Lord Baby Runs A Romance Fantasy With Cash [EN]: Chapter 94

☆ Episode 95 ☆

Even after five years, Clartier had grown up, but her familiar features made her instantly recognizable.

She still possessed a lovely face and a sweet smile.

In a few years, she would blossom into a slender beauty, captivating the hearts of the empire’s men.

Meanwhile, the standoff between the red-haired young lady and the dress shop staff continued.

“If that’s not the meaning, then what is? Are you daring to ignore me, the daughter of Marquis Poschette?”

Poschette?

Could that little girl be the granddaughter of Marquis Poschette?

Naturally, Marquis Poschette, whom I had met during the Black Death incident long ago, came to mind.

“I wish my grandson were a little older. Do you dislike younger men?”

“How old is he?”

“He’s four years younger than you.”

“…….”

“When you grow up, four years won’t be a big deal.”

“Any guy with a grandpa who tries to pawn off a one-year-old on me as a potential husband is a no-go.”

“Goodness, I’ve ruined my grandson’s chances. But his granddaughter is exactly your age. I hope you two meet and get along later.”

“Hmph, we’ll see.”

Although the Marquis had a prickly demeanor, compared to the gentle Marquis Poschette, his granddaughter seemed to be a willful tomboy.

I was about to step in, seeing the troubled faces of the experienced staff.

“Young Lady Poschette.”

Clartier gently grabbed Young Lady Poschette’s shoulder.

“That dress was made for Princess Paeraton.”

“What?”

“I also think it suits Young Lady Poschette very well, but there’s nothing we can do. It’s Princess Paeraton’s.”

“Paeraton? Princess Paeraton again?”

Young Lady Poschette’s eyes flashed.

‘Oh my, she’s still the same. My cousin.’

I held back a laugh.

[Sudden Quest Alert!]

Dear Reader!
You caught on, right?

I didn’t raise you to be so clueless!

You witnessed Clartier subtly trying to mess with you, and you’re not just going to walk away, are you?

Cider! Cider!

I want cider!

– Condition: Give Clartier some cider

– Reward: 5000-Cash Gacha Ticket

‘When did she ever raise me?’

Anyway, I had no intention of just listening from behind in this situation.

[Quest Accepted.]

“Clartier?”

“Oh my.”

Clartier looked genuinely surprised and flustered when she saw me.

But it was only for a moment; she soon returned to her signature beaming expression.

It seemed she thought she had me in the palm of her hand.

“Long time no see, Ruatisha.”

Ruatisha, huh.

It was the first time my name had come out of those lips.

It felt so creepy it gave me goosebumps.

Clartier greeted me warmly and introduced me to Young Lady Poschette.

“Young Lady Poschette, this is my cousin, Ruatisha Paeraton.”

“Princess Paeraton?”

“Yes, the owner of that dress.”

Young Lady Poschette, who had been momentarily surprised, puffed out her cheeks at those words.

She looked back and forth between the dress and me, then asked,

“Is this yours?”

“Well, we’d have to hear what Yutra [the designer] says. I haven’t heard anything about that dress.”

“What, then it’s wrong to say that Princess Paeraton is the owner of this dress.”

Young Lady Poschette looked at Clartier, asking what was going on.

Clartier glanced at me, looking embarrassed.

“But, Yutra Pelia said she made the dress only for Princess Paeraton.”

It sounded like I was lying because I didn’t want to deal with Young Lady Poschette, or because I wanted to avoid responsibility.

Naturally, Young Lady Poschette’s face crumpled.

I smiled brightly.

“Wow, that’s amazing, Clartier! How do you know something that even I, the person involved, don’t know? Did Yutra tell you about this dress separately?”

“Huh?”

Clartier visibly lost her composure, as if she hadn’t expected me to say such a thing.

“It’s true that I only wear Yutra’s clothes. I have an exclusive contract with the Paeraton ducal family. It’s been extended for years.”

“Y-yes. Exclusive contract! I heard about it too. That’s why other young ladies’ clothes are—”

“Oh, come on, Tié [term of endearment for a sister or female cousin] unnie [older sister]. Are you pretending not to know, or do you really not know?”

Clartier’s eyes wavered as I chuckled and shook my head.

Right, I’m not the same as the child who was abused and gaslighted five years ago, who couldn’t even make eye contact and trembled, am I?

But don’t be surprised yet.

“All of the Paeraton family’s clothes are Yutra’s responsibility under the exclusive contract. But Yutra can make clothes for other people as much as she wants. That’s what an exclusive contract is, right?”

Yutra only made my clothes purely for her own fangirling.

And it was practically possible thanks to my dad’s devotion and wealth, who insisted that not even a single glove should be left out and that everything should be given to me.

In other words, unless Yutra declares it’s my dress or my dad says he bought it, strictly speaking, it’s not my dress.

Clartier’s eyelids fluttered as she couldn’t find anything to say.

Is it already over?

What should I do?

I’m not going to stop here.

It would be a disaster if I got a penalty for mediocre cider.

Of course, I wouldn’t have stopped even if it wasn’t a penalty.

“Ah!”

I covered my lips with a surprised expression.

“Could it be… Unnie, you didn’t know what an exclusive contract was, did you?”

“What?”

“It’s okay. Not knowing isn’t a sin.”

Clartier’s tightly clenched fist trembled.

‘But she can’t say she knows here, can she?’

Then she would be admitting that she put ideas into Young Lady Poschette’s head, right?

Her pride wouldn’t allow her to say she didn’t know.

Watching her tremble with anger, unable to do anything, filled me with exhilaration.

I gently wrapped my hand around Clartier’s, which was full of strength.

“But Clartier, it’s better not to speak carelessly about things you don’t know well.”

“Carelessly?”

“I, your cousin, would never misunderstand you, but other people might.”

I gave the angelic smile that Clartier always wore.

A smile that didn’t feel malicious at all.

“That you’re deliberately spreading rumors about me.”

I deliberately cast my gaze around.

Clartier’s gaze naturally followed mine.

The dress shop staff didn’t show any signs, as befitting professionals.

But no one would think they would continue to keep their mouths shut for Clartier, who had no real connection to them.

Although they didn’t sell girls’ clothes, Yutra’s dress shop was even more prosperous than it had been five years ago.

All sorts of noble ladies came and went to buy clothes for themselves and their husbands, even inviting them to their mansions.

“W-what are you saying…! I never meant that! Why would I do that?”

Clartier exclaimed, her face pale.

“I know. I don’t misunderstand you, remember?”

I patted Clartier’s hand and smiled brightly.

‘Wow, her expression is too good to keep to myself.’

Her cheeks were trembling so much from anger.

But even so, Clartier couldn’t say anything to me.

She was being taken down by someone she had always looked down on, without being able to say a word.

I could clearly feel that humiliation.

I deliberately made eye contact with Clartier and spoke in a teaching tone.

“So be careful what you say in the future, Clartier.”

Crunch.

It was nice to hear that grinding sound.

But it’s not over yet.

“Ah, and about etiquette. When introducing people, you introduce both sides. You only introduced me to Young Lady Poschette earlier, right?”

This was very basic etiquette.

“You know that’s rude, right? Ah, do you not know this either…”

When I looked at her with pitiful eyes, Clartier finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“Do you think I wouldn’t know that?!”

Bingo.

I looked at her with a shocked expression.

“You knew? Then… were you doing that on purpose? Why would you do that to me…”

Clartier’s face turned bright red in embarrassment.

“I-I forgot. I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

It was a poor excuse.

“I see. But Clartier, let me tell you something. You have to introduce Young Lady Poschette to me first, and then introduce me to Young Lady Poschette.”

“That’s—”

“Ah, did you perhaps know this too, but forgot?”

Clartier’s lips closed like a clam.

“Unnie, you’re really going to be in trouble. You’ll be going to social gatherings at your age, and people will say you don’t have basic manners.”

You really don’t know etiquette.

Clartier flared up at the perfect disregard in my words.

“Or, they might misunderstand that you deliberately ignored me.”

But she had no choice but to close her mouth again at my words.

Clartier glanced at the dress shop staff.

I smiled brightly and whispered in Clartier’s ear.

“Let’s do well, Unnie. Okay?”

Whoosh!

Clartier’s face turned so red it was almost black.

She glared at me as if she would kill me, then bit her lip and turned her head away.

“Let’s go, Young Lady Poschette.”

Her tail was wagging as she tried to run away….

‘How pitiful.’

Oops, facial expression management, facial expression management.

If I laugh too much, she’ll look pathetic.

[Quest Completed.]

[5000-Cash Gacha Ticket has been awarded as a reward.]

[The dress shop is the center of rumors!]

[Especially Yutra’s dress shop, where the readers’ favorability towards you is at its maximum!]

[If you and Clartier clash, this incident will spread quickly in a direction favorable to you!]

“Go? I haven’t bought the dress yet, so no.”

Young Lady Poschette frowned immediately.

‘That little girl doesn’t seem to care about anything.’

Whether someone spreads rumors about others, or deliberately ignores others, it seems like she doesn’t care as long as it’s not her business.

She doesn’t seem to care much about Clartier’s situation either.

“So are you going to sell me this dress or not? I can pay as much as you want.”

Seeing her only check if she can get the dress she wants made it even more certain.

‘She’s a really simple and self-centered little girl. In some ways, she’s typical.’

Considering her age, it was understandable.

Clartier was staring at Young Lady Poschette, annoyed and dumbfounded.

“I’m sorry, Young Lady. As I said, there is already a buyer for this dress.”

“So who is it!”

“That’s…”

It was the moment when the dress shop staff was in trouble.

“Ha, so you were here.”

Zeon appeared with a cool smile.

Along with Ares.

* * *

Clartier stared at Zeon and Ares with wide eyes.

She could recognize them at first glance, even though she had never seen them before.

‘He looks like my uncle.’

She had seen countless people who were said to be handsome after coming to the capital, but the two men in front of her were on a different level.

Glancing to the side, Young Lady Poschette had a dazed look on her face and was even clasping her hands together.

The two men didn’t care about the attention and were all over their youngest sibling.

“I was shocked that my sister left me behind.”

“I didn’t leave you behind on purpose. I just went out in a hurry.”

“In a hurry?”

“Ixion said the apple pie was delicious, so.”

“So I lost to apple pie?”

“No, why are you taking it so far…”

Ruatisha looked at Ares and Zeon, who seemed a bit annoying, and began to appease them.

“I bought apple pie for Ares, Zeon, and Dad. I bought it on purpose, thinking of you.”

“That’s not enough.”

“Then?”

“Will you forgive me if I go flower viewing with you? Just the two of us.”

“I want you to hug me all day and stroke my head.”

Ares picked up Ruatisha, and Zeon rubbed his cheek against the child’s head.

“…….”

Clartier’s face hardened as she watched the scene.

‘Who is she…!’

Why does that child have everything she wants?

Originally, she was a simpleton who used to polish her shoes.

‘She’s a bastard! My dad said she’s a bastard!’

Why, when she’s not even a real family!

It was then.

“What’s all the noise?”

Ixion came out of the inner room with a frown.

He bared his teeth at Zeon and Ares, who were fighting over Ruatisha.

“Ha, you came quickly. Are you free?”

“A nasty stray cat is stealing my sister, so I have no choice but to move even if I’m busy.”

“It seems like I had to clean up from the closest place first.”

Sparks flew between the three men.

Ruatisha sighed as if she was used to it.

“If you fight now, I’m only going to have meals and tea time with Dad for a month.”

“What?!”

“That’s not allowed!”

“I have to be with my youngest. You know that.”

“I’m going on a trip with Dad too. Leaving my brothers behind.”

“……!”

The three men’s eyes shook as if there was an earthquake.

The tense atmosphere disappeared, and they wagged their tails, saying things like, “I won’t fight, okay?”, “Why would we fight? We never intended to fight from the beginning.”

“But what’s going on? It sounded like there was a loud noise.”

After a while, Ares looked around and asked, as if he had just noticed the other people.

Accordingly, Ixion, who was looking around, said, “Ah,” and looked at Young Lady Poschette.

Young Lady Poschette’s face turned as red as a flower.

“Is that the new dress Yutra was talking about?”

But what Ixion saw was not Young Lady Poschette, but the dress she was holding.

“New dress? Hmm, it’s far from my sister’s cuteness, but it’s still better than other things.”

“But why is she holding it? Ah, is she helping her wear it? Heh, cotton ball, you’re amazing.”

Ixion looked at Ruatisha with eyes that asked if she had already made a lackey.

Clartier stepped forward the moment Ruatisha was about to answer.

“Ah, that’s not it. Young Lady Poschette said she wanted to wear that dress…”

Clartier carefully opened her mouth with a troubled expression.

“I told her it was Ruatisha’s dress, but she kept… But it was Ruatisha’s dress after all, right? Huh? Then why did Ruatisha say that earlier…”

She trailed off, drooping her eyebrows as if she was in trouble.

Still with a kind and gentle face.