The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 132

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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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132.

Wesley made an apologetic face and lowered his voice slightly.

It was to prevent the authoritarian cleric who was subtly listening with wide-open ears nearby from hearing.

“I’m sorry that this is all we have, especially when Rozelita went out of her way to inform us.”

“It’s fine.”

I suppressed my agitation and answered Wesley calmly.

‘If we hadn’t arrived at the right time, the temple bastards would have definitely called it cursed land or something.’

His cunning Majesty the Emperor was someone experienced in power struggles with the temple, so he must have clearly predicted this situation would arise.

No wonder he gave us plenty of time to inspect Riedern and come back.

Despite having seen the past.

No, because I had seen the past, I trusted the Emperor even less.

He was the one who said he loved first, and even after being rejected several times, the Emperor continued to propose to Maribel.

Wasn’t he the person who, after begging and pleading to marry her, promptly brought in concubines?

He even knew about Maribel Reardon’s constitution and had promised the Riarden Ducal Family that he would protect her.

Of course, he did act like a good father when opportunities arose, like sending Casian to Riedern County this time.

But he was also someone who would gladly do so if he could avoid crisis by putting forward his chess pieces.

‘Of course, this might just be my speculation. The temple was quiet when we departed for Riedern County.’

Wesley moved in the first place because I contacted him.

But just as I understood and predicted the Emperor, he did the same.

Unlike us, who only had official documents remaining in the archive and Maribel’s diary as information about Riedern, the Emperor knew much more.

There were so many traces throughout the abandoned mine of the Emperor’s arrangements for Maribel that even Casian felt something strange.

Moreover, the Emperor knew better than anyone in the capital how Casian and I worked.

‘If he knew that much but didn’t anticipate this, he should return his imperial throne.’

What Casian said about feeling sorry when we left probably wasn’t completely false, but it wouldn’t have been entirely sincere either.

I could assert with certainty, based on Maribel’s past and accumulated experience so far, that Emperor Ernest Artez was that kind of person.

Because he was such a person, he probably seized the throne competition amid the chaotic political situation and stabilized the Empire to this point.

‘I’ll acknowledge his abilities as an emperor, but he’s still not great as a human being.’

Since I don’t know the entire past, he might have some tearjerking story too.

But at least that wasn’t my concern right now.

It was a fact that His Majesty had gladly used us again this time.

And he had set up a situation where Casian could be in danger.

‘So we just need to think about devouring this situation ourselves.’

I arranged a smile and spoke to Wesley.

“On the contrary, since we arrived at exactly the right timing like this, it must mean God wants to guide us, right?”

At my words, the authoritarian cleric revealed a face that failed at expression management.

“Of course! God is always watching over us.”

Wesley Morel confidently took our side with the temple’s signature saying.

*

There was a brief commotion after that.

Because Wesley Morel came, Casian and I could no longer hide our identities.

Among the people in the capital city, everyone our age and older couldn’t hide their curiosity and excitement.

“It would have been nice if you had told us earlier.”

“I thought you seemed familiar when you came last time.”

“How could you keep it secret from us, Manager Parker, when he’s the son of the Grand Duke!”

Manager Parker also had to endure some questioning.

Even while receiving complaints that weren’t quite complaints from others, Manager Parker kept smiling happily the whole time.

Not only that, but all the villagers had similar expressions.

They treated Casian not as someone visiting Riedern for the first time, but like a young master who had been running around this land since childhood.

Rather, it was Casian who felt awkward about such reactions.

“What should I do, Rose?”

“What do you mean?”

Casian, who had barely escaped from among the people, approached me and spoke with an awkward expression.

“Since this is the first time I’ve received such a favorable reaction, I don’t know how to respond.”

It was truly a pitiful statement.

Casian leaned against me slightly as if asking for protection.

I knew it was somewhat manipulative, but I also knew he really felt like a child who had lost his mother’s hand right now, so I gladly comforted him.

“Probably before long, everyone will change to the familiar faces Ian knows.”

“Familiar faces?”

I smiled brightly and even held his hand tightly.

“Faces that look at you like you’re a demon.”

“Hmm.”

At my answer, Casian squeezed my hand back and drew a crooked arc at the corner of his mouth.

“Like how the people of Salice Barony look at you?”

He was exactly the usual Casian Artez.

*

We stayed one day in Liarden Domain like that, then departed for the abandoned mine.

Along with the clerics’ complaints mixed with dissatisfaction.

“How precious each day of the Saint’s time is!”

“To force this kind of consideration!”

It wasn’t that the villagers had treated them poorly at all.

Even though the clerics were unfamiliar to the villagers, they politely provided good accommodations.

The cause was the short festival held last night at the villagers’ request.

Naturally, the main guest was Casian, followed by myself and Wesley Morel.

And the clerics didn’t attend at all.

Naturally, the villagers didn’t exclude them.

Even when invited to come out and enjoy together, they grumbled that there was no proper place for them and wouldn’t even leave their lodging.

If it were me, I would have gladly left them alone, but the villagers had kind hearts and even prepared dinner separately in their rooms.

Along with several bottles from the bistro owner’s precious wine collection.

But they acted as if they truly couldn’t understand the fact that they weren’t properly treated.

“No wonder the temple has turned away from this land, being such a rude place.”

“That’s right. Everything the temple does has meaning.”

“We’ve been to so many places. This is the first place that prioritizes others even when the Saint has come.”

How resentful they must have been, as they started venting their complaints as soon as they left the capital city.

As if for Casian to hear.

While showing Wesley faces as if asking whether they were doing well.

‘…Why on earth did the temple assign such people to Wesley?’

-Probably because there are only such people available.

Pea, who was hiding in my sleeve, subtly answered my thoughts.

Wesley momentarily glanced toward my sleeve.

Wondering if he had heard Pea’s voice, I habitually smiled, but as if it was just my imagination, Wesley’s head turned toward the grumbling clerics.

“Brothers.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“It seems you’ve taken the wrong path.”

Instantly, the clerics’ faces became stupid.

“Taken the wrong path…?”

“Since you like distinguishing between high and low so much, how about requesting to be adopted into a noble family instead of being clerics?”

Wesley, who spoke mercilessly, even showed the benevolent smile of a saint.

“How, how can you insult us like that!”

“Your Holiness, we said all this thinking of you. Treating Your Holiness is the same as treating our temple!”

“Are you saying, Your Holiness, that it’s fine for the temple to be an existence that isn’t respected by others and gets pushed to second place?”

“And that’s the attitude you should have toward the Lord God!”

Naturally, they poured out words in indignation.

However, Wesley replied calmly without being drawn in at all.

“But I am a servant of the Lord God, not the Lord God himself. Surely you don’t think of yourselves as the Lord God?”

“That’s an exaggeration, Your Holiness.”

“Well, it was you who said it should be the same attitude as toward the Lord God. However, since my learning has always been lacking, I think your words might be correct.”

Wesley continued his story, nodding as if he were someone whose heart was never narrow.

“So you’re saying that clerics should be treated better than family found with great difficulty after decades?”

Unlike the confident Wesley, the clerics’ faces began to fill with even more doubt.

“Since you speak so confidently and admirably with your chest puffed out, how could only we know!”

“Pardon…?”

“So why don’t we ask the Clupea Margrave to publish it in the capital newspaper as ‘This Month’s Temple Message’?”

Wesley even clapped his hands as if he were truly delighted.

“You’ve always said it, haven’t you, that you know the Pope’s will better than I, who am still young!”

“That’s not what we meant, we were all thinking of Your Holiness—”

“Since we’re on the topic, I should ask right away. Wesley is so happy to finally do something that will please the Pope for the first time! You can help me, can’t you, Rozelita?”

It was a tone and smile that was absolutely perfect at scratching one’s insides raw—I wonder who he learned it from.

Unlike the failed parenting case beside me, I gladly nodded with a proud heart as I faced this excellent success story.

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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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