The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 80

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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 quickly smiled and answered.

“His Majesty the Emperor gave Annellia a house! It’s a fortress in the south, and I’m going to fix it up with the Duke and live there together.”

“You’re going to live in the southern fortress? Really?”

A bright smile was spreading across Tian’s face as he repeated my words.

“I see.”

He muttered while looking around my neck area.

“The artifact… it really must be amazing. I definitely gave it to you, so why does it still have an effect on me?”

Effect?

It was the moment I tilted my head at his incomprehensible words.

“Come to think of it, Annellia. Did you meet the Apothecary Dean?”

Tian asked.

I nodded my head.

“I met him. Though we didn’t have an incredibly wonderful conversation…”

“I see. Actually, there’s another person I want to introduce you to. That’s what I came to ask you about.”

“Huh? Who?”

Tian answered with his face still wearing a smile.

“The Magtop Lord.”

The Magtop Lord?

The real Magtop Lord that I know of?

Walking alongside Tian with quick steps, I kept tilting my head in confusion.

‘Why would the Magtop Lord be here? Moreover, a western nobleman introduced that person to Tian?’

The International Union of Magical Engineering, shortened to Magic Tower, was a fortress located on a small island at the western edge of the continent.

Befitting the greatest research institution related to magical studies, the Magic Tower boasted an enormous scale.

Scholars constantly flocked there from all over the world, including both continents, and the profits they earned each year were as much as an entire nation’s.

The one who led such a Magic Tower was precisely the Magtop Lord.

The current Magtop Lord was the son of the First Magtop Lord, the second master of the Magic Tower to change in seventy years.

“Which western nobleman introduced you to the Magtop Lord?”

“There’s Earl Aile. I told him to get an artifact as your next birthday present, and he brought the Magtop Lord instead.”

My eyes widened.

“My next birthday present?”

“Yeah. When Earl Aile said he wanted to purchase an artifact, the Magtop Lord said the transaction had to be done directly and followed him here.”

“The Magtop Lord did?”

“Yeah. The Magtop Lord.”

At these unbelievable words, I could only blink my eyes.

The Magtop Lord had been a mysteriously elusive figure even in my previous life.

It made sense since his father, the First Magtop Lord, had been shrouded in mystery from the beginning.

First of all, the First Magtop Lord was someone who never once showed himself to the world during the seventy years he ruled the Magic Tower.

Perhaps because of this, there were always all sorts of rumors about him.

That he had forty children, that he was over two hundred years old, that he had giant horns on his forehead.

Of course, most people didn’t believe such stories.

They just thought these were ridiculous rumors that arose because the Magtop Lord was such a recluse.

Then his son, the current Magtop Lord, inherited the position.

Four years ago, not long after I was born.

The current Magtop Lord, who announced that the First Magtop Lord had died of illness, engaged in more external activities than his predecessor.

He occasionally held meetings with scholars within the Magic Tower and published papers from time to time.

Sometimes he even personally demonstrated newly created magical tools, but everything was done within the Magic Tower.

He never took a single step outside Debokio Island where the Magic Tower was located.

‘But he came out to sell artifacts to Tian? Not sending someone else, but personally bringing the artifacts himself?’

My eyes gradually narrowed.

In my previous life, I had thought about wanting to meet him after reading his papers.

Hadn’t I even made plans to go directly to Debokio to put that into action?

If only he hadn’t suddenly disappeared, it might have been possible.

‘Money really is scary. To summon the Magtop Lord himself here, of all people…’

Someone who usually never came outside of Debokio had taken a ship and come all the way here.

That meant he was definitely planning to extract a fortune from Tian.

‘The Apothecary Dean too, and now the Magtop Lord. Why is everyone so materialistic…?’

From my perspective, having admired them as scholars, I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

I was so fed up that I shook my head and asked.

“So how many artifacts did that Magtop Lord bring?”

“The Magic Tower only possesses two artifacts in total. He brought both of them for now.”

The Magtop Lord was currently waiting for Tian at the Crown Prince’s Palace.

It seemed he planned to stay until the birthday celebration ended and negotiate prices with Tian.

I felt somehow uneasy and said worriedly.

“If they’re extremely expensive, just don’t buy them.”

Tian laughed.

“Don’t worry. I plan to make a reasonable deal with him. I’m learning how to negotiate too.”

“The Magtop Lord might demand an unreasonable price. Looking at how he came all the way here carrying artifacts, he’s definitely scheming to suck every last tera out of Your Highness!”

“Then I’ll just make him demand a reasonable price.”

When I looked at Tian with a dumbfounded expression, he had a look that said ‘what’s the problem?’

“The Magic Tower is currently experiencing a food shortage. The scholars researching in the fortress, I guarantee they’re eating nothing but hardtack for all three meals.”

“…”

“But if I offer to help, it would be resolved immediately.”

Tian smiled with his eyes crinkling.

“The palace tutor taught me that this is how you negotiate. Still, if it’s a reasonable price, I’m just going to buy it.”

“Wh-what do you consider a reasonable price…?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, I have that much personal wealth, Annellia.”

I ended up shaking my head.

And I let out a deep sigh inwardly.

‘Being the Crown Prince’s only friend… it’s difficult…’

Tian liked me too much.

Of course, I knew that Tian had a lot of money.

But receiving another artifact as a birthday present felt a bit burdensome.

Especially since this time it was an artifact that the Magic Tower had been possessing.

Moreover, it hadn’t been that long since my last birthday had passed.

‘Thinking differently, do I need to change a bit?’

The Apothecary Director of the Imperial Palace, and now the Magtop Lord who personally came forward to sell artifacts.

Perhaps having some materialistic aspects was necessary to succeed as a researcher.

It was the moment I was resolving that if prominent people were like that, I shouldn’t feel guilty and should accept everything others gave me.

“What’s this, why are you outside? I told you to wait inside.”

Tian, who had been walking through the Crown Prince’s Palace garden, stopped in his tracks.

I reflexively followed his gaze.

At the end of the path leading to the palace.

I could see someone pacing around before stopping and staring in this direction.

My lips parted as I looked at that person carefully.

Red hair, golden eyes.

I frowned deeply upon seeing the Magic Tower’s emblem embroidered on the light robe he wore.

“…The Magtop Lord?”

He was definitely supposed to be over fifty.

A young man with breathtakingly handsome features was staring intently in our direction.

Not at Tian, but with his gaze firmly fixed on me.

“Theo Lirquian, was it.”

“Yes.”

It was Tian who asked, but the Magtop Lord answered without taking his eyes off me.

Those golden eyes were so clear that I was clutching my juice glass tightly while stealing glances at him.

“Is this your first time in the Empire?”

“It’s my first time at the Imperial Palace.”

“So you’re saying you’ve been to the Empire before.”

“Yes.”

“I heard you never leave Debokio Island at all, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“…I simply don’t announce it publicly.”

Tian made an expression as if this was unexpected.

At that moment, Theo looked at me again.

Perhaps conscious of that gaze, Tian spoke.

“This is my close friend, and also Annellia, who developed Lubarinna and Lubaven this time.”

Theo said nothing and just continued to stare at me intently.

Wondering if something was on my face, I secretly touched my cheek and hesitantly put down my glass.

Then I bowed my head and greeted him first.

“Hello, Magtop Lord.”

“…”

However, despite my greeting, there was no response.

Unable to bear the awkward silence, I added in a shrinking voice.

“Um, you really look young for your age…”

At those words, Theo’s expression became slightly dazed.

I quickly continued.

“I heard the Magtop Lord is fifty years old, but Theo looks just like he’s the same age as Uncle Wendel. Oh, Uncle Wendel is twenty-three!”

A long silence followed.

Theo finally opened his mouth in a low voice.

“…Thank you.”

“Not at all!”

I laughed cheerfully.

Tall with broad shoulders, devastatingly handsome, but the Magtop Lord was someone who had come here to sell artifacts.

In other words, he was a materialistic person with a perfectly fine physique.

‘Still, no one dislikes compliments.’

I thought that by saying he looked young and lightening the mood, I might be able to negotiate the artifact price down a bit more.

Sure enough, the Magtop Lord finally began to speak properly.

“I heard you finished basic magic texts at the age of four.”

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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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