Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 312

Originally, he was the emperor’s only child, destined to become the crown prince and eventually the emperor.

Ruatisha was also supposed to marry him and become the empress.

Who else but him, the prince, would be a suitable match for her status and abilities?

When he first saw Ruatisha at the spring festival [a traditional celebration marking the beginning of the new year], he was truly amazed.

‘How can there be such a perfect girl in the world?’

That’s what he thought.

Ruatisha Paeraton seemed like a girl made solely for him.

The beloved youngest daughter of the great Paeraton ducal family.

But unlike other Paeratons, she didn’t have the fierce magical energy often associated with their lineage; instead, she possessed the dignity and ability befitting a Paeraton.

Moreover, she had a great reputation even before creating the Black Death cure and coming to the capital.

Esteban recognized Ruatisha at once.

‘She’s my perfect match, born just for me.’

He pictured Ruatisha smiling beside him, wearing the empress’s crown as he became emperor.

Surely, they would become the perfect couple, praised even in later generations.

However, everything went wrong when Sidrian appeared in the imperial palace.

His solid position began to waver, and Ruatisha, who he thought would naturally be his partner, took Sidrian’s hand at the spring festival.

He pretended to be relaxed, thinking that Sidrian was no match for him anyway, and that Ruatisha was just playing hard to get and would eventually come into his arms.

But in truth, he was anxious.

Seeing Ruatisha closely attached to Sidrian and bickering with him during the spring festival finals made him feel like black ink was being poured into his heart.

And now.

Ruatisha’s cheeks were flushed red like ripe apples as she looked at Sidrian and smiled as if she couldn’t help it.

‘She has never shown me such a smile.’

And even this friendly atmosphere.

He was facing the biggest crisis of his life…!

Esteban gritted his teeth.

“What is it that I lack compared to that guy…!”

Finally, Ruatisha’s gaze turned to him.

‘You only look at me at times like this.’

“If you had looked at me, the result would have been different. It would have been the opposite!”

Wasn’t it all thanks to Ruatisha that Sidrian, who had no foundation in the imperial palace or aristocratic society, was able to establish himself?

He saw Sidrian daring to stand between him and Ruatisha.

But Ruatisha stopped him and stepped forward, crossing her arms as if telling him to say more.

Her face was so different from when she looked at Sidrian.

“You chose him from the beginning. You didn’t give me any chance.”

Esteban slowly approached Ruatisha.

“You’ve made a completely wrong choice.”

“……”

“Do you even know what kind of person he is? He’s been wandering outside since he was young. He was missing for several years even after returning to the imperial palace.”

Esteban whispered in Ruatisha’s ear.

“Who knows how he lived outside with that handsome face, what dirty things he did.”

Ruatisha’s eyes turned coldly.

“On the other hand, I have always kept the seat next to me empty for you.”

Many young ladies subtly showed their favor to Esteban.

The nobles who supported him also subtly suggested marriage proposals.

It wasn’t easy to remain single as the crown prince without a fiancée or lover.

“I’m different from that wretch who I don’t know where he crawled out from.”

Was she finally coming to her senses?

Ruatisha’s expression changed.

Her large eyes completely filled with Esteban, and her stiff expression relaxed.

Ruatisha reached out to Esteban, then hesitated and stopped.

“Ruatisha.”

“But Your Highness, you were on good terms with Shuriel… Clartier, weren’t you? You were in a romantic relationship and even held a wedding ceremony…”

Ruatisha completely withdrew her hand that she had reached out to Esteban and even turned her body away.

It was Esteban who was anxious.

“Do you think I would have given that monster even a single glance?”

“I clearly remember the day Clartier and I clashed in the imperial palace, Your Highness holding Clartier in your arms.”

“That was…! I only held hands with her temporarily to have you.”

At those words, Ruatisha smiled slyly.

“Held hands…? So, it was a cooperative relationship?”

“……!”

Esteban shut his mouth, realizing his mistake.

‘Did she pretend to accept my words to get the truth out of me?’

He couldn’t believe it.

‘To trample on my pure heart like this…!’

“A cooperative relationship is only possible if there is something to give and take. It’s very clear what Esteban gave to Clartier, who had no foundation.”

Using her position as the crown prince’s lover, Clartier quickly penetrated the center of high society.

“But what did Your Highness gain? If you knew nothing about Clartier, there would have been no reason to hold hands.”

As the words continued, Esteban’s face stiffened.

Ruatisha was tightening the noose around his neck with a gentle and soft tone as if singing.

“Even if you became lovers with Clartier, that is Princess Shuriel, the empire gained nothing from Torencia. Not even when you got married.”

“…….”

“Because you didn’t ask Torencia for anything, even though she was a princess who cured His Majesty’s illness.”

To be exact, he couldn’t.

Because Clartier wasn’t a real princess of Torencia.

“I… I just asked you to provoke your jealousy.”

“You don’t get married just to provoke jealousy.”

Ruatisha cut off Esteban’s words with a single stroke.

“If you really welcomed the Crown Princess to provoke jealousy, that is also a crime. To everyone in this country.”

At those words, the public also agreed.

“Say something that makes sense!”

“So, you were trying to destroy the empire by holding hands with that monster!”

“How could the Crown Prince do such a terrible thing…!”

Ruatisha looked straight at Esteban.

“Are you still going to say that you only held hands for my jealousy?”

“Ruatisha.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t say it. I don’t think Duke Chaimberg would have made such a statement without any evidence.”

Esteban gritted his teeth.

That was true.

Duke Chaimberg was his most trusted confidant. He entrusted him with most of the difficult tasks, so it was safe to say that there was nothing he didn’t know.

“Ah, and.”

Ruatisha, who was turning around, looked back at Esteban again.

“You don’t know what Sid does outside with his handsome face?”

*Thwack—.*

Ruatisha grabbed Esteban by the collar.

“I know very well.”

Ruatisha’s eyes sank more coldly than ever before.

“I know best of all.”

At that young age, he was caught in a terrible Geas [a magical compulsion or binding oath] and sold as a slave, losing even the will to live.

Remembering Sidrian’s empty eyes, searching for someone to kill him, still broke her heart.

Wasn’t he too young to be thinking such thoughts?

She couldn’t even imagine what hardships he had gone through to create the number one ranked mercenary group without any foundation.

He had overcome death several times, and woken up after thinking he was dead several times.

The bouquet of flowers in his room, the one she had given him a long time ago.

What was Sidrian thinking during those countless nights, tending to the bouquet to keep it from withering?

He, who should have regained his original status and family and lived comfortably, fell into the Demon Realm.

‘Because of me.’

Even if Sid returned safely, the time he suffered in the Demon Realm for several years would not disappear.

And in fact, all of this was due to the limbs of Kiyas Edel and the deposed empress who joined hands with them.

The deposed empress joined hands with Muriel and placed a Geas on Sid, selling him as a slave, and Muriel, who received support from the deposed empress, opened the gate.

“Don’t you dare open that dirty mouth without knowing what pain Sid has suffered.”

“Kuh…….”

“It’s all because of your mother.”

“……!”

Esteban’s blue-gray eyes shook violently.

Ruatisha realized it when she saw that.

“You… you knew?”

You knew and dared to say such things?

How many benefits did you receive just because you were the only prince?

Strength drained from Ruatisha’s grasp.

Taking advantage of the gap, Esteban, who had barely escaped, coughed.

Ruatisha stared down at him with a stiff face, then smiled brightly.

“It’s better this way. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

Ruatisha’s gaze turned to the Emperor. It was almost a coercive gaze.

The Emperor swallowed a sigh.

It was true that he cherished Ruatisha, but frankly, Ruatisha was not a gentle and benevolent child.

There was no telling what she would do if she had nothing to lose.

‘Should I be thankful that she gave me time to pronounce the sentence instead of killing him right away?’

Perhaps it was because she knew that making him stand trial was a greater disgrace that would remain in history than simply killing him.

The Emperor opened his mouth.

“Esteban has a duty as the Crown Prince to protect and lead the Empire. Nevertheless, he conspired with a monster for his own selfish desires to overthrow the country, and dared to plot the assassination of the Emperor…”

The Emperor’s words continued at length.

Esteban’s face turned red with the endless list of charges, and eventually turned blue.

‘From the beginning, you intended to end me in this place…!’

This was not a place to judge and execute Clartier.

The intention was to reveal Esteban’s crimes to the people of the Empire and expose them to the world.

Otherwise, how could he recite the charges as if they were prepared?

Duke Chaimberg’s accusation was also just a performance to further highlight Esteban’s crimes.

‘Since when…?’

“—Therefore, Esteban is stripped of his position as Crown Prince and expelled from the Imperial Family.”

What?

Esteban looked at the Emperor with disbelief at the words that he was being expelled from the Imperial Family altogether.

But that wasn’t the end.

“Furthermore, he is to be confined to the Lentiarel Mountains until he dies!”

The Lentiarel Mountains.

A place dominated by eternal snow and north winds, untouched by human civilization.

In the center of it, there is a chain made of poison and thorns.

It was a place where the Imperial Family had confined traitors since ancient times.

The direct line of the Imperial Family cannot be killed.

Because the person involved in the death is cursed at the moment of death.

Usually, they are eaten alive by monsters before their lives even end.

“Father Emperor! I am Your Majesty’s son!”

“Don’t call me Father Emperor! You are no longer my son!”

The enraged Emperor rose.

“Consider yourself lucky that it ends here. If I had my way, I would hang you next to Clartier as an example.”

“Father Emperor!”

The Emperor turned away as if he didn’t want to hear any more.

The public cheered at the Emperor’s judgment.

“Kill the evil spirit!”

“Send that criminal to the Lentiarel Mountains immediately!”

Everywhere he looked, there were only people shouting that they wanted his death.

The noise made his ears ring.

‘…Is this the end?’

Ruatisha’s figure came into his swaying vision.

She wasn’t even looking at him, but was whispering something while brushing Sid’s hair back.

Sidrian smiled as he took her hand.

They looked happy.

The eyes of the two people looking at each other were affectionate.

They would continue to live like that in the future.

Getting married and having children.

Being praised as great Emperor and Empress—.

“If I can’t have it…”

A low murmur escaped from Esteban’s lips.

His voice was easily drowned out by the shouts erupting from all directions.

Esteban’s eyes rolled back.

He rushed towards Ruatisha as he was.

“I’d rather do it with my own hands—!”

The dagger he pulled out from his chest reflected the sunlight and shone white.

However, before he could even reach Ruatisha,

*Swoosh—*

*Clang!*

“Cough…!”

Red blood gushed from Esteban’s mouth.

Black magical energy enveloped him, and ice pierced through his arms and legs.

“Huh, eugh…….”

Esteban felt suffocated. It was as hot as if his insides had been turned upside down.

The body visible in his eyes was turning black.

It was a clear state of poisoning.

“How dare you.”

Sidrian hugged Ruatisha and looked at him with cold eyes.

“Esteban!”

The enraged Emperor rebuked him.

“Aren’t you ashamed! Where has your pride as a member of the Imperial Family gone? Are you going to fall further into the abyss!”

Not only the Emperor. People all over the world cursed, criticized, and despised him.

Esteban chuckled as he listened to those voices.

“It doesn’t…… matter.”

It didn’t matter anymore.

Esteban looked at Sidrian with glistening eyes.

“Now that you’ve killed me, you’ll be cursed!”

He mustered his last strength and shouted.

“You will never be happy. You will live in eternal pain! Because of my shadow!”

A maniacal laugh bloomed from his lips.

People cowered at the chilling sight.

But.

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

Sidrian smiled crookedly.

“I don’t get curses.”

He was the first human ever created by Aptanes [a powerful, possibly divine being].