The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 65

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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 nodded my head immediately.

“…That’s right.”

In my previous life, when I was holed up alone in Lambert’s research lab.

I didn’t even have a maid to bring me food.

After Hiana appeared, Duke Longton didn’t assign me a dedicated maid.

The servants also treated me as if I didn’t exist.

So I starved almost every day.

No one told me to eat meals, and when I went to eat, the kitchen workers looked at me like I was a parasite.

So I shut myself up in the research room.

When I was hungry after starving for days, I would reluctantly go down to the basement and bring back stale, hardened bread to eat.

“But when I’m full, I feel strange.”

Tian’s gaze touched my face.

“Even after coming here, whenever I ate something… my stomach kept hurting.”

At first, I didn’t know the reason.

Only later, much later, could I understand.

The fact that my mind couldn’t adapt to the suddenly changed lifestyle.

Maybe it’s a similar context even now?

I held my breath quietly and spoke softly.

“Your Highness, you know, I… had a really, really long dream.”

“Yeah. What kind of dream was it?”

Despite it being out of the blue, Tian calmly asked back.

I hesitantly looked down at the lawn.

“It was a dream about meeting a good family. I was happy because I got a family too. I was happy and…”

“….”

“But in the dream, that family abandoned me. They changed into different people, and they… they made me lonely, hurt, and die.”

Tears streamed down again.

“But it was such a realistic dream. So much that I could remember everything even after waking up. Even now, when I think about it, it’s scary enough…”

While I was speaking, the candy completely melted.

Perhaps because it was an expensive imported product, it melted smoothly and disappeared quickly.

Somehow knowing this, Tian unwrapped another one and slipped it into my mouth.

I continued sniffling while feeling the sweetness spread over my tongue again.

Then a calm voice was heard.

“I understand. I used to have nightmares often too. After Mother passed away.”

Tian’s eyes, which I saw when I turned my head, looked somehow firm and composed.

“I know how scary it is. How sad and painful it is too. But Annellia, like you said, that’s just a dream, right?”

“….”

“Such things won’t actually happen. Someone abandoning you?”

Tian’s red eyes slowly blinked while facing me.

“Could such a thing happen? You’re the most lovable child in the world. What fool would abandon you?”

My eyes widened.

Although it was just words of comfort, Tian’s words were straightforward enough to be a bit embarrassing.

“Um, it’s not that much…”

“You’re an angel, Annellia. Everyone at House of Abner likes you too. Of course I like you too. Grandmother also cherishes you very much.”

“….”

“So, if there’s someone who would abandon someone like you, that person would be half-crazy. They’d definitely be a fool.”

Tian carefully wiped away the tears that were streaming down my cheeks.

Then he said very seriously.

“It won’t happen, but if there’s ever such a person, I’ll take care of them for you.”

Then he smiled slightly.

“I can use the Imperial seal well now too. So don’t cry. Okay?”

While I stopped crying, Tian stayed by my side without saying anything.

When my sniffling nose had almost completely stopped.

“Annellia. Take this.”

Tian held out something.

I looked at him with a puzzled face.

In his hand was a small box tied with a gold ribbon.

“What is this?”

“Your birthday present.”

My eyes widened.

Only then did I slowly remember.

The note Tian had left on the birthday party day, saying he would come back to give me a present.

“Is this perhaps…”

“That’s right. I prepared this to give you on your birthday.”

Tian placed the box in my hand.

“Open it.”

I nodded my head.

Then I untied the ribbon, opened the box, and widened my eyes.

“…Wow.”

Inside was a necklace made of soft leather cord and jet-black gemstones.

“It’s an obsidian necklace.”

“It’s so pretty!”

“It’s also an ancient artifact.”

“What?”

I, who had been admiring it, paused at those words.

“It’s said to have the power to bring good luck, and it doesn’t seem to be a lie. It had an effect on me.”

Tian took the necklace from me and unfastened the clasp.

Then he naturally put it around my neck and continued speaking.

“They say good luck comes to the owner when worn.”

I stared blankly at Tian, not knowing what to answer.

“I’m sorry I could only give you something like this. But this was the best thing I had.”

“Uh, Your Highness. I…”

“Actually, I wanted to give you something valuable like a barrier artifact or teleportation artifact, but those were too hard to obtain.”

“….”

“But I happened to have this luck artifact, so I thought why not.”

The necklace with the sparkling jet-black gemstone dangled from my neck.

“…Do you perhaps not like it?”

Tian asked in a slightly smaller voice.

I was startled and shook my head vigorously.

“No! I like it! A luck artifact!!”

The reason I couldn’t continue speaking wasn’t because I didn’t like the gift.

‘This artifact…’

It was because I knew it was a keepsake left to Tian by the late Empress.

‘Giving his mother’s keepsake as a present.’

I wasn’t quite sure if I should accept this.

After struggling with internal conflict for a while, I finally hesitantly opened my lips.

“Um, but you know, Your Highness. I think this gift is too big for me. I would be fine with just cookies or dolls…”

“You were hurt.”

Tian suddenly interrupted me with a serious expression.

“There’s no guarantee that such things won’t happen again in the future. So I think I’d feel more at ease if you at least had this.”

“But….”

“I know too. If it was meant to protect you, other artifacts with better effects would have been much better.”

My eyes widened.

“No! That’s not what I meant….”

“Of course I’ll give you those artifacts too when I get them. But for now, they’re things I can’t obtain with my current abilities.”

Tian gently touched the necklace hanging around my neck.

“This really… really had an effect on me.”

Tian said it so seriously that I almost asked him what kind of luck he had gained.

However, Tian didn’t finish his sentence.

“And there’s one more thing….”

Tian turned around.

“Logrio. You can come out now.”

I was startled by the name that came from his mouth, and then the bushes rustled.

Soon, the face that emerged from within was indeed one I knew.

“You’re meeting for the first time, right? Logrio Desette. He was Mother’s guard knight.”

I gaped.

Logrio approached with refined steps and knelt on one knee before me.

“It’s my pleasure to meet you, Lady Annellia.”

Then he raised his head and met my gaze.

“Lady Annellia saved my life. I sincerely thank you.”

Only then did I turn my eyes to his left hand.

On his ungloved hand remained a rather serious-looking red scar.

But it was, after all, just a scar.

“If it weren’t for the medicine you sent, I would have had to cut off my left hand. For a left-handed knight like me, that would be tantamount to a death sentence.”

“….”

“But Lady Annellia prevented that.”

Logrio’s eyes rippled deeply.

I barely managed to avoid that intense gaze.

And I looked at Tian with a still bewildered face.

‘So the one more thing was Logrio….’

“I finished talking with Duke Abner earlier. I’m going to leave Logrio at the manor. He’s your guard knight now.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“Duke Abner readily agreed too. He was looking for a knight to assign as your guard anyway. He said that guy Wendel is practically his adjutant, so he can’t have him stick by your side all day.”

I felt my eyes spinning.

And for good reason—Logrio shouldn’t become my guard knight.

‘He needs to protect Tian at the Imperial Palace!’

I urgently opened my mouth.

“But! Wouldn’t Your Highness need a guard knight more than I do!”

The Imperial Consort who keeps him in check, the Second Prince who will be born in the future.

In the future I knew, Tian would need a guard knight just as much.

But Tian immediately shook his head.

“I have many other people. When Logrio returned this time, he brought several subordinates with him. And….”

Tian raised his red eyes to look at me.

“I don’t need strong guards. I’m going to become stronger than them in the future.”

“…Your Highness?”

“And when that time comes, I’ll be your guard. So just bear with it until then.”

I gaped.

Right now, Tian seemed to have no idea what he was saying.

‘What Crown Prince would guard a commoner!’

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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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