The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 17

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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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“Originally, I didn’t plan to go that far…”

Ruby trailed off as she looked at Camilla.

And she kept pressing her still-stinging palm with her thumb.

“…I hit her.”

“Hit? Who?”

“The maid…”

Silence fell over the reception room.

Ruby cautiously looked at Camilla.

Camilla had stiffened.

Suddenly frightened, Ruby hastily added:

“But that commoner first…!”

“Well done. I thought it was something else.”

“What?”

She patted Ruby’s shoulder a couple of times.

“The lower they are, the more strictly you must teach them.”

Ruby’s eyes widened.

“…Really?”

“Of course. This mother has told you repeatedly. And hitting the maid instead of hitting her directly. Very well done.”

“Why?”

“On the surface, she’s brother’s ward. There’s nothing good about treating her roughly.”

Ruby’s expression gradually brightened.

As expected, she hadn’t been wrong.

Secretly pleased, Ruby asked in an excited voice:

“By the way, have you already met Lady Sharon?”

“Not yet. She seems busy, so I was waiting.”

Camilla patted the seat beside her.

Ruby sat down demurely.

The sofa in the Abner Family’s reception room was very soft and cozy.

Made from real animal hide, it felt even better than the one at Countess Coel’s.

“Mother. How about we lower our expectations a little?”

Camilla turned her head to look at Ruby.

“Not like before. What if we ask her to take me as a ward, just like that commoner beggar?”

“…A ward?”

“Yes! She might readily agree! If she’s sponsoring that strange girl, she’d definitely like Ruby more!”

Camilla’s expression became peculiar.

Ruby continued excitedly:

“As for affection, I can slowly earn it after entering the manor.”

“…Yes. That makes sense.”

Camilla muttered as if she had gained great insight.

“That would be perfect for bringing up the topic casually. After all, we Coel are the biggest trading partner for the mines, so it would be hard to refuse.”

A smile gradually spread across her lips.

“Our Ruby, how can you be so smart.”

“I take after Mother.”

The brightly smiling mother and daughter looked around the rest of the reception room.

The ducal family’s flags hanging on the walls.

Each bore traces of being torn or burned in fierce battles.

The medals and awards filling the spaces between were the same.

All were priceless treasures, things exchanged purely with the blood and flesh of the Abner Family.

Camilla thought.

Money could buy almost anything, but there was one thing it couldn’t buy.

That was honor.

“It would be truly magnificent if the Abner heir came from House of Coel.”

Camilla murmured dreamily.

In the empire, countless noble ladies were already desperate to push their children into the Abner Family.

Such was always the situation of a ducal house without an heir.

“What good is standing at the pinnacle of power when you can’t leave any of it to your own blood relatives.”

Ruby also nodded with her characteristic triumphant expression.

That was the moment.

“What interesting nonsense you’re spouting, Camilla.”

The reception room door opened silently.

Camilla jumped up from her seat in shock.

Though they said it would take at least another hour, Sharon Abner stood at the door.

“B-brother.”

Camilla stammered.

Sharon Abner glared at her fiercely, draped in expensive northern wolf fur.

Then she strode into the room.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

“…”

“A chance to explain those words with your own mouth.”

30 minutes earlier.

“I-I’m fine, young lady.”

I clenched my fists as I looked at Soya, whose left cheek was swollen red.

Ruby Coel.

Though only eight years old, how vicious her hand had been when striking Soya’s cheek.

“B-but I’m glad she didn’t lay a hand on you, young lady! With Miss Ruby’s temperament, she could have done something worse…”

To reassure me, Soya kept a smiling face.

As if she was truly fine despite being hit.

Of course, I couldn’t smile at all.

Miel seemed to feel the same way.

Miel was silently making an ice pack for Soya with a pale face.

Watching this, I whirled around.

“…Young lady?”

And I struggled to open the door and came out.

“Young lady! Where are you going!”

The two immediately followed me.

I tried to walk faster but tripped over my feet and tumbled to the floor.

“Young lady!”

Miel rushed over and helped me up.

I firmly pushed away Miel’s hands.

“I want to go to the Duke.”

Both Miel and Soya’s eyes widened.

Soya fidgeted and met my gaze.

“I-I’m really fine!”

Then she looked at Miel and stammered on:

“B-besides, hitting me wasn’t really such a big mistake, right, Miel?”

Miel nodded with a dark expression.

“…That’s right. And Miss Ruby is always like that. To all the servants in this manor.”

I didn’t answer and kept my mouth firmly shut.

Of course, I know too.

Among the nobility, there were occasionally people who treated their employees carelessly.

To them, employees were nothing more or less than livestock to be used when needed.

‘Even if they’re someone else’s employees, as long as you cover it up well, there’s no problem.’

Generally, they would either hush it up or silence people with cheap bribes.

I had actually seen such cases in my previous life as well.

‘But this is too much.’

I was clenching my fists and frowning when it happened.

“Young lady. Since you are a smart person, I’ll speak honestly with you.”

Miel seriously took both my hands.

“We’re truly grateful that you’re thinking of us. But the Coel family and the Abner family have a very good relationship. More precisely, our master and Camilla, the lady of the Coel family, have a close bond. So we can’t make a big issue out of such trivial matters.”

“…”

“You saw it earlier, didn’t you? How Camilla called our master ‘brother.’ Since the two of them are that comfortable with each other…”

I stopped listening and frowned.

“But that’s not how it should be originally, right?”

Miel closed her mouth.

“When addressing a duke, you should use the word ‘duke.’ Or call them ‘Your Grace.'”

Miel and Soya’s expressions were colored with deep confusion.

I knew why the two of them had such expressions.

They themselves were actually vaguely aware of it too.

‘How can everything be so similar?’

When Sharon Abner came to Evehill Orphanage to pick me up.

Duke Lambert Longton, who encountered her, consistently called her ‘madam.’

It seemed like an unproblematic form of address at first glance, but it actually wasn’t.

Sharon Abner was clearly the Duke of Abner and the head of the family.

However, calling such a person ‘madam’ to the end was tantamount to refusing to acknowledge her.

‘Wasn’t it quite famous in my previous life too?’

According to my memory, Sharon Abner had experienced countless similar incidents in her previous life as well.

Starting with Duke Longton, who enjoyed insulting her in this way.

In social circles, in important High Nobility Council meetings.

Those who harbored resentment against her subtly used the title ‘madam’ to show her contempt.

Never using words like ‘duke’ or ‘Your Grace’ to her was their petty way of bullying.

I’m not certain exactly what Camilla’s true intentions were in using such titles, but…

“If you’re really close with His Majesty the Emperor, would it be okay to call His Majesty the Emperor ‘brother’?”

Miel and Soya couldn’t say anything.

I took a breath to calm myself.

‘Also. Above all, that magic stone mine.’

“Abner was able to discover several magic stone mines all thanks to our mother’s help!”

When Ruby talked about the mine, it suddenly came to mind.

Currently, there was a fairly large-scale magic stone mine in northern Abner Territory.

From my memory, that magic stone mine was sold for a pittance around the time I entered my teens in my previous life.

This was because the ore vein became contaminated, making all the mined magic stones useless.

However, the absurd thing happened after this.

As soon as ownership of the mine changed hands, the contamination was miraculously purified.

I narrowed my eyes.

If nothing else, I was fortunate that what I had read in articles was relatively clearly remembered.

‘That mine. The buyer was definitely Camilla Coel.’

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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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