The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 109
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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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“Did you hear that news?”
“If you mean the news that our little miss became valedictorian at the Academy, then yes I heard!”
“Yeah, then that’s good!”
Theo quietly watched Annellia’s retreating figure as she ran around the manor with quick steps.
Rico chuckled beside him and said.
“She’s been like that for days now. Going around everywhere – the Main Manor, West Wing, East Wing, even the Council of Elders’ meeting hall.”
“I know. I’m watching right now.”
“Miss Annellia is really too cute. When I see her like this, she really seems to resemble her mother…”
Rico’s voice trailed off mid-sentence.
It was because Theo let out a sigh so deep it seemed like the ground would cave in.
Unable to bear it any longer, Rico asked with suspicious eyes.
“Brother, why have you been like this for the past few weeks?”
“Like what.”
“You’ve been spacing out ever since the paternity test was finished. And you don’t visit Miss Annellia as often as before either.”
Theo had no answer.
He just kept his mouth tightly shut with a serious expression.
“No, you have to tell me what’s going on so I can…”
“Annellia says she wants to find her biological parents.”
“Ah, yes… What?!”
Rico jumped up from his seat.
A passing maid looked at the two men strangely.
Annellia was far down the corridor, bombarding other maids with the question ‘Did you hear that news?’
“She says she’ll find them and confront them. Ask them why they abandoned such a smart child like her. If it’s not a convincing reason, she’ll give them a piece of her mind.”
Rico stiffened before opening his mouth.
“N-no. How could such a thing…”
Then he hesitantly continued.
“B-brother. But you know, right? If Miss Annellia finds her biological parents…”
“I know. Things will get complicated.”
“Brother…”
Theo stood up and muttered in a considerably darkened voice.
“It’s fine. She won’t be able to find them anyway.”
Then he looked at Annellia in the distance with bitter eyes.
“Nothing will change. We’ll wait until Annellia grows up to a certain extent, and do what’s planned at the planned time.”
The atmosphere became solemn.
Rico looked at Theo with complicated eyes without answering.
“If Annellia is still curious about her biological parents when that time comes.”
“…”
“You tell her instead. That there were some complicated circumstances.”
“Brother…”
Theo lightly patted Rico’s shoulder.
“Don’t make that face, Rico.”
“…”
“We all knew this was the only way when we started.”
“An unstoppable existence? How can such a thing exist? It’s not like some dragon demon lord or anything!”
He suddenly remembered how that child had gotten indignant and asked back when he first met Annellia again.
Theo chuckled softly.
“…She has good instincts because she resembles her mother.”
What kind of expression would Annellia make if he told her such a thing really existed?
Theo turned around with a bitter expression.
“Let’s go, Rico. We’ll be late if we delay any longer.”
A full moon was scheduled to rise tonight.
And on nights when the full moon rose, Theo always returned to the Magic Tower.
Because there was work to be done.
Rico stiffened with a somewhat complicated expression before silently following Theo.
Behind them, they could hear Annellia chattering again, “Did you hear that news?!”
A week later.
I opened my eyes wide on the third floor of the magnificent fortress that stood tall in the middle of the Imperial Capital.
This palace, which had no name and was only called the ‘Southern Fortress’, was now Abner’s townhouse.
“Oh my, little miss!”
Miel, who had been quietly opening the door thinking I was still asleep, was startled.
“How unusual for you to be awake? You’ve been hard to wake up these past few days.”
“Mmm, my eyes just snapped open!”
“Oh my. It must be because today is finally the opening ceremony you’ve been looking forward to.”
Miel said as she wiped away the sleep from my eyes with a warm wet cloth.
Then someone else peeked their face through the slightly open door.
“Annellia, you’re awake.”
It was Teacher Ann, dressed up in pretty clothes for once.
Teacher Ann soon smiled brightly and looked outside the door.
“Please come in.”
Then several people entered the room.
“We agreed to choose the outfit for today’s opening ceremony this morning.”
I nodded at Miel’s words.
Soon one of the people who entered spoke.
“It’s an honor to meet you like this! I’m Rene, and I run ‘Forma’ on Main Street of the Imperial Capital.”
She was a noble lady wearing a fancy hat, fancy dress, and even sparkling shoes.
I opened my eyes wide.
Forma was currently the most successful dress shop in the Empire.
I knew this because in my previous life, Hiana only wore clothes made by this ‘Forma’ every day.
“I’m Charlotte, Rene’s assistant.”
“And this is Kiana.”
The two ladies on either side of Rene greeted me in turn, so I nodded.
“Yeah. Nice to meet you.”
Charlotte approached and smiled brightly.
“We made about ten dresses based on the measurements you sent us previously. Today you’ll choose the design you like most among them to wear.”
When Rene gestured, the dress shop staff came in carrying long rods with dresses hanging all over them.
“Depending on the color you choose, we’ll beautifully create hair accessories, shoes, and accessories if needed – all designed by me, Rene, so don’t worry.”
Miel added while brushing my hair.
“You remember when I took your measurements before, right? That was for this.”
Come to think of it, I remembered Miel measuring my body shortly after receiving the acceptance letter.
I turned my gaze back to the dresses Rene had brought.
‘They’re really pretty. To think the dress shop Grandmother called was actually Forma…’
Even to me, who knew nothing about fashion, each dress looked cute and pretty.
Rene asked Teacher Ann.
“What style does the Princess usually prefer to wear?”
“She finds flashy and cumbersome things uncomfortable. Plus, today she’ll need to climb stairs and stand on the dais.”
“Oh my, the dais? Is the Princess giving some kind of presentation?”
My lips slowly parted.
“You haven’t heard the news, I see.”
“What news?”
“Today is the opening ceremony for the Pharmaceutical Academy Gifted Program, and I’m the valedictorian there.”
Rene was startled and patted her assistant Kiana’s right shoulder.
“Oh my! Oh my, no wonder! So that’s why you gave us this commission!”
I looked at Rene as if asking what she meant.
Miel kindly explained.
“Forma is usually booked solid for a year in advance. In the midst of that, commissioning ten children’s dresses wasn’t an easy task, but…”
“Her Majesty the Dowager Empress personally contacted us, you see? She said she wanted to transfer an entire month that had been reserved for Her Majesty.”
“Gasp…!”
“When we asked about payment, Duke Abner said he would pay without any budget limitations, so we wondered what was going on.”
Rene’s eyes sparkled.
“Now I understand a bit. Even I would have cleared out two whole months if my daughter had become valedictorian of the gifted program.”
Charlotte and Kiana also nodded their heads.
The three of them soon began passionately examining numerous dresses one by one.
“How about this one?”
I shook my head back and forth.
“Then how about this?”
“Annellia likes light colors.”
“Oh my, is there a reason for that preference?”
“Lady Larienne said that because Annellia looks like a rabbit, if the dress color is too dark, it would look like the clothes are swallowing her up.”
Rene made a hmm sound and nodded her head.
We carefully examined twenty dresses and even the backup designs brought just in case.
After quite a while, the outfit I would wear to today’s opening ceremony was finally decided.
It was a pretty and calm dress that came down to my calves, made of ivory fabric with purple flower embroidery.
“I’m really pretty, Miel. Right?”
After having my hair nicely combed and asking, Miel made an expression as if she was melting.
“Yes! Really!”
I came out to the corridor with my chest puffed out, feeling somewhat proud.
Even in my own opinion, today’s me was quite cute.
It wasn’t for nothing that Forma was the most famous dress shop in the Empire.
“Young miss, what would you like to do about breakfast?”
I pondered for a moment and answered maturely.
“I think it would be good to eat lightly today.”
“Not eating heartily?”
“What if I eat too much and get sleepy? Since I’m the valedictorian, I need to know how to manage even what I eat. It’s going to be a really tiring life, right?”
“Yes… that’s really true! Then what would you like to eat?”
I pondered for a moment and then raised my index finger.
And copying the pose of a famous singer I once saw in a magazine, I said.
“Mm, today I’d like just one apple to keep it light.”
Miel looked down at me with round eyes.
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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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