The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 48
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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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48.
“What?! That bastard King of Seolkuk…!”
Just one week after having a conversation with the Second Consort.
Good news—no, bad news—arrived at the Empire.
It was none other than the King of Seolkuk’s declaration of war.
“What do you mean not settling the match…! That crazy bastard must have lost his mind!”
The Emperor showed his shock from the very first paragraph of the King of Seolkuk’s letter.
“What traps are there in war, isn’t that right, Casian!”
“Of course.”
My superior simply smiled and agreed with the Emperor’s words.
“It’s just an excuse because he doesn’t want to admit his defeat! So as Emperor, I should just stand by and watch my knights get sacrificed? Hmph!”
The Emperor even began to put on airs as if he cared greatly about the Royal Guard.
The Emperor’s brow furrowed deeply.
And at this content, Casian, I, and the First and Second Princesses all tensed up simultaneously.
Being 18 and 15 years old respectively, they weren’t that much older than the Second Prince who had just gotten married a few months ago.
The Seolkuk Envoy continued reading the next passage with a somewhat nervous voice due to the Emperor’s continuous angry outbursts.
“How dare, how dare! Covet my daughters?!”
As soon as the envoy finished speaking, the Emperor shouted in fury.
“Even calling me Empire King, and that impudent tone!”
The Emperor pounded the armrest as if he would break it, fuming.
I became really curious about what kind of content the Second Consort had sent to the King of Seolkuk in her letter.
It was so childish that it actually worked well on the Emperor.
Just as the Second Consort knew well how to move her brother, the King of Seolkuk seemed to have accurately grasped the Emperor’s temperament.
Then, the risk factor we had been worried about opened her mouth.
“Calm yourself, Your Majesty. He’s merely a king of Seolkuk. How could he stand on the same level as Your Majesty?”
“Empress…”
“You must not fall for his provocation.”
The Empress showed a gentle smile as if soothing him.
Soon after, as if things were going well, she slyly glanced toward Casian teasingly before speaking to the Emperor again.
“Your Majesty is the Emperor of a great empire, while he is at best a kingdom’s king living in a northern corner.”
At the Empress’s words, the envoy couldn’t hide his bristling expression.
But the Empress raised her hand to cover her mouth, lightly mocking while speaking to the Emperor as if giving sincere advice.
“So sending a prince to deal with him would actually be more appropriate in terms of rank, wouldn’t you say?”
At those words, the anger gradually faded from the Emperor’s face.
Eventually, the Emperor calmly settled his wild excitement and fell into thought, stroking his chin.
“Your words are right, they are right…”
While the Emperor was pondering, Casian bowed at the perfect timing and shouted.
“Please entrust it to me, Your Majesty. Though he might be disappointed that it won’t be settled by his father’s hand, wouldn’t it be right for me to go out as the Empress said?”
“Casian…”
“He’s an insolent one, so he might babble as he pleases. But if he loses to me, a prince rather than Your Majesty, with what face could he hold his head up?”
Though he was certainly speaking respectfully, the Emperor’s eyebrows twitched instead.
As if trying to discern Casian’s true intentions.
It was understandable for the Emperor to be concerned.
‘Probably to the Emperor’s ears, the words about babbling sounded like rumors that he fled cowardly out of fear.’
Indeed, there seemed to have been many incidents between the two who frequently clashed on battlefields before the Emperor ascended to the throne.
The Emperor had once withdrawn to prevent unnecessary troop losses, and at that time the King of Seolkuk came forward and spread rumors that the Emperor had fled in fear.
‘Thank goodness the Second Consort informed me in advance.’
Such a shameful history—there would be no way to know the details otherwise.
However, when Casian stepped forward, this time the Empress spoke with excessive panic.
“How could you send the Second Prince on a matter of representing Your Majesty? Since the Crown Prince position is vacant, it would be proper to send the eldest son, Your Majesty.”
Tsk tsk, you were too hasty, too hasty.
Since Casian had cleaned things up thoroughly several years ago, it wasn’t actually as dangerous a battlefield as before—which is why the Emperor had the crazy idea of sending the Fourth Prince—but she must have intended to use it to build the First Prince’s achievements.
However, this time it was the Empress’s complete failure.
“Ha, when did I ever say I would send someone as my representative? Does the Empress decide my intentions arbitrarily just because she became Empress!”
The Emperor said this while gesturing to Casian.
It meant you too should step back now.
“Could there be anything more shameful than a father sending his child as a representative to protect his daughters!”
Yet you were planning to drive Casian and the Fourth Prince into danger as much as you wanted?
“So princesses, be at ease, for I will never send you to the cold and harsh Seolkuk!”
At that confident declaration, the First and Second Princesses.
Unlike when they had briefly relaxed expressions when Casian stepped forward earlier, they now looked very anxious.
Of course, I had no intention of just standing by and watching their misfortune.
As the Second Consort said, children didn’t need to take responsibility for their parents’ inadequacies.
*
After the Emperor’s expedition was decided.
“…Here it is, Salice Advisor.”
The Winter Palace was busier than ever before, like crazy.
“Thank you for your hard work, Ashwood Aide.”
Of course, I was used to it.
However, Francis Ashwood’s situation was different, and his usually annoyingly neat appearance looked haggard.
His silver hair, which used to shine brilliantly from careful care, had lost its luster and looked almost grayish.
“Rose, what about the supply plan?”
“Up to Plan D is finished. Should I draft one or two more just in case?”
“Hmm, that would be better. The expedition personnel composition isn’t finished yet.”
Ashwood Aide looked at Casian and me, who were unfazed even in this busy situation, as if we were monsters, then barely straightened his posture and left the office.
“What if he submits a resignation letter at this rate?”
At my words while busily moving my pen, Casian chuckled softly.
“He won’t do that.”
“Did you hear something?”
“Not that, but.”
What an irresponsible statement!
If he quits, we’ll lose five precious administrators too.
We’d just finished training the newcomers and they were finally becoming useful, but other palaces would definitely snatch them up as soon as they were released.
“More importantly, Rose, this plan.”
Casian pointed to one of the supply plans I had drafted.
It was a plan not included in any of Plans A through D.
“It seems to be prepared for you and me participating in the expedition?”
At his mischievous words, I only smiled.
This plan would probably become reality.
‘First of all, with the Emperor going out, the importance of this expedition has completely changed.’
In other words, the center of attention would shift.
And I had heard.
Very good information from the Second Consort.
‘Actually, there’s a hidden reason why brother decided to go on this expedition.’
Listening to her story, I made up my mind.
This expedition—I would definitely snatch up the stage that someone else had set.
*
Around the time rumors spread that the First Prince would be included in the expedition through the Empress’s strong recommendation.
[Emperor’s Personal Campaign After 20 Years! What’s the Importance of This Northern Monster Subjugation War?]
[Monster Subjugation War, Who Will Assist His Majesty the Emperor? Is This a Prelude to Crown Prince Selection!]
As I expected, the article the Empress released came out huge.
And that’s not all.
[Temple expresses support for large-scale subjugation campaign, will the veiled Saint finally reveal herself?]
For this expedition, they even pushed the usually sluggish Temple, as if to eliminate any trace of anxiety.
‘Even before Prince Charley was included, they kept increasing the expedition force size tremendously, citing His Majesty the Emperor’s safety.’
If it had been Casian or the Fourth Prince going, they would have sent less than half this military strength.
“Rose, you look too happy?”
“Of course, how could I not be delighted when Your Highness has an opportunity to show filial piety to His Majesty the Emperor.”
I smiled wickedly while looking at the reports from knights who had gone ahead to scout the expedition site.
There, one of the reasons the King of Seolkuk made his move was written,
[Signs confirmed of Flare Dragon awakening from hibernation.]
It contained a very well-timed story to send our Prince Casian down the flower path that Her Majesty the Empress had personally laid out.
“Indeed, when you have children, you should enjoy filial tourism at least once.”
At my words spoken with a bright smile, Casian also nodded as if finding it amusing.
Your Majesty, please wait.
I’ll create an amazing filial tourism package for you to enjoy with this fire-attribute filial son.
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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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