The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 6

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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 6

I slyly turned my head to check my surroundings. The eyes of the Dubbled people wavered slightly.

“You stood up for us.”

Cringeworthy words spilled from the mouth of an emotional retainer, making me flustered.

‘I just wanted to hit Marco.’

With the retainers reacting like this, Marco, who had been rubbing his reddened eyelid where I hit him, fumed.

“That’s ridiculous! Why would I say such a thing? That’s a lie…!”

“That.”

A low voice clung to my earlobes. It was the Duke.

When the Duke’s gaze turned to Marco, Marco flinched and hunched his shoulders, and the Duke opened his mouth again.

“How dare you, to a child under my protection.”

His muttering voice was chillingly cold.

It was enough to make even me flinch involuntarily, so Marco, who received that gaze, forgot about making excuses and swallowed dry saliva.

Baron Jude approached, saying “Y-Your Grace.”

“He misspoke. Out of frustration. Isn’t that right? There’s no way my son would refer to Dubbled in such a manner…!”

The Duke moved slowly and approached Marco. A languid hand gripped Marco’s chin.

“Since your father insists so, I’ll give you a chance.”

“…Pardon?”

“If you can swear that your words are truth even after I burn your tongue and gouge out your eyes, I’ll overlook the disturbance you caused in my sight.”

“…”

“Of course, when you can’t prove it, it won’t end with just you.”

There was no way he could make such proof.

‘He’s basically telling him to die.’

Marco turned pale and froze, and the Duke’s gaze darkened deeply.

“I ask again. Are my child’s words false or true?”

“…”

The Duke’s presence was not something an ordinary child could handle.

Marco’s hands trembled like aspen leaves. His pants became wet, and traces of a trickle flowed down his ankles.

“T-true… They’re true.”

In the end, Marco confessed.

Baron Jude’s complexion turned pale. Since his son had admitted it, he could no longer even make excuses.

The Baron hurriedly prostrated himself and bowed his head.

“P-please spare us, Your Grace. I have committed a mortal sin.”

When the Duke let go of his hand as if throwing it away, Marco, drained of strength, rolled on the floor.

“Remove them.”

Soldiers who received the Duke’s command came rushing in.

Even in the midst of all this, Baron Jude and Marco shouted “Forgive us… Your Grace!” But there was no emotion on the Duke’s face.

Having been properly marked by Duke Dubbled, those two would probably find it difficult to live with their feet planted in the Empire.

As I watched Marco and his father being dragged away, the retainers gathered around me with grinning expressions. Their mouths were even more slack than usual.

“How admirable you are.”

“The sight of you boldly standing up to that big boy was magnificent.”

“Your calm explanation of the situation was also excellent.”

The retainers poured out their words, praising me to the skies.

It seems the misunderstanding that ‘I got angry and rushed at Marco for daring to call Dubbled a garbage dump’ hasn’t been cleared up.

Though my conscience was pricking me, I decided to think positively about it.

The retainers present here are the Duke’s closest confidants.

I had been thinking I needed to make a good impression at today’s introduction, so this was like blowing my nose without using my hands.

‘Besides, the Duke took my side too. I might have made a good impression on the Duke as well.’

I glanced at the Duke.

His expression as he looked at me seemed a bit softer than usual.

Feeling relieved, I unconsciously let out a sigh, and one of the retainers reached out his hand.

“Are you tired? That’s understandable. Come, come here. I’ll escort you to your room.”

The retainer who spoke had a very kind expression, but I slowly backed away.

Uncle, this is the first time you and I are meeting. You’re a stranger…

When I retreated with wary eyes, the other retainers burst into laughter.

“This fellow. Didn’t you hear the story? The little one is very shy around adult men. She seems to be afraid because of their large size.”

“But doesn’t she stay well in His Grace’s arms?”

“That’s because the little one likes His Grace.”

“Come to think of it, she always smiles only for His Grace.”

The Duke’s gaze turned toward me. Our eyes met and I unconsciously smiled.

This is similar to not showing your back and walking backwards when you encounter a wild beast.

I won’t provoke you (cry), so please don’t attack me (kill me).

—That’s what it means.

The retainers chuckled heartily.

“How is it that the little one likes His Grace so much. Isn’t that right?”

“Is that so.”

“Even when we heard stories from the Religious Order last time, she always sat only on His Grace’s lap.”

“Well…”

“You must be happy to be loved like this.”

“It’s bothersome.”

The corners of the Duke’s mouth seemed to rise arrogantly somehow as he said that.

‘I was trying to get along well with you, but you’re being petty.’

Having received such a harsh evaluation, I became depressed.

* * *

They say good fortune comes after hardship.

Meeting Marco brought back unpleasant memories, and I even heard the Duke call me bothersome, but there were good things too.

‘The retainers have come to favor me.’

They seemed to find me quite admirable for charging at that boy with a small body but big belly for Dubbled’s sake.

And once I caught the eye of those in power, amazing changes occurred. Even the administrators and management staff began taking interest in me.

Originally, I used whatever items the employees casually picked out for me.

Since I was a child who would soon return to the capital anyway, there was no reason to buy ‘things for me.’

But once I gained the attention of the management staff and administrators, I was able to buy daily necessities for myself.

I was extremely excited as I went out to the shopping district with Lea and the maids.

Dubbled’s shopping district was like paradise.

It was incomparably more prosperous than Amitie Territory or Valois Territory where I had lived in my previous life.

There were even specialty stores that you could only see in the Imperial Commercial District, making it quite fun to browse around.

‘There’s even a toy specialty store.’

It must be a place noble children visit, as more luxurious items were displayed than the toys at general stores.

Children came out of the shop, each clutching a toy.

A little lady of about five or six wearing a large bonnet was hugging a very soft-looking doll.

‘Right. They’re releasing that doll around this time.’

It’s a doll made in the shape of various animals, and when you hug it tightly, it says “I love you.”

Suddenly, my first life came to mind.

That doll was the first and last thing I ever begged Duke Amitie, who was my father in my first life, for.

“Daddy, I want that doll.”

As I fidgeted while gripping my skirt hem, Duke Amitie spoke sternly.

“Leblaine, if we donate the money to buy that doll, we could save countless starving people. Do you still want the doll?”

“…No.”

“Excellent. Today, instead of a doll, you have gained compassion and consideration.”

Duke Amitie smiled as he said this. I loved his smile so much that I never begged him for anything again.

‘But I really did want it.’

Eighteen-year-old Mina received that doll as a gift from him.

The Duke smiled even more brightly than before as he watched Mina hug the doll and delight in it like a child.

‘No, let’s not think about that time.’

As I shook my head vigorously, Lea spoke.

“Little one.”

“Yes.”

“Since we came all this way, shall we buy a toy?”

She must have thought I wanted a toy.

‘Lea is really kind.’

She smiled gently.

“Pick anything you want.”

Anything?

When my eyes lit up, the maids recommended toys.

“How about a puzzle?”

“Blocks would be fun too, don’t you think?”

‘Toys…’

The child’s brain seemed to be screaming ‘Buy me!’, but I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head away.

‘No, I can’t waste this opportunity on toys.’

I deliberately turned my gaze and pointed to another item. It was a bright red carnation corsage.

“But that’s not a toy, you know?”

When Lea looked puzzled, I fidgeted with my fingers and answered.

“The kids at the orphanage said to give this to people you like.”

“Oh my, that’s right. Thanksgiving Day is coming up soon.”

In Wygzentra, there was a custom for children to give carnations to their parents on Thanksgiving Day.

And I was going to give this to an adult too.

‘To Lea!’

I originally thought about giving it to the Duke, but remembering how he said it was “bothersome,” I decided against it.

‘I shouldn’t annoy him more and get on his bad side.’

Instead, I would give it to Lea, the head of the maids who took care of me and the kindest person in the world.

Though I had died three times and lived four times, this was my first time giving a corsage, so my heart was pounding.

‘A gift should definitely be a surprise.’

Lea, who had no idea, smiled as she paid for the corsage.

* * *

Dubbled Castle.

The Duke and his retainers moved to the conference room together to discuss the major and minor affairs of their territory.

While walking down the corridor, the retainers engaged in light conversation.

“Oh, a carnation corsage. Did you receive it from your daughter?”

Viscount Ropner, who was wearing a red corsage, proudly puffed out his chest.

“Yes. She said tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and pinned it on me herself with her tiny hands.”

“How admirable.”

Viscount Ropner, who had been waiting for a chance to boast, seized the moment and bragged.

“A child who’s only six years old offering a carnation with her tiny hands – I thought this is what happiness in life truly is.”

When he laughed heartily, the other retainers nodded in agreement.

“Nothing compares to the joy of raising children.”

“Yes. What good are honor or wealth, really? Nothing beats the happiness of a child loving their father and a father loving their child.”

“Exactly. What’s the point of piling up treasures in the warehouse if you can’t feel such happiness?”

“Well, such people are probably cold-blooded beings who don’t understand emotions in the first place.”

“You speak the truth.”

“How pitiful. Carnations represent the ultimate happiness.”

At that moment, another retainer asked the Duke.

“Your Grace must have felt such happiness when you received carnations.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Pardon?”

“I haven’t. Received carnations.”

In an instant, the office fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it.

The retainers swallowed dryly as they looked at Duke Dubbled, who ‘had three sons but had never even seen a carnation.’

Duke Dubbled and the three young masters were beautiful and talented enough to be constantly talked about, but they were cruelly cold and indifferent to others.

From the beginning, theirs wasn’t a relationship where they expected affection from each other.

“Well, that… boys aren’t usually very thoughtful. They often just say a simple ‘thank you for raising me’ and leave it at that.”

“I’ve never heard those words either.”

“…”

Then another retainer stepped forward, desperately trying to salvage the situation.

“What do words or carnations matter? On Gratitude Day, hearts are conveyed just by embracing each other.”

“…”

The Duke gave no response.

Don’t tell me they’ve never even hugged!

The retainers swallowed dryly.

The more they spoke, the deeper they seemed to sink into a quagmire.

The Duke watched the retainers who didn’t know what to do and twitched his eyebrows.

The retainers, their faces pale as sheets, desperately rolled their eyes looking for an escape route.

Then they spotted Leblaine and the maids coming from the opposite direction. She appeared to have just returned home, dressed in outdoor clothes.

And they saw it.

The carnation corsage in Leblaine’s hand!

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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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