The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 30

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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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30.

“Y-you were simply trying to wake me up?”

Since I couldn’t let Wilhelmina remain lost in worry, I spoke honestly.

Her face immediately turned as red as well-aged wine.

But that was only for a moment, as she released my hand and spoke as if it were nothing.

“R-right! It’s not like I bothered you, and I even asked my father to bring you to this villa, so there’s no reason to feel hurt.”

…She even asked Duke Lopez?

Ever since going to study abroad at the Kingdom Academy, Wilhelmina had avoided talking to her father whenever possible.

I was so moved that I lost my words.

“…Did I really force you to come here too unreasonably?”

However, Wilma seemed to interpret my silence differently.

Now fully awake, I hurriedly shook my head.

“No, I love it so much. This is the first time I’ve seen such a pretty room.”

This wasn’t just words to please Wilma, but my true feelings.

I naturally stepped out onto the terrace attached to the room and smiled at Wilma.

“And look at this garden, just seeing it feels healing to my heart.”

Unlike the Zamoti Duchy which had only recently been elevated to ducal status, the Lopez Ducal House was truly a prestigious family with a long history.

Vast estates, abundant wealth accumulated over many years, and the political acumen of successive Lopez Dukes who never made losing deals.

In any case, being the villa of such a ducal house, the landscaping was incredibly beautiful.

“That’s right, this is my favorite villa.”

Wilma followed me onto the terrace and carefully arranged her hair that was fluttering in the wind.

“The village adjacent to this villa isn’t very bustling, but it has character and is nice to explore.”

“I’d love to see it.”

“There’s a clean stream in the forest a little ways away, and it’s the perfect time when all kinds of flowers are blooming beautifully along the waterway.”

Is this a friend date invitation?

When I looked at her with an unconsciously excited expression, Wilhelmina showed a pure smile.

“You’re like a child, Salice.”

“It’s my first time going to such a pretty place with a friend.”

“F-friend?”

“Isn’t that right? Am I being presumptuous again-“

As soon as I opened my mouth, she quickly covered it.

“I told you not to say such things.”

“Ah.”

“And, f-friend! You’re right, we are friends.”

Wilhelmina said this while blushing like a ripe apple.

“If we weren’t friends, I wouldn’t have invited you to the villa. Besides, you’re the first person I’ve ever invited like this.”

“Of course, my lady.”

I leaned against the terrace railing and spoke with a bright smile.

“Since we’re friends, please call me by my name now.”

“…Miss Roselita?”

“Just Roselita.”

Casian had been arbitrarily making up nicknames and calling me by them at some point.

It would be stranger if Wilma and I, who are friends!, couldn’t call each other by our names.

She quietly looked at me, then smiled gently as if finding it absurd.

“You don’t need to make such a pretty face for something like this, I would have agreed anyway.”

“What?”

“If you’re going to smile prettily, you should save it for when you make difficult requests, like to Prince Casian…”

Why would I need to with him…?

Of course, since there was nothing good about correcting the relationship between Casian and me, I kept my tingling lips firmly shut.

“Instead, you should stop calling me ‘my lady’ too.”

“Then should I say Lady Wilhelmina…?”

“Just Wilhelmina is fine, or you can call me Wilma!”

Oh my, she’s allowing me to use her nickname.

I was so moved that I grabbed Wilma’s hands tightly.

“Understood, Wilma!”

At my enthusiasm, her face turned beautifully red once again.

We were both truly hopeless at making friends.

Both Wilhelmina and I.

*

Since we had arrived at the villa quite late, Wilma and I decided to enjoy warm rooibos tea and simple refreshments that wouldn’t interfere with our sleep.

Though it was an awkward and clumsy conversation, I felt good that we had finally achieved, even modestly, the tea time that Wilma had invited me to several times.

“You’re not already satisfied, are you?”

“What?”

Before going to her room, Wilma asked me with a worried expression.

“How many tea times have you declined? You’re not thinking that today alone makes up for all of them, are you?”

“May I be honest?”

If we hadn’t had tea time like this today, I would have gladly left all decisions to Wilma.

I had been thinking that warming her heart should come first.

But spending time together, I learned how pure a person Wilma was.

Though she had been exposed to her family’s coldness for a long time, she was stronger and more upright than I thought, and I realized that once she showed goodwill, she wouldn’t take my words badly.

“Of course! We’re friends, aren’t we?”

She was truly, truly honest.

Since she seemed nervous for some reason, I quickly spoke up.

“I’d like to have occasions like this often, actually even back in the capital.”

“…Really?”

Why do you look so surprised?

“…That’s a relief.”

I could even see the tension visibly leaving her shoulders as if she was greatly relieved.

“Why?”

“Well… I thought I had forced you to come here.”

“What?”

“O-of course! I don’t think it’s something a lady should read… But my maid recommended it so strongly that I read it briefly out of curiosity, just briefly.”

Huh? I suddenly felt the conversation flowing in a strange direction.

“In those, ahem, romance novels, women who love the same man fight each other and bully one side… Especially the protagonists are often young ladies of low status, and ladies like me make their lives miserable…”

Wilma’s face instantly turned pale.

Aren’t you getting a bit too immersed, Wilma?

“What was the title…?”

I should have offered words of concern as a friend first, but my curiosity overcame my reason again.

“T-The Beloved Villainess Wants to Find a Way to Delete the Emperor.”

Unfortunately, it was a new release I had been too sleepy to start just before falling asleep yesterday.

From the title alone, I could feel the trashy flavor of all keywords mixed together.

“Anyway! Someone as refined as you wouldn’t read such things, so you wouldn’t misunderstand… But that’s what my brother said.”

“What did he say?”

“That you were politely declining because you didn’t want to associate with me, asking if I was clinging on without any sense.”

This is why blood relatives are the worst.

Why judge my feelings arbitrarily?

The rejections were because of my insane workload.

“Of course, of course! I thought you weren’t the type to speak empty words. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“How could I? I was actually grateful. Even though I was so busy with work that I could barely manage letters, you always cared about me…”

At my words, Wilma stood up from her seat and grasped my hands tightly.

“Really! I’m not some petty, vindictive person! I didn’t bring you here to torment you somewhere no one would know!”

I was gradually becoming curious about what exactly the villainess had done in that story.

“Of course, I could tell just from how Wilma prepared such a lovely room for me what a kind person she is.”

“R-right?”

I nodded as if to give her reassurance.

Of course, I didn’t forget to clear up the real misunderstanding I needed to address with her as she felt relieved.

“But Wilma, have you perhaps read ‘My First Time as an Empress in a Novel’?”

I can’t lose such a precious reading friend!

*

We had planned to have just a short tea time.

But Wilma and I ended up going to bed only when dawn was breaking due to all the novel discussions that followed.

Of course, since we even exchanged books with each other, the time we actually fell asleep was even later.

The proof of that was…

“…G-good morning, Roselita.”

Wilhelmina Lopez, who supposedly always maintained thorough lifestyle habits as a duke’s daughter, had actually overslept.

Around lunchtime, seeing me return leisurely from a garden stroll, Wilma smiled sheepishly.

I did recommend quite a lot yesterday…

It was because I had binge-read new releases just before Wilma brought me here.

‘Is it okay to corrupt a friend like this after becoming friends? What if Duke Lopez says she’s only a bad influence and tells his daughter not to play with me?’

A slightly anxious thought crossed my mind, but it didn’t last long.

“Ahem! More importantly, Roselita.”

“Yes?”

“How about we go out for lunch? I know a place with really delicious brunch menu.”

Since Wilma brilliantly guided me to a place of happiness.

On the second day of my trip, I should have spent such a perfect day.

“Hello, Rose?”

Why am I seeing things that aren’t there?

“P-Prince Casian?”

But I could tell from Wilma’s flustered voice that it wasn’t a hallucination.

…Running into my boss at a travel destination.

The worst possible vacation disaster had occurred.

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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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