Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 157

Though Ruatisha showed no sign of pain and spoke as if nothing were amiss, Sid was inwardly frantic.

Extreme pain felt like ice blades slicing into his skin and piercing his insides.

A terrible chill swirled through his heart, spreading throughout his body.

But when he looked at Ruatisha, he felt a strange sense of peace.

No, nothing was actually okay. The pain didn’t disappear, and his physical condition only worsened.

But at least it was okay *for Sidrian*.

Even if it was an illusion, seeing Ruatisha looking healthy and unharmed made the pain feel almost worthwhile.

—*Taking the aftereffects is very difficult.*

—*You have to endure five times the pain that the pioneer would have experienced.*

—*The pioneer doesn’t die from the aftereffects. Is there really a need for you to take it on?*

“Here, you have to eat well, even if it’s bitter.”

Ruatisha carefully scooped up the [antipyretic: fever-reducing medicine] with a spoon and offered it to Sidrian.

A serious face.

Eyes full of worry.

Sidrian smiled through the pain.

He *needed* to.

“Good, you’re eating well. Good job.”

Ruatisha praised him for taking the bitter medicine, but Sidrian’s sense of taste and smell were so numb that he couldn’t actually taste the bitterness.

‘This kind of antipyretic won’t do any good.’

Even so, he opened his mouth and ate all the medicine that Ruatisha fed him.

Well, he wasn’t actually taking antipyretics; it was just an illusion he was seeing in his fever, so what did it matter if the medicine didn’t work?

After he finished it all, Ruatisha popped a candy into his mouth.

“How is it? The candy tastes much better than usual, right?”

Ruatisha smiled brightly.

He still couldn’t taste anything.

But it *felt* sweet.

Ruatisha laid Sidrian down and covered him up to his neck with a fluffy new blanket that a court lady had brought.

Pat, pat.

The touch of her hand patting him through the thick blanket resonated in his heart.

“Get some more sleep.”

“No.”

“You need to rest.”

Sidrian shook his head.

He couldn’t completely lose consciousness like this.

He didn’t want to get better, either.

“I don’t want to. If I get all better, you…”

*Because you’ll disappear.*

He couldn’t bring himself to say those words, even in the illusion.

For fear that Ruatisha would really disappear the moment he finished speaking.

Ruatisha had already abandoned him once.

She had pushed him away, telling him to live as he pleased, regardless of her.

Since then, Sidrian had faced death several times.

It wasn’t easy for a young boy to create an S-class mercenary group in a short period and rise to the top rank.

He was always on the verge of death, and each time he almost died for real.

Surviving meant overcoming that death, and overcoming death meant it was as painful as dying.

But pain meant nothing to Sidrian.

Compared to the pain of the curse, having a hole in his stomach, bleeding enough to go into shock, and losing his breath to the point of losing consciousness were nothing.

But.

“You rascal, you have to eat well!”

“Here, today is special! Cookies filled with chocolate. They’re super delicious.”

“Sid.”

“Let’s call your name Sid.”

The absence of that child’s touch—.

Not seeing that smile and not hearing that voice was excruciating.

When he was delirious with fever, not knowing whether he was alive or dead, he always saw that child’s face.

And when the pain subsided, the child disappeared like a dream.

That sense of loss.

It would have been better to be in pain.

“Lullaby, lullaby.”

A soft voice gently settled in his ear.

As if hypnotized, drowsiness washed over him.

No, it wasn’t drowsiness, but the pain that had exceeded its limits was gnawing away at his consciousness.

Even though he couldn’t properly support his body, Sidrian tightly grabbed Ruatisha’s hand.

Ruatisha looked at him in surprise.

Then she smiled.

The child’s lips moved slowly.

But Sidrian didn’t see it through to the end.

* * *

Sidrian opened his eyes silently.

As always, the room was dark and quiet.

A suffocating stillness enveloped him.

Sid moved only his eyes, looking around without moving his head.

As expected, the child was nowhere to be found.

Even though he expected it, a coldness settled in his heart.

‘It’s the first time I’ve been this… embarrassed.’

Even if it was an illusion, it was nice to see her conscious of him.

Sidrian slowly got up.

And felt a sense of unease.

The blanket and clothes soaked with cold sweat were the same as always.

But the air in the room was strangely fresh.

‘Did someone come in?’

Sidrian’s eyes sharpened.

He extremely disliked showing his weak side to others.

It was a trauma caused by what he had experienced when he was much younger.

Sidrian threw off the blanket, quickly got out of bed, and strode forward.

Stopped.

Even in the darkness, the bedside table next to the bed was clearly visible to him.

And the note written on the table, and the seven candies.

*You must take your medicine.*

*Only eat the candy after taking the medicine.*

*It’s a promise.*

“…….”

Sidrian couldn’t react for a moment and just read the note.

Over and over again.

‘Ah.’

The note didn’t disappear.

It was still in his hand.

‘Then—.’

It wasn’t an illusion.

Ruatisha had really come.

The lips that babbled and grumbled.

The worried eyes and soft smile.

The cheeks flushed with embarrassment and the trembling fingertips.

Even the child’s breath that tickled his heart.

“Ugh…….”

The boy’s expression, which had been sharpened like a cold, sharp blade, crumbled in an instant.

His ears and the back of his neck flushed red, and soon it spread to his cheeks.

Sidrian covered his mouth with one hand and turned his gaze away.

Life began to dwell in the boy’s eyes, which had been barren and desolate for his age.

Rustle.

Sidrian picked up the seven candies as if they were some kind of treasure.

After opening the safe inside with his aura, he put the candies in.

Inside the large safe, incongruously, was a vase.

In the vase was a modest bouquet that didn’t suit the imposing imperial palace.

Sidrian carefully held the bouquet and smelled it.

A fresh scent of grass and a fresh, sweet fragrance filled his heart.

The soft petals tickled his cheeks and lips.

Sidrian kissed those petals.

Very reverently.

Rather than a knight kissing a lady’s hand and swearing allegiance, it was like a slave kneeling and kissing the feet of a master he worshiped.

* * *

Inside a room with curtains drawn so it couldn’t be seen from the outside.

“Here is what the Princess asked for.”

Mrs. Huen handed Ruatisha a small portrait.

Ruatisha had given Mrs. Huen several secret orders.

One of them was to find out the identity of the woman who had first approached Mrs. Huen.

Ruatisha frowned as she examined the portrait.

“Hmm, she’s wearing a veil. It’s hard to recognize her like this.”

“She’s always been wearing it. I tried to get her to take it off while talking, but it didn’t work. I didn’t try to force it any further because I was afraid she would get suspicious.”

“Good job.”

It’s better not to do it than to arouse suspicion.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to take a video with a video stone instead of a portrait? You can see it from various angles…….”

“Video stones won’t work. I don’t know exactly what this woman’s abilities are. If she senses the mana [magical energy] of the video stone, she’ll immediately suspect you.”

“I see.”

Mrs. Huen nodded.

“I haven’t found out anything special beyond what I told you last time. I asked her what I should call her, but she only replied, ‘Would you ever have a reason to call me?'”

“Ariel said she was called ‘the witch’.”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“No. You did well. This portrait alone is a great achievement.”

“Yes?”

“I have something in mind.”

Ruatisha smiled.

When Ruatisha gestured to Yelloche, she handed over a small box.

“This is my gift to Sophia.”

“Oh, no. I’m already grateful for the grace you’ve shown me, but even a gift…….”

Mrs. Huen was surprised and waved her hands.

She hadn’t even properly figured out the identity of the witch, but she felt too sorry to receive a gift.

“You’ll take back your refusal once you see what’s inside.”

At those words, Mrs. Huen carefully opened the box.

Inside, there were plenty of [Gongjindan: a traditional Korean medicine] and [Sipjeondaebo-tang: another traditional Korean medicine, often used as a tonic].

“Feed it to Sophia. You can boil these medicinal herbs and give them to her. I’ve written down how to boil them.”

It was as Ruatisha said.

Mrs. Huen couldn’t refuse at all.

“This……. Thank you.”

“The child must grow up healthy and strong! Sophia must be having a hard time since she was punished publicly.”

Mrs. Huen gave a tearful smile.

Ruatisha was also a young child about the same age as her daughter.

Even though it was to save her daughter, she had done this to such a child…….

“If you’re sorry for what happened, you can do better in the future.”

“I, I’ll do anything I can. Not just to survive, but because I sincerely want to.”

“Still, you have to move to survive if you think about your child. By the way, is there any progress on the identity of ‘that person’?”

“I’m sorry. I mentioned it carefully, but…….”

“It didn’t work out.”

“I got the answer that they wouldn’t trust someone who had failed. ……I don’t think that witch has any intention of using me again.”

Mrs. Huen was a commoner who raised her daughter alone.

Far from making a name for herself in society, she was even accused of plotting against the Princess and harming the imperial family.

She was too insignificant to be used again.

“No.”

But Ruatisha shook her head firmly.

“Anyway, she granted your request to meet, right?”

“She only came to criticize me.”

“If she really wasn’t going to use you again, she wouldn’t have met you at all. What if she got caught doing something wrong after meeting you?”

“That’s true.”

“She doesn’t intend to use you right now, but she thought there might be a time when she needs to use you someday. That’s why she didn’t refuse the meeting.”

No matter how insignificant a card is, you can turn the game around depending on how you use it.

“This woman has left you with room to maneuver. She’ll look for you when she needs you.”

“Then…….”

“Of course, she’ll pretend that you’re not needed then, and act like she’s doing you a favor. But there’s always a reason for coming.”

Mrs. Huen swallowed hard.

‘Is this Paeraton [Ruatisha’s family name]?’

Is this something that a mere eleven-year-old girl can think of?

Mrs. Huen felt like she knew why Ruatisha had achieved unprecedented things and won the dawn festival.

“At that time, actively express your anger towards me.”

“Are you talking about revenge……?”

“Yes. Because of me, your plan failed, you were punished, and your livelihood became difficult, right?”

At least outwardly.

“That witch knows how much you care about your daughter. Act like you’re getting angrier and angrier as you watch your daughter suffer.”

“I understand.”

Ruatisha smiled as she looked at Mrs. Huen nodding.

It was a somewhat affectionate smile.

“Why are you doing that?”

“No. It’s just that I like seeing you…… caring for your daughter.”

Thump.

Mrs. Huen felt like her heart was sinking.

She had always shown a bright and cheerful appearance like a child who had received a lot of love, but Ruatisha was a child who had lost her mother when she was a baby.

‘What, what have I done…….’

The more she looked back, the more she regretted what she had done.

Because she was a noble, because she was wealthy, because she looked happy without a shadow.

She thought that it was okay for her to be a little unhappy for the sake of her daughter, who had been sick all the time.

She didn’t even know it herself.

Ruatisha widened her eyes at Mrs. Huen’s darkened expression.

“Huh? It’s okay. I’m really receiving overflowing love. And…….”

Ruatisha fiddled with her teacup.

“I can’t meet my mom, but my mom loved me very much too.”

“I’m sure she did. How could she not love someone so lovely.”

“My mom gave me my name too!”

Mrs. Huen smiled at the child’s boastful appearance.

“The Duchess gave you a really wonderful name.”

* * *

New sprouts began to emerge.

After the end of the year and the New Year, the time had come for the social world, which had been quiet for a while, to awaken again.

The Empress paced anxiously in her room.

After the scandal at the dawn festival, the Empress had been lying low and staying quiet.

When a storm hits, even a bird that travels a thousand miles will rest under the eaves for a while.

‘But I can’t just sit here like this forever.’

It was time to shake off the water and spread her wings.

The problem was that Mrs. Sarah, who had been giving her brilliant ideas, had stopped visiting.

“If you had just done as I told you, it would have been fine. Why did you do something unnecessary?”

“Unnecessary? Then are you saying that I should have just stood by and watched that annoying thing become Eos [a title, likely referring to the heir] just because he’s a prince?”

“Unreasonable things are bound to fail. If you’re going to fail, it’s better to just stand by and do nothing.”

“……That’s why I’m asking you.”

“In the current situation, there’s nothing I can do either. I’ll visit you when I have a good idea.”

‘That impudent……!’

She never thought Mrs. Sarah would act like that.

But right now, she desperately needed her help.

“What troubles you, Your Majesty?”

“Oh, Aizel.”

The Empress was delighted to see Lady Aizel, who had brought her tea.

The only maid who had stayed by her side when all her close aides had betrayed her at the dawn festival.

In this isolated situation, just seeing the face of a loyal maid brought a sense of relief.