The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 100

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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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I deliberately became more and more pitiful.

 

The room was empty, with no maids coming and going.

 

The assistant head chef was so concerned that she personally came to bring snacks to my room.

 

Especially since they had issued a ban on approaching Awin, I had no friends my age around.

 

‘I’ll need to hear Herman’s investigation results to know for certain.’

 

I raised my gaze and looked at Theo.

 

“Is there perhaps a way to manipulate paternity tests? Since you’re the Mage Tower Lord, I thought you might know…”

 

“Manipulation, you mean?”

 

I nodded.

 

‘No matter how I look at it, Senianna seems fake.’

 

But Senianna didn’t show the anxiety or worry that fake people hiding their identity would usually have.

 

Even now when talk of conducting paternity tests within the family was circulating.

 

‘Normally, when they say they’ll do paternity tests, people would be scared and anxious in advance.’

 

The fact that she wasn’t and remained confident seemed like a sign that she had already taken measures to avoid being caught.

 

And there was only one person who could be behind this Senianna.

 

The very person who brought Senianna and gained even a little benefit from this incident.

 

‘The person who newly added their name to the estate administrator list.’

 

It was Jayden Abner.

 

I seriously pondered.

 

‘He must be planning to manipulate the paternity test.’

 

He was confident that even with a paternity test, Senianna wouldn’t be caught as a fake.

 

But I couldn’t know the exact method of how that was possible.

 

I needed to know that to devise countermeasures.

 

Finally, Theo answered.

 

“Paternity test magical tools are accurate. There’s no way to manipulate them. I made them myself, so I’m even more certain.”

 

I closed my mouth.

 

“However, if you manipulate the person, the results would come out manipulated too.”

 

But at the words that followed, my eyes widened.

 

“What do you manipulate?”

 

“The person.”

 

Theo’s voice was low and serious.

 

“Forbidden magic. That is, if you manipulate a person with dark magic, the paternity test results will show a match.”

 

I gulped.

 

“If you have the target’s hair or a small amount of blood, you can change physical characteristics to resemble them.”

 

“You mean, changing a person’s body?”

 

“That’s right. It’s possible to change not just blood and flesh, but hair color and facial features to resemble someone else’s.”

 

“B-but you said it’s dark magic. If it’s dark magic…”

 

“Dark magic is forbidden sorcery, but it’s still possible to cast. It requires a lot of corrupted mana, so it would be difficult in reality, but…”

 

Then he added.

 

“If there’s a medium filled with corrupted mana, it’s not entirely impossible.”

 

I paced around the room anxiously.

 

Through the window, I could occasionally hear Senianna playing with Awin.

 

‘When is Herman going to come…’

 

Herman had been steadily continuing the investigation I had assigned him.

 

And today was the day he said he would report the new information he had discovered.

 

I had been anxious since yesterday, wanting to hear it quickly.

 

Suddenly, the stories I heard from Theo yesterday came to mind.

 

“Forbidden magic. That is, if you manipulate a person with dark magic, the paternity test results will show a match.”

 

‘…To think such things were possible with dark magic.’

 

Creating a fake human that would inevitably match paternity tests.

 

Just imagining it gave me chills.

 

But assuming that, everything made sense.

 

Senianna focusing on books that children wouldn’t read for over 3 hours.

 

Her uncanny ability to pick out valuable toys.

 

All those behaviors that seemed like she wasn’t a real child, but imitating one.

 

‘…So Jayden really did bring a fake he had fabricated.’

 

Whether he used dark magic himself or hired a dark mage, I didn’t know.

 

But he must have created a fake body that would match Isabel Abner’s tests.

 

‘How on earth did Grandmother end up with such a wicked son…?’

 

Currently, Grandmother and I were making plans to move our residence to the Imperial Capital.

 

So the family was busy these days selecting someone to act as estate administrator.

 

Jayden, who had been behaving badly, was naturally excluded from the candidates early on, but…

 

‘The situation changed when he brought Senianna this time.’

 

Evaluations that Jayden had come to his senses began appearing in the family one by one.

 

And before long, he got his name on the estate administrator list.

 

Even Grandmother seemed to view Jayden with new eyes to some extent.

 

‘Right. Thinking about it, there couldn’t be a better opportunity for Jayden.’

 

I circled the room with an anxious expression.

 

‘Still, at first I thought it couldn’t be true.’

 

Even when I asked Herman to investigate, I was still unable to let go of my guilt about Senianna.

 

The very act of suspecting that child who might be Grandmother’s granddaughter felt like a tremendous wrong.

 

‘So in one part of my heart, I truly desperately hoped…’

 

That Senianna wasn’t fake.

 

That the child was really Grandmother’s lost granddaughter.

 

But contrary to such hopes, Senianna became increasingly strange.

 

It was the opposite of the atmosphere pervading the family that was convinced Senianna was Isabel’s child.

 

However, I soon understood.

 

‘Well, I only realized after seeing it myself. How much they really resembled each other.’

 

A few days ago, I deliberately went up to the top floor of the castle that I rarely used.

 

Because I had learned that there was a portrait of Isabel Abner there.

 

Only after seeing that portrait could I understand everything.

 

Why the vassals and Grandmother had been so flustered upon seeing Senianna.

 

Senianna really resembled Isabel Abner greatly.

 

To the extent that one could be certain the two were mother and daughter just from their appearance.

 

Sweat formed on my palms from the anxious feeling.

 

‘Dark magic, now that I know it’s dark magic…’

 

I needed to find out exactly how Jayden had pulled off such a scheme.

 

And also, what I had ordered Herman to investigate.

 

The background investigation of Philomena Longton, who had brought Hiana in my previous life, remained.

 

The reason why what she said about Hiana and what Jayden said about Senianna overlapped exactly.

 

‘It wasn’t just similar words. They were exactly the same, as if someone had written them a script.’

 

I pondered deeply.

 

Could Jayden and Philomena know each other?

 

If not, could there be someone they both knew?

 

Could that person be the one behind Jayden and Philomena?

 

If so, then ultimately Hiana too… Hiana might also perhaps.

 

Just as I was trying to calm my anxious heart.

 

“Princess. It’s me, Herman.”

 

Herman’s voice came through along with a brief knock.

 

As soon as Herman entered my room, he looked around with a bewildered expression.

 

“Princess, your room is…”

 

It was understandable.

 

All that remained in my room now were the bed, nightstand, and table.

 

“Don’t tell me Lady Senianna…”

 

Quick-witted Herman frowned as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

“I had my suspicions when you were going around in such simple attire, Princess.”

 

But I shook my head as if it was fine.

 

Then I gestured for Herman to quickly take a seat.

 

Herman sat down in the chair and spread out documents on one side of the table.

 

Then he placed a neatly organized document from the top in front of me.

 

“The amount is quite extensive. Nothing was left unchecked, but I organized it for your convenience.”

 

Then he began his explanation.

 

“Philomena Longton is basically a woman who has no particular affection for the Longton Family.”

 

I nodded.

 

I already knew this much from what I had felt in my previous life.

 

“You’re aware that Philomena was the one who found and brought back Longton’s youngest princess who recently returned, aren’t you?”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

“So she seems to be quite close with that child. She still has little contact with Lambert Longton or the princes. She rarely leaves the house, so you can consider that she mostly stays in her room. However…”

 

Herman lowered his voice.

 

“Once a month, very late at night. We’ve obtained information that she goes out through the manor’s back gate. It appears this has been going on for quite some time.”

 

I swallowed hard.

 

“Two days ago, she went out in a similar manner, so I had someone follow her.”

 

“Follow her…?”

 

“Her destination was the Imperial Palace. To be precise, the Empress Palace where Karin Hunt resides.”

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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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