The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 172

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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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Knock knock-

At the sound of knocking on the bedroom door, Karin woke from her sleep.

The clock was pointing to the middle of the night.

She frowned as she got up from her position.

Walking across the velvet carpet to open the door, a freckle-faced maid bowed her head.

“Y-Your Majesty. The Dowager Empress has called an emergency officials’ meeting.”

“An emergency officials’ meeting?”

Karin, repeating the maid’s words, slightly opened her mouth.

An emergency officials’ meeting in the middle of the night.

It seemed she had missed some good entertainment while dozing off for a moment.

“What’s the agenda?”

“Well…”

The maid looked up at Karin restlessly.

“The Dowager Empress has… the Empress, that is…”

Then she couldn’t continue and closed her mouth.

Soon, four sturdy men appeared from behind the maid.

They were the closest associates of the knight commander who was usually close to the Dowager Empress.

“You’ll need to accompany us, Your Majesty.”

Karin faced the knights with a hardened expression.

And without avoiding their intimidating gazes, she asked.

“I asked what this is about.”

The knights exchanged glances among themselves.

“An unfortunate incident occurred at the blessing festival sacrifice hunting grounds.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“The Empress has been named as a suspect in the incident.”

One of Karin’s eyebrows twitched.

“We apologize. We know this is rude behavior, but it’s the Dowager Empress’s order…”

“Lead the way.”

Karin finally answered with a cold voice.

Then she left the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

“I’ll accompany you for now.”

Something was going wrong.

Grand Assembly Hall.

“We have completed the detention of the Empress.”

Protests erupted at the knight’s report.

“What did you just say? You detained a pregnant woman?”

“How can such a thing happen! What if something goes wrong with the prince in her womb!”

“Shut your mouths.”

Then immediately a stern voice silenced the officials.

The Dowager Empress sitting in the head seat was glaring at them with fierce eyes.

“Don’t you know this is temporary detention?”

“Of course we know! But still, how can you confine the Empress to a prison cell!”

“Because Karin Hunt is a suspect in this black magic incident.”

Silence fell over the assembly.

The Dowager Empress looked at the Empress faction officials with cold eyes.

“Where did you hear Baron Melgon’s testimony? Didn’t he see dark energy flowing from the longbow that Karin Empress bestowed upon the Melgon family?”

The Dowager Empress rose from her seat and slammed down the paper in front of her.

“The dark energy flowing from the longbow contaminated Patricia Melgon. Patricia Melgon attacked her own father, Baron Melgon, and her appearance entering the forest armed was truly threatening!”

“…”

“The number of young ladies and gentlemen who disappeared from the hunting grounds reaches fifteen. Nine of them received weapons from the Empress.”

The Dowager Empress’s voice lowered.

“Right now the Crown Prince is in a life-threatening situation in a forest teeming with demon beasts! Even in this situation, are you spouting nonsense that we shouldn’t detain the suspect?”

The Empress faction officials hesitated and avoided the Dowager Empress’s gaze.

The Dowager Empress glared at the officials then ordered the knight.

“Until the truth of this matter is completely revealed, you must never release the Empress.”

The Empress faction officials groaned.

Most were holding their foreheads as if troubled.

Then.

“That person bestowed those weapons with good intentions.”

A calm voice was heard from among the officials.

A well-built old man with white whiskers covering half his face was looking at the Dowager Empress.

“When the blessing festival was decided, the Empress was very pleased. She said she could pray for heaven’s protection for the prince to be born.”

The old man’s name was Etian Hunt.

He was the lord of the Hunt Duchy that had produced Karin as Empress.

“That person simply wanted to share that protection with the Empire’s future. Though they are still young, aren’t they talents who will serve the imperial family someday?”

Etian Hunt slowly looked around the assembly.

“Should giving weapons with such good intentions lead to being suspected of black magic?”

“Of course not! Naturally not!”

As the Empress faction officials agreed, the Dowager Empress’s brow furrowed.

“Dowager Empress. Please do not hastily conclude that the Empress is the mastermind of this incident.”

Etian Hunt showed a good-natured smile.

“Perhaps someone maliciously ruined what the Empress did with good intentions.”

The Empress faction nobles nodded and rebelled more fiercely.

“That’s right! What if someone deliberately chose only the weapons the Empress bestowed and contaminated them?”

“It’s a scheme to make Karin Empress look like the culprit!”

“Isn’t this actually Duke Abner’s doing? Duke Abner is of Michaeliann blood, isn’t he!”

At those words, the Empress Dowager faction nobles’ expressions also turned grim.

“What did you just say? The Abner Duchy has served the imperial family most closely for a long time!”

“That’s right! Why would the Abner family endanger Crown Prince, who’s on the same side?”

“Same side? Where are there sides in the Empire’s imperial family? Ah, are you finally showing your true colors?!”

As shouting and finger-pointing began, the meeting hall instantly became chaos.

The Dowager Empress slowly pressed her forehead.

The Emperor was still lying in his sickbed, and the Crown Prince was in danger.

She wasn’t certain whether cornering the Empress in this situation was truly the right choice.

What if the threatened Empress completely changed and tried to seize control of the imperial family?

‘War would break out.’

But war would bring fatal consequences for everyone.

There was no guarantee that Edward and Tian would be safe amid an outbreak of war.

“Grandmother, from now on I’ll come every month to deliver Ulgen’s gifts to you.”

Suddenly she remembered what Annellia had said when receiving Ulgen’s gift.

“The purification might take quite a long time. It might take as long as you were exposed to the curse.”

The Dowager Empress couldn’t shake the feeling that Annellia had emphasized ‘time’ that day.

Annellia had continuously explained that purification wasn’t done all at once.

She had repeatedly said it might take a long time.

The Dowager Empress finally reached a conclusion.

‘Right. This fight is a long-term battle.’

Annellia must have been trying to warn her of that fact as well.

That girl was the most intelligent and clever child she had ever met.

“I’m not trying to split sides and fight against the officials.”

The officials fell quiet at the Dowager Empress’s words.

“I don’t think the Empress would have done such a thing either. However.”

She met the unreadable eyes of Etian Hunt.

“Since suspicions have been raised, shouldn’t we verify those suspicions? If Karin Empress is truly innocent…”

“…”

“We must find the real mastermind and prove the Empress’s innocence.”

Finally, the hesitant Empress Faction officials nodded their heads.

Etian Hunt looked at the Dowager Empress and smiled.

“A wise decision, Your Majesty.”

The Dowager Empress closed her mouth without answering.

Her eyes gleamed coldly.

At the same time, inside the prison cell.

Black smoke gathered in the corner opposite Karin, who was sitting on a blanket.

Soon, a person emerged from between the shadows.

It was Philomena, wearing a long black dress.

“You came, Philomena.”

At Karin Empress’s words, Philomena gazed at the sentries outside the prison cell.

The soldiers were all staring into space with unfocused eyes.

Philomena spoke quietly.

“I’ve cleanly emptied Your Majesty’s bedroom.”

“That item?”

“I delivered it to Jayden Abner as you commanded.”

“…I see.”

Karin sighed and continued speaking.

“I’m sorry things turned out this way. You were always good at completing tasks quickly.”

Philomena quietly lowered her gaze.

Karin watched Philomena and leaned her back against the wall.

“Many people saw the demon beast summoning circle with their own eyes?”

The summoning circle that summoned demon beasts had been installed secretly.

So that ordinary people wouldn’t notice it.

But according to the information gathered, it seemed several people had confirmed demon beasts being generated from the summoning circle.

“Yes. I definitely confirmed that the concealment magic was working properly.”

At Philomena’s answer, Karin frowned.

Then she began obsessively stroking her belly.

Had someone broken through the concealment magic?

But was that even possible?

When the demon beasts appeared, the forest became complete chaos.

Even Sharon Abner, the owner of the hunting ground, was too busy fleeing.

“Even if someone was very lucky and suspected the existence of the summoning circle.”

“…”

“Would it be possible to find all five summoning circles and break only the concealment magic?”

Philomena shook her head.

“It’s impossible. Unless it were Annellia Abner, perhaps.”

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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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