Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 116
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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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Epilogue 3. My Daughter Can’t Be a Villainess (2)
As soon as dawn broke, Jeff headed to the Blancarde Estate.
Achard grumbled. His hands were full of heavy gift boxes.
“Did you hire me as a porter, Mr. Bertrand?”
“Since I hired you, might as well make use of it.”
“This is called abuse of power, misuse of authority.”
“Where did you learn such boring words?”
“Six months ago at the Bertrand Estate, the young lord and his wife taught me.”
“My brother really meddles in everything.”
“They told me to inform them if you treated me unfairly…”
“It’s useless, Achard. If I say it’s a gift for Lisa, they won’t even pretend to listen. My brother would be worse than me, not better.”
Jeff had to leave Delmez shortly after Lisa was born due to business ventures in the Kingdom of Brubewinn, but Patrick frequently traveled back and forth to watch Lisa grow up.
Patrick was severely afflicted.
“People call folks like Mr. Bertrand ‘niece-crazy.'”
“I know.”
So what about it.
Jeff was confident.
She was the child born to his younger sister, whom he cherished so much it wouldn’t hurt to put her in his eyes. Something cute gave birth to something cute, so naturally it was twice as cute. What’s the point of saying it? It would only make his mouth hurt.
“Even hedgehogs think their own babies are lovely.”
Jeff said with a confident expression.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. My niece is really pretty.”
“Didn’t you say you saw her as a newborn baby and then didn’t meet her for two years?”
“That’s right. She was really cute then. I practically helped raise her for six months.”
“Children grow up quickly. If she’s three this year, she’ll be talking quite well.”
“She must be so adorable.”
“You don’t know how annoying children who talk well can be.”
Achard was sick and tired of little kids.
Coming from a church-affiliated orphanage, he had suffered through childcare duties until he met Jeff at fifteen and left the facility.
How cute could a child really be?
Babies and children are different. Babies can only eat, defecate, and cry, but children are demons who chatter in clumsy speech and ask about everything they see – what it is, what it’s used for, why it’s called that.
No matter how cute they look, if they act like demons, they’re just demons.
The cuter they are, the more demonic appearance they possess. After all, demons are beings that seduce people.
“From my perspective, you’re still a child too.”
“I’m different. I’m an adult.”
“Ah, right. I’m sure you are.”
Jeff suppressed his laughter and shrugged his shoulders.
“Anyway, my niece is different. Don’t fall for her, Achard.”
“I hate children. I’ve heard about Mr. Bertrand’s love for his niece until my ears bled, so please don’t force it on me.”
“I’m being objective.”
“Yes, yes. I get it. Blood relations…”
“…Well, being as firm as you might be safer. Even if you fall for her, it’s better not to show it.”
“I won’t fall for her. I’m not a relative like Mr. Bertrand.”
“If you show it… your life could be in danger.”
“My life…?”
The evil spirits attached to that cute niece are quite formidable…
*
Lisa Kylie Blancarde turned three this year.
Lisa really was the spitting image of her father.
With black hair and blue eyes, they expected she would resemble Shane more, but as her features became more defined, she was just a Shane miniature.
If Shane had been a little girl, she would have looked exactly like Lisa.
Every time Edelaine looked at Lisa, she wondered where all her genes had disappeared to.
All the components that made up that child should have come from her body, so how did all traces of herself completely vanish…
‘I definitely gave birth to her from my own belly…’
Shane had the morning sickness, but she was the one who gave birth.
The labor was short and intense, about two hours, but she was the one in pain.
Genevieve sometimes regretted, “It would have been nice if at least her eye color resembled Lady Edelaine.” Edelaine felt that way a little too.
But looking at the distinct, prominent features set in that tiny face, it felt just perfect. The almond-shaped sharp eyes, the straight nose, the plump cheeks with a rosy complexion on porcelain-white skin, and the glossy full lips – there wasn’t a single part that wasn’t cute.
‘No, I shouldn’t be like this.’
No matter how pretty she looked to her own eyes, she mustn’t forget that ‘my child is only pretty to my eyes.’
Forgetting that would make her a troublemaker immediately.
‘Lisa already has too many uncles and aunts around her who dote on her, which is problematic.’
She worried the child might grow up spoiled.
Born with a duke for a father, a marquis and merchant guild master for uncles, a prince, and a godmother who was both Pope and Saint.
‘She’s just the strongest in the world setting…’
Even a protagonist with this background would get criticized.
There would be no hardships in life, but even if any arose, there were mountains of protectors who would uproot the very cause of those hardships.
Then something warm clung to her legs. It was Lisa.
“Mama, mama, hug me…”
“Lisa. Wasn’t it nap time?”
“I’m awake, I woke up, but mama wasn’t there…”
Edelaine put her hands under the armpits of Lisa, who was clinging to her knees with her chin resting on them, and lifted her up.
The traces of having just woken up were clear on the child’s face. Things like pillow marks and drool at the corners of her mouth. Edelaine giggled and wiped Lisa’s mouth.
Lisa naturally burrowed into her embrace, rubbing her cheek and clinging like a koala.
Because there were many people who had cherished and hugged her since she was little, Lisa loved being held by people.
There was hardly anyone who wouldn’t be won over by a baby who completely entrusted her body and clung while rubbing her cheek.
She was a child who wasn’t shy with strangers and couldn’t even imagine that anyone would dislike her.
Edelaine wondered if she had given birth to a person or a puppy that resembled Shane.
Watching her toddle around on short, chubby legs following people around, she was unmistakably a puppy.
Ah, I shouldn’t do this. I need to maintain objectivity… No wait, what’s wrong with me finding my own child pretty? It’s not like I’m forcing it on others, I can think freely to myself, right?
Lloyd approached Edelaine, who was grinning to herself like Jekyll and Hyde. He looked somewhat tired.
“Miss, I told you not to run in the corridors.”
“Lloyd’s nagging is annoying…”
“It’s not nagging. I’m telling you the rules you need to follow.”
Lloyd scolded sternly.
Lisa expressed her displeasure with puffed cheeks, then pouted and buried her frowning face deep in Edelaine’s chest. Then she grumbled quietly.
“Lloyd doesn’t even hug me…”
Edelaine looked at Lloyd. Lloyd protested with a slightly angry face.
“I was holding you to sleep just a moment ago. Even though my arms felt like they would fall off, I endured and patted your back, didn’t I?”
“When I woke up, you weren’t there!”
“I was right beside you. You were drooling while sleeping, so I went to get a handkerchief to wipe it.”
Lloyd was serious even when dealing with a three-year-old.
“You don’t even hug me!”
“…”
Lloyd’s nose twitched.
Edelaine secretly cheered for Lloyd. Lloyd was the hope for Lisa’s character education.
She needed to teach her that unreasonable stubbornness and spite wouldn’t work.
“Lloyd doesn’t hug me, so I came looking for mama. Lloyd is mean.”
“…You’re right. It’s my fault.”
Hope was lost.
Edelaine stroked Lisa’s round back of the head and shook her own head.
In the end, Lloyd was just another helpless uncle.
Lisa looked at Lloyd with a coy expression, then raised both arms toward him. Lloyd took Lisa from Edelaine’s embrace and held her. Edelaine said.
“I could hold her too.”
“….”
Lloyd didn’t even answer.
Edelaine felt as if the child who had been in her arms was stolen from her, along with a slight sense of hurt.
‘I’m the mother here. And he’s never even smiled at me like that. Aren’t those two getting along a bit too well?’
She felt hurt by both Lisa and Lloyd.
Ever since Lisa was born, Lloyd had been following Lisa around and taking care of her instead of Edelaine. He acted quite strict, saying he needed to teach her proper manners early on, but….
Edelaine clicked her tongue as she watched Lisa’s satisfied smile while being held in Lloyd’s arms.
You’re completely exposed, Lloyd.
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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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