The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 11

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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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11.

Before the sky turned completely black, Casian brought me home with my arms full of various things he had given me.

No matter how I thought about it, today made my conscience prick to call it overtime work.

“Your Highness.”

“Today’s work isn’t over yet, Rose.”

“…Ian, I really do love my salary, but I don’t think I should accept it today.”

Even just the things Casian had given me were all quite expensive.

We had visited all the famous shops in the capital.

We even stopped by a dress shop in the middle, and despite my glare asking why he was doing this.

‘I want to give my wife a special dress as a gift, but she’s so frugal that she keeps running away.’

He had ordered several custom dresses, from evening wear to casual outfits.

How often would I even have occasion to wear such things.

“…I thought Rose would like it.”

For some reason, he looked disappointed at my reaction.

“But this isn’t work-“

“It was work, Rose. I wanted to see the famous shopping districts in the capital with my own eyes at least once.”

“You’re really good at making excuses.”

If that was really the purpose, he could have just said so from the beginning.

It might have been my imagination, but today Casian gave the impression that he simply wanted to see what I liked.

Usually, my workaholic boss would treat me to luxurious meals or give me extra allowances when work became intense.

However, today felt too ambiguous to think of as simple compensation for difficult work.

“Was it hard?”

“Not really.”

Honestly, after leaving the restaurant, I had just enjoyed myself too.

Shopping with someone else’s money was quite fun indeed, but I just felt a bit uncomfortable about it.

“Then it wasn’t meaningless. I just.”

“…?”

“I wanted to give you something other than work.”

But you’ve already given me many other things before.

Like salary, allowances, delicious meals.

When I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, Casian smiled brightly and suddenly approached me.

A soft sensation touched my right cheek with a light sound, then withdrew.

“This is repayment for something from before.”

“…What?”

“Well then, sleep well, Rose.”

He disappeared into the carriage with a satisfied expression, his eyes crinkling.

Did he eat something strange today?

Why is he acting like this.

‘…Repayment for something from before?’

He even left me with a riddle.

I felt somehow robbed as I covered my right cheek with my palm and watched the direction Casian’s carriage was heading.

“…I think you should have taken me there too, Ian.”

The carriage was heading toward the West District, not the Central Shopping District of the Capital where we had wandered around during the day.

Really, what’s with that man.

*

After spending a weekend full of mysteries, I went to work at Casian’s office as if shaking off my complicated feelings.

As usual, Casian was processing documents in a comfortable shirt, dry and businesslike.

The sickeningly familiar yet reassuring everyday scene actually put me at ease as I sat down and tried to begin today’s schedule report.

“Today there are no special appointments in the morning, and at 2 PM there’s the knight order-“

“Before that, Rose.”

“Yes?”

But as soon as I started the schedule report, Casian cut me off and spoke.

“Shall we get engaged?”

“…What?”

“I said, shall we get engaged.”

“…Did you get a lover? When should I schedule it for.”

At this unexpected topic that came out so suddenly, I mechanically prepared to take notes as his aide.

Casian got a lover?

There were no signs. Then was last weekend like practice for a date?

However, as if crushing the evasive thoughts I had, Casian continued.

“I don’t have a lover, I was asking you.”

“What?”

“I’d like you and I to get engaged.”

“…”

What kind of bolt from the blue is this?

Over the past year working as Casian’s aide, I thought I had become quite skilled at understanding his intentions.

Right now I couldn’t understand at all.

“…Your Highness, just to be sure, let me ask.”

“Yeah.”

“You and I weren’t lovers, were we?”

I was scared that maybe I had been so absorbed in work that when he said “let’s become lovers,” I answered “yes.”

Even though I was crazy about work, I don’t think I had lost my mind to that extent.

“If I said we were, you look like you’d be deceived, which makes me want to lie, Rose.”

“…That’s really a relief. I thought I had committed some great discourtesy to Your Highness.”

“Why would that be discourtesy?”

You and I being lovers? Casian muttered, speaking somewhat discontentedly.

Even though I sometimes become foolish, I knew that Casian Artez had no personal interest in me.

This wasn’t because I was dense, it was really true.

He just treated me like a somewhat precious younger sister.

“Please explain properly, Your Highness.”

“I wanted to make your heart flutter a little, but was it a failure.”

If that was his intention, he would have deceived me more thoroughly.

At my expression that looked fed up, Casian raised both arms as if surrendering and spoke.

“Alright, Rose. You’re right. I need a bit of a disguise.”

“Why?”

“I thought she was being self-reflective, but the Empress arbitrarily spread word to the kingdom.”

“What?”

“She suggested a political marriage with the kingdom’s precious princess.”

I opened my eyes wide at those words.

The effects of destroying the original story were appearing here too.

Surely the Empress trying to sell off Casian as a son-in-law to the princess who was the kingdom’s heir was a story that came out after the middle of the novel.

This is happening now?

“But as you know, my brother already has an engagement target and I don’t. Well, my brother and I aren’t the only princes.”

I remembered the third prince was still about sixteen years old.

The kingdom’s princess was even older than Casian.

“But I have no intention of leaving the Empire.”

“Was calling me out last weekend practice for today?”

“…It wasn’t like that. If thinking that way makes you more comfortable, Rose.”

Casian looked lonely, so I shook my head.

“But Your Highness, you could choose any number of engagement partners besides me, couldn’t you?”

Although there was some interference from the Empress, unlike in the original story, Casian had built up his own position and could easily form an engagement with a young lady from any decent family.

“That would be rude to the other party, when I have no such intentions.”

“You want to have a contract engagement?”

“Mm, something like that.”

Casian spoke to me with an amused expression.

“Since you have no such feelings for me.”

“Your Highness feels the same way.”

“Right, so it’s perfect.”

After saying that, Casian began rapidly writing up documents.

No, even if I love money, an engagement with him is a bit…

Even if it’s a contract engagement, it would be openly known to everyone around us, so dealing with the aftermath after breaking it off would be very, very troublesome.

Honestly, I don’t have much interest in marriage, but I didn’t want to create unnecessary worries for my parents either.

However, Casian’s hand stopped moving faster than my thoughts could finish.

“How about these conditions?”

[50 gold per event as fiancée.

All necessary items provided.

Triple the existing allowance for overtime work.

No deduction from existing salary when performing duties during work hours.]

My eyes widened as I was about to refuse while recalling the original story.

This is the devil’s temptation.

This is selling my soul.

I should refuse.

I should say no!

The courage to—

“Hmm, if this isn’t enough.”

[30 gold per mention as fiancé in articles.

Additional 100 gold for portrait exposure.

Separate severance pay upon termination of engagement period.]

The devil, as if reading my hesitation, unhesitatingly added several more conditions and thrust them before my eyes.

Really, this crazy boss of mine.

I looked at Casian with a bewildered and dumbfounded expression.

I naturally thought he’d have a confident expression.

“Won’t this work either?”

Instead, he looked like he was earnestly pleading with me.

“Only Rose can save me.”

Really, just act arrogant like usual!

Then no matter how good the conditions were, I was planning to refuse, saying there’s no reason to interfere with someone’s marriage prospects.

But when he makes that face, since I have memories of supporting him in my past life, again…

“I’ll take full responsibility so Rose won’t be troubled even after the contract ends.”

Casian even added that content to the contract before placing it in front of me.

“Please.”

He even said such words.

Ah, really!

I let out a deep sigh.

Right, save a person and earn money too.

With this, I could pay off my debts about 5 years earlier.

Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll do it.

I squeezed my eyes shut and finished signing the contract.

A strong sense of déjà vu climbed up my spine and struck my mind.

Right, people repeat the same mistakes. So what!

Whether I was swayed by money or by Casian’s absurdly earnest expression.

Even until I finished signing, I couldn’t find certainty within myself.

When I handed the contract to Casian with a bitter expression, he chuckled softly and grabbed my left hand.

“You look as if you’ve been kidnapped by me.”

“I think that’s accurate.”

The kidnapping of my personal time, Your Highness.

“Then would this be like shackles to bind you?”

He made a strange expression as he slowly lifted my left hand.

Before I knew it, a ring had been placed on my left ring finger.

An ornately crafted ring with a conspicuously large diamond attached.

“Of course, this is also yours.”

He lightly kissed my ring finger and smiled gently.

And I couldn’t smile.

Crazy, Your Highness. This must easily cost over 1000 gold.

Who gives such an expensive ring for a fake engagement…

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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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