The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 169

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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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Side Story 01-4.

“What do you mean by that, Miss Salice? Have I ever spent unnecessary time during work hours that wouldn’t meet your standards? If you tell me, I’ll improve.”

For Casian Artez, there was no disaster more terrible than being evaluated by Rozelita as incompetent or someone she didn’t want to associate with.

Therefore, he questioned Rozelita with the attitude of a student, more politely than usual.

Though it might be unfair to her, his desire to continue enjoying the daily routine of working beside her and exchanging greetings was gradually growing.

Of course, if she said she wanted to quit, he was fully prepared to offer her enough severance pay to solve most of her debts.

It was an unavoidable fact that work at the Winter Palace was difficult.

Perhaps the Empress’s harassment had reached places beyond his sight, causing great emotional wounds—though Casian himself knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Of course, since she began her life as an advisor, she had shown abilities beyond his imagination.

She had simply solved the problems that had accumulated in the Winter Palace with optimal methods without reconsidering or questioning.

In a short period, he was once again amazed by her ability to understand the psychology of those who held power within the Imperial Palace and utilize laws and regulations in the right places.

‘If her wishes hadn’t been ordinary and modest, the Empire would have experienced a change of ownership.’

The more he experienced her, the more he couldn’t help but fall for her.

So, worried he might cross the line she had allowed, Casian acted as a polite superior toward her and behaved diligently.

Instead of speaking only about business matters briefly like he did with the knights—even though he knew Rozelita preferred that—he treated her courteously with respect as a precious lady.

But perhaps his etiquette wasn’t appropriate.

Therefore, Casian clutched his pounding heart and waited for the verdict to come from Rozelita’s lips.

“Your Majesty, I will faithfully fulfill the contract, and if I really can’t bear it, I’ll ask you to improve things.”

“What do you mean by that, Miss Salice?”

“Don’t act like someone you need to escort in social circles while in the office during work. I’m someone who can take responsibility for my choices.”

In summary, it meant that unnecessary courtesy in work relationships was causing inefficiency.

As she said, there were annoyingly many etiquette rules to follow between men and women in social circles.

Her lovely green eyes were spitting fierce curses at Casian.

‘We have so much work piled up right now, what are you fussing over? Are you joking?’

Rather than being displeased by that look, a strange joy welled up. It was really troublesome.

He already had many flaws, but since everything she gave him felt good, he worried he might develop strange preferences.

“So please stop it. Taking care of my commute every day, sending apology letters when you think you’ve been a bit neglectful! I came here to work, and this is more unpleasant. And didn’t you write in the contract about providing overtime pay knowing the current situation? Why are you stopping me saying the night roads are dangerous? You even offer to escort me when I leave work! Why are you making choices that will be more painful in the long run?”

Casian listened attentively to Rozelita’s words as she poured them out as if determined.

He felt like chuckling. Even though it was proof that she saw him purely in terms of work relationships, he was happy.

Every single word was mixed with concern. Even knowing that it wasn’t all for Casian’s sake but for other people in the Winter Palace or for Rozelita herself, it felt good.

For Casian Artez, he could count on his fingers those who gave him even a fragment of such sincere worry. So after that, he changed his attitude.

The joy of meeting her and the tense look she had shown when she first came to the capital had made him mistaken.

His precious little lady was originally such a capable person.

Therefore, instead of the foolish behavior of valuing his image as a fine gentleman and justification, Casian gradually revealed to her his true self—one who had grown up well following the words his little lady had recited to him in childhood.

Then Rozelita’s gaze toward him changed from pathetic to annoying.

Casian was rather relieved by the look filled with emotions like ‘When I told you to do it, you really do it thoroughly and ruthlessly.’

‘There’s nothing more frustrating than a superior who only tries to be a good person, she had said.’

Casian recalled Rozelita’s words and once again remembered her pretty eyes.

The fear from the interview had long since lifted, and her gaze toward him was filled with honest emotions.

That made him happy.

Because he realized she felt comfortable enough to show her emotions to him.

That didn’t mean Casian had become someone capable of handling all of Rozelita.

The Emperor often assigned the Winter Palace the most difficult tasks to handle within the Empire. So there were times when they had to infiltrate while hiding their identities.

Since they were a man and woman without a large age gap, it was natural to disguise themselves as a married couple, lovers, or engaged pair.

And Casian got scolded again.

“Your Majesty, are you trying to practice the social etiquette you lacked with me in the beginning?”

“What do you mean, Miss Salice?”

“What kind of married couple keeps this much distance? Have you ever properly seen an example of an affectionate couple…”

Rozelita suddenly closed her mouth.

Emotions like ‘There wouldn’t be any… only going to battlefields…’ appeared on her face.

Casian smiled softly at her sympathetic expression.

“Unfortunately, no. So won’t you teach me?”

It wasn’t a matter of hurt pride.

His little lady had said there was nothing more worthless than that when facing important matters.

Then Rozelita’s face became a little melancholy.

Sometimes Casian felt a strange ache from those fragments of emotion she sent him.

It seemed like he could feel a trace of the emotions that the messenger from his childhood dreams had given him, making him want to cling to her.

She looked at Casian for a moment with a gaze mixed with complex emotions, then opened her mouth with eyes that said ‘let’s work.’

“First, the way you address me. Try calling me by name.”

A pet name?

Rozelita had only said ‘way of addressing,’ but at that permission, Casian’s heart raced ahead.

He had envied those voices that called her affectionately in the village he had secretly visited in childhood.

Though he knew that pet name too, Casian harbored a deep greed.

Since he wouldn’t dare wish for more, he wanted something that was his alone.

To him, Rozelita’s existence was the freshness and vitality of May itself.

“Rose?”

His emotions naturally transformed into his own pet name and flowed out of his mouth.

Since it wasn’t the pet name she was usually called, Rozelita found it a bit unfamiliar but soon nodded as if it was fine.

“When standing, you need to be at least half a span closer than now. If we’re caught, our lives are in danger, so since you agreed to do it, you must do it thoroughly.”

Her serious, focused way of speaking naturally reminded him of his little lady from childhood.

It felt like those days when she would chatter and tell him all sorts of stories had returned, and Casian found himself completely buried in happy emotions.

It was work, and he knew she was someone he would have to let go someday. Nevertheless.

She was someone who had captivated his childhood with just a few days of memories.

The period that seemed like it would be a few weeks became months and eventually passed a year.

“Your hair is disheveled again, Rose.”

“Where?”

Saying it wasn’t particularly worn out and she disliked inefficiency more, Rozelita casually allowed him close.

Being together became natural, and the distance that started as acting gradually became close in everyday life too.

It was a dangerous and sweet addiction.

Physical contact, which had only been unpleasant except with his childhood messenger, was too special and dangerous for him.

She was so generous with him that he wanted to ask how much she would allow him.

When he didn’t work properly, nagging would fly his way, but when he was really struggling and acted spoiled, she was endlessly lenient.

It almost made him think he was special to her too.

So Casian decided to just remain lost in that delusion while she allowed him to.

Anyway, if she pushed him away, he would be blown away like dandelion seeds in the wind.

Casian was someone who couldn’t do things she truly didn’t want.

But sometimes it was too sad.

Because the more time he spent with her, the more he learned that the person who had inspired awe in him wasn’t special only to him.

Rozelita had casually grown her influence despite all sorts of rumors and criticism.

“Advisor Salice, what do you think?”

“The Advisor is really amazing… Praise me for just greeting and quickly escaping because I was worried we’d lose interest in the Winter Palace.”

“Your Majesty, couldn’t we dress up the Advisor nicely? I’m really annoyed that the nobles judge based on appearance alone! This is a challenge to the Winter Palace maids.”

Really, to the point where he wanted to make the childish claim that he was the one she had found and saved.

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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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