Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 172

☆ Chapter 172 ☆

“I don’t know. I have no idea how this happened… It’s strange from the start that Lady Chavonne used such power in the Imperial Palace—cough, cough!”

Seeing Lady Eisel cough roughly, the Empress couldn’t press her further.

In any case, Lady Eisel was a loyal confidante.

The Empress couldn’t press a sick person further just because the situation was somewhat unclear.

More than anything…

‘Being able to use that power must be because of what happened before.’

It wasn’t easy to place a restriction on Sidrian [likely referring to a person with significant magical abilities].

Several devices had to be installed along the defenses of the Imperial Palace.

Naturally, the use of abilities was unrestricted in the places where those devices were installed.

It would only be more troublesome for herself if Lady Eisel continued to question and delve into this.

The Empress stopped her questioning and turned to the servant.

“The Lady must be out of her mind. Even when I found and woke her, she couldn’t get up easily.”

“I see…”

‘If she’s deceiving me, I’ll notice if I keep her by my side and watch her.’

Even for that, she had to pretend to believe everything for now.

The Empress, with a much gentler attitude, touched Lady Eisel’s forehead, which was wet with sweat.

“Rest comfortably. You went through a rough time carrying out my orders. I will surely capture Muriel Chavonne and hold her accountable for making you like this.”

“I am grateful, Your Majesty.”

Lady Eisel answered with parched lips and then closed her eyes as if struggling.

‘I’ve overcome the immediate crisis with this.’

However, unless she gave a plausible excuse for what happened, she wouldn’t be able to completely dispel the Empress’s suspicion.

But she wasn’t worried.

Luatisha would surely move for her sake.

“It’s me.”

“It’s me. Lady Eisel’s backer.”

Just like when she appeared with a sword in hand at the moment of desperation.

* * *

The Imperial Palace banquet ended safely.

Although there were some happenings.

For example…

Splash!

“Oh my! I’m so sorry, Duchess! Are you okay?”

“Ugh…”

“You need to change your clothes! You’re completely wet.”

“Oh, it’s okay…”

“I’m so sorry. I have a spare dress, so let’s change.”

“No…”

“The Duke will be furious if he sees you like this. Please…”

It was intentional that she spilled wine on me, but she was genuinely worried that my family might see it.

No, if she was so scared, why did she spill the wine in the first place?

The lady changed her clothes and sighed in relief after confirming that I had nothing in my arms.

She didn’t know what was going on, but she seemed relieved that she wouldn’t be involved any further, having followed the Empress’s orders.

Oh dear, it’s too early to rest assured.

“Waa, Lulu’s dress is completely ruined. Sniff…”

“Take the clothes you’re wearing now.”

“Yutra specially made Lulu’s dress. This fabric was Akerna silk.”

“The clothes the Duchess is wearing now are also silk.”

“This is just silk. Akerna silk is ten times more expensive.”

“…You really know a lot. Don’t worry. I’ll send you Akerna silk.”

“There are diamonds on it.”

“…Can’t you just take off the diamonds again? Just wash it with water—”

“Hwaaaa! Daddy!”

“…Did I hear a cracking sound just now…? Are you angry with Lulu? Sniff, Daddy!”

“Ha! Ha! Ha! How could I be angry with the Duchess? I’ll give you a lot of jewels to match your new clothes.”

“Um, but Yutra is a very high-end talent, so it costs a lot of money to make clothes. Daddy said that’s natural. Professional manpower should be treated accordingly.”

“…Duke Paeraton really educated his daughter well. Just order a new dress from Yutra and I’ll pay for it.”

“Wow! Thank you! But then… what about a sincere apology?”

“What?”

“Compensating for damaged clothes is natural, and if you’re truly sorry, shouldn’t you show visible sincerity?”

“…Heo [a sound of disbelief or shock].”

“Um? Is Lulu wrong? That’s what Daddy taught me… Daddy!”

“…I’ll send sincerity to the Paeraton estate soon.”

The lady’s back, as she trudged away, was still vivid in my mind.

Ah, who said that?

There is sadness in the back of a person.

That was exactly it.

‘Why did you do what the Empress told you to do?’

I can’t forgive the Empress’s stooges!

Anyway, it seems like she was looking for a potion bottle that might be there.

‘To suspect that I might not have put the potion in… The Empress isn’t that smart of a style.’

Lady Eisel’s actions must have bothered her quite a bit.

But no matter how much she looks, the potion bottle will never come out.

‘…It’s too early to rest assured with that.’

I organized my thoughts and jumped out of the carriage.

Today was the day I was supposed to meet with Young Master Kaishen.

There was one more person who was supposed to be with us.

* * *

“Lady Chavonne is having a secret meeting?”

The Empress raised her voice.

“Yes, she is moving secretly in the Tulerose Street on the outskirts of the capital.”

The Empress clenched her fist tightly.

‘Finally…!’

She caught the tail.

About ten days since the last Imperial Palace banquet.

Lady Chavonne had not shown herself.

The Empress wanted to storm Chavonne’s mansion right away, but unfortunately, she had to move carefully.

“We haven’t retrieved the seal yet. If we move aggressively, the nobles will be shaken. They might think that His Majesty is checking the nobles.”

“…”

“To avoid such agitation, we have to reveal what happened that day, but we can’t.”

It was Lady Eisel’s advice.

Apart from suspecting her, it was definitely a valid point.

‘She hasn’t done anything particularly suspicious since then.’

Well, she couldn’t. Lady Eisel was recuperating from her injured body.

The Empress secretly contacted the guild without informing Lady Eisel.

The request was simple.

To track Lady Chavonne’s whereabouts and report them immediately.

However, despite the simple content, she faced difficulties from the start.

“Lady Chavonne is not in Chavonne’s mansion. I’m sure because I even infiltrated inside. Also, no one has seen her since the last Imperial Palace banquet.”

It was because Lady Chavonne had completely disappeared.

The Empress was annoyed, but on the other hand, she thought, ‘She must be hiding because she’s definitely got something to hide.’

Now, a week later, she finally caught Muriel Chavonne’s tail.

“Okay, who is she meeting?”

“Young Master Kaishen.”

“Ha!”

The image of Young Master Kaishen suspecting the drink on the day of the banquet came to mind.

It was clear that Muriel Chavonne had leaked some of the plan to him.

“And…”

“And?”

“It’s Duchess Paeraton.”

“…!”

The Empress’s face hardened.

The story she had with Lady Eisel comes back to her mind.

‘Is she really using me as a pawn to gain the trust of others?!’

The fact that she is meeting with Duchess Paeraton, not herself, in this situation was telling that the guess was true.

The Empress opened her mouth with a cold face.

Her head was turning more coldly than ever.

“Is there a watcher attached now?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then, can you tell me even the conversations they are having?”

“There is a risk in getting closer.”

“Humph.”

The Empress pointed to the chest on the table with her chin.

When the man opened the chest with a cautious attitude, a radiance that seemed to blind the eyes poured out from inside the box.

“…!”

“Is that enough?”

“I will convey even the whispers as they are.”

It was a very reliable answer.

The Empress smiled deeply.

Whether it’s Muriel Chavonne or someone else.

She will pay the price for daring to stab her in the back.

* * *

“It’s so awkward to meet in a place like this.”

Luatisha sipped her iced chocolate with a straw and looked at the people sitting across from her.

“Isn’t it? Young Master Kaishen and—”

Luatisha crossed her arms and glared at Lady Chavonne with sharp eyes.

“Lady Chavonne?”

Lady Chavonne gave an embarrassed smile.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m embarrassed.”

“No, no. Lady Chavonne doesn’t make that kind of expression. More seductively, fatally!”

“Se, seductive… Our young lady said such a thing…”

“Why are you so shocked? Hurry up and make a seductive expression.”

Lady Chavonne—or rather, Azul with Lady Chavonne’s face—hesitantly made a seductive expression.

“Wow, she’s really doing it.”

“…! That’s too much!”

Azul made a tearful face.

Young Master Kaishen, who had been watching the scene quietly, comforted Azul.

“You’ve really been through a lot.”

“Thank you for recognizing it.”

“It must be really hard to serve a boss who is not of ordinary temper. I know it well.”

“Young Master’s boss also has a rough… no, a generous personality, I see.”

“…”

No, hey.

I can hear everything, you know?

Luatisha glared at the two while sipping her iced chocolate.

“Anyway, it’s really amazing. This kind of polymorph [ability to change form] shouldn’t be possible.”

“Um, that’s a trade secret.”

At Young Master Kaishen’s words, Luatisha smiled brightly and drew a line.

I can’t tell the privileges of a romance fantasy reader to just anyone!

“Rather than that, don’t we have a lot to talk about?”

“That’s right.”

“Then shall we hear Young Master Kaishen’s story now? How he came to the warehouse where Lady Eisel was trapped.”

At those words, Kaishen Felix frowned.

Would it be better to tell everything as it is?

But it’s ridiculous to pretend not to know after coming this far.

‘No, rather, if Duchess Paeraton is really a , I have to cooperate.’

No, it’s not cooperation, but he has to follow Duchess Paeraton.

‘Of course, I’ll have to see if she’s a real , though.’

Felix started talking with a long sigh.

“I knew in advance that Lady Chavonne would harm the Duchess at the party that day.”

* * *

Ten days ago, the party at the Imperial Palace banquet.

Seeing Luatisha safe even after drinking the juice, Felix Kaishen felt doubtful.

‘I thought I had tampered with that drink, but was I wrong?’

But neither Luatisha nor the royals next to her had anything wrong with them.

No, it wasn’t that there was nothing wrong.

It was because the Empress left her seat with a pale face.

But that wasn’t the reaction of someone who had been poisoned.

‘Rather, it’s like something went wrong…’

Felix’s gaze naturally turned to Lady Chavonne.

The Empress’s side was somewhat suspicious, but he couldn’t rashly follow her in a situation where it wasn’t certain.

The important thing for him was to monitor Lady Chavonne.

Was it because Luatisha was with her family?

Unlike expected, Lady Chavonne didn’t take any action.

She looked like she was enjoying the party normally.

But soon, he spotted her leaving with the Empress’s close aide.

‘…So she joined hands with the Empress. Then that reaction earlier…’

Felix tried to suppress his presence as much as possible and carefully followed her.

There was no problem standing in the hallway where many people passed by, but things changed when they entered the hallway where the royal family’s private lounge was located.

He was keeping his distance as much as possible, worried that he might get caught.

‘Isn’t Lady Chavonne kidnapping Lady Eisel?’

Just as he was about to go out in a panic, he paused when he saw a palace servant appearing a little ahead of him and receiving Lady Eisel.

‘I almost got caught.’

He decided to watch the situation a little more for now.

After all, the use of Aura or Mana is impossible inside the Imperial Palace building.

The same goes for evil energy.

If the palace servant smuggles Lady Eisel out of the Imperial Palace separately, it won’t be too late to stop her then.

But the place where Lady Chavonne took Lady Eisel was a warehouse inside the Imperial Palace.

He was relieved, but he felt a faint energy inside the building.

Faint but very evil energy.