The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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104.

“If it’s something I can help with.”

“The Second Princess’s Palace really does need an advisor. She still doesn’t have a proper advisor, you know. She just says she doesn’t know, and even when I try to step in.”

“I said I’ll handle it myself!”

At the First Consort’s words, the Second Princess, who had finished her dessert, bristled and spoke up.

Her face showed she disliked being treated like a child.

The First Consort let out a short sigh at that attitude and said to me.

“This is how she acts, so the advisor she had ended up resigning to marry a noble from a distant estate. So could you select one more person for my daughter when you’re recruiting Winter Palace advisors?”

“If you send it properly in writing, I’ll review it.”

I didn’t deny those words and nodded my head.

It would be a bit troublesome, but since the First Consort had shown goodwill once more, it was better to accommodate this much.

“Thank you. I’ll speak to His Majesty the Emperor and make sure a formal collaboration request comes from the Second Princess’s Palace.”

“Your Majesty!”

Of course, the Second Princess still didn’t seem to agree.

The First Consort smiled brightly and lifted her teacup, then looked at Ashwood Aide who sat beside me.

“My intuition was only half right – this is really the first time something like this has happened.”

“Pardon?”

Ashwood Aide asked back in confusion, but the First Consort just smiled and changed the subject.

“I’m just saying I’m glad that I don’t seem to be too bad a person to deal with, at least to Salice Advisor.”

That doesn’t seem to be what she meant.

What I was certain of was that unlike her roundabout words, it probably wasn’t related to work?

‘As expected of someone who’s survived long in the Imperial Palace, it’s hard to gauge her true intentions.’

Does Casian, being an Imperial Palace local boy, know?

I thought that as I smoothly concluded my conversation with the First Consort.

*

A few days later.

The Winter Palace formally accepted the Second Princess’s Palace’s request, and an unprecedented full-scale advisor selection was held.

[Unprecedented! Imperial Palace Advisor Selection! Winter Palace-Supervised Interview Candidate Selection Exam Held!]

This was the ‘method that would cause the least talk’ that I knew of.

When we said we would select advisors through an exam method, spoons started appearing from here and there.

‘This worked out well, there are too many people working overtime at the Sun Palace these days. I didn’t want to exceed 10 people, but state affairs come first, don’t they.’

His Majesty the Emperor also told us to select two more Sun Palace advisors.

‘I’m sorry, but actually we were reviewing this too because we’re so busy. But if the Winter Palace is supervising it, it’s trustworthy.’

Even Empress Trisha sent requests along with gifts packed full.

Even the First Consort made the job bigger, saying that since we were selecting anyway, she was also requesting for the Third Princess who had become independent like the Fourth Prince.

The Fourth Prince also shyly said.

‘If you help me this time, I think I’ll be able to help you two more! I’ll ask just this once.’

He pleaded for us to select one more advisor for him.

Of course, Empress Trisha and the Fourth Prince were conscientious people, so they took on work that the Winter Palace would have handled instead.

Saying that already busy people had more work because of them.

‘The biggest culprit continues to act shamelessly though.’

Even whenever I went with reports, His Majesty the Emperor was annoyingly testing Coco’s new toys.

Today was the same.

‘If you’re that free, you could take on more work.’

Even while thinking that, I was dutifully managing my expression in front of His Majesty the Emperor, but he was quick to notice.

“If the Empress and Fourth Prince hadn’t offered to help, the Sun Palace would have helped too. But they already took away my share, didn’t they.”

I sincerely wanted to say there was still a lot of work to do.

The work had decreased as much as they helped, but the Winter Palace’s closing time was still past 9 o’clock!

“And isn’t this rather a good thing, thanks to us getting involved like this.”

“…Do you mean the Winter Palace won’t have to face criticism alone?”

“You’re smart indeed. If you weren’t Casian’s fiancée, I’d want to bring you as the Sun Palace’s First Advisor.”

Fortunately, the Sun Palace’s First Advisor was on external duty today.

Anyway, His Majesty the Emperor was very indifferent, but he also made somewhat valid points.

Thanks to this large-scale recruitment, whoever the Winter Palace selected, high-scoring applicants had a better chance of benefiting.

This was thanks to already announcing through various articles that those who took the exam could interview at their desired palace, from the highest scorers up to three times the final hiring number.

Of course, administrator exams were also scheduled to be held alongside this, and thanks to that, an unprecedented number of applications were pouring into the Imperial Palace.

His Majesty the Emperor was very satisfied with the many workers applying to do the endless work.

Saying this method would be good for selecting decent skilled people.

The Emperor carefully looked through the report while being careful not to wake Coco, who had climbed onto his knee and fallen asleep, then casually said.

“More than that, Salice Advisor, is life at the Winter Palace manageable?”

“Yes, there’s no big difference.”

“Hmm, why is that?”

“…Pardon?”

After hearing my calm answer, the Emperor signed the end of the report, then returned it to me with a puzzled expression.

“From morning to night, aren’t you unable to go home because of preparing for this exam?”

“That’s not just my story though.”

This was a method to eliminate any suspicions of cheating, like exam preparers possibly telling others the questions in advance.

During the exam preparation period, all Winter Palace advisors and administrators stayed at the Imperial Palace without going home, and didn’t even exchange private letters.

“Even if it’s not just your story, shouldn’t you be different?”

The Emperor clicked his tongue and said.

“I specially opened another palace for you to stay in, other than where the others are staying.”

What is this cunning old man saying.

“Has your love already cooled?”

Then he even asked a strange question.

With a very serious and grave expression.

“…Your Majesty, we’re just thoroughly separating public and private matters.”

“Hmm…”

However, the Emperor looked unconvinced by my answer.

“I’m currently staying at the Imperial Palace as a Winter Palace advisor, not as Ian’s fiancée.”

There were even administrators who were sad about not seeing their daughters for a whole week!

You want us to be lovey-dovey in front of them?

Even if we were a real couple, that would be rude.

At my words, the Emperor chuckled and said.

“If it were truly passionate, it couldn’t be that thorough.”

You speak as if you’re experienced.

No, wait, did that actually happen?

When I looked at the Emperor with a slightly suspicious expression, he smiled softly and said.

“I can roughly tell. Casian must be having a hard time.”

The Emperor’s voice as he gestured for me to leave was strangely annoying.

It felt like he was showing unwarranted sympathy for poor Casian, as if he had experienced such things himself.

*

It was already the fifth day of staying at the Winter Palace.

On the day His Majesty the Emperor said strange things, I asked Casian if it wouldn’t be better for me to move to another palace like everyone else.

‘If you move now, people will really think something happened.’

At Casian’s dissuasion, I was quietly staying at the Winter Palace.

Actually, it was such a busy period that there was no time for such rumors to leak out.

Of course, there were times when I missed Joan’s nagging, my modest bed, and the new books I couldn’t read.

Still, since it was exactly one week, it was bearable enough.

‘How did college entrance exam question writers in my previous life endure this.’

At least we could work or take walks around the Imperial Palace.

It wasn’t for nothing that there were rumors of college entrance exam committee members who were frequently detained buying boxes of dried anchovies before going in.

Everything else was fine, but the fact that I couldn’t send letters to Wilma or my parents was frustrating.

When I let out a short sigh and stretched, Casian filed away the documents he had been working on and stood up from his seat.

“Do you still have work left?”

“No, we’re going in the same direction as Ian anyway, so it would seem cold to go alone.”

“What a happy story you’re telling me, Rose.”

Casian then came over to me and helped me stand up.

When I went completely limp, he chuckled softly.

“Are you very tired? For you to act so spoiled like this.”

“Your Majesty does that often too.”

“Of course, hoping that Rose would find me cute?”

That’s why I keep saying the adjective “cute” doesn’t suit Your Majesty anymore.

So sometimes when I think that way, I feel like I’m in big trouble.

No matter how I look at it, it seems like I’ve been completely caught by this predator.

When I slowly straightened my posture and pulled away from him, he showed a disappointed expression.

“It would be fine to stay like that.”

“I should go rest quickly.”

“Are you worried I’ll leave you in the office when Rose falls asleep?”

“I’m not worried about that.”

He was definitely the type of person who would personally carry me to the bedroom on days when I fell fast asleep.

“Then it would be rude.”

Everyone is suppressing their longing to see family and lovers while working, so it would be petty for only me to act that way.

At my words, he made a slightly bitter expression.

“Then would you also refuse a brief walk in the garden?”

I was very conflicted by his sweet words.

Today I had really been confined to work only in the Winter Palace office all day, so I was craving fresh air.

Looking up at him with slight resentment, I soon compromised.

“…If it’s just for a moment.”

It was because he had the eyes of a dog that had waited a long time for its owner.

It’s just a walk, I should do that much for him.

Of course, I wasn’t his owner.

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