Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 67

☆ 68 ☆

My shout made them both chuckle.

“Tsck!”

I glared at them, and only then did they put on serious expressions and speak.

“Anyway, officially, we’re here to discuss the governance of the land that was handed over.”

“There’s no real reason to refuse.”

At those words, I pressed my fingers to my brow.

Ha, cowardly Imperial Family.

Just then.

Knock, knock. The tea room door opened with a knock.

“Ares, Ixion!”

“I heard you left the office to enjoy tea time. May I join my brother’s break?”

“Of course!”

My eyes sparkled.

It was perfect timing, as I was finishing my tart.

That a new person was coming meant…?

‘New desserts are coming out!’

I swallowed hard, looking at the éclairs placed on the tea table.

‘I want to eat them too… Should I ask for just one bite?’

The silver dessert knife cut into an éclair, and savory cream oozed out from inside.

As the éclair, pierced with a fork, floated into the air, my head followed it up.

The delicious-looking éclair went to the left, then to the right.

Then back to the left.

Uh?

I followed it left and right before realizing something was off.

“That’s too much!”

I shouted, and Ares smiled, his eyes crinkling.

“It’s because my little brother is too cute.”

“People who play with food are bad people.”

Then Ares popped the éclair into my mouth.

“Even now?”

“Ares is a really good person! I knew it from the first time I saw you.”

“Want more?”

“Ares, are you a mixed-blood?”

“Huh?”

“A mix of heaven and the Empire.”

“……”

Ares’ expression became subtle.

Next to him, Count Kandor and Baron Dier “Pfft!” spat out their tea.

Ugh, did I go too far?

Embarrassing.

“……What to do.”

Ares muttered, resting his chin on his hand.

His red eyes turned to me, and he tilted his head slightly.

Silky black hair slid over his white cheek, and his gentle eyes curved softly.

“My secret has been found out. My little brother will have to take responsibility for me.”

Wow.

Wow.

He really might be an angel.

That’s the kind of persuasive beauty he had.

“Ugh!”

Ixion gagged.

“This is seriously creepy. Of all things, this guy being an angel.”

“Jealousy is ugly. Just say you’re envious if you are.”

“What’s there to be envious about in that? It’s a compliment he got by bribing you.”

Muttering, Ixion asked me.

“Cotton ball, what about me?”

“Hmm……”

As I hesitated to answer, Ixion’s dessert plate slowly moved towards me.

“……I sense a wall from Ixion.”

“Huh?”

Ixion looked unusually flustered, then asked, shocked, “Why……?”

“Perfect!”

Ixion’s parted lips closed.

“Ha, geez. Really…….”

Ixion pretended to be dumbfounded, pretending to be upset, but.

‘His cheeks keep twitching, trying to go up. I can see it all.’

Anyway, I got two éclairs.

The power of great K-flattery [Korean-style flattery]!

“Ah, Miss, what about me? Me? What about me?”

Baron Dier asked with tearful eyes.

I looked at the plate in front of Baron Dier.

Of course, it was empty.

It had been quite a while since the strawberry tart came out.

“Do you want a really honest answer?”

“……No.”

Baron Dier lowered his head.

Sorry, I’m a capitalist baby.

Happily munching on the éclair, I asked Ares and Ixion.

“Did you hear? The person who’s going to be my stepmother is coming to the estate.”

“She said she’d arrive in a week.”

It was a nonchalant answer.

“Ixion, you don’t care at all?”

“Not really.”

“Ares?”

“What about my little brother?”

The question came back to me.

He didn’t seem to care much.

“It’s okay to have a stepmother, but…….”

Isn’t it a problem if it’s someone the Imperial Family decided on?

Why does everyone seem so indifferent?

Is there some political relationship I don’t know about?

‘Judging by everyone’s okay reaction, maybe that Lady Aphelia is a really good person?!’

Okay, let’s meet her first.

You can’t just reject someone like this without even meeting them!

Just because she’s a stepmother pushed by the Imperial Family doesn’t necessarily mean she’s bad, right?

I could become completely immersed in Paeraton and become a person of this place!

‘Oh, then I could even use her as a double agent!’

Good, good.

Feeling the cream filling my mouth, I laughed gleefully.

Wait for it, Imperial Family!

* * *

In the week that followed, I learned a lot.

Since our mother passed away, the Imperial Family had tried to assign a new Duchess to the estate more than once.

‘No, how can you welcome a new Duchess when Dad, the person who’s supposed to get married, is away at war?’

The Imperial Family was truly an incomprehensible place.

Lady Aphelia was a relative of the Empress, and she had a daughter.

Since I had subtly refused someone who was getting married for the first time because it was burdensome, they were sending a lady who had divorced her previous husband.

“Miss, Lady Aphelia’s carriage has arrived at the main gate.”

At Laura’s words, I jumped up and went down to the lobby.

“Miss?”

The head butler of the estate, Hedwick, looked surprised to see me.

“A guest is coming. I’m curious too.”

“Yes, please come this way. They’ll be grateful if even one member of Paeraton welcomes them.”

“Where’s Dad?”

“His Excellency is busy with official duties.”

Even so, his future wife candidate is coming?

‘In a way, he’s like a male lead in a romance novel.’

He neglects the female lead, who is his arranged marriage partner, because he’s busy with work, and then regrets it later.

While I was thinking that, the carriage arrived in front of the castle.

The pure white carriage decorated with gold was very fancy and beautiful.

From inside, a noblewoman with shimmering golden-brown hair stepped out.

Following her, a girl with the same golden-brown hair also appeared.

That girl must be Cynthia, Lady Aphelia’s daughter.

‘But children are vulnerable to magic, so she won’t be able to stay in the estate.’

Is she okay?

Cynthia was much taller than me.

She looked much older than me at first glance.

‘I don’t know exactly how old she is, but she might be okay if she’s that old?’

“Welcome, Lady Aphelia.”

“Thank you for the welcome.”

Even though it was practically only the employees who came out, Lady Aphelia smiled brightly without showing any displeasure.

“Hello, Lady Aphelia.”

When I grabbed my skirt and greeted her, Lady Aphelia smiled sweetly, saying, “Oh my, how cute.”

She lowered herself to meet my eye level.

“Thank you, little lady. For welcoming me like this.”

Seeing her smiling, kind face made me feel unnecessarily sorry.

Was I looking at people too politically?

“Today, please rest from your journey first, and tomorrow, have lunch with His Excellency. Is it okay to schedule a meeting about Kanzain after lunch?”

“That’s fine. Then may I ask for an escort to my room?”

“Please come this way.”

I tilted my head, watching Lady Aphelia’s retreating figure.

Kanzain was the land that Lady Aphelia had been managing, but this time, Dad had received it from the Imperial Family.

‘The schedule really feels like I’m meeting a business partner.’

Well, that’s why she came to the estate.

Still, Lady Aphelia must have received the Empress’s order to become the Duchess.

‘Was it not her own intention?’

In many ways, it was a meeting that differed from my expectations.

* * *

“You said Lady Aphelia requested my presence at the luncheon?”

“Yes, Miss.”

My personal butler, Orca, bowed her head calmly.

“Why?”

It’s a chance to have a meal alone with Dad.

The answer to that came not from Orca, but from elsewhere.

“Well, isn’t it because the young lady is so lovely?”

“I heard you personally went out to greet her yesterday. I’d want to have a meal with the young lady too.”

“Now that they’ve seen our young lady once, of course they’d want to see her again! There may be people who haven’t seen her at all, but there’s no one who’s only seen her once!”

“……”

I was wrong.

These ladies can’t make normal judgments because of their Lulu goggles [exaggeratedly positive view of Lulu].

“Anyway, there’s no reason to refuse. There’ll be lots of delicious things too.”

“Then I’ll let them know you’ll be attending.”

“Yeah, then let’s postpone today’s meeting. Contact the aides for me.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Orca bowed her head and left the room.

I jumped up from the sofa.

“Where are you going?”

“For a walk!”

The ladies tilted their heads.

Tsk, tsk.

You still don’t know anything.

“If I want to eat a lot later, I have to digest all my breakfast!”

Lady Aphelia too, geez!

If you were going to invite me to lunch, you should have told me before I ate breakfast!

I grabbed my stomach, which still had the meat pie bulging out, and left the room.

‘I have to go to the back garden! I’m going to splash around there!’

Hehe, exciting!

I felt that the rationality of the reincarnator had half disappeared, but I freely expressed the heart of a child.

Playing in the water is fun!

Even adults enjoy it!

It’s much faster to go to the back garden through the back door where the employees go.

I stopped while running down the hallway.

‘A child?’

A child in the estate where there aren’t even any seedlings [young plants/children].

It wasn’t Cynthia.

It was a small girl who was only about a hand span taller than me.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

The child, hearing my voice, was startled and bowed deeply to me.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

I was even more surprised by the apology that seemed like she was going to prostrate herself.

“Wait, wait. It’s really okay.”

When I grabbed the arm of the child who kept trying to bow, she looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

I was worried that the child would be sick because of the magic.

“N-No, I’m not.”

It’s a relief that she’s not, but why is she okay?

Anyway, let’s send her away quickly since she seems uncomfortable with me.

“That’s a relief. Then一.”

Grumble!

A thunderous sound came from the child’s stomach.

She’s not hurt, she’s just hungry.

The child grabbed her stomach and lowered her head.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Dana.”

“Dana, I’m Ruatisha.”

When I smiled brightly and held out my hand, the child blushed shyly.

“Would you like to make a contract with me and raid the kitchen?”

“Yes?”

I grabbed Dana’s hand and ran to the kitchen.

Let’s raid it all!

There’ll be lots of delicious things since they’re preparing for lunch!

* * *

The long-awaited luncheon time came, but I wasn’t happy at all.

‘My, my stomach is full…….’

To not be able to eat these delicious foods in front of me.

It’s unfair!

“Lulu, do you not have an appetite?”

Dad looked at me, who was picking at my food, with concern.

“No. I ate too much earlier.”

Dad stared at me silently without answering.

“I really did.”

I really did occupy the kitchen and raid it all.

Lady Lulu, the ruler of the kitchen, shook the kitchen, that’s what I’m saying.

Dad stopped eating, got up from his seat, and picked me up.

“Let’s eat a little bit. You’ll be hungry later if you don’t eat now.”

Dad sat me on his lap and cut the meat into small pieces.

“Say ‘ah~’.”

“I’m really full.”

“If you eat well, I’ll buy you a diamond the size of your fist.”

No, why are you tempting a child with diamonds?

Even so, I opened my mouth wide.

A diamond the size of your fist, it’s too much like a romance novel world!

“You have to eat vegetables too. If you eat celery, I’ll give you a golden brooch.”

Geez.

Like I would…… eat well.

What else should I eat?

“I never imagined that His Excellency would personally sit her on his lap and feed the princess himself.”

Lady Aphelia smiled gently and spoke.

Her daughter, Cynthia, also nodded.

“People wouldn’t believe it even if I told them.”

“You look good together. His Excellency seems to cherish his daughter very much.”

“It’s just that this child likes me too much.”

Dad tilted his head arrogantly. (Even though he was holding a baby spoon.)

“She tells me I’m the best.”

“Oh my.”

“She keeps asking me to put medicine on her even though I say I’m okay.”

“How wonderful.”

“She keeps asking me to hug her when she sees me…….”

“Oh my goodness.”

Stop it now!

The soul is disappearing from the lady’s eyes!

The luncheon ended with Dad’s bragging.

As I was leaving the dining room holding Dad’s hand, Cynthia spoke to me.

“Hi, you’re Ruatisha, right?”

Her smiling face didn’t seem bad.

Oh well, whatever.

It’s not the child’s fault for the complicated circumstances of the adults. Let’s be kind to her.

“Hi! I’m Ruatisha.”

“Oh my, how cute. How old are you?”

“I’m five years old.”

Cynthia clapped her hands together with a delighted expression.

“Oh my, the age difference is perfect for me!”

Huh?

Does this older sister want to marry me?

It’s a little fast.

Has the cuteness of this Lulu, who will conquer the world, captured the heart of even a young girl?