Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 119

☆ Chapter 120 ☆

Eh……?

The wind was so strong that Esteban actually stepped back, crossing his arms to defend himself.

Strangely, the gust didn’t affect me at all, only sweeping over Prince Esteban before disappearing.

His well-groomed hair and clothes were instantly disheveled. Even water from the fountain splashed, soaking his front.

‘Wow, even if you tried to make the wind blow on purpose, it wouldn’t mess him up this much.’

Is this the mystery of nature?

While I was marveling, Esteban smoothed back his hair and frowned.

“What wind is this……? It’s strange.”

He looked sharply in the direction the wind had come from.

‘Oh, no?’

My family flashed through my mind.

‘Even so, this is inside the Imperial Palace. This is even the inner palace. And attacking a prince could be considered treason!’

Well, they’re not thoughtless people, so it can’t be.

Surely not.

‘……But when it comes to my family, they often seem a little thoughtless…….’

Especially when it involves me.

I changed the subject before Prince Esteban could become more suspicious and dig deeper.

“I was surprised when you suddenly touched my hair.”

“There was a flower petal on it.”

“Oh, well. Flower petals often stick to me.”

I shrugged nonchalantly.

Esteban stared at me with a dumbfounded look, as if he hadn’t expected this reaction.

Seriously, would I fall for such an obvious line?

My brothers and dad have done that to me thousands of times.

“Often……?”

“Yes, Ruru一.”

I stopped myself, realizing I was about to speak without thinking.

“Ruru?”

“Ru, Ruluralla! The flower must be so excited it’s dancing!”

I fluttered my arms and laughed like an innocent child.

“……I see.”

Prince Esteban nodded and avoided my gaze.

Sob, so embarrassing.

‘But it’s better than saying Ruru flower.’

“Why do you keep saying there are flower petals in my hair! It’s a lie!”

“It’s true. It’s a Ruru flower, so petals can’t help but stick to it.”

“That’s right. It’s a Ruru flower.”

I almost said exactly what my family used to say.

This is why habits are scary.

I cleared my throat and said,

“Shall we go back in? It doesn’t seem like a good day for a walk.”

Prince Esteban looked down at his soaked clothes and nodded.

He held out his hand to me.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t show you around properly. Maybe next tim一 Ugh?!”

Prince Esteban almost fell but barely managed to regain his balance.

“Oh my, are you alright, Your Highness?”

I asked with a worried voice, scanning the ground.

The well-maintained imperial garden didn’t have a single protruding stone.

This confirmed it.

‘It’s Dad and my brothers.’

Even if the four of them aren’t here, it’s clear that people under their orders are doing this without any fear.

I shook my fist at the direction the gust of wind had come from earlier.

‘Enough is enough!’

Fortunately, whether they understood my words or not, nothing else happened on the way back to the tea room.

* * *

After Ruatisha returned to the Duke’s mansion.

The Empress immediately went to Esteban’s palace.

Esteban had escorted Ruatisha to the tea room in his disheveled state, then returned straight to his palace.

“What on earth happened to make you come back so soaked? The Empress Consort, that sly fox, must have been gloating.”

“There was a wind.”

“Wind?”

The Empress looked at her son with incomprehension.

Ruatisha had said the same thing, but she thought it was a lie.

“What wind could there be on such a nice day……? Could it be magic? Daring to use it on the Empire’s only prince……!”

“I had it investigated as soon as I returned, but it wasn’t that.”

Esteban ran a hand through his hair irritably.

The Empress looked at her son and opened her mouth.

“How was she? That child.”

“Intriguing.”

“Intriguing?”

It was the first time such words had come from her son’s mouth.

Esteban raised his chin and said arrogantly,

“Everyone bows their heads before me, desperate to catch my eye, but she looked at me like I was a stray dog passing by.”

“How dare she.”

The Empress’s face twisted with anger.

Although he hadn’t been formally named Crown Prince, Esteban was officially the Emperor’s only child.

Naturally, he would be the next Emperor.

Even the most powerful nobles were wary of Esteban, yet a girl who had just arrived in the capital looked at him like a stray dog?

But,

“Isn’t it fun?”

Instead of being angry, Esteban laughed.

The Empress looked at her son and sighed.

“Haa, I knew she had guts, but I didn’t expect her to be so relaxed today. Did you see her eating cake one bite at a time while the adults were talking?”

“I did.”

“That young thing didn’t lose her composure even while dealing with four imperial family members. I don’t know whether to call her impudent or bold.”

“Hmm.”

“Her courage is impressive, but she won’t be easy to tame.”

The Empress fiddled with her teacup, deep in thought.

“But that doesn’t mean we can give up. If she becomes one of us, she’ll be more powerful than any weapon. Plus, the Paeraton Dukedom will be your strong ally.”

“I suppose so.”

Suddenly, the Empress’s hand, which had been playing with the teacup, stopped.

She frowned and looked at her son.

“Something’s strange, Esteban.”

This was a very important matter.

But Esteban was acting like it was someone else’s business.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t paying attention, but he didn’t seem interested either.

Esteban, feeling her gaze, blurted out,

“I want her.”

“What?”

“Of course, I’m tempted by the Paeraton Dukedom too, but…….”

Esteban took a flower from the vase. It was a ranunculus with rich, light pink petals.

He smiled, twirling the stem.

“I want her even more than that.”

Crush.

The petals were mercilessly crushed in the boy’s hand.

The broken petals fluttered and fell to the ground.

“It’s the first time I’ve met a girl who pleases me so much.”

* * *

At the same time.

The Emperor, who had come to the Dellu Palace through a secret passage, was looking at his counterpart with a serious expression.

“……You want to leave here?”

“Yes, isn’t Your Majesty hiding me to use me at the appropriate time anyway?”

“Is now that time?”

“It must be now. I can’t wait any longer.”

The Emperor frowned at the other party’s firm tone, as if there was no room for negotiation.

About half a year ago, this guy had secretly come to see him.

There were countless barriers in the Imperial Inner Palace, but he had broken through them alone.

He was so surprised at the time.

Surprisingly, the intruder revealed that he was the Emperor’s son.

And he even proved it.

The sudden appearance of a son with such outstanding abilities.
The Emperor, who was suspicious and pursued his own interests, couldn’t help but feel uneasy and wary.

However, the Emperor needed a horse to check the Empress’s growing power.

Above all, this guy一Sid, was reasonable.

If he had talked about filial piety and love to his father, whom he was meeting for the first time, he would have been suspicious.

But this guy clearly stated what he wanted and the conditions.

The Emperor thought that he was a bit like himself in that respect.

It was a funny thing.

To try to find traces of himself in a son he was meeting for the first time.

He was an Emperor before he was a father, and he wasn’t a very affectionate person.

“Well, if it gets any later, the Empress’s power will only grow stronger. Since the Dawn Festival finals will be held soon, it wouldn’t be bad to show yourself then.”

“Then I’ll prepare knowing that.”

“But why are you trying to move now? I thought you would wait more leisurely.”

“I can’t wait any longer.”

“Hmm?”

“Wouldn’t you get impatient if something dirty keeps trying to smear what’s precious to you?”

Was he talking about his rights as a prince?

Indeed, if the Empress’s power became solidified, Sid would not be able to enjoy proper rights even if he came to the fore.

The Emperor was convinced.

“I have a lot to prepare, so if you’re done, I’ll go in now.”

The Emperor looked at his son, who was getting up without hesitation, and opened his mouth.

“……Still, shouldn’t I give you a name? To come to the fore as a prince一.”

“My name is Sid.”

It was a firm statement.

Sid, who was leaving the room, stopped and looked back at the Emperor.

Purple eyes shone brightly as he stared straight at the Emperor.

“Your Majesty had the right and opportunity to name me. But it was Your Majesty who gave up that right and missed the opportunity.”

“……I was going to raise you.”

“But you didn’t stop the Empress’s schemes either.”

“…….”

“You must have gained something bigger at the time in exchange for condoning it.”

Sid’s face, as he said that, was devoid of any emotion, as if he were listing facts.

But the Emperor couldn’t help but open his mouth.

“It was after the fact. I had to prioritize national interests over recognizing a prince who was damaged by the ban. It was a natural choice as an Emperor, even if it wasn’t as a father.”

“I’m not blaming you. There’s no need to make excuses to me.”

Excuses?

The Emperor opened his mouth as if he had been hit.

Sid left the room without saying another word.

The Emperor covered his face.

“Haha.”

A dry laugh escaped his lips.

It wasn’t that he was reacting this way because he dared to talk about excuses to the Emperor himself.

‘There’s no need to make excuses to me. I don’t blame Your Majesty. Because I didn’t even expect anything.’

He remembered his wife, holding their daughter’s body and looking at him with clear eyes.

“…….”

He thought he had forgotten everything.

The Emperor lowered the hand covering his face.

He had chosen the throne over love.

He had thrown away all such feelings at that time.

But why now…….

He couldn’t get up from his seat for a long time.

* * *

Paeraton Duke’s mansion, inside the Duke’s office.

The atmosphere in the office was heavier than ever.

The vassals couldn’t even wipe the sweat flowing down their faces and bowed their heads.

Swallow.

The sound of someone swallowing dry saliva echoed loudly like thunder.

Even though there were so many people that the spacious office was full, not a single breath could be heard.

Everyone was busy trying to read their master’s mood.

“He took a walk in the garden with Prince Esteban…….”

The voice of the Duke of Paeraton echoed softly.

Although it was a quiet voice, the vassals’ backs were drenched.

“How dare a mere prince covet my sister?”

Even the prince, who was in a position of being second to none, was dismissed as ‘mere,’ but no one in this office objected.

“So? He took a walk?”

The vice-captain of the Black Wind (Tarenka Marquisate’s intelligence organization), who had come to report to Zeon’s sharp eyes, was sweating profusely.

He couldn’t understand the current situation.

In fact, he couldn’t understand the orders of his lord, the Marquis of Tarenka, from the start.

He thought it was natural to be told to watch over Miss Ruatisha.

But to screen the men who approached her?

There was even an order to attack them if they approached beyond a certain level.

Did that make sense?

But he couldn’t dare to question his lord, so he followed the order for the time being.

He thought everyone else would feel the same way as him一.

‘What? What is this atmosphere…….’

He couldn’t get used to it since earlier.

The Marquis of Tarenka looked at him as if urging him to answer, so he opened his mouth first.

“While walking, he approached the young lady and touched the young lady’s hair一.”

Kwaaaang!

The powerful explosion drowned out his voice.

“How dare you try to do that to my ♪♬♪♬♪!”

Ixion’s voice, which had destroyed the Duke’s castle and then the Duke’s mansion, echoed loudly.