Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 76

☆ Chapter 77 ☆

“And with my dad and brothers around, why would I be desperate for something unnecessary?”

I’ve never really felt like I lacked anything.

I chuckled and looked at Cynthia.

“Oh, you were thinking based on your own standards? You always crave what you don’t have.”

“What, what did you say?! You’re the greedy one, not me一.”

“Cynthia.”

I gently cut her off with a sweet smile.

Speaking kindly, as if giving a compliment.

“You really seem to take after your mother.”

Cynthia’s face flushed bright red.

She raised her hand sharply with a venomous expression.

For a moment, my uncle’s image overlapped.

The hand trying to hit me without any hesitation.

I know how painful, cold, and scary that is.

I thought my mind and body were both healthy now, but my body reacted first.

However,

Clasp!

Cynthia’s arm was caught in mid-air.

I blankly stared at the scene.

My uncle’s hand had never been blocked even once.

“Blocking it is okay, right?”

Ares asked me gently.

Unlike his gentle tone, he gripped Cynthia’s wrist so tightly that the blood drained from her hand, causing it to twitch.

“I won’t kill her. Just let me hit her, okay?”

With those words, Ixion bared his teeth and gave a ferocious smile.

Seeing the two of them standing on either side of Cynthia, blocking her, made me feel secure.

I am no longer alone, and I have family who support me.

As I tensed my stomach, my trembling body calmed down.

I gave a confident smile.

I didn’t want to tremble in fear of violence and hide behind my brothers.

Like a romance fantasy reader, I’m going to give her a taste of payback.

“Cynthia, why are you so angry? I was just complimenting you, saying you resemble your beloved mother.”

Cynthia’s face twisted.

“You said the reason I envy you is because of your mother. Your mother, who is so wonderful that I covet her. Isn’t that right?”

I tilted my head, feigning innocence, and widened my eyes.

“But why are you getting angry when I say you resemble such a mother?”

Cynthia’s gaze wavered.

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

I tilted my head to the other side and opened my eyes even more innocently.

“Huh? Why are you angry? I’m curious!”

Cynthia bit her lip tightly.

Ares released her wrist, but she trembled without even thinking of hitting me.

Seeing her pale face, Ixion exclaimed.

“Wow, it’s not just hitting with hands and feet that hurts.”

Yeah, this is what they call hitting someone hard with words.

I’ll show you how to make someone *sun-sal* [instantly defeated] too.

“Cynthia, you said I enjoy many privileges and special treatments just because I’m a daughter.”

I looked straight into Cynthia’s eyes and asked.

“But what are you?”

“……!”

Cynthia’s pupils trembled like a stone falling into a well, and soon her whole body collapsed.

She sat down on the floor and began to scream with a face like a demon.

“What are you! What’s so great about you! What makes you so special? What’s so different about you and me!”

She crawled towards me like a spider, but Ixion grabbed her.

“L, let go of me! Let go!”

I looked at her and then looked up at my dad.

‘Huh?’

I felt a chill down my spine without realizing it.

My dad’s gaze towards Cynthia was truly….

I swallowed hard and reached out to gently grab my dad’s hand.

“Dad.”

As if awakened from something, my dad and the atmosphere surrounding him changed.

My dad looked at me with his usual affectionate gaze.

“What’s wrong?”

“How about sending an official letter of protest to Her Majesty the Empress?”

“A letter of protest, you say.”

“Cynthia said that Her Majesty the Empress wants you to marry Lady Apelia.”

At my words, Cynthia, who had been raving like a madwoman, gasped and came to her senses.

“N, no! I never said that….”

“When I asked if she came because of the land, she said it was all an excuse.”

“That’s a lie!”

“As proof, the egg of the mythical beast was given to you by Her Majesty to win your favor. She even gifted Cynthia’s dress.”

I had directly overheard who had prepared Dad’s birthday present, and Laura had told me about Cynthia’s dress.

I ordered Laura to investigate Cynthia in order to set a trap.

As expected of her with her stalker tendencies, she found out everything very quickly.

‘Even the conversations she had with Yutra.’

That’s why I hung up the clothes made by Yutra so conspicuously.

Those are clothes that I can’t wear anymore because they’re too small, but Cynthia must have thought they were a family look that came as Dad’s birthday present.

“Indeed. My daughter is very clever.”

As Dad stroked his chin, the vassals who came with Dad flattered, “As expected, she takes after you, Your Excellency!”

‘Well, even I think it’s a good plan.’

Imagine just saying this to the Empress.

Based on the circumstances, your intentions are suspicious, so I investigated and found out that you supported everything?

Are you constantly interfering in the internal affairs of Paeraton?

Even if it’s true, this kind of protest is an insult to the Empress.

How dare you suspect the Empress’s intentions and investigate?

‘But what if there was testimony first?’

Cynthia said that you wanted me to marry Apelia.

She said you even prepared the egg of the mythical beast and the dress.

So I investigated to see if it was true, and both turned out to be from you.

What’s going on?

Of course, you can protest like this.

In politics, justification is very important.

“Dad, if Auntie and Cynthia received orders from Her Majesty the Empress, perhaps.”

I trailed off and looked up at Dad with innocent eyes.

“Was Auntie hiding naked in Dad’s bedroom also ordered by Her Majesty the Empress?”

“……!”

“……?!”

“Ah, Miss, that’s…!”

While everyone was flustered, I hugged Dad’s leg tightly.

“It seems like Her Majesty the Empress is trying to assassinate Dad! No! Dad has to live with me forever!”

The flustered adults nodded, saying, “Ah, that.”, “That’s right, it was an assassin, not something else.”

Dad lifted me up.

“Forever with Dad?”

“Yes, forever!”

“Yes, forever, you say….”

Dad’s low voice was somehow strange.

‘Anyway, with this, I can tie Apelia hiding in Dad’s bedroom to the Empress’s orders!’

Hehe.

Isn’t that too vulgar a scandal to be attached to the Empress?

‘I’m very curious about Her Majesty the Empress’s reaction.’

Well, who told her to target our family?

Even putting a decent person with him is questionable, but that kind of auntie!

I huffed and put my hands on my hips.

“Oh, right! Cynthia said that His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress’s husband, also supports it, of course!”

With the Emperor also involved, Cynthia’s face turned truly corpse-like.

“N, no, no. That’s not, that’s not what I meant一.”

“Huh? Cynthia clearly said that. When I asked her.”

Cynthia’s face hardened.

An expression as if she had realized something.

‘So, that’s why she kept asking me that back then?’

Those questioning eyes.

That’s right.

I gave Cynthia a sweet smile.

Why would I pretend to be innocent and endure your pathetic gaze to dig up your backing?

“Then we must write a letter to the Emperor as well.”

At Dad’s words, I gave a sly smile.

‘His Majesty the Emperor is probably unfairly involved, but I’m very curious about His Majesty the Emperor’s reaction too.’

He’ll pressure the Empress on his own.

It’s best to solve a problem without directly intervening!

That’s why Dad is deliberately trying to write a letter, even though he knows the Emperor is not involved.

With so much evidence, and with Cynthia, a reliable witness, saying so, of course, we can protest!

“Ah, ah, no! Please…! I, I was wrong. I overstepped my bounds. I won’t, I won’t do it again. Please, please don’t involve His Majesty the Emperor, please…!”

Cynthia put her hands together and began to beg.

She must have thought that she would be okay somehow with the Empress, since they have some blood relation, however faint.

She would have to lie low for a few years, but surely it wouldn’t block her future.

But what if she falls out of favor with the Emperor?

It would be difficult to hold her debutante ball at a renowned place from the start.

It would be the same as being relegated to the lowest level in society from now on.

It would be a more terrible thing than a death sentence for the vain Apelia and Cynthia.

[You have completed the quest .]

[You have been awarded a 3000 Cash Gacha Ticket as a reward.]

[Your influence within the Paeraton Duchy has greatly increased!]

[The vassals of the Duchy are pleased that you acted so smartly against the much older Cynthia.]

[The vassals of the Paeraton Duchy are impressed by your plan to involve the Empress and the Emperor.]

[The loyalty of the vassals of the Paeraton Duchy has increased!]

[Event occurred!]

[Cynthia is the daughter of Apelia, to whom the ‘A Word Travels a Thousand Miles’ event is being applied!]

[Because she is in a special relationship with the person involved in the rumor, the stories surrounding Cynthia also spread quickly!]

[No matter how much the Empress tries to control the rumors, they will not subside easily!]

[It is impossible to prevent the reputation of Apelia and her daughter, as well as the Empress, from declining!]

That was very good news.

‘Heh, serves her right!’

That’s what you get for trying to remarry our dad without permission!

Even putting a normal person with him is questionable, but that kind of auntie!

I huffed and put my hands on my hips.

“Lulu, is everything with Cynthia over now?”

“Yes? Yes.”

Dad put me down from his arms.

“Then go play. Dad has some business to take care of.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, my sister. You seem to be quite close to this child, so play together.”

“That’s right. We all have things to do separately.”

Before I could say anything, I was pushed out of the room with Dana by Dad and my brothers.

“You’re not going to hit the child, are you?”

“Of course not.”

Dad smiled.

I looked at the closed room and shrugged.

Then I held out my hand to Dana.

“Shall we go play then?”

* * *

“Dana!”

Dana’s mother, Susan, found Dana and ran over.

“Are you okay? Let me see your face. Mom will put medicine on一 oh, you’ve been treated?”

“Miss Ruatisha took me to the ward.”

Only then did Susan notice me and bow repeatedly.

“Oh my, I didn’t see you, Miss. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It happens. Are you busy now?”

“No. Is there anything you want me to do?”

“Yes.”

“Please tell me. Ah, but if Miss Cynthia comes一.”

“It’s okay. Even if she comes, she won’t be able to say anything.”

“Yes?”

“Anyway, let’s go over there and talk.”

Perhaps surprised by what I said, Susan’s eyes widened.

* * *

We took a seat on the terrace where a cool breeze was blowing.

In the center of the table were chocolate chunk cookies. Large cups of milk for Dana and me, and cold-brewed black tea for Susan.

Dana and Susan were so grateful that they didn’t know what to do.

I handed Dana the biggest cookie and asked Susan.

“Why didn’t you quit your nanny job? Dana must have had a hard time.”

At my words, Susan’s eyes turned red.

“I wanted to quit so many times, no, every day. What mother wouldn’t when her child is hurting like that?”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“I owe Lady Apelia a great debt. I needed a lot of money to treat my husband’s illness for years. Eventually, he left, leaving only me and Dana behind.”

“……I saw you scolding Dana when Cynthia threw a tantrum and taking care of Cynthia more. Why did you do that?”

“What mother would want to do that to her child? I’m the same. But I had to, so I could stay with Dana.”

“In that kind of environment, it might be better to grow up apart from your mother. It would have been better to visit occasionally and give warm hugs.”

“Yes, but I used almost all of my salary to pay off the debt, so I couldn’t leave Dana anywhere. I always knew it was a sin to the child, but that way, Dana could avoid being beaten even a little….”

Susan tightly gripped Dana’s hand with tearful eyes.

“Mom is really sorry. It’s all because Mom is lacking….”

“We promised not to apologize, Mom.”

I looked at the two mothers and daughters and blurted out.

“I’ll write off that debt for you.”

Oh.

I never thought I would say such a rich-sounding line.

“Yes?!”

“Ah, Miss!”

“It’s not difficult for me. I have enough ability and background to do it.”

“B, but how can I pay off the debt with your money? You’ve already done so much for me一.”

“I’m not going to pay with money.”

“Yes?”

“Even if I don’t give money, Apelia will step up and say she’ll write off your debt with just one word from me, right?”

The situation is turning out quite interesting right now.

I’m holding the reins tightly.

Wow, this is the taste of power. Power is the best.

“If I say I’ll set you free, how would you like to live?”

Susan opened and closed her lips. And she said quickly.

“I know it’s shameless. But it’s a matter of changing my daughter’s future, so I can’t refuse. I will let Dana live as she wants.”

“Dana?”

“……If you would allow me, I know it’s presumptuous, but I would like to serve you, Miss.”

Dana’s face was bright red. But she didn’t avoid my eyes and looked straight at me.

I smiled.

“That makes me really happy.”

Dana’s face lit up as if relieved.

Well, I feel sorry because she’s so happy, but still.

“But no. Live with your mom alone, not here. Without a Miss to serve. Just your family, cozy and happy.”

“I, I… Am I still lacking?”

“That’s not it. Dana needs a new environment. Don’t follow someone’s orders or wait endlessly for your mom, but find what Dana wants to do.”

You can be anything.

“I’ll accept the two of you as residents of the Paeraton territory. With that experience, I don’t need to find you a job.”

“T, to even accept us as residents….”

Paeraton territory is so developed that even if you are a free citizen, you need a fairly complicated procedure to get permission to move in.

“Now, live well with your daughter. Dana needs a lot of ordinary time.”

Susan stood up and bowed to me.

“Thank you, thank you, Miss! I will never, ever forget this grace, even in death!”

I felt a little awkward hearing such grateful greetings. I thought it was excessive, but my heart tingled.

‘If you have power, you can help people like this.’

“Ah, Miss.”

When I turned around, Dana was smiling shyly.

“Thank you so much. I, I will definitely become someone who can repay your kindness, Miss.”

[You have completed the quest !]

[You have been awarded a 2000 Cash Gacha Ticket as a reward.]

[Dana shyly expresses her gratitude! Isn’t it cute?]

[Susan resolves to give her life for you, Reader, on the day you need her!]

[Reward delayed!]

[The time has not yet come!]

[When the time comes, your fame will spread throughout the world!]

‘Reward delayed?’

The reward for completing this quest was clearly….

– Reward: 2000 Cash Gacha Ticket, Dana’s shy gratitude, future fame

That was it.

I thought this ‘future fame’ was just going to be a small, heartwarming story later on.

Could it be something else?

Why would they say it like that?