The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 63
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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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“Do you know about House of Rieri?”
“Yeah. It’s House of Rieri. Lady Rieri is a really good person.”
“Really? Oh right, I’m getting an older sister too, what was her name again…?”
“Laura. Laura Rieri.”
“Oh, right! Laura Rieri!”
I nodded calmly.
Laura Rieri.
She was one of the young ladies who came to my birthday party.
Lady Rieri, Laura’s mother, was also the person who gave me a magic stone as a gift on my last birthday.
“There weren’t usually many kids from the orphanage who got adopted by nobles, right?”
“Right.”
“But this time I’m going to a count’s house, and Tom is going to that wealthy house in the south too.”
“Mm-hmm, I see.”
“Yeah…”
Mica hesitantly lowered her gaze.
“Um, sorry, Annellia.”
“Huh?”
“I hate to say this. I was so shocked to hear there are only 3 days left.”
“What are you talking about?”
Mica hesitated and squeezed my hand tightly.
“I know everything. You’re pretending to be fine but you’re really upset.”
“…Huh?”
“When I first came here, I thought you’d naturally be with your mom and dad. But you said you didn’t have parents either, and you were all hurt with lots of scars…”
I was at a loss for words.
“I don’t really know what Hugeri is, but you’ll be able to meet your family soon too.”
“…”
“I really remember everything. Two years ago on your birthday, you cried and secretly made a wish. You asked to meet your family quickly.”
My mouth slowly closed.
Two years ago on my birthday, when I was three?
So I cried when I was three because I wanted to be adopted.
I don’t remember that at all now.
I hesitated for a long time before answering.
“No… I’m fine.”
Mica immediately widened her eyes.
“You’re fine?”
“Yeah! I don’t need a family or anything. I can do everything well on my own now.”
The party day suddenly came to mind.
Lady Rieri wiping the cream from Laura’s lips and looking at her lovingly.
Lady Rieri was clearly a kind and good person at first glance.
She would surely be a good mother to Mica too.
From what I heard, all the other kids seemed to have met good parents too…
“That’s really great!”
When I smiled brightly, Mica looked puzzled.
“Thank you…”
Then she tilted her head and asked.
“But why are you crying?”
I closed my mouth and rubbed my eyes hard.
“I don’t know! I must be tired!”
Actually, I was hungry, tired, and my head hurt a little too.
‘Yeah. That’s why. Because of this damn child’s body, I keep…’
I rubbed harder at my eyes where tears had started falling.
I didn’t know that everyone had gathered outside, pretending to give us space while eavesdropping on our conversation.
“Idiot.”
I muttered quietly to myself.
When I said my head hurt, Soya immediately brought me warm milk.
I drank a cup and quickly lay down on the bed.
For some reason, everyone quietly left the room.
“Sigh…”
A pitiful sigh escaped.
Honestly, really honestly, I was sad that Mica was suddenly leaving.
It was the same with not being able to see Lulu, Tom, and the cute siblings often.
That was really the only reason I cried.
‘No, but how wonderful this is. It’s not just anyone, but Lady Rieri who’s becoming Mica’s mom.’
I found out that Lady Rieri had wanted a second child for a long time after giving birth to Laura.
But for some reason she couldn’t have children, and had been considering adoption for a long time.
Then she ended up adopting Mica, so it was really, truly a wonderful thing.
“Teaching Mica noble etiquette is going to be really hard though.”
But if it’s Lady Rieri, she won’t lose her kindness until the end.
I suddenly remembered what Laura had said at the party.
‘My mom reads me fairy tales every day. My mom acts even better than the actors in the imperial theater, so the fairy tales are really vivid!’
‘Ugh, is a seven-year-old still proud of listening to fairy tales read by mommy, you dummy!’
‘Don’t act up when you’ve never even heard fairy tales read by my mom, Daisy!’
Laura was clearly a young lady who grew up receiving lots of love.
Of course, her friend Daisy was the same.
‘They had quite a lot of fun playing together. Now Mica will join them.’
Mica will surely adapt well.
‘And Laura kept saying she wanted a younger sister.’
‘If only I had a younger sister to play dolls with and have tea time!’
‘If I were your younger sister, I’d run away immediately!’
‘Ugh, Daisy, you’re dead if I catch you!!!’
I buried my face in the pillow for no reason.
“It’s great, really great.”
If it weren’t for my headache, I would have grabbed Mica’s hand and bounced around the manor.
Meeting a family who won’t change and will stay by your side forever is such an amazing thing.
‘I know it even better because I failed once before.’
Somehow I was bothered by crying in front of Mica.
I wanted to sincerely congratulate her, but really my head hurt so much that tears came out…
“I can’t stand it.”
I jumped up from the bed.
And quickly went downstairs.
I was planning to go to Mica and properly congratulate her again.
The other children too, of course.
Looking in the mirror, I could see my slightly swollen eyelids.
“…”
I pressed my eyes firmly five times each with my hands, then walked briskly toward the door.
But as soon as I grabbed and turned the door handle, I had no choice but to stop in place.
Sharon Abner, who had just been about to enter the room, was frozen in front of the door.
“This morning’s matter…”
“Earlier at the council meeting…!”
We both opened our mouths at the same time, then awkwardly closed them.
Awkward glances were exchanged several times.
“I…”
“You worked hard…!”
Our words overlapped again this time.
I rolled my eyes and slyly covered my mouth with one hand.
It was a tacit expression that I wouldn’t interrupt anymore.
Sharon Abner let out a small sigh for some reason.
“If you have something you want to say, speak first.”
“No! There’s nothing!”
“Is that so.”
“Yes!”
Silence fell.
In the stillness, Sharon Abner stared at me intently without saying a word for quite a while.
Then she finally opened her mouth.
“The Crown Prince is preparing to return. I suggested he stay until evening, but it seems his schedule doesn’t allow it.”
I nodded.
From now on, Tian would be busy.
From what I could roughly tell, it seemed he would be helping the Emperor with state affairs.
Since the timing was late, it was natural that there would be many immediate tasks to handle.
But I pretended not to know everything and answered vaguely.
“I heard members of the Imperial Family are always busy anyway.”
“…That’s right.”
Silence continued again.
It was when I was looking down at the ground, unable to find a place to rest my gaze.
“You know the ancient language.”
When I raised my head, I saw violet eyes looking at me.
I opened my mouth blankly.
‘Right. The ancient language.’
At the council meeting, I had recited the contents of Abner’s historical records written in ancient language.
‘I hadn’t originally planned to do that.’
My plan was just to say I had found the historical records, and ask if there might be something useful to reference here.
‘Just memorizing all the legal codes would have been enough to humble the branch families.’
There were also handwritten notes from the previous Lloyd, so there was no need to reveal the fact that I knew ancient language.
‘But…’
‘Look at the entire Empire, no, the entire continent! Where is there any case of a woman, and moreover a woman who doesn’t even share the family bloodline but entered the family through marriage, seizing the position of family head!’
At that one remark from Kainton, I saw red.
It felt like my head was bursting into flames.
I had only one thought at that moment.
‘What is that crazy old man saying right now.’
No matter how displeased Kainton was with Sharon Abner, she was the family head he was supposed to serve.
It was already problematic to openly show hostility toward such a person, but to dare speak in such a manner?
According to his words, even the adventurer who was Abner’s founder would be nothing more than a mere ‘woman.’
If I didn’t know Abner’s history it would be one thing, but knowing it, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
For that, saying something like ‘I think something is written here in ancient language!’ wouldn’t have been enough.
So I spoke of everything I had read.
That Abner’s founder had been an adventurer.
That after she died, she passed her position to her husband.
Even that there had been several cases afterward where the position of family head was passed to spouses in Abner.
Of course… I regretted it slightly afterward.
Even though I was angry, it might have been better to hold back for the moment.
‘For example, if I got caught knowing ancient language, I might receive all sorts of inconvenient questions.’
Just like how Sharon Abner was asking me right now, ‘You know the ancient language.’
I rolled my eyes and made a decision.
As always, I was going to vaguely brush it off.
However.
“When I was your age.”
It was Sharon Abner who spoke first.
“…My clan, Michaeliann, was massacred.”
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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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