The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 25

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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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On a bright day in May.

Lides Magic Stone Mine in northern Abner, 1st Mining Site.

The door of the tent covered in hazy dust opened.

What entered was a slender woman wearing a deeply pulled hood.

Jo, the middle manager of the 1st Mining Site, offered a greeting.

“You’ve arrived.”

The woman nodded her head in response instead of speaking.

Then she headed toward the table placed in the center of the tent.

Across from her, the chief manager of the mining site, also with his face covered like herself, was already seated.

“Thank you for agreeing to this meeting.”

The slender woman, Camilla, first offered her thanks.

Then she placed her hands on the table and leisurely drank the tea that had been prepared.

Such natural actions before negotiations were meant to ease the other party’s tension.

“I think you have some idea of what kind of request I’ve come to make.”

She got straight to the point with a gentle voice, so as not to appear cunning or suspicious.

However, the person sitting across from her gave no response.

He simply sat motionless, facing Camilla.

Even so, Camilla wasn’t flustered.

Negotiations. Contracts.

Sometimes even secret alliances formed for greater purposes.

These were things she had done countless times in place of her husband.

Buying off a mine manager was child’s play for her.

From the beginning, there was almost nothing in the world that couldn’t be done with the money she possessed.

“If you’re in charge as the chief manager of the 1st Mining Site, you must be from the Abner Branch, right?”

The question she just asked was one she already knew the answer to.

Since it came from someone who had worked at this mine for over 10 years, the information was accurate.

Camilla took the silence as confirmation and continued speaking.

“I’m well acquainted with Roman, the previous manager. We’ve… exchanged many things.”

Roman Tessel.

He was one of the Abner Branch retainers and a chief manager who had taken plenty of her bribes.

Of course, now that he’d been fired, he was completely useless.

Still, it seemed good to let them know she had been on good terms with him.

“I was working on a small project together with Roman.”

After speaking calmly, she gestured with her hand.

Immediately, two errand boys who had been waiting at the tent entrance came in, struggling to carry something.

Thud-

With a heavy vibration, it was placed on the desk.

It was a massive box made of nailed wood.

Camilla gracefully rose, positioning the box to face the other side before opening the lock.

As the lid opened with a rattling sound, the contents inside were revealed.

“Gasp…!”

Jo, who was watching from the side, covered his mouth.

The errand boy also gave him another box, slightly smaller than what was placed on the desk.

“The Abner Family has many problems. Jayden Abner, who should have inherited the ducal title, still hasn’t even received the title of Young Duke…”

“…”

“The current Duke, Sharon Abner, is quite wary of the branch families, isn’t she? When she married the previous Duke, the branch families opposed it.”

The Abner Branch families disliked Sharon Abner.

They were desperate to find even the smallest fault to pull her down from the head of family position.

Originally, negotiations proceeded more smoothly when there was such a common enemy.

“I don’t particularly like Sharon Abner either. Publicly we’re acquainted, but… you know how it is, right? It’s all just for show.”

Camilla signaled to the errand boys.

She hadn’t prepared just one box.

Thus, two massive boxes now sat on the desk with their lids wide open.

Of course, what filled them was…

“These are fairy magic stones imported directly from the Raoul Kingdom. This box contains some other treasures I gathered.”

Camilla smiled slyly.

She had noticed the other party’s mouth opening slightly.

‘Yes. These are those fairy stones from Raoul.’

Now that magical creatures were completely extinct, these were products of the almost uniquely remaining fairies.

If magic stones came from the ground, fairy magic stones were mysterious minerals rarely found in fairy habitats.

“These are items in high demand. I heard the Magic Tower can’t get enough of them.”

The other party’s mouth slowly closed.

And the corners of their mouth rose slightly.

Seeing this, Camilla exclaimed inwardly.

‘Got it. Success.’

With that kind of reaction, this matter could be considered finished.

Middle manager Jo was also out of his mind, peering into his share of the box.

However, since there had been one variable, it was necessary to nail things down for certain.

“If you cooperate with me, I promise you the same box every quarter going forward.”

One box filled with fairy stones.

“It’s not a fortune, but for a branch family retainer, you’ll live quite a wealthy life.”

“…”

“About ten times the salary of a chief mine manager, perhaps?”

The hooded figure across from her bowed their head slightly.

‘How naive. They must be so happy they’re about to cry.’

Roman Viscount had actually burst into tears when he received this box.

Camilla smiled and pushed the box forward.

“I won’t ask for anything major. When the contamination re-investigation proceeds in three days, just replace a few people with my confidants.”

A suffocating silence continued for a moment.

It was when Camilla was leisurely waiting for an answer.

“Interesting.”

Camilla was startled.

The chief manager’s voice sounded somehow familiar.

“So that bastard Roman sold out the family for mere trinkets like these.”

The chief manager removed their robe.

Silver-white hair falling softly along the facial lines.

Violet eyes that felt chillingly intense, and a crooked smile hanging at the corner of the mouth.

“I apologize for saying this, Your Grace, but honestly, it is tempting.”

Middle manager Jo, who was beside them, laughed as if amused.

Camilla just blinked, unable to fully understand the situation unfolding before her eyes.

“Why don’t you take it if you want it? Though you won’t get to enjoy it for 10 years like Roman did.”

“Oh my, why would you say such a thing!”

Jo, who had slammed the box shut, rubbed his forearm and made a fuss.

“I saw Roman Viscount get his head chopped off right before my eyes! I’m not such an idiot who’d sell his life for money.”

As if submerged in water, all sounds seemed to ripple.

‘Why, why, how…?’

The smile disappeared from Camilla’s face.

Under her robe, her hands trembled with spasms.

Why was Sharon Abner here?

At this magic stone mine, a full week’s journey from the estate manor.

“You look surprised, Camilla.”

Camilla raised her head.

Sharon Abner was glaring at me with an intense gaze.

“The contamination re-investigation was already finished two days ago. The part about three days later was false information I spread.”

“B-b-brother…”

“While cutting off Roman’s head, I also re-examined the ledgers. I understand now why you kept coming and going from my house like that, Camilla.”

Saliva went down with a gulp.

“You and your daughter weren’t lovely from beginning to end.”

“…”

“No matter how they’re just employees, they’re still my trusted subordinates. They’re family who live together in the manor. But you mother and daughter laid hands on them carelessly and humiliated them. Those things certainly didn’t please me. However.”

Sharon Abner slowly placed her hand on her waist.

It was where the sword sheath was.

“Still, I trusted you. After inheriting the ducal position, when I was practically isolated from both the family and social circles.”

“…”

“You were the only one who stayed by my side.”

Sharon Abner was using the tone she used when speaking comfortably with me in the reception room.

That made it even more frightening.

My body was trembling so much that my teeth were chattering.

“When you would chatter about trivial stories, asking why men are like that. Even then, there were moments when I felt less lonely.”

The expression gradually disappeared from Sharon Abner’s face.

“Thanks to you, Camilla, I’m learning many things today. It seems I trusted you more than I thought.”

“…”

“Seeing how great this sense of betrayal is, enough to make me want to cut you down right here.”

It was the moment Camilla’s gaze turned to Sharon Abner’s hand gripping the sword sheath tightly.

“No, Your Grace!”

The tent flap fluttered and someone came rushing inside with a thud thud thud.

Then they hung dangling from Sharon Abner’s right arm.

“You can’t kill her! Hitting is okay but killing isn’t okay!”

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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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