The Villainess in the Childcare Story Doesn’t Hide Her Personality - Chapter 71

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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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Warm spring sunlight streamed down on a beautiful day.
I would have loved to go somewhere to enjoy such fine weather, but I had promised Duke and Duchess Beiretz I would see them again, so taking a holiday was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
Moreover, every time I met with the Duke and Duchess, my energy drained away like water through a sieve—the mere thought of it left me feeling utterly depleted.
‘At least I’ll get to see Estella and Cedric.’
The outing I’d taken ten days ago with Estella, Cedric, and Fabian felt like a distant memory from ages past.
So much had happened in the interim.
The triumphant procession, the founding festival, and…
‘Cain.’
Merely thinking of him twisted my stomach, so I shifted my gaze toward the carriage window.
The massive tree that Cedric had climbed still stood majestically, reaching toward the sky.
As I descended from the carriage, the butler greeted me with formal courtesy.
“I shall show you to the Reception Room at once.”
I entered the Reception Room without any particular expectations.
Ten days ago, angered by the Duke and Duchess’s cold reception, I had instructed them to write a parenting journal about Cedric.
Since they were showing such blatant favoritism that harmed both Estella and Cedric, I had made that remark hoping they would improve.
‘There’s no way they’ve changed.’
Of course, I had intended to approve Estella’s adoption.
She had already become family to Cedric and Fabian, so delaying the adoption further simply because the Duke and Duchess weren’t yet good parents would be foolish.
So I entered, and then—
‘…Wait.’
I sensed something subtly different in the atmosphere.
The Duchess was smiling with what appeared to be genuine warmth.
The Duke, too, wore a far more relaxed expression than his usual cold-blooded demeanor.
“Vice Director.”
The Duke spoke to me first.
“I wanted to begin by expressing my gratitude. Through writing that parenting journal, I’ve come to realize how much we’ve been doing wrong.”
I blinked.
…Already?
They’ve had a realization simply from writing a parenting journal for ten days?
The Duchess added her voice.
“Yes, only now do I understand how much of a burden we’ve placed on Estella.”
As expected.
I delivered a dry response.
“I’m quite certain what I asked for was a parenting journal regarding Prince Cedric.”
“Ah, of course we wrote that as well.”
The Duke handed me two notebooks.
“This is Estella’s parenting journal… and this is Cedric’s parenting journal.”
“May I review the contents?”
The Duke let out a scoff.
“You speak as though you wouldn’t look if I told you not to.”
“….”
It was a fair jab, so I opened my notebook without a word.
Naturally, I started with Cedric’s childcare journal.
‘Hm?’
I was surprised by how meticulous and detailed the entries were.
What he ate each day, what he studied, what he said….
I quickly realized it would be difficult to believe the Duke and Duchess had written this journal themselves.
After all, neither of them would have spent this much time with Cedric.
“It’s a well-written journal. Though it seems the author isn’t present here.”
“….”
A crack appeared in the Duke’s stern expression for a moment.
“Have you read it?”
“I have.”
The Duchess spoke up.
“And I’ve come to understand that Cedric has his own difficulties. So I’ve decided to give the boy some time away from us.”
…What is this unexpectedly pragmatic approach?
“But why….”
“You may be dissatisfied that we didn’t write the journal ourselves, Vice Director, but seeing it through another’s eyes made us realize how harshly we’ve treated Cedric all this time.”
I exhaled with great relief.
It was an unexpected development.
‘The method was odd, but… it worked out.’
At least the Duchess had read the journal recorded through a third party’s perspective and seemed to have reflected on her actions.
“And we realized that Cedric feels considerable pressure when he’s with us. So we sent him to the Mage Tower entirely.”
“…What?”
The Duchess kindly explained to me as I stammered in confusion.
“He was so young that he was going back and forth between the Duke’s Residence and the Mage Tower, but we thought it would be better if he stayed at the Mage Tower. That way, the friction with Estella would decrease, wouldn’t it?”
…Is that really reflection?
I couldn’t help but push back.
“Isn’t it rather that you want to raise only the adorable Estella?”
“I understand what you’re thinking, Vice Director.”
Duke Beiretz interjected.
“But we made the best judgment for Cedric. And we’re trying not to approach Estella too much either.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
So from Estella’s perspective….
Her third older brother, with whom she had just reconciled and grown close, now lived at the Mage Tower, and her adoptive parents suddenly began keeping their distance from her.
“Have you ever considered how Estella feels?”
“No?”
The Duke tilted his head slightly.
“Why would we need to do that? Children are young and immature, so they don’t know what’s best for them. Rather than trying to understand a child’s feelings, we should make decisions based on what will benefit them most.”
The Duchess’s lips curved up slightly.
“Don’t be like that, darling. The Vice Director has no children, so it’s only natural she doesn’t understand a parent’s heart.”
…My head was spinning.
The Duke and Duchess meant no malice. They simply held fundamentally flawed values.
And considering myself as part of this era and this world, it was difficult to call them outright bad parents.
But….
‘That doesn’t mean Estella and Cedric aren’t being hurt.’
I swallowed dryly.
I’d heard that Cedric was exceptionally young even among the Mage Tower apprentices—was he adapting well to communal life?
And Estella, wasn’t she terrified at suddenly becoming isolated?
Even if what had already happened couldn’t be undone, I had to prevent it from getting worse.
“Have either of you ever seriously listened to your children’s opinions, even once?”
The Duchess looked displeased.
“What are you implying about us? Of course we asked Cedric’s opinion before sending him to the Mage Tower.”
“How did you ask him?”
“We told him to go to the Mage Tower since we were having difficulties.”
That wasn’t asking for his opinion—that was an announcement…!
I tried to rephrase this fact tactfully, but it fell on deaf ears.
“If he’d felt differently, he should have objected. But Cedric went to the Mage Tower without complaint.”
“Wasn’t it that he couldn’t dare to object?”
The Duke chuckled.
“That rebellious boy? Hardly. If anything, he seemed pleased to go to the Mage Tower.”
…I desperately hoped that was true.
It seemed difficult to meet with Cedric now that he was already in the Mage Tower.
But.
“Did you ask Estella the same way? That it seemed burdensome, so you’d keep your distance for a while?”
The Duchess made a sound—”Hmm.”
“We didn’t ask her quite like that. But according to Estella’s observation log….”
Now the Duchess didn’t even pretend to call it a “parenting diary.”
“The child apparently retches in secret every time after conversing with us.”
…What?

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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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