Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 279

☆ Chapter 279 ☆

“Good smell.”

A languid breath brushed against my skin.

Without realizing it, my fingertips curled, and my eyes met Cid’s.

The purple eyes right in front of me.

So deep and dark.

For some reason, my throat tightened.

* * *

At that moment.

Within the Paeraton Duchy.

A man was moving in the darkness, relying on a dim light.

‘Soon, it’ll be soon now….’

His heart pounded like crazy.

The excessive tension promoted the secretion of adrenaline, giving him a strange excitement.

Soon, the man arrived in a wide-open room.

Inside the room was a massive magical device that reached to the ceiling, boasting an overwhelming presence.

It was the central controller that managed the repair facilities of this vast Paeraton Duchy.

The man’s breath trembled.

‘Hmph, the Paeraton Duchy, called impregnable, is nothing much in reality.’

It wasn’t easy to get here, but he finally arrived safely.

‘No, it means that person is that great.’

It wasn’t his power.

It was possible because he followed that person’s guidance.

No matter how great the Paeraton Ducal family was, how could they compare to that person’s omnipotence?

‘Now, all I have to do is break this controller….’

Everything will be over.

The man took out the magical tool he had prepared from his pocket.

As he chanted the activation words, a red light began to gather on the magical tool.

The man approached the central controller.

And he raised both hands holding the magical tool high.

‘I will be saved.’

The surging, blood-colored energy was about to plunge straight into the controller when,

“……!”

The man’s pupils shook.

Soon, cold sweat began to pour from his entire body.

The dampness running down his spine trembled.

‘A, arm—.’

It wouldn’t move.

No, it wasn’t just his arm.

Not a single part of his body could move as he wished.

As if he had frozen in place like a statue.

The man panicked at the unexpected situation.

Then.

Thud, thud—.

Leisurely footsteps echoed from behind.

‘……M, m, mad!’

Fear, dread, and anxiety weighed down on his nerves.

He wanted to turn around, but he couldn’t even do that.

All he could do was roll his eyes back as much as possible.

But that didn’t mean he could see what was behind him.

The man’s shirt was visibly soaked.

“So, this is what it was.”

It was an tone as if he was speaking lightly without any intention of threatening.

But it was oppressive.

Just hearing that voice made it feel like the air was pressing down on him.

The man felt his hand becoming empty.

Could it be that he had been robbed of his magical tool?

‘N, no! That was what that person gave me—.’

“Kuh-ugh!”

The thought didn’t last long.

A strong impact, as if directly striking his internal organs, made his stomach feel twisted.

Blood clots surged up with his vomit.

Thump, thump!

The man curled up, sprawled in a corner.

“Cough, cough!”

He couldn’t come to his senses.

At that moment, something black flashed in his swaying vision.

A deep darkness, like a piece of the abyss, clearly distinguishable even in the dark.

‘N, no way……!’

The shiny leather shoe tip was visible in the faint light emitted by the control device.

As he was pushed into the corner, the intangible energy that had been binding his limbs disappeared.

Now the man could move his body as he wished.

But he couldn’t move properly.

More fear than when his body was bound clung to the man’s skin.

He didn’t want to confirm it, but he felt like he couldn’t bear it unless he did.

Slowly, the man’s gaze moved upward from the shoes.

A long, straight leg that took a while to reach the end.

A waist that felt firm even through the clothes.

Broad, solid pectoral muscles and shoulders.

And above that—.

‘Duke Paeraton……!’

The perfect face, said to have been sculpted by God himself, was looking down at him.

The moment his eyes met those oppressive and chilling eyes, the man froze like a frog in front of a snake.

‘H, how is Duke Paeraton here……?!’

Even if he was caught, he thought that at most the soldiers guarding this place would come.

But.

As if he had been waiting for him,

“Because of you, the time to go to the capital has been delayed by four days. Do you know what this means?”

Even though it was a leisurely voice, it sounded like thunder to the man.

“It means that the day I can see my daughter again has been delayed by four days.”

Gritting.

A chilling sound rang out from between Duke Paeraton’s teeth.

“In addition, it means that the total amount of time I can see my daughter has been reduced by four days.”

Crack!

The floor beneath Duke Paeraton’s feet shattered.

The man flinched as if his own body had been shattered, and he huddled up.

He didn’t understand what Duke Paeraton was saying, but he seemed to know one thing.

‘I’m doomed.’

But it wasn’t just Duke Paeraton.

Tap, tap—.

The man felt anxious at the nerve-wracking sound and turned his head.

“……!”

There, Ares Paeraton was lightly tossing and catching the magical tool the man had.

The red, surging energy repeatedly illuminated and moved away from Ares’s face.

Tap!

Ares, who had caught the magical tool in the air, muttered as he looked inside.

“You brought something interesting.”

A gentle smile, which could be seen as kind, appeared on Ares’s face.

But.

“To bother my brother by playing tricks like this.”

The moment Ares’s gaze turned to him, the man realized.

“Did you want to get my brother’s attention too?”

That this man was more cruel and ruthless than Duke Paeraton.

That look was not human at all.

“I don’t care about that. Let’s get rid of him quickly.”

Those words didn’t come from Ares or Duke Paeraton.

“What if Cotton Ball [nickname for his daughter] cries because she misses Oppa [term of endearment for older brother].”

Ixion Paeraton, who had been submerged in the darkness, slowly walked out in front of the man.

Step, step.

That steady footstep sounded like a countdown to a time bomb to the man.

“Cotton Ball has to be fluffy, it can’t be damp.”

A playful smile hung on Ixion’s lips.

It was then.

The three men of Paeraton flinched.

Like beasts that had keenly sensed an unusual omen, they raised their heads.

“I feel dirty for some reason.”

“……I’m uneasy.”

“We don’t have time to waste.”

At Duke Paeraton’s words, his two sons nodded.

“We’ll take care of it quickly and go to the capital.”

As soon as those words ended, a jet-black energy rose from beneath Ixion’s feet.

‘Ma—.’

Before the man could finish his thought.

Everything was submerged in perfect darkness.

* * *

Swish—.

My hair flowed down.

I could see the elastic pink hair tickling Cid’s cheek.

Cid’s eyes narrowed.

The moment he, who had been burying his face between my shoulder and neck, slightly raised his head—.

“Ha……. What a pain.”

A voice that broke the mood was heard.

When I turned my head, Cain was looking at us with a sour look.

And that too, from really close.

‘When did he get this close? I didn’t even know!’

“G, give some warning before you come!”

“What are you talking about? You were so lost in your own world that you didn’t even know I was sticking my face this close. Tone it down a bit, tone it down.”

Cain shook his head.

“Or—.”

A languid and decadent smile appeared on his face.

“It’s okay to include me.”

The moment Cain’s hand tried to wrap around my shoulder,

“Get lost.”

Thwack!

Cid roughly pushed Cain away.

“This is why I didn’t want to talk about the Demon race guys. These people have no morals.”

“That’s only from a human perspective. By Demon standards, I’m a gentleman.”

Cain winked at me.

“Hmph, you said I smelled bad?”

“No, that’s really—. Ah, never mind, never mind. I won’t say anything.”

Cain raised both hands at Cid’s gaze.

He said it so much that I was a little worried.

‘Cid said it wasn’t, but he’s the type to say I’m pretty even if I have chili flakes stuck in my teeth.’

I’m anxious.

“Really, I don’t smell weird, do I? Tell me honestly. I’m the type who prefers you to tell me right away rather than pretending not to notice if I have something stuck in my teeth.”

“You really only smell good.”

Cid brought his lips to my ear.

“Dangerously so.”

The voice that echoed through my ear was humid and low.

Dangerously so.

I felt my cheeks getting slightly hot.

Embarrassed, I turned my face away and muttered, “Tch.”

At that moment, a servant came into the room with a knock.

“The Empress has arrived—.”

“My baby!”

Before the servant could finish speaking, the Empress burst into the room.

And immediately came to me and held my hand tightly.

“I heard that my baby was here, so I ran here.”

“Haha, yes.”

The Empress had been treating me like a complete daughter-in-law ever since I went public with Cid.

No matter how much my family hated it, the Empress didn’t budge.

“Our baby has been so busy lately, it must be hard, right? National affairs are important, but the most important thing is our baby’s health.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“I told you to call me Mom instead of Your Majesty.”

No, I’m not even married to Cid yet.

Even if I were married, there are imperial court rules, so I can’t call you mother-in-law.

“Cid, you take good care of our baby too. The most important thing for a husband is to take good care of his wife.”

“Yes, Mobi [Empress’s nickname].”

Cid nodded as if it were natural.

The mother and son were a great match.

‘Am I the only one who knows that we’re not married yet?’

“Well then, this is a tea brought from Catellan for our baby. It’ll be just our baby’s taste.”

“Oh, it’s really delicious. The aroma and taste are rich, but it’s not bitter or astringent.”

“Hehe, right? Our baby likes rich tea but hates the unique bitter taste.”

Seeing the Empress smiling proudly, a smile slowly spread across my face as well.

If my mom were alive, she would have been just like the Empress.

The tea tasted really good, but I liked that she had carefully chosen it with me in mind.

“So, baby, when are you coming to the Imperial Palace?”

“Pfft!”

“Oh my, oh dear. Here, let Mom wipe it off.”

The Empress took out a handkerchief from her bosom and said as she gently wiped my mouth.

“I’ve prepared everything. I’ve even redecorated Cid’s palace and completely redone the garden, you know? It’s our baby’s taste. Now, all you have to do is come.”

The Empress’s eyes sparkled.

When I glanced over, Cid’s eyes were sparkling too.

“W, well, I still have to……. Listen to what Dad and Grandpa have to say…….”

“There’s no parent who can win against their child. The important thing is our baby’s will, isn’t it?”

The Empress held my hand and asked subtly.

‘Hmm, since Dad isn’t in the capital, it seems like she’s taking this opportunity to appeal more actively than usual.’

“If it’s hard to decide suddenly, how about staying for a few days? Just think of it as a light trip to the Imperial Palace.”

“A trip?”

“Besides, the river management business is handled in the outer palace of the Imperial Palace, so it’s easier to go back and forth, isn’t it?”

This sounded quite tempting.

The shorter the commute time, the better.

“It only takes 10 minutes to get to the outer palace by carriage from here.”

The Empress coaxed me gently.

At that moment.

“Even if it takes 5 minutes, my sister will say no. Don’t shake our innocent youngest.”

I turned my head at the familiar voice from behind.

“Zeon?”

“My youngest.”

Zeon came to me, stroked my head, and pulled me away from the Empress as if not to be taken away.

“Oh my.”

The Empress smiled with a face that wasn’t happy at all.

“It seems that Young Master Zeon has not gone down to the territory.”

“I was worried that this would happen.”

“I was just trying to help our baby.”

“Just saving a few minutes won’t make things easier. My youngest feels most stable when she’s with her family.”

“Well, it seems like she likes being with me more.”

Zeon gave a crooked smile at Cid’s muttering.

“When you eat junk food, you may be temporarily fascinated by the stimulating taste.”

I widened my eyes at Zeon’s words and looked up at him.

“But in the end, you always go back to the food you always eat.”

‘Zeon is making such metaphorical remarks?’

I was amazed.

Zeon hates socializing with people, so he doesn’t talk much, and even when he does say something, it’s direct.

“Are you treating it like junk food if it doesn’t suit your taste? Lulu is just finding the food that suits her taste. A food to eat for a lifetime.”

‘Our Zeon, he’s changed since becoming a young master.’

“Originally, tastes are formed from a young age.”

“Isn’t the taste of childhood something that disappears when you leave the fence of family and meet a bigger world?”

I felt quite proud that he had grown.

‘Now I don’t have to worry about Paeraton’s politics? Diplomacy.’

“That’s the moment when you’re fascinated by the stimulation of junk food. Once that period passes, you’ll come right back. Isn’t that right, my youngest?”

“It’s not that she’s fascinated by junk food, it’s just that her taste has become firm. Isn’t that right, Lulu?”

‘No, but why did he act the same as usual at the central selection meeting that I attended a few days ago instead of Dad?’

He speaks so well like this.

I tilted my head, but somehow I felt a strange silence and a stinging gaze.

‘Huh?’

When I raised my head, Zeon and Cid were staring at me.

“My youngest, it’s Oppa [term of endearment for older brother].”

“My master.”

Choose me quickly!

The two pairs of eyes were more oppressive than the landslide that had covered me.