The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 18

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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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18.

Did the sun rise from the west today?

I asked Casian with a displeased expression about this situation that shouldn’t be happening.

“Why?”

For someone telling me to leave work, your cheek looks a bit rough, Your Highness?

When I asked with a puzzled look, Casian gazed at me with bitter eyes.

“It breaks my heart that Rose seems so indifferent to herself.”

A moment of silence passed.

Casian’s eyes were too serious to dismiss this as his usual teasing.

“Is there something I haven’t noticed?”

So I decided to ask honestly.

“Yes.”

Casian slowly slipped his fingers between the bracelet he was wearing as he spoke.

“Why are you so oblivious to malice directed at yourself?”

A low sigh escaped from his lips.

“You’re so sensitive about other people’s affairs, and even now you’re probably thinking my face doesn’t look so good.”

How did he know?

When I looked up at him without hiding my expression, somehow a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

“So how could I not worry? I have to take care of my precious aide.”

With a softened face, Casian slid his hand from the bracelet and took my hand.

“When you were with Princess Alexis, wasn’t there someone who showed malice toward you?”

I rolled my eyes for a moment.

There was that kid who grumbled and acted territorial.

“Are you perhaps referring to Count Gash Yeongshik?”

“That’s fortunate, at least.”

Casian intertwined our fingers as if relieved.

“You’re not dull, you just let it slide.”

“Uh, well… But he seemed like someone who would at most spill ink on documents I wrote.”

He looked like he had the heart of a sparrow, so could he really scheme something serious enough for Casian to worry this much…?

Casian quickly answered my reasonable mental question.

“What if Count Gash Yeongshik had a brief tea time with the Empress three days ago?”

“Then the story would have to be different.”

I met Casian’s gaze and spoke.

“Among the Kingdom’s distinguished guests, Count Gash Yeongshik has less reason than anyone to meet with the Empress. He wants to become Prince Alexis’s concubine.”

Meeting with the mother of the Second Prince who would become the primary wife?

Even an idiot would know it’s best to avoid that since he could be caught in a trap or threatened.

I dismissed my carefree thoughts and spoke to Casian.

“Count Gash Yeongshik will fall for the Empress’s shallow scheme.”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

The Empress is planning something to use Count Gash Yeongshik to strike at me or Casian.

And she’ll naturally pin the blame on Yeongshik, allowing her to eliminate Count Yeongshik who would become the Second Prince’s rival.

From what I’d seen these past few days, I’d already noticed that Count Yeongshik wasn’t cunning by nature.

That’s why I hadn’t been particularly wary of him.

“The Empress exploited his impatience.”

“Yes, whether in the Empire or Kingdom, to become a concubine you need either the ruler’s favor or the primary wife’s permission.”

“She must have said she’d persuade the Second Prince to give him the position of first concubine.”

“Right, so now you understand why I’m concerned about you.”

Casian said this while lifting our joined hands and briefly kissing them.

“But… leaving work early today would only be a temporary measure.”

The Empress probably knew that I visited Casian’s office regularly and roughly guessed my departure times.

Count Yeongshik was likely to target late hours to interfere with my way home.

But would avoiding it today solve anything?

When I looked at Casian with a questioning face, he nodded with a knowing, faint smile.

“I’m hoping that will make him give up.”

“Because it could cause diplomatic problems?”

“Yes, Princess Alexis said her type is younger, slightly foolish, and pretty men.”

“It wouldn’t be good for us if the Second Prince monopolizes Prince Alexis’s love either.”

It would be perfect if the Second Prince stirred up the royal family with jealousy and distracted the Empress.

I nodded to Casian in understanding.

“I understand, I’ll avoid it today. And I’ll try to win over Count Gash Yeongshik too.”

“Good.”

While nodding as if that was the best option, Casian made an uncharacteristically apologetic face.

I didn’t quite like that expression.

“More importantly, Your Highness.”

“Yes?”

“Even if you hadn’t gotten engaged to me, wouldn’t you have been broken up with anyway?”

I bluntly asked a mischievous question.

“Everything except being younger doesn’t match, but.”

The apologetic look disappeared from Casian’s face, replaced by a strange smile.

“Am I not pretty to Rose?”

“…What?”

Shouldn’t you be more concerned about not being foolish?

When I looked at him with a bewildered expression, his face came close enough for our noses to touch.

“Really, not pretty?”

Don’t you look in mirrors?

My breath suddenly caught. Bringing that face so close is cheating, you know?

I felt my breath catch as I tried to slightly avoid his gaze.

Then Casian gently cupped my face to meet his eyes again and whispered in a low voice.

“Hmm? Rose, please answer me. This is a very important matter to me.”

Why did I ever show Casian kindness to end up in this situation…

To prevent my oxygen deprivation, I barely managed to speak.

“How could that be. Of course.”

Casian’s violet eyes curved gently.

Though I didn’t want to give him the answer he wanted despite his urging gaze asking for the next words.

“You’re always… pretty.”

There’s no way I could win against him.

Even after I answered, he didn’t let me go and looked at me as if craving something.

“…Your Highness.”

I barely managed to move my eyelids, closing my eyes that had become dry from forgetting to blink.

A shallow sigh was heard beside my blocked vision.

Kiss.

Soon a soft sensation touched my forehead and fell away, and even the touch on my cheeks disappeared.

When I slowly opened my eyes, Casian spoke in a deliberately wistful voice with his usual expression.

“Since my fiancée says I’m less pretty, I’ll have to work harder.”

“What?”

But I said you were pretty?

When I stared with a dumbfounded expression, contrary to my startled heart, mischief filled his entire face.

“Rose really, really likes pretty things, doesn’t she?”

Casian grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

“Delicious things too, but.”

“…Your Highness!”

“I can’t afford to lose my precious aide, so I must make an effort.”

Ah, this wicked employer, really.

I worried for nothing. He was just teasing me again.

I felt like I had suffered a great loss.

*

The spicy stew I ate that day was absolutely amazing.

Somehow he knew I would crave it, and he had even told the chef to prepare it in advance.

What a ghostly person….

All my patterns are being read.

Anyway, thanks to Casian’s foresight and protection, and the early quitting time, I was able to return home without incident.

Just in case, he even assigned two skilled knights to me.

They were the ones called Casian’s swords in the original story, so even if things had gone wrong, I would have likely been safe.

The fact that what he said was true became clear the moment I entered Prince Alexis’ office on my next work day.

Count Gash Yeongshik, who usually ignored me or glared at me, was blocking the entrance.

“I think it’s about time you stopped coming, Aide Salice.”

“Has Prince Alexis dismissed me, chamberlain?”

I asked him with a calm smile.

To think I have to win over someone like this.

Since I always dealt with him using tax audit-like methods, it’s hard to choose a kind approach, isn’t it?

“If so, I would also gladly return to Prince Casian.”

I deliberately started being sarcastic.

“I’ve been quite lonely being separated from His Highness for a whole week.”

“Separated…?”

Count Gash Yeongshik spoke as if he couldn’t believe my words.

“You’re talking nonsense. Do you think I don’t know?”

“Pardon?”

I deliberately looked at him with a stupid face.

Everyone gets annoyed at this face of mine that knows nothing.

“You should be grateful that Prince Alexis even keeps someone like you by his side!”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Don’t play dumb. Do you think I don’t know that you report all sorts of secrets to Prince Casian every evening?”

His rather pretty face was colored with a fishy smile.

“You should be grateful. I could drag you to Princess Alexis right now and report you, but-“

“You’re the one who should be grateful.”

I cut off his words and stepped closer to whisper.

“Prince Casian and I prevented a diplomatic dispute for you.”

“What, what…?”

“I have evidence, so don’t play dumb.”

I looked at him with a villainous smile.

His simple face turned pale.

There are various types of persuasion.

Finding weaknesses was also one of the very legitimate and clean methods.

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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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