Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 217

Looking back, Liriel was smiling brightly.

Jasmine and Tiriel’s faces sharpened.

“How do you know something we don’t?”

“It’s not like you know Lulu better than we do.”

At those words, Liriel’s eyes widened.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I upset you by any chance?”

Jasmine and Tiriel hesitated at the immediate apology.

Liriel smiled kindly but spoke her mind clearly.

“But isn’t pushing away people who approach the Princess like that not a good idea?”

“W-When did we ever一.”

“Hey, don’t push me away so much. I want to get close to the Princess too!”

Liriel came closer to me, wrinkling her nose and smiling playfully.

She lightly touched my arm as a sign of familiarity but kept her distance, offering no further touch.

“Is that so?”

At my question, Liriel nodded vigorously.

“Yes! You have no idea how much I wanted to meet the Princess. Really…….”

Liriel’s smile deepened.

“一From a very long time ago.”

It was a strangely meaningful statement.

“I’ve also been very curious about what kind of person the Saintess, whom I’ve occasionally heard about, would be. I’m quite interested in things like that.”

As a romance fantasy reader, I couldn’t ignore a story related to the Saintess.

“Wow, really? I’m so happy. I’ve succeeded if the Princess is interested in me, right?”

Liriel winked.

Tiriel, who had been anxiously watching us with a displeased expression, cut in between us.

“But how do you know that Prince Sidrian and Lulu won’t date? How do you know that?”

“Ah, that’s…….”

Liriel, who had been hesitating as if embarrassed, scratched her cheek with a shy giggle.

“I’ve known Sid since a long time ago…….”

What?

She’s known Sid since a long time ago?

My heart sank.

‘……It’s possible she knew him. It’s not like Sid was a princess trapped in a tower.’

On the contrary.

Sid wandered outside more than any other prince.

But Liriel’s expression, her eyes, her slightly flushed cheeks, when she said ‘knew him well’一.

‘It’s like she’s saying they weren’t just acquaintances.’

I took a fresh look at Liriel.

Shining silver hair and mysterious golden eyes.

A lively and affable smile.

Liriel was not only beautiful but also a girl who instantly gained people’s favor.

And ‘Sid.’

‘Sid is一.’

It was the name I gave him.

When the Emperor officially recognized Sid, who had returned, as a prince, he tried to bestow a new name, but Sid insisted on remaining Sid.

So he was granted the name Sidrian, but no one called Sid by Sid.

The only people who called him Sid were me and Sid’s birth mother, Her Majesty the Empress.

‘But Sid?’

“Oh, I should call him Your Highness here. It’s a habit……. My mistake.”

Liriel covered her lips and smiled awkwardly.

“As far as I know, Sid…… no, His Highness Prince Sidrian is not in a special relationship with the Princess.”

“B-But一.”

Jasmine frowned and looked back at me.

“Hey, you two are misunderstanding. Right, Princess? Prince Sidrian hasn’t confessed his feelings to the Princess, has he?”

“…….”

“Other people misunderstood, and the Princess must have been embarrassed.”

Liriel gently stroked my shoulder as if to comfort me.

“By the way, your friends call the Princess Lulu, I see? How cute.”

I nodded faintly.

“Close people call me Riri.”

Liriel smiled brightly and clapped her hands together as if it was a good match.

“We’re not only the same age, but even our nicknames are similar?”

“What? What’s similar between you and our Lulu! You’re grasping at straws一.”

I quickly grabbed Tiriel’s arm.

Oops, Tiriel stopped talking, but it was already too late.

“Lady Tiriel…… was it? I understand that you want to monopolize the Princess since she’s so popular. It’s natural to feel that way when you have a wonderful friend.”

“No, I一.”

“But isn’t guarding and pushing away people who approach her like that not good for your friend? You’ve been rude since earlier.”

Liriel erased her smile and spoke firmly.

I could see people who had been watching us nodding slightly in agreement with Liriel’s words.

Tiriel bit her lip.

Of course, Tiriel had never tried to control my friendships.

‘She just doesn’t like Liriel right now, that’s all.’

But among our peers, there were many people who belittled and envied Tiriel, saying, ‘She’s nothing special, yet she’s close to Princess Paeraton.’

To them, Liriel’s words must have sounded refreshing.

“Tiriel reacted that way because the Saintess’s words sounded like she was comparing herself to me.”

“Oh my, I wasn’t comparing, I was just happy to find even a small commonality with the Princess, whom I admired一.”

“I know. But the intention of words is not always received as the speaker intended. Especially in high society.”

At my words, Liriel’s lips trembled slightly.

But Liriel soon created a smile.

“……The Princess seems to cherish her friends very much.”

“Because they’re my friends.”

“I’m so envious. I want to be the Princess’s friend too. I want to hang out with Sid, no, His Highness Prince Sidrian, all three of us.”

Sid.

Every time Liriel called him Sid like that, it felt like something sticky and viscous was clinging to my heart.

“Can I call the Princess Lulu too?”

Liriel looked at me with a slightly shy yet expectant face.

A pretty face that made anyone want to nod.

‘I want to stab her nostrils.’

“Of course, Riri.”

I smiled brightly.

* * *

‘……Definitely not easy.’

Liriel chuckled and took a sip of her drink.

It would have been so easy if Ruatisha had lost her temper like Tiriel.

Well, if she were an easy opponent, I wouldn’t be having such a hard time in the first place.

‘But I found a weakness.’

Ruatisha, who had never changed her expression no matter what I said or did, stiffened the moment I mentioned Sid一.

‘Sidrian must be precious to her?’

How foolish.

‘Creating precious beings only gives others leverage.’

Humans and gods always commit that foolish act.

You can only get what you want by thinking of everything as chess pieces and using them.

‘Being so soft.’

Tsk, I clicked my tongue inwardly when I saw people approaching.

“Saintess, I was surprised. To be talking so openly with Princess Paeraton.”

“There are really only a few people Princess Paeraton calls so familiarly.”

“I knew it, you’re the Saintess, right? How can you do that without even meeting a few times?”

‘……Still Princess Paeraton.’

I think it can’t be helped because Ruatisha has been dominating high society for several years.

“I was surprised too. I mustered up the courage to say it, but I didn’t expect her to react like that.”

Yes, I was really surprised.

I deliberately mentioned ‘Sid’ to scratch her nerves, but she smiled brightly and treated me even more kindly.

The best scenario would have been for Ruatisha to ignore me and be displeased.

“I guess you need courage.”

“Does having courage make everything possible? The Princess accepted you so gladly because you’re the Saintess.”

“Well, birds of a feather flock together, right? You have to be of the same level, right?”

“But it’s amazing. You’re the same age and even your nicknames are similar.”

Liriel smiled inwardly at the words that put her on the same level as Ruatisha.

‘But I’ve achieved my initial goal.’

It’s impossible to take away Ruatisha’s reputation and influence right away.

‘Then it’s wiser to ride on Ruatisha’s reputation to increase my own value.’

The more I’m with Ruatisha, the closer I get, the more similar aspects I show, the more people will think of me when they talk about Ruatisha.

And someday they’ll say that.

Come to think of it, Princess Paeraton wasn’t that special after all一.

But being completely the same will only make me a copycat.

So I have to show a different side from Ruatisha while doing that.

Even now, my influence is increasing every moment with this strategy.

‘People originally like reversals.’

Liriel captured Ruatisha’s figure in her eyes from afar.

‘Until then, please be used as nourishment for me to increase my influence?’

How much I’ve suffered because Ruatisha’s influence has been increasing endlessly.

The total amount of influence is fixed.

When I try to do something as a Saintess, I fail because of a lack of influence, and when I barely gather influence again from the south and try to expand my power…….

‘I failed because of Ruatisha’s influence, which resonated even more greatly than before.’

That repetition.

If it had gone according to the original plan, I should have come to the capital long ago and taken Ruatisha’s place.

‘Foolish Ariel and Muriel only failed.’

But the past doesn’t matter.

Isn’t it easier now?

More than anything else, my influence rises sharply when I use Ruatisha.

‘The influence you’ve cultivated was ultimately for me.’

“Excuse me, but where did you buy the necklace the Saintess is wearing? I’ve been looking at it since earlier, and the design is so new and unique.”

“Ah, this?”

Liriel slowly stroked the necklace. The bracelet hanging from her slender wrist sparkled.

“I didn’t buy it; I gratefully received it as a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yes, they gave it to me from a jewelry store called Pasis [a renowned high-end jewelry brand]. I was really surprised by such a big gift.”

“P-Pasis?!”

“Pasis originally gave Princess Paeraton this year’s masterpiece every year…….”

“Oh my, really?”

Liriel blinked as if she didn’t know.

People quickly exchanged glances.

‘Pasis chose the Saintess instead of the Princess.’

‘Why did they do that? Frankly, the Princess has a much higher reputation.’

‘But Pasis is a trendsetter, right? Then Pasis will value the Saintess more than the Princess in the future一.’

“The Princess must have received one too. It seems they give gifts to several places.”

Liriel said with a bright smile.

“No, they originally only gave gifts to one person…….”

“A masterpiece is originally just one.”

“But then…….”

People’s gazes turned to Ruatisha in the distance. She wasn’t wearing any Pasis jewelry.

‘Princess Paeraton didn’t receive anything this year?’

Liriel smiled triumphantly as she watched the scene.

The people who looked back at Liriel swallowed hard.

“Um, but it seems the Saintess also has a connection with Prince Sidrian? Like Princess Paeraton.”

“Yes, a little.”

Liriel gave a bashful smile.

“You were escorted by His Highness Crown Prince Esteban today, right?”

“Yes, thankfully, His Highness the Crown Prince always takes care of me.”

People exchanged glances again.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh my, it’s Prince Sidrian. So late……. I didn’t think he would come.”

The party was past its peak and flowing into the second half.

“Sid!”

Liriel waved her hand towards Sidrian.

People’s attention was focused on Liriel at the high-pitched voice.

“……Your Highness.”

Liriel belatedly added and smiled shyly.

While Sidrian paused, Liriel quickly approached him.

“……What is it?”

“Hey, what do you mean, ‘what is it’?”

Liriel stood very close to Sidrian.

A distance that was too close to be considered a greeting.

Liriel looked up and smiled brightly.

“Didn’t you miss me?”

* * *

“Oh my, it seems Prince Sidrian and the Saintess are not ordinary.”

“Seeing them act so intimately in such a public place…….”

“But Prince Sidrian was very close to Princess Paeraton, wasn’t he?”

“I know, right? What’s going on?”

“Liriel must have a different charm? His Highness the Crown Prince always escorts Liriel.”

“Wow, two princes have fallen for one woman? Amazing!”

“Oh, but then Prince Sidrian and Princess Ruatisha…….”

“Gasp, then Princess Paeraton got dumped?”

“This time, Pasis also gave the Parure [a complete set of matching jewelry] to the Saintess instead of Princess Paeraton…….”

People’s gazes turned to me.

But I didn’t care about those gazes at all.

Seeing Liriel smiling brightly while clinging to Sid, a feeling I had never tasted before bloomed.

‘Not yet?’

I bit my lip tightly and glared at the air.

At that moment.

[A new quest has arrived.]

The notification I had been waiting for appeared before my eyes.

‘You’re reaaally late!’

I was angry because it was too late, but I also felt relieved.

Does that mean I can run wild now?

‘I’m the crazy b*tch in this area!’