Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 223

☆ Chapter 223 ☆

* * *

Music filled the Empress’s Palace.

The beautiful sound of a soprano.

However, the Empress’s face, as she listened to the song, was horribly distorted.

She couldn’t bear it any longer and slammed her hand on the armrest.

The musicians and vocalist stopped singing at the sudden outburst.

“I’m suffocating! I can’t even take a single step outside this palace!”

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself. You’ll harm your health.”

“The Saintess?”

“She said she would visit.”

“I don’t like her.”

‘I thought that if I coaxed the child who came from the southern tip, I could control her like a puppet.’

‘But what is this? Her eyes are wide open, and she says everything she wants to say, making her as difficult to manage as the Paeraton Duchess.’

“But hasn’t she done quite well?”

“Until now, there hasn’t been a young lady of her age who has caused such a stir in the social circles where the Paeraton Duchess reigns supreme.”

“Yes, that’s why I’ve been tolerant of her impudent attitude. But…”

The Empress glared sharply.

“That was only until the last Imperial Palace banquet.”

After the last Imperial Palace banquet, the atmosphere in social circles shifted back to the Paeraton Duchess.

‘As expected of the Paeraton Duchess.’

‘No one can break down the Paeraton Duchess’s stronghold.’

Pasis, who sponsored the Saintess, is collapsing, and Idium and Bulea, chosen by the Duchess, are thriving day by day.

‘Isn’t this what their future holds?’

The gossips of the people crossed the high walls of the Imperial Palace and reached the Empress’s ears.

“Rather, it’s only strengthening the Paeraton Duchess’s position!”

“Your Majesty, the Paeraton Duchess has reigned as Aurora and May Queen in social circles for years. Above all, she has strong connections with the people who are at the center of social circles.”

“Even though she is a Saintess, she hasn’t shown any great miracles in the capital. She’s just a young lady of her age who suddenly appeared, so she can’t push out the Paeraton Duchess all at once.”

“Even if she can’t push her out, she shouldn’t be the foundation *for* the Paeraton Duchess!”

The efforts of the maids to calm the Empress only made her angrier.

“The last Imperial Palace banquet is a party to start the social season! What becomes a hot topic at the beginning of the season is very important. It dominates the atmosphere in the future. Doesn’t everyone know that? But it’s been like this from the start!”

The Empress’s fist trembled.

“Then get rid of the Saintess now. You can just throw away unnecessary chess pieces.”

At the head maid’s words, the Empress pursed her lips.

“……I’ll think about it a little more.”

Even if the Saintess was pushed back by the Paeraton Duchess this time, the Saintess was the only young lady who had gathered this much attention so far.

‘Above all, the Saintess has plenty of opportunities for a comeback.’

‘She hasn’t shown the miracles she performed in the South yet.’

At that moment.

“Your Majesty, the Saintess has arrived!”

“The Saintess?”

The Empress jumped up from her seat.

* * *

Liriel poured new tea into her empty teacup.

As she took a sip, the scent of bergamot stimulated her nasal passages.

Even then, the Empress’s words continued.

“……So, I’m wondering. If I’m going to continue to sponsor you, shouldn’t you show me some results? For the formation of mutual trust.”

Clack.

Liriel placed the teacup on the saucer.

“Your Majesty.”

When Liriel, who had been silent until now, suddenly opened her mouth, the Empress’s lips dried slightly.

She had been feeling a strange pressure and discomfort from Liriel since earlier.

‘Was this child always like this?’

For some reason, she was overwhelmed by an unknown force and couldn’t get angry as usual, even though Liriel remained silent.

“I think you’re mistaken about something. I didn’t accept the invitation to become Your Majesty’s tool for political strife.”

“How dare you!”

“I came to the capital to save more lives, to save humanity.”

‘What on earth are you talking about?’

‘I wanted to ask that out of absurdity, but for some reason, my lips wouldn’t move.’

Liriel’s eyes shone like stars, and her voice was full of conviction and resonated richly.

‘Is it said that those who dream of a righteous dream and move towards it shine?’

Suddenly, the Empress wondered what she was talking about, but she didn’t feel like arguing.

‘For some reason, if I held Liriel’s hand, I felt like peace and happiness would come.’

The Empress, who had been staring at Liriel as if fascinated for a moment, soon came to her senses.

‘What was that?’

The Empress took a sip of tea and organized her thoughts.

“……I understand your intention to save humanity. But haven’t you forgotten? His Majesty has pitted you against the Paeraton Duchess over the water management project.”

She’s arguing, but the Empress’s voice was much softer than before.

However, the Empress was not aware of it herself.

“His Majesty gave you a month. But the deadline has already passed. But I haven’t heard any news. Do you know what this means?”

“What does it mean?”

“It means you haven’t brought a special plan or investors.”

The Emperor is clearly supporting Ruatisha in the water management project.

In the first place, it was a project that the Empress was doing well, but the nobles who joined hands with the Empress interfered and the project was put on hold.

It is natural that the Emperor was angry at the act of trying to control even important projects for the people’s livelihood, such as the water management project, for their own benefit.

He would want to give the key to Ruatisha, who is close to the Empress, who was the original person in charge.

“I guess the plan and the investors are similar. His Majesty said he would give full authority, so all attention is focused on the situation. But if you adopt the Paeraton Duchess without any grounds, there will be a lot of talk.”

“Are you delaying the announcement to choose a time when there will be no controversy?”

“Yes.”

“Well. I think a little differently.”

Liriel smiled brightly and drank her tea leisurely.

The Empress frowned.

‘What on earth is she talking about…….’

At that moment, as if waiting, the door of the reception room opened.

“Your Majesty!”

A maid rushed in and shouted.

“What’s wrong?”

“His Majesty has announced that he will change the water management project competition to an open competition!”

“What?”

The Empress was shocked.

‘Why?’

‘If it is an open competition, the Emperor cannot push Ruatisha even if he wants to.’

‘If information is open to everyone, fairness issues will inevitably arise.’

‘No, it’s even more disadvantageous to the Paeraton Duchess.’

After Esteban ascended to the position of Crown Prince, a considerable number of senior officials lined up to support him.

They would not want to create an incident that would threaten Esteban’s position as Crown Prince.

‘So there will be many people who will blindly side with the Saintess.’

The Emperor cannot be unaware of that.

‘But he’s changing it to an open competition?’

The Empress’s gaze turned to Liriel.

Liriel’s lips, taking a sip from her teacup, were gently curled up.

The Empress intuitively realized that this was Liriel’s work.

“What on earth is your trick……? His Majesty clearly wanted to support the Paeraton Duchess, so why did he make this decision……?”

“Wouldn’t His Majesty have read my sincerity in wanting to save humanity?”

Liriel gave a benevolent smile.

The Empress frowned at the absurd words.

‘Is the Emperor the kind of person who would be moved by such a thing?’

“Hehe, are you very curious? It’s actually simple. His Majesty is bright in reason and principle.”

‘In short, he is quick to calculate.’

The water management project is an important achievement for the Emperor as well.

“It’s natural to choose someone who can do the project better than siding with the Empress or Ruru [nickname for Ruatisha] and releasing the annoying feelings to the nobles.”

“……Someone who can do better?”

It would have been difficult to change the Emperor’s mind without giving him the conviction that he would do it much better.

“The place where I will receive investment seems to have pleased His Majesty.”

“What kind of place is it?”

The Empress asked suspiciously.

“Hmm, it’s confidential, but I’ll tell you only to Your Majesty.”

Liriel said that and put her hand on her mouth.

The Empress felt her pride hurt, but she approached Liriel and put her ear to her.

Liriel’s lips moved slowly.

“……!”

The Empress looked at Liriel with surprised eyes.

“How, how did you get there……? Even His Majesty couldn’t do it…….”

“I haven’t received a confirmation yet. But I’ve already had a meeting with the decision maker. It was a positive response.”

“……So you extended the deadline. If you get investment from there even by extending the deadline, huge profits are guaranteed.”

‘If this relationship can be extended not only to the water management project but also to other places?’

‘That’s really amazing.’

“The open competition is a bit unexpected for me too……. I guess His Majesty also needed an excuse to extend the period.”

“Ha! That day will be quite a sight to see!”

A deep smile hung on the Empress’s lips.

“The Paeraton Duchess has never lost even once. If she loses for the first time, how will her face be distorted?”

The image of Ruatisha arrogantly rejecting the hand she offered came to mind.

“I’m so sorry that I can’t see that face in person. This damn ban on leaving the palace!”

‘I thought it would be lifted soon, but I still haven’t figured out how the Paeraton Duchess has won over the Emperor.’

“Your Majesty, don’t say that. I’m not doing this to trample on Ruru.”

Liriel shook her head.

“The water management project must succeed so that people suffering from drought or flood can be comfortable. It’s just that Ruru may be a little overwhelmed by that, so I’m going to take over.”

“Y, yes, that’s right.”

Liriel nodded and smiled benevolently.

“Everything is for the sake of saving humanity.”

* * *

[Quest has been completed.]

[A 3000-cash draw ticket has been paid as a reward.]

[A huge change has been brought to the social trend!]

[New added value has been created!]

[Influence increases significantly!]

[Additional compensation has been paid!]

[A new quest has arrived.]

I checked the notifications popping up in front of me and nodded.

“In the end, Pasis decided to liquidate the headquarters.”

“Oh, how did you know? I just heard it and was about to report it.”

Viscount Dier asked me in surprise.

“I? I have a way of knowing!”

“As expected of our young lady! You are so great, so great, so smart一.”

“Even if you flatter me like that, I won’t braid your hair.”

“Hing [sound of disappointment].”

Viscount Dier pouted his lips.

“I knew it would fail, but I thought it would last at least a year. It failed so quickly?”

Grunde said as if it was amazing.

“In the first place, the financial statements must have been a mess.”

Just before and after the start of the social season is like a bonanza in the jewelry industry.

The sales at this time are equal to the sum of the sales in the remaining quarters.

“Until last year, it was so popular that we couldn’t sell it because there wasn’t enough stock at this time, so I’m sure we made full preparations this year as well.”

Maurice looked at me in surprise as if he knew how I knew.

“Y, you’re right. We forcibly pulled out all the cash we had to buy gold and jewels, and we also greatly increased the number of temporary workers.”

“I knew it. They squeezed it out like that and produced it to the maximum, and if it all sold, it would return as a huge profit, so they would have been greedy.”

“I was against it, but I also borrowed a large sum of money from the bank by showing the Paeraton Duchess’s order form.”

“In a situation where there is no cash, only debt increases and goods are not sold. It’s inevitable that it will fail quickly.”

Even companies that have a hit product and are on a good streak often fail because they increase production but cannot pay their bills because they have no cash.

Not to mention Pasis, whose goods were not sold…….

“The image is damaged and customers leave, but they can’t lower the price or liquidate the store because it won’t sell. Then the image will be further tarnished.”

“There is no place where brand image is as important as the luxury jewelry industry.”

There are people who buy relatively low-priced products, but even so, it will be difficult to pay the monthly rent.

“There are a lot of rumors. It was given as a gift to the Saintess and the image was immediately tarnished.”

“Idium and Bulea, who are with the Duchess, are enjoying unprecedented prosperity, and Pasis, who sponsored the Saintess, is failing. It’s a mess, saying that it shows the gap between the two.”

“I’m so happy! How dare you compare who with whom!”

The bodyguards were so excited that even the taciturn Pianke was smiling faintly.

I shook my head and asked Maurice.

“How’s work? Is it manageable? The customer base is completely different, so you need to adapt, right?”

“The analysis of the customer base has already been completed. Actually……. I’m a regular at Kochon Chicken [a popular fried chicken restaurant].”

“Oh, really?”

“Haha, yes. It’s like a dream. I, I’m telling you this now, but I’m actually the one who suggested marketing by giving it as a gift to the Duchess.”

Seven years ago, it was a very unconventional opinion at the time.

This was because they were promoting to noble ladies or young ladies of marriageable age.

Giving high jewelry to a mere ten-year-old was said to be a targeting miss.

Despite countless objections, Maurice pushed ahead, and the result was a great success.

The little child he had bet on at that time now recognized his potential and scouted him.

It was inevitable that he would be overwhelmed.

“I know.”

“Yes?”

“I brought you here because I know that. Please continue to do marketing that breaks stereotypes in the future.”

Maurice looked at me and nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes!”

With those words, Maurice, Yelloche, Grunde, and Pianke left to handle their work.

Only me and Viscount Dier remained in the office.

After waiting for a while, Marquis Kandor and Azul entered the office.

“The Emperor announced a little while ago. He said he would change it to an open competition.”

I smiled brightly.

“Wow, an open competition. How many years has it been?”

“It’s the first time since the Dawn Festival.”

“I enjoyed the Dawn Festival. I made a lot of good friends.”

“I guess so. Everyone else is nervous, but the young lady is…….”

Viscount Dier shook his head, saying that I was brave.

I smiled brightly.

“It’s going to be very fun again this time.”