The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 42

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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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“A wet nurse, you say?”

Ann, who had moved to Sharon Abner’s office, asked.

Duke Abner nodded.

“Yes, a wet nurse.”

Silence followed.

“If I understand correctly, it sounds like there’s a child who needs to be cared for at the manor.”

“You’re quick to understand.”

Sharon Abner leaned back against the sofa.

“I’d like you to take care of Annellia. Here, in my manor.”

Ann’s eyes gradually widened.

However, she composed her expression and asked seriously.

“Then what happens to Evehill Orphanage?”

“I’ll take responsibility for the children currently there and find them good adoptive homes.”

“…”

“After that, the orphanage will go through closure procedures. If you, as the director, come to work here, there won’t be anyone left in charge.”

Ann’s expression darkened considerably.

The closure of Evehill Orphanage.

It was something she’d never considered, but when she thought about it, it wasn’t such a bad proposal.

‘Especially if adoption is guaranteed for all the children currently there.’

With Duke Abner personally involved, the quality of the arranged adoptive homes would undoubtedly be good.

It would be an excellent opportunity for the children waiting for adoption.

“It’s a generous offer, but…”

Ann trailed off.

She couldn’t easily feel certain about it.

She loved children.

When her aunt, her only family, passed away from illness and she became the orphanage director.

From that moment, Evehill Orphanage had been her home, workplace, and sanctuary.

Ann took pride in caring for children.

She was even confident that she was good at this work and loved it.

Until a few days ago, when she heard that story from Annellia.

‘I was poisoned to death at House of Longton.’

‘Everyone hated me. Especially after Hiana, the duke’s real daughter, returned.’

How Lambert Longton, whom Annellia had believed to be her father, had changed.

What kind of wounds that man had inflicted on Annellia.

How he had neglected her, abandoned her, and left her to die alone.

Ann couldn’t bear her resentment toward herself from the child’s past life.

‘I should have checked more thoroughly.’

Instead of just being happy that a great family was taking Annellia away, she should have been suspicious.

But…

‘The reason I didn’t come find you, teacher, was because I didn’t want to burden your heart.’

‘There was nothing you could have done anyway, and knowing about it would only have caused you pain.’

She remembered Annellia speaking calmly without shedding a single tear.

It was unbearably sad to see such an expression on the face of a five-year-old child.

‘Perhaps… I’m not qualified for this.’

Realistically, it was impossible to check on the circumstances of every child who had passed through the orphanage.

Knowing how those children were doing now was beyond Ann’s capabilities.

‘Annellia said it was the past, that it never happened now, but…’

In the end, she was no different from having caused Annellia’s death in her past life.

Her hand, still not fully healed from its wounds, clenched with force.

That’s when it happened.

“If you’re hesitating, how about this? When Annellia grows up a bit, I’ll open a public orphanage nearby for you.”

“Pardon?”

Ann looked up.

Sharon Abner was giving her a serious look.

“The reason a wet nurse is needed now is because Annellia is too young. The fact that she pretends to be amazingly mature despite that is an even bigger problem.”

“…”

“But… it seems like that’s a bit less so in front of you.”

Ann looked at Sharon, at a loss for words.

“I bear great responsibility for what happened this time.”

Ann blinked blankly.

Actually, she had felt somewhat resentful toward the woman before her, Duke Abner.

That was because Annellia’s wounds were so severe.

Of course, Ann knew too.

That Abner didn’t necessarily have an obligation to guarantee Annellia’s safety.

Abner was already providing considerable financial and material support to Annellia.

Moreover, assigning two personal maids was an extremely luxurious gesture.

There were hardly any nobles who would have their household servants attend to a commoner child.

‘Duke Abner isn’t at fault. She really wouldn’t have known that an assassin would infiltrate.’

Annellia had said the same thing.

In a tone that suggested she had some idea where it came from.

Still, somehow Sharon Abner had felt a bit hateful to her…

“Unlike you, we don’t know that child, do we?”

“…”

“Here, she insists she can do anything by herself. And I believed those words.”

Sharon Abner sighed and shook her head.

“She can bathe by herself, dress herself. She makes a fuss about sleeping and eating alone too…”

At those words, even Ann let out a slightly deflated sound.

It seemed Annellia was still the same here too.

“After this incident, I regretted it quite a bit. If I was going to bring a young child to raise, I should have made proper preparations.”

“…”

“I did assign two people to her, but there were definitely parts I missed. That’s why the child got so hurt, and why she kept being considerate even with her battered body.”

Ann found herself staring at Sharon Abner with her mouth slightly open.

She had heard that Sharon was cold, cruel, and excessively calculating.

That it was because she was such a person that she could revive a crumbling family.

However, the Sharon Abner that Ann had observed since coming here was somewhat different from the rumors.

“So I’d like you to be by that child’s side as her wet nurse.”

Finally, Sharon Abner’s eyes met Ann’s.

Ann found herself staring intently at Sharon Abner without realizing it.

Sharon Abner calmly added one more thing.

“I’m supposed to be her guardian, so I can’t raise the child without proper care, can I?”

Ann, who had been silent for a moment, nodded.

“I’ll do it.”

Though it should have been the answer she wanted, Sharon Abner seemed slightly startled.

‘Right. It had been weighing on my mind anyway.’

All the stories she had heard from Annellia, the circumstances of a child living a second life.

“I will do it, Your Grace.”

If he could fulfill the responsibility he had failed to complete, even now.

Perhaps it might be a good thing after all.

A few days later, in front of the main building of Abner Manor.

“…Brother?”

Awin, who had been anxiously pacing around the garden, narrowed his eyes.

In the distance, someone who had just passed through the main gate was riding toward them on horseback.

“Brother!”

The person rapidly approaching was his brother Owen, whom he had been waiting for so eagerly.

“Awin, how is your body.”

Owen asked as soon as he dismounted from his horse.

“I’m fine. But more than that, more than that…”

Awin stammered anxiously.

Owen realized what Awin was asking about and shook his head.

“There isn’t any. No, to be precise, there is, but…”

Awin’s expression became infinitely distorted.

“They won’t give it to us.”

“That’s right. The procedures are damn long and complicated. Even if we submit the documents now, just waiting could take several months.”

What Owen had sought to obtain was the Forentia flower.

The Forentia flower was an herb that showed excellent effects in treating deep lacerations and preventing infection.

However, the problem was that it was difficult to cultivate, and the amount of active ingredient that could be extracted from a single bud was extremely small.

“Then what do we do? If we leave Annellia like that…”

“That’s right. The risk of infection will increase.”

Long ago, in the very distant past.

When the ancestors of Taranta possessed the power of magic, wounds weren’t much of a problem.

No matter how deep the wound, it could be completely healed with just one use of magical power.

But not now.

“Those incompetent old fools at the Academy of Pharmacy.”

They can create formulas for reagents used in war, construction, and industrial technology just fine.

So why can’t they properly cultivate the Forentia flower, which represents healing medicine?

“Don’t worry. Even if we can’t get it from the Academy of Pharmacy, I know a way to obtain Forentia seeds.”

Owen reassured Awin.

He had heard there was a trade caravan that secretly imported Forentia flowers from the neighboring kingdom.

If they made contact with that caravan, they might be able to obtain seeds.

Owen patted his younger brother’s shoulder and headed toward the second floor of the main building.

He felt he should check on Annellia’s condition first.

But when he opened the door.

“Oh? Master!”

What greeted Owen was Annellia with a very bright face.

“Hey! You…!”

Owen strode over and examined the back of the child who was sitting somewhat awkwardly.

The bandages were still wrapped around her, but blood was no longer seeping through.

Owen asked with an incredulous expression.

“What are you?”

It had only been a few days since he left for the Academy of Pharmacy.

It wasn’t a wound that should have healed in that time.

“What do you mean?”

Annellia grinned broadly.

For a child who had suffered severe injuries, she looked far too healthy.

Watching Owen blink in confusion, Annellia burst into laughter.

Then she pointed at Owen with her hand wrapped in bandages.

“Shall I guess? You went to get Forentia flowers but got rejected and just came back, right?”

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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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