Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 56

☆ 56 ☆

But people held up their placards.

“1.04 billion!”

“1.2 billion!”

“1.27 billion!”

“1.5 billion!”

Without hesitation,

“1.7 billion!”

The pace of increase grew faster and faster, with only units of hundreds of millions being called out, not thousands.

The people sitting below eventually gave up raising their placards.

The real money fight in the box seats had begun.

“The organizers must be thrilled.”

“Boring.”

Even as tens of billions of won [Korean currency] went back and forth before their eyes, Ares and Ixion were yawning.

But I couldn’t.

‘He’s just a child.’

If he’s sold off, he’ll never have a good life.

Just being excessively beautiful would make life difficult enough, but to have such a special ability as well.

‘He’ll be used as a tool, wearing restraints his whole life.’

He might even be subjected to human experimentation.

The details of the human experiments Daphne and my brother suffered were still vivid.

I already know how terrible and cruel things can happen to people.

Tightly.

My fists clenched involuntarily.

[Reader, don’t be fooled by the sweet appearance!]

[Haven’t you experienced it once with Ares?]

[No one knows what’s hidden inside that plausible shell.]

[That guy is dangerous! He has dangerous and scary abilities!]

Warning windows blurred before my eyes.

What are you talking about.

‘You’re the one who tried to get Ares to acknowledge you.’

Don’t insult my brother.

I waved the windows away and pouted.

The power the child showed was truly remarkable.

It’s certainly reasonable to be wary, saying it’s a dangerous ability.

But!

If I take him in, treat him warmly, and take care of him, wouldn’t he become my ally?

At least he won’t live an unhappy life and become a villain!

‘Thinking of 一 [likely refers to a simplistic or one-dimensional approach] is too ordinary.’

I’m a romance fantasy reader.

And not stupid enough to ignore the devil’s warning.

‘This route is certain! It’s the obsessive male lead route!’

1. The slave presented as the best product is excessively beautiful and handsome.

2. He even has amazing special abilities.

With these two conditions, isn’t it obvious!

‘He’s definitely of noble blood.’

At least a prince of a fallen kingdom?

He could be the illegitimate child of a northern duke, but our dad is a northern duke, so that’s not it.

Maybe he’s an imperial prince from an empire on another continent.

Usually, the female lead would buy that child and take care of him with all her heart.

She might even say she’ll free him from slavery.

That child will think the female lead abandoned him.

And then, as time passes, his identity is revealed!

Huh? He was an imperial prince? He became emperor to have me?

My slave has returned as an obsessive emperor.

The black-hearted slave has become a tyrant and is obsessed with me.

I raised an obsessive slave emperor.

Something like that would make a romance fantasy hit.

There are many variations, but one thing is certain.

‘Either way, if you raise him, you’ll be obsessed over.’

Even taking care of him for just a few days will lead to obsession!

So, what’s the answer?

‘Just buy him without raising him!’

Then I can keep the devil’s words not to get involved with him, and prevent him from falling into the hands of bad people and growing up to be a villain.

‘Okay. Perfect.’

How much romance fantasy experience do I have? This is nothing!

“3.7 billion!”

“4 billion!”

I casually raised my placard.

There’s no need to raise the price by competing.

If I’m going to buy, do it overwhelmingly, decisively.

“10 billion.”

The noisy venue went silent in an instant.

The boy raised his head and looked at the box seat where I was.

Even though it was a very quiet gaze, it felt like my body would shrink.

‘It’s okay. I’m wearing a mask and a robe.’

I straightened my chest and calmly accepted his gaze.

Even though we were so far apart, it was as if there was nothing between him and me.

It was that kind of gaze.

At that moment.

“10… 10 billion!!”

The auctioneer’s overturned voice shook the silent auction house.

As if that was the signal, the venue became as noisy as if an earthquake had struck.

“T-Ten billion? Is it really ten billion?”

“Who is it? To call out such a huge sum at once.”

Ixion raised an eyebrow at me.

“What, you want to buy him?”

“Why would I want something like that? I have you for my sister.”

No, what does Ares being here have to do with taking in a slave?

“He’s pitiful. How hard would it be if he were sold off? Let him go.”

At those words, both of them softened their sharp attitudes.

“Well, if it’s to let him go.”

“My sister is so kind.”

Meanwhile, the auctioneer shouted with a face flushed red.

“Ten billion has been bid! Are there any more bids?”

The auction house was still noisy, but no one raised a placard.

The auctioneer’s fingers folded one by one.

Finally, when they were all folded.

“Then it’s sold to the lady in box number 7, the one with the rabbit mask! Congratulations!”

Clang, clang, clang!

The sound of the gavel striking was cheerful.

Good, good.

‘But how do I pay 10 billion?’

I recklessly bid, thinking I’d soon become a multi-billionaire with oil money, not just a billionaire.

There wouldn’t be 10 billion in my personal fortune set by the ducal family.

‘Well, if I sell everything I squeezed from Nicholas Tarenka and fill the rest with my personal fortune, I can manage somehow.’

Then something flashed in my mind.

“Ah, that’s right.”

I gave my brothers a mischievous smile.

“Ares and Ixion said they’d buy me whatever I wanted, right?”

At my words, the two blinked, then soon grinned.

It was a very relaxed smile.

“Of course, your brother should buy whatever my sister wants.”

“This kid doesn’t need money. I’ll buy it for you.”

Uh?

That’s not what I meant?

“Really? It’s 10 billion? And it’s not even buying it to keep, just letting it go. It’s throwing money away.”

“What does it matter? It’ll make my sister feel better.”

“Anyway, it’s what you want.”

Wow.

I’m a little touched.

“Ares, Ixion……”

As I reached out, the two hugged and stroked me as if they had been waiting for it.

‘I was just planning to tease them a little……’

But if they’re really going to pay, I won’t refuse.

While we were strengthening our brotherly love, the auctioneer continued the proceedings below.

“That was an amazing bid. Thank you for your continued support of Astal.”

But the people’s reactions were strange.

A different kind of murmur than before.

Looking down, dark red blood was flowing down the auctioneer’s nose.

The auctioneer, belatedly realizing the anomaly, quickly wiped his philtrum [the vertical groove between the upper lip and the nose].

And,

“Huh?”

Those were the auctioneer’s last words.

With wide eyes as if unable to understand, the auctioneer collapsed.

It wasn’t just the auctioneer.

The guards and staff all started collapsing, either bleeding from their noses or spitting dark red blood.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

The venue instantly turned into chaos.

Ixion quickly picked me up.

The magic power emanating from Ares wrapped around me like a shield.

“There’s no poison in the air.”

“Don’t be relieved yet. We’re getting out of here.”

Hanging on Ixion’s shoulder, I looked down.

The auction house had become a complete mess.

People were cursing and shouting, trying to get out of the auction house as quickly as possible.

Only the boy on the stage was quiet, as if he were in another world.

Only around him was as calm as an undisturbed surface of water.

He raised his head and was looking this way.

A gaze as if isolated from the world.

It felt like our eyes met for a moment.

But it’s impossible to make eye contact from this distance.

He probably can’t see my lip movements either.

Even knowing that,

‘Live well.’

I murmured to him silently.

As Ixion leaped out, the boy’s figure quickly disappeared from view.

This will be my first and last meeting with that strange boy.

* * *

“It’s our first outing with my sister, and it’s a complete disaster.”

Ares said in the carriage returning to the Duke’s castle after the escape.

“No. It’s better this way. I didn’t want to give those guys 10 billion anyway.”

Payment for the auctioned items is made upon receipt of the goods after the auction.

It’s good that the child was freed without paying.

‘The bars were destroyed, so he must have escaped on his own.’

If he finds the restraint controller from the auctioneer’s corpse and takes the key from an office or something, he’ll be completely free.

“But why did they suddenly bleed?”

“That reaction was poison. But something……”

Ares frowned.

“It’s also strange that the people sitting in the front row of the auction house are fine, but the staff further away collapsed. There was no poison in the air either.”

“The most reasonable thing to think is that it was put in the food, but Astal wouldn’t be that sloppy.”

“Some of Astal’s guards might be resistant to poison.”

While the two were talking back and forth, I shrugged.

“Well, anyway, those who led that kind of auction deserve to die. I don’t know who did it, but it’s a good thing!”

At my words, the two chuckled.

As we were talking, the carriage arrived at the Duke’s castle.

After jumping down, holding Ares’s hand, I was about to enter the castle when I heard a voice calling me.

“Lulu.”

Dad was in the lobby.

“I heard there was an incident after going to the black market auction.”

Dad’s gaze slowly scanned me from head to toe. As if confirming that I was safe.

“Why did you take her to such a dangerous place?”

Dad asked my brothers coldly, holding me up.

Ixion, not at all bothered by the gaze, put his hands behind his head and said.

“What are you worried about? Everything will be fine as long as I’m with her.”

“My sister wanted to go. I can stop any danger.”

“No.”

Dad sharply denied Ares’s words.

“You two alone are not enough.”

The red eyes arrogantly looked down at Ixion and Ares, then turned to me.

“Lulu, tell me if there’s anywhere you want to go in the future.”

Dad stroked my chubby cheeks and made eye contact with me.

“Weren’t you hurt going with only these guys?”

Where on my body am I hurt?

“An eyelash fell out.”

“……”

No, eyelashes falling out is normal.

They fall out and grow back every few months.

But how did he know one fell out?

Did he count them all?

“My daughter’s eyelashes are more precious than those made of gold.”

Dad glanced at my brothers with just his eyes.

I thought they would be dumbfounded, but instead, they were nodding with serious faces.

“I must have run too fast earlier. It’s my mistake.”

“I’ll have to protect her eyelashes with magic power from now on. I will also work harder.”

No, that’s not it.

Am I the only normal one in this family?

“No, there’s no need for that. I’ll go with her from now on.”

“Your Excellency must be busy.”

“It’s enough to be with me.”

“I heard Lulu asked you to buy a 10 billion item at the auction.”

Dad chuckled and looked down at my brothers.

“Do you guys have 10 billion in cash?”

“……”

My brothers gritted their teeth as if they were upset.

“Lulu, I have it in cash.”

Immediate payment possible.

Cash always ready.

Dad’s eyes were shouting that.

Ah, yes……. That’s great.

Dad carried me up the stairs.

Arriving at the room, Dad helped me take off my coat and change into slippers.

I cautiously asked.

“Dad, aren’t you going to scold me?”

I went to a black market auction, not a regular auction.

“Why should I scold you for going to an auction?”

“Anyway, I went to a dangerous place. And it was an illegal auction.”

“A Paeraton who has never been to the black market doesn’t exist in history. And you have the freedom to go wherever you want.”

“……”

“You didn’t go alone secretly, and you told me you were going out, so why should I scold you?”

“Then it’s okay?”

“Yes, anyway, it was good to take these guys with you.”

Dad gestured to my brothers, who were undoing my hair.

I felt strange.

“……I’m sorry.”

“Yes?”

Surprised by the sudden apology, I raised my head.

“I want to tell you that it’s okay for you to go without these guys.”

I immediately realized what Dad was saying.

Unlike other direct descendants of Paeraton, I am vulnerable to danger because I don’t have magic power.

The Paeraton family tradition of raising children almost freely probably comes from this great power.

It’s also a bit unusual to entrust the family business to the children.

“It’s okay! If you’re born without it, you live as you’re born!”

I clenched my fist.

“The only reason I was sad about not having magic power was because I thought I might not be family with Dad and my brothers!”

“Never think such a thing. You are my only daughter.”

“Yes! Now that I know Dad and my brothers are my real family, it doesn’t matter if I don’t have magic power!”

“Okay.”

Dad smiled, which made me feel very warm.

It was then.

“T-There’s a big problem, Your Excellency!”

The butler, with a pale face, rushed into my room and shouted.

This is the first time I’ve seen the employees so flustered since coming to the Duke’s castle.

What on earth is going on?

“It’s an attack!”

Attack?

My heart sank at the completely unexpected news.

“An attack on the Duke’s castle? Then they allowed an intrusion?”

“How dare they come here.”

“The Duke’s castle’s defenses shouldn’t be that weak. How many troops did they bring?”

“That’s……”

The butler hesitated, as if he couldn’t believe it himself, then said as if confessing.

“It’s one child.”

A child?

“It’s a boy who looks about the same age as the young lady.”
Huh……?