The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 261

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“Adrian!”

I looked at the small child running toward me from afar with a bright smile.

Adrian, who had just turned eight, had received the Hunt Duchy title two days ago and was visiting Abner Territory.

“Annellia, have you been well?”

And behind him stood another person.

“Sister-!”

I rushed over and hugged Kanaelle tightly.

“I heard you were staying in Hunt Territory? I had no idea.”

Kanaelle smiled awkwardly.

Then she whispered quietly enough that Adrian couldn’t hear.

“Adrian went through all sorts of things, but he’s still just a baby. Maybe because I’ve watched him since he was little, I keep worrying about him.”

Kanaelle was someone who had spent seven years in the Imperial Palace as Karin’s lady-in-waiting.

That meant she had also been close to Adrian, Karin’s son, during all that long time.

“In the Imperial Palace, he only played with his wet nurse or me. Hearing he was living alone and lonely in Hunt Territory made me feel uneasy somehow…”

Adrian was already examining the strawberries hanging abundantly in the garden.

“When I actually went to see Hunt Duchy, it was even worse than I thought. The vassals were scattered everywhere, and there were no servants left in the manor. Whether the branch families had looted it, even the treasure vault was completely empty.”

I was at a loss for words.

Thinking about it, it was only natural.

Etian, the previous Lord, had died, and not long after, even Karin was executed for treason.

It was a natural course of events for the Hunt family to become a mess afterward.

‘If the Dowager Empress hadn’t designated Adrian as the next duke, there would have been power struggles too.’

Branch family members would have appeared, each fighting to claim the duchy title.

“Sister Annellia! Can I eat this?”

Just then, Adrian came running over and showed me two strawberries in his palm.

I nodded with a gentle smile.

“Yes. You can eat them. But not too many. If you eat all of those over there, you’ll get a stomachache, okay?”

“Yes! Thank you!”

I watched Adrian’s back as he ran off with an excited face, then turned back to Kanaelle.

“How has Adrian been getting by?”

“I didn’t know, but it seems the Dowager Empress had assigned some people to help him. It looked like three or four people from the Imperial Palace had been taking care of Adrian so he wouldn’t starve.”

I frowned.

“Hmm, three people wouldn’t have been enough to work in such a large manor…”

“That’s why I hired about thirty more people on my way here.”

“What?”

Kanaelle added through gritted teeth.

“I also bought a reliable mercenary company and assigned them entirely to him. According to Adrian, quite a few branch family members had visited over the past few months. But every time they came, they only took valuable things and left. I was so dumbfounded.”

Kanaelle’s eyes blazed.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? What would Adrian know? Our child is too innocent and kind to understand anything. You saw it earlier too, smiling like an angel and saying thank you for just two strawberries.”

“That’s right. He was really cute.”

“Exactly! But those branch family members, instead of properly taking care of such a cute child, they try to stab him in the back? I gave the mercenary company strict orders.”

“What orders?”

“If any more petty thieves come in, don’t hesitate to cut off their heads.”

I nodded with a solemn expression.

It seemed Kanaelle had made up her mind firmly.

To become Adrian’s backing until the child grew up.

‘Actually, for the ruined Hunt family, someone like Kanaelle would be tremendously reliable backing.’

Kanaelle was the second princess of Duke Victor’s family.

And Duke Victor’s family had achieved great merit in the recent war, making their position even higher.

“Adrian really loves the fairy tale books I read to him. He always falls asleep before I even finish three pages, you know? I felt sorry for pretending to be mute while staying in the Imperial Palace.”

Kanaelle’s nose tip turned slightly red as she spoke.

Soon she said with determination.

“I will protect Adrian. I’ll raise him well so he can enjoy a happy life that’s second to none.”

“Kanaelle!”

Just then, Adrian came running over again with quick steps.

His lips were red, suggesting he had picked and eaten quite a few strawberries.

“Yan. What did you get all over yourself while eating again?”

Kanaelle gently wiped Adrian’s lips with caring hands.

Then she tidied the child’s disheveled hair and said.

“Shall we go in soon? We need to greet Duke Abner.”

“Yes! I really like Duke Abner.”

At those words, a smile spread across my lips too.

“You like our grandmother? Why?”

Adrian spread his arms wide with a serious expression.

“She’s tall, has cool hair, and they say she’s very brave and strong!”

“Really? Who said that?”

“Before, my brother…”

Adrian, who had been speaking, closed his mouth.

Then he tilted his head.

A faint confusion lingered in the child’s eyes.

“Your brother?”

Kanaelle laughed as if finding it cute and patted Adrian’s head.

“Adrian, where do you have a brother? Are you talking about the mercenary company that came to the manor recently?”

“Uh, no? The mercenary uncles are old…”

I quietly watched Adrian and Kanaelle walking away toward the palace.

Then I turned toward the building where Owen’s laboratory was located.

Should I call it fortunate?

Like Adrian just now, there were still people in the world who would suddenly recall Tian’s existence.

Of course, they could never fully become aware of Tian’s existence.

‘Still, this is better. Having even such people is much better.’

I unconsciously clenched my fists.

After the war ended.

Time had already passed more than half a year.

The Emperor’s remarriage preparations were in their final stages, and Adrian had become a duke.

Various parts of the Imperial Capital that had been damaged by the demon beast attacks were also completely restored.

‘…Just wait a little longer.’

Whether it was because so much time had passed, or evidence that Tian in the rift was growing weaker.

Lately, even I sometimes forgot about Tian.

Even while conducting research to find him, I would forget why I was doing it.

I looked up at the newly expanded West Wing building.

It was recent construction because so many people had been coming and going from the laboratory.

I could see the window of the research room where Owen would be, on the top floor made of slightly different colored bricks.

“Princess!”

Just then, Shasha came walking out from the building entrance, waving her hands vigorously.

“Isn’t today your day off? What brings you all the way here? Owen said he doesn’t even want to come near the West Wing on his days off.”

“That’s true, but I wanted to stop by briefly. I fell asleep yesterday leaving behind the list I was looking at, about five coordinates.”

“Don’t overwork yourself too much. Didn’t you say guests were coming today too?”

“They actually just arrived. Sister Kanaelle and Adrian, who became the Hunt Duke this time…”

“Ah~ That little one came again?”

I tilted my head.

“Little one? You know Adrian?”

Shasha burst into laughter as if to say don’t even get her started.

“Of course. It’s that young child who stopped by Abner Territory with Lady Kanaelle last time. I thought I was going to die laughing back then.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Princess Victor seemed fascinated by my arm and stared at it for quite a while. She even asked if she could touch it. We became friends after that and had various conversations.”

Kanaelle had such good social skills, so that made sense.

Shasha was also a bit prickly, but she was very kind to the people around me.

“Anyway, after talking like that for about an hour, Princess Victor went inside to rest, and then that young child suddenly came looking for me and started threatening me.”

My eyes widened.

Shasha continued with giggles.

“He told me not to hit on Princess Victor with my unusual arm. He said he was going to marry the Princess.”

My mouth fell open.

“What? Adrian said that?”

“Yes! So I teased him a bit. I told him this arm is one of a kind in this world, so it wouldn’t be easy to beat.”

Dumbfounded, I narrowed my eyes.

Adrian was one thing, but Shasha teasing a young child didn’t seem ordinary either.

“Honestly, I thought he’d get scared and back down, but suddenly he said if it meant he could marry Princess Victor, he could cut off his arm too, which startled me a bit.”

“Huh.”

I quietly said to Shasha.

“Shasha. Don’t tease young children.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

I was shaking my head at Shasha’s cheeky response when.

“Kyaaaaaaaa-!!!”

Suddenly, a strange screaming sound came from above our heads.

Shasha and I looked up in surprise.

Owen’s laboratory.

Strange sounds were echoing through the open window.

“Ahhhhh! Right? This is right?”

“It’s right! Ah, I said it’s right!”

“Kyaaaaaaaaa-!”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

The next moment, Owen’s upper body suddenly popped out of the window.

“Annellia! My disciple!! My disciple!”

Owen was shouting at the top of his lungs toward the main manor, thinking I was over there.

“I found it! I found that damn interdimensional space you mentioned!”

My breath stopped short.

The next moment, I ran into the building at full speed.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————