Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 287

‘Idiot.’

Why would I answer you so readily?

It’s been a while since I became a saint and stayed away from high society, focusing only on administrative work, but it’s not like I became the center of high society for nothing.

The will of the romance fantasy heroines and the soul of a romance fantasy reader still live and breathe within me.

“Does the Princess still have nothing to say?”

“In the Empire, it’s normal to apologize for falsely accusing someone. Maybe it’s different in Torencia.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re going to cry again? Don’t cry~ Don’t cry~.”

Camellia really knows how to get under people’s skin.

Is it because she speaks without thinking?

Klatier couldn’t lift her head from her seated position.

Her tightly clenched hands were so strained they turned white, as if the blood wasn’t circulating.

Why pick a fight when you don’t stand a chance?

It was then.

“What are you doing right now?”

A cold voice washed over them like water.

“Is this how noble ladies treat a state guest?”

A voice filled with anger.

The ladies were startled and made way.

Through the opening, Estevan appeared confidently.

“……Your Highness the Crown Prince. Sob…….”

Klatier looked up at Estevan, trembling pitifully.

Just then, a teardrop trickled from her eye.

“……Princess.”

Estevan knelt beside Klatier and wiped away her tears.

“I, I’m alright, Your Highness……. Sob!”

Klatier buried her face in his hand.

What a performance, really.

The ladies were flustered and glanced around.

With the Emperor fallen, Estevan’s status as Crown Prince was higher than ever.

He hadn’t yet declared a regency, but if the Emperor didn’t recover, Estevan would eventually wield power akin to an Emperor.

“Why did you have to bully the Princess……. I knew this would happen.”

Estevan frowned at a lady’s mutter.

“Bully?”

“Bully? She’s just putting on a show一.”

“The Princess was at fault first. She insulted Lady Paeraton.”

Tiriel pulled Camellia’s arm, who was about to shout, and spoke instead.

“Princess Shuriel wouldn’t do that.”

“But…….”

“Even if she did, it must have been a misunderstanding. To oppress a state guest like this over such a trivial matter一.”

A crooked smile appeared on Estevan’s lips.

“Is Lady Paeraton royalty, perhaps?”

“……!”

Tiriel’s face stiffened at the implication in Estevan’s words.

How dare you bully my friend?

“Your Highness is too harsh. Would the ladies ever think such a thing?”

Estevan’s gaze turned to me. His grey-blue eyes captured me and shone strangely.

“Then how else would you explain this situation? Ah, perhaps it’s because she’s not just a princess, but Her Holiness the Saintess?”

“How surprising. It seems Your Highness hasn’t forgotten that I am a Saintess. Judging by your attitude, I thought you had forgotten.”

“Is oppressing others something a Saintess should do?”

“Surely a Saintess isn’t meant to simply endure and accept insults and slanders.”

Estevan and I locked eyes.

“You don’t give an inch.”

“Oh my? Was this a matter of winning or losing?”

I smiled brightly.

Estevan stared at my face silently for a moment.

Then, Klatier subtly tugged on Estevan’s sleeve.

Only then did Estevan tear his gaze away from my face.

He lifted the kneeling Klatier into his arms.

“Oh my……!”

The ladies gasped at the sight of the prince rescuing the damsel in distress.

Estevan passed by the ladies and left the room.

“The two of them seem closer than I thought.”

“Ah, they really look good together.”

“Will Princess Shuriel become the Crown Princess at this rate?”

“Ugh, I really hate that. A Crown Princess who bursts into tears whenever she’s in trouble.”

“Would a princess cry for no reason? Only those involved know what really happened.”

“What? Didn’t you hear what she said earlier? Princess Shuriel deliberately一.”

“Everyone knows Lady Paeraton is eloquent, right? Anyone who gets caught up in that becomes a sinner.”

“Hmph, she’s just admitting her own faults.”

Listening to the ladies bickering, I quietly slipped away.

As I walked silently through the hallway, I heard the voices of ladies huddled together in a corner.

“By the way, did you see Lady Michelloin didn’t say a word today?”

“Honestly, I thought she would step forward when His Highness the Crown Prince said something earlier.”

“Ah, Lady Tiriel stepped up then. Lady Michelloin would usually have done that.”

“……Honestly, Lady Paeraton was practically the center of high society while the Princess was away, wasn’t she?”

“No matter how good their relationship was, it’s time for them to part ways.”

“Then, could it be一.”

As I moved further away, the whispering voices became harder to hear.

They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t even notice me passing by.

‘Hmm.’

There are so many nobles in the Empire.

No matter how high your reputation, not everyone can be on your side.

In any case, power is like a zero-sum game [a situation where one person’s gain is equivalent to another’s loss], and nobles are even more so because of their various intertwined interests.

Also, given the current situation, there must be quite a few people trying to connect with Estevan through Klatier.

But.

‘Would they openly antagonize Paeraton and Tarenka to do so?’

It’s only natural that there would be speculation about the relationship between Claudia and me.

However一.

‘The ones who openly cursed me and joined in the slander when Klatier was playing the victim are different.’

And the way Estevan subtly criticized me when he took Klatier away.

They used to at least do that where I couldn’t hear them.

Are they just emboldened because I haven’t been showing my face in high society lately?

Turning another corner in the hallway, it became completely deserted.

Someone was following me at a distance as I walked down the empty corridor.

Without panicking, I stopped at a small open lounge at the end of the hallway.

I walked past the sofa to the bookshelf and pretended to browse the books before speaking.

“How was it?”

“I confirmed all their faces earlier. Some of them, I know, have a history of participating in secret gatherings.”

Probably some cult.

I nodded.

“I already have so much to do; this is annoying.”

“You seem pretty happy for someone who says that? Like someone plotting something wicked.”

I turned away from the bookshelf.

I met the other person’s eyes directly.

Strangely, the person who said that had a mischievous smile on their face as well.

Like someone plotting something wicked.

“You’re mistaken.”

I grinned.

* * *

“I don’t know how happy I am that Her Holiness the Saintess has been showing her face so often lately.”

“I was so sad because I couldn’t see you for so long because you were so busy.”

“Oh, were you?”

Huang, these young ladies are so cute.

I smiled contentedly as I watched the children’s eyes sparkle and speak clearly.

“That’s why I sometimes admire your face on the square.”

“…….”

Well, that’s a bit much.

“Um, did you fight with Lady Michelloin, by any chance?”

“Pardon?”

“Well, the two of you don’t seem as close as before.”

“Oh, we didn’t. We’re still getting along well.”

“I’m sorry. I was rude…….”

The lady apologized awkwardly, but she didn’t seem to believe me.

Well, that’s understandable.

I turned my head.

Claudia wasn’t sitting at my table, but at another table, talking to people.

And at that table一.

‘Klatier.’

Klatier, who has been openly feuding with me lately, was sitting there.

Klatier suggested that she join them, and Claudia accepted.

It was a situation that was no different from the two of them forming an alliance.

‘Thanks to that, it must be very exciting for the spectators.’

Shall I start moving?

I got up from my seat.

* * *

“Oh my, look over there.”

The ladies, who were sitting at their respective tables, stopped talking and looked in one direction.

Luatisha was approaching the table where Princess Shuriel and Claudia were.

“Isn’t it funny? Someone who never showed her face in high society because she was busy is suddenly showing up all the time and acting like that.”

“It’s true that Her Holiness the Saintess was busy with work. Have you forgotten how many disasters she’s handled because she’s a Saintess?”

“Hmph, then she should just keep handling them. She’s acting like that because she’s afraid of losing her queen bee status in high society. How can a Saintess be so materialistic and power-hungry? It’s so obvious!”

“……What’s wrong with you?”

“What?”

“You used to like Her Holiness the Saintess more than anyone else.”

“I must have been crazy back then.”

The lady clicked her tongue and turned her head as if she didn’t want to talk anymore.

There, Shuriel was smiling brightly as she greeted Luatisha.

“Oh my. Please, have a seat, Lady.”

She was in a good mood.

Coming to the table first.

This is usually what a person of lower status does to a person of higher status.

The Marchioness goes to the Empress’s table, not the other way around.

‘Hmph, I won the first round.’

Successful preemption.

‘Was she so anxious that she moved her heavy butt?’

It’s only natural since Lady Michelloin, who was like her right-hand woman, betrayed Luatisha and seemed to be joining forces with her.

Shuriel put her hand on her head, saying, “Ah…….”

“I haven’t been able to sleep properly lately because I’m still adjusting to the time difference. My head keeps hurting.”

“Oh dear……. I know a good doctor, perhaps一.”

“Ah, the medicine is fine. His Highness Estevan has assigned me a royal physician.”

“A royal physician?”

“Yes, Baron Aslan.”

“Baron Aslan is一.”

“Isn’t he the royal physician who only treats the direct imperial family, including His Majesty the Emperor?”

At the ladies’ words, Shuriel put her hand to her lips, pretending to be surprised.

“Oh my?! Is that so? I didn’t know.”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is so kind.”

“I don’t think there’s anyone like His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Don’t you think so too, Lady?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Luatisha.

Of course, the people at this table were Shuriel’s people.

Luatisha tilted her head and nodded ambiguously.

“Yeees, well.”

“Oh my? You don’t seem to agree very much?”

“It feels like you’re not very happy about it.”

“Are you unhappy that Princess Shuriel is loved by His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“Haa……. It’s because it’s someone else’s love life, so I don’t want to comment on it.”

Luatisha shook her head and opened her mouth as if she couldn’t help it.

“You ladies are so clueless.”

“Yes?”

“Would His Highness the Crown Prince assign Baron Aslan because he cherishes Princess Shuriel?”

“What does that…….”

“His Majesty the Emperor is ill.”

“…….”

“Baron Aslan is one of the royal physicians who is treating His Majesty the Emperor’s illness. But he told Baron Aslan to take care of the Princess so she can adjust to the time difference?”

Luatisha shrugged her shoulders.

“Honestly, this is just telling Princess Shuriel to get cursed at.”

“…….”

The table became silent.

Shuriel glared at Luatisha, clutching her teacup tightly, and the ladies held their breath and watched.

‘What, what is it? The Lady is a little different from usual today?’

Of course, arguing back and forth was originally Luatisha’s style.

But the way she spoke was somehow一.

“And…… even if you unknowingly heard it as a compliment, you shouldn’t ask me about Estevan.”

Luatisha sighed deeply and asked the ladies.

“Are you deliberately trying to give Princess Shuriel a hard time?”

“Gi, give a hard time?”

“Everyone knows. His Highness the Crown Prince has been chasing after me for years.”

“La, Lady!”

The ladies turned pale and looked at Luatisha.

Luatisha used to make bold remarks, but she usually kept to the line.

But to say something like this?!

“Princess Shuriel probably didn’t know because she came from another country. To ask me in this situation…….”

Isn’t it the same as asking a woman who was unilaterally courted, not even an ex-girlfriend, what she thinks of her boyfriend?

Luatisha glanced up at Shuriel.

Shuriel, who met her eyes, bit her lip tightly.

“Ah, I’m not interested in His Highness Estevan, so don’t worry too much.”

“…….”

“But it’s better to be selective about your friends. The ladies here are all pretending to be on the Princess’s side and making fun of her, aren’t they?”

That’s not true?!

Shuriel wanted to shout that.

From any point of view, they were now praising Shuriel as a strong candidate for the Crown Princess and discouraging Luatisha.

‘There’s no way that quick-witted Luatisha wouldn’t know that!’

But something was strange.

Luatisha’s eyes were filled with more sincerity than ever before.

Not sarcastic, but really as if she didn’t know Shuriel and the ladies’ intentions at all.

Like a birdbrain.