The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 6

* * *

 

“The uncles are here!”

 

As expected, the next day.

 

Four bandits came to visit, their faces even fresher than yesterday.

 

“Baby, sorry about yesterday!”

 

“Today, I’ll take better care of you! Hahaha!”

 

‘What are you up to again?’

 

Because of yesterday’s incident, I was naturally not happy to see them.

 

Trying to protect myself, I quickly checked what they were holding in their hands. And then…

 

‘They brought that?!’

 

I was so shocked that my mouth dropped open.

 

‘Water again!’

 

Yeah. What was filled to the brim in the basin was definitely water.

 

But, fortunately or unfortunately… seeing the steam rising, it seemed that this time, unlike yesterday, they had brought warm water.

 

“The uncles~ warmed it up to make our little one nice and cozy. Can you wait just a bit? Yesterday it was all ‘cold, cold,’ right? Sorry about that.”

 

Okay. So far, it’s been fine.  

 

“Let’s take a bath and eat some super sweet, sweet rice cake! The uncles brought something really special just for you!”

 

Honey rice cake? You’re going to feed honey rice cake to a baby who isn’t even one yet?

 

‘Of course! I knew these guys were going to kill me!’

 

“Ke, keung!”

 

I fell into a deep thought and desperately rolled over.

 

Then, I barely crawled to the end of the crib and curled up.

 

“Oh my!”

 

The startled bandits covered their mouths and shouted. A few even clapped their hands.

 

‘What are you surprised about? This is just the age when they do this…’

 

After spending the past week testing various things with this body…

 

I realized that I had just started crawling.

 

The problem was that moving long distances was still impossible.

 

In other words, trying to escape from those pure villains, whose good intentions made them even scarier, was still impossible.

 

“Did you see that? With those tiny arms and legs, they were crawling all around, wobbly-wobbly!”

 

“Oh my goodness, good heavens!”

 

“Isn’t she a genius? Did you see yesterday? She was just waving her tiny little hands at the Vice Chief, telling him to come over, like this, like this!” 

 

“Kaaaagh! Look how smart she is! When she grows up, she could even be a bandit! Absolutely!” 

 

The bandits were thrilled again and again. Then, they pulled out the honey rice cake and hurried over to me.

 

“You’ve worked hard, so have a sweet treat first, and then take a bath. I sneaked it for you before giving it to the Chief!”

 

In my previous life, I didn’t even have a baby, let alone experience marriage or romance—I just worked until I died.

 

But even so, I knew the basic common sense that a baby without teeth shouldn’t eat honey rice cake.

 

“Ugh, bubu!”

 

I desperately tried not to open my mouth. But as if they couldn’t understand, the bandits kept pushing the honey rice cake toward me.

 

‘These guys, seriously!’

 

In the end, I couldn’t resist and reached out to snatch the honey rice cake.

 

Smack—!

 

And then I threw it right at the bandit’s face.

 

Thud! The honey rice cake bounced off the bandit’s cheek and rolled across the floor.

 

“Abububu! (I told you I wouldn’t eat it!)”

 

I placed my hands on my hips and glared.

 

Just like when I subdued criminals in the interrogation room!

 

Firing a stern and powerful glare straight ahead!

 

“…D, do you think she doesn’t like it?”

 

Only then did the bandits glance around nervously and step back. Their shoulders slumped as if dejected, but I didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry for them. 

 

“You didn’t like it…?”

 

“Abu!! (I don’t like it!)”

 

Once again, as if to make absolutely sure, I picked up the honey rice cake they offered me with my tiny hands. 

 

Then I threw it away again in a snap. 

 

“Hng!” 

 

One of the bandits, frustrated by my behavior, slumped down in defeat. 

 

“Uncle… s, sorry…” 

 

“Buu. (Forget it.)” 

 

“Alright. But you shouldn’t throw food when you eat, got it? Okay?”

 

Seeing the bandit on the verge of tears, I sighed and reached out to pat his muscular arm.

 

I felt bad for throwing the precious honey rice cake.

 

“What about… the bath?”

 

Pointing to the warm water they had brought, one of the bandits sniffled and asked.

 

I stroked my chubby cheek, pondering.

 

‘Hmm, my hands are a bit sticky from the honey rice cake…’

 

I hesitated for a moment, then carefully nodded.

 

“Great! This time the uncles will take good care of you! Baby!” 

 

“Just wait! We’ll wash you clean from head to toe!”

 

The bandits carefully lifted me up in their hands.

 

My head was still down, my legs were up… I was in an awkward position, like I was doing a handstand.

 

‘There’s still a long way to go.’

 

Whew.

 

I swallowed another small sigh.

 

* * *

 

‘Every day feels like a battle!’

 

Late at night, after the bandits had left, I lay down in my room, panting heavily.

 

If I let my guard down even for a moment, the bandits would do the most unexpected things, and each time, I had to cry or shake my head to desperately show my refusal.

 

I was exhausted.

 

I was once again certain. I couldn’t stay like this.

 

‘I have to meet the leader and negotiate.’

 

I clenched my small fists.

 

Although I was still just a baby who couldn’t speak properly, it didn’t mean there was no way to express my thoughts. 

 

However, there was a problem.

 

‘That the chief could never like me.’

 

“That doesn’t mean we have any reason to take care of the bloodline of our enemy!”

 

I recalled the voice of a man named Gaon, who had protested so fiercely.

 

And at that moment, on the boss’s face… there was clearly a despair and anger that words couldn’t describe.

 

I knew that expression.

 

‘The bereaved families.’

 

In my previous life, the expressions of the bereaved families always looked like that.

 

I’m talking about the families of those who were sacrificed by my father’s hand.

 

They naturally hated me… and in the end, wasn’t it by their hands that I lost my life?

 

I didn’t know the exact circumstances of each bandit, but…

 

Judging by the boss’s expression at the time, it was certainly not a situation to be taken lightly.

 

‘This might be more difficult than I thought.’

 

Even if he had defended me against his subordinates.

 

Phew. My head ached, so I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them. A little later, I shook my head from side to side.

 

‘No! I can do this. They say even if you enter a tiger’s den, as long as you stay sharp, you can survive!’

 

First, let’s start with profiling. You have to know your opponent and yourself to win every battle.

 

I gathered my thoughts, sprang up from my seat, and moved my fingers across the floor as if drawing a diagram.

 

I was mapping out and analyzing the bandits’ faces and behaviors.

 

‘Hmm, alright. They all look like ruthless criminals… but one thing’s for sure—they like me.’

 

It’s been that way since I first saw them.

 

Although they’re so inexperienced with parenting that they almost feel their lives are in danger… Other than that, they’re like… like overbearing uncles treating their cute nephews? 

 

And if my guess is correct…

 

‘Even the Chief seemed to like me before he realized I was a member of the royal bloodline.’

 

“What were you all doing while the baby was trembling?”

 

“Tsk, the poor child’s body was already freezing.”

 

Otherwise, there’s no way he would have spoken so gently while patting my stomach.

 

Moreover, the chief just let it slide even after I sneezed all over him.

 

In other words, the conclusion is.

 

‘Both the chief and the bandits like the ‘baby’! And very, very much!’

 

In my mind, the tasks I had to do next popped up one after another!

 

Just like planning a detective operation.

 

‘First, I need to create an opportunity to meet the chief.’

 

Right. If I stayed trapped in this shabby barracks, I couldn’t do anything. I had to find a way to meet the chief. And then…

 

‘I’ll show the chief that I’m harmless and shower him with the baby’s cuteness and charm to win his heart!’

 

Just because I’m the enemy’s child doesn’t mean they should be prejudiced! I’ll make sure they fully understand that babies are lovable and deserve to be protected!

 

‘And finally, I’ll stay here until I grow up, then escape to somewhere else.’

 

“Waah! (Good!)” 

 

Feeling that I had come up with a perfect plan, I smiled to myself.

 

However, the moment I tried to work out the details of the first step, I immediately hit a wall.

 

‘But… just how am I supposed to meet the chief?’

 

In this body that couldn’t even walk, there was no way I could go anywhere.

 

‘First, I need to get out to be noticed… but is there even a way to leave this place?’

 

I had confirmed that I could crawl, but I had never tried going far.

 

Given my current muscle strength, it seemed like it would be too much.

 

Hmm. I looked down at my short arms and legs and thought.  

 

‘Then, should I practice?’