The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 128

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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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“No.”

Tian answered immediately.

Then he calmly set down his utensils following the Emperor’s lead.

His red eyes met the Emperor’s, the Dowager Empress’s, and Empress Karin’s in turn.

“I’m only just beginning to fully understand the Empire’s governmental affairs. I haven’t had the leisure to pay attention to other matters until now.”

The Emperor nodded.

“…That’s understandable. My health hasn’t been good lately, so you’ve been overworking yourself.”

Empress Karin’s gaze turned toward the Emperor.

The Emperor had become noticeably thinner compared to a few years ago.

His face was sallow, and the sharp intelligence that once filled his eyes had faded.

It was due to the frequent headaches and dizziness that plagued him.

Tian spoke up.

“I hope Your Majesty… no, I hope Father stays healthy.”

The Emperor raised his gaze.

“Don’t you still have much to teach me?”

After maintaining silence, he let out a low chuckle.

“…Maybe it’s because you’re my only child. Even embarrassing words sound tolerable coming from you.”

The Emperor, who had been looking at Tian with a strange expression, rose from his seat.

Then he silently left the banquet hall.

Empress Karin also stood up and followed behind the Emperor.

As the banquet hall grew quiet, the Dowager Empress raised one hand and dismissed all the palace servants.

The banquet hall was left with only Tian and the Dowager Empress.

“…Well done, Tian.”

The Dowager Empress spoke in a serious voice.

“No matter whose daughter it is, having her name mentioned wouldn’t be good. Especially in front of that black-hearted Karin.”

Tian quietly lowered his gaze.

On his plate, blood had slightly spread beneath the neatly cut steak.

“Eat more. You’ve barely touched your food.”

Tian shook his head.

The Dowager Empress watched Tian quietly before asking.

“But do you really not have any girl you’ve set your heart on?”

Tian’s red eyes turned toward the Dowager Empress.

The Dowager Empress found herself quietly gazing at her grandson’s face.

‘…He’s my grandson, but he’s grown so handsome.’

Hair as black as the new moon sky.

Sharp, cool eyes beneath well-shaped eyebrows.

A straight nose and the lips positioned below it.

Until he was about twelve, he still looked like a child with soft, fluffy hair.

But Tian had grown into a youth boasting elegant and striking beauty.

“How could I dare set my heart on someone?”

Tian suddenly answered, then smiled gently.

“There is a young lady I hold in my heart with respectful admiration.”

“…”

“Since I was very young.”

“Why are my ears so itchy?”

I paused while eating my milk cookie and tilted my head.

Teacher Ann said affectionately.

“Maybe it’s time to clean your ears, Lia.”

Then Miel urgently exclaimed from beside me.

“It’s my turn this time!”

Teacher Ann’s eyes widened.

“There’s an order for cleaning Annellia’s ears?”

“Of course! This time it’s me, then Master, Soya, Sir Owen, Sir Wendel in that order!”

“…Good heavens.”

Teacher Ann looked down with a solemn expression.

“I’m still far down the list…?”

I looked at the two of them and shook my head.

Then I raised one hand seriously.

“My earwax isn’t what’s important right now.”

Miel and Teacher Ann both looked at me simultaneously.

“It’s about the rumor Awin told me! That I’m engaged to Dimas or Armin!”

“Ah, that rumor.”

Miel nodded as if she knew all about it.

And rightfully so, since if it had come up at Imperial Capital social gatherings, it was already a widespread rumor.

“Who on earth spread such a rumor? Those two and I aren’t in that kind of relationship!”

Teacher Ann smiled gently from the side.

“Maybe it’s because you spent time with those two when you attended the Prodigy Academy?”

“That was only because we were in the same group…”

“You saw them frequently even after the Prodigy Program ended, didn’t you? The princes often came to Abner Manor too.”

Miel chimed in from the side.

Of course, what she said was true.

Armin, Dimas, and Euriko frequented the Abner Townhouse throughout our time at the Prodigy Academy.

They said they liked it because our house felt like a place where people actually lived.

All three of their homelands were foreign countries far from the Empire.

So officially, the three stayed in the Pharmacy dormitory.

The dormitory was incredibly splendid and magnificent, but it did have a somewhat cold atmosphere.

‘On the other hand, they said our house was nice because it was always bustling with people.’

They also said the people in the manor were always kind.

“Since they always played in the young miss’s room when they came, maybe that’s how the rumor started?”

“Hmm…”

‘But that was all because of our investigation into Crookiatus.’

Senianna’s visit to the manor had already become something that happened over three years ago.

That incident wasn’t exactly pleasant for me.

I cried a lot back then, and I was terribly worried that Grandmother would be sad.

‘But it wasn’t a completely meaningless incident.’

Because through that incident, I learned about the true nature of black magic.

Black magic.

Forbidden sorcery that requires large amounts of corrupted magical power.

And presumably highly related to that…

‘Crookiatus the Evil Dragon.’

On the opening day of the Prodigy Academy.

After receiving that strange bundle of papers from Rico, I searched through the Abner Library, the Imperial Palace Archives, and the Pharmacy materials room.

But I couldn’t find any additional information about Crookiatus anywhere.

The same was true for the black market of the Marque Archipelago, where treasures and miscellaneous items from across the continent were said to gather.

‘Even when Dimas or Armin said they found something and I checked it out, it always turned out to be nothing.’

In the end, that bundle of papers Rico gave me was the only source of information.

‘But the more I think about it, the stranger it seems.’

What was written on those papers was, strictly speaking, a kind of story.

The story of Crookiatus the Evil Dragon and Lasandra, the sorcerer who sealed him.

And ‘stories’ were, by nature, the most easily transmitted form of information.

From mouth to mouth, from parent to child.

They were always convenient and quick to pass down orally.

But the fact that despite all this investigation, I couldn’t find any trace of Crookiatus meant.

‘…Obviously.’

Someone had intentionally hidden the information.

I crunched on the cookie again.

‘If there’s nothing to hide, there’s no reason to conceal it.’

So there was a high probability that Crookiatus really existed.

The black magic must have originated from there too.

Having investigated for over three years, I could now be truly certain.

Suddenly, I remembered Awin’s story from a few months ago when he had just moved to the Cedo Townhouse.

‘Lia, will it be okay? Leaving the Duke’s Castle empty like this.’

Awin had stayed at the Duke’s Castle for quite a while even after I came to the Imperial Capital.

Though he occasionally visited the Imperial Capital for a few weeks at a time, the reason Awin deliberately remained at the Duke’s Castle was simple.

‘Because I asked him to stay at the Palace and monitor Jayden.’

There was nowhere in the Duke’s Castle that Awin couldn’t go.

He also had his bedroom in the same West Wing as Jayden, and received love and trust from all the servants.

In front of the pretty and kind Awin, everyone would relax and chatter about various things.

‘The Council of Elders member who became the temporary estate administrator seems more upright than expected.’

‘How do you know?’

‘The servants say so too, and when I passed by and glanced into his bedroom, he had your photo. The one your brother took with a magic device when you lost your tooth.’

‘Huh? My photo?’

‘Well, they all have one each. I guess it’s because you’re cute and they miss you since you’re not at the Palace.’

The Elder who became the temporary estate administrator was the oldest grandfather among the Council of Elders members.

He walked with a cane every day and had few teeth left, but he was experienced and skilled in estate affairs.

‘I was worried Jayden might harm that grandfather, but unexpectedly there were no particular signs.’

Jayden had become completely quiet after the Senianna incident.

However, he consistently left the Duke’s Castle twice a week.

‘Sometimes he wouldn’t return until late at night the next day.’

Once, Awin had secretly followed Jayden despite my attempts to stop him.

Awin followed Jayden heading toward the secret path behind the city wall, keeping a certain distance.

And,

‘Lia. You know the back road of the Duke’s Castle? The straight path lined with birch trees on both sides.’

Then he told me an amazing story.

‘In the middle of that road, Jayden suddenly disappeared.’

‘Disappeared?’

‘He didn’t use a teleportation circle. There was no light coming from a magic circle at all.’

‘…’

‘He just suddenly turned into smoke and vanished. Black smoke like what comes out when you burn 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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