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Chapter 6 - Chapter 6 – Life Isn’t Easy for “Cha”

That night, immediately after being bathed thoroughly by the maid, Baicha was drugged into a deep sleep. In this world full of dungeons, even though the beauty industry had advanced in many aspects, wound healing and scar treatment were not given much special attention.

This was because healing potions that could instantly heal wounds without leaving scars were still available on the market. Although they were expensive and hard to come by, requiring skilled alchemists to craft them, the wealthy didn't hesitate to purchase them. It was similar to the high-grade potion that the tall butler had used on the boy earlier. Many guilds even had their own healers.

As a result, the rich and the upper class rarely had visible scars. Those who did were usually not wealthy or felt it was good to have scars as proof of battles. Therefore, the industry for scar treatment was not as developed as it could have been.

Potions of this type could only heal minor wounds. Large wounds required cutting away old scars and using high-level potions, which was extremely painful for someone like Baicha, whose body was covered in scars almost everywhere.

Thus, the young healer from the Wakaba family chose to sedate the boy before carefully treating his wounds, and then cleaned him once again after the procedure was complete.

"Ugh…" It was only the next afternoon that the little boy woke up on the spacious, luxurious Japanese-style bed that was unfamiliar compared to the glass cage he had lived in for five years. His stomach rumbled loudly, and his skin felt smooth and pleasant, prompting him to rub it with his small hands repeatedly.

"Ah!? Young master! You're awake?? You just had surgery last night, I was so worried about you! I kept wondering when you would open your eyes. How are you feeling… is anything hurting?" Before Baicha could respond, a worried and caring voice reached his ears.

Turning his head, he saw the maid who had brought him to this room and cared for him throughout the night, just waking from a nap on the beautiful wooden floor beside the sunken bed.

"I'm fine. Um… who are you? Why are you sleeping next to me?" Baicha tilted his face, puzzled by the situation.

In truth, the boy thought her behavior was excessively extravagant for someone he had just met. If he didn't know any better, he might have thought she was his real mother or someone who had taken care of him since birth, because no ordinary person would act so over the top.

"My name is Mao. I'm the one your father ordered to take care of you, young master. I even bathed you last night. Do you remember?" The young, attractive maid in a black and red uniform introduced herself kindly.

Upon hearing her name clearly, the boy's eyes glimmered strangely. He knew well that she was not friendly despite her appearance.

"Oh! I remember now! M-mao! I'm hungry. Do you have food for me?" Baicha spoke sweetly, showing his childlike charm.

Knowing he needed to handle her slowly, he simply asked for food with wide, innocent eyes while rubbing his flat stomach for sympathy.

"Of course, young master! There must be food for you. Even though you are an illegitimate child—Ah!?" The maid suddenly covered her mouth in shock mid-sentence.

"Eh? I'm an illegitimate child??" Baicha tilted his head, puzzled.

"It's nothing, nothing. I just mean that, as the youngest son of the house, there must be food here for you. Today, it's only soft food because your body can't handle heavy meals yet." She smiled gently, giving off no hint of malice.

If Baicha hadn't known she was one of the causes of his death in the original novel, he might have trusted her sincerity.

"Oh! So this is my home… Hehe, that's nice. I can eat anything here, right?" Baicha played the innocent child, making the maid smile widely as she hurried off to get food. He watched her leave carefully, then put back on his fake, sweet smile.

'Matsuda Mao' was the daughter of a high-ranking follower family of the Wakaba clan, which had served them for generations. After the apocalypse, her family had fallen behind, with heirs never reaching above Rank B, except for one grandfather. Mao herself was the worst in her family, with only a Rank E cooking skill and an overall power no higher than Rank E.

Having fallen in love with Ryo at first sight, she begged her family to let her work as a maid in the Wakaba house to get close to him and improve her family's status.

Yes, she had been infatuated with Baicha's father for a long time. But unfortunately, the De Senmor and Wakaba families had betrothed their heirs since childhood. Even though the father's affair with Paulleth was improper, Mao knew her dreams could never come true. Still, she chose to love him from the sidelines, waiting for chances to admire the man she desired.

Everything was normal until the illegitimate child appeared… then things began to change.

In the original novel, Mao was a minor villain and partly responsible for Baicha's death. When he appeared, her feelings changed drastically. She resented his presence and projected her romantic disappointment onto him.

Initially, she tried to use him to get closer to his father, so she never physically harmed him in the novel. She treated him kindly until he trusted her like a mother, unaware she only wanted proximity to his father.

Once she realized his father wasn't interested and Baicha awakened a "desperate" form of power, she abandoned using him and began venting her anger on him. Mao would verbally manipulate him, creating emotional scars that strained his relationships and worsened his health. Eventually, he died within a year of being taken into the Wakaba household. Later, the heroine would discover this, fight the protagonist, and his father would ruthlessly punish Mao and her family.

Baicha, however, was determined to use his childlike charm to deal with her before that day came.

"Yum! Mmm… delicious!" For now, he focused on eating to grow his plump little cheeks and belly, the rare childlike traits that made him more charming.

Over the next 3–5 days, Baicha ate on time and in larger portions to cultivate these traits. Mao caused no trouble, even sleeping on a futon beside his bed to watch over him, allowing him to live comfortably, though he remained wary of how the Wakaba family would react.

"Big Yung! Here I come!" Baicha ran toward the butler with a broad, adorable smile. He exaggerated his concern more than Mao had for him before.

"Little master," Ken crouched, arms ready to hug him.

"I missed you, Big Yung! It's just Mao here. I was lonely… How are you?" The boy's small hands gestured affectionately.

"I'm fine, and so is my young master," Ken replied warmly, ruffling Baicha's long hair, slightly annoyed at its length and untidiness.

"I like it here! Mao takes care of me so well," Baicha said, giving a thumbs-up, showing he could charm strangers easily.

"Oh, Mao takes care of you well? Then you must like it here a lot," Ken nodded appreciatively. Mao smiled faintly, hoping Ken would report her diligence to Ryo.

"Yes! I like it a lot! I get full meals and don't hurt anymore," Baicha said sincerely.

"Ha! That makes me happy. Oh! I brought toys for you. Actually, you should call me Butler or Ken, since you're your father's son. Calling me 'father' might upset your real father," Ken said.

"Toys!?" Baicha's face lit up with excitement, eyes wide.

"Yes, toys! Here they are!"

"Ah…" Baicha froze, staring at the stack of dragon, mermaid, and other cute monster dolls. Even Ken's dimensional ring storing them was fascinating to the little scientist.

"You don't like them?" Ken asked.

"No! I like them! I just didn't know what toys were before… I only had one toy before. Seeing so many now, I'm shocked!" Baicha feigned surprise dramatically.

"Ha! Shocked?" Ken laughed, while Mao observed, puzzled by the boy's previous situation.

"Yes! I love them! Thank you, father! Kiss!" Baicha bowed politely and kissed Ken's cheek, then rolled into the pile of toys, hugging them.

"Young master!?" Mao shouted, startled by the boy calling Ken 'father'.

"It's okay! I'm scared!" Baicha jumped up, leaving the toys.

"Sorry for startling you, young master. You may call him butler or father, but not father alone, or your real father might be upset," Mao gently explained.

"I see… so a housekeeper is like a father or mother to the household, like parents raising children. I understand!" Baicha nodded.

"Good! Now, may I trim your hair? It's too long and probably uncomfortable," Ken said.

"…You, the butler…" Mao froze. Ken, known for strictness and skill in haircuts, was trusted with cutting only the eldest son's hair. She felt the illegitimate child didn't deserve this.

"Okay! Cut it, Yung! I heard trimming makes me cuter. I want to be cute! Everyone will see me!" Baicha interrupted cheerfully.

"Sure, I'll make you the cutest," Ken smiled.

"Ha ha! Mao, prepare the tools!" Ken instructed the maid, unaware his attention to Baicha would increase her resentment.

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Dialogue Summary:

Ken: "The young master is really cute!" // beginning to fall for him

Baicha: "Hoho! Look at my childlike charm!" // covering mouth, mischievous

Ryo: "I heard he called someone father?" // suspicious glance

Baicha: "Oops…" // avoids eye contact, pretending ignorance

Chapter 6 END

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