The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 7

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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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07.

“Did you enjoy standing me up, Rose?”

Casian greeted me with a smile when I returned from the Empress’s Palace.

“Thanks to that, I had no choice but to become a lonely wallflower.”

“There must have been many young ladies hoping you’d ask them to dance?”

“I’m quite devoted to one person.”

When really, you just hate being bothered.

Unlike the First Prince who spread scandalous rumors with all sorts of noble ladies, Casian was truly clean in that regard.

Even before I came to the capital, he was famous for absolutely never dancing at balls.

So naturally I thought today would be the same, but he casually danced the first dance with me.

“So, do you need a bonus for overtime work?”

Casian extended his hand to me.

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded and took his hand.

I wanted to erase that taste that was so sweet it made my tongue curl, despite claims of reduced sugar.

*

I cut a large piece of tenderly grilled beef and put it in my mouth.

The fragrant aroma of perfectly cooked asparagus and deep, rich wine followed to cleanse my palate.

Even as I ate half the steak, Casian quietly drank only wine without rushing me.

Instead.

“I was prepared not to resent Rose even if you succumbed to temptation.”

He did say something that slightly hurt my pride.

What do you take me for!

“That’s too much, Your Highness. To think you saw me as such an easy person.”

I’m only easy when it comes to money earned fair and square!

At my usual tone, Casian reached out his arm.

Clink—the sound of him arbitrarily clinking his glass against mine rang out.

“Now that’s what’s too much. Rose is a very difficult person.”

Yet you know far too well how to move me.

I put down my combatively moving utensils and began reporting to Casian.

“Her Majesty the Empress seemed to want to remove me from Your Highness’s side. She said if I just told her in advance what Your Highness would be doing for the next three months, she’d pay off all the estate’s debts.”

It would have been better if she’d asked me to find Casian’s weaknesses instead.

To say her only purpose was to get rid of me somehow felt more unsettling and irritating.

“Don’t be so upset, Rose. It means the Empress isn’t stupid.”

“…Pardon?”

“Since you came, His Majesty has been giving me more work.”

I thought about that for a moment.

It was true that there was a significant difference between my early days working with Casian and the current workload.

“The Empress has consistently tried to prevent me from having a proper aide.”

“While His Highness the First Prince has as many as five aides.”

“Yes, all carefully selected from young men rumored to be clever in the capital.”

Casian smiled sinisterly.

“Yet she made no moves against you.”

Well, of course—a noble lady from an estate stuck in a corner of the Empire.

With no track record either, was there any need to be wary?

“But that was beyond the Empress’s calculations. She never thought you’d work this well, especially going so far as to do overtime.”

For some reason, I thought I heard Casian mutter, “Though I wasn’t surprised.”

“Since you arrived, many important matters that would go to the First Prince have decreased.”

Casian moistened his throat lightly with wine and spoke again.

“His Majesty the Emperor is rather narrow-minded, but he’s not a foolish ruler.”

I see, I agreed only inwardly.

If I said it aloud, I’d be guilty of insulting the imperial family.

“So the Empress wants to get rid of you. She needs my workload to decrease so she can save the First Prince’s face while cutting me down.”

Casian shrugged his shoulders, then asked me again.

“So why did Rose refuse that proposal?”

With a face that was confident I wouldn’t accept it.

So I deliberately voiced the strangest of several reasons.

“Because she offered to give me Baron Irenol’s second son as a husband—the one rumored to have a bad personality and be ugly.”

Countess Irenol, who had been the Empress’s lady-in-waiting, looked as if she was taking a loss.

Such trash was rejected on my end.

But Casian, who I thought would surely burst into mocking laughter at my words.

“…They dared offer you such a thing.”

For some reason had eerily deep eyes.

*

After the Royal Ball ended and most guests had returned home, it was a quiet night.

Casian provided a carriage to take me home.

Whether he understood my feelings, he had prepared high-proof wine, making my consciousness a bit hazy.

Still, thinking I was in front of my boss, I tried somehow to keep my heavy eyelids open, but.

“It’s fine, Rose. Sleep. I won’t do something like docking your precious allowance for that.”

Casian made such sweet sounds that.

Despite it being only about a 10-minute carriage ride, I dozed off.

Perhaps because it was a night when all sorts of things happened, I had a strange dream.

A dream where a very young Casian’s voice whispered so vividly in my ear.

‘You’re still my one and only.’

What kind of ridiculous dream is this.

There’s no reason young Casian would say such things to me.

The moment I thought that, wondering if I was actually dreaming in the original world, I was startled awake.

Seeing me suddenly open my eyes, Casian smiled softly.

“The wine I specially gave you has become useless?”

I had somewhat hoped it was reality.

That playful, familiar voice instead brought relief, making me feel ridiculous.

*

Though I lost about 8 hours, it was truly a honey-sweet rest after so long.

The substantial allowance and spoils of war also made me feel warm and happy.

I was fulfilled by the fact that I could spend three whole days entirely alone without meeting anyone.

Since coming to the capital, this was the first time I’d properly rested for three days.

I got up leisurely, well past lunchtime.

Without even changing out of my nightgown, just throwing on a shawl, I filled my stomach with a meal the maid had prepared in advance and leisurely checked the accumulated letters.

First were my parents’ letters.

Since it was a rare occasion, I wanted to put more effort into my reply than usual.

I had always felt sorry for barely managing to write letters while chased by sleepiness and fatigue.

‘They’re extremely worried.’

When I said I’d go to the capital to work, my parents, who had usually supported whatever I wanted to do, tried to dissuade me.

‘We can work more, you don’t need to suffer like that.’

‘That’s right, Roselita. If it really doesn’t work out, we can sell the title and estate and go to another kingdom.’

Of course, it was also my parents who ultimately yielded to my stubbornness.

The letters they sent me every month were always full of affection.

And they consistently included content saying I could return anytime if things got difficult,

And content begging me not to send them money.

‘Surely… they’re not using the money I sent for something other than debt repayment?’

Thinking that such loving parents might really do that, I emphasized and urged them again to definitely pay off their debts.

Additionally, I packaged and wrote about the Debutante Ball I had been continuously worried about like a fairy tale when sending the letter.

If they knew he had that kind of personality, my two tender-hearted parents might immediately come to the capital to fetch me.

I didn’t want to create such a situation.

Just writing a reply with requests and reassurances to my parents, and checking other letters, made the afternoon hours pass by quickly.

‘I was originally planning to go to the bookstore today.’

I lay sprawled on the sofa, wiggling only my fingers as I pondered for a moment.

Even though I had slept in late today, I strangely felt sleepy again.

‘Should I just go tomorrow.’

The thought of changing clothes and going out, then washing up again before bed, made everything seem bothersome.

Then I wouldn’t have time to read books today anyway… But if I buy them today, I can stay in all day tomorrow and just read books.

Knock knock knock.

The sound of knocking on the door came when I was full of such trivial thoughts.

There’s no maid today either.

And I’m even in pajamas with disheveled hair.

While thinking maybe they’d leave if I just pretended not to be here, I hurriedly tied up my hair roughly and looked for a long robe to cover my pajamas.

I had a rather unpleasant premonition.

And.

“I apologize for visiting so suddenly. You are Lady Roselita of the Salice Baron family, are you not?”

Around the time the third knock was heard, I opened the door and had to suppress my irritation while looking at the seal in the letter the visitor presented.

“This is an invitation from the Countess to attend tomorrow’s luncheon at the Irenol Count’s Luncheon.”

I had firmly pressed and refused my intentions.

‘Thank you for your words, but Your Majesty the Empress. I was taught by my parents not to become someone who carelessly abandons loyalty.’

And in a way that would feel impudent from the Empress’s perspective.

“Our Second Prince will also be attending. The Countess asked me to convey that special desserts will be prepared for you, so please be sure to attend.”

Yeah, not buying it.

It seemed like tomorrow would be a day of voluntary attendance.

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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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