The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 33

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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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I had barely escaped from the Dowager Empress on the left and Sharon Abner on the right.

“Nice to see you, Miss Annellia~!”

“Did you receive the gift I sent you?”

Awin and I were quickly surrounded again.

“But who is this young master?”

“Young lady, this is Denis Viscount’s younger brother!”

A few little ladies’ eyes sparkled as they looked at Awin’s dazzling appearance.

Awin kindly greeted them back, then whispered to me.

“Are you okay, Annellia?”

My vision was spinning, but I nodded.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“We don’t need to stay here the whole time.”

I looked around.

We were in front of a gazebo decorated with flowers and balloons.

Children from all kinds of families filled the surroundings.

I spoke with a meaningful expression.

“Since I received gifts, I want to stay a little longer.”

That’s when it happened.

“Hello, Annellia.”

Some mischievous-looking young master suddenly jumped forward.

“I can call you Annellia, right? Since I’m older, I’ll speak casually?”

I frowned slightly but quickly smiled brightly.

“Sure! Let’s both speak casually!”

The young master’s expression hardened.

He hesitated for a moment as if wanting to say something, then opened his mouth with an annoyed voice.

“…Well, whatever. You’re from an orphanage, right.”

The noise around us suddenly stopped.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at me.

“I heard you don’t have parents… It must have been hard, especially being so young.”

I could feel Awin checking my expression.

I silently stared at the young master across from me.

“The kids there are low-class, aren’t they?”

Then the young master raised one corner of his mouth and shrugged.

“You’re a genius, right. So smart that the Abner family sponsors you. It must have been hard living with commoners who are not only common but stupid too.”

Soon a hand was thrust out in front of me.

“Oh, I’m James Darwin. I even received the title of young marquis a few months ago, and I was thinking of being friends with you if you want.”

“…”

“We noble heirs have a small gathering, and I’m considering recommending you as a member.”

When I showed no reaction, James waved his extended hand in front of my eyes.

“Why do you look like that? Don’t tell me you’re feeling burdened?”

Then he let out an unpleasant laugh.

“Well, considering your status as a commoner orphan, that’s understandable. But you are smart. Being the first to receive sponsorship from the Abner family means you’ll become a scholar later.”

“…”

“Our heir club members have that much flexibility, you know? We can’t develop if we reject people just for being commoners or orphans.”

James giggled.

The surrounding young ladies and masters looked back and forth between him and me with tense expressions.

James looked me up and down unpleasantly and continued.

“Or maybe you don’t understand what I’m saying?”

“…”

“Are you nervous because I’m a young marquis after all?”

But I didn’t give any answer this time either.

Then I heard the young master muttering to himself.

“…Tch. What kind of kid doesn’t respond. Far from being smart, she’s just a five-year-old fool with snot on her nose.”

That’s when it happened.

“Young Master Darwin. Your rudeness is excessive.”

“What’s this now.”

From beside me and behind James respectively, cold voices were heard.

I opened my eyes wide and looked in the direction of the voices in turn.

First, beside me was Awin, and…

‘Tian?’

I don’t know when he arrived, but Crown Prince Tian was standing behind James.

“Young Marquis Darwin…?”

Tian glared at James with a stern expression.

Despite the age difference, Tian was about the same height as James.

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Perhaps sensing something was wrong, James showed a slightly frightened expression.

Tian clenched his fists under the cloak he was wearing.

For some reason, I felt something bubbling up in my chest.

‘Just moments ago he was saying all sorts of things to Annellia.’

It was ridiculous how he immediately took a submissive attitude upon seeing me.

That sight reminded me of Butler Jack, who had been begging at my feet a few months ago.

‘I, I was wrong! Please show mercy, mercy…!’

It was Jack who had tormented me ever since mother passed away.

When no one was watching, he would push me hard and even hit me subtly, despite me being the Crown Prince.

However.

‘If it were me, I would have paid them back the same way. I have the power to repay them anyway.’

‘Why are you being treated like that, Your Highness? You’re not someone who deserves such treatment. Your Highness is a really strong child.’

Annellia’s advice changed everything.

Of course, at first those words felt unrealistic.

That I had the power to pay them back.

Wasn’t I a useless Crown Prince who couldn’t even receive Father’s favor?

But the moment I told Grandmother everything with half-believing heart, the situation turned around.

‘Please, spare my life! Spare my life!’

Jack begged for his life while crying.

I didn’t know how hideous and cunning he looked at that moment.

Tian felt something deep in his heart slowly awakening at that moment.

The enormous fear that had been weighing him down was cracking.

‘Your Highness. You did really, really well!’

A few days ago, on the day of the trial at the Imperial Palace.

I also remembered what Annellia had said before leaving, as if she was proud of me.

‘Your Highness is a wonderful baby elephant!’

‘…What?’

‘When taming elephants, you know how hunters catch baby elephants and chain their legs?’

‘….’

‘Then the baby elephant struggles frantically but eventually gives up. Because there’s no way the chain will break.’

‘….’

‘Once they learn failure like that, they say even after growing up, they never think of escaping.’

Even when they become adults who could easily break chains, even when hunters replace the chains with thin ropes.

The elephant cannot break the rope.

Because it has already learned its powerless self, its inability to escape.

The moment he heard that story, he was speechless.

Because the baby elephant really seemed like himself.

I cannot escape.

I will live and die like this for the rest of my life.

As Annellia said, the experience of failure was thousands, hundreds of times stronger and heavier than chains.

‘But Your Highness broke that rope, so you’re a really, really amazing baby elephant!’

With a surge of emotion, Tian glared at James.

‘How dare that kid, knowing who he is.’

Tian spoke in a cold voice unbecoming of his age.

“There was a punishment the Ancient Imperial Court gave to prisoners who used their mouths recklessly, young marquis.”

James flinched and stepped back.

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“They cut out tongues and sewed lips shut so they could never speak again.”

It was the most terrifying punishment he knew, written in the imperial history books he had read countless times.

Then not only James but even the noble children nearby were terrified.

But Tian didn’t care.

“Then their lips would stick together and they couldn’t speak until they died.”

“I-I was wrong!”

James, pale as death, almost collapsed to the floor as he pleaded.

But Tian only raised his eyebrows slightly.

“Why are you apologizing to me?”

“Th-that…!”

“If you’re going to apologize, you should apologize to Annellia.”

Then Tian closed his mouth.

Because there was something strange next to Annellia, whom he had unconsciously looked at.

“Lia, don’t listen.”

Brown hair.

A boy with outstanding looks, not as much as his own but clearly handsome at first glance, was covering Annellia’s ears with his hands.

Seeing the silver hair swaying between the fingers touching her cheeks, his expression became deeply furrowed.

“…What the.”

A sharp voice flowed from Tian’s mouth.

His already bad mood got worse once more, endlessly.

“Are you really okay with just letting them go?”

I nodded and looked at Crown Prince Tian.

“If you don’t just let them go…?”

Don’t tell me he’s really going to impose that terrifying punishment?!

As I looked at the Crown Prince with wary eyes, Awin’s hand came near my ear again.

I shook my head at Awin, meaning don’t do it.

Awin looked at me with worried eyes but eventually lowered his hand.

Tian asked as if dumbfounded.

“More importantly, what the hell is that?”

“What?”

“That kid.”

Then he pointed at Awin with his finger.

Hostility flashed in his narrowed eyes for a moment.

“Who the hell is he to touch your face?”

I blinked and looked back and forth between the two.

Then I made an “ah” sound and answered.

“Um! This is my master’s…”

“I’m Awin Denis. I came to this manor following my older brother, Viscount Denis.”

Awin, who suddenly interrupted, stared straight at Tian.

“I touched her face because Lia and I are very close.”

“….”

“As you can see.”

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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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