The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 72

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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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72.

 

‘He looks like a completely different person.’

 

Of course, his face hadn’t changed dramatically over the past 20 years.

 

But his demeanor was far too different. Instead of someone who seemed cunning and petty, constantly scheming and living solely as an Emperor…

 

‘He looks like an ordinary knight who’s started a family.’

 

To think that man could act so foolishly in front of others.

 

The same person who used to intimidate us, test us, appease us, and calculate everything?

 

Perhaps even Casian, his own son, couldn’t adapt to this change.

 

“…No matter how I look at it, it seems Her Majesty the Empress is being deceived.”

 

He made an assessment filled with personal feelings about his father.

 

However, whether we were shocked or not, the couple exuding newlywed vibes was simply sweet.

 

Meanwhile, the Emperor had been punched in the cheek by the cat, leaving a paw-shaped mark, and at this sight, Empress Maribel laughed like a young girl, finding it amusing.

 

“There’s nothing for it. Since our Coco punished you on my behalf, I’ll have to tend to you myself.”

 

When Maribel reached out, the cat Coco, who had been showing displeasure toward the Emperor, quickly nestled into her arms.

 

And the Emperor was…

 

‘…Is it really okay to keep watching this?’

 

He was looking at Maribel with eyes so full of affection that anyone would find it embarrassing to watch.

 

Thinking this, I glanced sideways at Casian, whose expression was complex and subtle.

 

Sensing my gaze, he spoke in a tone that made it hard to tell whether he wanted to hide his emotions or was genuinely no different from usual, just bluntly stating:

 

“His Majesty the Emperor is putting on an act, Rose.”

 

There’s no way he couldn’t dodge a cat punch like that.

 

Casian whispered to me that I shouldn’t be fooled by such a display.

 

The Emperor was smiling harmlessly at Maribel and speaking to her.

 

“I was really looking forward to tonight’s dinner, Bel. It’s been so long since I could spend time with you.”

 

They’re really being lovey-dovey…

 

The moment I let my guard down thinking this, the young Emperor, following behind Maribel so casually,

 

Whoosh—!

 

Drew a dagger from his embrace and threw it toward us without any hesitation.

 

‘I thought my heart was going to drop.’

 

Due to what happened in an instant, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes, but Casian, who lightly caught the dagger, was looking toward the Emperor as if it were natural.

 

The blue eyes of the young Emperor, who had been acting like the most benevolent person, were showing the sharpness we knew so well.

 

Thanks to Casian positioning us appropriately, we were in a blind spot that would normally be invisible.

 

Moreover, since we were concealed with a stealth barrier using magical tools that wouldn’t be common in this era, I had let my guard down and was barely managing to calm my racing heart.

 

“See that, Rose. He’s just putting on an act, isn’t he?”

 

But Casian, who had faced the Emperor, was leisurely smiling and badmouthing his own father.

 

*

 

Naturally, despite his behavior in front of Maribel, he didn’t forget his duties as Emperor and immediately set the Imperial Guard into busy motion.

 

All while showing not the slightest hint to Maribel that there had been intruders.

 

This was my first time experiencing such a chase in the Imperial Palace, so when I gripped Casian’s arm tightly, he showed an inexplicably pleased smile and whispered to me.

 

“It’s okay, breathe, Rose.”

 

What would you do if we ended up getting caught and experiencing prison life in the past…?

 

Contrary to my feelings, Casian was far too relaxed.

 

“It’s only because he’s His Majesty the Emperor that he could ‘barely’ recognize me. There’s no way knights with insufficient training could catch me.”

 

It was such tremendous confidence that I wanted to tease him somehow.

 

Of course, I couldn’t do that.

 

Despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered and even carrying me in his arms, Casian was leisurely evading the pursuit of the knights.

 

The place we hid after avoiding everyone was the Winter Palace, located in the most remote part of the Imperial Palace and all too familiar to us.

 

“…It’s more organized than I expected.”

 

I had thought it would be utterly desolate since it was a palace that had been mostly empty before Casian used it.

 

“Indeed, there are even traces of the garden being maintained.”

 

For some reason, Casian quietly fell into thought as he looked around the Winter Palace.

 

It must have been quite different from the Winter Palace in his first memories.

 

It was also quite different from the information I knew through the original work.

 

[The wet nurse who entered the Winter Palace assigned to her while holding Casian, who wasn’t even a month old yet, had to suppress her sorrow at the sight of the unpruned and unmanaged state.]

 

There had been such a description, brief but present, in a past recollection scene.

 

‘Are there facts about the Winter Palace itself that we don’t know?’

 

I had simply thought the Emperor, in his anger at Maribel’s infidelity, had sent Casian to the most remote palace because he didn’t want to see him, but perhaps that wasn’t all?

 

‘I wish the links in the scroll would work properly.’

 

Sadly, they were hyperlinks in name only, and clicking them only brought up blank pages.

 

Without much expectation, I called up the scroll page again and clicked on the ongoing ‘Rose’s Parents’ Generation Story,’ and surprisingly, some content had been filled in.

 

“Your Highness, look at this.”

 

Though it looked like just the beginning of a setting explanation consisting of only a line or two, it was valuable information for us at the moment.

 

After all, we were in a situation where we needed to grab someone and ask what year it was.

 

“So now it’s 1732.”

 

The time we had been in was the last day of 1758.

 

In other words, it was about 5 years before Casian was born.

 

‘But why exactly were we sent to this time period?’

 

The thing labeled as a trial should at least be a major event that happened to the protagonist Rozelita in the original work.

 

It wasn’t even the year Casian was born, so why 5 years before that, and especially a time when there was no First Empress or other concubines?

 

It was a bit more confusing since it hadn’t been long since we heard from His Majesty the Emperor that ‘the late Empress Maribel was his first love.’

 

It would resolve our curiosity?

 

This unkind and utterly unreasonable original work…?

 

No, maybe it’s because the culprits aren’t the original work but the mages who caused the accident (presumably)?

 

While my head was spinning with all sorts of speculations, Casian suddenly lifted me into his arms again.

 

“Y-Your Highness?”

 

Is there another pursuit or something to be careful of?

 

As I tensed my body in an instant, Casian let out a low sigh and spoke.

 

“You know what, Rose? You have a bad habit.”

 

“A bad habit…?”

 

There are more than one or two, so I can’t really guess…

 

There were countless times Joan scolded me for trying to down a six-shot iced americano on an empty stomach in the morning to wake up, or staying up reading new releases after work and then going to work after sleeping less than 3 hours.

 

I only eat vegetables just enough for survival, and though I say I’ll only drink once or twice a week, when I’m stressed, there are times I drink more than 4 times?

 

I even have the minor habit of biting my lips when I get anxious, to the point where the maids have scolded me.

 

Still, using my past life experience as foundation, I’ve been diligently doing minimal exercise even when busy—

 

“Like right now.”

 

“Right now?”

 

Casian frowned and then strode forward, familiarly opening the door to one of the bedrooms in the Winter Palace.

 

The interior was likewise somewhat organized.

 

The bedding also felt cozy, as if it had been recently changed after being dried in the sunlight.

 

“When you get tired, you get lost in unnecessary thoughts for too long.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“Get some sleep. It doesn’t seem like we can return right away.”

 

Casian took the scroll I had been clutching from my hands and set me down on the bed.

 

“What about Your Highness?”

 

You’ve been working late for days and were called to the ball just the same, I meant to say.

 

He approached me closely with a deepened gaze and whispered.

 

“Are you lonely sleeping alone?”

 

“…That’s not it!”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay by Rose’s side. If you want, I can even sing you a lullaby or hold your hand?”

 

At his voice trying to tease me so nonchalantly, I pushed his shoulder and pulled the blanket over myself.

 

“I can sleep just fine by myself!”

 

I really worried for nothing.

 

*

 

Less than five minutes after she pulled the blanket over herself, I could hear her breathing beside me.

 

‘She’s had even more work piled on her than me lately.’

 

This is why I hated the situation where so many people were showing interest in Rose.

 

Miss Rozelita Salice acted tough in every way, but she had a soft spot in her heart, often prioritizing others over herself.

 

Casian gently stroked the sleeping Rozelita’s cheek with his knuckles and murmured quietly.

 

“It’s okay, Rose. You don’t need to feel guilty.”

 

He had vaguely realized she had secrets more than ten years ago, even while watching the young lady nag at him.

 

After bringing her to the Capital to keep her close, he became even more aware that she was carrying something with her.

 

She seemed cautious, as if opening up to Casian as much as possible felt like pushing responsibility onto him.

 

‘Why doesn’t she understand that it’s for my sake.’

 

Rather, that was more puzzling to Casian.

 

Why would a young lady, who had no connection to him at all, feel sorry for and care so devotedly for someone even his own parents had neglected and abandoned?

 

While keeping her own heart firmly guarded as if defending it.

 

‘That’s why I won’t be greedy, even for your sake.’

 

That way she could live happily as she had dreamed.

 

Though he knew it had already become difficult, he kept repeating promises to himself that he couldn’t even trust, telling himself he should be satisfied with these brief moments by her side.

 

Casian stared intently at the sleeping Rozelita’s face, then soon unrolled the scroll she had entrusted to him.

 

Though it was a mission given to Rose, somehow Casian thought this was something he should resolve.

 

Since it was his parents’ past.

 

If that was the case, wasn’t this actually his homework as someone by her side?

 

Honestly, he was curious too.

 

His father’s occasionally contradictory behavior.

 

And toward the First Empress, who despite seizing the position of chief consort and elevating her family above ducal rank, still couldn’t let go of her inferiority complex.

 

Casian took out a barrier-type magical device from his chest, set it up, then lightly kissed Rose’s hand.

 

“I’ll be back soon, Rose.”

 

It was a whispered vow he would never break.

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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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