The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 280
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
As I turned my head with wide eyes, I saw former Emperor Edward standing awkwardly in front of the door.
And below him,
“Viscount Haban! Duke Cornando! Lord Kirkwell!”
A young child was bursting into the meeting hall with gleeful laughter.
“Your Highness!”
Several of the officials jumped up from their seats in alarm.
Yuriadne was running toward them, swaying as if she might fall at any moment.
“Uh oh…?”
Sure enough, Yuriadne stumbled when her foot caught on a slightly raised stone slab.
Just as the officials all reached out their hands toward Yuriadne, something swiftly brushed past them.
“There we go.”
Tian, who had rushed over at incredible speed, caught Yuriadne in his arms.
Yuriadne’s face lit up.
“Daddy!”
The officials breathed sighs of relief seeing that Yuriadne appeared unharmed.
But only for a moment.
“Mmm, did our little princess come to see daddy~?”
I widened my eyes at Tian’s tone that followed.
When I turned my head, I saw Tian with a completely unfamiliar expression, gently bouncing Yuriadne up and down.
“Our little puppy, you can’t run around wildly in the palace. Where did daddy say you should only run?”
“In the back! Only on the lawn!”
“That’s right. What did I say could happen to Yuri’s knees and palms if you fell while running in the palace?”
“Yes! But daddy, are you stupid? Mommy’s medicine can fix that!”
“No. Mommy’s medicine can heal scraped knees and palms, but it can’t heal hearts. When our princess gets hurt, daddy’s heart gets hurt this much too. It hurts terribly, you know?”
Yuriadne made an “Ah!” sound as if she had forgotten.
Then she drooped her eyebrows and hugged Tian’s neck tightly.
“Sorry for running, daddy. Yuri forgot.”
Tian’s eyes widened.
“You don’t need to be sorry, Yuri. Everyone can forget sometimes. All the grandfathers here forget too. Daddy forgets too.”
The officials hurriedly nodded their heads.
“That’s right, Your Highness! I forget things every day!”
“I forget too! I just forgot something important earlier and got scolded terribly by His Majesty!”
“…”
“…”
“…Why did you say that?”
At one official’s words, another official immediately poked him.
But it was already too late.
“Did daddy scold the grandfathers?”
Yuriadne looked at Tian with round eyes.
Tian gave an awkward smile.
“Yuri. Daddy didn’t do that kind of thing…”
“Did you scold them like when Yuri climbed on mommy’s desk?”
Tears began to well up in Yuriadne’s eyes.
Tian answered restlessly.
“It wasn’t like that. I just told them not to do it. And when daddy scolded Yuri last time…”
“That was because it was too dangerous, Yuriadne. Right?”
Edward, who had rushed over hurriedly, took Yuriadne from Tian’s arms.
“Mommy’s research involves many dangerous things, and if you got hurt, how sad would everyone be, hmm?”
Yuriadne closed her mouth.
Then she nodded her head slightly.
“…Right. That was Yuri’s fault.”
But then she looked at Tian and said,
“But daddy, you shouldn’t scold the grandfather officials!”
The officials looked moved by Yuriadne’s words.
“The grandfather officials are the pillars of the Empire! You should treat them like raccoons!”
“Raccoons…?”
“She means generously.”
Luel and Leon, who had appeared at some point, added.
Tian held his forehead and let out a small sigh.
Then he looked at Yuriadne and quickly showed her a smile.
“Alright, Yuri. From now on, daddy will definitely treat the grandfather officials generously. Okay?”
Yuriadne puffed out her cheeks and then nodded.
Then before long, her eyes sparkled as she asked,
“But daddy. When will work be over? Don’t you want to go on a picnic with Yuri and all the grandfathers?”
The meeting hall fell silent.
Because everyone instinctively sensed it.
That today’s meeting was over.
“Why is this research log like this? This is a part I emphasized over and over, so there’s no way it was a mistake, so I guess my eyes are wrong?”
The researchers flinched and hunched their shoulders at Annellia’s cheerful voice.
“I clearly told you to write detailed research logs when conducting reagent experiments, didn’t I?”
Annellia’s voice gradually lowered, then became very gentle.
“If someone gets hurt during experiments, will you take responsibility?”
The researchers hesitantly lowered their gazes.
“We’re sorry…”
Annellia, who had exhaled, smiled brightly.
“It’s okay. Let’s do it properly and well from now on. Okay?”
“Yes!”
“You may go.”
The researchers hurriedly left the room.
Only then did Annellia rise from her chair and stretch.
“Ahhhh…”
Her body made cracking sounds from sitting for so long.
After stretching her arms out to both sides and even rotating her waist, she sat back down in her chair.
Then she checked today’s schedule, which was still half remaining.
The weekly report that started at 1 PM had just ended.
At 2:30, a face-to-face meeting with the special magical device production team.
At 3 o’clock, a visit to the Imperial Palace Pharmaceutical Academy to review whether the reagents she had ordered were being produced properly…
Annellia held her forehead as she read through the endlessly continuing list.
“Why do I keep getting busier?”
She couldn’t shake the feeling that the harder she worked, the busier she seemed to become.
“Is it natural since the scale has grown?”
When she became Empress, several of the research institutions Annellia had led became government-run enterprises.
Operating under the name of the Imperial Court, the institutions’ scale grew in an instant.
Of course, people wanting to step forward and work also flocked in endlessly.
‘The problem is, it’s not like there’s a shortage of people to work, so why is it so hard?’
Annellia quietly closed her mouth.
It was because she already knew the answer.
“…Sleep deprivation.”
Since Yuriadne was born, Annellia had been experiencing unprecedented changes in her body.
The Dowager Empress’s words about pregnancy and childbirth not being something to take lightly were absolutely correct.
‘I used to be fine working with only four hours of sleep.’
After giving birth to Yuriadne, I felt drowsy all day long.
The problem was that there was no way to handle this overwhelming sleepiness.
“Mommmmmmy!”
On days when Yuriadne took naps, she usually woke up at 5:30 in the morning.
I don’t know who she takes after, but the child’s energy was truly unmanageable.
Playing with her, running around, spending the entire day together – only the parents got tired.
“Sleep more. I’ll watch Yuri.”
As this lifestyle continued, Tian cleanly gave up on sleep.
Despite being busy himself, he volunteered to take the morning shift to let Annellia sleep a bit more.
Later, Edward and the youngest siblings Luel and Leon joined in raising Yuriadne.
Even though Luel and Leon were only nine years old, they were excellent at handling Yuriadne.
“Leon. Mom and Dad still won’t let you take sword training?”
“Yeah. They say I’m too young.”
“Hmm, it seems like they’re becoming more overprotective?”
“That’s why you should persuade them, sister. You have the most influence in our house, don’t you?”
So Annellia made a deal with Leon.
These past few days had been incredibly busy.
If the twins succeeded in getting Yuriadne to take her afternoon nap, she would persuade Theo and Isabel.
It was better for Yuriadne to wake up at 5:30 rather than 3:30.
Annellia sighed and blinked slowly.
Today, she was only curious about whether the twins had succeeded in putting Yuriadne to sleep.
That’s when it happened.
Knock knock knock-
She looked up at the sound of quick, regular knocking on the door.
Before she could even say to come in, the door burst open, and naturally, it was Owen who appeared.
“My disciple. Emergency, emergency.”
Owen approached making a fuss and stood in front of Annellia’s desk.
“A rescue signal has arrived.”
“Rescue signal?”
“Yeah. A summons from His Majesty the Late Emperor.”
Annellia shot up from her seat.
“Yuri caused another accident!”
“It doesn’t seem like a dangerous accident like last time. Ah… though it could be considered dangerous in its own way?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Yuri is coming here right now.”
Annellia’s mouth fell open.
Why would Yuri, who should be taking her afternoon nap at the Imperial Palace, be coming to the research institute?
“The problem is that’s not all.”
Owen closed his eyes tightly and added.
“His Majesty the Emperor, His Majesty the Late Emperor. All the officials who were in the meeting are coming together too. Oh, and Luel and Leon as well.”
“…”
Silence fell over the room.
Annellia quietly picked up the communicator on her desk.
After a few signals, a familiar voice came through.
-Director?
“Shasha. Within the next 20 minutes, clear all dangerous items from the corridors. Lock the laboratory doors and contact the main castle to call Father.”
-Yes, confirmed.
Shasha ended the communication as if understanding the situation without needing to ask.
Annellia took a short deep breath and stood up from her seat.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————