The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 237

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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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“Uncle Wendel, Brother Awin….”

As soon as I spotted Wendel and Awin under the clock tower, I made a tearful face.

When I shuffled my way over to them, Awin’s eyes widened.

“Annellia, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

He must have come from work, as Awin was dressed in the formal uniform of an Abner administrator.

“I don’t know, it’s ruined.”

“You’ll have to tell me what’s ruined for me to understand, won’t you?”

“Our first date. It’s ruined.”

Only then did Awin look up.

And he spoke to Tian, who was standing behind me.

“What happened? You were so confident. Annellia must not have liked it.”

Tian sighed and grabbed my shoulders to look me in the eyes.

“I’m really fine, Annellia.”

“I’m not fine. Is it okay to put on that kind of performance in the middle of the Imperial Capital? They didn’t even do proper age verification!”

“We were both wearing masks when we went in, so they wouldn’t have known.”

“Still, if they’re going to perform such an explicit play, they should at least do proper age verification…!”

I shut my mouth, overwhelmed by my own frustration.

The more I spoke, the more I kept remembering the deep and intense acting of those two performers.

“Forget it. What’s the point of keep talking about something we already saw.”

I trudged over and climbed into the carriage.

I could hear Wendel asking Tian from outside.

“We could drop you off at the Imperial Palace briefly, are you sure you’ll be alright?”

But Tian shook his head.

“It’s fine. I have somewhere to stop by.”

Tian approached the carriage and met my eyes.

“Annellia. I’m sorry I can’t take you home.”

I shook my head.

“Don’t be sorry. You must have been busy today, but you cleared your whole day because of me.”

“That’s not it. The time I spend with you is never enough for me. Nothing else matters.”

Awin playfully interjected.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s how you feel. Then please get home safely. Sir Wendel and I will escort Annellia safely to the townhouse.”

Awin quickly climbed into the carriage and closed the door.

As Tian stepped back, the carriage began to move.

“Annellia, I’ll come see you in three days.”

Instead of answering, I waved my hand at Tian.

After a few seconds, Awin asked.

“Lili, your expression looks really terrible.”

A deep sigh escaped from my lips.

“Of course it does. The whole day was a complete mess.”

“So you thought your first date would only be good?”

As I pondered Awin’s words, I suddenly looked up.

“What do you mean? If you think first dates are always supposed to be terrible or awkward, that’s just prejudice.”

“It’s not that, but it’s your date.”

“Huh?”

“Since it’s Annellia Abner’s first date, I figured it wouldn’t be smooth sailing.”

When I frowned, Awin burst into laughter.

“You probably did everything exactly like you read in books, right? But in this kind of area, doing it that way often backfires. Usually experience helps.”

“Do you have a lot of experience, Brother Awin?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s little.”

My eyes narrowed.

“Then why didn’t you give me advice? When I said I was going to see a play, you could have recommended some good works.”

Awin smiled broadly.

“That wouldn’t do. Even I have to maintain my last bit of pride.”

“What are you talking about?”

But Awin just smiled mysteriously and looked out the window without answering.

Finally, I let out a deep sigh and muttered.

“I met Bloz Nancia today.”

Awin immediately turned his gaze back to me.

“The Count’s daughter Nancia?”

“Yes.”

“How interesting that the young lady came to the festival.”

“What’s interesting about it?”

“As far as I know, the Count issued a ban on going out. To Miss Bloz.”

Just as my eyes widened, Awin asked in a curious voice.

“But what did Miss Bloz say to you?”

I looked bewildered for a moment before answering.

“She asked me when I was going to break off the engagement.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yes. She was curious about when she and Tian could officially discuss marriage.”

“Hahaha!”

I tilted my head as I watched Awin burst into laughter. But before I could ask anything, Awin continued.

“So what did you answer, Lili?”

I looked at Awin with a wary expression before answering.

“I told her I’d appreciate it if she didn’t act so presumptuously.”

“Oh, stronger than I expected?”

“What’s strong about it, I just said it like it is. He’s still my fiancé, so Miss Bloz shouldn’t be telling me what to do.”

“But it’s also true that you’ll have to break off the engagement someday.”

I closed my mouth.

Awin was still looking at me as if he found it amusing.

“Annellia, the time promised by both families has already passed long ago.”

“….”

“His Excellency might not know, but the Dowager Empress is definitely waiting for talk of breaking off the engagement. She’s just not pushing because she’s worried about you.”

“….”

“Tell me honestly. Are you going to break off the engagement?”

Finally, I raised my eyes.

And I said to Awin.

“Brother. If I said I don’t want to break off the engagement right now, would that be wrong of me?”

Awin’s eyes widened.

“Honestly, I don’t want to break off the engagement. I realized my feelings too late. I was hoping to try doing various things together now, but breaking off the engagement? If we break up, Tian will get married right away.”

“I understand. But Annellia. An engagement means a relationship where you’ve promised to marry.”

“….”

“You and His Highness aren’t going to marry each other. Because you don’t want to get married.”

I closed my mouth.

Awin continued in a gentle voice.

“Why don’t you want to get married? Is it really the same reason you told His Highness?”

I looked up with a slightly dejected expression.

“The position of Crown Princess… no, becoming Empress in the future is burdensome.”

“What do you mean by burdensome?”

“Exactly what I said. I keep having this feeling that I won’t be able to fulfill all the duties I should in that position.”

“For example?”

“…First and foremost, the child.”

Awin nodded as if telling me to continue.

“The Academic Society, the Research Institute, and even the other businesses I’ve recently started. I don’t want to give up any of them. They’re things I can do better than anyone else and things I love doing.”

“….”

“Having a child right now and giving birth would be burdensome, but the real problem comes after that. Who’s going to raise the baby? Both Tian and I will definitely be busy.”

“Wet nurses don’t exist for nothing, do they?”

“That wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me.”

Awin tilted his head.

“I know better than anyone how great a sorrow it is to grow up without parents. That’s why the ideal parent I’ve always envisioned is one who can spend as much time as possible by their child’s side.”

“….”

“But I’m in a situation where I can’t be that kind of parent, you know? Unless I give up my dreams and my goals.”

Awin nodded.

Then he asked.

“Lili, have you seriously discussed this with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Huh?”

“What you’re worrying about now seems more like a couple’s problem than just your problem. Both sides need to think about it together.”

I closed my mouth.

“Lili. Marriage, having children. It’s not as complicated and difficult as you think.”

“How is that not a difficult thing?”

“Let me put it this way. It’s something that over 90% of all imperial citizens have done smoothly, are doing, and will continue to do.”

I froze for a moment.

It felt like something had struck me in the head as it passed by.

“You’re someone who accomplishes even things that no one else can do, things considered completely impossible.”

“….”

“So what reason could there be for you not being able to do what everyone else does?”

Silence fell inside the carriage.

I only raised my head after a long while.

Then I opened the window and shouted to Wendel.

“Uncle Wendel! Let’s go to the Dowager Empress’s Palace!”

However, when we arrived at the Dowager Empress’s Palace.

“Please, Your Majesty… I beg you.”

A familiar voice flowed out through the gap of the slightly open reception room door.

“You were the one who told me to try getting engaged first, Your Majesty. You said my heart might change. Then you should help me become that kind of relationship with His Highness as soon as possible.”

“Bloz. Did I not tell you? The timing of the broken engagement is for Annellia and Tian to decide.”

“Then exactly how long do I have to wait?”

Bloz sobbed pitifully.

“What if his heart completely leaves me while we’re dragging out time!”

“Bloz! What on earth are you saying!”

“I can’t live without him! Even now, every time I see him by someone else’s side, my heart burns with pain….”

The next moment, I flung the door wide open.

My head had gone completely blank, so I couldn’t even care about rudeness or anything else.

“Miss Bloz. What exactly are you doing here?”

When I asked coldly, Bloz’s eyes immediately turned toward me.

“Didn’t I explain it in a way you could understand during the day? How this behavior looks from my perspective….”

“Princess!”

But the next moment, I closed my mouth.

Because Bloz immediately ran in front of me and knelt on the floor.

“Please, I beg you… I need to get engaged to His Highness Tian! And I need to have the engagement broken as soon as possible!”

I frowned.

Just as I was doubting my ears, wondering if I had heard correctly, Bloz added.

“My parents will only accept it if I’m definitively rejected by His Highness. That this marriage is absurd. That there’s someone else I’m meant to spend my life with!”

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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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