The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 160

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

160.

The news came in the afternoon.

The result was first place as Wilhelmina had confidently predicted.

The Emperor was delighted with that proud result and ordered the celebratory banquet he had prepared to be held.

“Congratulations, Fourth Prince. I truly wish I could throw you a proper party.”

When I entered the banquet hall and offered my congratulations, the Fourth Prince couldn’t hide his bashful expression.

“Not at all. Just being able to share a meal with those who work together in the Imperial Palace is a great honor. Besides, Mother can host a banquet, but not a party, right?”

The Fourth Prince answered maturely, as if he understood well from helping with our work for over a year.

Seeing that, Casian felt slightly bitter.

“You don’t need to worry about such things.”

“No, brother. As a prince, these are things I should naturally know.”

No matter how I thought about it, the Emperor seemed to have far too much fortune with his children compared to his own actions.

Even First Prince Charlie, who wasn’t his biological child, understood his duties as a prince well.

In five years, Sixth Prince Joel would undoubtedly be more dignified than the Emperor himself.

Then the Fourth Prince whispered to us in a low voice.

“I know you two have been very considerate of me. So I hope you’ll do what you need to do today.”

“But it’s your celebration banquet?”

When Casian asked apologetically, the Fourth Prince nodded vigorously.

“That’s exactly why. It’s not Joel’s celebration banquet.”

His words were filled with deep affection for his younger brother.

We decided to gratefully accept the Fourth Prince’s consideration.

It was also a perfect day to give His Majesty a gift.

‘It seemed like His Majesty the Emperor was finally making up his mind about selecting the Crown Prince.’

He had been playing push and pull with Casian over the Crown Prince position to enjoy one last bit of fun, but this side hadn’t reacted at all.

‘He’s really pathetic, isn’t he? He was grumbling that his son has no charm. I wonder if he’s in any position to wish for such things.’

Empress Trisha, who listened to His Majesty’s complaints, had clicked her tongue while telling me this.

No, it wasn’t just Empress Trisha.

‘I think about this sometimes, but His Majesty the Emperor really has no sense. He should only play jokes on people who can handle them.’

Even the First Consort had said this recently when she called me to discuss seriously arranging engagements for the princesses.

She seemed to have something she wanted to ask me subtly, but she kept her mouth shut, conscious of His Majesty’s ears attached to her.

And His Majesty the Emperor, the center of this topic—

“Probably, it’s not that he doesn’t know. I think he’s thoroughly mistaken about something else?”

“Yes, he thinks we’re being thoroughly cautious.”

“Because Rose made him think that way.”

As if our prediction was correct, even while calling and praising the Fourth Prince, he kept sending strange glances our way.

I leaned against Casian’s body and willingly showed the Emperor a look mixed with joy and anticipation.

This was actually a very honest expression of emotion too.

“We didn’t deceive him, Ian. It was our true feelings.”

We had never wanted the design the Emperor had in mind in the first place.

*

The banquet flowed peacefully.

While celebrating the Fourth Prince’s first-place admission to the Academy, the various dukes invited to this gathering also praised the Emperor, saying national affairs had become much more stable.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since the beginning of a year was this peaceful, Your Majesty.”

“It’s thanks to all your hard work. Especially Duke Lopez worked hard to finish the negotiations with Basmach before last year ended.”

“From spring, ordinary merchants will be able to start trading too. Though Basmach pretended to weigh their options, the truth is they urgently needed our Empire’s goods.”

The Emperor nodded with satisfaction at Duke Lopez’s words.

It was thanks to the recent negotiation conditions with Basmach being clean without either side losing out.

It was a world of difference from when Marquis Zamotti, now completely erased from the noble registry, was in charge.

“The Duke speaks truly! Basmach and we are not in a relationship where one side should lose out in trade.”

“That’s right. It’s not like there are groups plotting war as before.”

Duke Lopez subtly reminded the Emperor that the expelled Zamotti family and the temple forces that had stirred up nobles to maintain their power were gone.

And our Winter Palace held the greatest credit for those achievements.

“That’s right, it’s all thanks to having a son I’m proud of.”

“Are you only planning to praise Prince Casian, Your Majesty?”

“Hahaha, if I said it was only Casian’s achievement, it would be plastered across tomorrow’s newspapers that I’m an emperor blinded by favoritism!”

“Don’t be angry, having good people around is also one of Prince Casian’s excellent qualities.”

At Duke Lopez’s smoothly flowing words, the Emperor showed a pleasant expression as if not displeased at all.

“How could that be? Casian is my proud prince, and Salice Advisor is my son’s fiancée, and the Winter Palace they built together is also a precious treasure of this Imperial Palace.”

Father, who had a daughter in that treasury, showed an openly joyful expression after hearing the Emperor’s words.

Seeing Duke Lopez’s expression, Wilhelmina, who was dining beside me, couldn’t hide her incredulous feelings.

Lopez Prince, sitting across from us, looked as if he had bitten into an unripe persimmon.

Whether the Lopez siblings were uncomfortable or not, the Emperor continued with satisfaction.

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to discuss. It’s time for me to make a decision too.”

“What might that be, Your Majesty? Surely you’re not planning to withdraw our Fourth Prince from the Academy now?”

And beside him, Empress Trisha quickly added her words to cut off the Emperor’s last escape route.

“How could that be! It’s not just passing but first place, and I promised several times to send him if he just passed.”

The Emperor pretended to be magnanimous.

Empress Trisha, having extracted words that couldn’t be taken back in front of many people, showed a gentle smile.

“Then is it that matter Your Majesty has been pondering lately?”

“That’s right, Empress. It’s time for me to think about the future too.”

The Emperor looked toward us with affectionate eyes and spoke.

“Since national affairs have stabilized, I’m thinking of finding an owner for the vacant position.”

It was exactly as expected—a statement with the clear subject deliberately omitted.

Very gratefully for us.

So I tightly grasped Casian’s encircling hand.

Though we had prepared together, from now on it was time for Casian to face the Emperor entirely alone.

Casian Artez, as if that gave him strength, smiled brightly at the Emperor and spoke with a relaxed attitude.

“Since you put it that way, I feel I can make a request with a light heart.”

“Finally, you’ve made up your mind!”

Anticipation filled the Emperor’s eyes.

“Speak quickly, whatever you say, I won’t call you presumptuous.”

Then he drank his premature celebration without mercy.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you! It’s not a position that can be passed down forcibly.”

“Since Your Majesty puts it that way, my heart truly feels lighter.”

Casian acted even more respectfully, as if fanning the Emperor’s expectations.

“Also, thank you for waiting. There were many things to arrange, so even though it was something I should have done, I was late in speaking up.”

However, at Casian’s following words, the Emperor looked slightly puzzled.

“…Arrange? Should have done?”

While the Emperor muttered in a small voice, Casian and I rose from our seats and lowered our posture as if offering formal respect.

“…Casian?”

The Emperor’s voice was tinged with even deeper suspicion.

“—Since you granted me Riedern County, I should have properly gone to the estate to fulfill my duties, but I apologize for this delay.”

We proceeded to betray his expectations completely.

“Since all preparations to hand over the work we were responsible for are complete, I will now leave for Riorden Estate to fulfill my duties.”

And at the words that followed, the banquet hall was suddenly enveloped in silence.

Not just the Emperor, but the advisors from the Sun Palace who had been chatting merrily and the high-ranking nobles handling major affairs all stiffened at once.

“Right now…, so you’re saying the Winter Palace will disappear?”

“S-surely not. Managing Riedern County could be done by appointing a representative and overseeing it from the capital.”

“That’s right, and isn’t there a more suitable position for Prince Casian?”

They regained their composure faster than the Emperor and deliberately spoke up as if to dissuade us.

Thanks to this, the Emperor who had been in a daze also came to his senses and asked us as if to confirm.

“So, you’re saying you want to go on an estate inspection? Or are you saying you want to stay at the estate for a month or two to focus on handling accumulated work?”

However, the possibilities the Emperor had wracked his brain to come up with didn’t apply to us.

“No. I am telling you that I will remain at Riorden Estate as the Duke of Riorden, Your Majesty.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————