Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 85

* * *

[New quest has arrived.

Dear Reader!

The moment has finally come!

The last gate of the Paeraton Duchy!

Zeon Paeraton has ended his long days of slaughter and finally returned home!

Hurry and tame this slaughter demon, and rise to the pinnacle of Paeraton!

Completely seize the family and spread your influence far and wide!

– Condition: Be recognized as a member of the family by Zeon

– Reward: 7000 Cash Gacha Ticket]

“……”

Is this telling me to do the quest or not?

Why bother mentioning that he’s been spending days in slaughter again!

My gloves are covered in blood right now!

And now you want me to get recognized by him?!

“Don’t touch him with those dirty hands.”

Ixion bared his teeth and snapped at Zeon.

Zeon’s eyes slowly turned towards Ixion.

“Are you ordering me now?”

His voice was very dry.

Not even a hint of anger could be felt.

However, at that moment, a fierce aura erupted from Ares and Ixion.

The wariness of the two was so palpable that I could feel it.

I clenched my fist tightly and took a step forward.

“Zeon, welcome home!”

I pretended not to notice the tension between them and greeted Zeon casually.

“Did you come back to celebrate my birthday? I should have saved some cake.”

Zeon looked at me, who was smiling brightly, as if I were a strange sight.

Honestly, I don’t really know.

What Zeon is thinking right now.

But I didn’t avoid his gaze as he stared at me silently.

In any case, Zeon has returned home after a long time.

“If you’re going to attend the party, go change your clothes first, Zeon.”

Dad subtly blocked me and said.

Zeon glanced at Dad, then turned around without answering.

He left the party like that.

And didn’t return until it was over.

* * *

‘Ugh, it’s bothering me! It’s bothering me!’

I slammed the document I was looking at.

Count Kandor’s gaze turned to me.

“You don’t seem to be able to concentrate.”

“I can’t, not at all.”

I stretched in my chair, then leaned forward and asked.

“Hey, what kind of person is Zeon? Is he very violent and ferocious?”

The quest window calls him a slaughter demon.

Yesterday, Ixion and Ares reacted sensitively.

Dad even subtly hid me.

‘But what bothers me the most is…….’

The back that was turning away.

That straight, upright back, that didn’t feel any loneliness or solitude.

Why does that image keep lingering in my mind?

“The members of Paeraton all have a tendency to be violent and ferocious.”

“……Our family isn’t that ferocious and violent.”

I pouted, and Count Kandor chuckled.

“Isn’t the most violent and ferocious of them all Prince Ares?”

“Ares?”

Our Ares is as warm as the spring sunshine.

Of course…… there were some twists and turns.

“It’s because the Princess hasn’t seen Prince Ares’s old self that you say that.”

“He’s managing it now, but he used to be like a ticking time bomb.”

Baron Dier chimed in.

“The most reasonable one is Prince Ixion.”

“Ixion?”

“Doesn’t he have very clear motivations for his actions?”

“……Ixion attacked me before.”

“That’s…….”

“Reasonable people don’t attack their siblings like that. There’s a limit to how much you can bully them!”

“The range of his actions is too extreme, but still, doesn’t he have very clear motivations?”

“Yeah.”

Indeed, the reason Ixion was so hostile to me was quite human.

That kid just needed someone ordinary who would treat him normally.

A solid ground to support him.

But he didn’t even know he wanted that, and he didn’t know how to express it even more.

“His actions are too extreme, but if you look inside, he has very human motivations.”

“Prince Ares…… is definitely different from the senses of ordinary people, but still, I can understand him.”

“If you had that much power, other humans would look like bugs. If those bugs tried to control him, he would have no choice but to be angry.”

I nodded at their words.

Ares is always smiling, but the more he does, the more clearly I feel hostility.

But he’s completely fine with me now.

“But Prince Zeon…….”

With those words, the two fell silent.

Why, why are you doing this? You’re making me anxious.

“……I don’t know.”

At those words, Zeon’s eyes came to mind.

Eyes that were inorganic, without any emotion, like glass beads.

A dry voice that didn’t contain any emotion.

“It’s not enough to simply say that the young master is cold…….”

“In fact, no one in the Duchy knows much about Prince Zeon.”

“Why?”

“He’s almost never home.”

“He’s always outside?”

“Yes, he hasn’t returned even once in the past four years, has he? He often does that. He only came back five years ago when the Madam was about to give birth.”

“And he doesn’t keep people by his side, so he doesn’t even have a retinue [a group of advisors or assistants accompanying an important person].”

“The firstborn son?”

Shouldn’t he be leading the most splendid retinue?

“He doesn’t even have a dedicated butler or servant.”

“Why?”

“……I don’t know.”

“He never showed any signs of disliking or being annoyed. He just…….”

Count Kandor trailed off.

Just, what?

What did he do?

“Ahem, anyway, he’s been like that since he was very young, so no one knows Prince Zeon well.”

“He’s been like that since he was a baby?”

That’s too much!

“Miss, Paeraton, where magic flows, doesn’t necessarily need emotional exchange for growth. A certain level of socialization is necessary, but care is not necessary.”

“Look at Prince Ixion now. Which aide or servant would take care of the young master? The same goes for Prince Ares.”

……But what Ixion needed was family.

Just because it’s functioning properly doesn’t mean that’s all there is.

‘Perfect, they said.’

“I thought the Duke was perfect without a single flaw. He doesn’t need others at all, and he doesn’t understand people who need others…….”

That’s not perfect.

But if other people consider it perfect and agree with it.

I could guess how Dad and my brothers had been living.

“……Still, there must be something you know. Like something he likes.”

“I wonder.”

“Then what does he hate? That’s easier to know.”

“That’s also…….”

“…….”

What would it be like to live a life where you don’t share what you like or dislike with anyone?

Baron Dier tried to comfort me, wondering what I thought of my gloomy face. Then he exclaimed with a bright face.

“Ah, I remembered one thing that Prince Zeon likes!”

“Really?”

After all, he must have shared at least one thing he liked with someone!

Or at least someone noticed!

“What is it, what is it?”

“He once said that he enjoys crushing monster heads!”

“…….”

“Why don’t you try talking about this? You’ll be able to get close to him quickly.”

Baron Dier smiled proudly, saying, “How is it?”

……Thanks for the helpful information!

* * *

I swept my hair, tied high, to one side and checked the back of my neck in the mirror.

A jet-black pattern was engraved on my nape.

It was a barrier that Dad had personally cast when I said I would take care of Seed.

‘This should be enough.’

By the way, is that Seed doing well?

This grandma is worried.

‘No, this isn’t the time to worry about that ungrateful guy!’

I took the pudding bowl and went to Zeon’s room.

Knock, knock, I knocked on the door, but there was no answer from inside.

I carefully turned the doorknob and the door opened.

‘Oh, this is……. Like the room of the Northern Duke before meeting the heroine?’

It was luxurious and splendid, but strangely desolate.

For some reason, if you opened the refrigerator, it would be filled with Evi☆ water bottles…….

‘Is he out?’ I wondered, looking around.

“Oh.”

Zeon was leaning against the window on the inside, looking at me without a sound.

“Hi, Zeon.”

I greeted him, feeling a little awkward, and placed the tray with the pudding on the table.

“I came to see if you wanted to have a snack together.”

“…….”

“Isn’t it nice to be back home? They say you suffer when you leave home.”

“…….”

No, how can there be so little reaction?

I’d say something even if it was annoying!

‘Do I have to bring up that story after all.’

“How have you been? I heard you’ve been sal… subjugating monsters.”

“…….”

Didn’t you say you like crushing monster heads?!

The reaction is consistently absent!

Then, Zeon’s gaze briefly turned to my nape and then back.

‘D, did he check the barrier?’

What would have happened if there was no barrier?

I swallowed hard.

Still…….

“I didn’t expect Zeon to come back on my birthday. Yesterday was really fun. You should have changed your clothes and come.”

Zeon, who was silently looking at me, let out a low sigh. The lips that seemed like they would never open finally parted.

“You’re not very smart, are you?”

I’m not a genius, but I’m not that stupid.

Zeon strode towards me.

“There’s a reason why such a grand party is held, even inviting outsiders.”

His gloved hand touched my cheek. The cold, hard texture of leather.

“Wouldn’t it be perfect for promoting a product?”

He stared at me as if he were appraising a product.

Ah.

This is a bit infuriating.

“My dad isn’t that kind of person.”

Zeon didn’t laugh at me. He just quietly asked with a still-expressionless face.

“How much do you think you know about your dad?”

“How much does Zeon know about Dad?”

“At least I know more than you do.”

“I don’t think so?”

I put my hands on my hips and stuck out my stomach.

“Has Zeon ever heard Dad say ‘Mommy’?”

“…….”

No, right? Right?

Seeing Zeon’s lack of response, I became more confident.

“What about Dad saying ‘Chika’?”

See, you don’t have that either!

“Does Zeon know that Dad brushes Lulu’s hair and pats her to sleep at night?”

See!

I know much more about my dad!

Ahem, I looked up, feeling proud…….

What is it.

I can suddenly read this man’s expression?

‘I didn’t know any of that, but it’s really information I didn’t want to know.’

Although he was somewhat expressionless, Zeon was definitely showing that kind of sign.

‘……It’s good to know at least one thought, but if it’s this kind of thought, I didn’t want to know it either.’

I didn’t realize it when I said it, but it was a bit embarrassing.

“Ah, anyway! My dad isn’t that kind of person.”

I hurriedly changed the subject and busily held out the pudding.

“W, want to eat this?”

Zeon’s gaze turned to the pudding.

“It’s very delicious. Dad even made it himself一.”

Smack!

“I don’t need it.”

He made it for me.

The pudding that Zeon knocked away flew through the air and splattered on the floor.

‘That’s…… the pudding that our dad made himself for my birthday.’

The pudding was what I ate when I had my first meal with Dad after coming to the Duchy.

It was the first thing Dad gave way to me.

I like pudding because it’s delicious, but it also meant a lot to me.

And that’s the only pudding in the world.

“Don’t cry. Because it seems like it would be really annoying.”

Crimson eyes looked down at me coldly.

Even in those eyes, I couldn’t find anger or annoyance. The same was true in his warning voice.

Normally, that sense of incongruity would have been scary, but right now I couldn’t see anything.

The pudding that our dad wore an apron and made in front of me is on the ground!

Splatter!

Tsk, Zeon clicked his tongue and tried to leave the room.

Is he just going to leave after doing this?

My eyes burned with anger.

“You have to cherish food!”

The moment I shouted that, my body moved on its own.

Bang!

[Ability has been activated.]

My hand slammed hard against the wall.

And Zeon was trapped between the wall and me.

Without an inch of space, close.

If you only look at this, it was a perfect wall slam.

‘……My gaze is on Zeon’s waist, though.’

I tried a wall slam, but it failed miserably because I’m short.

How embarrassing.

‘This ability is supposed to be girl crush, girl crush!’

Where is the girl crush in this!

I managed my expression as much as possible and raised my head.

Zeon, with a somewhat dazed expression, was visible.

“……You’re the first kid to do this to me.”

……Well, it would be the first time.

But I don’t want to be the first.

Haa.