The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 28

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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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28.

“Casian!!”

The Emperor’s furious roar echoed throughout the room.

“The sacred stone was stolen, are you out of your mind! And you tried to hide it?”

“Your Majesty, please calm down.”

“Do you think this is a matter for me to calm down about? Empress, covering for Casian like this won’t solve everything!”

“I know, but Prince Casian is still young and…”

“Young! It’s been several years since his coming-of-age ceremony, how can you call him young! This could even become a diplomatic issue. Princess Alexis personally entrusted it to him, and this is how he handles it!”

The Emperor was furious, making no attempt to hide his emotions as he berated Casian.

However, Casian appeared even calmer than Duke Jamoti as he carefully opened his mouth.

“Your Imperial Majesty.”

He lowered himself before the Emperor without showing the slightest tremor.

“It seems Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and Duke Jamoti have some misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes, the statue sent by the Kingdom of Anden was indeed emitting brilliant light as they described. Both I and my assistant, Miss Salice, saw it.”

“Then…”

The Emperor’s voice softened somewhat.

The one who became flustered was actually the Empress.

I inwardly sneered at her expression, as if she couldn’t understand why the Emperor’s momentum had subsided when he should have been angrier.

‘His Majesty has been quite outmaneuvered by Casian many times before.’

The deal made before the royal wedding, and all the various administrative matters before that.

The Empress wouldn’t know about any of that.

“Due to the recent unpleasant incident, I was in a hurry to make an agreement with Princess Alexis, so my report was slightly delayed.”

Casian said this while producing a letter stamped with the seal of the Kingdom of Anden.

“An unpleasant incident. And what kind of agreement did you make?”

“Time was short, so I apologize for not giving Your Majesty advance notice. However, since this was a task you entrusted to me and gave me authority over, resolving the matter took priority—”

“Enough with such pleasantries, explain first, Casian.”

“It happened six days ago. An intruder broke into the Winter Palace Annex where the exhibits were stored.”

“An intruder?”

“Yes. Coincidentally, the day before, Duke Jamoti had very thoroughly questioned our knights about the security situation.”

Casian looked at the Emperor with meaningful eyes.

“We strengthened security particularly in the areas he asked about, so we got through without major problems. Though there were stolen items, of course.”

“There were stolen items?”

“Please be at ease, Your Majesty.”

Like Pavlov’s dog, the Emperor refrained from flying into a rage and pretended to listen quietly to Casian’s words.

“What they stole were forgeries. Shouldn’t we catch the criminals who committed such an absurd act?”

“So you set bait, is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, though as Her Imperial Majesty said, I was indeed complacent.”

Casian looked toward the Empress and Duke Jamoti with his usual irritating smile.

“Since it was a rare mineral, I thought today’s first exhibition event would pass safely, so I didn’t inform you in advance.”

Duke Jamoti’s face had already turned pale.

“Since you were so concerned about me, I thought you would cover up such faults for now and ask about them later, but your worry about me was greater than I expected.”

In other words, it was the Empress and Duke Jamoti who had rashly created this embarrassing spectacle.

Naturally, the Emperor was not one to miss that meaning.

The Empress quickly opened her mouth with a shamefaced expression.

“Your Majesty, I was simply too hasty. I was worried that the Kingdom of Anden might be disrespecting the Prince and our Empire.”

“Ahem, you should have known to exercise restraint!”

“I was wrong, Your Majesty. Thanks to Prince Casian’s preparations, the misunderstanding has been cleared, so please put your mind at ease.”

The Emperor’s expression softened somewhat at her gentle voice and attitude.

However, Duke Jamoti, whose feet were immediately on fire, seemed to have different thoughts from the Empress.

“Your, Your Majesty! What if Prince Casian is lying to escape this situation?”

That stupid fool!

Though I didn’t have the ability to read minds, I could guess that the Empress had such thoughts.

It was only for an instant, but her elegant face had become like a demon’s.

“You said it was a lie, Duke Jamoti?”

It wasn’t only the Empress who had turned cold.

The Emperor, realizing this gathering had become one that exposed the Imperial family’s shame, asked with his anger turned to ice.

“You seem quite confident in those words.”

“That, that is…”

Only then did Duke Jamoti realize what he had blurted out in his confusion, his face turning from white to blue.

“Such great concern for the Imperial family and this Empire, I am quite pleased. Truly.”

So angry was he that the Emperor even began to smile.

In that atmosphere, no one dared make a sound.

The Emperor swallowed and swallowed his displeasure, then commanded Casian in a low voice.

“Prove it, your innocence.”

So perfectly that no one could object.

Casian couldn’t have missed the words the Emperor omitted.

He answered like a vassal swearing loyalty before the Emperor, as if pronouncing a verdict.

“I gladly accept your command, Your Majesty.”

*

“Did you really want to offer up that neck of yours, brother?”

“Your, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Duke Jamoti was feeling more fear than ever before.

How today’s exhibition had ended was already evaporated from his memory.

“You clearly heard how much His Majesty praised that woman’s son, didn’t you, brother?”

“Yes, yes…”

Indeed he had. With every word the Emperor spoke, he truly felt breathless and as if his throat was being strangled.

‘You really prepared everything meticulously and well, Casian. It was quite a large amount of exhibits, but there wasn’t a single tangled route…’

‘You flatter me, Your Majesty.’

‘I could see at a glance what was most precious from the Kingdom of Anden! And which artists our Empire should pay attention to as well.’

‘It’s thanks to Princess Alexis preparing the materials so well. Also, as Your Majesty knows, my assistant Miss Salice is quite meticulous.’

‘Modesty! Don’t you think I don’t know that having a good assistant is also your ability.’

‘Thank you.’

‘For the Empire, it’s most important to consider the character and usefulness of those who will work together. Truly my son.’

Not only that last statement, but he praised everything so thoroughly that it was overwhelming just to listen.

He probably gave Casian even more face to cover up the shameful incident that happened in the Imperial family today.

But that only added to the humiliation for the Empress, his sister.

Naturally, it was only natural for anger to pour down on Duke Jamoti, who had not only ‘failed to do his job properly’ but even ruined the Empress’s attempt to salvage the situation.

“Can’t you do even one thing properly? How far must I hold your hand and teach you everything one by one?”

“I am, sorry. Your Imperial Majesty.”

It wasn’t like this when they were young.

Duke Jamoti could only bow down before the power relationship with his sister that had been reversed over the decades.

No, he had no choice but to depend on her.

“I was lacking. Please, please tell me a way to survive.”

Duke Jamoti pleaded while lowering himself to a pitiful degree.

He and his sister the Empress knew better than anyone that Prince Casian’s work capabilities were diabolically perfect.

Since he had set out to secure evidence, there seemed to be no way to escape without the Empress’s help.

Though he had used people through several stages, he couldn’t even dream of expecting that devil wouldn’t catch him by the scruff of the neck.

“That thing that should have died, came back alive…”

Duke Jamoti momentarily held his breath.

Even knowing that the Empress was referring to Prince Casian and not himself, her words felt like they were stabbing and clawing at his skin.

‘Was it about ten years ago when Prince Casian began to change…?’

It was probably after Prince Casian returned from his first expedition.

Or perhaps it was even less time than that.

Prince Casian’s erosive counterattacks and the torment he inflicted on them often felt like decades rather than years, leading to frequent confusion.

Crash—!

While Duke Jamoti was lost in thought, tracing the wallpaper patterns with his eyes, the Empress finally shattered a teacup.

At that sight, the Duke actually felt somewhat relieved.

It meant the Empress’s thoughts were becoming somewhat organized and it was time for her emotions to settle.

“Huu, yes. I cannot let my beloved Zamoti Duchy be ruined by my brother’s foolish actions.”

The Empress spoke as she let out a heavy breath.

“Prepare to cast out the Second Prince. That cunning one probably never thought he could cut away the duchy with such antics.”

With a bleak smile, the Empress swept back her disheveled hair to tidy it.

“Since this is our fault, we must give up what needs to be given up.”

“Y-Your Majesty. But he is still your nephew!”

“Who said anything about killing him!”

The Empress shrieked with a burning voice.

“Prepare to lock him away for a few years.”

Duke Jamoti swallowed hard.

“I will handle the cleanup for that, so brother.”

The Empress flicked Duke Jamoti’s bowed forehead with her finger as she spoke.

“Go handle the cleanup of the failed temple and sacred stone deal.”

“Y-yes…”

“You can at least handle such a simple task properly, can’t you.”

At her words, clearly showing her exasperation, Duke Jamoti could only bury his head deeper.

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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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