Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 211

211. The Saintess of the South

“……The Saintess of the South?”

“Yes.”

“I heard she’s about the same age as the Paeraton Duchess. Isn’t that perfect?”

“But hasn’t the rumor mill gone silent after being rampant several times?”

“This time, it’s a bit different.”

The head maid whispered a few things to the Empress.

The Empress’s eyes narrowed.

“Then it’s worth a try. It won’t hurt me to summon her.”

“Exactly. If she’s not up to par, you can just give her some praise and send her away.”

The Empress smiled, nodded, and gave the order.

“Summon the Saintess to the Imperial Palace.”

* * *

“The Empress is summoning the Saintess?”

“Yes.”

Yellowche handed me the documents, nodding.

“Information from the herbalist. Lady Debwin told the other ladies.”

“Isn’t Lady Debwin’s daughter-in-law the Empress’s maid?”

“Yes. It’s very reliable information.”

I chuckled.

The herbalist was indeed serving as a neighborhood gathering place for the elderly, just as I had expected.

‘The only difference is that these neighborhood elders are all quite influential.’

Thanks to that, I was able to gather all sorts of useful information.

“What about the Saintess? The rumors have been popping up and fading for years.”

At first, I was excited to actually see a Saintess I had only read about in novels, but I’ve been disappointed for years.

“There’s also information about the Saintess on the back page.”

I turned the page to look.

“Hmm, there’s nothing particularly insightful here.”

It was just about what I already knew.

The rumors keep coming up, but at some point, they die down.

If she were a real Saintess, would the rumors fade so easily?

“Since these kinds of things are more common in rumors among ordinary people than among nobles, gather information from Kochon Chicken.”

Fortunately, I also have Kochon Chicken.

A franchise that has expanded beyond the empire to overseas.

‘Wow, I’m a franchise owner.’

I’ve made it in this life!

“Here it is.”

Pianke handed me the documents with a blunt attitude.

“Oh, you knew I’d need it and prepared it in advance?”

“Yes.”

I grinned, watching Pianke nod.

“You’re my aides, after all. We work well together.”

As I spoke, looking at Yellowche and Pianke, Grunde grumbled.

“I’m also Miss’s aide.”

“Yes, yes, Grunde did well too.”

“I haven’t even reported anything yet?”

“You’re Green. Your presence alone is enough.”

“Pardon?”

Grunde asked back with a puzzled look.

I made a mistake.

“No, our Grunde always does a great job of setting the mood!”

“Right?”

Grunde grinned playfully.

Red, Yellow, Green, Pink, Blue.

‘It would be a problem if even one person were missing!’

My helmeted Power Rangers!

My aides weren’t just an advisory group, but an advisory task force.

‘……But it’s still a shame there’s no Black.’

I thought as I flipped through the report Pianke gave me.

The report contained countless rumors about the Saintess, categorized.

“Wow, every single one is an unbelievable achievement.”

“Rumors tend to be exaggerated. Especially rumors over beer.”

Grunde, who was looking over my shoulder at the report, added.

“Well, she’s a Saintess, after all. People would prefer her to be amazing rather than ordinary.”

“Ah, you mean people tend to shape uncertain information to their liking. That’s definitely true.”

“And exaggerating will make the listeners’ reactions more intense.”

“Indeed, a storyteller feels proud when the reactions are intense.”

“The problem is that the Empress is trying to exploit that.”

“And that must be aimed at Miss.”

The eyes of the three people simultaneously flashed sharply.

I shrugged, looking at the tense trio.

“Yeah, that’s right. But whether or not to cooperate with the Empress ultimately depends on the Saintess’s heart, right?”

I slammed the documents down.

“If the Saintess isn’t a complete idiot, she’ll realize right away that the Empress is trying to use her in a political power struggle.”

“…….”

“Getting involved in a political power struggle will make all of the Saintess’s good deeds seem intentional and turn her into a political propaganda tool. And there will be restrictions on helping people.”

Would the Empress allow her to perform good deeds in enemy territory?

“So, if she’s a Saintess who cares about people and serves them, she’ll reject the Empress’s offer.”

Pianke, who had been listening to me quietly, replied bluntly.

“If she’s a real Saintess, she will.”

“You mean she might not be?”

Pianke didn’t answer, but I understood his words well enough.

“Even if the Saintess rejects the Empress’s offer, I still don’t like it.”

Grunde said with a sulky face.

“No, why?”

“Just because.”

Huh? Is that the answer?

As I was dumbfounded, Yellowche smiled shyly and said.

“Actually, me too…….”

“Me as well.”

No, even Pianke?

‘Am I missing something?’

I was about to look through the documents again when the door to the conference room connected to the office burst open.

“I don’t like it either!”

“Ahem, I also feel the same way.”

Count Dier, who popped out, was followed by Count Kandor.

“Were you listening to everything?”

“We can hear the conversation from the conference room.”

“Not doing the meeting you’re supposed to be doing.”

Even when I scolded him, Count Dier was unfazed.

“Anyway, I really hate it! How dare a Saintess! How dare she! With our Miss!”

“No一”

“I’ve known for a while that the Empress lacks discernment, but is she really blind? How can she think a Saintess is a match for our Miss and plot something like this!”

“Um, but when you think about it, isn’t the Saintess a more amazing existence than me?”

I don’t know how much of this report to believe.

“Amazing! Is her hair pinker than our Miss’s? Are her eyes bluer than our Miss’s? What’s so great about her!”

Huh?

Something about that doesn’t sound right?

“But the Empress is the problem, the Saintess hasn’t done anything wrong一.”

“She did!”

Count Dier exclaimed.

“She made the Empress think she could be a match for our Miss.”

Um, that’s nonsense.

Let’s ignore it.

I pushed away Count Dier, who was trying to cling to me, and said to Count Kandor.

“Count Kandor, you came at the right time.”

“Did you need me?”

“Yes, what was the Count’s name again……?”

The reaction to my words came not from Count Kandor, but from someone else.

“D, did you not know that?”

“……I’m shocked.”

“Even so, you’ve worked together for several years. Miss…….”

“What about my name? My name?”

“I know Count Dier. It’s রেডিয়ান [ রেডিয়ান ].”

I gave him the pass because he’s Red, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.

“That’s enough. She’s a very busy person, so she might not know the trivial things.”

At Count Kandor’s words, the advisory task force, who had been making a fuss, shut their mouths.

“Um, Count Kandor……. You’re not upset, are you?”

“Of course not.”

I was relieved by his attitude, which showed no resentment.

“My name is Dunkel.”

“……!”

Dunkel means black, doesn’t it?

I jumped up from my seat.

“Passed!”

“Pardon?”

Passed, passed!

Black was so close by!

With this, Red, Yellow, Green, Pink, Blue, Black, perfect!

‘Come to think of it, only Azul, who is Blue, and Dunkel, who is Black, have slight variations in their names.’

Is it because they’re father and son?

Anyway, with this, my advisory task force is complete.

* * *

That night.

Azul was shrinking his shoulders in front of his father, Count Kandor.

“Do you know that?”

“…….”

“When the Duchess was young, she used to call me Grandpa Kandor.”

“Yeesh…….”

“No one else called me that. Even though the senators are all my age, only I was called Grandpa Kandor.”

“Yeesh…….”

“And she drew me these pictures too. Among the senators, no, even including the elders, no one has ever received a picture directly from Miss. Everyone else got the pictures through black market trading. Once, a merchant who came to Paeraton Castle saw the black market trading and mistook it for smuggling.”

“Yeesh…….”

“She drew those pictures only for me, several of them. Look at this. She drew it well, didn’t she?”

“Yeesh…….”

“Do you know that? When the Duchess was young, she used to call me Grandpa Kandor一.”

Thud!

Azul sighed as he watched his father collapse, hitting his head on the table.

He had been repeating the same words more than ten times and finally collapsed.

‘Someone who never drank alcohol in his life……. He didn’t act like it, but was he that shocked that Miss didn’t even know his name?’

Azul shook his head.

* * *

“Did you call for me, Grand Empress Dowager?”

The Grand Empress Dowager smiled broadly as she watched her niece curtsy, spreading her skirt wide.

“Come in. How did you grow up so beautifully?”

“I’m embarrassed, Your Majesty.”

She was pleased to see her cheeks blushing as she answered.

“It’s time for you to get married too.”

“Yes, it’s already come to that.”

“So, I was wondering if I should personally find you a match.”

“Oh my, would the Grand Empress Dowager do that?”

She already knew why she had been called, but she pretended not to know, which she liked even more.

Being too dull or too honest is unreliable.

“Yes. Aren’t you my niece? To me, who has no granddaughters, you are like a granddaughter.”

“I’m honored.”

“Shuela.”

The Grand Empress Dowager called her niece in a serious voice.

“I have nothing to hide from you, who is like a granddaughter. You know my position well.”

Shuela couldn’t answer and lowered her head.

“Yes, it’s not good enough that you can’t answer. My own son lost in the battle for the throne, and the son of the Grand Imperial Concubine became the Emperor.”

“…….”

“Thanks to the Grand Imperial Concubine’s early death, I have some standing as the only elder in the Imperial Family, but that’s it. I’ve been living quietly.”

With the 정적 [political enemy] becoming the Emperor and Empress, the Grand Empress Dowager had no choice but to be careful.

The only time she tried to do something was six years ago, when Sidrian appeared.

However, with Sidrian’s disappearance, the Grand Empress Dowager had no choice but to be even more careful than before.

“Originally, the current Emperor’s seat belonged to my son. If the Marquis of Marvel, the Empress’s family, hadn’t betrayed us……!”

Sparks flew from the Grand Empress Dowager’s eyes.

“As long as I’m alive and well, I won’t let Esteban, who has the blood of Marvel, ascend to the throne!”

How such power came from an old woman, her voice echoed like thunder in the room.

“If Marvel hadn’t betrayed us, Shuela, your position wouldn’t be the same either. You would have been treated as the Emperor’s fifth cousin.”

“…….”

Greed flashed in Shuela’s eyes.

The Grand Empress Dowager didn’t miss it.

“Sidrian’s return is an opportunity that heaven has given me again. Fortunately, Sidrian has no Mobi [powerful family] to support him.”

“But I heard he’s close to the Imperial Consort.”

“It seems the Paeraton Duchess is acting as a stepping stone to become close to the Imperial Consort, but anyway, they’re not related by blood.”

“Then一.”

“Yes, we can get involved.”

“That’s right. But how? Your Majesty has met with Prince Sidrian several times, but the atmosphere wasn’t good一 Ah, I’m sorry.”

“You’re quick-witted to know that. You’re also well-informed.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“That’s enough. You’re right. Sidrian is a wary guy. He doesn’t trust others, and he doesn’t particularly try to rely on them.”

The Grand Empress Dowager smiled.

“But there’s a way to form an alliance with Sidrian at once.”

“What is it?”

“It’s to go through the Paeraton Duchess.”

“……?”

“For some reason, Sidrian allows access if you go through the Paeraton Duchess.”

At the Grand Empress Dowager’s words, understanding flashed in Shuela’s eyes.

“So, Your Majesty is now putting my marriage prospects一.”

“I’m thinking of putting your marriage prospects in Paeraton.”

At those words, Shuela jumped up from her seat.

“Surely, you don’t mean Zeon Paeraton?!”

“Yes. If I become related to the Paeraton Duke’s family, how can Sidrian ignore me? Just by becoming related to Paeraton, I’ll have a definite advantage.”

“꺅! [Kyaa! (a joyful shriek)]”

Shuela couldn’t help but scream with joy.

“If Your Majesty issues an edict, the Paeraton Duke’s family can’t completely ignore it! Even though they’ve been silent even when countless marriage proposals have been made from other families!”

“You have to do well. Paeraton is a place that can refuse even a marriage proposal from the Imperial Family. You have to capture Zeon Paeraton’s heart.”

“Of course!”

Shuela ran to the Grand Empress Dowager and began to massage her shoulders.

“I’ll do really well, Your Majesty.”

* * *

I stared at the pile of letters.

“Again?”

All of these were marriage proposals that came to Zeon.

‘Well, it’s time to get married.’

Isn’t it rather late by the standards here?

Zeon was sprawled on the sofa as if he had nothing to do with the pile of marriage proposals. His cheeks were slightly flushed.

“Zeon, are you getting married?”

At my question, Zeon stared at me quietly. His cheeks were slightly flushed.

“When should we do it?”

“Huh?”

“I’ll do whatever my youngest wants.”

“……?”

What are you talking about?

“Why do whatever I want? The wedding should be done the way Zeon’s bride wants.”

“That’s why.”

Huh?

“Aren’t you saying that my youngest and I should get married?”

Huh?!