I Bought the Villains With Money - Chapter 60

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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 60.
His gaze was fixed on some point in the distance.
The unfocused eyes left me bewildered and breathless.
‘Surely he didn’t just pass out from the shock while his eyes were open?’
I quickly grabbed Casion’s cheek and turned his face toward me. His gaze rolled slowly until it settled on me.
Those golden eyes gave away nothing of what he was thinking.
“Your Highness, did you hear what I said?”
Had I held him too tightly?
Did he lose consciousness from the sudden pressure on his chest?
But he was still breathing, wasn’t he?
His head had turned and his eyes had moved, so he seemed conscious, but the complete lack of response terrified me.
He should have collapsed in front of me once or twice before reaching this point.
I removed my hand from his cheek and placed it beneath his nose.
Warm breath tickled the fine hairs on my skin.
Yet something felt wrong.
By now, he should’ve swatted my hand away and shouted at me!
This wouldn’t do. I released Casion and turned to call for someone outside.
Snap.
Then Casion seized my wrist.
The strength in his grip—fiercer than ever before—made me turn back.
Casion kept his head bowed.
“Your Highness?”
If you’re going to grab my hand, at least say something!
The suspense was killing me.
There had been times when I’d wished I could sew his mouth shut during his days of spitting out hateful remarks, but now I’d have gladly taken those vicious words over this silence.
‘I’ll faint waiting like this.’
I felt my patience wearing thin and tried to call out to Casion again.
Then he finally opened his mouth.
“……I’ll do it properly.”
“I’m sorry? What did you say?”
I couldn’t quite hear him and asked him to repeat himself. His grip on my wrist tightened.
“I said I’ll do the proposal properly!”
Casion shouted the words at me.
***
Hehe, giggle, snort, chortle, laugh.
I laughed all day long.
“Miss, are you feeling unwell? Lebert, shouldn’t we have the young lady examined?”
Jennis thought something was wrong with my mind. Hearing that only made me laugh harder.
Right now, I was so happy that anyone could pinch me and I’d still laugh. The laughter couldn’t be contained.
“Leave her be. Seems like she’s absolutely delighted with what she’s achieved after all that effort.”
Rumdracks said, filling a wine glass.
“But a betrothal, no less? My niece’s fiancé is a prince—surely that’s a good thing for Chorni too, yes?”
Cho snatched the wine glass Rumdracks had poured and took a sip, laughing heartily.
“It’s all thanks to all of you.”
I gave a proper thanks. Cho and Rumdracks straightened their jaws, Jennis wrapped her arms around me, and Lebert’s face flushed red.
“Jennis, ease up—I can’t breathe.”
Jennis was hugging me so tightly I couldn’t draw air. When I tapped her arms, she finally released me.
“My apologies, Miss. I was just so happy… Oh! It’s not that I’m happy you’re betrothed to His Highness Casion—it’s that I’m delighted you’ll be managing House affairs as you’ve always wanted!”
Jennis spoke her true feelings honestly.
“I was curious about that. Acting House Head—is that something they give to everyone who gets betrothed to royalty?”
Rumdracks asked, popping a candied cherry into his mouth. The man certainly had an appetite. Always eating.
“There’s no such law or custom. There’s only a law that marrying into the royal family grants adult status. This time, His Majesty issued a special royal decree just for me.”
He wielded his power quite effectively.
“Is it that even a betrothal creates ties with the royal house, so you should hold a position befitting those ties?”
Cho ventured a guess at what Karman—likely His Majesty—had intended.
“That too, but I think His Majesty’s deeper intention is to invest in House Irenber’s future while keeping watch over it.”
“So if you slip up, he’ll take the position away.”
Rumdracks set down the cherry and brushed his hand dismissively, clearly displeased.
“When can you begin your duties as Acting House Head?”
Cho posed a very important question. Lebert, who had been looking down, Jennis, who had been eating a biscuit, and Rumdracks, who had been uncorking a new wine bottle, all stopped in unison and turned to look at me.
“Your Majesty, I sent him a letter right away. I couldn’t put this in writing.”
“So he replied?”
Chorni couldn’t help asking. I nodded.
“What did he say?”
Rumdracks interjected. I wiped the smile from my face and looked around at the others.
Jennis swallowed a cookie she’d barely chewed, her mouth still half full.
Lebert was gnawing at his fingernails.
Becoming House Head was my goal, but they looked every bit as desperate as I felt.
“I can barely breathe, miss! Tell us quickly!”
Jennis bounced on her feet, pestering me. I pulled Karman’s letter from my dress. I unfolded it and cleared my throat with a solemn hem.
“The rights of Acting House Head may be exercised from the moment I consent to the betrothal.”
As I read the crucial passage in a grave voice, everyone’s jaws dropped.
They erupted in silent celebration at the news that I had already become Acting House Head.
Chorni clenched both fists; Rumdracks shook a champagne bottle wildly, threatening to pop it; tears glistened in Jennis’s eyes.
And Lebert dropped to his knees on the floor.
“Congratulations, House Head of House Irenber.”
Lebert shouted. The people who had been bustling about froze in place.
Jennis, who had been frowning down at Lebert’s back, knelt beside him in unison.
“Congratulations, my lady!”
Not miss, but the House Head and mistress of House Irenber. The words stirred something in my chest, though this was not the moment to dwell on them.
I waved them off and helped both to their feet.
“Not yet.”
“Our House Head is so modest.”
Rumdracks tapped my shoulder with a playful grin.
“From now on, no discounts on commission fees for our House Head.”
Chorni said.
I laughed—Chorni had never once given me a discount. He’d only raise the price, insisting that full payment was the condition for quality information.
“Tonight we celebrate!”
Pop! The champagne exploded.
Rumdracks shook the bottle wildly, his hand barely covering half the opening.
A sweet fruity scent spread through the air.
“No, stop that!”
Jennis fled from Rumdracks while Chorni grabbed him from behind and forced his hand away from the bottle’s mouth.
The bottle tipped, and champagne cascaded down over Lebert’s head as he knelt.
“No, no, no—this isn’t right!”
Lebert, who had been quiet until then, leaped up and protested to Rumdracks. The moment Chorni’s grip loosened in surprise at Lebert’s anger, Rumdracks bolted.
Four people erupted into a game of tag in my room.
I was supposed to be the adult here, yet I was surrounded by children even more childish than myself.
I rested my chin on my hand and sighed.
It was a sigh full of joy.
‘I wonder what our prince is doing. I wish he could have celebrated with us.’
Casion came to mind—the prince who had boldly declared he would propose.
The sight of him shouting so earnestly was rather endearing. I smiled softly, picturing the dear prince’s face.
***
On a leisurely afternoon, yellow papers scattered across the streets. People in cafes, restaurants, and clothing shops—each absorbed in their own work—suddenly poured into the streets and snatched up the papers.
They contained the secret scandals of nobles and gossip about famous figures.
The sheer volume of papers disappeared so quickly that there was hardly any debris to clean up.
Even those who had shown no interest came rushing out after hearing what the papers contained, desperate to see for themselves.
Given who the protagonist of these stories was, people’s excitement was entirely understandable.
[A marriage alliance between House Irenber and the Petrola Royal Family is underway.
House Irenber now welcomes an Acting House Head of merely thirteen years old. What will become of Prince Casion, who now stands backed by House Irenber?]
‘The Third Prince, all of a sudden? But they said he was ill.’
‘I heard rumors that his illness was a lie. He wasn’t actually sick—the King was so fond of him that he kept him close.’
‘That’s not the point. How can a mere thirteen-year-old commoner girl run a great house like House Irenber?’
‘Why couldn’t she? The rumors say she’s extraordinarily clever.’
People began gossiping about Diana and Casion rather than House Irenber and the Petrola Royal Family.
Diana became a once-in-a-generation prodigy at one moment, then the most beautiful lady in the world at the next.
Casion transformed from a cursed prince into a beloved pet son showered with the King’s affection.
For days after the papers fluttered through the air, Broom was ablaze with chatter.
The alliance between House Irenber and the Petrola Royal Family stirred far greater waves than Diana had anticipated.
With the Head of House Irenber dead, merchants who had scaled back their dealings began flocking to the Irenber Mansion once more.
Casion’s palace was overflowing with gifts and correspondence.
The news naturally reached Julia’s ears. That very day, she summoned Diana to her.
I Bought the Villains with Money (Serialization)
Author │ Lee In-hye
Publisher │ Kim Joo-hyung
Publishing House │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd. – Tiramisu
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 11F, 1101, Ace Techno Tower 8th Building, 33-gil Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul
Email │ [email protected]
Homepage │ http://blog.naver.com/jayplemedia1
ⓒ Lee In-hye 2021
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder,
and the content may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this restriction 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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