Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 257

☆ Chapter 257 ☆

* * *

The silent Emperor finally spoke, his voice heavy.

“What exactly are you saying?”

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“You had better speak plainly, Count Fermain. The truth, without a single lie.”

“Would I dare to lie before Your Majesty?”

Count Fermain dramatically raised a hand high before lowering it in a bow.

“Some time ago, Her Majesty the Empress secretly sought me out. Everyone knows that Aquilem is an essential resource for the flood control project. She asked if I was interested in seizing this opportunity to make a big profit.”

“Count Fermain!”

“I’m in the middle of important testimony! Empress, be quiet!”

The Empress stared at the Emperor, her face pale.

However, the Emperor did not look at her, urging Count Fermain on with a stern expression.

“She said there was no need for any special measures. All we had to do was raise the price. So, she told me to raise the price of Aquilem as much as possible.”

“This is insane! Unbelievable! It’s slander, Your Majesty! Count Fermain is lying to slander me!”

“When I hesitated, thinking it didn’t seem right, she persuaded me, saying I was already out of favor with His Majesty… Since I couldn’t recover anyway, wouldn’t it be better to at least have some wealth in hand—”

“Can’t you shut up right now!”

The Empress screamed as if she would breathe fire.

Luatisha staggered pitifully.

“It was all Her Majesty the Empress’s scheme…!”

It was clearly a trembling voice, yet it was strangely loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“I knew something was strange.”

But as her Paraiba-blue eyes trembled with shock and horror, like a flower bud in a storm, no one doubted her.

When Sidrian, who was beside her, embraced the staggering Luatisha, comforting sighs flowed from all around.

“Haa…”

“How heartbroken she must be.”

“Remember what the Princess said earlier.”

‘Oh, my…!’

The Empress was dumbfounded.

The sight of her glaring and sneering at her just a moment ago was still vivid in her mind!

Meanwhile, Sidrian was hugging Luatisha and stroking her hair, clearly indulging his own desires.

‘What are you doing in this situation!’

She was desperate, but seeing Sid subtly engaging in romance made the Empress feel like a volcano was about to erupt inside her.

The problem was that it was such a plausible scene.

Luatisha, who never batted an eye no matter what happened and always said what she had to say, was now staggering from shock, so no one found it strange.

Rather, people felt more sympathetic and sorry for her.

“The deal to trade Ardella and Aquilem in this flood control project was something I negotiated myself.”

“It was top secret.”

The Emperor nodded.

At those words, the Empress looked at the Emperor, startled.

‘So, the Emperor already knew about the deal with Ardella?!’

Not knowing that, she had been pressuring Luatisha in front of the Emperor, saying the price in the West had tripled, believing she had succeeded.

It was all a farce.

“The West must have thought I would naturally trade with them. Since it’s an essential resource and almost a monopoly, they would naturally think of raising the price.”

Luatisha changed her attitude.

Her Paraiba-blue eyes began to shine like a Paeraton [a precious gemstone].

Like a predator tearing at its prey.

“But suddenly, not at the negotiation table, but publicly raising the price threefold?”

The corners of Luatisha’s lips lifted slightly.

“It’s as if they’re begging me to attack them.”

“……!”

The Empress stiffened.

“It wasn’t just to make a quick profit, but a political scheme?”

Luatisha smiled at the Emperor’s words.

“Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense. Even a child could predict the backlash from raising the price like this.”

It was the flood control project, of all things.

If it became known that the West had tripled the price of Aquilem, what would the imperial citizens think?

Due to the events of seven years ago, their power had clearly diminished even within the Western region, which was like their backyard.

In this situation, would they really want to take on such a burden?

“Even without raising the price, the flood control project would have brought great benefits to the Western feudal lords. They could be a little greedier, but only a little.”

It was normal to show greed when sitting at the negotiation table and adjusting the conditions.

“Indeed. It only makes sense if someone intervened.”

The Emperor’s gaze turned to the Empress.

The Empress gritted her teeth.

‘Luatisha Paeraton! That cunning little thing is playing with her silver tongue again!’

Simply saying ‘She did it!’ would lack credibility without any evidence.

The Empress was naturally planning to exploit that point.

The Western feudal lords are trying to involve me to lessen their own sins! It’s slander!

—and so on.

She couldn’t completely quell the suspicions, but without evidence, they couldn’t punish her.

But Luatisha had struck first before the Empress could do so.

She developed a logic that there inevitably had to be someone behind it, not just the Western feudal lords acting on their own.

Now, the weight of Count Fermain’s testimony was much heavier than before.

“The Princess is right, Your Majesty. We will also face a backlash from this, but Her Majesty the Empress promised to resolve it.”

“The Empress?”

“She said that after removing Princess Paeraton from the general manager position and having someone new take over, the West would greatly lower the price.”

“……Certainly, that would highlight Princess Paeraton’s fault, saying it was because she was at odds with the Western feudal lords. But the Western feudal lords would also suffer losses?”

“The hidden deals are always bigger than the revealed ones.”

“……!”

At those words, the Emperor’s eyes widened.

Luatisha exclaimed in surprise, as if wanting everyone in the neighborhood to hear.

“Oh my, a secret agreement!”

That concrete word became the trigger.

“Empress!”

Bang!

The enraged Emperor slammed his fist on the armrest of his chair and stood up.

“It’s the flood control project, of all things! It’s an extremely important matter directly related to the empire’s well-being and the people’s livelihood!”

Fire seemed to burn in the Emperor’s eyes as he glared at the Empress.

“Yet you used this project politically for your own personal gain!”

“Y-Your Majesty, I, I…”

“Does this mean that the Empress’s safety is more important than the empire’s safety?!”

“N-No! How could I ever do that!”

The Empress shook her head, her face pale.

“It’s slander! What connection do I have with the Western feudal lords! Th-Think about it, Your Majesty! They were the ones who demanded my public trial in the past!”

Her eyes darted around 불안하게 [uneasily] before landing on the Grand Empress Dowager.

“If there’s someone behind this, isn’t Her Majesty the Grand Empress Dowager the most likely person! The Grand Empress Dowager’s family is the main pillar of the Western feudal lords—”

Even if she was on the same boat as the Grand Empress Dowager, she had to save herself first.

After all, she had exchanged glances with the Grand Empress Dowager earlier.

If things went wrong, the Grand Empress Dowager would take everything on herself.

Even if the Grand Empress Dowager fell, it would end with her alone, but if she fell, the repercussions would reach even the Crown Prince Esteban.

The Grand Empress Dowager nodded and stepped forward.

It was the moment the Empress sighed in relief.

“Everyone knows that my late maternal grandfather once ruled the West. I’m the most likely person to be suspected if something like this happens. But why would I do something like this?”

‘What?’

The Empress looked at the Grand Empress Dowager with an incredulous expression.

“I’ve long since retired to the back chambers. I’m just an old woman groaning about aching bones on rainy days. I have no intention of getting involved in tedious power struggles, nor do I want to.”

“Lies! Clearly—”

“Why would I cause such chaos in this important matter? What would I gain? Is there anything good for me if the flood control project led by Princess Paeraton fails?”

The Grand Empress Dowager smiled leisurely.

The Empress’s tightly clenched hand trembled.

‘This foolish…’

It didn’t make sense.

Everyone knew that the Grand Empress Dowager hated the Emperor, who had ascended the throne over her son.

Yet, the Grand Empress Dowager had gone to the Emperor’s palace and pleaded for the Empress’s release from confinement.

She naturally thought that the Grand Empress Dowager had made a big decision and was making her last bet.

Deciding to bet everything on Crown Prince Esteban.

‘But she’s betraying me like this?’

It didn’t make sense—.

“Your Majesty the Empress, please admit it now. You can reduce your sentence even a little bit if you admit it quickly like me.”

“Shut up!”

“If you keep denying it, I have no choice. I have no choice but to submit the evidence as well.”

When Count Fermain held out his hand, his aide politely handed over the documents.

Count Fermain proudly held up the documents.

“Here is the evidence, Your Majesty!”

As soon as Esteban ascends to the throne, he promises to give up the desired position.

And clearly stamped below—.

“I-Isn’t that Her Majesty the Empress’s seal?”

“So it’s true……!”

“There’s evidence right there, but you’ve been denying it until now?”

“Shouldn’t we impose a heavier penalty?!”

The shouts of horrified people echoed like explosions.

The Empress shook her head slightly.

“I, I never stamped it. I never made such a promise…….”

In the first place, Count Fermain and she had never even made contact.

It was the Grand Empress Dowager who had moved the Western forces.

She had only promised the Grand Empress Dowager.

In exchange for cooperating in this matter, she would give her what she wanted—.

‘Could it be!’

The Empress’s gaze turned to the Grand Empress Dowager.

The Grand Empress Dowager was not looking at the Empress.

The person she was looking at now was—.

‘Luatisha Paeraton!’

The Empress gritted her teeth.

She gritted her teeth so hard that the inside of her mouth, scratched by her teeth, burst and bled.

However, the Empress did not even feel the bitter metallic taste.

All her nerves were focused on only one person.

‘Was this all your plan?!’

* * *

‘You’re only realizing that now?’

I smiled at the Empress’s blazing eyes.

I will never forget.

‘You’re the one who made Sid like that.’

I still remember vividly.

Sid’s eyes, which had drifted to Paeraton’s mansion in search of a place to die.

Black, dead eyes.

Cheeks devoid of life.

Dry, withered lips.

How could I forget?

If it hadn’t been for the Empress, Sid would have grown up enjoying everything as the son of the Empress and the rightful heir to the throne.

He would have become the Crown Prince without any problems, receiving the love of the imperial citizens.

But.

Red lies suppressed his arms and legs like ropes.

It wasn’t just the body that the lies suppressed.

It was his peace, stability, and happiness itself.

Because the curse was triggered as soon as Sid felt even a little bit of stability.

‘How could she even think of casting such a terrible curse?’

Just recalling Sid’s suffering from the curse made my heart sink and my nose tingle.

Not only that, but the Empress even switched Sid with a daughter born to another concubine.

‘And she even killed that child.’

The child was known to have died of illness.

And no one questioned it.

Because if you kill the rightful heir of the imperial family, who was married in the presence of God, the curse will surely return to everyone involved in the death.

But the Empress always suspected.

She couldn’t believe that her healthy daughter would die so suddenly.

It was murder, and the Empress was definitely behind it.

She fought alone, suspecting for a long time.

‘Now it’s certain.’

The princess was not the Empress’s biological daughter.

Since she was not the rightful heir conceived through marriage, there would be no problem even if she killed the princess.

Although it was revealed that she was not her biological daughter, the Empress still thought of the princess as her daughter.

She raised her as her daughter when she was alive, and buried her in her heart after she died, so how could she not be her daughter?

‘……How much did the Empress cry and wail.’

It was a sight that made me feel choked up to the point of tears.

The joy of finding her own child.

And the despair from the fact that her other child was really murdered.

Between those ambivalent feelings, the Empress let go of herself and collapsed.

But even that was only for a moment.

After that, she became even stronger than before and never showed her intense emotions in front of her.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was feeling inside.

‘……It’s time to end it now.’

Even if I told the Emperor, the Empress’s punishment would eventually end with confinement.

It was a natural thing.

Revealing this itself would be revealing the imperial family’s disgrace.

There is a limit to punishing without revealing the crime.

‘So I have to reveal it.’

I looked at the Empress.

‘Do you know why I had the Grand Empress Dowager bring you out again?’

I raised the corners of my lips.

I could tell without looking.

I must be smiling like my dad right now.

‘It’s to completely screw you over.’