Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 210

“Oh, you… Still smiling even when being scolded.”

The Empress Dowager glared at me before pulling me into a tight hug.

“…Thank you. For getting so angry for Sidrian [short for Sid]. No one else would have dared to speak up like that, being mindful of the Emperor’s feelings.”

“I was just furious, that’s all.”

“Yes, I know your fiery temper best.”

The Empress Dowager smiled and squeezed my hand.

“I’ve prepared madeleines with plenty of chocolate, which Lulutia loves. How about it?”

“Uh…”

“There’s also black tea with plenty of cream. It’s a tribute from Ferhalen. Only the new buds were picked. You like it, don’t you?”

“…Your Majesty, are you trying to seduce me?”

“Oh, come on, ‘seduce’ you.”

The Empress Dowager winked playfully.

“Let’s eat and drink delicious things while we talk about our Sidrian.”

Ah, she wanted to hear about her son.

That makes sense.

“And then, let’s talk about future family plans.”

…Huh?

“Where would be a good place for the wedding? There’s so much to prepare, like the wedding dress and everything else. Spring would be nice, wouldn’t it? Bonbi will find an auspicious day.”

Excuse me?

“I know you’re uneasy because of your father-in-law, but don’t worry. We can just live happily among ourselves. You don’t need to embrace that man as family.”

What?

Did the Emperor agree to that?

“Honestly, he’s no help at all. What’s he going to do if this marriage falls through because of him?”

The Empress Dowager grumbled softly before smiling brightly at me.

“Whether I call you now or later, it’s all the same anyway. Why don’t you try calling me ‘Mother’?”

* * *

For some reason, I was scared of the Empress Dowager’s proactive attitude, so I made all sorts of excuses to escape.

‘Who knows what might happen if I followed her.’

“Lulutia.”

I was walking wearily when I heard a voice calling me.

It wasn’t a very welcome voice.

‘Should I pretend I didn’t hear it?’

I pretended to be nonchalant and started walking again.

“I know you’re pretending not to hear me. You hesitated just now.”

Ugh.

Then just go your way, pretending you didn’t notice.

“Oh my, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Fancy meeting you in a place like this.”

“A place like this? This is the Imperial Palace.”

“Exactly.”

I smiled even brighter.

Even though he knew I was being sarcastic, Esteban didn’t get angry; instead, he chuckled.

I bent my knees in a quick curtsy.

“It was an honor to see Your Highness the Crown Prince. Then, I’ll be on my way一.”

“You don’t have to stand on ceremony like that. Isn’t it about time you called me by my name?”

Esteban grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

I pulled my hand back and replied.

“I’m more comfortable this way.”

“Is that so?”

Esteban looked at me with a strange expression for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I heard Sidrian has returned.”

“Yes, congratulations.”

“Congratulations?”

“I should naturally congratulate you on your brother’s return.”

Esteban stared at me before chuckling.

“That’s right, it’s something to be congratulated on. But you’re the only one who says that to me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Everyone is just talking about how to completely exclude Sidrian from the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

“Now you’re paying attention to what I’m saying?”

“…I don’t know why Your Highness is telling me this.”

“I have no intention of doing anything to Sidrian. Like you said, he’s my brother, and he can’t threaten my position.”

“Can’t threaten it?”

“Yes. It might have been like that when we were young. But that’s all in the past.”

Esteban, who said that with a smile, seemed much more relaxed.

“So you should give up too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard you brought Sidrian back to the palace. And you’re still close to him.”

‘Does this guy, who’s supposed to be the Crown Prince, just follow me around?’

“Lulutia, it’s just sympathy. And lingering feelings.”

“……”

“You have everything. Sidrian is just something you lost for the first time.”

‘Whatever.’

“Now that he’s back, isn’t that enough? You don’t need to hold him in your hands again and see how insignificant and pathetic he really is.”

“Since when has my social life become something for Your Highness the Crown Prince to interfere with?”

“Lulutia.”

“Your Highness and I are not in any kind of relationship.”

Esteban seemed speechless and closed his mouth.

Behind him, I could see a servant running towards us.

I grinned.

“And, did you say he can’t threaten you? That I should see how insignificant and pathetic he is?”

“Yes. So you should choose someone who suits you.”

Esteban’s face was unwavering.

I didn’t bother to argue and waited quietly.

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

The servant, who had run right up to us, bowed before Esteban.

“How dare you. I am currently speaking with the Paeraton Duchess!”

“I-I apologize. But something terrible has happened……”

“Terrible?”

“His Majesty the Emperor has issued an indefinite confinement order to Her Majesty the Empress!”

“……!”

Esteban’s once relaxed eyes shook violently.

He turned his head sharply to look at me.

‘It must be because I came out of the Imperial Palace.’

I grinned.

‘Yes, it’s my handiwork.’

I thought he would get angry at me and turn away, but Esteban instead raised the corners of his mouth.

“……?”

Dark eyes, like flickering shadows.

“As expected, you一.”

It was the moment he reached out to me, stepping closer.

Thwack!

A hand suddenly appeared and roughly knocked Esteban’s hand away.

“How dare you touch her with your filthy hands.”

“Sidrian?!”

Sidrian wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards him. I could feel his firm chest.

Esteban looked back and forth between me and Sidrian for a moment before smiling and stepping back.

“……Like an untrained guard dog that bites anyone who approaches its owner.”

Esteban reached out to me again.

I tightly grabbed Sidrian’s hand, which was flinching.

Esteban smiled and kissed the back of my hand.

“Then, until next time.”

He greeted us and turned around to walk away.

Sidrian was about to jump out immediately, so I quickly grabbed him.

“Sidrian. Don’t.”

The violet eyes that turned to look at me were still overflowing with undisguised murderous intent.

“Beating that bastard up here is easy, but the aftermath will be a headache. And even if you beat him, he’ll probably enjoy it.”

“What?”

Sidrian flinched, more surprised than I expected, and frowned.

“That bastard has that kind of taste? No, more than that, how does my master know he has that kind of taste?”

Huh?

“What are you talking about? If you beat him, he’ll use that as an excuse to politically pressure us, so he’ll enjoy it.”

At my words, Sidrian turned his head, saying, “Ah……”

His ears were red.

“But…… ‘that bastard too’?”

“It’s nothing.”

I narrowed my eyes and stared at him, but Sidrian kept his lips tightly shut and didn’t answer.

“What is it? Are you really not going to tell me? Really? Seriously?”

Even though I pressed him closely, Sidrian’s lips wouldn’t open.

After pressing him a few more times, I realized something.

“Hey.”

Sidrian looked at me with a reddened face.

“You’re enjoying this right now, aren’t you?”

“……”

You little rascal.

He’s healthy.

This grandma raised him to be very healthy and stalwart.

* * *

“Mother.”

“Crown Prince!”

The Empress jumped up and approached Esteban.

“Please listen to this mother’s grievances. How could His Majesty be so heartless as to drop a bolt from the blue on me overnight!”

Esteban grabbed the Empress, who was complaining, and looked around.

He saw broken furniture and even a court lady with a bruise on her forehead.

“What happened that made His Majesty do this?”

“That一. I don’t really know either. He’s picking on something from the past that I don’t even remember.”

Seeing the Empress avoiding his gaze, Esteban realized she was lying.

‘……It’s probably just one of the many wrongdoings she committed in the past anyway.’

“Bringing up old things now must mean they’re trying to oppress us. It’s because Sidrian, that lowly thing, has returned!”

“……”

“I heard the Paeraton Duchess visited His Majesty. That vixen again!”

“Mother.”

“I’ve given that girl chances so many times. Even though I’ve been humiliated because of that girl more than once or twice, how many times have I extended my hand first? And yet that b*tch……!”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Crown Prince!”

“That woman will be mine anyway.”

The Empress bit her lip.

“Are you still saying such things!”

Esteban sat the Empress down on the sofa.

“First, calm yourself and rest. Just because His Majesty puts a little more weight on the scale doesn’t mean the balance will shift.”

“……Esteban.”

“Rest. I have an appointment with the senior officials, so I’ll be going now.”

Esteban turned around and left.

The Empress tried to call him back but lowered her hand.

Thud.

The Empress stared silently at the heartlessly closed door. A trembling breath escaped from between her teeth.

A maid who was bringing refreshments asked the Empress with surprised eyes.

“Has His Highness the Crown Prince already left?”

“……He’s busy as the Crown Prince, so it can’t be helped.”

“Even so. His Majesty is practically confined to this room.”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is too much. Her Majesty the Empress has taken care of him with such devotion.”

“How can he not even say he’ll speak to His Majesty the Emperor to lift the confinement order?”

“It’s practically the same as telling her to just stay confined!”

The maids, who had watched the conversation with the Crown Prince, raised their voices as if they were indignant.

“That’s enough.”

The Empress let out a large sigh.

The head maid handed the Empress tea and said.

“Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince’s actions may seem cold at first glance, but in fact, he has made the most correct choice.”

The Empress’s eyebrows rose.

“If you go to His Majesty the Emperor now and ask him to lift the confinement order for your mother, what would the Emperor think? He would judge that you lack the qualities of a ruler.”

“……”

“Even if things go well and he lifts the confinement order, there would be something that His Highness the Crown Prince would have to concede. And what His Highness concedes一.”

“It would go back to that lowly thing.”

“I apologize.”

The Empress looked at the head maid, who had lowered her head, and nodded.

“Yes, you’re right. Esteban made the wisest choice.”

“Of course. Isn’t he destined to become a wise ruler?”

“But it bothers me.”

The Empress’s gaze turned to a distant place.

“That woman will be mine anyway.”

‘Esteban making such eyes.’

No, in fact, I had seen it a few times before.

And it was all related to one person.

“……The Paeraton Duchess.”

“……”

“She’s becoming more and more annoying as the years go by. I thought it would be okay to be a little annoyed since that lowly thing died. Now she’s joining hands with that lowly thing and daring to drive me out?”

“I understand Your Majesty’s concerns. But the Paeraton Duchess is not an easy opponent to touch. She’s from Aurora [a prestigious social circle], the May Queen of high society, and a key figure in Metis, one of the three major social clubs.”

“So far, many ladies have made a name for themselves in high society, but no heiress has ever walked such a royal road.”

“Even this generation’s Aurora is clinging to the Paeraton Duchess and won’t let go, so for the next 10 years, high society will be all about the Paeraton Duchess.”

“On top of that, she has the backing of the Paeraton Dukedom and the Tarenka March……”

“Do you think I don’t know that!”

The Empress snapped.

“That’s why I can’t touch her easily!”

“I apologize.”

“If I had known this would happen, I should have nipped it in the bud when she was just a small sprout. I didn’t want to be told that the Empress was oppressing a child young enough to be her daughter, so I held back a few times……!”

Now, even if I want to step on her, I can’t.

The Paeraton Duchess’s position has become too great, and I’m confined to this palace.

“Your Majesty.”

The head maid gently touched the Empress’s shoulder.

“An adult stepping forward will only make a laughingstock of themselves.”

“Yes, so一.”

“You just need to nurture someone of the same age.”

The Empress looked at the head maid with intrigued eyes before frowning.

“But is there even a child who can compete with the Paeraton Duchess? It’s hard to say this, but……”

No heiress could match the Paeraton Duchess’s skills.

There are smarter heiresses.

There are also more beautiful heiresses.

But one’s position in high society is not determined by such things.

It’s about captivating people.

Above all, the heiresses who are known to be quite intelligent all seem to like the Paeraton Duchess.

“How did that fox-like girl win people over?”

“Originally, when there is light, people gather around it. When that light is shining on them, they don’t reveal their darkness.”

“Does that mean一.”

“There will be heiresses who secretly dislike the Paeraton Duchess. It’s just that the Paeraton Duchess’s light is so strong that they’re pretending not to.”

“……That makes sense. Those people will give strength to a new force.”

The Empress nodded as if she was pleased.

However, this had difficulties from the premise.

“But as I said, there isn’t an heiress who can push out the Paeraton Duchess.”

“Not in central high society.”

The head maid smiled.

“Your Majesty must have heard of her once? About the saintess who appeared in the South.”