The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 156

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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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“There’s no need to be impatient, Your Majesty.”

Philomena calmed Karin with a low voice.

Karin frowned and looked up at Philomena.

“After all, eliminating the Crown Prince isn’t something that can be done immediately.”

Empress Karin bit her lips tightly.

Philomena’s words were correct.

If the Crown Prince died, the Emperor would have to immediately take a new Empress according to imperial law.

It wouldn’t matter even if there was a prince about to be born from the Empress’s womb.

“Right. Having new people enter the palace in this situation would be dangerous.”

“So wouldn’t it be better to wait for the right time for now? Or…”

“Or?”

“There’s also a way to keep the Crown Prince barely alive. At least until His Majesty the prince in your womb is born.”

Empress Karin’s mouth slowly opened.

“…Why haven’t I thought of that all this time?

A clear smile spread across her face.

“I just need to bring him to the brink of death first, then keep him barely breathing with that power.”

“…”

“And when my baby is born, I can cut off his breath then!”

Karin shot up from her seat.

“The hunting ground has been decided as Abner Territory?”

Philomena nodded a beat late.

The Karin before her eyes was standing on shards of broken glass from earlier.

“Come to think of it, there’s no better stage than that.”

But she spoke as if unaware that blood was flowing from her feet.

“The protagonists will be that damn Crown Prince and the Abner Duke’s daughter.”

Karin stared at Philomena with suddenly flashing eyes.

“Several nobles will participate in this sacrificial hunt too, right?”

“It seems so.”

Hunting sacrificial animals was itself like another event.

Because of this, nobles voluntarily participated in the hunt one after another.

Such large-scale hunts required many people to begin with.

“Right, since it’s a hunt held in Abner Territory, the Abner Duke’s daughter will definitely participate too.”

“…”

“They’ll use bows or hunting rifles developed a few years ago as weapons. Ah, considering that child’s build, it’ll be a bow rather than a rifle. A small one at that.”

Karin’s eyes toward the air flashed sharply.

“But no matter how small the bow, it won’t be easy for the Duke’s daughter to handle. She’s a young lady who sits at a desk all day and knows nothing about hunting.”

Step, step.

The sound of Karin stepping on broken glass echoed through the room.

She approached right up to Philomena’s nose with her mangled feet.

Clear red footprints were stamped behind her.

“The Abner Duke’s daughter will accidentally shoot the Crown Prince.”

“…Your Majesty?”

“The Crown Prince will barely survive but will lose consciousness for a long time.”

“For the crime of attempting to assassinate royalty, the Abner Duke’s daughter won’t be able to avoid execution. The Abner family will be exterminated too.”

“…”

“But what’s important is that the Abner family has contributed greatly to the Empire. For that reason, His Majesty will show mercy.”

“…”

“He’ll strip Sharon Abner of her ducal position, but maintain the family.”

Karin closed both eyes.

“Then the next Duke will be taken over by Jayden Abner.”

And then she spat out the final words.

“It’s a perfect play. It might even be the most interesting play since ‘the Empress who met a tragic death.'”

Karin began to laugh.

Sharp laughter echoed through the room for a long time without stopping.

“A sacrificial hunt for the blessing ceremony in Abner Territory?”

When I asked with wide eyes, Grandmother nodded.

“That’s what’s been decided. It’s good news, but…”

Grandmother put down her beer mug with a somewhat gloomy face.

I also put down my juice glass following Grandmother.

‘Hunting season is the time Grandmother looks forward to every year.’

Grandmother was a hunting enthusiast.

You could tell just by looking at the animal taxidermy positioned on every wall of the manor.

But Grandmother only liked quiet hunting with a small number of people.

Big events like sacrificial hunts were too noisy to feel the real fun of hunting.

“I even commissioned the Empire’s best craftsman to make a new crossbow for this year. I should try the recently developed hunting rifle with your skills too…”

I carefully spoke to Grandmother who was sighing deeply.

“Still, it’s very good politically, isn’t it, Grandmother?”

The blessing ceremony was an uncommon event.

It was an event held only when an Empress or Imperial Consort was pregnant with an imperial grandchild.

Moreover, this blessing ceremony had been omitted during Tian’s time.

So this blessing ceremony was being held for the first time in almost 40 years.

“Uncle Wendel said being selected as the hunting ground for sacrificial animals used in the blessing ceremony is a tremendous honor.”

“That’s right. The area where hunting ends is designated as a sanctuary for 5 years and receives state protection. But…”

I nodded inwardly.

‘I worked myself to death all year and was planning to rest quietly for just one week.’

If suddenly all the people of the Empire said they were coming to visit my house, I think I’d be very sad too.

I, who had been pondering, casually asked.

“Why do you like hunting so much, Grandmother?”

Grandmother made a thoughtful expression.

“…Well. It just makes me feel at peace, and it feels like complicated thoughts get organized.”

I became slightly flustered.

Because I suddenly remembered last year’s hunting season.

“Grandmother, wow! What’s this huge bag?”

“My pretty granddaughter is already here. Did you finish the Prodigy Academy early? I was preparing to leave.”

Grandmother was someone who always packed her luggage herself before leaving for hunting.

You could say her passion for hunting was that tremendous.

How tremendous was that passion…

“What’s this black bottle? It’s really pretty… ugh, blegh.”

“Hahaha, the smell is terrible, isn’t it? It’s liquid made from female red deer excrement.”

“Ex-excrement means poop and pee?”

“It can’t be helped if you want to lure and kill males. It’s also the best for masking human scent.”

“You have to go that far to catch deer? I thought you just had to shoot and hit them to catch them…”

“How could that be. If it were that easy, why would I hole up deep in those mountains for weeks?”

I didn’t know, but hunting was basically waiting itself.

Even having to smear animal excrement on your body to do it.

But Grandmother said that waiting was the very climax of hunting.

She said that sitting alone in the forest clears your mind and brings peace to your heart.

She also said the joy of success after all that waiting brings an indescribable sense of overwhelming emotion.

I thought deeply before opening my mouth.

“Grandmother. Then, how about just the two of us go wolf hunting again this winter?”

The hunting season for red deer and bears is autumn.

However, wolves were one of the beasts that could be hunted even in winter.

“This autumn will be quite noisy and busy, but wouldn’t it be nice if we went together quietly in winter? I want to see Grandmother shoot a crossbow!”

Grandmother’s eyes widened.

Her purple eyes filled with expectation that looked as pure as a child’s.

“Do you really want to do that?”

“Yes! And Grandmother has been saying since long ago that you’d teach me how to hunt. I could learn this time!”

Grandmother nodded with a brightened face.

“Yes, I actually have a small crossbow made for you to use.”

“Gasp, really?”

“But thinking about it, we probably don’t need to wait until winter. You’ll be participating in hunting the sacrificial offerings right away.”

My eyes widened.

I’m participating in the harvest festival sacrificial hunt?

“Originally, it’s the principle that all members of the household selected as the hunting ground participate.”

Grandmother smiled and got up from the sofa, walking to the desk.

Then she picked up some documents that were lying there and showed them to me as she spoke.

“Also, it seems the Dimas Princes will be participating too. Didn’t you know?”

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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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