The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 13

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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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13.

I had decided to go on strike as the protagonist, but my conscience was working overtime.

The first meeting between Roselita and Casian in the original story was her saving Casian when he was on the verge of death.

I had made up my mind several times to just ignore it, but I couldn’t shake the thought that he might die if I turned away.

So before the events in the original story began, I made thorough preparations.

Fortunately, since they met during a summer vacation trip with her parents in the original story, it wasn’t difficult to time it right.

‘Still, I didn’t want to get involved, so unlike the original, I didn’t bring him to the cottage where I was staying with my parents.’

I temporarily rented a shabby cottage in the forest with the pocket money I had saved up and brought the injured Casian there.

Moreover, I even matched Princess Wilhelmina’s hair color by always wearing a light purple wig and deliberately used the nickname Wilma!

I even wore a mask pretending to have a cold to avoid being caught. There’s no way he could have recognized me, right?

“What’s wrong, Rose? Is the meat not tasty?”

It’s because of you, because you’re acting so meaningfully!

“…Should I replace the chef?”

“Why are you trying to take away the poor chef’s job?”

“Making my beloved fiancée’s mouth happy is also my duty.”

Ugh, right. There’s no way.

That man just wants to tease me.

I approached my meal more aggressively than usual to prevent the skilled chef from meeting misfortune.

Casian’s lips softened as he watched me.

Really.

So annoying!

*

After that, the Empress pleaded with the Emperor for days, even going on hunger strikes, saying the Second Prince was still too young.

But the Emperor had no intention of sending Casian, and the prince younger than the Second Prince was only 12 years old, so there was no choice.

‘Well, why did you disobey the Emperor’s order to exercise restraint.’

Well, she claimed it was for the greater good of smoothing relations with the kingdom.

Thanks to that, to reap what she had sown, the Empress was reluctantly preparing for the Second Prince’s marriage.

However, since the Second Prince had been raised even more like a hothouse flower than First Prince Charlie.

‘I heard the kingdom’s princess is incredibly beautiful? And they say the kingdom has many fascinating things, so I’m really looking forward to it. Don’t be jealous that I’m getting married before my older brothers, okay?’

He went around saying such things, which was an added bonus that turned the Empress’s stomach inside out.

The Empress was spending the national treasury like water on the Second Prince’s royal marriage, perhaps to relieve such stress.

Naturally, part of those details also came to Casian’s and my office.

“How grateful that the Empress is creating such an opportunity for us.”

My boss, who wouldn’t miss such a chance, was excitedly collecting the materials well.

The Empress probably doesn’t know she’s digging her own grave…

I spent my days focusing on work while slightly pitying the Empress’s future.

During the height of preparations for the Second Prince’s royal marriage.

I finally encountered her.

Princess Wilhelmina Lopez, who had returned home earlier than scheduled due to news of the Second Prince’s royal marriage.

*

That day I was completely exhausted.

It was because the crazy Emperor—I only thought this to myself since my courage was the size of a bean—had piled more work on Casian as if taking revenge.

Really, both father and son are equally annoying.

Anyway, because of that, I had no choice but to spend a busy day going back and forth between the Winter Palace and the Sun Palace where the Emperor and other administrators stayed, with my legs, hands, and head all busy.

As I was walking with my soul abandoned, barely avoiding a stumbling gait, I heard a voice as beautiful as a lark.

“Could you stop for a moment?”

After hearing only work-weary mid-range voices for the past few days, excluding Casian, hearing a refreshing high-pitched voice made my ears perk up.

When I turned around, I saw a woman with beautifully curled light purple hair flowing down.

Slightly upturned eye corners, a mole in the middle of her cheek.

Plus those pale gray eyes and that overall cat-like adorable appearance.

No doubt about it. That was Princess Wilhelmina!

I asked her with businesslike courtesy.

“What can I do for you, Princess Wilhelmina. Are you perhaps lost?”

“…Lost! There’s no way I would be!”

Princess Wilhelmina shouted, though not too loudly, for some reason.

“Un, unlike you, I properly brought a lady-in-waiting! Are you saying that I, Princess Lopez, brought a lady-in-waiting who doesn’t even know the palace layout properly?”

I just smiled brightly at those words.

Then Wilhelmina’s face became even more flustered.

“And, and…! Unlike you, I’ve been frequenting the Imperial Palace since I was young! There’s no way I wouldn’t know!”

“I see, Princess.”

I deliberately took a step closer to Princess Wilhelmina.

“I just thought you might be in trouble since I heard you returned home after a long time, Princess. Since you’re such a kind person, I hope you’ll look upon my shortcomings generously.”

I spoke to her with the highest level business smile spread across my face.

Then the Princess’s face flushed red.

How can she be so cute?

“They said you were formidable! You know my face even though you’ve never seen me before, quite impressive. You! Are you also trying to keep me in check?!”

And she’s even honest.

I maintained my smile a bit more and shook my head at those words.

“Keep you in check? I don’t know what you mean. I couldn’t possibly fail to recognize the Princess of the prestigious Lopez Ducal House.”

I spoke to her while placing my hand on my chest as if taking a bow.

“How could I dare call myself an aide to His Highness the Second Prince if I didn’t know even that much. And…”

“And?”

“I just thought, who else but you, Princess, could be so lovely and possess such beautiful light purple hair.”

At the sweet words delivered like driving in a nail, the Princess’s face turned even redder.

“You, you! Don’t think everything will work out just because you have a pretty face! I, I! I won’t give up!”

Then she turned around as if fleeing and walked briskly toward the Dawn Palace where the Second Prince stayed.

I didn’t stop the corners of my mouth from rising as I watched her.

Wow, Wilma, Wilma.

How can you be even simpler and cuter than I thought!

*

In the original story, Wilhelmina certainly played many mean pranks.

However, Wilhelmina was secretly a coward by nature and didn’t have the courage to cause really big trouble.

In fact, during the original serialization, fans called the parts where Wilhelmina caused trouble “healing parts.”

She just slapped a few times, spilled some juice, and gossiped in social circles.

Compared to the evil deeds committed by the temple and the Empress, it was child’s play.

She even reached a point where it became unclear whether she was obsessed with Casian or with Roselita.

‘Wilma is just suffering from lack of affection.’

In the original, Wilma gets used by the Empress while trying to torment Roselita in really trivial ways.

When what was really just her usual level of bullying spread greatly in the Empress’s hands and confinement to a monastery was decided, there was public opinion that the author was being too harsh.

Really, Wilhelmina just wanted to trouble Roselita a tiny bit.

I guess you could say it was at the level of grabbing me now and picking a slight fight.

Anyway, before leaving for the monastery, Wilhelmina sought out not Casian but Roselita, and there she said this.

‘I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I know apologizing won’t fix things, but still… I’m sorry. I never intended to put you in such danger.’

She even apologized while shedding tears, and said there was no need to accept it.

Even the original Roselita felt sorry for such Wilhelmina.

‘Because the Lopez Ducal House didn’t try to save her.’

Though she grew up being told she was the most noble young lady, Wilma wasn’t actually raised that way.

She had four older brothers, and everyone around Wilma, including her father, were only interested in their own advancement.

From childhood, no one paid much attention to the high-maintenance younger sister.

The Lopez Ducal House just saw her as a tool for a good political marriage, so they considered the Princess useless after she ruined her social reputation by clinging to Casian.

Since she had been chasing after Casian, any political marriage with the Imperial Court, especially with First Prince Charlie, was essentially out of the question.

So they were willing to use their daughter as a shield instead of the Empress for the sake of power.

‘She’s such an honest and adorable young lady though.’

In fact, that was partly why I had deliberately disguised myself as Princess Wilhelmina in my childhood.

I thought it wouldn’t be bad if her goal was achieved this time.

However….

A big problem had arisen.

‘The current Casian is competent unlike the original Casian, but he’s become a demon.’

Am I supposed to recommend that man to such a soft and gentle young lady…?

It would be like a demon lord asking me to be friends!

I let out a big sigh.

For now, I should shower Wilhelmina with compliments whenever I see her.

And I need to take good care of her so she doesn’t fall for the Empress’s schemes.

The original story can go to hell!

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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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