The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 279

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

“It’s not just a story, you know. It’s about our sister, so why would a dragon appear in it?”

Leon let out an “Ah” and nodded her head.

“That’s true. But if you think about it, dragons haven’t completely disappeared, have they?”

At those words, Yuriadne shot up to her feet.

The child ran hurriedly to Leon, her hair braided neatly in two pigtails swaying back and forth.

“Aunt Leon! Are there still dragons left?”

“There are no dragons left in the underworld. But the person who could be said to be closest to dragons is nearby.”

Yuriadne’s mouth fell wide open.

“Wh-wh-who is it?!”

At the voice full of anticipation and excitement, Leon tilted her gaze sideways.

Then, after setting down the book she was reading on the nightstand, she answered in a sly voice.

“It’s a secret.”

Yuriadne’s expression was struck with shock.

“A secret?!”

“Yes. If you reveal who the dragon is, you’ll be cursed. A terrible curse where you can never eat custard pudding for the rest of your life.”

Terror filled Yuriadne’s violet eyes.

The child staggered and plopped down in her seat.

“N-never being able to eat pudding for life, how could that be so cruel!”

“It’s not ‘jamil,’ it’s ‘janin’ (cruel), Yuri.”

Luel, who had lightly corrected her, approached and sat down next to Yuriadne.

Then she smoothed out the hem of the child’s pants that had rolled up on one side.

“By the way, when are you going to take your nap? I told you all the old stories as promised.”

Yuriadne kept her mouth tightly shut and shook her head back and forth.

Even so, her eyes were already full of sleepiness.

Luel let out a sigh.

“If you keep not sleeping, I won’t have any face to show your sister, Yuri.”

“Face is what?”

“I’m talking about dignity.”

“Hypnosis?”

“…Never mind.”

Luel made a clicking sound and scooped up Yuriadne in her arms.

Then, patting the child’s back, she said.

“Come on, let’s take a nap now, okay? If you don’t sleep today too, it’ll be trouble.”

Yuriadne, who had been resisting by shaking her head, reluctantly leaned her head against Luel’s shoulder.

Then she asked in a drowsy voice.

“But really, what kind of trouble will happen?”

“If you don’t take a nap now, you’ll be tired later. That’s the trouble.”

Yuriadne was now three years old.

And she belonged to the category of those who had tremendously little sleep.

“You need to take a nap so you can sleep properly at night. That way you won’t wake up at three in the morning like last time and wake up everyone in the Imperial Capital.”

Leon’s words were true.

On days when Yuriadne didn’t take a nap, she would always fall asleep in the early evening.

Then she would wake up at dawn the next day and go around waking up everyone in the Imperial Capital.

“Right. The paralysis of the Imperial Capital means the paralysis of the Empire.”

Leon quietly added.

Everything was what Annellia had earnestly requested when she entrusted Yuriadne to Luel and Leon.

Soon, Luel, who had been walking around the room a few times holding Yuriadne, stopped in place.

It was because she suddenly realized that the child had become quiet.

“Come and see. Did she fall asleep?”

At Luel’s whispered words, Leon approached the two of them with silent footsteps.

Indeed, Yuriadne had fallen fast asleep in the short time.

“She’s asleep.”

Leon quickly opened the door.

The quiet corridor of the Imperial Capital spread out before them.

“…Let’s quickly take her to the bedroom.”

In case Yuriadne might wake up, Luel quickened her steps.

While doing so, she looked back at Leon.

“If we just successfully put Yuriadne to sleep, that’s it, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

If they succeeded in the operation to put Yuriadne down for a nap, the twins had something they were supposed to receive from Annellia.

Leon’s eyes blazed up.

“I really have to succeed this time. If I can’t do it this time…”

“Luel? Leon? Yuriadne?”

But at that moment, someone called the children from behind.

Luel and Leon turned around with pale faces.

The Late Emperor Edward, in comfortable attire, was looking down at the children with a bright face.

“Where are you going?”

Luel muttered “please, please” and slowly rolled her eyes.

It was to check Yuriadne’s condition.

But, as expected.

“Grandpa!”

The next moment, Yuriadne jumped down from Luel’s arms.

Then, with a face from which sleep had fled, she ran across the corridor and hugged Edward.

“Grandpaaaa! I missed you!”

“You cute little thing. Didn’t we just see each other yesterday evening?”

“But I still missed you! Yuriadne misses Grandpa even if she can’t see him for just one night!”

“Hahaha! So you’re saying you missed this grandfather!”

“Yes! So much!”

Luel and Leon stared blankly at the harmonious scene between grandfather and granddaughter.

Leon was the first to speak.

“Yuri woke up because of His Majesty the Late Emperor. She was almost completely asleep.”

Edward’s eyes widened.

Soon he let out a small sigh.

“Oh my. I made a mistake.”

After pondering deeply for a moment, he said.

“Then let’s do this. First, we’ll go to my bedroom. After that, I’ll take responsibility and put Yuriadne to sleep.”

Luel and Leon looked at him with half-believing expressions.

Edward patted his chest and continued as if telling them to trust him.

“I may not look it, but there’s no one like me when it comes to putting Yuriadne to sleep. I’ve been carrying this child around since she was a newborn.”

He bowed to the twins and whispered softly.

“It’s true, so trust me. If I hold her and rock her just twice, she’ll fall asleep, okay? Come on, Yuriadne! Let’s go!”

When Edward extended his hand, Yuriadne grasped it tightly.

“…Well, whatever.”

Leon, watching the backs of the two people who had started walking down the corridor, muttered cynically.

“His Majesty the Late Emperor should experience frustration at least once too.”

Imperial Council Chamber.

“The matter of the envoy to be sent to the Kingdom of Ruswell on the Eastern Continent is proceeding as you can see.”

Tian’s eyes read through the documents projected in the air.

The technology of scanning documents and displaying them as light in the air was something Annellia had newly invented a few years ago.

As this was a technology perfected over a long period, these magical devices were selling like hotcakes across the entire continent.

“We’ve compiled the following list of coronation gifts to send to Ruswell’s new king. What do you think?”

As the official moved his hand over the specially crafted panel, the light patterns projected into the air changed.

Tian, who had been silently reading through the list, opened his mouth.

“100,000 magic stones as a simple gift?”

The officials fell silent.

“Ruswell isn’t even a nation that has maintained friendly relations with us. Was there really not a single person who thought this was excessive?”

His dry, refined voice pinpointed the essence of the problem with precision.

One of the officials cleared his throat with a “Ahem!” before responding.

“Oh, right. Count Sharein, what did I tell you?”

Count Sharein, who had brought the previous matter to the final meeting, looked up with a start.

“You have a tendency to treat the Eastern Continent nations too generously. It’s not even a kingdom adjacent to the Barkin Tribal Territory that Her Majesty the Empress is investing in, so such a gift to the Kingdom of Ruswell is a bit excessive.”

Count Sharein opened his mouth as if dumbfounded.

“Jo, you didn’t say anything like that just moments ago!”

“How could that be? I spoke up, but it seems you didn’t hear me.”

As the atmosphere seemed to be heating up, the officials all looked to gauge Tian’s mood.

In fact, if it weren’t for Tian’s presence, shouting might have already erupted.

At that moment, the Emperor, who had been maintaining silence in the quiet, finally raised his head.

“Well, I can’t deny the importance of diplomacy itself.”

A glimmer of hope crossed Count Sharein’s face.

But Tian’s words didn’t end there.

“However, didn’t I already say there’s something we must never forget? That everything I enjoy, and furthermore everything you lords enjoy, contains the blood and sweat of the Empire’s citizens.”

The officials gulped nervously.

“We must not waste their hard work like water.”

Though it was frustrating to be scolded at every meeting, the officials had nothing particular to say in response.

Most of them were from high nobility or venerable families.

For those who had lived their entire lives without knowing want, concepts like ‘frugality’ and ‘economy’ were extremely difficult topics.

“Was 100,000 magic stones a bit much…?”

“We reduced it thinking it would be fine, but it was still too much apparently. It wasn’t even 10% of our family’s annual budget, so I thought it would be okay…”

The officials whispered very quietly with dejected expressions.

And they continued to listen attentively to Tian’s words.

“Let’s deliver only 50,000 magic stones to the Kingdom of Ruswell.”

Count Sharein hurriedly nodded his head.

“Then, the next agenda item.”

The meeting continued in the thin-ice atmosphere.

The officials began reporting on the next agenda item while feeling subdued.

Tian was a very benevolent emperor, but he was particularly strict and meticulous with his officials.

Of course, since he himself was running state affairs nearly perfectly, there wasn’t much they could say…

“Oh my, everyone’s faces look terrible again today. You must have been scolded quite a bit.”

If not for Annellia’s occasional comfort when they encountered her in the Imperial Palace, they might have submitted their resignations long ago.

It was while the officials were secretly swallowing their sighs.

“Yu, Yuriadne!”

The firmly closed doors of the Grand Assembly Hall burst open.

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