Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 141

☆ 141 ☆

* * *

Inside an ordinary home.

A young child stood before a mirror.

However, the mirror reflected the face of an adult woman, not the child’s.

The woman, her face half-hidden by a veil, spoke from within the mirror.

[I heard you already had trouble with the Paeraton Duchess. What happened?]

“Mind your own business. I’ll handle it.”

[If you were handling things well, there wouldn’t be anything to worry about. How can you say you’re handling it when things aren’t going according to plan?]

“Ha, you couldn’t even succeed in using the Empress, yet you have so much to say.”

Beneath the veil, the woman’s face hardened.

[I gave you this opportunity. Are you disobeying my orders?]

“Let’s get the facts straight. Wasn’t it your failure that gave me this opportunity?”

[You… who do you think you can be in that form thanks to!]

“So stay still. If this works out, I’ll let you have a spoonful.”

[What did you say?]

“Hehe, I’ll report directly to the Saintess. You don’t expect to take credit for my work when you don’t even move according to my orders, do you?”

[Ariel!]

The child giggled and waved her hand.

As if stirring the surface of water, the image in the mirror swirled, and the woman’s face disappeared.

The surface soon calmed, reflecting the child’s face like an ordinary mirror.

The child, called ‘Ariel,’ stroked her face as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“Ah, this warm and soft skin.”

Her fingertip caught on a scratch on her cheek.

A wound she had deliberately made by falling in front of the Paeraton Duchess.

Digging into the scratch with her fingernails, bright red blood welled up.

“Hehe, living flesh is so nice, isn’t it?”

Ariel licked the blood from her fingertip and smiled like a snake.

Just then, Mrs. Hewen entered the room and her face hardened upon seeing Ariel.

“What are you doing!”

“I told you not to come in here without permission.”

Ignoring Ariel’s words, Mrs. Hewen uncorked the elixir she had brought.

She hurriedly tried to feed it to Ariel when—.

Clang!

Ariel knocked the bottle away, and it rolled across the floor with a crash.

The elixir splattered on the floor, leaving a dark stain.

“Ariel!”

“This woman, that woman, they’re all so desperate to call my name. Since I’m called Sophia outside, are you being kind enough to remind me not to forget my real name?”

Ariel crossed her arms, glaring at Mrs. Hewen.

“Just leave the wound alone. I’ll talk about the Paeraton Duchess if they ask what happened.”

“Didn’t that fail that day?”

Ariel unfolded her arms and began to sob, putting on a pitiful and innocent face.

“T, this is because of the Paeraton Duchess… Ah, it’s nothing. Mom said I have to be careful. Pretend nothing happened……”

She looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment.

“How is it? Pretty good, right?”

Ariel asked with a smirk, her face completely devoid of tears.

“…It’s still better to treat it. A mother makes elixirs to heal wounds, but leaves her daughter’s wound untreated? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Why doesn’t it make sense? Elixirs are expensive. It’s better to sell it than use it on a wound that will heal soon anyway.”

“What kind of mother would……”

Mrs. Hewen, about to retort, turned her head and sighed briefly.

“A mother who cares for her daughter is more appealing than one who prioritizes money. And we have a story that people will love.”

“Ah, the story that to save her sick daughter, she didn’t give up despite her financial difficulties and continued her research, eventually catching Mrs. Sherwin’s eye and creating the elixir?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm, makes sense. We have to be faithful to the setting.”

Ariel slowly stroked her cheek.

Then, as if there had never been a wound in the first place, her cheek became clean.

Mrs. Hewen, watching the scene, asked.

“Why did you openly provoke the Paeraton Duchess that day?”

Mrs. Sarah’s plan was to subtly provoke her and induce a mistake.

And Mrs. Hewen also thought that was safer.

The Paeraton Duchess, as seen in newspapers and rumors, was not an easy opponent.

And meeting her in person that day, she realized that she was even more difficult than she had thought.

“I didn’t plan to fall and call people while crying like that either. I was going to create the atmosphere from behind.”

“Then why?”

“I couldn’t help it. That bitch seemed to have seen my mark.”

At those words, Mrs. Hewen felt her heart drop.

“The mark? Is that possible?”

“It’s not possible. It’s impossible. But… she was surprised when she saw my leg.”

“Wasn’t she surprised because you were hurt?”

“She wasn’t looking at the wound.”

“……”

“If she really saw the mark, I needed an incident to divert her attention before she thought too deeply. So I pissed her off a bit.”

Ariel licked her lips and continued.

“You should have seen the expression that bitch made when I said I didn’t have a mom. It was so funny!”

Hehehe!

Ariel smiled with a crooked mouth.

Mrs. Hewen frowned.

“I don’t know how turning the Paeraton Duchess into a complete enemy before even establishing ourselves in society will turn out.”

“It’s okay. Nothing really happened that day either. Anyway, the nobles will all be fawning over us the moment we announce the elixir.”

“…Are you sure? The nobles seemed to really like that child.”

“Hmph, just a girl who’s a little famous in society versus a miraculous medicine with real healing power. It’s clear which way the scales will tip.”

Mrs. Hewen nodded as if convinced by those words.

“Well, there’s even the possibility that you might develop a real elixir.”

“Yes, if this works out well, I might even be able to make a more effective medicine. That person will definitely……”

Ariel, who had been speaking with a dreamy expression, snapped out of it and changed the subject.

“Anyway! Just because the Paeraton Duchess is wary of us doesn’t mean anything will change.”

A resolute determination flickered in Ariel’s eyes.

“Things will proceed as planned.”

Ariel left the room and opened the door to the laboratory.

A room that looked exactly like a laboratory to others.

Glass bottles filled with a mysterious purple liquid were lined up in abundance.

Ariel smiled as she looked at the scene.

“Let’s give it a try.”

* * *

“Weird? How can there be none at all?”

I rummaged through the blanket and pillow, carefully examining the bed once more.

“It hasn’t even been cleaned yet……”

As human beings, hair is bound to fall out.

So there should naturally be at least one strand of hair on the bedside.

But for some reason, I couldn’t find any.

And it’s been like this for days.

‘Sigh, I guess I’ll just have to pull one out.’

I didn’t like the prickling sensation, so I was going to pick up naturally fallen hair, but in the end, I had to pull one out.

I looked at my slightly grown fingernails and sighed.

It would be easier to cut them if they were a little longer, and Asheltain’s twin mad scientists would be satisfied too.

‘Dad will definitely say he’s going to trim my nails tomorrow.’

I should just cut them today.

‘I decided to give them out as incentives as much as they show progress, so I have to collect them little by little.’

When I went out of the bedroom, Laura was changing the vase.

“Laura!”

“Oh my, Miss.”

Laura smiled brightly at me.

“Do you have nail clippers?”

“Nail clippers? Why do you ask?”

“I’m going to cut my nails!”

“Yes? But……”

Laura hesitated.

She also knew how fierce the competition was among the family to trim my nails.

And that tomorrow, Dad would come with a knife… no, a buffer, his eyes shining sharply to trim my nails.

‘I can’t let that happen!’

I put my hand on my mouth and looked up at Laura with sparkling eyes.

“Umm, Lulu’s nails are long and uncomfortable. It would be so nice if Laura cut Lulu’s nails.”

“M, me?”

Laura looked at me with a surprised face and squeezed her eyes shut as if averting her gaze.

“But His Excellency… Ah, but Miss’s nails… But His Excellency… Haa, small. Cute.”

Laura began to agonize, fiddling with my hands.

‘Hmm, did I make the right choice?’

I looked at Laura with cloudy eyes.

“Lulu doesn’t want Dad to be disappointed either. If you cut just a little bit, Dad won’t even know.”

“…His Excellency will know.”

“You can just cut a little bit, leaving some to trim.”

Laura looked at my nails without answering, then jumped up.

‘Is it a failure?’

I thought it would work well because Laura has stalker tendencies.

But Laura, who had left the room, soon returned, clicking a pink nail clipper.

“I ordered this nail clipper just in case the day would come when I could cut the young lady’s nails, and it’s perfect.”

“Why even custom order……”

“Hehe, you can cut it in 0.1mm increments with this. So thinly that the young lady herself won’t even notice… Ahem! Well, it’s not like I was trying to cut it secretly.”

“……”

I’m glad I got to cut them, but.

Shouldn’t I have asked someone else?

What is this feeling that I know where my hair, which I couldn’t find on the bedside, went?

* * *

That evening.

I diligently put beef bourguignon in my mouth and chewed.

‘Delicious!’

I have to eat a lot to gain strength!

I even picked up the well-cooked potatoes to eat, but somehow I felt a sense of incongruity.

‘……Why are my family so quiet?’

The family, who used to be noisy, trying to feed me, didn’t say anything today.

Not even the sound of knives and forks moving.

With my mouth full of meat and potatoes, I raised my head and saw my family staring intently at me.

To be exact, at my hand holding the fork.

Oh…….

Without realizing it, I reflexively curled my hand and hid my nails.

‘Eh, no way?’

“Lulu.”

“U, ung?”

“Your nails seem shorter.”

“Noooo……”

I shook my head, but even my brothers who were watching began to speak.

“It’s exactly 0.2mm shorter.”

“The cross-section of the nail is different from when it was buffed.”

“The shape is different too.”

‘They noticed this?!’

I looked around at my family with a dumbfounded feeling.

Do they have some kind of transcendental sense because they have mana [magical energy]?

‘Even if you have such a sense, don’t use it to compare my nail length!’

Dad put his elbows on the table and clasped his hands.

“Who is it.”

Red eyes gleaming in contrast to his shaded face.

“Who dared to interrupt the precious time I spend with my daughter.”

“……”

“To dare to hold my sister’s soft hand and cut her nails.”

“I’m waiting for my turn to trim our youngest’s nails.”

“You’re dead.”

“……”

No, really, is this something to get so worked up about!

* * *

“This Laura was moved, so moved, to see the young lady protecting me to the end.”

On the way to the office.

Laura said to me with a face full of emotion.

‘Well, it’s because I can’t let Laura die, even if it’s just in case.’

It wasn’t a joke, they were really going to kill the culprit if they found them.

Dad seemed to be really looking forward to trimming my nails tomorrow.

Seeing him look at my shortened nails with empty eyes so many times.

“There are still enough nails left to trim. You can trim them tomorrow.”

“The time required has been shortened by about 12 minutes.”

“……”

‘Hoo, being the daughter of a fool for his daughter isn’t easy either!’

I shook my head and asked Laura.

“Oh, right, Laura. Do you happen to have any of my hair collected?”

“No, I don’t.”

“You don’t?”

That can’t be?

“It’s true. I really wanted to have even just one strand……”

Laura muttered gloomily.

Laura isn’t the type to lie to me, so she really doesn’t have any.

‘Then where did all my hair go?’

When I arrived at the office, Count Kandor and Baron Dierre were already there.

“You look tired.”

Count Kandor said to me with a strange smile.

Oh dear, the incident that happened in the restaurant with my nails has already spread.

“Should I take some vitamins? Vitamins that make nails grow faster.”

“This Redian Dierre, as the young lady’s first servant, I would also like to trim the young lady’s nails……”

“Yeah, be quiet. How is it going?”

I slumped down in the chair and said.

“Mrs. Hewen will be attending the evening party hosted by Grand Duchess Croffel.”

“Oh, a party hosted by Grand Duchess Croffel. Quite a good debut venue.”

“It must be the result of Mrs. Sherwin’s efforts. She seems to be planning to introduce her research and showcase the cure that day.”

“What should we do?”

“Leave it alone.”

Baron Dierre looked at me with surprised eyes.

“The young lady knows very well what will happen if we just leave it alone. She will be running rampant.”

“Yeah, I know. But let’s just leave it like that for now.”

Baron Dierre nodded without saying anything more.

“There must be a reason for the young lady’s decision.”

I smiled.

“People are most careless when they think things are going well.”

I leaned back in the chair.

“Actually, the social scene is almost new to me too.”

My activities are almost entirely limited to participating in the Dawn Festival.

The Dawn Festival has tremendous symbolism, and the winner is given various privileges.

Especially this time, even the princes were involved, so it was even involved in political matters.

But.

‘It’s just a small league for young boys and girls.’

“But I have a lot of reference material.”

I smiled.

How many different social scene battles have come out in thousands of romance fantasy novels.

“I have grandfathers who have wanted to invite me to their house since I was a four-year-old baby.”

I looked at the letters piled up in one corner of the office.

“They said they would give me snacks if I came to play.”

Count Kandor’s eyes sparkled at my words.