The Baby Raising A Devil - Chapter 89

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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 89

“Assign me some trustworthy people. Four, no, it should be five.”

“What are the conditions?”

“They should be good at housework.”

Seria seemed puzzled by my words, but soon nodded her head.

“Where should I send them?”

“To Count Bartu’s Estate.”

If Leticia couldn’t meet because she didn’t have time, wouldn’t it be fine to create time for her?

* * *

Leticia blinked her eyes at the people who had come to Bartu Mansion since morning.

“You came for an interview?”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

A middle-aged woman with a kind impression took off the beret she had been wearing and bowed her head lightly. The people who came with her also smiled and greeted her.

It was a strange occurrence.

Although they posted job advertisements every week, finding people was like plucking stars from the sky because they repeatedly had to let people go due to delayed wages.

For the past three months, no one had even come for interviews, yet five people came overnight.

Moreover, judging by their age and the calluses on their hands, they seemed to be quite skilled people.

“What’s going on?”

A voice came from the top of the stairs. It was Count Bartu coming down with a newspaper in hand.

Leticia glanced at the people, then approached her father and lowered her voice.

“They came for interviews.”

“Perfect. The mansion has been dirty and bothering me anyway, so tell them to start working immediately from today.”

“But there are five of them. It’s already difficult to pay one person’s wages, so how can we employ five?”

“Didn’t Duke Marche say he would help us soon? Besides, your brothers are about to graduate, so they’ll enter the Imperial Palace soon. All that’s left is counting money, yet you’re worrying about trivial things.”

Father’s belief that Duke Marche would help House Bartu had continued for four years, but Marche had never helped them even once.

Rather, Bartu’s situation was getting worse as even their territory land was mortgaged and they were working for Marche.

Leticia knew well that the hope of her sons entering government service was just her father’s pipe dream.

Although they had spent a fortune to send them to a university attended by children of high nobles, her brothers had been having their graduation delayed for years.

As Leticia frowned, the Count clicked his tongue, pushed her aside, and shouted to the people who came for interviews.

“Start working immediately from today. Begin cleaning right away, and one of you bring tea to the study.”

“Father!”

When she shouted, the sound of a child crying came from the upper floor.

“Don’t make useless noise, and make sure I don’t hear that annoying sound. If you came back after carelessly having a child, you should at least not talk back to your parents.”

“…”

As Father clicked his tongue and walked away, Leticia forced herself to move.

When she went up to the room, her five-year-old son was crying until his nose turned bright red.

“I’m sorry, Lionel. You were startled because Mother raised her voice.”

The child sniffled and buried his face in her shoulder.

“I hate Grandfather… He bullies Mother.”

“Even though he speaks harshly, he has a lot of affection inside.”

“Always lying… Grandfather is a bad person but you say he’s good, and you said we’d go out but you went alone yesterday.”

“Alright, let’s go out today.”

“Really?”

“Yes. So my little one, stop crying now and let’s change your clothes first.”

“Okay!”

The child jumped up as if he had never been crying and ran to the wardrobe.

‘I need to pick up transcription work too.’

If she crossed the deserted Rossel Bridge and went around to the shopping district, she would be able to reach the transcription office without the child’s existence being discovered.

Leticia dressed the child and secretly slipped out through the back gate.

Lionel walked alone for about the first ten minutes or so, but soon got tired and started whining. The thought of carrying the heavy child and walking the distance of over four hours to the transcription office made her feel hopeless.

That’s when it happened.

“Lady Bartu!”

A young voice called out.

When she turned her head, Leblaine Dubbled was waving her hand frantically, wearing a black hat that covered her ears and a bright yellow long coat.

“Where are you going?”

“Ah, to the shopping district…”

“I’m going that way too! Would you like to go together? Please tell me more old fairy tales!”

Behind Leblaine was a luxurious and massive carriage made of ebony wood that was rare to see even in the Imperial Capital.

“But…”

“But who is that child?”

Leticia flinched. She wondered how to explain, but Leblaine said “Aha” and continued.

“It’s your cousin, right? I guessed correctly!”

“…”

“The baby must be cold too. Let’s go together. Our carriage is really warm.”

Just then, Lionel coughed.

‘There doesn’t seem to be any adults around. I should be able to explain the situation well to the Young Lady of Dubbled.’

Leticia pretended to be unable to resist and followed the child who was pulling her along.

* * *

That child is Lionel Rocard, the Grand Duke’s only son.

The child was gaping at Dubbled’s carriage. It seemed like he had never ridden in such a carriage before.

“Hello?”

When I spoke, the child flinched.

“…Hello.”

I chuckled softly and rustled around in the smallest bag beside me to pull out some cookies.

“Here.”

“….”

“This is delicious. Eat it.”

The child looked at his mother as if asking if it was okay. Leticia smiled faintly and said, “You should say thank you.”

“Thank you….”

The child who took a bite of the cookie widened his eyes. Then he devoured the whole thing like a crab hiding its eyes.

“I’ve never eaten anything this delicious before….”

“Come play at my house! There are even more delicious things there.”

“Really? But what’s your name?”

Leticia panicked and quietly called her son, “Lionel.”

“You shouldn’t speak rudely to someone you’re meeting for the first time. This is Duke Dubbled’s Young Lady.”

“Young Lady?”

The child looked at me and said that, so I nodded my head.

“I’m Leblaine Lisette Dubbled.”

“I’m Lionel!”

“Nice to meet you, Lionel.”

After greeting him, I looked at Leticia.

“Where should we drop you off?”

“I would be grateful if you could drop me off at the rear gate entrance.”

At the mention of the rear gate, Lionel became sulky.

“The transcription office again…. When sister goes, I have to be alone again.”

It seemed they had agreed to call her sister in front of people, as Lionel’s way of addressing her seemed natural.

“Then would you like to stay with me?”

When I said that, Leticia’s eyes widened.

“We can’t cause you such trouble.”

“I’m fine with it. I came out to play but I was lonely because I had no friends. I’ll tell Lionel the old stories that Young Lady told me.”

When I said this with a giggle, Leticia smiled back at me.

“Thank you so much.”

“Not at all. Is it okay if I go to the bakery with Lionel?”

“Of course.”

While we were talking like this, the carriage stopped. We got off at the rear gate and walked near the transcription office.

While she went to the transcription office, Lionel and I were supposed to stay at the bakery, but before we could even see Leticia off, the child stuck himself right against the shop window of the general store next to the bakery.

“Wow, wow! I know this! This is really cool!”

I looked to see what it was, and it was a toy bow that was recently popular in the Imperial Capital.

When you pull the bowstring of that toy bow, very, very weak heat or cold comes out from the round mana stone attached in place of an arrowhead.

Since it has a mana stone attached, it’s naturally exclusive to noble children. Of course, it was expensive accordingly.

“Can’t I look at this before we go? Please? Please?”

Leticia looked troubled as she watched her child start to whine.

Because there was absolutely no way he would just look and leave. Once he touched it, it was obvious he would lie on the floor and whine for them to buy it for him.

But Leticia seemed to be a mother who was very weak when it came to her son.

“We’re just going to look for a moment. You can promise that, right?”

“Yes!”

The child answered loudly.

And some time later.

…I knew this would happen.

“Buy it for me~! Buy it!!”

“This child, really!”

Leticia tried to forcibly lift up the child who was lying on the floor.

But Lionel was rolling around on the floor, hugging the sample toy bow.

Leticia sighed and checked the price tag on the toy bow, then flinched.

10,000 francs.

That was an amount she couldn’t earn even if she stayed up all night doing transcription work for an entire month.

“Get up. Let’s come back next time.”

But what would a child know?

“No. Buy this for me. Please buy it for me…”

Just as the two were having a tug-of-war, the wind chime jingled and some well-dressed noble boys entered.

The biggest child strode straight toward us.

And after looking at Lionel lying on the floor, he clicked his tongue and picked up a toy bow that was much more expensive than the one the child was hugging.

“Wow! That’s the new model. That’s the most expensive one except for what Hope Trading Company sells.”

“My father said I could buy it.”

“What about the one you bought last time?”

“I threw it away. Playing with it once was enough.”

“Wow, damn, you’re so cool! It must be really nice being rich.”

“Not really. Oh, but it is nice not having to roll around on the floor begging for one cheap item like some beggar kid.”

Then the boys looked at Lionel and giggled.

Young Lionel must have understood what the boy meant, as he suddenly stopped his tantrum.

Leticia’s face hardened.

“You children, what are you saying…!”

“Huh? Lady, I know you.”

The big boy looked at Leticia.

“That grandfather’s daughter who came to borrow money from my father last time. What was it again. Bar, Bar, Bar… Bartu!”

When Leticia stiffened, the boy smirked.

“So you really are beggars.”

As he tried to pick up the newly released bow, I quickly snatched it first!

“I’m going to buy this.”

“What? Hey, you girl! I picked this first!”

I called for the owner of the general store. The middle-aged man who had been organizing the display stand hurried over.

“What’s the matter?”

“Wrap it up.”

“Hey! I picked it first! Mister, sell it to me. If you don’t, I’ll never come back!”

The boy seemed to be quite a regular customer, as the owner looked flustered.

“Well, Little Miss, perhaps you could choose something else instead…”

“I didn’t say I was only buying that.”

“Pardon?”

I pulled out Dubbled’s seal ring with a snap and said.

“I’m buying all the toys here.”

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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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