The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 16

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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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16.

To be honest, I couldn’t hide my worry about the repeated rejection letters in response.

I had finally managed to become friends(?) with Princess Wilhelmina.

At this rate, I might be abandoned…!

But unlike the Male Lead, she had a heart as vast as the Pacific Ocean.

She hinted at her intention to become pen pals with me.

Even though I had rejected her invitation three whole times, she didn’t give up on me – the Princess truly was an angel.

I hurriedly finished my urgent work, then wrote a reply filled with gratitude and stood up from my seat.

I needed to escape from the office, at least during lunch time.

Since it was gradually approaching the end of winter, a pleasantly cool breeze tickled my cheeks.

After asking for the reply to be sent to the Duke’s residence, I decided to have lunch today at the Solar Palace Officials’ Dining Hall where many assistants and administrators eat.

Because today was the day when the head chef in charge of His Majesty the Emperor’s meals would oversee the officials’ dining hall lunch!

It was a precious day that came only once a year.

Today, even ordinary potato potage would taste like a 3-Michelin-star dish! I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Of course, the Winter Palace head chef’s skills were also excellent, but today Casian was away on external business, so I didn’t want to be unnecessarily bothersome.

Besides, the other servants in the Winter Palace usually used the officials’ dining hall anyway, except for me.

Not wanting to waste my precious lunch time, I boldly decided to take a shortcut.

I would have to cut through the garden area of the Dawn Palace where the Second Prince resided, but I had never run into anyone there before.

Surely I wouldn’t get caught by someone today of all days-

“You there, your face looks familiar?”

And I got caught…

*

As the other party said, it was a voice I knew well too.

While Casian was the primary culprit who made me write repeated rejection letters to my one and only friend, Princess Wilhelmina.

“What business do you have at the Dawn Palace, you?”

The secondary culprit was none other than this person.

The Second Prince’s marriage partner, heir to the Anden Kingdom, Alexis Periander.

The Anden Kingdom had a custom of staying at the other party’s household for about two months before marriage to get to know each other.

Our Empire naturally suggested that this could be omitted for His Highness Alexis, the heir, but the Kingdom refused.

They said their precious heir couldn’t skip their country’s important customs.

They even added the very un-royal-like statement that how could one live unhappily for life by deciding marriage, such a major life event, so easily.

Since it was the stay of the Kingdom’s heir, the entourage that came from the Kingdom was also considerable.

Naturally, many people came to discuss various inter-state affairs together.

In other words, mine and Casian’s work was bound to explode.

So much so that the Empress said it was fortunate that Casian wasn’t the marriage partner but instead got stuck with all this hellish work.

Something about how fortunate it was that First Prince Charlie didn’t have to shoulder this suffering.

Anyway, who would have thought that very culprit would provide an obstacle to my lunch.

No, it was my appetite wanting to eat lunch quickly that was the problem. Sob sob, it’s all my fault.

Swallowing my bitter feelings, I politely bowed and greeted.

“I was merely passing through, Your Highness.”

“…You were the Second Prince’s fiancée, right?”

His Highness Alexis casually acknowledged my greeting with a nod, then looked at me with a triumphant face as if asking whether he got the answer right.

“That’s… correct.”

“Hmm.”

Since you got it right, please let me go.

Despite my pitiful heart, His Highness Alexis had no intention of withdrawing his curiosity and cast a questioning gaze.

“Passing through here at this time.”

The culprit nodded thoughtfully, then chuckled and grabbed my chin.

“Should I understand this as your cute proposal to have lunch together with me?”

A confident arc was drawn across that arrogant face.

That’s an overinterpretation.

My desperate desire to say that was swallowed by the greater reason that ‘if a diplomatic problem erupts, it’ll all be my work.’

I could only swallow a hollow laugh and agree.

*

I heard the Crystal Hall of the Second Prince’s Dawn Palace was famous for its beauty.

The octagonal hall located at the western end of the asymmetrically structured building was rather small in scale to be called a hall.

At most, it was sized for six to eight people to enjoy tea time, so despite its reputation for beauty, there was a reason it wasn’t used for actual events.

‘But it really is pretty.’

When I couldn’t hide my admiration and looked around the interior, His Highness Alexis burst into a satisfied laugh.

“I thought it would suit you, so I ordered the meal to be prepared here, and it seems I made the right choice.”

“…Pardon?”

Did she already figure out that I like pretty things?

As expected of a Kingdom heir, she must have investigated everyone even slightly related to the Imperial family-

“Your face, right?”

Or not?

When I stared blankly at the sudden question, Alexis escorted me to my seat with a pleased expression as if her words were the answer.

“Won’t we become family once the royal marriage is concluded? So I investigated you beforehand, as well as others.”

She even pushed in my chair with perfect timing and gave me a wonderful expression.

I couldn’t help but admire the elegant etiquette, as if it were natural manners.

It was probably due to the atmosphere Alexis created.

Dressed in a perfectly fitted white uniform, her slightly dark dirty blonde long hair was tied down in one bundle so it wouldn’t get in the way.

Perhaps because she was famous for frequent outdoor activities, she had slightly darker skin compared to others, and her wine-colored reddish-brown eyes held a mixture of confidence and ambition.

“You were captivated by the face after all, weren’t you?”

“Pardon?”

At the absurd words, my head turned to follow Alexis as she found her seat.

“The First Prince’s fiancée is a Marquis’s daughter, and the Hanella Marquis family has considerable power. But you, the Second Prince’s fiancée, are the daughter of a Baron family that’s lucky not to have fallen, aren’t you?”

It was direct speech, but strangely I didn’t feel bad about it at all.

It seemed like the intention was just to confirm facts, not to criticize.

“So I thought it must be the face. Even tied up and hidden like that, such luscious chestnut hair, smooth and bright skin like white milk, and beautiful green eyes like emeralds transplanted there.”

She raised her arm and propped her chin with a languid gaze.

“Even that combination is so delicately lovely, it’s very convincing beauty – is this what they call a beauty that topples nations?”

“No!”

At that face full of conviction, I found myself denying it without thinking.

I should have spoken more softly and deflected.

But she kept confidently giving wrong answers, so I unconsciously…

“Hmm, then?”

However, Alexis Periander looked at me with a face full of curiosity rather than displeasure.

She even noticed that my mouth had flinched at the sight of the onion soup that had just been brought out – the caramel rising was fantastic – and made a considerate gesture suggesting we talk while eating.

Grateful for her consideration, I took a large spoonful of onion soup and put it in my mouth.

The savory yet sweet taste blended exquisitely, making my mouth happy.

After that, delicious dishes continued to come out one after another.

Alexis didn’t ask me anything until dessert came out, when she finally asked in a relaxed posture.

“If you weren’t captivated by his face, then what? From my perspective, that seems like the most reasonable reason.”

She had been observing me intently throughout the meal, showing an attitude as if she couldn’t find any other answer.

“Well, that’s…”

But I found that confidence even more puzzling.

Casian could get aesthetic satisfaction just by looking in a mirror, so why would he choose a partner based on looks?

“Obviously, it’s work capability.”

I confidently gave the correct answer.

If you investigated, shouldn’t you also know how much I’ve been worked to the bone beside Casian, Your Highness?

That’s clearly my most proud asset for anyone to see.

“Pfft.”

When I looked at her as if making a silent assertion, Alexis burst into a short laugh.

“Work capability, huh.”

Tap, tap, Alexis tapped her teacup a few times with her long fingers that had protruding knuckles as if accustomed to swords, then stood up from her seat.

“So it’s not just for show to make reports look good.”

“Pardon?”

Then she extended her arm to me as if offering to escort me.

Naturally, as a frail office worker, I didn’t have the courage to refuse a proposal from someone of high rank.

*

Somehow the path Alexis was guiding me along felt familiar.

She boldly opened the Winter Palace Office and entered, then declared toward Casian who had returned after finishing his external duties.

“I’d like you to lend her to me, Prince Casian.”

Indeed, it was the kind of decisiveness that made me understand why she was called a great disaster in the Kingdom.

Casian’s violet eyes, having suddenly encountered this disaster, looked at me briefly.

I suddenly felt a chill.

Somehow this chill felt like he was going to give me another trial.

“…I wondered what you were talking about, barging in so suddenly.”

Casian looked at my escorted state and sighed, then extended his hand.

“My lovely Rose has captivated someone other than me.”

As if erasing Alexis’s presence entirely, he gently pulled me into his embrace and whispered.

“What must I do to monopolize you?”

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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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