Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 18

Baby Runs a Romance Fantasy with Cash – Episode 18

☆ Chapter 18 ☆

“You really are a crybaby.”

Even as he said that, his hand patting me didn’t stop.

“Hic, hiccup, th-then it’s a promise.”

I tried hard to hold back my tears and looked at Dad.

“No matter what happens, you’ll be my dad.”

“Yes, I promise.”

I held out my pinky finger.

“Promise!”

Dad awkwardly hooked his pinky with mine.

It seemed like he was making this kind of promise for the first time.

‘Ahem! Then I’ll have to teach him.’

I need to teach him the K-Promise [Korean-style pinky promise, often involving extra steps to make it more binding]!

Dad tried to pull his finger away, so I wiggled my thumb.

“You can’t take it away! We have to stamp it.”

“I don’t have a stamp right now.”

Seeing him mutter seriously made me chuckle.

Oh no, if you laugh while crying, you’ll get horns on your butt [a Korean superstition]!

I quickly put on a serious face and said solemnly.

“This is how you stamp it.”

I pressed my thumb firmly against his.

“Next is the signature!”

Dad’s hand was huge. I scribbled ‘Payeraton’ on his palm.

“Dad too. Hurry.”

Dad stared at me for a moment, then signed on my palm. The space was too small, but whatever.

“The last one is like this!”

After rubbing our palms together to make a copy, I was very satisfied.

I was giggling, and Dad chuckled as well.

“What does the last one mean?”

“It’s a copy! We engrave our promise on each other’s palms, copy it, and keep one each!”

“Then I absolutely can’t break it.”

“Yeah! Now, no matter what happens, you’re my dad.”

Because we engraved our vows on each other’s palms!

He stared at me intently and asked.

“Even if I’m not handsome?”

……Huh?

“Even if I’m not rich or head over heels for you?”

Only then did I remember when I made a fuss saying he wasn’t my dad.

‘Ugh!’

“I’ve been thinking about the conditions for your dad. It seems like they all describe me.”

Dad’s expression was very arrogant as he said that.

But I had to admit it.

Dad is handsome and rich.

But.

“Does the condition of being head over heels for me apply too?”

“……Yes.”

It was slow but very certain.

“If you told me to die, I would want to die.”

I blankly stared at Dad.

His lips were lazily raised, and I couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking.

Chapter 5. I’ve Come to Get My Money, Duke

Bloop.

Bloop. Bloop.

Bloop. Bloop. Bloop. Bloop.

The vassals tilted their heads.

A blooping sound that didn’t suit the Payeraton ducal residence at all echoed.

‘His Excellency wouldn’t tolerate this kind of noise.’

Whoever it was would be severely punished.

But Duke Payeraton was signing documents without any reaction.

‘What is it?’

They exchanged glances, but no answer came out.

That’s when it happened.

Bloop bloop bloop bloop bloop bloop

At the same time as the frequency of the blooping sound changed, Duke Payeraton’s hand stopped.

‘I knew it.’

‘Oh dear……’

The vassals expressed their condolences to the person who made the noise.

Bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo—.

It was the moment the sound got worse.

With a thud, Duke Payeraton disappeared.

Only the fountain pen he was holding was left on the desk.

“……?”

“Wh, what’s going on?”

“Could it be that he went to kill them?!”

It was when the vassals were looking around.

“If you run like that, you’ll fall and get hurt.”

A voice was heard from outside the window.

“Wh, somehow it sounds similar to the Duke’s voice……”

“Hey, you! It’s completely different. What nonsense are you talking about? Can’t you even recognize your lord’s voice?”

“That’s right. When has His Excellency’s voice ever been so sweet and affectionate!”

“Besides, ‘get hurt’! He’s not the kind of person who would use such kind and friendly language!”

The vassals raised their voices as if Duke Payeraton had been insulted.

“Th, then who is it?”

No one could answer that question.

That’s when it happened.

“Kyaa!”

A clear, bright laughter echoed from the garden. It was the laughter of a child.

‘A child’s laughter?’

It was a sound they never thought they would hear in the Payeraton ducal residence……!

The vassals rushed to the window.

In the garden, the Payeraton princess was laughing, held in the Duke’s arms, as if she was having so much fun.

The vassals widened their eyes at the sight that was hard to believe even after seeing it.

“Could it be that the sound from earlier was really His Excellency’s……?”

Their words couldn’t continue until the end due to the great shock.

Goosebumps rose all over the vassals’ bodies.

But they were quite capable men in their own way.

Soon, they fully grasped the situation.

“Ah, it was a dream. I was so surprised.”

“It’s really a savage dream. No nightmare is scarier than this.”

“A bad dream like this…… Should I offer a sacrifice at the temple after waking up.”

They wanted to escape from this scary and frightening nightmare as soon as possible.

The vassals wiped their cold sweat and hurriedly tried to wake up from the dream.

But.

“Huh?”

“Why, why can’t I wake up?”

No matter how hard they tried, their eyes bloodshot, no matter how much they pinched and hit themselves, they were still in the dream.

‘Then, could it be that all of this is reality?!’

The vassals looked out at the garden with creaking faces.

The sight of the young child, held in his arms and smiling brightly without a single shadow, was visible.

Soft, plump cheeks.

Neatly folded, round eyes.

Chubby, short arms and legs.

‘Ugh……’

It was such a lovely sight that it put a strain on their hearts.

However.

“Daddy! Put me down! Heehee, I want to get down!”

The problem was that Duke Payeraton was holding the baby.

The corners of Duke Payeraton’s lips were slightly raised.

That’s why it was even scarier.

When the child wiggled, Duke Payeraton put her down on the floor.

Did he think they were playing tag?

The child immediately ran out, dododododo. Every time she did, a sound echoed from under her feet.

Bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo!

“Catch me! Kyaaaa!”

The child ran around the garden without falling, as if she was about to fall.

Watching the child running around made one corner of their hearts feel warm.

It was the first peaceful feeling they had experienced while working in the Payeraton family, which was like walking on thin ice.

“Hehe……”

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

The soft pink hair that looked fluffy was really like cotton candy.

The vassals unknowingly smiled contentedly and watched the scene.

However, there was an existence they had forgotten for a moment……

Seeing Duke Payeraton following the child, everyone swallowed their breath.

Could it be that the cruel Duke Payeraton would harm that lovely child!

The sweet voice that said ‘get hurt’ earlier was an impossible thing, so it was naturally deleted from their minds.

But.

“……His Excellency……”

“He, he seems to be playing along?!”

Everyone stared at the garden, frozen.

Duke Payeraton maintained a distance as if he was about to catch her, but when the child was about to fall, he quickly picked her up.

The child, laughing, wrapped her arms around the Duke’s neck.

The vassals’ eyes widened as if they were about to tear.

Duke Payeraton was smiling, faintly but clearly.

* * *

“Then I will visit you again next time.”

“Yes, I hope you will come with good news next time as well.”

“That is something my master decides, not me. But I also hope so.”

The butler of the Payeraton ducal family left the office with a polite smile.

Yutra saw him off with a relaxed expression.

However, the moment the door closed.

“Hehe……”

There was no way to stop the laughter from leaking out.

“Finally……!”

“Congratulations, CEO!”

“To win an exclusive one-year contract with the Payeraton ducal family!”

Receiving congratulations from her employees, Yutra sat proudly in her chair.

Yutra was a designer who had even been granted a baronetcy by the Emperor, truly on a path to success.

But would Yutra be the only star-studded designer in this vast empire?

Every year, every season was a competition.

In fact, Yutra was in charge of the Empress’s dress during the National Foundation Day, but another designer would be in charge of the upcoming Victory Ceremony.

‘But what if the Payeraton ducal family only wears clothes designed by me?’

Payeraton ducal family.

The empire’s biggest topic maker, attracting countless gazes and countless rumors.

The Payeraton ducal family is also called the cheat key of all the empire’s gossip magazines.

The moment they publish gossip about the ducal family, sales skyrocket.

‘Besides, they’re perfect models.’

Yutra smiled, thinking of Duke Payeraton.

From his face to his body, he is truly perfect, even the word perfect is not enough.

What about the Payeraton sons?

‘They’re like living billboards for each age group.’

Just by them wearing it, everyone would order from Yutra.

‘Besides, there’s the cute, fluffy, and soft one too!’

Her heart fluttered at the thought of the adorable angel.

“Your judgment was right, CEO.”

“Yes, I thought we were going bankrupt when you brought in mana stones and even wizards to make shoes that make noise.”

Yutra delivered all the clothes ordered by the Payeraton ducal family and gave one gift.

It was shoes that made a blooping sound every time they walked.

All the materials of the shoes, such as diamonds, lace, silk, and leather, were expensive, and if you add up the money spent on development costs, it’s like spending all the profits earned from the Payeraton ducal family this time.

“I thought it would be more efficient to give the gift to the Duke rather than the Princess. Isn’t that usually the case?”

At the employee’s question, Yutra wiggled her finger as if she didn’t know anything.

“The most important thing is to please the Duke. His Excellency is the one who spends the money and makes the decisions.”

“Yes, so of course, a gift to His Excellency一.”

“Would His Excellency really want all the attention focused on him?”

The employee tilted his head.

Yutra decided to give him a little more hint.

“His Excellency is not very interested in clothes. He finds it annoying to measure his size, and he leaves the selection of designs to the chief butler.”

“Certainly……”

“But what was it like when you were making the Princess’s clothes?”

The employee nodded with a bright expression as if he understood.

“Ah, I see! Unlike His Excellency, the Princess is at an age where she is interested in pretty clothes, so targeting the Princess is一.”

“No?”

Yutra looked at the employee as if he was talking nonsense.

“It just means that Duke Payeraton is a daughter fool [a parent, usually a father, who dotes excessively on their daughter]…… ahem, no, he cherishes his daughter a lot?”

Huh?

A daughter fool?

That Duke Payeraton?

“Doing your best with the Princess’s clothes is the key to winning the Duke’s favor!”

Yutra clenched her fist and shouted.

“The real power in that family is the youngest Princess! Memorize it if you don’t understand!”

At the force, the employees clenched their fists and chanted along.

“The real power in the ducal family is the Princess!”

“And I’m going to win the Princess’s favor too! She’s my muse that I finally found!”

Huh?

“I won’t let another designer steal her! The Princess’s clothes are mine!”

Yutra’s eyes blazed.

Somehow, there were a lot of very personal feelings involved.

‘Is this company okay……’

The employees pondered.

* * *

“Your Excellency.”

When Dad entered the office holding me, the vassals greeted him, trying to hide their embarrassed faces.

Seeing that they were all gathered, it seemed like they were working.

Did I make them come out in the middle of it?

‘But he was completely a baby earlier.’

It was something I couldn’t help as me.

When Dad put me down, a blooping sound rang out.

“Those shoes are……”

“Yutra brought them.”

The vassals gasped and looked at Dad in surprise.

“His Excellency is calling the designer’s name……”

“Isn’t this the first time?”

A murmuring sound was heard.

“I heard it makes a sound every time you walk.”

Dad gestured, and I toddled over to Dad.

Bloop bloop bloop bloop!

Dad picked me up again and looked around at the vassals.

The vassals who received his gaze opened their mouths a beat late.

“Sh, she walks very well!”

“The way she walks, po-jjag po-jjag [onomatopoeia for soft, light steps], is as cute as an elf!”

“Seeing that she goes to His Excellency even when he puts her down, our youngest lady must really like her dad!”

“Hmm, all the conditions for the dad my daughter wants apply to me.”

Dad raised his chin arrogantly and replied.

‘……Why is the embarrassment my responsibility?’

“Then let’s resume the meeting. There are important matters that everyone should keep in mind.”

The atmosphere in the room changed at Dad’s declaration.

The vassals looked at Dad with serious eyes.

“When my daughter walks.”

Huh?

Suddenly talking about me?

Dad pressed the bottom of my shoe with his hand.

Bloop bloop bloop

“It’s okay to be relieved if it sounds like this.”

Bloop bloop bloop bloop.

“You have to be alert and tense from then on if it sounds like this. But.”

Bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo bbyo.

“The moment you hear this sound, everyone goes into war mode and protects my daughter. The moment my daughter falls or disappears from sight.”

His eyes darkened. His voice lowers.

“Unless you’re curious about what will happen.”

The vassals, who turned pale, quickly replied.

“We will judge it as war and watch over her!”

“We will sleep with our ears wide open!”

“So that the youngest lady never falls!”

“Good.”

Dad nodded in satisfaction.

“Then let’s start the meeting.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. First of all, about the Victory Ceremony, are you planning to attend with the young lady?”

“……She’s still too young. There’s no need to show my daughter to those old foxes already.”

Oh, they’re having a Victory Ceremony.

Honestly, it didn’t seem like it would be good for me to go, as I might become a baby at any time.

“I understand. Then I will remove the young lady’s name from the list.”

Listening to the vassal’s words, something I had been curious about for a long time came to mind.

“But, Dad.”

I pulled on Dad’s shirt. Dad immediately looked down at me.

But it wasn’t enough yet. I raised my hands and gestured. Closer, more.

Dad completely lowered his head to me.

I made a cave with my hands and put it to Dad’s ear. I could feel Dad smiling slightly.

“What’s my name?”

Whisper whisper.

“……What?”

It must have been too small. Dad asked again.

“My name.”

Again, whisper whisper.

“And how old am I?”

Dad didn’t answer.

Could it be that Dad doesn’t know either?

I felt something was wrong and raised my head.

The vast office was frozen.

A cold, cold silence where even the sound of breathing could not be heard.