Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 244

☆ Chapter 244 ☆

Liriel was taken aback.

No matter how she analyzed it, Ruatisha’s answer seemed detrimental to her own position.

Yet, Liriel didn’t sense that Ruatisha had walked into a trap.

Instead, Ruatisha’s expression radiated such confidence that Liriel wondered if something was amiss.

‘Why on earth?’

Ruatisha wasn’t unintelligent, and surely she understood the disadvantageous nature of her response.

Others were equally surprised and pressed Ruatisha for clarification.

“Y-You’re saying that’s true?”

“So, you deliberately orchestrated the crowd’s departure? To humiliate Her Holiness?”

Ruatisha nonchalantly shrugged.

“No, I didn’t.”

“You just admitted it was true!”

Ruatisha frowned at the person who yelled.

She remained silent, as if the speaker wasn’t worth her time.

Complete disregard.

Instead, Ares stepped forward.

“Are you experiencing memory problems? My sister merely confirmed her involvement. How does that translate to deliberately diverting people away?”

“If your memory is intact, then your comprehension skills must be somewhat lacking.”

“Very lacking.”

Ruatisha glanced at her brothers, Ixion and Zeon, who echoed Ares’s sentiments.

“Brothers, you’re being impolite to the young lady.”

Marquis Tarenka quickly nodded.

“Yes, my granddaughter is correct. Regardless of its truth, one shouldn’t utter rude remarks.”

‘Is Grandpa trying to get them killed twice over?’

Why emphasize ‘no matter how true’ again?

Ruatisha stared at Marquis Tarenka, dumbfounded.

‘Of course, I like that, though!’

Ruatisha giggled as she observed the flattened Lackey 1.

Liriel, who had been quietly observing, spoke.

“So, Lulu didn’t intentionally lure the crowds away?”

“Of course not.”

At those words, the young ladies beside Liriel scoffed.

“Ha! Lady Paeraton, do you think we’re naive?”

“The Lady distributed Black Gold [a valuable currency or resource] for free, attracting the masses!”

“And now you claim you didn’t deliberately lure them? I’m curious. How can you unintentionally give away valuable items for free?”

The sharp voice echoed through Parmannas Hall.

The onlookers whispered amongst themselves, covering their mouths.

“What? Lady Paeraton handed out Black Gold to sabotage the coronation?”

“Goodness, even so, to undermine the Saintess’s coronation of all things…”

“I felt genuinely sorry for her earlier.”

Liriel’s brow furrowed slightly at the last remark.

The Saintess deserved respect, not pity.

Pitiable individuals lacked influence and relied on the sympathy of others.

‘To cultivate this image at the Saintess’s coronation, which was supposed to be the prime opportunity to inspire reverence…’

Regardless of the criticism Ruatisha faced, she was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.

At that moment, Liriel’s aide, positioned within the crowd, spoke up.

“But weren’t the Lady and the Saintess on amicable terms? Could she have harbored such jealousy that she feigned friendship while plotting behind the scenes?”

“Lady Paeraton has always been the center of attention. I suppose she panicked at the prospect of losing it to someone else…”

“Eh, no way. She didn’t strike me as that kind of person…”

People shook their heads, but an underlying sense of agreement lingered.

Liriel wore a triumphant smile.

‘How about that? You didn’t anticipate such a surprise, did you?’

She had thought as she gazed down at the empty plaza from the balcony earlier.

‘There’s no way the sudden disappearance of the crowds is a coincidence.’

So, upon returning from the balcony, Liriel instructed her aide to investigate the situation.

And that’s what she discovered.

‘That you were up to your usual tricks.’

People had flocked to the area upon hearing rumors of Ruatisha distributing Black Gold for free.

Black Gold was a luxury commoners couldn’t even dream of possessing in their lifetime.

One Black Gold could replace twenty mana stones [crystals used to power magical devices].

Considering the magic tools used by commoners, they wouldn’t need to purchase new mana stones for years.

‘Even if it’s the Saintess’s coronation, they would inevitably flock there. It would significantly impact their household finances for years to come.’

She had been contemplating when to unleash this information for maximum impact一.

‘To have it surface so perfectly on the very day it would have the greatest effect.’

Could there be a more opportune moment than this?

She had been apprehensive due to Ruatisha’s earlier confidence, but ultimately, there were no surprises.

“Lady, the Saintess’s coronation is the most sacred ceremony in the temple. The temple cannot condone deliberately disrupting it. Also, remember that Her Holiness is under the temple’s protection.”

The priest said sternly.

Liriel feigned disbelief and approached Ruatisha.

“Lulu, is this true? It’s not, is it?”

Ruatisha slowly tilted her head.

“How strange.”

Her Paraiba-colored eyes scanned Lackeys 1, 2, and 3, who had been stirring up the atmosphere, before settling on Liriel.

“You’re aware that I distributed Black Gold, but you’re ignorant of the reason behind it.”

“…Reason?”

“Or are you aware, but deliberately omitting it?”

“…!”

The hall fell silent at Ruatisha’s unexpected words.

* * *

It was the perfect moment to speak.

I stepped forward and began.

“I witnessed an accident on the way to the coronation.”

“An accident?”

“It was a mana stone explosion. People were injured, the shopping district was ablaze—it was utter chaos.”

Liriel’s face hardened.

She anticipated what I was about to say.

‘But it’s too late now.’

My lips wouldn’t be silenced.

Taste the eloquence of a seasoned romance fantasy reader!

“Today is the Saintess’s inauguration day. The temple selected the most auspicious day. If such an unfortunate accident occurs on a day like today, what will people think of the newly inaugurated Saintess?”

Of course, many things would be said.

And none of them would be favorable to Liriel.

The priest who had warned me earlier looked enlightened.

“So, the Lady was late because一.”

“That’s right. It was because I was preventing the accident from escalating. My family assisted me.”

“Th-Thank you! I was unaware and spoke rudely. I apologize.”

The priest bowed his head.

I smiled inwardly.

‘It’s a lie, so you don’t need to be so grateful and apologetic.’

From the start, I had no intention of attending Liriel’s Saintess coronation.

I didn’t clean up the explosion to help Liriel at all.

‘It was to screw Liriel over!’

But I spoke without hesitation.

“Even if we clean up the accident, ominous rumors will persist. We needed a distraction to overshadow those rumors. So, I promised to provide Black Gold to the accident victims. For Liriel’s sake.”

“That’s… As expected of Lady Paeraton!”

The priest looked moved.

‘Hey, look behind you. Your Saintess’s face is completely contorted. She’s glaring at you right now, you know?’

I’m enjoying this, though.

Contrary to my inner thoughts, I maintained a serious and earnest expression.

“But I feared that if I ended it there, I might attract more attention than Liriel.”

“Ah, certainly…”

“There was such a massive explosion, yet the Saintess merely held an inauguration ceremony and enjoyed the party in a lavish hall. Meanwhile, Lady Paeraton cleaned up the accident, comforted the victims, and even provided compensation for something unrelated to her.”

Everyone, did you hear that clearly? You must remember this well.

I glanced around.

Indeed, I could see the expressions on their faces shifting.

Only after confirming that did I continue.

“一So, I announced that, in celebration of Liriel’s birth, I would distribute Black Gold to others as well.”

“That way, the recipients of the Black Gold will also be grateful to Her Holiness. To give the credit she earned to the Saintess… I see God’s grace within the Lady.”

Well, I appreciate it, but aren’t you going to be fired from the temple?

I was concerned about this airhead priest’s overreaction.

“Also, I compensated the victims on the spot, but I stated that I would distribute Black Gold to others after the inauguration ceremony. I was concerned it might disrupt the ceremony.”

Would people wait until after the inauguration ceremony because of that?

They’ll be thinking about arriving early to secure their share, unsure when the distribution will end.

‘I said that to create excuses like this.’

“But to selectively highlight aspects that could cause misunderstandings while omitting crucial details and then interrogate me…”

I glanced at Lackeys 1, 2, and 3 and Liriel and said.

“I can sense the intention.”

As I subtly raised one corner of my lips, I could feel the tension rising.

Everyone knew of the Paeraton family’s fiery temper.

At that moment, Claudia unfurled her fan and stepped forward at the perfect moment.

“Oh my, so you deliberately fabricated the facts in front of everyone to criticize Lulu and create misunderstandings?”

“Lulu has been incredibly considerate in many ways to avoid disrupting the Saintess’s inauguration ceremony, yet she’s being attacked using this as an excuse.”

“It’s shocking… How can anyone help others if this is the result? She even gave her credit to the Saintess, only to be accused of seeking attention.”

Tyriel and Jasmine chimed in from both sides.

‘As expected of my friends!’

I’m so proud of them for seizing this moment and engaging in media play.

I approached Liriel even closer, wearing an incredulous expression.

“Liriel, is this true? It’s not, is it?”

As I mirrored the exact words and expressions Liriel had used earlier, her cheeks twitched.

It was evident that her jaw was clenched tightly.

‘Oh my, oh my.’

Do you like me that much?

To look at me with such intensity.

How embarrassing.

‘But I dislike scammers like you.’

However, Liriel and I seem to share something in common, in a way.

Even though I didn’t voice it, she sensed my teasing, and she looked ready to explode with anger.

‘Hehe!’

Thrilling!

* * *

“Wow… It’s truly a twist after twist.”

The watching nobles clicked their tongues.

“Even if she said she would distribute it after the inauguration ceremony, it’s inevitable that people would leave the plaza immediately, given it’s the Lady.”

“Who would sacrifice the Saintess’s reputation by spending their own money? It would have taken immense resolve to distribute that much Black Gold.”

“It’s not just the money, but her actions were excessively considerate of the Saintess.”

“What did you say earlier? That Lady Paeraton’s eyes went crazy because she thought she would lose the attention?”

“They also said she was pretending to be friendly while plotting behind the scenes.”

“It’s astonishing! Shouldn’t you apologize to the Lady?”

The nobles glared coldly at Lackeys 1, 2, and 3 and Liriel’s aides, who had been mingling among them.

From the moment Ruatisha entered Parmannas Hall, the momentum had shifted in her favor.

In this situation, counterattacking was effortless.

Moreover, those adept at calculation and reading situations had already discerned Ruatisha’s hidden intentions.

‘She merely distributed Black Gold?’

‘Then she didn’t raise the price due to supply shortages.’

‘The fact that she indirectly informed us that there was no supply shortage…’

Their eyes lit up.

‘It means choose.’

A Saintess who purifies fraud and is revered.

Or Lady Paeraton, who provides tangible benefits.

‘The answer is obvious.’

I don’t know about others, but those who could decipher the indirect intentions behind Ruatisha’s actions were exceptionally rational and calculating.

What would they gain even if Liriel purified fraud?

They’re not usually targeted by fraud, and even if they were, Liriel would have to purify it as a Saintess.

The moment she selectively purifies fraud, the Saintess ceases to be a Saintess.

On the other hand, what about Lady Paeraton?

The better their relationship, the more they gain.

“As expected of the Lady. She readily helps people, even if it leads to misunderstandings, and prioritizes those in need over self-promotion.”

“There’s a reason she’s been leading the social world for so long.”

“I wonder if anyone is as worthy of the title of Saintess as the Lady. Ah, of course, I’m not saying that with Her Holiness in mind. Fraud purification is amazing. It just means that Lady Paeraton’s actions were that great.”

‘Wow, he’s really sucking up. As expected of a politician.’

Ruatisha clicked her tongue.

Those words were tantamount to saying that Ruatisha’s actions were as significant as, or even more significant than, Liriel’s purification of fraud.

The man who spoke looked at Ruatisha with a proud expression.

As their eyes met, the corners of Ruatisha’s lips turned up.

It was a radiant smile, so refreshing that it made his heart cool.

‘She makes these kinds of plans with that face and succeeds.’

The man, Marquis Schordelkan, smiled.

But Ruatisha had already turned her gaze away from him.

Ruatisha was looking at Liriel.

‘She looks pissed. But what to do?’

I still have more to give you.