The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 62

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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 62

At the same time, at the Hope Trading Company in the Capital Shopping District.

Seria, who had become an elderly noblewoman with a bent back rather than her original young appearance with the help of an Alchemist, was checking the Hope Trading Company’s ledgers.

“Deputy Leader.”

The man who approached her looked around and lowered his voice.

“There isn’t much Luminous medicine left in stock.”

It was Curtis, her acquaintance who had brought Seria’s bounty to Dubbled’s Greenhouse in the past.

“I told the Mage to hurry and bloom the flowers to bring them. Make sure to refine them as soon as they arrive.”

“Yes. Oh, and the Guild Master said to keep the Doctors in line properly.”

He handed Seria a letter from Leblaine, the Guild Master.

The letter contained instructions to [be careful that the Doctors don’t prioritize making money, and from now on, have the Sellers gradually reduce the amount of medicine they sell compared to usual].

Curtis, who checked the letter together, said.

“Why are they suddenly telling us to reduce sales? When popularity is growing day by day, we could make enormous money if we increased distribution.”

“Well. All I know is that the Guild Master never gives foolish orders.”

Curtis pondered for a moment and then nodded.

He didn’t know or even suspect the identity of the Hope Trading Company’s Guild Master, but he knew they were an amazing person.

Like knowing in advance about disasters such as famines and floods, if they just followed the Guild Master’s words, the trading company could avoid danger and obtain enormous wealth.

‘What amazing intuition.’

Seeing how they owned the Spinel Landfill even before the trading company launched, they must possess tremendous capital.

If so, they must be a noble, yet they also understood the hearts of the trading company’s Workers. That person never gave inadequate treatment to the Workers.

Thanks to managing Workers with generous rewards and firm punishments, controlling Workers wasn’t as difficult as other trading companies always found troublesome.

With higher wages and benefits compared to other trading companies, the Workers’ loyalty grew day by day, and those wanting to get hired at the trading company were overflowing.

A Guild Master fan club had even formed within the trading company.

“By the way, did you find the person the Guild Master asked you to look for?”

“There are a few people I suspect, but the information isn’t certain enough to confirm.”

“Find them by any means necessary. We absolutely cannot disappoint the Guild Master.”

Deputy Leader Seria, the representative of the Guild Master fan club, widened her eyes.

* * *

The day of the banquet.

After finishing getting dressed up, I came down the stairs.

And as soon as I saw Father and my Brothers waiting at the bottom of the stairs, I let out an exclamation of “Wow─!”

The three people who had dressed up with determination were dazzlingly brilliant.

I had seen them in formal dress several times and was amazed each time, but now I realized that was just proper formality, not determined styling.

Dubbled’s symbol – silver hair brilliant and cold like embodying winter, and deep, transparent blue eyes.

High, straight noses and neatly positioned eye shapes, with slightly sharp gazes.

Not only their appearance, but they were all tall and possessed sleek, panther-like physiques, so any clothes they wore would suit them.

But wearing such luxurious and special tailored formal wear made them overwhelming to behold.

“You all look really amazing!”

When I spoke, Father gently stroked my cheek and smiled.

“You’re very beautiful too.”

This probably wasn’t just parental bias.

In my past three lives, I had lived in hardship which damaged my appearance, so no one thought I was pretty.

A skeletal thin body with bones protruding hideously, facial blemishes from malnutrition, and scraggly hair that I had unevenly cut myself to save on beauty costs.

Even trying to see the good in it, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

But in this life, receiving devoted care from Dubbled’s employees and retainers, I had definitely changed from my past lives.

My body had gained weight so the hideously protruding parts disappeared, my face was smooth without blemishes, and even my curly hair that had been a complex was now lustrous without a single damaged strand.

On top of that, I wore the dress Melbaine had painstakingly made, along with a cute lace ribbon and shoes.

In the mirror, I was quite a cute little lady who looked like she had been raised preciously in a wealthy family.

‘This is the miracle of capital.’

I thought this and giggled.

“Shall we go?”

Henri asked, so I nodded.

We took a carriage to the banquet hall. The place where the Sowing Festival, one of the Empire’s three great festivals, was held was the Imperial Palace Open Hall.

In front of the hall doors, an attendant’s voice announcing our entry rang out.

People’s gazes turned toward us all at once.

Even in my past life, I had attended the Sowing Festival as a duke’s young lady, but this was always a nerve-wracking affair.

The sharp gazes of those at the pinnacle of the Empire’s pyramid swept over my entire body as if appraising me.

‘And there’s also…’

I tightly clasped my hands that were breaking out in cold sweat.

Duke Amitie and Duke Valois would not be attending this year’s banquet.

Duke Amitie rarely appeared at such parties, just like Duke Dubbled, and Duke Valois had left urgently due to flooding in his territory.

I knew this, but my throat went dry with worry that I might encounter them. My trauma was triggered, putting me in an unprecedented state of tension.

‘Calm down. Today’s purpose is the Empress Dowager.’

I’ll just meet the Empress Dowager and return.

Father and my brothers were already surrounded by people.

Father had his usual expressionless face, Henri was conversing with people with a smile, and Isaac had a thoroughly annoyed expression.

‘I should join in too…’

Usually at times like this, I would mingle with young ladies my age through my mother’s introductions, but since I had no mother, I was hesitating and reading the room.

Then, an attendant’s booming voice was heard.

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager enters!”

People immediately moved back toward the walls.

Henri lightly pulled my arm so I wouldn’t get swept away.

“Glory to the Mother of the Empire!”

“Glory.”

When someone led the greeting, people paid their respects to her.

“Thank you for coming to my party.”

People who saw the smiling Empress Dowager looked at each other with troubled expressions.

‘Oh my, today too…’

Strictly speaking, it was correct that the Empress Dowager hosted the Sowing Festival, but this was an Imperial event.

Not ‘the Empress Dowager’s party.’

She had such a kind and gentle face that you wouldn’t notice at first, but the Empress Dowager had a tendency to want to show off. On top of that, she was very greedy and thus boasted of her authority with such subtle words.

‘If the Emperor had heard this, he would have held his forehead again.’

“Oh my, it’s the Child of Fate.”

When the Empress Dowager’s gaze turned to me, the audience also focused on me.

“Come here, child. Come here.”

When she gestured to me, I naturally looked around cautiously. Henri gave me a small nod.

I carefully walked through the people who had parted like the Red Sea and approached her.

“Glory to the Mother of the Empire.”

I said while spreading my skirt and looked at the Empress Dowager.

I will definitely win the heart of that old woman during this trip to the Imperial Capital.

* * *

The Empress Dowager took my hand with a kind face.

“You’ve grown so much. My goodness, you’ve really grown so much.”

In my past life, I often saw the Empress Dowager, but in this life, due to Dubbled’s firm refusal and close protection, she hadn’t seen a single strand of my hair.

“How can I raise my head to God when I die, having failed to watch over the child who will become the Empire’s savior as she grew up?”

Trouble appeared again in the eyes of the audience.

It was improper for Imperial Family members to talk about God-related matters in public.

The Empire was not a Holy Kingdom ruled by the Pope. In other words, even though the Neriad Religion was the state religion, there was no need to necessarily believe in it.

However, if the Imperial Family stepped forward to support the Temple, it would be no different from forcing faith upon the Empire’s citizens.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager’s words just now could be seen as expressing displeasure toward Duke Dubbled.

‘Hmm, the Emperor would have grabbed the back of his neck, not his forehead.’

I skillfully hid my thoughts and smiled.

“I wanted to see Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. I met you long, long ago, so I don’t remember well. I was wondering what kind of person you would be, but you’re much more wonderful than I imagined, so my heart is pounding!”

I deliberately spoke in a childlike manner. So she wouldn’t think I was flattering her.

As I intended, the Empress Dowager smiled very happily.

“How can you speak so well? I was worried you might misunderstand me since you grew up under Duke Dubbled, but it seems that was a hasty thought.”

“Your, Your Majesty.”

The lady-in-waiting called out in bewilderment, but the Empress Dowager didn’t even pretend to hear.

“Come, come. Sit next to me. Tell me how you’ve been.”

Next to the chair prepared for the Empress Dowager, a short-legged chair for children was placed.

I sat next to her and chatted away.

“So, Prince Constantine caught a cold.”

“Really, children these days are amazing.”

The Empress Dowager lightly placed her hand on her cheek and shook her head.

But despite saying that, she must be very intrigued. As evidence, her cheeks were flushed and her breathing had quickened.

People of high status like the Empress Dowager had no one to tell them such lowly gossip.

Living in the boring Imperial Palace listening to tedious stories, how entertaining must my tales be?

‘That’s why I deliberately asked Laura to focus on scandalous stories.’

In my first life, Mina had said.

In her world, there was something called morning dramas, which were mostly scandalous stories. And she said there wasn’t a single adult who disliked those morning dramas. Even if they cursed them in front, they’d be holding the remote control behind closed doors.

Of course, I also prepared topics that the Empress Dowager would openly enjoy.

“During service, a certain lady had a terrible stomachache. She desperately wanted to go to the bathroom but couldn’t leave her seat. So she waited for when they sang hymns and let out a fart – poot! But the priest told the choir, ‘The trumpet player was particularly loud today.'”

“Oh ho ho ho ho─!”

A so-called temple joke.

I couldn’t understand what was so funny about it, but people who diligently attend temple seem to find this story hilarious.

“The services are always troublesomely long. For someone my age, it can be quite painful.”

Ah, it was empathetic laughter.

“Conversations with the baby are so delightful. It’s been so long since I’ve had such pleasant company.”

When the Empress Dowager showed such joy, the people who had been glancing at us were surprised.

Though the Empress Dowager was someone who lived bewilderingly as she pleased, she rarely showed such open affection for anyone.

“Next time, please come play at the Imperial Palace.”

‘Good, she said what I wanted to hear.’

I deliberately put on a gloomy expression and said.

“But if the priest comes, Father will be troubled.”

The bad relationship between Dubbled and the temple was something every citizen of the Empire knew, and the Empress Dowager knew it particularly well.

Understanding what I meant, she nodded.

“When the baby comes, I won’t call for the priest.”

“Really? Wow! I’ve always wanted to visit the Imperial Palace where Your Majesty resides.”

More precisely, to a private space where I could see the Empress Dowager’s skin condition.

I needed to know how much her skin disease had healed to manipulate the Empress Dowager into abandoning the temple.

I hid my true intentions and smiled brightly.

Just then, the Empress Dowager looked at her watch and said “Oh my,” as she stood up.

“Wait a moment, dear. It’s time for me to take my medicine.”

When she extended her hand to her lady-in-waiting, the lady-in-waiting pulled out a small medicine bottle from her bosom and handed it over.

In my first life and second life, the Empress Dowager at this time was healthy. She had no problems at all except for her skin disease.

But she was taking medicine regularly?

“Your Majesty, are you ill somewhere? I’m so sad to hear you’re taking medicine.”

When I asked while deliberately drooping my eyebrows, the Empress Dowager chuckled.

“Don’t worry, dear. This is Youth Medicine. It’s a rather embarrassing name.”

What did she say?

I absolutely never sell that much medicine at once.

“I know about it too. I heard the Retainer Grandfathers talking. They said Hope Trading Company sells it?”

When I deliberately pretended not to know, the Empress Dowager took the bait completely.

“It’s not from Hope Trading Company. It’s a new medicine created by the temple.”

“I’d like to see it too. Could you show me what it looks like?”

“How could I refuse a request from the child who will become the Empire’s hero.”

The Empress Dowager seemed quite pleased with me and offered the medicine bottle without any sign of displeasure.

After smelling the scent and checking the color, I froze completely.

‘This isn’t a new medicine created by the temple. This is my medicine.’

They had simply changed the bottle of my medicine.

In other words, the temple had stolen the formula for my medicine.

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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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