The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 68

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

68.

As expected, the ‘Trial of H# (Scheduled)’ on the magic scroll seemed to refer to the incident of being framed as a heretic.

‘It was the only one showing “scheduled” and had one character missing, so naturally I guessed it.’

One of the seven life-threatening crises that the original protagonist Rozelita faced was none other than the Temple’s heretic hunt targeting her as she gradually expanded her influence within the Capital.

Unlike me, the original Rozelita who was a prepared protagonist used her growing wealth to care for the slums, establishing job training centers, schools, and even hospitals for them.

All to establish the original Casian’s position and to remain by his side.

The more she acted this way, the more the high-ranking Temple officials, who were only blinded by donations, felt displeased thinking that a mere child was opposing them.

The heretic hunt emerged from that process.

In the original story, they supposedly revived the ‘witch hunt’ for the first time in 200 years.

‘Since the witch nickname was already attached because of those Summer Palace idiots, it would have been easier for them to recall.’

While I was thinking such thoughts looking at the Inquisitors, Casian quietly spoke up.

“I wondered why the priests insisted on attending the investiture ceremony.”

“Since the Temple also sent support for this expedition, His Majesty the Emperor even made excuses for that reason.”

Naturally, we both found this strange while preparing for the investiture ceremony, and had speculated about it after seeing the magic scroll this morning, so we weren’t particularly concerned.

Of course, His Majesty the Emperor, who had clearly suspected this first, was also completely unperturbed.

“His Majesty seems so calm, perhaps because he experienced so much of this in his youth.”

Casian smiled softly at my words.

After all, the person who hates the Temple bunch the most in this Empire is probably none other than the Emperor.

But for now, since the Inquisitor had stepped forward, the Emperor remained silent.

‘When he said his expectations were high, he probably meant for me to handle it well on my own.’

Instead, the nobles who couldn’t make snide remarks during the investiture ceremony began speaking up excitedly.

“Ha, as expected, that Winter Palace witch has even fooled His Majesty the Emperor! She must have used sorcery, didn’t you all think it was strange?”

Summer Palace idiot #1, who always glared at me, opened the floodgates.

“That’s right, no matter if she’s the Second Prince’s fiancée, getting a title as high as Margrave just for being protected by knights on an expedition and luckily obtaining a lair!”

Adding to that, someone who always acted superior around me, claiming to belong to a prestigious count family, chimed in agreement.

Unlike himself, who was merely a count’s second son, how much he must have hated to acknowledge that I had become the rightful owner of a noble title through this investiture ceremony.

“Why aren’t you kneeling before the Inquisitors right now, Miss Salice!”

“I suppose she wants to show her lack of breeding even at a time like this!”

“Your Majesty, please immediately revoke the title granted to that heretic!”

Riding the momentum, these petty individuals opened their mouths wide.

It was quite understandable that they all shared the common trait of failing to advance not only in titles but also administratively as bureaucrats.

They didn’t even notice the icy chill settling over His Majesty the Emperor’s blue eyes.

And as if gaining courage from those idiots, the Inquisitor who stood boldly in front even brought out a whip, striking it hard against the floor to threaten Casian and me.

“Your Highness! If you protect her just because she’s your fiancée, you’ll end up wearing the disgrace you barely escaped! Do you want to incur God’s wrath again?”

As if that could be a threat to Casian.

“You seem to be under some misunderstanding, Inquisitors.”

Casian spoke in a chilling voice like a warning in response to their actions.

“First, as the leader of one of the knight orders, I warn you—this is the Imperial Palace where His Majesty the Emperor resides, and carrying weapons in His Majesty’s presence is prohibited by law.”

“We are merely acting as the sacred representatives of the Lord God, Your Highness. This is not a weapon but a holy relic that shows the Lord God’s power.”

It just looks like a luxury item studded with diamonds to me though?

Aren’t priests supposed to live in poverty?

At their retort, Casian laughed lowly and shrugged his shoulders.

“I hope you won’t regret those words you just spoke, and there’s one more thing I need to correct.”

Casian lifted my hand beside him, lightly kissed it, and looked at them with his mischievous yet beautiful violet eyes.

“My lovely Rose doesn’t need my protection for something like this.”

“Such behavior is also protecting a heretic!”

Seeing Casian touch me without any hesitation, they cried out in shock.

As if echoing their words, the fools who couldn’t keep their mouths shut made more noise.

“Hasn’t His Highness also been bewitched by sorcery?”

“Witches used to manipulate minds and such in the old days.”

Such outdated remarks in an era where mages write formulas instead of drawing magic circles.

Instead of being intimidated by their words, I took out the notebook I always carried from my pocket and slowly opened my mouth, armed with a top-class business smile.

“Since you speak so confidently, you must have evidence, right?”

“Our coming here itself is the evidence!”

“Ah, so you’re witnesses? Then you directly witnessed me using sorcery? If so, could you tell me when I used sorcery and for what purpose?”

“That is what you must confess! Come with us immediately to appear before His Holiness the Pope and confess your sins!”

“Saint Wesley Morel said that His Holiness the Pope was so busy that even though he requested to join the dragon subjugation multiple times over 48 hours, he wouldn’t show his face.”

The Inquisitors hesitated at the sudden mention of Wesley’s name.

“His Holiness the Pope, who wouldn’t grant permission despite Saint Wesley’s earnest pleas claiming he was busy, has time to see insignificant me? How surprising! Or perhaps.”

I tapped my fountain pen on the notebook and approached them.

“Are you Inquisitors planning to showcase your incompetence by saying you came to arrest someone based on mere suspicion without proper evidence, despite receiving teachings under His Holiness the Pope and holding the position of ‘Inquisitor’?”

“D-don’t think of bewitching us, you witch!”

“If you’d be bewitched just because I try to bewitch you, shouldn’t you step down from your Inquisitor position?”

I openly smirked at them.

“Or are you making excuses about irrational sorcery and bewitchment because you have no answers to the rational questions I posed?”

“Wh-what are you doing instead of immediately capturing this heretic? Her attitude showing no respect toward us is itself proof that she’s a heretic!”

The leader of the Inquisitors shouted to those around him as I drew closer.

“His Holiness the Pope will even give a glorious medal to whoever captures her! Seize her and make her kneel immediately!”

At those words, knights wearing capes and long cloaks approached me.

“A medal personally bestowed by His Holiness the Pope, no less! Quickly—”

The Inquisitor raised his voice excitedly at this sight, but the words of the Winter Palace Knight Captain who stood at the front were not what he expected.

“If the Temple is so great that it can recognize heretics by intuition alone without proper evidence, why didn’t you notice our grievances when we couldn’t receive our wages?”

“What, what?”

“When we were rolling through dangerous lands fighting monsters and our wages were delayed for half a year, the Temple still collected taxes from wages we couldn’t even receive.”

The Knight Captain looked at the Inquisitor with a cold expression.

“Do you see us as ignorant brutes who know nothing of history just because we wield swords? Do you not know why witch hunts were abolished?”

“Th-this isn’t a witch hunt…”

“Then why did you call our Margrave a witch just moments ago?”

The Inquisitor was speechless, opening and closing his mouth.

“Or perhaps you priests know less about the Temple’s history than we do? 200 years ago, Saint Starsha, who could even perform divine descent, personally abolished witch hunts saying the Temple pursued only cruelty, not mercy.”

“Th-that is…”

“Are His Holiness the Pope and the Inquisitors defiling the Lord God’s name by ignoring Saint Starsha’s will as well? I cannot judge who the real heretics are.”

The hall was instantly filled with silence.

Even the petty nobles who had been eagerly waiting for me to be arrested were now only cautiously reading the atmosphere.

The Knight Captain who had blocked the path between me and the priests opened the way with a heavy gaze, as if telling me to finish this.

And since I don’t have as gentle a personality as the Knight Captain.

“Just be honest, Inquisitor. You wanted to frame me as a heretic and confiscate the Dragon Lair I possess, just like in the old witch hunts.”

I cheerfully recited their true intentions.

And this was the real reason why Saint Starsha abolished witch hunts 200 years ago, calling them disgraceful.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————