The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 67

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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 67

The noble ladies looked at the Child of Fate with amazed expressions. The Empress Dowager, who had been dying, began conversing with the child and became remarkably brighter.

When told it would be better to bathe without salt and change into soft clothes, the Empress Dowager readily followed the advice.

Though she had a gentle appearance, it was surprising that the Empress Dowager, whose stubbornness even the Emperor couldn’t break, was following the child’s words like a doll.

The child also carefully applied cream to the Empress Dowager’s body after she changed clothes.

“What do you usually apply?”

“There’s oil that the priest gave me.”

“How do you eat your meals?”

“They said stamina is important to shake off illness, so I’ve been eating mainly meat.”

“That’s strange…”

The child tilted her head sideways and blinked.

“Strange?”

“The priest seems rather strange…”

“Strange?”

“Many patients come to the temple, don’t they? Especially patients with unusual illnesses would try anything to get treatment. I know about atopic dermatitis, so why didn’t the priest know about it?”

“That’s…”

“They said thick oil and meat are bad for atopic dermatitis. It makes skin conditions worse.”

The Empress Dowager’s eyes twisted viciously.

‘The child is right.’

She had been doing as the temple instructed, but she had been feeling her condition gradually worsening. She had been believing them with the desperation of grasping at straws.

If the child knew about it, the temple must have definitely known too.

But not providing proper treatment until now must have been to keep using her.

‘Those cunning bastards!’

How much had she done for the temple until now? She had helped with the temple’s affairs even while growing distant from the Emperor.

“You’re the only one who thinks of me.”

When the Empress Dowager spoke pitifully, Leblaine smiled brightly.

“That’s not true!”

Then she ran over to the noble ladies and said.

“All the ladies have been so worried about Your Majesty. Earlier, they all looked pale with concern.”

“Is that so?”

When Leblaine didn’t forget the flattery, the noble ladies’ faces brightened.

“Of course, Your Majesty. Everyone was worried with one heart, though they couldn’t show it because they felt so sorry.”

“I won’t forget the ladies’ hearts. It seems I haven’t lived in vain.”

Until now, the Empress Dowager had only kept close to noble ladies who were intimate with the temple, so there had been no opportunity to become friendly, but seeing their moved expressions, it seemed the situation would be different from now on.

The noble ladies looked at Leblaine with favorable eyes for creating this situation.

‘Good, I’ve won the hearts of the leaders of high society.’

Without suspecting her sinister intentions.

“Following the child’s advice, it itches less than usual. What kind of reward should I give to such a clever child?”

When the Empress Dowager asked with a chuckle, Leblaine fidgeted with her hands.

“I’m fine. I’m happy just knowing Your Majesty isn’t suffering.”

“My, how admirable. But at times like this, telling me what you want would make me even happier. Tell me, what would you like? Toys? Gems?”

“It’s really okay… Um, then I’d like books!”

“Books?”

“I heard Your Majesty has many precious ancient books. They say you’re wise because you always keep books close.”

As her fourth-life social maneuvering skills kicked into full gear, the Empress Dowager delightedly sat Leblaine on her lap.

“Yes, I have an excellent library. Go ahead and choose. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“Wow─!”

Seeing the delighted child, the Empress Dowager smiled warmly.

“By the way, what was your name again?”

Despite personally orchestrating the adoption, she had never remembered the name once during three regressions, but now she asked for the first time.

It was the moment the Empire’s Empress Dowager fell into Leblaine’s grasp.

* * *

After leaving the Imperial Palace with Lady Javelin, I was holding the Empress Dowager’s book in my hands.

Seeing how excited I was, Lady Javelin asked.

“Don’t we have several ancient language books stored in our territory as well?”

Her expression seemed to say, “Are you really that happy about it?”

“But this is different from the books in our territory!”

This is actually an original scripture!

‘I never thought this would become mine.’

I hadn’t particularly intended to receive this.

It’s true that I wanted to receive a precious gift from her as proof that the Empress Dowager was in my hands.

But I mentioned books because that’s what noble ladies find most admirable when a child asks for it as a gift.

‘The fact that she personally chose and gave me an original scripture shows she’s completely turned her back on the Temple.’

I cheered inwardly.

I had completely severed the relationship with the Temple and obtained a Temple treasure that money couldn’t buy.

It was a perfect finish.

‘As long as I hold this, the Temple won’t be able to touch me easily.’

And of course, neither will Duke Dubbled, my protector.

“Any other child would have asked for toys. Well, you did say you could read ancient language.”

“Yes.”

“But you mustn’t let on anywhere that you can read ancient language. It would cause troublesome situations.”

I quickly nodded my head.

The fact that my ability to read ancient language was a secret known only to House Dubbled and high-ranking vassals was satisfactory to me as well.

When we returned to the mansion, my brothers were there.

“Is it true that you took the little one to the Imperial Palace?!”

When Isaac sharply questioned her, Lady Javelin pushed his forehead back with a light tap.

“If you know, don’t ask.”

“Right now the shrine priests are coming and going from the Imperial Palace, so what if you take the little one there!”

“As soon as we left the mansion, I could sense countless Dubbled Knights around. I thought we were going to war.”

“But they can’t enter inside the Imperial Palace.”

“They wouldn’t target the child at a time like this when there’s chaos because of the shrine incident. I’m not a fool.”

She pulled out a necklace from inside her clothes.

It was a necklace made of a wooden piece carved with the imperial family’s crest, strung on a thin cord.

‘Oh, that belongs to Duke Amitie?’

I secretly called that necklace a wish token. Because it allowed you to make a single request to the Emperor. It was such a special privilege that it was granted very rarely, maybe once every other generation.

In my previous life, it definitely belonged to Duke Amitie.

‘Ah, I see.’

In this life, Dubbled reclaimed the Kruger Kingdom. That became the occasion that marked the end of the continental war.

Dubbled had done what Duke Amitie was originally supposed to do, and received that necklace from Dubbled.

It seemed she had it because it was more necessary for Lady Javelin, who managed the mansion in the Imperial Capital, than for Father who was in the territory.

‘Yes, with that, she could ask the Emperor to withdraw the priests.’

The Emperor, who was in a power struggle with the shrine, would have gladly withdrawn them.

Henri said.

“But Aunt, it’s true that we should be careful about Leblaine’s outings.”

“The child is pitiful.”

When Isaac shouted “Why, our little one is pitiful!” Lady Javelin took off her overcoat and said.

“Excessive protection is confinement. How long will you keep taking away the things the child needs to know, see, and learn? For the rest of her life?”

Henri and Isaac’s faces hardened.

“The child I saw today wasn’t so incompetent that she needs to be protected by being caged like you do.”

After Lady Javelin said that and left, the two men fell silent.

* * *

Evening.

Father came to see me as I was rolling around wondering how to use the scripture.

When I looked up wondering what was going on, Father showed me a plate.

“Snacks?”

“The maids said they wouldn’t give you any because your teeth would rot.”

“They’re knights now!”

“Whatever they are.”

He blinked and pointed to the plate, so I jumped up from the bed.

At the small round table next to my bed, I ate the cake Father had brought.

Father, who had been quietly watching me with his chin propped up, said.

“I heard your brothers fought because of Javelin?”

“Javelin just talked with her older brothers, didn’t she?”

“But as a result, she made the two of them fight.”

I bit my fork and recalled Henri and Isaac from what I saw during the meal.

“Aunt’s words are sophistry. You also protected Mother by confining her. You’re the one who gave her a room without even a single window!”

“You must have realized after Mother passed away that it wasn’t the right kind of protection.”

The two of them bickered a little, and it seems they ended up having a big fight.

“Do you want to meet people?”

“No!”

“Leblaine.”

“…A little.”

I have faithful people who move on my behalf, but there are things that can’t be done unless I go out myself.

And I also wanted to experience other things.

This life was different from my previous life. What had been painful in my previous life often became joy in this life.

In the past, I hated taking baths. House Amitie was frugal, so there wasn’t enough warm water even in winter, and the Duke himself bathed in cold water.

They gave me warm water, but it wasn’t enough, so bathing was always a painful ordeal.

But now I really love it.

Bathing in abundant warm water with good fragrance added, chatting warmly with the maids, was one of my favorite daily activities.

In my second life, I hated going outside. Duke Valois would scold me for damaging his reputation whenever I fell on the streets.

He would find fault with every single action, making me wish I wouldn’t go out at all.

However, in this life, I eagerly looked forward to the times when I occasionally went out to the territory’s shopping district. A large hand came down on top of my head.

“We’ll have to hold a tea party when we go to the territory.”

“A tea party? Can I meet children my age?!”

When I widened my eyes, a faint smile appeared on Father’s lips.

“You do what you want to do. Worrying about protecting you is our job.”

I thought seriously.

‘Isn’t my father the coolest person in the world?’

He’s overprotective because he worries about me, but he always makes the decisions I want.

I was so moved that I jumped into Father’s arms. And when I kissed his cheek with a smack, Father’s eyes widened.

Since I had never kissed him before, he was very surprised and touched his cheek.

“I love Father the most!”

“…”

“Yes. The most.”

When I rubbed my face against his chest, a dazed response of “…Me too.” came from above my head.

* * *

The next day.

Duke Dubbled attended the State Council meeting, which only a very small number of powerful nobles could participate in.

After discussing several agenda items in a stern atmosphere, a break came.

Among the nobles, trivial chatter passed back and forth as if they were letting out sighs of relief.

Marquis Mongbel, who had been sitting with a solemn demeanor, was fidgeting restlessly. Most of the ministers knew why this man, who usually didn’t attend meetings well, had arrived an hour before the meeting started today.

His daughter, Agnes Mongbel, had become a page to Empress Yvonne.

She was the youngest among the Empress’s pages, who were selected only from outstanding young ladies.

A young minister brought up the topic with a “here we go” kind of feeling.

“I heard that Young Lady Mongbel became Her Imperial Majesty’s page this time?”

Marquis Mongbel’s lips curled up in a grin.

He had been waiting eagerly for those very words to come up.

“It seems Her Majesty found my daughter adorable at the recent party.”

Marquis Mongbel was one of those who possessed the most fertile territory in the Empire.

As a prestigious family with a long history, he who inherited voting rights in the Central Council after his father was a notable person of power.

The nobles chuckled and agreed with his words.

“If it’s Young Lady Mongbel, that’s quite understandable. I heard she received the most affection at my wife’s party as well. I’m told there are so many noble ladies who want to help with her education.”

“Thanks to that, it’s become quite bothersome.”

“Bothersome, you say. It’s something to be proud of. Isn’t she the most adorable daughter in the world?”

“Do you think so too, Duke?”

That’s when it happened.

Duke Dubbled, who hadn’t been participating in the small talk, clenched his hands with force.

He looked at the nobles.

When his cold blue eyes, seasoned with experience from the battlefield, flashed, the nobles flinched and shut their mouths.

Perhaps he was displeased with the agenda that had been decided?

Should they have raised taxes to 10 percent instead of 7 percent after all?

Or was he annoyed by the suggestion to assign the foreign magicians brought as prisoners to the Imperial Palace?! Should they have just let him kill them according to his temperament after all!

Duke Dubbled’s cruelty and ferocity were etched in every noble’s memory.

During the outbreak of civil war, the image of him walking while holding the severed head dripping with dark red blood after beheading an assassin who had invaded the Imperial Palace in one stroke was still vivid.

For some unknown reason, it seemed they had seriously rubbed him the wrong way.

Even the Emperor, who was sitting at the head table, called out awkwardly, “I say, Duke.”

Theodore Dubbled, with clenched fists, looked at the frozen nobles.

“My daughter is the most adorable in the world.”

…Pardon?

The conference room froze, and the startled Marquis Mongbel gulped down his dry saliva.

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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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