The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 112
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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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“Good job, Annellia.”
“Right. Annellia. Your pronunciation didn’t slip at all, did it?”
I reluctantly nodded as I looked at Grandmother and Tian who had rushed over as soon as the opening ceremony ended.
Still, having gotten used to it for several hours, my pronunciation when giving the entrance speech was at least better than it had been this afternoon.
“But still, it’s a bit…”
“No, you were so amazing that I didn’t even think about your pronunciation!”
Awin grabbed my hand and smiled brightly.
Then Tian subtly pushed Awin aside and came back in front of me.
“Aren’t you hungry? You couldn’t eat breakfast properly either.”
At the same time, my stomach made a growling sound.
‘Right. I was going to eat an apple, but I couldn’t even eat that because my tooth fell out…’
I nodded.
“A little hungry.”
Immediately, Grandmother, Tian, Miel, Awin, Owen, and several other servants all became busy at once.
“Is there somewhere nearby to eat?”
“There are a few famous restaurants, but with today’s crowds, I wonder if there will be any seats available…”
“If we say we’ll pay double for the food, wouldn’t they make room for us?”
I cleared my throat, feeling embarrassed.
No matter how much I looked around, there didn’t seem to be any other student who had brought as many people to the opening ceremony as we had.
While looking around, I spotted Prince Lewis, the youngest son of Longton, in the distance.
Beside Lewis stood one of Duke Longton’s adjutants whose face I vaguely remembered.
‘Duke Longton didn’t even come to see his son enter the Academy?’
I soon shrugged my shoulders and turned my gaze away.
‘Who am I to worry about that now.’
Then I tilted my head.
“But what about Theo?”
“Theo? Ah, you mean the Mage Tower Lord.”
I nodded.
‘He said he would definitely come today.’
Lately, I had grown quite close to Theo.
Not only had he helped me during the Senianna incident, but the more I got to know Theo, the more I realized he was truly a good person.
‘Smart, good at his work. And incredibly kind.’
Though he was a bit quiet, his heart was warm and considerate.
I could tell because he always remembered even the trivial things I mentioned in passing.
He would sometimes take care of things that even Miel hadn’t noticed.
Like removing all the sour candies I disliked from the candy jar.
Or moving materials I might need to lower shelves in advance.
“That’s strange…”
Feeling disappointed, I counted the days in my head.
Theo would return to the Magic Tower once or twice a month.
But usually he would come back to Abner Territory within three days.
There had been one time when he was away for about two weeks, but that had only happened once so far.
After all, Theo had a lot of work to do by my side.
He had to research Lasandra’s Ring that I was wearing, and he also had work to do as a member of the Abner Academy.
‘It’s already been over a week since he went to the Magic Tower last time.’
Since he still hadn’t returned, it seemed like something might have happened.
“He definitely said he would come…”
When I muttered with a dejected expression, everyone became restless.
“He was also supposed to bring the book I asked for this time…”
I had asked Theo for materials from the Magic Tower several times.
Most were books that couldn’t be found commercially, or old ancient documents.
And Theo always brought these materials when he returned from his trips to the Magic Tower.
I was checking the dates again in my mind when—
“Lady Lili!”
A familiar voice came from among the crowd.
“Oh! Uncle Rico!”
As I ran over, Rico, whose face was slightly flushed, cried out regretfully.
“Oh no, is the valedictorian speech already over? Ah!”
Seeing his horizontally long eyes droop downward, I quickly waved both hands.
“It’s okay! It wasn’t that great anyway because of my tooth!”
“Your tooth? Ah?”
Rico discovered my missing tooth and widened his eyes.
“Lady Lili, your tooth…”
I closed my mouth with a cough, preparing for Rico to laugh.
But contrary to my expectations, Rico didn’t laugh.
He just stared at me with a somewhat complicated expression and muttered to himself.
“…Oh no. My brother really wanted to see this.”
“Pardon?”
When I asked back with a puzzled expression, Rico shook his head.
Then he spoke with a somewhat awkward smile.
“There’s been some trouble at the Magic Tower. Theo really wanted to come, but the situation isn’t good.”
“What kind of situation?”
“It’s nothing serious. Ah, but more importantly, this.”
Rico held something out to me.
“These are the materials you requested from Theo. I stopped by the archive on my way here and brought them.”
I quickly took the books.
And I rapidly checked the top three or so volumes.
These books with titles written in ancient language were materials about dark magic that I had requested before.
After confirming that the book about artifacts was also included, I quickly handed the books to one of the guards.
They were too heavy for me to carry around.
“Thank you, Uncle Rico!”
“Not at all, if Lady Lili enjoys reading them, those books will be happy too. They’ve been trapped in the Magic Tower basement for hundreds of years.”
I deliberately laughed even more at Rico’s joke.
Grandmother, who had been watching me affectionately, spoke.
“Well then, let’s go have a meal first.”
I quickly took Grandmother’s hand.
At the very back of Annellia’s group as they walked away.
“Wait.”
The guard carrying the books Annellia had entrusted turned around.
Behind him stood Rico, who was the Mage Tower Lord’s assistant.
“What is it?”
“Well…”
However, Rico couldn’t continue speaking for several seconds.
He was just rubbing his forehead as if uncomfortable about something.
“…I mean, well.”
The guard tilted his head.
“The books… the books. I forgot to give her something.”
Rico pulled something from his coat.
It was a bundle of documents, like a collection of materials made by tying several old papers together with string.
“What is this?”
“It’s one of the books Lady Lili requested. I forgot I had put it in here.”
The guard nodded and received the book.
Nothing was written on the faded cover.
However, when he opened the first page, large letters were immediately revealed.
But it was text the guard couldn’t read.
“Be careful with that. It’s a really old ancient book that was being kept in the Magic Tower, so its historical value is enormous.”
The guard was startled and quickly closed the cover.
And worried it might fall to the floor, he tucked it between other thick books.
“Then I’ll take it to the Princess’s room like this.”
Rico nodded.
Then only after the guard had gone far away did he mutter quietly.
“I, I really don’t know anything about this…”
He had given it away.
In the end, he had handed over that material to Annellia.
But he had no choice.
“Lili says she’s going to find her real parents.”
“It’s fine. She won’t be able to find them anyway.”
If there was someone who had watched Theo from the side for the longest time, it would be himself.
So he knew.
How broken Theo was right now, how much he was rotting away from the inside.
“We all knew from the start that this was the only way.”
Theo said that, but Rico always thought a little differently.
That was because, though he seemed unaware of it himself, Theo had an excessively self-sacrificing side.
Perhaps it was because he was someone who had never once lived for himself since birth.
Rico swallowed hard.
“…Brother. I’m sorry in advance.”
If Theo found out about this, he would definitely be furious.
He might really lock him up at the top of the Magic Tower.
But Rico shook his head vigorously and shook off his anxiety.
‘But Brother is just as precious to me as Lady Lili, so I can’t help it…’
Rico felt so sorry for Theo.
Especially after learning what Theo had endured and persevered through when space-time was once distorted.
‘I think Lady Lili is extraordinary too.’
Annellia was a child who couldn’t help but be exceptional from birth.
So perhaps, just perhaps.
Annellia might find the method that Theo couldn’t discover.
The method to end Theo’s heartbreaking performance.
Rico stood in place for a long time with a complicated expression.
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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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