Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 311

“What Other Story?”.

“It was none other than His Highness the Crown Prince who brought Clottie into the Imperial Palace and helped her.”

“…….”

“He was also a more enthusiastic supporter than anyone else when Clottie engaged in social activities.”

“I, too, am fully aware of that responsibility.”

Esteban said with a heavy, sunken face.

“I am so ashamed and embarrassed that I can’t lift my face. To be deceived by that vicious and cunning traitor…….”

“You were deceived?”

“Yes. But I am not trying to evade responsibility. As the Crown Prince, I will gladly take responsibility for this.”

Ah.

Is that how you’re going to play it?

You say you’ll take responsibility, but the intention of saying ‘as the Crown Prince’ while saying that was obvious.

A crooked smile hung on my lips.

“Really? So you’re saying you were just deceived and didn’t know anything about Princess Shuriel’s identity.”

“Yes. To have such a thing happen on the wedding day. I feel more than shocked, I feel miserable, but I have to put aside my personal feelings. Because I have a duty.”

Esteban frowned.

‘Wow……. Did he practice that expression separately?’

I was impressed.

Because that expression, filled with sorrow and regret, seemed genuine.

But unfortunately, it only backfired.

“Then what on earth were you doing that day, Your Highness?”

Because the public’s heart was already completely leaning towards Sidrian.

Originally, people showed more favor to Sidrian than to Esteban.

‘Well, it’s understandable.’

People work their butts off, pay taxes, and of course, they want an emperor who will use their taxes well.

Sidrian was so capable that he suddenly appeared and shook the position of Esteban, who had been firmly established.

Even nobles, who are sensitive to power struggles, acknowledged his ability, so how would it look to people who have nothing to do with power?

‘And our Sid is much better looking.’

I glanced at Sid’s face, and our eyes met. He smiled at me, so I quickly turned my head. My cheeks felt hot for no reason.

‘Ahem.’

Anyway, people had been subtly supporting Sidrian more, but after the tragedy on the wedding day, the weight completely shifted to Sidrian.

In that situation, Esteban, who hadn’t been helpful at all, was putting on an illusionary and affectionate atmosphere, saying he felt responsible, and so on…….

‘If this were Earth, he would have been bombarded with hate comments.’

If a politician who ran away from a crisis situation involving himself, ignoring the people, only showed his face after the crisis was resolved and put on a show like that, I would be pissed off too.

“What…… were I doing.”

Unlike me, who thought it was obvious, Esteban seemed genuinely embarrassed.

He didn’t seem to have imagined that the public would ask him questions like this.

Certainly, it would have been unimaginable for a commoner to dare to shout at the Crown Prince like this normally.

‘But this isn’t normal now.’

People had experienced something that completely changed their lives.

A situation where a riot wouldn’t be strange.

Moreover, the excitement of Clottie’s execution just now hadn’t subsided yet.

People raised their voices as if they were criticizing Clottie.

“His Highness Sidrian saved my son’s life!”

“If it hadn’t been for His Highness Sidrian, I wouldn’t have been able to come to this place and would have already died!”

Sidrian’s image that day was etched in people’s minds like a video stone [a magical recording device, similar to a camera].

A heroic, outstanding, dignified figure like a hero in mythology.

In contrast, Esteban had disappeared somewhere, and not even a shadow could be found.

Of course, there was no choice but to be compared.

“If Your Highness the Crown Prince hadn’t brought Clottie, that wouldn’t have happened in the first place!”

“If you feel responsible, step down from your position yourself!”

“We support His Highness Sidrian!”

“While His Highness Sidrian risked his life to save us, what on earth were you doing, Your Highness?”

Esteban frowned unpleasantly.

He didn’t seem to like the fact that people were asking him these questions.

However, he also had the reason to not order the knights to arrest those who had just spoken.

He forced a somber expression and opened his mouth.

“It’s natural to have such questions. But I think it’s more necessary to work behind the scenes than to show off in visible places. That day, I was doing something important for the safety and prosperity of the Empire一.”

“You had something more important to do than to get rid of the monsters and creatures that were killing people?”

“What was that important thing?”

Esteban closed his mouth with a tearful face at the people’s sharp questions.

He realized that he could never get away with twisting words with eloquent speech.

The Emperor was watching him with sunken eyes.

Sweat formed on Esteban’s chin.

At that time.

“I can answer that for him.”

The voice was firm from the start.

Duke Chaimberg rose from his old body and stepped forward.

Esteban’s face lit up.

The ruler of the southeastern region, who had been his swordsmanship teacher since he was young, had always been Esteban’s reliable defense.

But.

“The Crown Prince said that he himself was the future of the Empire, so moving to a safe place was the top priority.”

“Cha, Duke Chaimberg?!”

Esteban called Duke Chaimberg in a flustered voice.

But the aftermath of that statement was already unstoppable.

“What? He ran away to a safe place by himself?!”

“No, even His Majesty the Emperor was risking danger and staying in that place!”

“His Highness Sidrian jumped into the middle of the most dangerous place and protected people!”

“He should be the one taking the most responsibility than anyone else!”

The murmuring spread like a cloud.

“Also, Crown Prince Esteban’s statement that he was deceived without knowing anything is a lie!”

Duke Chaimberg’s voice echoed once again over the commotion.

And the repercussions of this accusation were even greater than before.

“What…… did you say?”

“What does that mean, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Is Your Highness the Crown Prince involved in the invasion of those monsters?!”

The nobles rose up like wildfire and criticized Esteban.

Esteban looked at Duke Chaimberg with disbelief, unable to answer.

‘How can he become an emperor with that kind of sense?’

I clicked my tongue.

The timing of Duke Chaimberg becoming Esteban’s swordsmanship teacher was truly coincidental.

It was when the Empress was severely damaged by being placed under house arrest for using the seal privately.

‘Even Muriel cut ties with the Empress and didn’t even contact her.’

It was probably the first serious crisis Esteban had ever experienced in his life.

But the Emperor suddenly assigned Duke Chaimberg to Esteban as a swordsmanship teacher.

Duke Chaimberg was a veteran sword master who guarded the eastern border of the Empire.

And a great tycoon who owned vast meadows of milk and honey in the southeast!

It was significant that the Emperor was directly calling him in, who didn’t come up to the capital well and didn’t get involved in central politics.

‘He should have thought about it then. Why did the Emperor assign Duke Chaimberg to Esteban?’

In the first place, the Emperor was neglecting Esteban to lower the Empress’s power at the time, and he was openly supporting and pushing Sid.

But it was definitely strange to suddenly change his stance and solidify Esteban’s foundation.

‘Isn’t it normal to be suspicious when such a stroke of luck rolls in?’

But he just assumed that the Emperor couldn’t help but worry about his son, whom he had watched grow up.

‘Foolish.’

The Emperor was an emperor before he was a father. A very calculating emperor at that.

Because of what the Empress had done, the Emperor felt the need to put his eyes on Esteban.

Furthermore, he judged that it would be even better if he could separate him from the Empress.

‘So he called in Duke Chaimberg.’

A person who had distanced himself from central politics and possessed both loyalty and skill.

Above all, an existence with a position that Esteban could rely on more after coming out of the Empress’s arms.

‘And after finding out that the Empress had placed a curse on Sid and sold him as a slave, he connected me and Duke Chaimberg.’

To be exact, it was one of the things I demanded from the Emperor the day I questioned him about Sid’s past.

“……What do you want?”

“I’ll create a situation where it’s easy for me to detonate this.”

“…….”

“It won’t be a bad story for Your Majesty either. Since you can’t stop Empress, it’s more beneficial for you to set up a board that’s easier to detonate. I’m minimizing the national chaos, right?”

Stay still.

Because I’ll take care of it.

And because I know what intentions Duke Chaimberg was attached with, please make a place for me.

From then on, Duke Chaimberg became my most secret weapon.

A weapon to expose irreversible weaknesses in the most important moment.

“Duke Chaimberg! What nonsense is this! When did I ever一. Father, this is slander!”

Esteban denied with a pale face.

“Well. I wonder if it’s really slander.”

Sidrian asked, tilting his head.

“You……! You even bribed Duke Chaimberg!”

Esteban rushed at Sid with red eyes.

Sid avoided him leisurely as if he was playing with him and opened his mouth to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, a wise judgment. There’s no end to the crimes of Esteban that I know of.”

“There’s no end……. Tell me. Starting with the most serious crime you know.”

“Esteban has consistently used his authority and status to hover around and harass the other party, even though they hate it and strongly refuse.”

……Huh?

“Also, even though the other party only acted politely, he misinterpreted it for his own convenience and passed on the responsibility for his verbal crimes.”

This, no matter how I think about it, it sounds like he’s talking about what Esteban did to me……?

“This kind of thing happens anytime, anywhere. I’ve seen young ladies in society being embarrassed more than once or twice. It’s a crime that’s rampant in the Empire, but no one has paid attention to it.”

“…….”

“It’s only natural that the Crown Prince of the Empire is taking the lead in committing such crimes. I think crimes of stalking by using one’s authority or status or taking advantage of the other party’s politeness should now be strictly punished.”

No…….

That’s not the important thing right now.

I was really dumbfounded.

‘You should talk about the unfair treatment you suffered instead! That’s much more serious!’

But Sid, on the other hand, had a refreshed face as if he had said the most important problem.

“Well, is that what they call royal talent? He’s not saying anything wrong.”

“He’s definitely incomparable to Esteban. Of course, he’s still far from being a match for my granddaughter!”

I heard my dad and grandpa muttering quietly.

I was afraid someone would hear.

But.

“That’s right! Those kinds of situations are so stressful! I don’t even want to go outside……. It’s a minor but really serious problem!”

“Dare to stalk our boss?!”

“Was the reason why our boss didn’t come out to society often all because of the Crown Prince?!”

“Come to think of it, on the wedding day, they told our boss that she was hitting on the Crown Prince. But it was the opposite!”

“Dare to do that to our boss……!”

The people gathered in the square stomped their feet with angry faces.

‘Uh……. Is that how they’re taking it?’

But why are people calling me boss?

I don’t know where to start pointing things out.

“Luatisha, do you have anything to say about this issue?”

At the Emperor’s question, I cleared my throat and stepped forward.

“Ahem, of course, the stress I received was considerable, but I think there are other bigger crimes than that.”

“Other crimes?”

“Yes, when His Majesty the Emperor was ill, he confined Sid in the palace and was hell-bent on monitoring him and framing him. It was an unfair incident without any justification or reason, and everyone had no choice but to bow their heads to the power that Crown Prince Esteban wielded at the time. This is an abuse of power taking advantage of the fact that His Majesty was ill. I suspect that His Majesty’s illness and Crown Prince Esteban’s actions, which started as if he had been waiting for it, are related. Here, Duke Chaimberg has said that he was definitely involved.”

I spoke calmly, but for some reason, the Emperor’s expression was strange.

The corners of his mouth were slowly rising一.

“Haha! It’s so nice to see you caring for each other! Sidrian says that the biggest crime he committed was against the princess, and the princess says that the biggest crime she committed was against Sidrian…….”

At the Emperor’s words, people smiled, showing their gums.

No, that’s not it, I really thought it was a serious crime, so I said it!

“Ehehe!”

What’s with that laugh!

It’s real!

It’s real!

* * *

Esteban stared blankly around him.

‘Laughing……?’

Are these jokes and laughter coming out in this situation?

The surrounding situation seemed to be flowing without him.

As if he didn’t exist, centered around Luatisha and Sidrian.

Luatisha was waving her hands with a flushed face.

Seeing that, something surged up.

‘If only Sidrian wasn’t here!’