Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 143

I was flustered.

They had seen me push Sophia, so there was no excuse I could make.

“I’m sorry, Princess Paeraton. I won’t appear before you again.”

Jasmine and Tiriel couldn’t hide their embarrassment at Sophia’s tearful words.

Claudia stepped forward.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing… I, I’m fine.”

“I asked what you were talking about.”

“…Well, it seems Princess Paeraton didn’t like the attention I was getting.”

“…”

“I suppose I was interfering at a time when Aurora should be shining the most… I dared to displease a noble, so it’s entirely my fault.”

Tiriel, looking down at the sobbing Sophia, muttered,

“Ugh, seriously. This is absurd.”

“Ha… I’m just speechless.”

It was the first time I had seen my kind and friendly friends react so coldly.

Well, because they are kind, they would be even more furious at the situation of a seven-year-old being pushed.

I couldn’t look at my friends and fidgeted with the hem of my dress.

“You got angry and pushed her because she was getting more attention than Ruatisha? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Huh?

It was completely different from what I had expected.

I raised my head in surprise.

Thump.

The three of them stood in front of me as if blocking me, glaring at Sophia.

“I know Ruatisha well. She’s not the type to push someone for that reason.”

“Besides, when have you ever gotten more attention than Ruatisha?”

Uh…

They saw me push her, yet they trust me like this.

‘I’m a little touched.’

“She can be a bit too confident and annoying at times, but she’s definitely not like that, you know?”

“…”

Claudia, so that’s what you think of me. Too confident and annoying…

As if sensing my gaze, Claudia turned to me and added,

“I think it’s charming.”

“It’s too late to try and smooth things over now.”

“I mean it.”

Claudia chuckled and spoke to Sophia again.

“Ruatisha steps up when she needs to, but she doesn’t enjoy getting attention that much.”

“If you had seen the expression Ruatisha made when Duke Delbatren told her not to go to the racetrack because he was worried about my daughter, you’d know.”

No, hold on…

“Or when Prince Zeon said he would never go to the exhibition hall because he was afraid the youngest wouldn’t be able to find him.”

“Prince Ixion’s ‘wall’ and Prince Ares, the half-blood of Heaven and the Empire…”

Stop it!

My friends turned to me and laughed.

“See? She had that expression back then. Not happy about the attention at all, but wishing she could disappear.”

“Isn’t that the expression of someone who wants to slap the back of people’s necks to give them short-term memory loss?”

“I think it’s the expression of someone who wants to grab the speaker by the collar.”

The girls, teasing me and giggling, turned back to Sophia.

“You’re the one who brought up displeasing a noble. Do you know what happens when you falsely accuse a noble?”

“If you say anything weird to my friend one more time, I won’t stand for it either.”

“Learning only bad things at such a young age.”

The girls huffed and approached me.

“Let’s go!”

“Something really fun happened inside.”

“We have to go quickly.”

Is that really it?

Even though I pushed a seven-year-old?

Shouldn’t they scold me a little?

But my friends grabbed my hand, and I went along with them, saying, “Uh…”

Through the closing door, I could still see Sophia sitting there, still in the position she had been pushed into.

The look in her eyes, glaring at me, was filled with a strange darkness that was hard to believe was human.

‘…Her reaction when I probed her earlier, and now this, there’s definitely something there.’

I followed my friends, asking,

“But is it okay?”

“What?”

“She’s seven years old. But I…”

“I don’t want to side with someone who’s lying to make things difficult for my friend, no matter what the reason.”

“Kids can fight and pull each other’s hair, you know.”

“…Are you treating me like a kid right now?”

At my words, the three of them looked at me as if I was amusing.

“Honestly, you are a bit young.”

“That reaction just now was really childish.”

“What? Tiriel, Jasmine, and Claudia are all kids too!”

When I got angry, the three of them smiled like cats.

“Oh, alright, alright. We’re all kids, kids.”

“Aww, our youngest. Are you upset about being treated like a kid?”

“Being treated like a kid by a kid is kind of refreshing.”

“Seriously! Stop teasing me!”

We bickered as we entered the party hall.

But as soon as we arrived, people greeted me as if they had been waiting.

“Oh, there she comes.”

“Ruatisha gave me a gift the other day.”

“She’s an amazing child. She said she made it to save my maternal grandfather.”

Duke Delbatren, Duke Iskamil, and even Marquis Sherodel.

I realized what my friends meant by ‘something fun’.

Clack.

Duke Delbatren, who caught my eye, confidently placed a golden sphere in a transparent case.

“It’s a Gongjindan [a traditional Korean medicine ball made of herbs and honey].”

* * *

Going back in time to when Ruatisha excused herself to wash her hands.

“I’m fine. I’m not interested.”

“Me neither.”

“I don’t really need something like this.”

People couldn’t hide their embarrassment at the reactions of Duke Delbatren, Duke Iskamil, and Marquis Sherodel.

‘Rejecting the elixir?’

Hadn’t they just witnessed the wounds healing in an instant?

And people who had taken it were currently marveling at how much better they felt.

Yet, the three of them flatly dismissed it, saying they didn’t need it.

“Why do they say they don’t need it?”

“Doesn’t Marquis Sherodel eat even poisonous snakes if they’re good for his health?”

“Well, it feels a bit…”

The person who was about to drink the elixir took the glass away from their lips with a slightly uneasy expression.

It felt unsettling to see those three giants, of all people, being reluctant.

If there were people with the greatest power and influence at today’s party, it was undoubtedly these three.

Such an amazing lineup that you’d only see at Grand Duchess Croffel’s birthday party was attending this ordinary-themed party!

All the attendees were on edge, paying attention to these three figures.

That was the same with Mrs. Hewen.

The moment Duke Delbatren, Duke Iskamil, and Marquis Sherodel showed satisfaction with the elixir, it would be as if wings had sprouted on her back.

It would be more beneficial to secure these three, even if it meant giving up on everyone else.

‘But to refuse to even drink it and say they don’t need it at all?!’

Mrs. Hewen hurriedly approached the sofa where the three were sitting.

“I understand that you might not feel the need for it, given how healthy you are. But there’s no harm in trying it once…”

“Acting just because there’s no harm in it is what people without their own judgment do.”

“I apologize. That wasn’t my intention. I was just thinking about how to help people’s health, so I offered it in the hope that it might be helpful to you as well.”

Despite Mrs. Hewen’s earnest words, the three showed no reaction.

“The people here have also said that they felt the effects after drinking it. It may not be enough to help you, but please, for my sake—”

“There are more than ten people at this party alone who have come to me asking for favors.”

“I think I’ve already done you a favor just by listening to you. To be precise, I’m listening because of Grand Duchess Croffel, the host of this party.”

Know your place.

Marquis Sherodel spoke politely, but that was ultimately what he meant.

Originally, Mrs. Hewen was in a position where she couldn’t even dare to speak to these three first.

‘Damn it. I made a mistake.’

She had been mistaken because of the support from Mrs. Sheruin, and because quite a few prominent nobles at today’s party were begging her to buy the elixir first.

“I don’t dislike bold and ambitious young researchers. I think it’s not bad to be confident in your research results.”

Duke Iskamil said with a benevolent smile.

Mrs. Hewen’s face immediately brightened.

“Thank you—”

“But to do that, you need to have the skills to back it up.”

“Yes?”

Duke Iskamil picked up the elixir that had been placed on the table and slowly turned it.

“An elixir with only the effect of healing minor wounds and improving condition. Isn’t that too much of a name?”

“Th, that’s because someday I’ll achieve the same efficacy as a real elixir—”

“Someday?”

“…….”

“That’s a distant future. And it’s uncertain whether it will actually be possible. Isn’t calling it an elixir just your arrogance?”

“I—”

“If it’s not arrogance, it must be a business tactic. There are many who would be tempted just by the name elixir.”

Duke Delbatren chuckled and crossed his legs.

“Ah, no! I definitely didn’t name it an elixir with that intention.”

“Then you’re just someone who is disrespectful because you’re overly confident in your research results without the skills to back it up.”

“I have nothing more to say to such a person.”

With those words, the three didn’t even look at Mrs. Hewen.

The attitude was that their generosity had ended just by dealing with her this far.

Mrs. Hewen looked at the three people who were ignoring her with trembling eyes, then turned her head.

‘Just a moment ago, the nobles who were eager to talk to me…’

Now they were avoiding eye contact and clearing their throats.

Even if they wanted the elixir, no one would step forward and say, ‘I like it, so sell it to me!’, ‘I like it, so I’ll invest!’ as long as those three reacted like that.

Her elixir, which was even called a miracle potion.

But in an instant, it became a potion that ‘can’t keep up with the real elixir and only has a grandiose name to sell it.’

That was the influence of these three people.

‘Even so, I can’t give up here.’

Sophia’s smiling face flickered before her eyes.

“I didn’t learn deeply enough, so I was short-sighted in naming it an elixir.”

The three people didn’t respond as if they hadn’t heard anything.

Mrs. Hewen continued without giving in.

“But the effects of this potion are real. As you saw, it healed wounds in an instant. If you take it, you will definitely feel a difference in your physical condition.”

“Well, I said I don’t need it.”

“I don’t need a toy that came out because you failed to make an elixir.”

“Because there is something that can restore my physical condition by recreating a real ancient medicine, and even prolong my fading life.”

“Yes? H, but as far as I know, there’s no such thing—”

“There is.”

“Of course, there is.”

The three people, who hadn’t shown a single smile, softened their lips as if they had remembered something.

Duke Delbatren quickly scanned the hall, looking for Ruatisha.

‘She’s not here.’

It seemed she had left her seat by chance.

Then shouldn’t he buy some time?

It would be even better if he could decorate her appearance splendidly.

Duke Delbatren looked around the hall and said in a loud voice.

“Everyone must know that Marquis Tarenka suddenly collapsed.”

“Ah, I know. The priest and the doctor said that he might not be able to wake up, so we should prepare to send him off.”

“But Marquis Tarenka got up from his seat and is now more energetic and healthy than before he collapsed.”

People listened to the story of the three.

Come to think of it, there was a lot of talk at the time about whether Tarenka’s successor position would be vacant if Marquis Tarenka passed away.

His condition was so serious that it was now completely healed.

Marquis Tarenka, who had been confined to his territory for a long time, was actively working and appearing at official events.

But was there a secret to that?

There is something that recreates ancient medicine?

“It’s all thanks to Princess Paeraton’s sincerity.”

“It’s a different level of sincerity than your mediocre sincerity.”

* * *

“It’s a Gongjindan.”

Have you heard of it?

Gongjindan.

Duke Delbatren confidently placed the Gongjindan [a traditional Korean medicine] wrapped in packaging on the table.

It was what I gave him as a gift for his grandfathers when I went saying, “Give me a snack.”

Of course, he gave it with the sinister intention of using it like this.

“Go, Gongjindan? Are you talking about the one I know?”

“I’ve never heard of it, but what is it…”

“It’s a pill that was famous in ancient times along with acupuncture.”

“Princess Paeraton made that?”

People began to whisper quickly like skylarks.

“The efficacy of this Gongjindan is no different from what was recorded in ancient times. Unlike your elixir.”

Duke Delbatren smiled arrogantly.

‘No, I’m the one who made that, so why is Grandpa bragging?’

I approached my grandfathers with a sullen expression.

They’ve set the stage this much, so I have to play along.

“What’s going on?”

When I asked with innocent, round eyes, Duke Iskamil smiled kindly and stroked my head.

“I was bragging to people about the famous medicine that the princess made to save her great-grandfather. The princess is very filial.”

“Ah, that’s just… I just wanted to save my grandfather somehow…”

When I lowered my head as if I was embarrassed, people began to whisper.

“Oh my gosh, it must be true.”

“Well, the princess also developed a cure for the Black Death before, right?”

“Considering the cure for the Black Death, this medicine is as good as verified.”

“Above all, those three don’t even look at it, saying they don’t need an elixir or anything.”

“Come to think of it, Marquis Tarenka even went hunting before winter came. He said he would get his granddaughter a fox fur.”

“Oh my? If he’s going hunting at that age, isn’t he rejuvenating instead?”

Rejuvenation!

People stared at the Gongjindan on the table with desire-filled eyes.

A famous medicine that recreates the efficacy of ancient times and even rejuvenates!

Anyone couldn’t help but covet it.

“Can I take a look?”

“To receive such a precious gift from the princess. I’m so envious.”

Tak, tatak.

The people who were holding the elixir put down the bottles as if throwing them away and flocked to me.

I glanced at Mrs. Hewen with a shy expression.

She was looking at me with a bewildered face.