Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 22

☆ Chapter 22 ☆

* * *

“Pfft……!”

“Ahem, ahem!”

The noble grandpas struggled to hold back their laughter.

“Haha, Duke Paeraton is quite the financial powerhouse, indeed. He must have given a considerable sum to Marquis Tarenka.”

Duke Iskamill spoke to me with a kind face, as if looking at a cute baby boasting, ‘My daddy is the best in the world!’

“But the mana stone mining business is very labor-intensive. It’s so tricky that even a mine owner can’t just mine as they please. You need permission.”

“Money to prepare for permission, money to get permission. You even need certified professional technicians and expensive equipment to mine.”

In short, it’s a business that bleeds money.

“Yes, I know.”

I puffed out my chest.

“But my daddy can cover all that money, right?”

My daddy said he has a diamond mine!

“That’s… true.”

See!

“If he knew the mana was full and really invested in Uncle, why would he give only a little money? My daddy would just gobble it all up!”

Of course, even if you have money and guaranteed profits, you don’t invest everything.

Fund management isn’t that simple.

But before the grandpas could say that, I quickly spoke up.

“I’m so, so curious about Uncle’s thoughts!”

As the arrow turned towards him, Marquis Tarenka’s already rotten face turned even more sour.

“[Marquis Tarenka expresses concern about the reader’s level of education.]”

Yeah, I’m better educated than you.

“It’s not bad to get investments from various people if you want to make money safely and steadily.”

“Steadily… what?”

“But the mana stone mining business? When it’s so labor-intensive?”

In the end, from Marquis Tarenka’s perspective, it becomes a ‘low risk, low return’ business.

The mana stone mining business has many issues, so it’s not a business to choose for a ‘small but stable income.’

“Why is Uncle! Specifically! Right now! Hurriedly! Promoting the mining business?”

I deliberately widened my eyes and asked innocently, and Marquis Tarenka clenched his teeth.

“And did I say my daddy’s money is insufficient?”

I took out a wad of paper from my chest with a snap.

“A, a checkbook?”

Yep.

There’s no way there wouldn’t be records of checks issued in Paeraton.

“Shall we add up all the money my daddy gave Uncle over the past three years?”

I smiled brightly.

Duke Delbatren took the checkbook from my hand, and his expression hardened noticeably as he flipped through a few pages.

“Is the money my daddy gave still not enough even after this?”

Head tilt.

Eyes blinking.

“[Marquis Tarenka worries about the well-being of the reader’s parents.]”

Yeah, my daddy is doing great.

“…The money given by Paeraton in the last year alone is more than enough.”

“Oh, really! Uncle is definitely! Not short of money! He has more than enough!”

“[Marquis Tarenka wants to perform surgical procedures on some of the reader’s body parts.]”

Oh, you want to sew my mouth shut?

Oh dear, what should I do?

“But it’s strange? Why did he try to get investments from the grandpas?”

I’m going to keep blabbering!

“Maybe he wanted to share all the money left over from selling mana stones! Uncle is a wonderful philanthropist!”

I laughed and clapped.

“[Marquis Tarenka feels an intense urge to stop the reader’s life activities.]”

Oh my! How scary!

“The claim that Paeraton invested must be false.”

“It’s not that he needed investments from us because he didn’t have enough money to mine.”

“Rather, he could have monopolized the profits if he used the money from Paeraton.”

The three men exchanged heavy glances.

“If he’s not running a charity for us, as this child says, then there’s only one answer.”

I smiled inwardly and innocently brought my finger to my cheek.

“Come to think of it, Uncle had a lot of visitors this spring and summer!”

“Personnel related to mining.”

“He must have already been mining mana stones then.”

“The mined mana stones were completely empty.”

That’s right, that’s right.

He planned to keep it all for himself, so he embezzled the allowance Daddy gave me and mined mana stones, but they were all duds.

Since he lost the money he had, wouldn’t he want to make up for the losses?

‘So he came up with this plan.’

Even if the mined mana stones were empty, it was all over by then.

‘The responsibility for the investment lies with the investor.’

These three people here must have suffered huge losses.

Maybe Paeraton would have been accused of being an accomplice in the Marquis’s fraud.

No, Marquis Tarenka would definitely have done that.

“Ahem! The mystery is solved! The truth is always one!”

I stretched out my index finger and pointed at Uncle!

“So, Uncle! Will you return it?”

I spread out my other fingers as well, proudly showing my palm.

“The money 울 Daddy stole!”

* * *

“Oh my? What are you talking about, Uncle!”

I widened my eyes and shouted.

“Are you really only going to give back the mana stone mine ownership and mining rights?”

“Isn’t that what you asked for, you little brat!”

“Ooh, Lulu only said that to save Uncle’s face!”

The more Marquis Tarenka got angry, the more I tilted my head and put my finger to my lips, feigning innocence.

“Are you really only giving that back? Really? Really? Really?”

“[Marquis Tarenka hopes that his fist and the reader’s face will collide.]”

Good reaction!

“If an adult steals a baby’s money, they should add more on top!”

I pouted.

“Not even returning all the stolen money, just giving exactly what I asked for!”

Even I think I’m really annoying.

“Hey, were you just testing me? Right? Right? Uncle wouldn’t be so shameless as to lose face like this!”

Maybe Marquis Tarenka will collapse from anger.

“[Marquis Tarenka suspends emotional activity for 3 seconds due to extreme dizziness.]”

Yeah, like that.

This feeling of discovering a talent I didn’t even know I had!

“Do you think you’ll be safe after this?”

“Yep! Totally!”

I shouted with a bright smile.

In reality, Marquis Tarenka can’t harm me here!

“Huh…….”

Marquis Tarenka, who had exhausted even the strength to be angry, grabbed his head.

“Ha, fine. Damn it, just say what you want and get out.”

“Then I won’t refuse.”

I took a deep breath and rattled off the list of assets I wanted.

“You said that so much manpower and equipment goes into mana stone mining, right? You’ve already signed all the contracts, haven’t you? And you bought a villa at the resort. You boasted to me so much about going to the resort with Clatie in the summer. And I’ve always wanted to go horseback riding when I came to the romance fantasy world. You have a riding arena, and also……”

My story continued for over five minutes.

The roars of Marquis Tarenka, unable to contain his anger, were a bonus.

‘He told me to say what I wanted, so why is he getting on my nerves?’

“Hum, hmm hmm♪”

I hummed and skipped out of the Marquis’s office.

Of course, holding a thick stack of documents tightly in my hand.

‘I’m rich! Awesome!’

As I came out into the hallway, a notification window appeared.

“[Quest 〈Revenge is in My Hands! (1)〉 completed.]”

“[3000 Cash Gacha Ticket 지급됩니다.]”

“[The reader’s influence within the Paeraton ducal family greatly increases!]”

“[Linked quest 〈My Wealth Doesn’t Stop! (1)〉 has arrived.]”

“[You have recovered a large amount of assets outside of the conditions!]”

“[Additional rewards are 지급됩니다!]”

“[Duke Delbatren is impressed by the reader’s actions!]”

“[Duke Iskamill admires and expresses gratitude to the reader!]”

“[Marquis Sherodel is amazed by the reader’s logic!]”

“[You have elicited admiration from many central high-ranking nobles!]”

“[The three people will remember today’s events and the reader!]”

‘Oh, good, good!’ It was a truly satisfying notification.

I was grinning when.

“[Since the quest has ended, the penalty is reapplied.]”

……Huh?

No, so suddenly?

I’m not ready yet…… My reason…….

“Milady.”

At that moment, someone called me.

I turned around and saw the Duke and Marquis grandpas standing there.

“It’s Luatisha!”

I have a name!

I stated confidently.

“Luatisha, is it?”

Grandpa Iskamill chuckled and stroked my head.

“Mommy gave it to me!”

“The Duchess gave it to you, that’s wonderful.”

“And I’m four years old.”

I proudly held up four fingers.

“Four years old? That cleverness from earlier is not something you’d expect from a four-year-old…….”

“Paeraton has produced another great heir candidate.”

“That family should just stop already.”

Marquis Sherodel clicked his tongue and asked me.

“One mystery remains. Why did Duke Paeraton give such a huge amount of money to Marquis Tarenka?”

“Ooh! That mystery! I know the answer!”

The grandpas looked at me with very, very curious faces.

‘Why don’t they know something so obvious?’

But I was embarrassed to say it.

I fidgeted with my hands and slightly lifted my heels.

I put one hand to my mouth and whispered.

“That’s because Daddy loves me……!”

The grandpas all stared at me with blank faces.

I became even more embarrassed.

“It’s, it’s not a secret, but, just…….”

“Well, if I had a daughter like this, I’d be head over heels. Smart and lovely too.”

Grandpa Duke Iskamill smiled and stroked my head.

“Hehe. I like Daddy the best in the world too!”

“……Want some candy? I have delicious candy at my house.”

“No, Duke Delbatren. Why are you acting so out of character? Doting on a child.”

“This child saved us from hundreds of millions in losses, of course she’s cute. She’s a lucky charm.”

“Hmph, I don’t think that’s the only reason?”

While I was watching the bickering grandpas, the attendant whispered in my ear.

“Let’s go back now while we have the chance. If it gets any later, His Excellency will worry.”

Ah, that’s right!

Daddy said he’s waiting with chocolate cake!

“Goodbye, grandpas! I have to go eat chocolate cake!”

As I waved my hand, the grandpas waved back.

Grandpa Delbatren seemed awkward and lowered his hand halfway, staring intently at his own hand.

I’m a good kid who greets well!

“Hmm, hmm hmm~ Choco! Chocolate cake!”

I hummed and left Marquis Tarenka’s house with the attendant.

* * *

“What’s wrong, Marquis Sherodel?”

“No, I thought I had seen that child somewhere.”

“Where on earth? The Paeraton’s daughter has been shrouded in mystery until now. If I had seen a child like that, I wouldn’t have forgotten.”

Marquis Sherodel was silent for a moment.

Why did he think of the child who used to work in this house?

The child who couldn’t even make eye contact with Marquis Tarenka and trembled in fear.

“No, I must have been mistaken. That’s impossible. They’re completely different.”

Duke Iskamill, who had been listening quietly to Marquis Sherodel’s words, smiled slightly.

“Children have truly amazing resilience.”

“Pardon?”

“They may seem weak, but they are actually stronger than adults.”

“…….”

“Like trees that grow surprisingly differently depending on the soil they are planted in.”

Duke Delbatren, who had been listening silently to Duke Iskamill’s words, opened his mouth.

“But that’s also because the seed holds infinite possibilities.”

The three men’s gazes turned to one place.

At the end of that gaze, Paeraton’s carriage was crossing the Marquis’s garden.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how she grows.”

* * *

“Milady.”

“Didn’t we have a promise?”

The attendant asked me with a very, very serious face.

“Promise? Did I promise you?”

Did that ever happen?

“You’re really too much, Milady!”

The attendant shouted with a completely tearful face.

But why is he saying I’m too much?

“I’m a good kid. Not a bad kid.”

“……That’s true.”

“Right?”

“But you have to keep your promise! I endured even the Marquis’s outrageous remarks that I wanted to chew up and spit out! Only thinking of Milady!”

“Um? But what promise?”

As I asked with wide eyes, he collapsed.

“You’re, you’re too much. How much did I want to punch that Marquis in the face……? I endured it all, sob, Milady…….”

The attendant began to tear up with a world-collapsing face.

“Ajjussi [Korean term for ‘uncle,’ used affectionately], don’t cry.”

Pat, pat.

“Sniff, Milady…….”

“But can you punch? I thought you were a liberal arts major.”

“You’re really too much!”

Okay, I get it. I won’t tease you anymore. Sorry.

‘It was fun, so I couldn’t help it.’

Babies usually find it fun to tease adults.

I’m half a four-year-old right now, so that’s why. Ajjussi understands.

“Oh dear, you’re all tear-stained and ugly.”

I wiped the attendant’s face.

“Now, blow your nose!”

“No, that’s a bit…….”

“Blow!”

I grabbed the attendant’s nose.

It was that moment.

“……She seems to be having a good time with my daughter.”

A voice more brittle than burning fear was heard.