The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 102

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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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Returning to my room, I lay down alone on the cool bed.

 

“When I was your age.”

 

“My clan, the Michaeliann, was massacred.”

 

The story Grandmother had told me a few months ago came to mind.

 

It was a story from the past she had shared when she said she would adopt me into the family.

 

“Lloyd was my only conversation partner and the one person who truly cared for me.”

 

The previous Lloyd Abner was the man Grandmother had loved most in her life.

 

To Grandmother, he was both savior and lover, friend and family, no different from another self who shared the same soul.

 

But that Lloyd had left this world far too early.

 

“I remember it vividly. No one has served this family as long as I have.”

 

This was a story Butler Roger had told me sometime after I became a princess.

 

“Lady Isabel was such a bright and intelligent person. Just like you, young lady.”

 

“Lady Isabel?”

 

“Yes. The master cherished Lady Isabel dearly. If you had seen the two of them back then, you would understand what I mean.”

 

The relationship between Isabel and Grandmother was said to be truly solid and deep.

 

Grandmother, who was in a lonely position, relied heavily on her daughter Isabel, and Isabel also took great care of such a grandmother.

 

“But after the master experienced the assassination attempt, and as Lady Isabel approached adulthood, their relationship became strained.”

 

As she grew older, Isabel wanted to go outside.

 

It wasn’t simply about leaving Abner Territory, but she had a strong will to explore the world.

 

“The master opposed all of that. She wanted to keep Lady Isabel by her side until she could completely rebuild the family.”

 

“…”

 

“On the other hand, Lady Isabel thought such behavior from the master was terrible restraint and bondage.”

 

The story I heard from Roger was surprising.

 

But I could understand both Isabel’s and Grandmother’s positions.

 

‘Grandmother’s life had been a thorny path since she was five years old.’

 

The bloodline that had been living peacefully was suddenly massacred one day.

 

Just when she thought she could live happily after coming to Abner Territory, her husband left this world.

 

After that, she inherited the title to rebuild the family, but even that wasn’t easy.

 

“Grandmother just… wanted Lady Isabel to live comfortably and safely, didn’t she?”

 

“That’s right. Also, Lady Isabel inherited the blood of the Michaeliann Bloodline like the master, didn’t she? As you know, the Michaeliann are still suspected of being descendants of black magicians.”

 

One of the other reasons Grandmother was attacked was the Michaeliann blood flowing in her veins.

 

‘Through investigating black magic this time, I learned why that was.’

 

Ancient people could use magic freely.

 

They were shamans who could activate magic with just their bodies, without needing magic tools, magic formulas, or reagents like now.

 

But when all this magic suddenly disappeared one day, and people faced darkness.

 

‘The only clan that could still handle magical power until then was the Michaeliann.’

 

People who had suddenly lost their magical power thought the Michaeliann Bloodline had stolen all their magic.

 

From then on, persecution of the bloodline began.

 

Unable to endure the persecution, the Michaeliann banded together and went into secluded forests, living only gathered together in those places.

 

Until when Grandmother was five years old, when all the bloodline was massacred.

 

“But Lady Isabel was particularly interested in magic. She always showed interest in magical studies, and even had talent for it.”

 

“…Grandmother must have been even more worried seeing that.”

 

“That’s right. As you know, young lady, people’s perception of black magicians is very bad, isn’t it?”

 

Black magic was called forbidden magic.

 

It was because it was activated using human blood and corrupted magic power, rather than proper magic formulas and magic tools.

 

“She worried that those who suspected Lady Isabel of being a black magician might attack her, and that she might be imprisoned or punished…”

 

“…”

 

“The master had already suffered much hardship from false accusations and slander. She must have wanted to protect Lady Isabel from such things.”

 

But Isabel was stubborn.

 

She strangely resembled Grandmother in some ways, being incredibly obstinate.

 

‘I can’t distance myself from magical studies just because my bloodline is Michaeliann!’

 

‘Isabel Abner!’

 

‘You too, Mother. We should show those people who call us black magicians that we’re not, so why are we hiding?’

 

‘That’s not the issue right now! No matter how innocent we are, if we don’t have power…!’

 

‘Power is something you create yourself. And someone who gives up their freedom to others can never become strong, even if they die and come back to life!’

 

Grandmother became even more anxious seeing Lady Isabel like that.

 

So she finally removed all the magical study books and materials Isabel had been reading, and ordered her to stay only in her room.

 

“Then one day, she suddenly left home. Lady Isabel did.”

 

But at the end, a tragic conclusion was waiting for her.

 

“Soon news of her death reached us. Her last traces were found in a public ward in a corner of the territory.”

 

When they finally found her living under a false identity, she had already left this world.

 

“Though we didn’t confirm the body with our own eyes, we could identify Lady Isabel’s clothes and jewelry, and people’s testimonies also matched. His Excellency…”

 

My expression became gloomy.

 

The story I heard after that was too heartbreaking to think about even now.

 

“She tried to take her own life.”

 

Grandmother completely collapsed.

 

It was because she thought she was no different from having killed her daughter herself.

 

‘Near the collarbone, they said the scar from that wound still remains large.’

 

If it hadn’t been for Wendel, who knocked the sword from Grandmother’s hand at the last moment, Grandmother would have left this world then and there.

 

I curled up weakly on the bed.

 

‘I’m an idiot.’

 

All the puzzles in my head only came together when I was certain that Senianna was fake.

 

When I first suggested going to the Imperial Capital, Grandmother agreed immediately.

 

Even though suddenly moving from the territorial castle to the Imperial Capital as Duke Abner was by no means a light matter.

 

So when I first brought up the topic to Grandmother, I had somewhat lowered my expectations.

 

Yet Grandmother agreed without hesitating for even a second.

 

‘Not just that, but whenever I suggested doing something…’

 

Most of the time she agreed right away without any hesitation, and even provided support to put it into action.

 

So how could I not know?

 

‘Grandmother was painfully regretting all the things she couldn’t do for Isabel.’

 

That’s why she was trying to act differently toward me.

 

Come to think of it, everything was like this.

 

All this time at the Duke’s Castle, there was nowhere I couldn’t go, nothing I couldn’t do.

 

No one could force restrictions on my freedom, and in dangerous moments, they tried to protect me by assigning guards rather than constraining me.

 

‘Really, really awful Jayden.’

 

How could he think to use Isabel to deceive such a grandmother?

 

How could he fake Isabel’s daughter like that?

 

And even using black magic to do it.

 

‘Grandmother might… collapse again…’

 

My nose stung again.

 

I couldn’t forget the look in Grandmother’s eyes when she gazed at Senianna.

 

It even appeared in my dreams, making me wake up drenched in cold sweat.

 

‘I feel so sorry for Grandmother…’

 

But that didn’t mean I could let Senianna continue pretending to be Lady Isabel’s daughter.

 

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them, thinking of the magic device Theo had made.

 

The wind touching my nose was full of cold air.

 

Normally Miel and Soya would have lit the fireplace for me, but right now they were being held by Senianna.

 

Because after I hit her where it hurt, Senianna was now openly keeping my people tied to her.

 

‘That’s only until tomorrow too.’

 

I blew my stuffy nose into the handkerchief by my pillow and buried my face in the pillow.

 

The day Jayden strongly insisted on having the paternity test, the day to use this magic device Theo made for me.

 

It was now really approaching tomorrow.

 

“Are you really sure it’s okay to leave things like this?”

 

And at the same time, on the top floor of the dim West Wing.

 

“That brazen young child said something strange, you know? If she happened to notice something…”

 

Someone with a small build was stamping their feet and arguing about something.

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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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