Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 194

Clutching my throbbing head, Hwan-soo tilted his head, looking puzzled.

“But the two of them… huh? Strange, what is it?”

“What?”

“They’re different, but why are they the same? Confusing…”

Hwan-soo tilted his head left and right, then curled his tail with a whine.

“I guess I’m still too young to understand.”

Seeing the baby call himself a baby was a bit funny and cute.

I gently stroked Hwan-soo’s head.

Forget about having two Papas.

* * *

“Open it.”

“Yes.”

Erkel, the Baron and Chief Aide, Duke Paeraton’s closest aide, opened the dungeon door with a stiff expression.

He didn’t dare to look at his lord’s face.

Even with his eyes lowered, the oppressive aura emanating from Duke Paeraton’s entire body made him feel like his lungs were collapsing.

Such a fierce presence hadn’t been seen since the Duke’s youngest daughter, Ruatisha, had returned.

It made him realize how amazing the youngest lady was.

That tiny baby approached Duke Paeraton in this state without any fear.

Didn’t she even melt the Duke so much that his usual demeanor softened?

‘But now, he seems to have completely returned to his old self.’

No, he’s even sharper than before.

Anyone who catches Duke Paeraton’s gaze now would feel like their entire body is being torn apart.

Overwhelmed by the oppressive aura, Baron Erkel’s head involuntarily lowered.

Duke Paeraton slowly stepped through the opened door.

The three sons followed behind him.

Their faces were all coldly hardened.

It was hard to believe they were the same people who had been bickering childishly in front of Ruatisha.

It made him realize why they were Paeratons and why they were related by blood.

As the four men entered the dungeon, Baron Erkel closed the door.

Koo-oong.

The heavy door closed with a weighty sound.

What happened inside could never leak out.

* * *

Neither screams, nor groans, nor even death.

Muriel opened her flickering eyes.

But opening her eyes was meaningless.

Because nothing changed just by seeing the place where she was trapped.

How long had she been in this place, filled with a coldness that seemed to freeze even the bones?

The passage of time was unknown.

However, it was certain that it had been so long that she couldn’t feel her limbs.

In addition to the wounds inflicted by Ruatisha and Sidrian, Muriel’s body was severely damaged.

In fact, Muriel had been dying since she was attacked by Ruatisha and used the last of her strength to open the gate.

To think she would be defeated by that young brat.

The ones who were forcibly holding onto her fading life were the Paeraton Duke’s family.

Those chillingly cruel people.

They were using Muriel’s characteristic of not dying as long as she had magic power left to forcibly maintain her life.

A miserable state of being alive while her limbs were being cut off, a sword was stuck in her heart, and her whole body was rotting.

Could this really be called alive?

At that moment, something black came into her blurry vision.

Muriel instinctively trembled with fear.

The time in the dungeon had taken away many things from her and given her many new things.

The always dignified and confident her had become terrified and panic-stricken.

“D-d-don’t come! Don’t come! Don’t comeee!”

The Paeraton men stared at her blankly.

After a long time of raving alone like a madwoman, Muriel finally calmed down.

Belatedly, her reason returned.

She had escaped from her panic state.

Muriel laughed, dripping black blood from the aftereffects of her outburst.

“Kuh, ugh… people, they’ll be surprised.”

She had no choice but to laugh, fearing that her insides would shrivel up if she didn’t.

“To think that there would be a place like this inside the Paeraton, Duke’s residence in the prime, prime location…”

“Of course, they wouldn’t know. Because no one who has been here has ever left.”

“We’re going to finish you off soon. It seems we’ve found out everything we can.”

“Anything you haven’t said by now, you won’t say no matter what we do. And you can’t communicate in a panic state.”

At those words, hope flickered in Muriel’s eyes.

Originally, she desperately wanted to survive and be with ‘that person’ in the glorious moment when they would shake the world.

But now, what she wanted most was death.

If only she could end this eternity of pain…!

At that moment, a thick miasma [a noxious or poisonous atmosphere or influence] began to rise around the Paeraton sons.

Muriel’s face, which had already been bloodless, turned pale, almost blue.

“Why, why… why…?”

Wasn’t she going to be killed because she was no longer needed?

Then why were they raising their magic power?

No matter how much they attacked, she couldn’t die as long as her magic power continued to be supplied.

Rather, it would only increase the pain.

And Muriel knew very well how terrible that pain was.

“N-n-no, I, I don’t want to. P-p-please, no! No!”

The miasma, which had been hazy like fog, suddenly coalesced and sharpened to a point.

And then.

“Kkyaaaaaaack!”

It was a scream so terrible that it made people’s hearts sink just from hearing it.

Again and again.

The screams didn’t stop until her throat was torn, and she bit her own tongue.

But that sound couldn’t leak out of the dungeon.

The only ones who could hear it were the Paeraton men in this place.

However, there was no change in the expressions of the four men.

* * *

“Ah, heu, aah, huh…”

Incomprehensible words flowed from Muriel’s mouth as she lay face down on the ground.

It wasn’t a sound that came out because she was trying to speak.

It was just a sound that flowed out from extreme pain.

“She’s still alive.”

“Like a cockroach.”

She heard voices looking down at her from above.

But their meaning didn’t properly reach her head.

She only saw Duke Paeraton approaching the magic power supply device.

Duke Paeraton was using the fake elixir created by Ariel to supply Muriel with magic power.

Muriel’s lips twitched slightly.

“Heu, ha…”

But it couldn’t form words.

Please.

Quickly.

Stop it.

Kill me.

I want to die.

I want to die. I want to die. I want to die.

Only one thought filled her head.

Soon, as Muriel wished, Duke Paeraton stopped the magic power supply device.

At the same time, she felt the last of her strength leaving her entire body.

‘I’m really… dying.’

Originally, she should have died a long time ago when she was attacked by Ruatisha and opened the gate.

The death that had been stopped by Duke Paeraton’s trick was now flowing again.

‘I can die.’

When she opened the gate, she was so upset that she was dying that she kept cursing Ruatisha, the Paeraton Duke’s family, and Sidrian.

Now, the fact that she could die felt like a blessing.

Although this was the end for her.

‘Your Highness… I wasn’t completely useless after all. That girl who will hinder Your Highness is dead in the Demon World, so please achieve your high aspirations—.’

“I’ll tell you one last piece of good news on your way out.”

Duke Paeraton said, looking down at Muriel.

“My daughter has awakened.”

“……!”

Even though all the strength in her body was gone, Muriel widened her eyes as if some strength had appeared.

But that was it.

She wanted to ask back, but she didn’t have the strength to move her lips.

She’s alive?

Then, did she return from the Demon World?

How?

The last scene she saw before losing consciousness in front of the gate came to her mind.

The scene of Sidrian entering the gate.

That unbelievable event.

‘Could it be.’

Did she really come back?

Without dying and in good enough condition to recover?

“She’s very healthy. We even went shopping together today.”

No!

Muriel shouted.

That can’t be.

That can’t be!

However, only gasping breaths came out.

How could the trap I created—.

Sacrificing my life, betting everything on it.

For the glory of that person…!

But Ruatisha Paeraton returned alive from that hellish place.

Looking into Duke Paeraton’s eyes, she could tell that his words were true.

‘Was it all useless?’

Even the last resort, which she had thrown away her life like trash, couldn’t stop Ruatisha Paeraton.

‘Was it all for nothing?’

The blood vessels in Muriel’s eyes crackled and burst.

Her unmoving hand scratched the floor.

Tuduk, ttuk.

Blood flowed from her broken fingernails.

“Kkeu, an……. Ru…tisha Paeraton!”

With that last cry, all of Muriel’s movements stopped.

With her eyes wide open, shedding tears of blood, Muriel ended her tenacious life.

Pasuseuseu—.

Duke Paeraton stared blankly at the sight of her turning into red ashes and scattering.

How could he be comfortable with the death of the one who had caused his daughter so much suffering?

Even though he had seen her die in regret and despair, it wasn’t enough.

How heartbroken he had been when he saw Ruatisha coming out of the gate.

Her whole body was covered in wounds, and her black and blue ankles were so swollen that they looked like they would burst.

She was in such a miserable state that he didn’t know how she had walked.

She was his precious and beloved youngest daughter, so precious that even a single eyelash getting damaged would hurt his heart.

“…….”

Duke Paeraton came out of the dungeon.

Baron Erkel, who had been waiting, lowered his head, holding his breath.

He didn’t dare to ask and silently followed his lord.

But Duke Paeraton’s path was strange.

Baron Erkel, who had been moving his lips several times, finally spoke.

“……Um, Your Excellency. Where are you going?”

He thought they were going to the office or the young lady’s room since the young masters were also going with them, but the path they were taking was completely different.

‘……If we keep going this way, we’ll end up in the kitchen.’

Duke Paeraton answered without even looking at him.

“To make pudding.”

“I’ll make chocolate cake.”

“I’ll make chocolate chip cookies.”

“……Iced chocolate.”

Watching them answer one after another, starting with Duke Paeraton, he somehow….

‘Why was I so scared?’

He even felt a bit wronged.

‘Should I tell them to work now?’

There was already a backlog of work due to the youngest lady’s illness.

There was a mountain of issues to be dealt with.

He himself hadn’t been in his right mind back then, and even if he had been, he wouldn’t have dared to tell his lord to work.

‘Now that the young lady has awakened, should I try challenging him once?’

Baron Erkel glanced at Duke Paeraton and flinched, lowering his gaze.

……It felt like they weren’t going to make pudding, but to destroy it.

That scary face only softened in front of the youngest lady.

‘Oh well, whatever.’

If the family goes bankrupt because of this, I’ll just open a bakery.

There’s even a chicken restaurant, so why can’t I open a bakery?

I’ll have to ask them to let me be a server.

* * *

I patted Hwan-soo’s back.

‘Whew, he finally fell asleep.’

Taking care of a newborn was quite difficult.

Of course, it was much better than taking care of a real newborn who couldn’t even communicate.

I slowly got up.

It was then.

[Quest 〈Please Beat Them Up!〉 has been completed.]

[A 100,000 Cash Gacha Ticket has been awarded as a reward.]

[Achievement has been achieved!]

[You have defeated the priestess of Kiyas Edel!]

[The Spirit World/Demon World/Heavenly World are paying attention to your achievements!]

[The Spirit World is looking at you with friendly eyes!]

[Additional support is possible if your friendliness increases!]

[Additional rewards will be given!]

I paused at the sudden notifications.

‘……Completed?’

Did Muriel die just now?

But why did the quest completion pop up when I didn’t kill her?

‘I guess it’s because I contributed the most to Muriel’s death.’

I also knew that Muriel was trapped in the underground dungeon.

But I was forbidden from even going near the dungeon, so there was no way to contact Muriel.

I had been caught several times just trying to get close.

‘……I should have found out everything about the gate before she died.’

I even felt resentful towards Papa for stopping me.

His daughter, who had gone out without a care, almost died.

I knew in my head that it was natural for Papa to prevent contact with the perpetrator from Papa’s point of view, but….

‘……This is the first time Papa has forbidden me from doing something I wanted to do. Don’t think about it too much.’

Papa had never stopped me from causing accidents here and there, even though I was only four years old.

I had even been almost kidnapped once.

That meant this incident was that shocking to Papa.

Resenting Papa won’t help. Let’s stop.

‘But Muriel died before I could get to the gate—. No, wait.’

I paused at the sudden thought that came to mind.

What kind of person is my Papa? There’s no way he would have just locked Muriel up nicely.

My Papa has tyrant/villain/mastermind attributes!

‘He must have found out everything he could.’

I clenched my fist tightly.

Okay.

Then I can’t just sit still either.