I Bought the Villains With Money - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 32.
‘Perhaps the scissors were too much.’
But there was no taking it back now. Jennis held out the scissors at once. I seated Casion before the mirror.
Casion stared at his reflection in the glass, his lower lip pressed firmly shut.
“Jennis, come here and cut His Highness’s hair for me, would you?”
The moment I called for Jennis, Casion seized my hand holding the scissors.
“No.”
Watching the stubborn boy in the mirror’s reflection, I met his eyes through the glass, and he shook his head.
“Not Jennis. You do it.”
“I’ve never cut hair before, Your Highness.”
“I don’t care. You’re doing it.”
It would have been cruel to refuse outright when Casion had mustered such courage to volunteer for a haircut.
“Very well. But you can’t blame me later if it comes out uneven, Your Highness.”
After securing his promise, I brought the scissors to his soft hair. With each snip, dark strands tumbled to the floor.
The moment I cut away the hair falling across his eyes, Casion’s features came alive.
He still looked gaunt, his complexion wan, hardly the picture of health—yet an aura radiated from him that one rarely saw in an eleven-year-old boy.
‘He’s going to break hearts someday.’
Once the hair was settled, everything else fell into place without a hitch.
Whether it was Rubert’s medicine working so well or simple cooperation, Casion held perfectly still throughout the preparations and proved remarkably agreeable.
“All done, Your Highness. Shall we head out now?”
I extended my hand once the preparations were complete.
Casion took my hand. Whether from his nervousness or mine, the slow pulse between us quickened.
The morning breakfast was held at Astro Hall. The Third Prince’s Palace and Astro Hall were quite distant, so the journey alone took considerable time.
The banquet had likely already begun by the time we arrived, yet we made no hurry. The calculation was simple: the more people present, the less likely Julia would dare make a scene.
And the later we arrived, the greater the chance that all eyes would turn toward us.
This birthday breakfast hosted by Dayson was Casion’s first official appearance as a prince.
I wanted as many eyes as possible fixed upon him.
The thought of the nobles and royal family members’ shock upon seeing Casion delighted me—but that delight was short-lived.
“My apologies, but you cannot enter without an invitation. Only His Highness may pass.”
The doorkeeper barred our way. More precisely, he barred me.
“Why not?”
When I pressed the matter, the doorkeeper repeated the same answer like a magical automaton following its program.
“Those without an invitation cannot be admitted.”
For a prince’s birthday banquet, naturally anyone without royal blood required an invitation. I understood that well enough.
But the invitation sent to our house was one I could not use.
‘Count Colcos went directly to Julia and obtained the invitation from her personally.’
In the past, invitations had been delivered to our residence.
But subtle differences had begun to appear between then and now.
Still, I thought little of it. An invitation seemed a trivial matter.
I had assumed that with Casion at my side, entry would be assured.
‘Who would dare stop me when a prince vouches for my identity?’
But I had been naive. The doorkeeper was an uncompromising stickler for protocol.
‘If I’d known it would come to this, I’d have stolen the damned invitation.’
“You must have an invitation.”
After hearing about that wretched invitation a tenth time from the doorkeeper, Casion tugged at the hem of my skirt, drawing me back as he stepped forward.
“What if I vouch for her identity?”
In the Royal Palace, a royal’s face is their invitation.
“That is impossible.”
But the doorkeeper refused flatly. Casion’s fists clenched so tightly that the veins stood out on his wrists.
‘What does this fool think he’s looking at!’
I was about to step forward, unable to tolerate the doorkeeper’s rudeness any longer, when unexpected words spilled from Casion’s mouth.
“That’s an order. Open the door.”
Small but firm, his voice carried enough weight that had it been just a touch louder, it would have been genuinely commanding. He spoke to the doorkeeper with unmistakable authority.
“Forgive me, but without an invitation—”
“I’ll take responsibility. Open the door. Do you dare defy the command of a prince?”
The doorkeeper’s eyes darted about in confusion, unable to find an answer.
“Or do you think I mean to harm His Majesty or my family?”
“No, Your Highness! How could I ever think such a thing!”
“Then why are you preventing someone I’m vouching for from entering? An invitation requirement must exist to ensure that those of confirmed status are admitted.”
The doorkeeper was overwhelmed by the small prince before him. Since Casion spoke only truth, the man could only swallow hard, unable to muster any counter-argument.
“You deemed someone I vouched for to be in danger, didn’t you? That’s as much as saying you don’t trust me.”
“That’s not it, sire…….”
“You’re making me out to be a traitor to the crown.”
“No, Your Highness!”
The guard captain denied it desperately.
By Casion’s logic, the guard would have been accusing Casion of plotting the King’s assassination—a traitor to the crown—which amounted to nothing less than an affront to the royal family itself.
An affront to the royal blood—a crime too grave for careless words.
“Then open it.”
Casion would not yield. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood visibly on end.
‘He’s terrified.’
What must it cost him to face the knight with such composure?
The knight’s refusal was more than mere obstruction. Through this captain, Casion had just learned how insignificant a prince could be.
‘Wretched.’
Yet for all that, I found myself proud of Casion for standing firm against the guard captain rather than backing away—for my sake.
“I’ll take responsibility. Open the door.”
Casion’s words fell like an ultimatum, grinding out with finality, and something like reluctant respect flickered across the guard captain’s face.
In the end, he stepped aside.
The knight gave a nod to the attendants, and the massive doors that had seemed immovable swung open.
Refined music wholly at odds with the confrontation that had just passed, chandeliers blazing so bright they dazzled the eye, the scent of exquisite food that could tempt even the satisfied—and threading through it all, the distant sound of laughter.
Worlds apart from where Casion and I stood.
As if by agreement, we straightened our spines and lifted our chins.
Hand in hand, we stepped forward into the throng of hollow-hearted nobility. Behind us, the heavy doors closed with a sound like finality.
***
Clink.
Count Colcos dropped his fork. His gaze fixed on the entrance. The smile that had filled his face slowly faded.
“Count Colcos, is something amiss?”
Julia asked. Colcos merely stammered, unable to form words.
Julia followed his gaze and turned her head.
She was not alone. Every eye in Astro Hall snapped toward the entrance. In that same instant, faces went pale.
“The Third Prince?”
“I heard he was absent due to health concerns.”
“Exactly. He’s never appeared at any royal function…….”
“And isn’t that the Irenberg Princess beside him?”
“The Third Prince and the Irenberg Princess?”
Murmurs rippled through the assembled nobility.
Casion and Diana entered the banquet hall hand in hand, every inch a devoted pair.
Julia’s jaw tightened.
‘How did they get in here?’
She forced her lips upward to maintain her smile.
The spy she’d planted on Casion had reported that he remained docile and confined to the palace. She’d even sealed the loose passage Diana used to slip in and out.
This morning, she’d checked the palace registry—not a single name resembling Diana or Viola Irenberg appeared on it.
‘But how——’
Julia bit the inside of her cheek. Without iron discipline, she’d burst out screaming right here and make a spectacle of herself.
She stared at Diana and Casion until her eyes burned.
Diana felt the chill of Julia’s gaze and lifted her head. When their eyes met across the empty space, Diana broke into a radiant smile.
A smile designed to infuriate Julia—one that Julia found wholly insufferable.
Julia’s mind raced, hunting for a way to cast them out.
Then King Karman rose to his feet.
“You’re late, Casion. Welcome, Irenberg Princess.”
He greeted the two of them as though an arrangement had been made all along.
Despite the spacious banquet hall having no seats left for them.
But that was a trifling matter.
“We’re short on chairs. Bring more.”
Three words from Karman—that was all it took.
The moment seats were prepared for Casion and Diana, Julia’s opportunity to expel them vanished.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Perfunctory greetings were exchanged, and once Diana and Casion were seated, the meal resumed.
Yet not a soul at the table could focus on their food.
The nobles were too busy stealing glances at Diana and Casion, while Julia, Dayson, and Count Colcos choked on their shock and rage, unable to swallow.
“The palace chef’s skill appears to be lacking.”
Karman spoke. The nobles lifted their heads in unison, regarding him.
“Impossible, Your Majesty. It is splendid.”
“Then why is no one eating? As though this gathering were uncomfortable for them. Could it be that you find this gathering uncomfortable?”
Karman openly suggested that Casion and Diana were unwelcome guests.
Who among them would raise a hand and say it aloud? That Casion and Diana had not been invited.
The presence or absence of an invitation did not matter. The king had provided them with chairs. It meant far more than any letter of invitation Julia might have sent.
“You’re late, Casion.”
Karman’s gaze upon Casion held no warmth. Yet neither was it entirely devoid of feeling.
In a tone much like a father reproaching an errant son, Casion’s hands clenched into fists.
Diana patted the back of his hand beneath the tablecloth.
Casion found Karman loathsome.
He knew Casion had not received an invitation. So why this rebuke for being late? What was he doing?
Casion wrestled with the thought. What would happen if he said here that he hadn’t been invited—not just this time, but every time?
‘Would it amount to admitting I’m the royal household’s unwanted child?’
How would the nobles react then?
‘Would they pity me?’
Casion lowered his gaze and curved his lips upward.
‘Not a chance. They’d only despise me more.’
Casion recognized what answer was required. Yet before he spoke, he wanted to ask Diana if such words were permitted.
Casion turned to look at Diana. But there was no need to ask. Diana was already watching him alone.
Her gaze answered his unspoken question.
‘Do as you wish, Your Highness.’
In those steady eyes lay the promise that whatever he chose to do, she would bear the consequences with him. Courage rose from the depths of Casion’s chest.
I Bought Villains with Money (Serialized)
Author │ Lee In-hye
Publisher │ Kim Joo-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd. – Tiramisu
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 1101, 11F, Ace Techno Tower 8th Building, 33 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ http://blog.naver.com/jayplemedia1
© Lee In-hye 2021
※ This work has been published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder,
and the contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this provision may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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