Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 114

☆ Chapter 115 ☆

* * *

Ixion was uncharacteristically plagued by unease.

No matter what he did, he felt strangely anxious and on edge.

He had never been shaken by the death of others.

No, it would be more accurate to say he had never cared whether someone lived or died.

Clearly, Marquis Tarenka was someone outside his concern, not someone Ixion should be worrying about.

And yet.

“Tch! It’s really annoying!”

Ixion grumbled, heading towards the room where Marquis Tarenka was lying.

But wasn’t that Ares already there?

“What? Why are you here?”

“I’ve simply come to check on his condition. I’m one to revisit a fallen foe.”

Ixion sensed that Ares’s words weren’t genuine.

But he didn’t bother pointing it out.

He himself didn’t know why he had come here.

Just then, Zeon entered, opening the door.

Even after his mana had stabilized thanks to Ruatisha, Zeon avoided people.

Yet, he was deliberately seeking someone out?

“Have you stopped pretending to be innocent around the fluffball? Why are you here?”

“I’m just here because the youngest is most often here.”

Ixion detected the edge hidden within those cold words.

The reason Zeon was so displeased was obvious.

‘Ah, he was following the fluffball around, only to be chased away for being a nuisance while she was busy.’

The little fluffball was quite something.

To think Zeon Paeraton would meekly back down without a word.

‘It’s because you keep asking her to pat your head all the time.’

Serves him right.

Zeon stared at the lying Marquis Tarenka with a strange expression for a moment before lifting his head.

Not just Zeon, but Ixion and Ares as well, all turned their heads in one direction.

The faint sound of their youngest sibling’s voice could be heard.

As they approached the window, Ruatisha’s figure began to appear outside.

She was leading the doctors into the courtyard.

“You’re saying we just need to add all of this in the same ratio, right?”

“Yes! And then brew it!”

“Understood.”

The doctors began to add the medicinal herbs into the tools prepared in the courtyard and started brewing.

Ruatisha didn’t stay still for a moment, constantly moving around.

Dodododo, dodododo.

What was she so busy with?

“No, no, the powder needs to be finer!”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Let’s add a bit more honey. It’s too stiff.”

Ruatisha plopped down and began to wiggle her small hands.

Soon, a round, mud-like ball appeared from her tiny hands.

The Paeraton men’s lips loosened at the sight of her playing house.

“Ooh! This is the legendary elixir that was lost to time…!”

“No, it’s not that extreme.”

“As expected of our Princess! So intelligent, humble, and cute…”

The brothers, who had been watching their younger sister fidgeting endearingly, suddenly had fire in their eyes.

“Who are those guys playing with my fluffball? I can’t even play with her!”

“They’re being too friendly. It’s making my sister uncomfortable.”

“Not even family of our youngest. Annoying.”

But they couldn’t go and cause a scene, as their youngest sibling would surely get angry.

Like fierce beasts on a leash, they could only stare at the top of their youngest sibling’s head with longing eyes.

The pink cloud-like hair fluttered back and forth among the people.

“It’s like a cotton candy rolling around.”

The rolling cotton candy left the working doctors and assistants and entered the house.

The Paeraton princes moved away from the window as if they had never been looking out of it.

Soon after, the door opened and Ruatisha entered.

“Oh? You guys were here. What are you doing here?”

“Nothing.”

“Ah~ You came to see Grandpa?”

That’s not it.

Definitely not it.

Why would I care about this old man?

But seeing the youngest sibling smiling brightly with sparkling eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

More than anything, they themselves didn’t know why they were here.

“This must be the herbal medicine they brewed yesterday, and what’s this?”

“This? It’s a tonic called Gongjindan…”

“Amazing.”

“Do you want to try it, Oppas [term of endearment for older brothers]? I’ll bring it to you later. It’s good for replenishing energy.”

The Paeraton princes weren’t interested in the mysterious tonic that replenished energy.

They were just curious about what their youngest sibling had made with her chubby little hands.

It would be even better if they could hold her hand, which would fit perfectly in their palm.

“This restores energy?”

“How did you make it? Can I make it with you?”

“My sister is so cute and smart.”

“…Are you really curious about Gongjindan?”

“Of course.”

“But why are you only fiddling with my hand?”

The Paeraton princes avoided their youngest sibling’s gaze.

When Ruatisha stared intently, they eventually grumbled and opened their mouths.

“But you’ve been so busy lately.”

“You haven’t been home much because you’re participating in the dawn festival. I thought I’d finally gotten my sister back after the final competition ended.”

“And now there’s someone who comes to work every day and bothers you.”

“Well, Grandpa collapsed, so it can’t be helped.”

“So, we’re being good and waiting.”

Ruatisha was dumbfounded, seeing her oppas whining like abandoned puppies.

Anyone would think she hadn’t shown her face at all.

She had been quite busy since Marquis Tarenka collapsed, but before that, she had been with her family almost without any personal time.

Even if she had spent time with her grandfather, it was nothing compared to the time she had spent with her oppas.

And even now that her grandfather had collapsed, she hadn’t exactly neglected her oppas.

“We even ate together this morning? And we had three meals and tea time together yesterday.”

The Paeraton Duke had given strict orders that she had to eat properly even while taking care of the sick.

Ruatisha was maintaining a healthier diet than ever before, fearing that she would be banned from entering the ward if she skipped or skimped on meals even a little.

And she had all those meals with her family.

“We even go for a walk together after every meal!”

“It’s not enough.”

“That’s just barely surviving on rice porridge.”

“I’m doing this for my fluffball, you know?”

Ixion grinned and placed his hand on Ruatisha’s head.

“It’s to make sure my fluffball’s week doesn’t become six days. We’re just being together.”

Zeon and Ares paused at those words.

Two pairs of red eyes turned from Ixion to Ruatisha.

What does that mean?

Their eyes seemed to ask.

Sweat formed on Ruatisha’s forehead.

Ixion smiled arrogantly and opened his mouth.

“Ah, so none of you have ever heard those words from the fluffball? My fluffball calls me One—”

“The, the patient needs to rest! Don’t make a fuss, everyone get out! I’m going to check on Grandpa’s condition!”

Ruatisha shouted, stopping Ixion’s words and pushing her oppas out of the room.

Thud.

Ruatisha, leaning against the door, wiped the sweat from her forehead.

‘Phew, that was close.’

She could vividly imagine how Zeon and Ares would react the moment Ixion started bragging.

The endless cycle of simping.

Sob sob.

‘I need to shut Ixion’s mouth later.’

Ruatisha walked towards the bed.

A pale, gaunt old man was lying on the large bed.

“…”

A look of concern quickly washed over Ruatisha’s face.

Marquis Tarenka had not yet woken up since collapsing.

‘…Even if I bring the skills of a genius saintess herbalist, it’s useless if he doesn’t wake up.’

Whether he recovers his health or not depends entirely on Marquis Tarenka’s physical strength.

Not being able to eat is fatal for someone with weak stamina.

A priest was there, injecting divine power to at least maintain his condition.

“It’s amazing. Does he have a constitution that responds well to divine power? It’s extremely rare for the condition to be maintained by injecting divine power. Most of the time, it only stops at slowing down the deterioration.”

The priest tilted his head and said, but Ruatisha knew the reason.

It was thanks to the Sipjeondaebo-tang [a medicinal decoction] she had made, infused with the heroine buff divine power.

But it was clear that the longer he remained unconscious, the more difficult the situation would become.

Ruatisha spooned the herbal medicine and carefully poured it into her grandfather’s mouth, being careful not to block his airway.

Her heart ached as she watched him struggle to swallow what entered his mouth.

“Please wake up, Grandpa… If you don’t wake up like this, I’m really not going to forgive you.”

Ruatisha tightly grasped his wrinkled hand and lowered her head.

* * *

Buchanan was in a flower garden full of pure white blossoms.

The sky was clear and blue, and not even a breeze blew.

When the weather was this nice, his daughter would always play in the grass, getting grass stains on her hem.

Then, a clear and pure laughter was heard from behind.

Marquis Tarenka’s eyes wavered.

His body moved before he could even think.

“…Inais?”

There stood his daughter, smiling brightly, in her living form.

When their eyes met, she reached out to him as if telling him to come quickly.

Buchanan stared at her, his precious daughter, before nodding.

“Yes, you’ve finally come to take me away.”

A slow smile spread across his tired and aged face.

There was no regret or lingering attachment to life to be found on that face.

Rather, he looked relieved and even happy.

Buchanan took a step towards his daughter before stopping.

Something was holding onto his back.

Turning around, he saw his granddaughter holding onto the hem of his clothes.

Her large eyes were filled with tears, falling incessantly.

A reddened nose, a face in a mess with a crying expression.

The child only shed tears silently, without saying a word.

Buchanan finally realized the identity of the warm power that had been flowing into him.

His granddaughter had been holding onto him, who was slowly dying.

“…”

Buchanan could only stare at his granddaughter for a long time, unable to stroke her hair or comfort her.

Eventually, a low voice flowed from his lips.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

He turned to his daughter with reddened eyes.

“But how can I leave my baby, who is crying like this, when I’ve been a terrible grandfather all my life?”

His granddaughter’s small hand, trembling but never letting go of his clothes.

Buchanan firmly grasped that hand and hugged the child.

“I will follow you when this child no longer cries, so wait a little longer.”

It was that moment.

As if glass were breaking, the space began to crack and shatter.

As the beautiful and peaceful scenery shattered, a deep blue river was revealed.

Marquis Tarenka realized that one of his feet was submerged in the river.

Where Inais had been standing was the other side of the river, and instead of his daughter, Death was staring at him with an expressionless face.

On the hem of his clothes that his granddaughter was holding, there was a small pink petal.

Buchanan held that petal in his hand.

It was very soft and tender.

“What are you doing?”

He heard his daughter’s voice in his ear.

He lifted his head and saw Inais, who had appeared out of nowhere, shrugging her shoulders.

“Not going back yet.”

Rather than smiling brightly, she had a slightly grumpy face.

She was happy to see him, but she was being deliberately prickly.

“It’s really you, Inais.”

“Did you fall for that earlier? Your senses have dulled, Father.”

“You have to say something like that. When longing is excessive, you fall for even clumsy illusions.”

“What can I do? That’s just how your daughter is.”

“I know who your daughter takes after, saying everything that needs to be said.”

“Me, saying everything that needs to be said, is because I take after our father, what else. Who else can I blame?”

“Yes, you’re just like me.”

The two smiled.

They were speaking casually, as if they were a family who met yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but both of their eyes were red.

“…Take care of your health. You’re not young anymore, Father.”

“Yes, I will.”

Now he had a reason to take care of his health.

“Am I right? Our family is different from what you see.”

“Yes, you were always right. I was always wrong. …I was too stubborn.”

“It’s okay. Stubbornness is the only thing that increases with age. I have to understand.”

“You…”

Inais smiled.

She was trying not to cry, so her eyes were wide open, and her smile was distorted.

But to Marquis Tarenka, it was the most beautiful and lovely smile.

“My daughter, she’s a wonderful child, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she’s a strong and kind child.”

“I knew she would grow up like that from the moment she was born.”

“Showing off your child.”

“I won’t forgive you even if you’re my father if you make my daughter cry.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Inais stared at her father with deep eyes for a moment before reaching out.

She hugged her too-thin father tightly.

Her body trembled as she bit her lip tightly, afraid that a sob would leak out.

The father smiled, pretending not to notice his daughter’s crying, and stroked her back.

His cheeks were already wet with hot tears.

“…Please tell my children that I love them.”

“I will.”

“Tell my husband I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry to that guy for?”

“I seduced him and made him a widower at a young age.”

“You seduced him?”

“Would that innocent man have seduced me?”

Saying that Duke Paeraton was innocent, she was definitely related to Ruatisha as mother and daughter.

“…I love you.”

Buchanan was choked up and couldn’t speak at those words.

He could only nod his head several times.

“Father, stop suffering. I was happy to be born as your daughter and to live as your daughter.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

Thank you for being born as my daughter.

Thank you for forgiving your incompetent father.

Thank you for growing up to be such a beautiful and wonderful daughter.

Thank you for living happily.

Slowly, his daughter’s figure became blurry.

Until the very end, his daughter smiled, and so did her father.

“…Thank you.”

Buchanan took his foot out of the river.

On the hill, small pink flowers were scattered one by one, as if guiding the way.

A path prepared by his granddaughter so that he wouldn’t get lost and would return properly.

The old man’s steps along that path were firmer than ever before.

* * *

Marquis Tarenka opened his eyes.

He felt something soft on both hands.

Turning his head, he saw his granddaughter sleeping while holding his hands tightly.

A smile crossed Marquis Tarenka’s face.

And when he looked to the other side…

‘…A baby deer?’

A baby deer plushie was sparkling its eyes with a cute look.