The Villainess in the Childcare Story Doesn’t Hide Her Personality - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Fabian quickly withdrew his hand and smoothed over the situation.
“Of course you don’t have to. Well, now that I think about it, magic is better learned slowly.”
His gaze, which had been wandering through empty air, settled on me.
“Are you Estella’s guardian?”
“I’m Tessa Harrington, Vice-Director of the Child Protection Bureau. I’m temporarily protecting Estella due to circumstances, but I’m not her legal guardian.”
Fabian Beiretz nodded as if he understood.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vice-Director. Would it be alright if we spoke privately for a moment?”
His excessively formal tone made me tense instinctively.
I had a premonition this wasn’t meant to be casual conversation.
And that instinct proved correct.
“You brought her here just in time. If you’d been even slightly later, something truly terrible would have happened.”
“If it weren’t for that loyal gatekeeper, I could have found you sooner.”
The complaint slipped out.
What would have happened if not for Estella’s abilities!
The thought of how close we’d come to disaster made me grimace involuntarily.
“Please don’t blame yourself. It’s entirely my oversight. And little Estella…”
Fabian Beiretz glanced sideways at Estella, who sat quietly crouched some distance away.
“Would it be alright if I kept her for about two weeks? That would give me enough time to put several protective measures in place.”
“Of course.”
I nodded quickly.
“That’s exactly what I was hoping for.”
Two weeks would give me time to find Estella a new family. If that didn’t work out, I’d have to send her to an orphanage, but I wanted to ensure she went to the best possible environment.
The problem arose when I explained the situation to Estella.
“T-Tessa… you won’t…?”
“I’m sorry. I have to go back to work. While I’m gone, the Mage Tower Master here will take good care of you. Understand?”
Estella looked at me with tears glistening in her eyes.
“Estella won’t be any trouble. I’ll be good, I’ll stay right here. I’m good at staying still.”
Her voice grew smaller with each word, contradicting her claim of confidence, and my heart ached.
I knelt down to meet Estella’s gaze.
“Estella, I’m not leaving you with the Mage Tower Master because you’re lacking.”
“…Then why?”
“Because I’m not enough.”
I explained as carefully as I could, bringing myself down to her level.
That Estella was in a very dangerous situation right now, that only the Mage Tower Master could help her, and that we would see each other again in two weeks.
Fortunately, Estella didn’t continue to fuss.
“…You’ll definitely come back in two weeks, right?”
“I promise.”
I linked my pinky with hers to seal the promise.
‘By then, I hope I’ll have found you a good family.’
* * *
Unfortunately, two weeks was woefully insufficient to find a suitable household to raise Estella.
A mage family that would neither suppress her exceptional talents nor exploit them.
Among them, only a handful of mages could properly handle the fire attribute, and even they hesitated when I explained Estella’s circumstances.
“If only she were older, I would have taken her as a successor. But she’s barely nine years old.”
“I apologize. We simply don’t have the environment to raise a child. As you can see, we conduct dangerous research….”
“We already have three children of our own, three! You want us to raise another?”
All of their reasons were valid.
For a brief moment, I considered the Grand Duke, but I shook my head.
Entrust Estella to a Grand Duke who was constantly scheming for rebellion?
There was no way I’d create a human flamethrower.
That was absurd.
‘Then there are orphanages.’
There were several orphanages in the Capital.
Since managing orphanages was one of the Child Protection Bureau’s duties, I could visit them all.
So I spent those two weeks diligently making the rounds.
‘It was completely fruitless.’
Perhaps it was because I had visited the orphanages with decent reputations first through inquiries.
I met many orphanage directors who were proud and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to caring for the children.
The facilities themselves appeared quite good, supported by philanthropists.
If Estella truly had nowhere else to go, I thought it would be acceptable for her to live here under their protection.
The problem was that Estella was a mage.
One who couldn’t properly control her own abilities.
No matter what measures the Mage Tower Master took, their effects wouldn’t last a lifetime.
‘Not a single orphanage director had proper knowledge of magic. If Estella went there, she could cause harm not only to herself but to the other children as well.’
Having gained nothing from my search, the promised two weeks had passed, and my steps toward the Duke’s Residence were inevitably heavy.
I arrived at the Duke’s Residence with a stone weighing on my chest, and under the escort of the now impeccably courteous butler, I headed toward the Annex Building where Estella was staying.
But even before fully entering the Annex Building, I heard the spirited voice of a middle-aged woman.
“My goodness, Estella. These shoes suit you so perfectly! You must wear them tomorrow, understand?”
“Y-yes….”
“And this hat—it seems as though it was made just for you.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Don’t thank me for something so trivial. I’m actually thinking of creating a dressing room dedicated entirely to you.”
“A d-dressing room dedicated to… me?”
“Yes. A dressing room that makes clothes and shoes only for our precious Estella. Next time, let’s go to Rosem Street together and choose a place you like. We can simply purchase the shop and make it yours exclusively.”
From beside her, I heard the soft laughter of what appeared to be a middle-aged man.
“Madam, aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? We haven’t even decided how long Estella will be staying with us.”
“Oh, Estella. Did that burden you?”
“…N-no. I just… didn’t understand what you were saying.”
The man gently soothed Estella.
His voice was so tender it dripped with honey.
“That’s possible. Now, let’s have some refreshments. I wasn’t sure what you’d enjoy, so I instructed the head chef to prepare various options. I hope something suits your palate.”
“Th-they all seem delicious….”
If not for Estella’s shy voice, I would have suspected the ‘Estella’ they were speaking of was a different child altogether.
But it was unmistakably Estella.
And the identities of the middle-aged woman and man flaunting their wealth while commandeering the Duke’s Mansion kitchen as if it were their own were, most likely….
‘Yet those two would never speak such words!’
The moment I stepped into the garden of the Annex Building, the figures of three people came into view.
Duke Beiretz and Duchess Beiretz—the heartless nobleman who valued only duty and privilege, and the perfect noblewoman.
The two great aristocrats, of whom society whispered that not a drop of blood would flow even if pricked with a needle, were beaming with radiant smiles.
Having seen the two of them multiple times before, that foolish grin they wore for Estella was all the more bewildering.
Still, I steadied myself and moved toward them.
Then brilliant letters materialized before my eyes.
…Again?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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