The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 15

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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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15.

“Wh-why?”

The countess’s face, holding an empty wine glass, turned pale.

Drip, drip, wine droplets fell to the floor in spots.

Between her darkly stained hair, Wilhelmina was glaring at the countess with murderous eyes.

“Really, what an undignified thing to do. Did some strange trend start in the Social Circle while I was attending Kingdom Academy?”

Wilhelmina let out a short breath, then swept her wine-soaked hair aside and spoke to the countess.

“This isn’t even an ordinary party, but one with the Kingdom’s distinguished guests, and I don’t understand what you think you’re doing.”

“I, I was just… trying to… make her know her place…”

“Make her know her place? Because you’re a countess and Salice is a baroness?”

Wilhelmina snorted as if it were absurd.

“Then as Princess Lopez, may I make you know your place?”

Saying this, Wilhelmina raised her hand to the side.

As if overwhelmed by her presence, a servant placed a wine glass in her hand.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wilhelmina poured wine over the countess’s face.

“Kyaah! Your Highness! H-how could you! Do you know how much this dress costs?!”

“I’m just being kind by not making you pay for my dress that you dirtied, so be grateful.”

Then, as if she couldn’t stand being there any longer, Wilhelmina turned around sharply and walked away.

‘Huh?’

For some reason.

While firmly gripping my hand.

*

Only after entering the Countess’s Lounge did Wilhelmina look at me as if she had come to her senses.

Then, with a face as red as the spilled wine, she shrieked.

“Wh-why are you here!”

“Your Highness brought me here. I thought it was Your Highness’s kindness in considering me, worried I might feel awkward in that situation. Was I being presumptuous?”

I started by praising Wilhelmina’s actions first.

Then, contradicting her earlier words, Wilhelmina spoke as if hiding a scream.

“Who said that!”

Then she told her maids to prepare a change of dress and also ordered them to serve me tea.

How kind of her.

And also…

‘She was like the original Wilma.’

Actually, it was because I had flustered her so much, but originally Wilhelmina had charisma befitting a princess.

Like how she had just reprimanded the countess at the ball.

‘In the original, she also got angry when other young ladies clumsily bullied Roselita instead of her.’

That’s why in the latter half, there were comments wondering whether she was obsessed with Casian or with Roselita.

I drank the tea prepared by the ducal maid while waiting for Wilhelmina to finish changing clothes.

When she finally sat in front of me with a reluctant expression, I politely bowed and expressed my gratitude.

“Thanks to Your Highness, I was able to avoid trouble. Thank you. And I’m also sorry.”

“…No apology is necessary. I just acted on my own.”

Wilhelmina said this, then muttered subtly.

“Really, why did I do that instead of Salice…”

I heard everything, but I decided to pretend I didn’t.

And in my mind, I was recalling information about that countess’s family.

I think there was something related to a business run by the count’s family among next month’s work.

Should I apply some pressure in advance?

I smiled brightly while having wicked thoughts in my head.

Then Wilhelmina flinched as if by spinal reflex and spoke to me.

“N-now go! How long are you planning to stay in my resting room? This makes it seem like I’m close to you. You and I are competitors!”

How embarrassed she gets again.

So I decided to be shameless.

“I thought I had become quite close with Your Highness. Was that presumptuous thinking after all?”

“…What?”

“It was the first time, you see, that a noble lady greeted me so often.”

This was true. More than just being a mere baroness, it was because of the bad reputation that had accumulated over the past year.

The Male Lead had destroyed all my social relationships.

Even the original Roselita had a friend or two…

At my words, silence fell in the room for a moment. Wilhelmina turned pale as if she had said something she shouldn’t have, then looked away.

“St-stop saying you’re being presumptuous. What’s so great about just greeting someone.”

Her face turned red again.

Really, too cute.

Our Wilma.

*

Wilhelmina told me to leave but then held me back, saying I should at least have tea.

“Y-you should at least keep me company while my hair dries! You have that much sense of responsibility, don’t you?”

Of course, I didn’t miss this precious timing and showered Wilhelmina with praise.

Save Wilma with a few compliments!

Save myself too!

It’s a complete win-win situation, right?

“You’re really graduating from the academy with excellent grades! You’re truly amazing, Your Highness.”

“It’s not that amazing. I just read some books.”

“You’re really modest. You accomplished something even Young Duke Lopez couldn’t do!”

At my words, I clearly saw Wilhelmina hiding her twitching lips with her teacup.

Of course she would, since these were words she could never hear at home.

That family only thought of the princess as a tool for marriage arrangements anyway.

Anyway, my efforts over the past two weeks weren’t completely in vain.

“N-next time.”

“Yes?”

“I’m planning to have tea time with you! You won’t refuse, of course?! Surely you, Prince Casian’s fiancée, wouldn’t avoid me, would you?”

I can see right through your act of trying to seem nonchalant, Wilma.

It would be fine to just say you want to have tea time together!

Wilhelmina secretly has no friends either.

I smiled and nodded at those dishonestly honest words.

“Of course, Your Highness. How could I dare avoid Your Highness’s invitation.”

However, at my answer, Wilhelmina frowned slightly with a displeased expression.

“…I wish you’d stop using the word ‘dare.'”

“What?”

“I think you’re the only person who can compare to me, so when you talk like that, it makes me seem like a petty person too.”

I looked at her with a surprised expression for a moment.

There was kindness hidden in those seemingly arrogant words.

Pride filled my chest.

The result of my two weeks of effort!

My sparkling wine!

This way, I gained a friend and broke some ruin flags.

…

That’s what happened, right?

*

“Abandoning me.”

After parting with Wilma and returning alone, Casian, who had been leaning against the wall with a cold expression, approached me.

“Don’t you know the situation?”

At my words, his face slightly crumpled.

With a face that looked extremely displeased, he stared at me intently, then instead of saying something, he extended his hand to me.

Soon the dance music began and I entrusted my body to Casian’s hand, starting to move my feet.

As I felt before, befitting the Male Lead, his dance skills were nearly perfect and skillful.

“…Why do you care so much about Duke Lopez’s daughter?”

“…Because she’s cute?”

Recalling the tea time with Wilhelmina from earlier, I gave a reflexive answer.

Then my boss looked at me with an excessively bright smile and answered.

“I see, so Rose likes cute things.”

You’re not thinking of tormenting Wilhelmina now, are you?

I showed him a kinder smile than usual, hoping that this devil-like Male Lead’s claws wouldn’t reach Duke Wilhelmina.

Then Casian, who had been smiling beautifully, slightly twisted his lips,

“Ugh-!”

In the next turn sequence, he pulled my body sharply toward himself and whispered.

“No matter how I think about it, I feel like I’ve given Rose more of what she wants.”

“…Your Highness?”

“I’ll have to try harder, I guess.”

Contrary to his words, his violet eyes held a dangerous light.

No, if you’re going to try harder, why are you making such sinister eyes?

Those are similar to the eyes you had when crushing corrupt aristocrats three months ago, you know?

“That way Rose won’t abandon me.”

At those words, I didn’t hide my incredulous expression and showed it to him openly.

“You’re being too harsh to me when I’m faithfully fulfilling my contract, Your Highness.”

To view a person so irresponsibly.

Both the employment contract and the engagement contract.

My precious salary is at stake, so there’s no way I’d run away on my own.

When I looked at him with dissatisfied eyes, only then did Casian smile as if satisfied and beautifully finished according to the ending dance music.

Despite confusing me by adding variations to the steps, the fact that he led a perfect dance without anyone else noticing was truly annoying.

*

Unlike the petty and harsh Casian Artez, the innocent and promise-keeping Duke Wilhelmina Lopez truly sent me an invitation a few days after the ball ended.

So was I able to attend the tea time?

The answer was, No!

‘Is this on purpose?’

I looked toward Casian with resentful eyes while viewing the mountain of documents piled up like a hill.

I want to make friends too, Male Lead!

That hedgehog-like duke sent me a tea time invitation.

At this rate, I’d have to send a third rejection letter.

There was too much work and I simply couldn’t find any spare time.

Of course, I know well that it’s because of the royal marriage, welcoming distinguished guests, and all sorts of diplomatic negotiations on top of that…

“What’s wrong, Rose? Are you curious about tonight’s dinner menu?”

Seeing him casually mention overtime work, it seems too, too deliberate.

I quietly turned my head to avoid getting unnecessarily worked up.

I bitterly wrote a rejection letter, swallowing tears over my hopeless free time.

Wilhelmina should see this state of affairs.

Then her feelings would completely cool off…

I sincerely thought that if my overtime work could save an innocent lamb, that alone would be worthwhile.

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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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