I Bought the Villains With Money - Chapter 75

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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 75.
“How am I anything like you?”
Casion slipped into Dark Mode without warning. It meant whatever I said next would fall on ears drowning in melancholy.
Truly, I had no gift for soothing a child in this state.
‘I’m terrible at comfort.’
Honesty was my only weapon. Even if that honesty sometimes cut like a blade, I’d decided to use what I had.
“Please, sit down. Welcome to Irenber Mansion.”
I offered the belated greeting and settled Casion into the plush sofa.
“We have far more in common than you think.”
Casion’s face went blank—he’d never heard this before.
I spread my palm wide and thrust it before his eyes.
“First: we share a common enemy. Isn’t that right?”
Casion nodded.
“Second: neither of us has a mother.”
He frowned.
“Third: we’re nobility. Well, you’re royalty, but in the broader sense, I’ll count you.”
At my forced logic, Casion let out a hollow laugh.
And then—what else could we possibly have in common?
I folded three fingers down and fell silent in thought when Casion caught one of my closed fingers.
“Let me tell you how we’re different. First: you’re healthy.”
He forced my finger open.
“Second: you have lots of friends.”
I had no answer to that.
“And you don’t have a father who mistreats you.”
All my fingers came unfolded. Casion smiled bitterly. I felt the conversation slipping away, and I couldn’t let it end like this.
I gripped Casion’s hand hard and threaded my open fingers between his, then yanked him toward me. His body tumbled across the table.
His eyes—so bright and clear—were drowning in sorrow. I met his gaze directly and spoke.
“You will get better. Your Highness, you will. And my friends will be your friends. As for that father of yours who mistreats you? Do you know what happened? The moment I became engaged to you, I gained a father too—granted, with the prefix ‘in-law’ attached, but still.”
Casion’s eyes widened.
“I have nothing to give you. While you were gone, I read a lot, and every book said that lopsided marriages always end badly.”
What books had Casion been reading in my absence? I’d have to get that reading list from him.
But that was for later. Right now, I couldn’t bear to watch this already fragile child curl inward any further with each word.
“You’ve given me everything, Your Highness! Because of you, I became acting head of my household. Do you understand what that means? I’m about to sit on a mountain of gold. I could sit on one now if I wanted, so let’s say I’m sitting on a fortune. And Your Highness, you bought me a dress today! You think that’s it—one dress and we’re done?”
“Who said one dress? I’ll keep buying them for you. Every season, I’ll make sure your dresses are…….”
“I’ll remember that. Don’t forget. And there’s something else you need to do for me.”
“What?”
“Like you said, I don’t have both my parents, so I have no one to protect me. You’re my family now, so protect me.”
I hadn’t wanted to burden Casion with my safety. But the logic was sound—a one-sided relationship, where only one person gives, isn’t healthy.
“Protect you?”
“That’s what an engagement is, isn’t it?”
The definition of ‘that’ remained unclear to me, but Casion understood at once.
He nodded vigorously.
“Right. That’s what an engagement is. So I’ll protect you. I promise.”
The sadness that had filled Casion’s golden eyes began to fade. In its place, something bright and fervent kindled.
‘I think I just flipped the wrong switch.’
I remembered Casion this morning, refusing to stop his Magic Training even when Guardian told him to rest.
‘Well, as long as he doesn’t hurt himself.’
“Are you two love-struck puppies making out in the sacred drawing room?”
The parlor door burst open just as sweat began to bead on our joined hands, and a cluster of people swept in.
From the left: Chorni, Jennis, Rumdracks, and Lebert. And it was Rumdracks, of course, who’d hurled the jab.
Rumdracks strode over. Before he could grab Casion by the scruff, I spoke up quickly.
“Rumdracks, this is Casion. The Third Prince of the Petrola Kingdom!”
Rumdracks’s hand froze in mid-air. I must not have had time to explain before bringing him here.
Rumdracks’s expression shifted entirely, and he dropped to one knee.
“Like a rainbow blooming across the heavens, I behold Your Highness Casion. I am Rumdracks, tutor to Diana.”
“He’s a fraud.”
I had no intention of hiding my allies’ true nature from Casion. That way he could build his own bonds with them.
My friends becoming his friends was no empty promise.
‘Relationships built on lies crumble in the end.’
“Diana!”
“That’s the truth, isn’t it.”
“So this Rumdracks is the same Rumdracks?”
Casion pointed at Rumdracks, who was bickering with me, and asked. It seemed Casion had also heard of Rumdracks’ reputation.
‘There’s no way he wouldn’t have. There was quite a stir after the escape.’
I nodded in acknowledgment.
Next, Cho approached and gave a slight bow.
“A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. How fortunate to see you at the Irenber Mansion. I am Diana’s aunt.”
“Yes, the leader of Chorni.”
Since Chorni wasn’t yet well-known, Casion showed no particular surprise this time.
“That one is Lebert. As you know, he’s the person who makes the medicine you take. Oh, Lebert—was your participation in the dissection research society last time all right?”
“It was wonderful, ma’am! The sound of flesh being cut, the deep red blood oozing out… and the moment I saw the heart that had been beating so vigorously until then, I thought my own heart would burst.”
Lebert’s explanation grew lengthy. Casion’s face grew progressively paler, so I cut him off.
“It sounds like you really enjoyed it. It must be quite helpful for your research, too?”
“Of course! I’ll make sure it helps tremendously.”
Lebert’s fists clenched with enthusiasm. Now that I thought about it, Lebert hadn’t even greeted Casion yet.
“Lebert, you should pay your respects to His Highness.”
Only then did Lebert shuffle awkwardly toward Casion and bow stiffly at the waist.
Unlike Rumdracks, whose greeting had been graceful, and unlike Cho’s natural courtesy, Lebert’s posture was anything but stable.
“Lebert, hold still for a moment.”
I released Casion’s hand and went to stand beside Lebert. Then I pressed my fingers into his rounded lower back and pulled his calves into proper alignment.
“Lebert, your hands should be like this.”
I showed him the proper hand position, but Lebert couldn’t seem to follow along by watching. With no other choice, I took hold of Lebert directly and positioned his hands for him.
“This is how you bow. Don’t forget this posture.”
Lebert’s stance became acceptable.
“What are you doing?”
As I was feeling pleased watching Lebert’s much-improved posture, Casion called out to me in a sharp tone.
***
During Diana’s absence, Casion had studied extensively.
Beyond his studies of magic, he had also studied what an “engagement” was and how he ought to treat his “fiancée.”
Liam was the one who helped him with that education.
“How would you know if you’ve never even been married?”
Casion hadn’t trusted Liam at first.
“Your Highness, aren’t books made precisely for those without experience? I’ve prepared everything.”
After saying that, Liam brought an enormous stack of books.
Books with titles like “Taming the Fiancée,” “Lamio and Zuliet,” “Wuthering Heights,” and others—from their titles alone, one couldn’t begin to guess their contents.
However, since Diana had said Liam was a trustworthy person, Casion read through the books Liam brought with genuine dedication.
After reading countless books, the conclusion he reached was simple: whether it was love or something else, it had to be give and take.
Casion pondered this deeply.
‘What have I given Diana?’
Nothing came to mind. Casion realized that he had only ever received from Diana.
So he resolved that at this engagement ceremony, he would give her a gift.
Knowing Diana’s character, she would refuse if he simply handed it to her—but with the engagement as a good excuse, he had to repay her for something.
Yet the opportunity never came.
When he gave Diana a dress, she tried to gift him an entire clothing shop in return.
And when he saw the dress belonging to Diana’s mother hanging on the shop wall, Casion realized he knew nothing about the people around Diana.
Diana knew everything about him, but he wanted to know everything about her.
That’s why he came to the Irenber Mansion, unplanned. The visit itself was good. The Irenber Mansion was as grand and beautiful and classical as the Twilight Mansion.
And it was warm.
The moment the door opened, he felt a sense of comfort. Whenever Diana passed, all the servants greeted her warmly and spoke to her.
A person raised in love.
Diana was a perfect example of someone raised in love.
He kept comparing himself to her. Casion’s confidence withered, and eventually it vanished without a trace.
When he told Diana about this, far from mocking him as a fool, she listened seriously and gave him courage.
She said her friends would become his friends, offered him blessings for good health, and asked him to protect her.
Diana’s words carried power—the power to soothe the wounds in his heart.
Casion believed her words would come true.
He believed that Diana’s friends would become his friends and that he too would grow healthy.
But the very first step was not easy.
“What are you doing?”
His own tone was so sharp that even Casion was startled. Yet he stared steadily at Diana, who was holding Lebert’s hand.
“What else? I’ll teach her etiquette.”
“Why would you teach her that? You said he’s her instructor. He should be the one teaching.”
Casion pointed at Rumdracks.
Rumdracks noticed Casion was in a foul mood and promptly removed Diana from Lebert’s side, seating her next to Casion instead.
“Right then, Diana. I’ll teach you royal etiquette myself. Since it seems you’ll be visiting the palace often, it’ll be worth learning, won’t it?”
The moment Rumdracks separated Lebert from Diana, Casion’s jaw, which had been clenched so rigidly, relaxed.
Diana regarded Casion with an odd look, then introduced Matthew and Jennis. She already knew Jennis well enough, but this was their first formal introduction.
“Casion Lichter Petrola.”
Casion’s introduction was as spare as they came. Yet in that single surname—Petrola—lay all the information anyone needed to know about him.
“They help with my work. I owe them a great debt. Thanks to them, I was even able to become engaged to Your Highness.”
“So I’m the one who should be thanking you?”
Casion whispered so only Diana could hear.
“That’s entirely up to Your Highness.”
Diana leaned in close and whispered back to him.
Everyone watching the two of them huddle together speaking softly felt their expressions soften—everyone except Lebert.
Casion rose with resolve.
He stood and bowed lightly from the waist.
“Thank you all for helping Diana.”
The assembled company, who had never expected to receive thanks from royalty, were moved by his words.
Even Chorni, who had opposed Diana’s choice, found themselves secretly delighted at the prospect of having a charming new niece.
Rumdracks, keen on royal treasures as he was, showed active favor toward Casion, and Jennis, who had known the proud and thorny Casion for so long, was pleased to see how he had changed.
“Ah, but—”
Casion’s expression suddenly darkened as he pointed at Lebert.
“You, though. Not so much.”
He said it quietly.
I Bought the Villains with Money (Serialized)
Author │ Lee In-hye
Publisher │ Kim Joo-hyung
Publishing House │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd. – Tiramisu
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ Room 1101, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8, 11th Floor)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ 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 no content may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violation of this prohibition 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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