The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 63

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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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63.

 

The Empress glared at Countess Hanella as if telling her to shut up immediately.

 

Of course, this time the Emperor also didn’t seem inclined to let it slide.

 

“Empress, did you have a hand in this?”

 

“Th-that’s impossible! Why would I do such a thing?”

 

“That’s exactly what I’m wondering.”

 

The Emperor tapped his right jaw with his fingertips as if he was going mad with amusement.

 

“I truly don’t understand why the Empress of a nation, someone who has no one above her in the Imperial Palace except me, would be so greedy.”

 

“Your Majesty, I’m being wronged!”

 

The Empress hurriedly went before the Emperor and knelt down.

 

“Why would I do such a foolish thing! When Your Majesty has bestowed upon me every honor, what greed could I possibly have!”

 

“That’s exactly why I find it strange.”

 

“Your Majesty, those people have been telling nothing but lies! I too could fully understand Salice Advisor’s grievance!”

 

“But Empress, wasn’t it also you who told me to give weight to their claims?”

 

The Emperor reached out and firmly grasped the Empress’s chin.

 

“Last night, with this beautiful face smiling seductively, didn’t you ask me to listen because Countess Hanella seemed to have caught a wicked criminal?”

 

“Th-that was… I, I wanted to follow Your Majesty’s example of keeping my ears open.”

 

“Follow my example?”

 

The Empress showed more agitation than she had ever displayed before.

 

She trembled before the Emperor’s sharp face and began babbling nervously.

 

“Hanella is a child who will soon marry Charlie… She was crying so pitifully that I truly thought she was wronged.”

 

“Ha!”

 

The Emperor let out a hollow laugh at those words as if it were ridiculous.

 

“You’re telling me you were swayed by that young thing’s tears?”

 

“Didn’t you see her cunning! Even before Your Majesty, she shamelessly slandered Salice Advisor with lies! A child who wasn’t even intimidated by Your Majesty’s dignity…”

 

“Your Majesty the Empress! Your Majesty told me…!”

 

Countess Hanella cried out desperately at the continuing words, but soon lost her voice under the Empress’s piercing glare.

 

“Look at that, even at this moment when everything has been revealed, she’s trying to drag me down with her. Above all…”

 

The Empress trembling hands carefully grasped the Emperor’s arm that held her chin.

 

And I admired her inwardly.

 

It was high-quality acting on a completely different level from Countess Hanella.

 

She was beautifully portraying the image of a lovely Empress frightened and overwhelmed by the Emperor’s dignity.

 

“Didn’t wise Your Majesty give Salice Advisor a chance to present evidence in a situation that was clear to anyone…”

 

“So you want me to give you that same opportunity?”

 

At the Emperor’s words, the Empress blinked her eyes sadly and shook her head.

 

“Unlike brilliant Your Majesty, I am ignorant. I’m not as wise as Salice Advisor, who is the advisor of Winter Palace and master of the Dragon Lair, so I don’t have evidence to prove my innocence.”

 

“Then why do you ask me for an opportunity?”

 

“There’s no evidence that I’m not innocent, is there? Though I did have frequent exchanges with Hanella… there were always servants and maids present, so there was no chance for secret conversations.”

 

“Th-that’s a lie! On the night of the victory ball…”

 

Countess Hanella shouted as if trying to grasp one last chance, but the Empress simply spoke in a gentle, sweet voice.

 

“It’s all too easy for someone cornered to tell lies, Your Majesty.”

 

The Emperor looked at the Empress as if he was dumbfounded.

 

He too couldn’t completely remove his suspicion of the Empress.

 

But it was also true that there was no evidence of her involvement.

 

Even if there had been evidence, unless someone had planned to betray from the beginning or was extremely cautious, they would have normally destroyed it.

 

“—Empress, your surroundings are too noisy.”

 

“…I know, it’s all due to my shortcomings.”

 

“I won’t punish you, but something just occurred to me.”

 

“Yes…?”

 

“There can be up to two Empresses.”

 

“Your, Your Majesty…”

 

At the Emperor’s words, the Empress looked at him as if the sky was falling.

 

“The Second Consort also achieved merit in the dragon subjugation, so I’ll elevate the Second Consort to the position of Second Empress. Also, the Hanella Countess family…”

 

“Your, Your Majesty…”

 

The voices of the Empress and Countess Hanella calling the Emperor overlapped in surround sound.

 

“Will have their marriage with First Prince Charlie annulled, and their name erased from the noble registry. You should be grateful that it ends with just this much despite speaking of treason.”

 

At that sentence, the Empress collapsed with a soul-drained expression.

 

Subsequently, the two members of the Hanella Countess family, realizing the situation, wailed and were dragged out of the Imperial Palace by the Royal Guards.

 

*

 

“Salice Advisor.”

 

Now that things were over, I thought I could return to Winter Palace as usual and suffer through work.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

After ordering everyone else to withdraw, the Emperor specifically called me. Then.

 

“It’s almost lunchtime, and I have things I want to ask you, so follow me.”

 

He said let’s have a meal together.

 

Why on earth?

 

With the feeling that I couldn’t sit on a bed of thorns alone, I glanced at Casian, but the Emperor smiled and said.

 

“Casian has work piled up, so don’t come.”

 

Taking away my shield to talk—isn’t this too much?

 

Though I felt wronged, what could I do? I’m just a weak advisor.

 

Still, once I actually came and sat in the dining room, my sad feelings subsided a little.

 

‘Even the smell is delicious…’

 

Befitting the Sun Palace, even the luster was different.

 

Though I was managing my expression somewhat since I was before the Emperor, he waved his hand dismissively.

 

“Eat comfortably. The person who should feel awkward in this setting is probably me.”

 

Your Majesty the Emperor?

 

Though I couldn’t shake my suspicion, I first put the soup in my mouth.

 

Instantly, an exclamation burst in my heart and my brow furrowed with concentration.

 

Savory and light yet with such deep flavor—it seemed filled with the Sun Palace head chef’s culinary mastery.

 

I work to eat and live, so if I eat less due to nervousness, only I lose out.

 

Perhaps because I had encountered his face so often during the expedition, I was able to focus quite well on my meal with less tension than before, even in the Emperor’s presence.

 

The questions he asked during the meal were mostly about work methods or cross-checking the inside story of the Hanella Countess family that I had revealed in the Audience Chamber.

 

He got to the main point after we finished eating, when simple dessert and after-dinner tea were served.

 

Whether he had heard from Casian, I was provided with lightly brewed coffee.

 

“Now we can have a serious conversation without the advisor being sad.”

 

Seeing the Emperor’s sly smile, I was certain that Casian was definitely the source of this information.

 

“You two really are quite something. Just now you both showed how much you didn’t want to be separated, and Casian takes care of all sorts of things.”

 

And the Emperor’s words confirmed my guess was correct.

 

No wonder Casian went along so obediently when the Emperor wanted to see me alone.

 

I finished organizing my thoughts and smiled brightly at the Emperor.

 

“It’s an engagement made out of love.”

 

“That’s true.”

 

The Emperor poured milk into his teacup with a half-disbelieving expression, then stirred it with a teaspoon while speaking.

 

“I hope those words are really true, because that would benefit both the Empire and you.”

 

Mine and Casian’s love?

 

Or perhaps he’s referring to something related to the engagement.

 

I roughly figured out what the Emperor was trying to say.

 

“Is it because of the Lair?”

 

“Indeed, you’re quick to catch on. Of course, I’m not trying to do anything about the ownership of the Lair.”

 

The Emperor tapped the table while speaking.

 

“The Lair originally became yours, and it’s already been proven by the King of Seolkuk’s struggles that human power cannot change ownership.”

 

The Emperor chuckled softly. That troublemaker—no, the King of Seolkuk—had made various attempts despite Wesley’s proof, denying reality.

 

He tried to destroy it, attempted to mine just a few ores in the dead of night, but all ended in failure.

 

Eventually, the Kingdom Army had to rush in and stop the King of Seolkuk, saying the kingdom’s dignity would be completely ruined.

 

“What I want to propose is rather to make things clear and definite.”

 

“Are you saying you’ll grant me a title?”

 

And in a border region adjacent to Seolkuk at that?

 

Of course, since it was unclaimed land, there wouldn’t be major problems if the Empire asserted effective control.

 

“It wouldn’t be entirely bad news, and it’s one of the things holding you back, isn’t it?”

 

He was talking about my status as the daughter of the humble Salice Barony, whose location most people didn’t even know.

 

But since the Lair’s location was in the border region, and receiving a title and being incorporated as an official administrative district would create various obligations, it didn’t seem profitable by any measure.

 

Especially considering the defensive benefits the Empire would gain when the Lair was incorporated as an administrative district due to its special nature.

 

‘But it would also be a waste to throw away such an opportunity.’

 

The reason I still couldn’t definitively decide on the fate of the items in the Lair was also because while my ownership was acknowledged, various other administrative procedures were still holding me back.

 

‘Naturally, from the Emperor’s perspective, it’s also a headache since he can’t use what should be used.’

 

The nobles who had ignored me all this time opposed for the sake of opposition, fearing they might suffer losses, preventing even necessary things from being taken out.

 

But if a title came with it?

 

I could definitely exercise authority commensurate with the increasing responsibilities.

 

‘I could also quickly pay off the family debts.’

 

However, it wasn’t a situation where I couldn’t do what I needed to do without a title, and the Emperor wasn’t unaware of this either.

 

Therefore, without showing any wavering, I spoke to the Emperor with an expressionless face, suggesting we begin negotiations.

 

“First, I need to know what title you’ll grant me to properly respond to Your Majesty’s words.”

 

If this deal fell through, it would be the Emperor’s side that would regret it.

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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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