The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 171

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Side Story 02. The Wedding

Four months had slipped by since leaving the Imperial Palace.
The people from Winter Palace who had joined us after finishing their extended duties in the Capital had begun to settle into life on the Reardon Estate, adapting to the rhythm of things.
Not long after their arrival, complaints surfaced now and then about whether we were favoring the Capital personnel.
But since everyone came from different backgrounds and their work spoke for itself, those whispers quickly died away.
Ordinarily, it wouldn’t happen so quickly for villagers to gauge the competence of administrators.
‘Our administrators are no mere desk-bound bureaucrats, after all.’
They proved just as adept at showing their mettle as those who had survived the intrigues of Summer Palace and Rose Palace.
‘The map did seem strange. It appears the Jaemoti Marquis family has been constructing and neglecting roads as they please. The residents say traffic through here is sparse. The actual mountain pass the locals use is this route here. I’ll note this for the map revision.’
‘There’s an issue with sewage management. The Empire’s Capital underwent major infrastructure works fifteen years ago, but the Reardon Domain was excluded. We should lodge a compensation claim with the Capital and verify whether the Jaemoti family has the means. The documents reported to the Capital show the Reardon Domain included, so we’re entitled to compensation.’
But what mattered most was that they didn’t simply talk—they swiftly identified what Reardon needed, prioritized it, and resolved issues with remarkable speed.
Of course, it wasn’t only the administrators.
The guards and servants alike put the survival skills they’d learned at Winter Palace to quick use, weaving themselves rapidly into the community of villagers.
“By the way, Margrave, when are you planning to prepare the wedding?”
“I’m dying to know too.”
They’d grown so comfortable that during my morning preparations, mixed in with the servants from the Estate, they asked me such things without hesitation.
…had they warmed up to me this quickly?
Having left my hair and clothes to their care while I reviewed administrative documents, I stammered out a short cough of embarrassment.
True, when I’d first arrived at Reardon, I had teased Casian about holding a wedding…
But with mountains of work to do, I kept putting it off—the time felt too precious to waste.
Besides, I didn’t think things between Casian and me would change much whether we held a ceremony or not—
“That way, His Majesty can call me ‘consort’ too.”
“Hmm?”
“That’s right. Even back at Winter Palace, he was so eager—kept saying the day he’d be called the Margrave’s consort wasn’t far off.”
…they really had gotten close too quickly, hadn’t they?
Joan, the maid from Winter Palace, and even the young lady from a retainer family.
How did they all get along so well despite coming from such different backgrounds?
And how did they even know Casian harbored such hopes?
As I stared at her in bewilderment, Joan let out an ‘eek’ and opened her mouth.
“Surely not—the betrothal’s already lasted ages, and His Majesty wouldn’t be so cruel as to just use you for work while pretending to be engaged. Though I suppose the reverse could happen…”
“…What exactly is on your reading list these days? And what do you mean ‘the reverse could happen’—are you doubting my devotion?”
Joan used to direct all her suspicions at Casian alone, but how could she…?
At my wounded look, she straightened up with utmost confidence.
“Of course I firmly believe our Margrave would never do such a thing. But if we’re speaking purely of probability, His Majesty is at zero percent, while the Margrave might be at, oh, 0.001 percent.”
“I would never either. I’m going to keep Casian by my side for life.”
After all the resolve it took to abandon my peaceful life plans and take responsibility for him.
Did she think my devotion was shallow?
That’s when it happened.
“…isn’t it wonderful to say such lovely things first thing in the morning, Rose?”
Knock-knock—Casian appeared in the open doorway, gazing at me with a soft smile.
His ears were faintly flushed, and his eyes were so full of affection as he began to speak slowly.
“If you’re all ready, may I have the honor of escorting Rose?”
As Joan had said, there wasn’t a shred of doubt in his gaze—only love so evident that everyone let out soft exclamations of wonder.
*
After receiving quite a lively send-off, we ventured out for a brief walk through the Manor Garden.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
“Your work continues to be appreciated.”
“How kind you are! I do wish to create a beautiful garden soon. Ah yes, for today’s walk, I’d recommend that direction. The flower saplings we planted when I arrived have begun to bloom, and they’re looking rather lovely.”
“Let’s do that.”
Casian smiled at the gardener and released the arm he’d been offering me, instead intertwining our fingers.
The gardener, who had worked at the Manor even during Maribel’s time, looked pleased at the sight.
I gave him a light nod of acknowledgment and turned toward the path he’d suggested.
Sure enough, flowers of various colors were beginning to bloom here and there.
Some still held their buds tightly closed, and some showed they’d been planted only recently, yet there was something promising about what was to come.
As I bent down to observe the flowers more closely at the garden’s edge, Casian crouched down beside me.
Yet his gaze wasn’t fixed on the delicate flowers blooming nearby.
“You should look at the flowers.”
“I’ve had so little time to see Rose because of work—I need to look carefully while I can.”
At such shameless words, I couldn’t help but be at a loss.
“Don’t we spend almost all our time together, except when I’m looking over documents or when we’re bathing and preparing?”
“Do you realize that looking over documents takes up about half my day?”
Casian grumbled as if wounded.
“And since you insist I sleep properly, most of the remaining half disappears too, don’t you see? That leaves me scarcely a quarter of the day to spend leisurely like this—how could I not cherish it? You know I love you.”
At his earnest words, I found myself speechless for a moment before smiling and leaning gently against him.
He naturally wrapped his arms around me and placed a kiss on my temple.
The fact that such gestures weren’t performed for show terrified me.
Even if he weren’t of the Reardon bloodline that carried Dragon Blood, I could be certain from this gaze and these actions alone that he would never betray me.
Just as Joan, who had been endlessly suspicious of Casian, now trusted him.
“I love you, Casian.”
“…you’re truly unfair, Rose.”
A natural smile bloomed on his slightly reddened face.
“But I’m happy to be loved by someone like you. I love you too.”
Of course, he didn’t forget to express it in words as well.
As we continued our garden walk admiring the flowers, it gradually came time for work, and we saw administrators arriving at the Countess’s Residence.
“Casian, shall we head back inside?”
“Yes.”
Casian gave me a reluctant light kiss, then a question seemed to occur to him, and he spoke.
“By the way, Rose, why did the maids look at me with such anticipation today? It’s not your birthday, nor the day we first met, nor the day you overturned Rose Palace…”
He began counting on his fingers, reciting off an oddly specific list of anniversaries.
“…why is ‘the day I overturned Rose Palace’ even on that list?”
“The guards couldn’t celebrate it when I was at the Imperial Palace, but they said it should become an annual holiday worthy of commemoration.”
Had I somehow become a saint?
Surely there’s a proper saint named Wesley Morel in this world, a solid, dependable fellow?
I met his gaze with a complicated expression.
“It’s not so much that I expected such things of you…”
“Hmm?”
“Since wedding preparations haven’t been mentioned, I thought perhaps you’d finally lose patience and try to press me about it.”
“Is pressing you allowed?”
“I thought we’d mutually agreed to put it off.”
At my words, Casian let out a soft laugh.
“That’s true. One way or another, the villagers’ immediate livelihood takes priority right now.”
“This is all because of someone in the Capital being lazy.”
“Rose, that’s far too charitable an assessment. The problem is that this person isn’t merely lazy—they’re industrious when it serves their own interests.”
True enough—they were remarkably diligent when it came to matters that benefited them.
As I let out a short sigh, he took my hand and leaned in conspiratorially.
“I do hope we can hand over the matters that need to go to that highly placed person soon, Rose. Now that wedding talk has come from your lips, I’m genuinely tempted to press you about it.”
Would a simple civil registration not do?
While I was mulling over modern alternatives, Casian rested his head on my shoulder.
Soon he whispered pitifully, his beautiful face full of longing.
“Please give me the title of Clupea Margrave’s consort soon, Rose.”
It was so endearing I nearly sent an urgent letter to Saint Wesley Morel asking for an emergency marriage certificate.

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