The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 129

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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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‘His body turned into black smoke and disappeared.’

In the end, my reasoning led to one conclusion.

Jayden himself knows how to use black magic.

If it wasn’t black magic, there was no way to explain that strange ability.

‘Also, teleportation can be tracked, but black magic cannot.’

So there was ultimately no perfect way to follow Jayden’s trail.

I immediately summoned Awin to the Imperial Capital.

I realized there was nothing more to gain from monitoring Jayden.

Still, by that point, a few more things had become certain.

‘The fact that Jayden freely manipulates black magic means he’s continuously drawing corrupted mana from somewhere.’

The source of that mana was most likely Crookiatus.

I attended the Prodigy Academy and pondered over all these matters every night.

Sometimes I wondered if I was thinking too narrowly, so I would visit Owen to ask questions.

“Master. Are Jayden and Crookiatus working together?”

“Simply put, the probability is high.”

“Then is Crookiatus really the First Magtop Lord hiding his identity?”

“It was written on the paper that guy Rico or whatever gave you. That Crookiatus built the Magic Tower on Debokio Island.”

“That’s right. But then… what about Theo?”

But our discussions always hit a wall at one point.

“Theo is known as the First Magtop Lord’s son. That’s why he inherited the Magic Tower.”

“…Right?”

“Then Crookiatus and Theo must be working together too. They’re father and son.”

“Th…at’s right?”

“Then why does Theo help me?”

Senianna’s incident.

The plan Jayden devised to deceive Grandmother and take the position of estate manager.

This plan almost succeeded.

If not for Theo, who made a corrupted mana detector in just one day at the last moment.

“If Theo was on Crookiatus and Jayden’s side, there would be no reason for him to make me a corrupted mana detector.”

“…”

“Why did Theo help me?”

“…”

“What is Theo, really?”

It was a time when only worries deepened without any answers.

Questions about Theo arose endlessly.

But neither Owen nor I readily concluded that ‘Theo is a villain.’

No, it would be more accurate to say we couldn’t.

Congratulations on your top admission to the Prodigy Academy.

The letter I received from Theo shortly after the Opening Ceremony ended.

In one corner of the letter paper, hand-dried evening primroses were neatly attached.

That wasn’t all.

“Whoa, what? The library is completely different!”

The Duke’s Castle library I visited during my first vacation.

“Oh that, Theo personally organized everything before you left, young miss. He was so diligent? He wouldn’t let anyone else touch it…”

All the bookshelves in the library, which were five times my height, had movable stairs installed that weren’t there before.

The stairs were narrow, with railings attached on both sides.

The railings I grabbed out of curiosity were smoother than any wood I had ever touched.

As if someone had personally sanded them for a very long time.

When I thought that far, I eventually put down the cookie I was eating.

My chest felt stuffy for some reason.

“Annellia? Are you feeling unwell?”

When Ann asked gently, I shook my head.

And after a while, I muttered to myself.

“…He said his busy work was finished.”

Ann and Miel widened their eyes and looked at each other.

“He doesn’t write letters or visit.”

During the three and a half years, I hadn’t completely failed to see Theo’s face.

About once every six months, Theo would stop by the manor or the Duke’s Castle.

As always, he was quiet and blunt, but whenever I looked at Theo, our eyes always met.

“At first when he couldn’t come, he used to write letters often, but lately there’s nothing…”

I have so many things I want to ask.

I finally gained a little confidence that I could ask everything openly.

The sunset I saw sitting on the top floor of Abner’s main castle, I want to see it together again.

I glared at the half-eaten cookie for no reason and said.

“…I won’t sell my ears.”

“Ah, young miss? What do you mean by that?”

“I won’t sell them until Theo comes. I’ll ask Theo to buy them.”

Miel dropped the table sheet she was holding.

“B-but it’s finally my turn…!”

I slightly avoided Miel’s gaze.

Miel looked as if her world had completely collapsed.

Just as I was wavering and hesitantly looking at Miel again, feeling sorry.

Knock knock knock-

Someone suddenly knocked on the door.

What appeared next was Logrio.

“Um, Miss.”

Logrio called me with a serious expression.

“His Grace is calling for you downstairs. He says urgent news has arrived…”

Urgent news?

I tilted my head and got up from my seat.

I quickly went downstairs.

And,

“Karin Empress is said to be pregnant.”

What was waiting for me was the news of Karin Empress’s pregnancy.

“Tomorrow morning, an official article will be published in the newspaper.”

I looked at Grandmother with a tense face.

Next to Grandmother stood a man I had recently come to know.

‘His name was Russell, right?’

Russell was the news director of the newspaper company that Abner had recently acquired.

To be precise, he was Abner’s confidant whom Grandmother had installed after firing the previous news director.

“The reporter stationed at the Imperial Palace obtained permission from the Imperial Court to cover this story…”

As if telling him to explain, Grandmother gave Russell a meaningful look.

Russell nodded and opened his mouth to speak to me.

“This morning, the Imperial physician confirmed Empress Karin’s pregnancy. Shortly after, they informed us that we could report on this matter.”

Russell’s expression was very serious.

“And just a moment ago, we received news that the gender examination has been completed. The examination results show that the unborn child’s gender is…”

“A prince, right.”

Russell closed his mouth as if wondering how I knew.

But it was obvious.

Empress Karin’s pregnancy was tremendous news.

However, if the baby had been a princess, Russell wouldn’t have rushed to the manor in such haste.

‘Especially not with such a pale face.’

Since he was a confidant personally chosen by Grandmother, Russell was perceptive and quick-witted.

So he would have instinctively known.

“This is news that we Abners should be the first to know about.”

Russell nodded at my words.

“Yes. After all, hasn’t Abner been publicly supporting His Highness Tian all this time?”

“…”

“I thought we should be wary of the news of the Second Prince’s birth…”

Silence fell over Grandmother’s office.

Soon, Grandmother spoke up.

“We have to proceed with the report as scheduled anyway, don’t we.”

“That’s right. It sounds nice to say permission was granted, but in reality…”

“It’s pressure. To announce to the entire Empire as soon as possible that a new prince is in the Empress’s womb.”

I nodded.

‘I thought the situation might be different this time since Tian’s position in the Imperial Palace had changed.’

Empress Karin’s pregnancy had occurred exactly as it did in my previous life.

Even the fact that the unborn child was a prince.

In my previous life, the Second Prince was born shortly after I turned eleven.

And rumors that Tian would be deposed spread through the Imperial Capital in an instant.

The reason was that his temperament was violent, and despite his young age, he indulged in alcohol, aphrodisiacs, and women.

At that time, Tian was called the shame of the Imperial House, too stupid and incompetent to rule the Empire.

‘And he really was deposed two years later.’

Having his position as Crown Prince stolen by his brother who had just turned two.

I looked at Grandmother.

“Grandmother, I think we should report Empress Karin’s pregnancy news as the front-page headline tomorrow.”

Grandmother’s eyes widened.

Russell also looked surprised beside her.

“Remove all advertisements so the report feels sincere, and include a congratulatory message written in the family’s name.”

“…A congratulatory message?”

I nodded.

Noticing that my expression was unusual, Grandmother sent Russell out of the room.

Alone in the room, I approached Grandmother.

“When you explained the history of the Abner Family last time. What you told me then.”

Grandmother looked down at me.

“You said that an excellent commander sounds the drums before the cannons.”

The way to seize victory in battle.

It wasn’t about charging in recklessly.

It was about establishing efficient strategies and giving proper commands.

‘Showing displeasure at the news of Karin’s pregnancy…’

Would be no different from openly revealing our weakness.

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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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