The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 35

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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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35.

Before long, I could hear wheezing sounds coming from Casian.

I carefully dried his wet hair so as not to wake him, and searched through the cottage to find a hot water bottle.

I boiled water to maintain humidity while placing the hot water bottle under the blankets to help keep his body temperature from dropping.

‘This really brings back old memories.’

Back then he was truly on the verge of death, so this is better than before.

I still vividly remembered trembling while feeling like his breath could stop at any moment, yet pushing myself to keep going.

‘I think I was crying while saying I still had to do it, had to do it.’

Compared to that, this was just a cold with body aches, so it was much better.

I called Jeonseo-gu to send word to the old butler who might be worried that we’d be very late returning from viewing the night scenery in Ilium with Casian, then placed my hand on the cube.

It was similar to the cubes made by the mages who worked at the Winter Palace, but something was different, so I began solving it carefully.

‘Casian probably deduced the trading location, and was threatened by mages in the process.’

When he felt it was truly dangerous, he must have jumped into the river or something, ending up in this state.

So this must be a clue that could serve as evidence.

‘But did they hold another trade on a cruise ship this time?’

Why did he escape so soaked?

Compared to the previous lake, the river here wasn’t very wide, so they couldn’t float a large-scale cruise ship.

At most, the capacity would be limited to a hundred, or stretching it to the absolute limit, around two hundred people.

‘With so few people, it would be impossible to hide.’

An illegal trade, that is.

Then could the cruise ship itself be nothing but a decoy?

Probably, that’s closer to the truth.

As my thoughts became clearer, my hands working the cube also moved faster, and soon all faces became the same color.

The next moment, with a faint light, a bundle of rolled documents fell to the ground with a thud.

And the next moment, seeing the contents of the documents, my eyes widened.

*

After watching over Casian until dangerously late, I decided to stop by Wilhelmina Lopez’s Villa first.

Just in case, I changed the water in the hot water bottle and didn’t forget to install magical devices around the cottage so people wouldn’t notice it.

Though I returned home late due to this, the old butler at the villa looked greatly relieved.

“I’ve prepared bath water. Miss Wilhelmina earnestly requested that we serve you without any shortcomings.”

At his kind guidance with a benevolent smile like looking at a granddaughter, my conscience pricked slightly, but I thought it couldn’t be helped and said,

“Thank you, I think I’ll sleep here tonight and leave early tomorrow morning.”

“Is there some matter at hand?”

“I’m the Second Prince’s aide, after all. His Highness said the dawn in Ilium is beautiful and told me to prepare early.”

“…After keeping you out so late?”

“When he wants to show me something he likes, he tends to act a bit blindly.”

At my words, the butler looked at me with pitying eyes.

I felt like I’d damaged my superior’s image for a moment, but decided not to mind.

Anyway, I soaked my startled body in warm bath water to relax and got some brief sleep.

Since the remaining schedule in Ilium would surely be quite busy and exhausting.

I woke up early at dawn and, after making some excuse to the head chef, received several stew ingredients.

Since his body temperature had fluctuated so much yesterday, I needed to warm Casian’s stomach when he woke up.

Before leaving the villa, I said I’d likely return directly to the capital with His Highness after finishing the schedule in Ilium, and asked them to send the remaining luggage I hadn’t packed to the capital.

Then I didn’t forget to ask the butler a few questions.

“Come to think of it, I heard from Wilma.”

“Yes?”

“Among the cruise ships that travel to and from Ilium, there’s one that Wilma owns.”

“That’s right. The young miss received it as an eighth birthday gift from the Duke. But it is strange.”

“Yes?”

“Ever since the Grand Duchess, the young miss’s grandmother, collapsed while riding that cruise ship and couldn’t get up from her sickbed, she hasn’t even mentioned it.”

“She’s never ridden it since coming here either?”

“Of course not, whenever she has business in Ilium, she absolutely takes a carriage.”

After saying that, the butler asked with a curious expression.

“Has the young miss decided to lend that cruise ship for a good time with His Highness the Prince?”

“No, I just asked because I was curious about something Wilma mentioned in passing.”

“Ah, I see. If you ever need it, please let me know, I’ll contact the operating manager in advance.”

I expressed only gratitude for his kindness and left the villa.

Thanks to that, it became clear.

The malice of this world and Her Majesty the Empress.

*

As soon as I arrived at the cottage, I took out a large pot and began making stew with the ingredients I’d brought.

I crushed the tomatoes appropriately, chopped the vegetables into chunks, and added the spices and broth the villa’s head chef had thoughtfully prepared. Before long, a delicious aroma began wafting up.

I was thinking I just needed to season it with salt at the end, staring blankly at the bubbling stew.

“…It smells good.”

I felt warm body heat behind me.

“Are you feeling better?”

“…Yeah.”

At his voice that was clearly still drowsy, I just let him wrap his arms around my waist and cling to me like he was being spoiled.

One should show mercy to sick people, after all.

“Can you eat?”

“Of course.”

Casian lightly rubbed his forehead against my shoulder, doing something that might have been trying to shake off drowsiness or just seeking body heat.

I waited for a moment to let him act as he pleased, then gently tapped the hands around my waist and said soothingly,

“Then go wash up, I won’t serve food to eyes that haven’t even removed their sleep crust.”

“Because it’s not pretty?”

He asked back like that and laughed softly.

Just when I thought the drowsiness had mostly left his voice, he separated from my body with a leisurely attitude.

“I can’t be hated by Rose.”

Unlike when he approached, he headed to the bathroom making the sound of slippers scraping the floor.

Listening to the sound of water starting from the bathroom, I also put the bread I’d brought in the oven to warm it briefly.

By the time he finished showering completely and came out, the completed stew was steaming on the table.

I sat down while placing some butter and jam on the table.

“Cooking made by Rose.”

At those words, I unconsciously recalled the past.

‘When I was young, I fed him terrible cooking…’

Completely overcooked and clumsily scrambled egg dishes, half-burnt bread, soup that I’d only reheated after secretly bringing what the head chef made but burned because I controlled the fire wrong.

“Are you afraid to eat it?”

“Not at all.”

When I asked politely while recalling the past, Casian shook his head with a gentle smile.

“I feel like I’ve gained precious time.”

He said that while tearing the well-baked bread that retained its moisture, spreading jam and butter on it, then putting it in his mouth.

Without any hesitation.

‘When he was young too, he ate the terrible cooking I made without any wariness.’

Just like now.

Despite being a prince, Casian Artez wasn’t particularly picky about food.

If anything, I was the one with dietary preferences.

He ate the soup that had thickened from burning without complaint.

Even when I said it seemed salty and told him to spit it out, young Casian’s face, who only looked puzzled, seemed to overlap for no reason.

‘…But back then, he really did look like he was eating something tasteless.’

I just thought his emotions didn’t show on his face well because of the timing.

Seeing him take a big spoonful of the tomato stew that even I found delicious, I could tell he had just been planning to fill his stomach somehow.

“Thank you, Rose.”

So politely, he didn’t forget to express his gratitude to me for making the meal along with saying it was delicious.

Really.

‘Thank you, little lady.’

It made me recall childhood memories I had tried to forget while wanting to escape from this world’s fate.

*

“You’ve finished analyzing the documents from the cube.”

“Yes, it contained the actual date and location where the transaction will take place, and even methods to handle the situation if things go wrong.”

Since Casian had volunteered to handle the cleanup, I left it to him while proceeding with the report on what I had been assigned yesterday.

Staring intently at his back as he skillfully washed the dishes, I felt a strange sensation.

‘He’s a prince, so why does he look so accustomed to such things?’

No matter how much he had rolled around battlefields, did he do all his own dishwashing too?

Of course, unlike my wandering thoughts, my mouth continued the report faithfully.

“The owner of the cruise ship is Princess Wilhelmina…”

After hearing part of my report, Casian organized the cleanly washed dishes, then shook off his wet hands and fell into thought.

And as I quietly watched Casian’s back, I realized something felt off.

‘His posture seems a bit awkward compared to usual…?’

He was always someone who would show off his inhumanly perfect core muscles, making others envious.

But today in particular—

“…Your Highness.”

“What is it, Rose?”

I should have noticed earlier. Yesterday’s appearance when he came shirtless, or how this cottage had no signs of being lived in.

“Just how serious is your current condition?”

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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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