The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 234

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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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The palace was bustling for a while due to two unexpected joyous occasions.

“Speaking of this baby crib, the renowned sculptor from the Eastern Continent, ‘Milan Wood,’ carved 123 baby angels one by one into the frame…”

“So how much is it?”

“Originally it’s 35 million francs. However, in celebration of the Abner family’s joyous occasion, I’ll give you a discount of about 500,000 francs.”

Grandmother nodded her head.

Grandmother stared intently at the baby crib said to be Milan Wood’s work, then turned her gaze to the back.

Behind the merchant, another dark-colored solid wood baby crib was placed.

“How much is that one?”

The merchant’s eyes widened as he hurriedly covered the crib with cloth.

“Th-this is not for sale.”

“Not for sale? What for?”

“This item is literally one of a kind in the world, truly special and precious…”

The merchant made a meaningful expression and lowered his voice.

“Have you ever heard of the ‘Sacred Ancient Tree’ of the fallen Kerreban Kingdom?”

At those words, I raised one eyebrow and answered.

“I know it. Kerreban’s Sacred Ancient Tree. It was the dynasty’s guardian tree. When the kingdom fell, its trunk was cut down.”

“Exactly! When they cut down the tree, sacred light burst forth, and people who saw the light reportedly saw angels in their eyes for a while!”

[That’s a lie.]

Then Lasandra appeared.

Lasandra circled around the merchant and clicked her tongue as if finding it pathetic.

[Angels my foot, dragons don’t raise such things. Looking at it, humans are really wicked. They just make up stories as they please, don’t they? So unconstructive.]

But Grandmother, who couldn’t know this, was staring at the cloth-covered crib with interested eyes.

The merchant continued speaking.

“The person who painstakingly procured that wood was my great-great-grandfather! He wondered what to make with this precious wood and decided to make a baby crib.”

“But why haven’t you sold it until now?”

“Well, it’s difficult to tell you the truth…”

As the merchant hesitated, a woman from the same trade caravan standing beside him spoke as if helping.

“Just tell them. Perhaps His Grace might purchase it?”

Just as I was about to frown at the artificial tone, the merchant reluctantly opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry to say, but we haven’t found anyone who can properly pay for this item yet.”

Grandmother narrowed her brow.

“The price must be very expensive?”

“After all, isn’t it a guardian tree that witnessed the beginning and end of a dynasty? They say if you let a baby sleep in this crib, the baby will grow up healthy for life.”

“How much is it?”

“About 2.7 billion francs…?”

Grandmother’s eyebrows twitched.

The merchant smiled while rubbing his palms together as if understanding.

“Yes, yes. It’s quite burdensome, isn’t it? I understand. I’ve wandered all over the continent, but there have been very few who could afford this crib’s price…”

“Abner can afford it.”

That’s when I spoke up.

Both merchants looked at me with wide eyes.

I stood up leisurely and smiled broadly.

“If it helps my soon-to-be-born siblings grow up healthy, 2.7 billion is… quite cheap.”

“Really?! Ah, so the rumors about Princess Annellia having great wealth weren’t false!”

“Yeah. I have a lot. It’s not even that much money, so I would have gladly bought it.”

“Pardon? Ah, you’re saying you’ll purchase…”

“Not that I’m buying it, but that I would have bought it. If everything you said was true.”

The merchant closed his mouth.

I went down the stairs, walked to the merchant’s side, and pulled off the cloth with a swoosh.

“Sorry, but Kerreban Kingdom’s guardian tree burned right after it was cut down. It’s written in the royal chronicler’s memoir that not even a single branch could be salvaged.”

“Pardon…? What do you mean by that?”

“Book collecting is my hobby.”

When I gestured, the knights waiting in the courtyard stepped forward.

“I mainly collect ancient books, and among them, I prefer ones written in ancient language. As you know, there aren’t many people who can read ancient language, right? I really love rare knowledge.”

Kerreban dynasty’s chronicler was famous for recording everything in ancient language.

The problem was that all of it burned when the dynasty collapsed.

However, the memoir he wrote after the dynasty’s fall was the only thing that remained, circulating in the Marque Black Market.

‘Until Dimas bought it as my birthday present last year.’

I let out a short sigh and stared at the merchant.

“Is only your money precious, and other people’s money not precious?”

The merchant’s lips trembled.

“What’s really bad about you guys is that you exploited the hearts of families caring for their soon-to-be-born baby.”

“W-we were wrong.”

“If everything could be solved by saying you were wrong, why would we have laws, underground prisons, and executioners?”

“Ex-ex-execution…”

As the knights stepped closer, his hands began trembling.

The two merchants exchanged trembling glances, then the next moment prostrated themselves flat on the floor.

“Please spare us! I must have gone temporarily insane, hearing rumors that the Abner family’s circumstances rival the Imperial Palace, I-I was blinded by money… Sob!”

I looked back at Grandmother.

Grandmother shook her head and shrugged her shoulders at me.

I pondered and spoke a word.

“Is that all the items you have?”

The merchants raised their heads.

They had expressions as if they didn’t understand.

“I’m asking if you don’t have anything better than that.”

The woman looked at the man and hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Th-there are several higher quality products in the carriage…”

“Then bring the best item you have. Right now. Oh, since there will be two babies, bring two. I’ll pay the cost price plus travel expenses to get here.”

The merchant raised his head as if he couldn’t believe it.

“R-really?”

“Yeah. And.”

“And…?”

I smiled contentedly.

“From now on, when you get good items, you have to show them to us first. But calculate the prices accurately. If you don’t, I’ll spread rumors across the entire continent about how you tried to scam us here.”

The woman’s face turned pale.

The trustworthiness of traveling merchants who serve nobles as customers was like their lifeline.

“Th-that’s the one thing…!”

“So from now on, become honest merchants who supply good items at reasonable prices. To our Abner first, of course.”

When I smiled slyly, the merchants nodded vigorously.

“This is it?”

“Yeah!”

“…Honestly, it seems better than the cradle I used when I was little.”

I showed a pleased smile to Tian, who was stroking the wood grain.

“Grandmother says she’ll look into toys tomorrow. I’m going to help her like today. Since we’re buying anyway, we should buy the best!”

Tian burst into laughter.

“Annellia. You seem to be already completely smitten with babies who aren’t even born yet.”

My eyes widened.

“What are you talking about? I wouldn’t get smitten with just anything. They’re my siblings, so I’m just taking care of them out of necessity. I’ve felt this since I was at the orphanage, but siblings are really troublesome.”

“Sure, sure.”

We left the nursery and walked down the corridor.

Tian casually asked.

“By the way, what’s the sudden occasion? Telling me to clear my whole day. You were always busier than me before.”

“Oh, it’s nothing special….”

I spun around to face Tian directly.

“We kissed, and we confirmed that we like each other.”

Tian’s ears turned bright red in an instant.

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

“When I asked Mica, she said people usually move to the next stage after that.”

“…What’s the next stage?”

“A date!”

“A date?”

Tian tilted his head.

“Isn’t it usually the other way around?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, let’s go to the Imperial Capital today. My master keeps breaking reagent bottles so I need to order new ones, and I need to look for toys for the babies too.”

“That’s a date?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Tian. What exactly do you take me for?”

Then I waved the two tickets I’d been holding in front of Tian’s eyes.

They were theater tickets that read 【Remus Caitlin’s ‘Savage Love’】.

“I know what a date is too. After we finish our business, we’ll watch a play and have tea at a tea house before coming back.”

Tian’s eyes widened and he burst into laughter.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

We soon went down to the first floor and got into the carriage.

‘A date isn’t anything special. I just need to do what I’ve read in books.’

Of course, I had no idea that this expectation of mine would be completely off the mark.

“Waaaaah-!”

“Kyaaaaa-!”

I screamed and threw my arms around Tian.

The monster, no, the man wearing a monster mask who saw me startled, chuckled and passed by us.

When I turned my head, I slowly took in our surroundings.

“Welcome to the Festival of the Dead! Get your skull chocolates at affordable prices!”

I muttered while still clutching Tian’s clothes tightly.

“No wonder the tickets were expensive….”

Of all days, today had to be the day of the ‘Festival of the Dead’ that only happens once every 10 years.

This festival was mostly similar to other festivals, but there was one key difference.

“Grooooar-!”

“Uaaaaaaah!”

In the spirit of liberating everyone’s souls along with the blooming spring flowers.

It was customary for people to startle each other.

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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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