The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 45

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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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45.

“That’s right, since the Winter Palace has a new aide, we’ll need to increase staffing.”

The Emperor sent a meaningful look that said ‘you must do this.’

‘That’s the look of someone who wants to pile on more work.’

Really, he has no conscience. Even with all 10 positions filled, I can’t guarantee leaving work on time with the current workload.

“The Summer Palace is also bringing in new aides?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. However, the Summer Palace already has a good number of administrators, so it won’t be too many. They’re already using three per aide.”

The Empress smiled elegantly and lightly moistened her throat with lemon water.

“The Summer Palace aides are all working hard, apparently there was an order from Charley that the budget cannot be wasted carelessly.”

Now that budget season is over, she’s really good at identifying friend from foe.

It was a blatant criticism directed at us.

Saying that we’re using up to the maximum number of administrators allowed per aide.

Conveniently leaving out the fact that there was only one aide before.

Of course, the Emperor, who always benefits from the Winter Palace, just laughed it off with a chuckle.

“Charley has good fortune with people.”

Only Prince Charley, who was suddenly put on the spot, had a sour expression as he responded with “Yes…”

Of course, the Empress wasn’t going to stop there.

“Your Majesty, if you only pay attention to the Summer Palace and Winter Palace, gossips will say you’re playing favorites.”

“Hmm?”

The Emperor gestured to the Empress as if telling her to continue.

She slowly rose from her seat, gave a slight curtsy to the Emperor, and spoke.

“The Fourth Prince is twelve years old and will soon celebrate his eleventh birthday.”

“That’s right.”

“Considering that Charley and Prince Casian got their first aides when they turned ten, I’m late in being concerned about this.”

The Empress said this, then turned her gaze toward the Second Consort sitting near the end of the table and smiled.

“Don’t feel hurt, Second Consort. It wasn’t intentional.”

“I don’t think that way, Your Majesty the Empress.”

The Second Consort, who had been busy caring for her young children, barely managed to compose her pale face as she answered.

“An aide for the Fourth Prince…”

As the Emperor stroked his chin thoughtfully, the Empress quietly approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder like a dance.

“Haven’t you always worried that there’s too much work in the Imperial Palace for Charley and Prince Casian to handle alone?”

In short, the Empress intended to use this opportunity to weaken Casian’s power.

Well, if the work actually decreases, that would be somewhat welcome for us…

‘But would that cunning Emperor really do that?’

The Emperor quietly placed his thick hand over the Empress’s hand on his shoulder, patting it with a satisfied expression.

“No one understands my thoughts as well as the Empress.”

“How could others not know? I was just bold enough to speak up.”

The Emperor chuckled low at her coquettish voice.

“Good, then though it’s a bit early, we should also assign an aide to the Third Princess. That child is also ten this year.”

“Your wisdom is remarkable, Your Majesty.”

“Many people will be entering the Imperial Palace, so proper education will be necessary to prevent chaos.”

The Emperor looked meaningfully toward Casian and me.

“The competence of the Winter Palace administrators is all thanks to you, Rozelita, the First Aide.”

“You flatter me.”

“What flattery? Excessive modesty becomes rudeness.”

The Emperor opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“So the education will be handled by the Winter Palace,”

The Emperor paused mid-sentence.

While the Empress looked puzzled, the Emperor slowly turned his gaze to First Prince Charley.

“No, since the Summer Palace received education recently, it would be better for Charley to take the lead in preparing.”

The Emperor’s eyebrows rose with apparent pleasure.

At the same time, the Empress’s eyebrows also shot up instantly.

“Are you displeased, Empress?”

It seemed she had misjudged the force of her hand on the Emperor’s shoulder.

She hurriedly removed her hand from his shoulder, clasped them quietly together, and instantly changed her expression to a charming one.

“How could that be, Your Majesty? I just thought there might be someone more suitable…”

“Did I choose the wrong person?”

The Emperor still looked at the Empress with a playful tone.

She hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly urged Prince Charley.

“What are you doing, Prince Charley? His Majesty the Emperor is showing his trust in you.”

Indeed, her skill at packaging situations was unmatched in the Imperial Palace.

“I accept your command, Father.”

“Yes, and Casian.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hearing about the Fourth Prince’s age reminds me of your childhood.”

The Emperor smiled broadly.

At the same time, both Casian’s and my hands stopped moving.

“So the Fourth Prince is at just the right age. No, he’s one year older than you were then, so is it late?”

Eleven years old, that was.

The age when Casian was first thrown onto the battlefield.

*

“…He’s truly gone mad.”

After finishing breakfast and returning to his office, Casian roughly loosened his tie and shook his head.

“Has he forgotten that I barely survived and returned from that time?”

I understood his words all too keenly.

I was the one who saved Casian when he nearly died on his first battlefield.

All of it was due to the Emperor’s contemptuous indifference toward Casian and the Empress’s greed.

At the time, despite the Temple’s public declaration of legitimacy, the Emperor looked at Casian as if he were evidence of adultery.

Annoyed that his imperial authority would be subject to Temple interference because of a son born under divine displeasure, he would often spout nonsense about how Casian might not even be his real son.

The Empress used the Emperor’s emotions brilliantly.

‘If he clears out the demons and returns, wouldn’t that resolve the divine displeasure? He’d be punishing those who sinned against the gods with his own hands.’

The Emperor willingly pushed his eleven-year-old son into mortal danger.

Whether he died fighting demons or returned alive.

‘The Emperor thought it would be good either way since he could resolve the situation of seeming indebted to the Temple.’

What a terrible human being.

One thing the Empress overlooked was that Casian Artez was a genius who had learned swordsmanship and built his skills on his own without proper care from anyone.

By secretly watching and imitating the knights’ training and wielding his sword, he became the final victor in the Imperial Palace martial tournament for new knights at the age of ten.

‘Though that also led to being driven to the battlefield…’

His current position and survival were also the result of slaughtering demons.

“The Fourth Prince is famous for being a bookworm.”

“Right, and now he’s telling such a child to go to the battlefield.”

“He’s telling Your Highness to leave the capital.”

Casian sighed deeply at my words.

That was the only way the Fourth Prince could avoid this situation.

The Emperor knew that Casian couldn’t be truly harsh to his siblings, and he cleverly exploited that weakness.

We prepared educational manuals in advance to prevent increased workload, and this is how he responds…?

“The Empress wants to keep you in check, and he also doesn’t want this side to gain too much power.”

“Right, demon clearing would take several months away. Besides, I haven’t been out for 4-5 years, so it is time for cleanup.”

“The Imperial Guard does follow Prince Casian too much.”

Casian just shrugged as if that couldn’t be helped.

It was also a way of saying that the Emperor had many children, so losing one or two princes wouldn’t be much of a loss.

‘If the Fourth Prince really goes to the battlefield, there’s a high chance of casualties among the Imperial Guard due to poor command structure, and that could lead to resentment building up against Casian.’

Especially since it wasn’t a situation where Casian couldn’t go out at all.

Meanwhile, if Casian left the capital, his influence would also diminish, so this wouldn’t be a loss for the Emperor either.

“And if I go to the battlefield, they’ll probably make sure I can’t take Rose with me.”

“Since there’s a new assistant, it doesn’t have to be me specifically?”

“Exactly.”

Casian let out a hollow laugh and approached me, cupping my cheek.

“His Majesty seems to want to test something.”

“Whether I can dare to stand against the Empress without Your Highness?”

He nodded.

In other words, there was something about my confrontational stance with the Empress that had displeased the Emperor.

Even though he acknowledged me as a fiancée, I’m still just ‘a mere baron’s daughter.’

To be honest, it’s not that I’m not afraid.

“If that’s really what he’s thinking, wouldn’t that be a miscalculation?”

“Right.”

“I often say that I’m the only one who can handle Your Highness.”

At my words, Casian whispered more nonsense about how that was true, so don’t abandon him.

I lightly ignored his words and smiled.

“But Your Highness is probably the only one who can handle me too.”

Do you know how much allowance this guy gives me?

I absolutely won’t work if I don’t get my allowance.

The moment Casian goes to the battlefield, I’m determined to become a proper office worker who leaves work on time, yet even while plotting my usual schemes to break this situation out of habit—that was our relationship.

Knock, knock.

While Casian and I were exchanging conversation, a careful knocking sound came from below the office door.

Feeling strange, I cautiously opened the door, and there was.

“Hello, Newna.”

A cute little prince with light wheat-colored hair and one missing bottom tooth, bowing deeply as he called out to me.

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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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