Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 212

Zeon’s eyes were incredibly earnest.

Zeon, who had been lounging lazily, sat up and leaned towards me.

His dark hair tickled my forehead.

“Pet me.”

Oh, dear.

He’s still a child.

I stroked Zeon’s hair.

The glossy black hair wrapped smoothly around my fingers.

Zeon smiled, half-closing his eyes and purring.

‘Peaceful.’

With Sid’s return, I no longer felt anxious about the passage of time.

Rather, I was now looking forward to what the future held.

‘I’m meeting Sid again tomorrow too.’

I felt a gaze and looked up to see Zeon staring at me intently.

“Why, why?”

“What were you thinking about that made you smile like that?”

“Huh?”

I was taken aback.

But I felt like the moment I told him the truth, Zeon would storm into Sid’s palace.

“O-Of course, I was thinking about Zeon!”

When I giggled, Zeon’s sharp eyes softened like a puppy’s.

“Hug me.”

Oh, my.

I hugged Zeon and patted him.

‘When will our brother ever grow up?’

And so, the year was coming to an end.

Chapter 33. The Saintess’s Blessing

“Is there anything weird about me?”

“Weird? Not at all. You’re beautiful enough. You’ve prepared so much, my lady.”

“Prince Zeon has to fall for me today!”

“With how beautiful our lady is, of course, he will.”

Shuela smiled as she checked her attire in the mirror.

‘I’ve practiced so many times. Just do as I practiced.’

Today, her life would change.

Soon, the carriage passed through the gates of the Paeraton ducal residence.

Even after that, the carriage didn’t seem to stop for a long time.

‘The town house in the capital is this big? I’ve heard about it, but…’

Experiencing it firsthand was on a different level.

Even though it was January, magical flowers adorned the garden like jewels.

“It’s really amazing. Rumor has it that the Paeraton Duchess decorates with magical flowers even in the middle of winter because she can’t have friends. What does that mean?”

“Who knows?”

“The Paeraton Duchess has so many people around her, she wouldn’t need to lure people with a magic garden.”

Shuela frowned, watching the maid tilt her head.

“Be quiet. I’m already nervous enough to die.”

“I’m sorry. I thought you were too nervous, so I was trying to ease your tension…”

Shuela clicked her tongue as if displeased and looked back out the window.

‘If the ducal residence is like this, how big would the ducal castle in the duchy be?’

She couldn’t even imagine.

‘If I marry Zeon, all of this will be in my hands.’

The thought alone was thrilling.

Before she was even born, the Prussian family had lost its former glory.

She remembered the people who had subtly looked down on her.

‘What good is being the grandniece of the Empress Dowager when the Emperor isn’t even her biological child?’

‘In the end, isn’t she just an empty shell with a nameplate?’

She was already looking forward to seeing their expressions when she married Zeon Paeraton.

‘Don’t be intimidated by how fancy the ducal residence is.’

Didn’t the Empress Dowager say so?

When you think about it, she was originally supposed to be the Emperor’s fifth niece.

‘If the current Empress and the Marquis of Marvel, the Empress’s family, hadn’t betrayed the Empress Dowager…!’

The Empress Dowager’s child, not the Crown Princess’s child, would have become the Emperor.

‘Yes, this is a match of equals.’

As she made up her mind, the carriage stopped.

“Welcome, Lady Prussian.”

Shuela frowned slightly at the young woman bowing her head.

‘A butler?’

She thought Zeon would come out to greet her himself since the Empress Dowager’s decree had been issued.

‘Even if it’s normal for a butler to greet a guest, she’s too young.’

If it’s a scale like the Paeraton ducal residence, there would be several butlers.

There was no way such a young person would be the head butler.

The dissatisfaction disappeared as soon as she entered the room she was guided to.

‘Ah… so this is how Zeon is at home.’

Seeing Zeon sitting in a chair, leaning back and wearing a silk shirt loosely, made her heart flutter.

Shuela, who had been staring blankly at Zeon for a while, belatedly realized something was wrong.

Even though she had entered the room, Zeon hadn’t said a word to her.

‘I knew Zeon didn’t usually talk to people, but I’m different. I’m his marriage prospect.’

At that moment, the Paeraton Duchess smiled brightly and spoke.

“Hello, Lady Prussian. Wow, you look even more beautiful than usual today.”

‘Ah, the Duchess was here too.’

Shuela, who belatedly realized, smiled brightly and said to Ruatisha.

“Thank you, Duchess Paeraton. You are as beautiful as ever. Are you seventeen now?”

“Yes, I’m seventeen since the new year started.”

“I can hear all the young men in society getting excited. I think you’ll start getting marriage proposals from this year. It hasn’t been long, but have you gotten a lot already?”

Zeon flinched momentarily, but neither Ruatisha nor Shuela noticed.

“Haha, thank you for your words, but no one has offered me a marriage proposal. Am I not a good marriage prospect?”

Shuela smiled, watching Ruatisha laugh casually.

Everyone in the world knew how much Zeon cherished his youngest sister, not just her.

In that situation, being jealous of Ruatisha and pushing her away was something only an amateur would do.

‘Rather, I should make the Paeraton Duchess my ally.’

“I wish I could take care of the Duchess’s marriage proposals.”

Ruatisha blinked in surprise at the subtle remark and changed the subject.

“Ah, Ixion and Ares had something urgent to do. I hope you understand.”

“Since the princes are busy, it can’t be helped. It seems like it must have been difficult for the Duchess to manage the household alone.”

“Pardon?”

“Please let me help you in the future.”

“…Regarding the internal affairs of the Paeraton ducal family?”

“Yes! And I want to become friends with the Duchess.”

Ruatisha smiled ambiguously at Shuela, who was smiling brightly.

‘Patience, patience. She’s Zeon’s guest for now.’

“The tea will get cold. It’s tea leaves from the Udelph Highlands. I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”

Before Shuela could say anything, Ruatisha poked Zeon.

“Zeon too. Don’t just sit there, get up. Lady Prussian is Zeon’s guest.”

“…”

Zeon looked at Ruatisha with a somewhat sulky face and opened his mouth.

“If you pet me.”

Ruatisha glanced at Shuela and stroked Zeon’s hair.

“There, done? Now get up.”

Zeon straightened up from his leaning position.

Ruatisha said to Shuela.

“I’m sorry, but I have something to do, so I’ll be going now. Originally, the opinions of the parties involved are the most important in marriage proposals. Please talk comfortably.”

Shuela’s face lit up.

To be alone with Zeon!

What a dreamlike thing this is!

‘So, my words from earlier worked?’

Shuela smiled brightly and winked at Ruatisha.

* * *

“Wow, the tea is really delicious. Don’t you think?”

“…”

“Ah, don’t you like tea very much? Then do you like coffee? I do!”

“I-It’s already the new year. Do you have any New Year’s resolutions, Prince Zeon?”

“…Marry.”

“Pardon?”

“Marriage.”

“…Yes?!”

Shuela’s face turned red.

Marriage.

‘So, does that mean he likes me?’

She was wondering what to do since he hadn’t said a word.

‘It’s just that Zeon is usually quiet. Deep down, he wants to marry me.’

Well, she is beautiful to anyone who looks at her, and she is the grandniece of the Empress Dowager.

‘Is Zeon any different? He can’t help but fall for me.’

She glanced at Zeon, who was looking out the distant window.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t made eye contact with her.

‘Ah, is he perhaps embarrassed?’

This perfect man, who is so cold that there isn’t even a gap, is embarrassed.

‘Cute.’

Shuela smiled.

‘I’m the only one who knows this side of him, right?’

Okay, then it was her turn to approach him for the shy him.

Seeing what she did to Ruatisha earlier, he seemed to like being petted.

“Prince, don’t ask your younger sister to pet you in the future.”

At those words, Zeon’s gaze finally turned to her.

Shuela gave a flirtatious smile.

She reached out a fair and beautiful hand to Zeon.

“From now on, I, not the Duchess, will一.”

Flintch [archaic word for ‘flinch’].

Just before her hand touched Zeon’s hair.

Shuela stopped moving at the chill that ran up her spine.

Red eyes were looking at her.

Zeon didn’t frown, or even glare at her.

He just looked.

And.

“Ah…”

It felt like she had been splashed with cold water.

Shuela’s face turned pale.

Instinctive fear.

“S-S-Sorry. I, I…”

Shuela, who couldn’t even finish her words, jumped up and ran out of the tea room as if fleeing.

* * *

As soon as she got out of the tea room, her reason returned.

‘This…’

She knew very well what the Paeraton ducal family was like.

More than ten years ago, when Zeon Paeraton came to the capital alone.

Didn’t she see exactly what he was like back then?

‘I knew it, but.’

Zeon hadn’t become gentle over the years.

He was just pretending, wearing sheep’s clothing and acting innocent.

“Ah, my lady, I was watching from the side, and I was so scared I thought I was going to die. It’s better to just call off this marriage…”

“Shut up.”

Shuela dismissed the maid’s words and looked around.

It was decorated with elegance, so there didn’t seem to be many luxury goods, but that pillar alone would be more expensive than most jewels.

“If I marry Prince Zeon, I’ll become the Duchess of Paeraton. It will all be mine.”

“…My lady.”

“And Prince Zeon has a lot of scars, that’s why.”

“Scars?”

“Yes, he wandered the battlefield since he was young.”

“…”

“I’m the only one who can understand and heal his scars. Other ladies will be scared by that gaze and won’t come back.”

“Honestly, I don’t want to see him again either.”

“But I’m different.”

Shuela turned her head and looked at the closed tea room.

“Only I can understand Prince Zeon.”

“My lady…”

It was when Shuela turned her body with a firm resolution.

Ruatisha’s figure came into view through the window.

Shuela immediately moved towards her.

* * *

“Oh, Lady Prussian.”

Ruatisha looked at Shuela in embarrassment.

‘It hasn’t been long since I came out, has the story already ended?’

“Duchess Paeraton.”

“Yes?”

“I like Prince Zeon. I really love him sincerely.”

“Ah…”

“Please help me, Duchess. What does Prince Zeon like?”

“Um, Zeon likes…”

He likes being petted, hugged, and wall-slamming.

‘How can I say this without being embarrassed?’

Shuela hardened her expression as Ruatisha was looking around.

“As a duchess, it would be good to be in-laws with the Empress Dowager, right? This marriage proposal is being personally promoted by the Empress Dowager.”

Ruatisha’s expression also hardened at those words.

“Lady Prussian, let me make it clear. Paeraton is not in a situation where it needs a marriage alliance.”

“What? Are you even ignoring my family now, Duchess?”

“It’s the same for any family, not just the Prussian family.”

Shuela bit her lip.

“And the Empress Dowager unilaterally put a marriage proposal to Paeraton, but we haven’t made any promises yet, so I’m upset that you’re already trying to interfere in Paeraton’s internal affairs.”

“…!”

“My marriage proposal and Paeraton’s internal affairs are not something that an outsider like you should be concerned about. Of course, if you marry Zeon, I will gladly discuss it with you.”

Shuela looked at Ruatisha for a moment, then relaxed her expression and gave a apologetic smile.

“I like Prince Zeon so much that I was too eager. I’m sorry, Duchess.”

“It’s okay. I believe you will be careful in the future.”

“Of course. I’m sorry. You’re not upset, are you?”

Shuela smiled and linked arms with Ruatisha.

“Perhaps you are against my marriage with Zeon一.”

“I unconditionally approve of anyone Zeon likes.”

Shuela grinned at those words.

It was then.