when no one was around.

Then I dug up the soil beneath the newly planted cedar saplings.

When I dug quite deep, I could see a piece of cloth soaked in dirt peeking through.

When I rubbed the cloth with my fingertips, I could feel something solid.

“Good, good.”

This was the reward money pouch I received from Seria.

Seria’s friend, who had disguised himself as someone coming to plant saplings from outside, had buried the money here for me.

Crouching down, I made a satisfied expression.

‘With this, I can not only forge my identity, but also take a really good boat when crossing the continent.’

But doing just that wasn’t my only goal.

‘It needs to multiply.’

Money begets money, after all.

I’ll use this as seed money and roll it around until it swells up like a snowball.

‘And then I’ll go into exile and live in luxury…!’

My cheeks flushed with happy fantasies as I giggled.

‘Now, all that’s left is for Seria to return safely.’

There’s a lot for her to do.

Of course, I also had to help Seria track down the ‘client,’ but that wouldn’t be too difficult.

The Duke was thoroughly investigating everything from Jacob’s associates to the murdered noble’s connections.

All I had to do was discreetly pass the Duke’s information to Seria.

After covering the soil back up properly, I left the greenhouse humming.

As I was walking down the corridor to return to my room, I heard “Young Lady!” from the opposite direction.

“There you are. We’ve been looking for you for quite a while.”

It was the maids. In their hands were shoes and a dress.

“You need to attend the grand conference.”

The grand conference was Dubbled’s largest meeting, where even retainers with territorial jurisdiction all gathered.

‘Why would I go there?’

When I tilted my head in confusion, the maids exchanged glances and giggled.

“Today is the day we introduce Young Lady to the retainers.”

Ah.

So that’s why Lea was frantically trying clothes and accessories on me since yesterday.

The maids who brought me to my room helped Lea dress me up.

I wore more elaborate clothes than usual, had my hair neatly combed, and a ribbon placed on the crown of my head.

Having become quite a cute little lady, I followed Lea out of the room.

When we arrived at the grand conference room, soldiers opened the doors for us.

I swallowed dryly as I looked around at the retainers.

There were some familiar faces among the retainers, but there were far more people I was seeing for the first time.

‘This is incredible.’

Not only in numbers, but all the retainers boasted tremendous presence.

Indeed, these were people who wielded influence at the center as one of the most prominent power holders.

But among them, the one who clearly stood out with the most distinct presence was Duke Dubbled.

‘Wow…’

This was the first time I’d seen him in formal dress.

A shirt with delicate embroidery in gold thread, a luxurious jacket adorned with several merit medals.

Over it, he wore a robe bearing the black lion emblem that symbolized the head of House Dubbled.

‘His appearance really is unrivaled.’

Even such splendid clothing couldn’t completely hide his broad chest and solid shoulders.

On top of that, the quiet yet chilling and threatening aura emanating from his entire body.

I could understand why he drew all the ladies’ attention despite such a terrifying personality.

Henri and Isaac were also positioned on either side of the Duke.

Henri with his gorgeous and sweet appearance, and Isaac with his somewhat wild feel.

Both also boasted a presence unbefitting of children.

“Leblaine.”

At the Duke’s voice, everyone’s gaze focused on me.

I carefully walked toward the Duke, being careful not to fall, and he promptly scooped me up and sat me on his knee.

“Gasp!”

“What!”

“Really on His Excellency’s knee…”

The nobles seeing me for the first time looked as if they might faint.

“Leblaine Lisette Dubbled.”

Lisette?

It was natural that I’d become a Dubbled since I was adopted, but he was giving me a middle name too?

While I was blinking in surprise, the retainers began murmuring loudly.

“What…!”

“Lisette, Your Excellency!”

“Isn’t that the name of the late Duchess!”

I flinched and looked up at the Duke.

‘Has Duke Dubbled lost his mind?!’

Usually, middle names do include the names of parents, grandparents, or honored ancestors.

But that only applies to legitimate children who will inherit the family!

There’s a reason why the conventional expression when entrusting the family to a son-in-law is ‘you may write my name as your middle name.’

So this was a declaration that he would grant me rights equivalent to those of a legitimate child.

The right to access all information and to govern Dubbled Territory when the Duke was away from the castle.

Even the pro-Duke faction retainers who were close to me hardened their faces.

The retainers raised their voices.

“Please reconsider!”

“Dubbled bloodline rights to a Young Lady who belongs to the temple!”

“Your Excellency!”

It was complete chaos.

I was incredibly flustered.

‘No, I just want to quietly live while getting some free meals, you know?’

Of course, I need to build up power so the temple can’t touch me when I go into exile, but this is too much power.

‘All eyes will be focused on me!’

“D-Duke…”

I called out to him meaning to ask him to cancel it, but I was so flustered that my voice came out trembling.

The Duke’s eyes turned menacing.

“Who dares to frighten my daughter.”

What?

“Point out whoever is making you afraid. I’ll twist off their limbs.”

At those words, Henri and Isaac rose from their seats and prostrated themselves.

“If you command it, I will take that neck myself.”

“Please leave it to me.”

Why are these guys acting like this!

The retainers flinched and shut their mouths. The face of the retainer who had been practically shouting turned pale.

‘Oh, dear God.’

Only now did I realize.

What should I do.

I think I charmed him too severely.

* * *

After the meeting ended and I returned to my room, I collapsed on the sofa with a soul-drained expression.

Why did things turn out like this?

“I’m ruined, completely ruined.”

As I was vigorously dry-washing my face, the door opened.

It was the management-level employees of the main castle.

In other words, people much higher in rank than Lea.

“Young Lady, you must be tired, right?”

“We brought some sweet milk.”

“Oh my, this carpet is all worn out. What was Lea doing, not even reporting something like this.”

Lea and my maids, who entered following behind them, made expressions of disbelief.

Lea had reported that the carpet was too worn out, but it was that head maid who had said it was still usable so just leave it.

I was usually well-liked by the employees anyway.

Thanks to being favored by the pro-Duke faction nobles, the employees had also taken an interest in me.

But that was just employees who worked near the guest quarters – high-ranking employees like these had never come to visit me and butter me up like this.

As for the senior employees who treat me well, the East Wing butler is all there is.

This was the aftermath of my middle name becoming ‘Lisette’.

“Now that you’ll have external schedules, we’ll need to purchase clothes and accessories.”

“We’ll take your measurements.”

“What kind of food do you like most?”

The senior employees pressed their faces forward uncomfortably.

I was going crazy and jumping around.

Of course, being loved by father is a good thing.

But if that father is ‘Duke Dubbled’, it’s a different story.

The entire Empire’s attention would surely be focused on me.

‘No, I don’t know yet.’

I tried hard to pull myself together.

One of the methods for a ruler to maintain strong power is to make the successors fight each other.

Hadn’t the Previous Duke also held power alone by doing just that?

‘That could be the case! …I hope it would be.’

But the possibility was low.

The deed to the largest toy store in the shopping district that the Duke had handed me cut off any sprout of hope.

“All the furniture has now been moved into Young Lady’s room in the West Wing. When you move to the West Wing, we will serve Young Lady.”

The maids currently attending to me flinched.

“Serving Young Lady is our role!”

When Dahlia, the most hot-tempered among the maids, shouted, the West Wing maids frowned.

“Isn’t your duty to serve guests in the East Wing?”

“Young Lady is no longer a guest but a member of the Dubbled bloodline. It’s natural for us to serve her.”

At those words, my maids argued back.

“But we’ve been serving Young Lady all along.”

“His Excellency hasn’t said anything about replacing the maids until now.”

“Yes. If the attending employees suddenly change, Young Lady would be confused too…!”

The West Wing maid crossed her arms as if incredulous.

“Raising your voices in front of Young Lady. Where did you learn such manners?”

I looked at the fighting maids with tired eyes.

‘Can’t they just leave me alone?’

I grabbed my head with both hands and groaned.

* * *

The Duke’s office.

Viscount Dubois, who had followed the Duke inside, spoke with a grave expression.

“Today’s events might have been hasty. All factions’ attention will be focused on Young Lady.”

The Duke handed his jacket to the butler and replied leisurely.

“I acted hastily precisely so they would do that.”

“Pardon?”

Duke Dubbled, sitting in his chair with his legs crossed, looked at the viscount.

“It hasn’t been determined yet whether this so-called client emerged from within or is an outsider.”

“That’s correct.”

“If it’s an outsider, they would lay low when attention is focused on Leblaine.”

“But if it’s an insider, they would resist even more strongly. Rather, it would be better to set up guards with the Wolves (Dubbled’s Elite Knight Order)…”

“What was the reason Lisette died?”

At those words, Viscount Dubois flinched.

Duchess Lisette had been a nameless noble without even parents or close relatives.

The Duke had thoroughly hidden her to protect her.

She had rarely shown her face in public, not only at Imperial Capital social parties, but even within the territory.

Her protection had also been thorough. The current leader of the Wolves, who was the most powerful Magic Knight at the time aside from the Duke himself, was assigned to guard her without any gaps.

But she had died.

Her death, which everyone believed was from childbirth complications, was actually murder.

‘Was giving Young Lady Lisette’s name a declaration that he wouldn’t be caught off guard twice?’

No, that wouldn’t be all of it.

There was no place within Dubbled that escaped the Duke’s attention.

The same was true on the day when the wanted criminal Seria escaped from the Imperial Palace. The Duke knew that Leblaine had secretly entered the underground prison.

Theodore Dubbled hated most when his domain was not under control.

Yet there had been no sanctions against Leblaine, who was suspected of entering the prison without his knowledge and releasing the wanted criminal.

Far from sanctions,

“It’s surprising that a young child secretly snuck into the prison. Truly athletic ability worthy of my daughter.”

—he had forced him to praise her.

He had already fallen as far as he could fall.

‘Is this good fortune or misfortune for Dubbled?’

Of course, Young Lady was cute, lovable, had excellent athletic ability, was decisive, knew how to pity others, and knew how to be generous, but.

Another doting fool thought he should go see Young Lady while he was thinking about it and smiled foolishly.

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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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