The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 74

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

74.

 

The sound announcing departure was just as boisterous as it had been two years ago when I first came up to the capital.

 

When I covered one ear and took notes in my notebook, Casian burst into quiet laughter.

 

“Rose really never does anything halfway when it comes to work.”

 

“Says Your Highness, who I know looked around everywhere when you came in.”

 

“If we’re going to do it, we shouldn’t have to do it twice.”

 

On the third day of the new year, Casian and I departed from the capital by train toward the Salice Barony.

 

The official purpose was to inspect the train operations that had been running for ten years now.

 

‘Originally this was supposed to be Prince Charley’s job.’

 

When I said I didn’t have time to go home, he went to the Summer Palace and completely switched duties.

 

The Empress was very pleased with this news.

 

She found it distasteful that Prince Charley had to travel to such a remote area, and she also disliked that he’d have to be away from the capital for at least two weeks.

 

It probably also helped that compared to what he had to endure, it did nothing to enhance his reputation.

 

On the other hand, she seemed quite satisfied with the work we handed over, which involved trade affairs with Seolkuk.

 

‘The Winter Palace staff were actually happy about it though.’

 

This had come about because after the recent dragon subjugation, there was talk of further expanding the trade network with Seolkuk.

 

Thanks to the dragon subjugation, the Empire could negotiate quite favorable terms, which was good, but the problem was that the King of Seolkuk was a contrarian…

 

‘The future of having to revise documents again and again and again was obvious.’

 

Plus with the Emperor’s pointless pride battles mixed in, when Casian said he’d switched the duties, happiness bloomed on everyone’s faces.

 

Even Francis Ashwood, who usually didn’t show his distaste for work, sent a subtle smile.

 

“It’ll be peaceful working for once. For us and for the Winter Palace.”

 

“Yes, brother should try doing some proper work for once. And…”

 

Casian drew a gentle arc with his soft lips.

 

“I’m also very happy to be able to go to the Salice Barony with Rose.”

 

That smile and tone seemed even more excited than mine, making me feel strangely ticklish.

 

*

 

The Salice Barony was really quite far from the capital, so even traveling with frequent carriage changes would require at least ten days.

 

Still, about five years ago a hub train station was built not far from the estate, making it a distance that could be covered in about two days each way.

 

So a full 20 hours by train.

 

Then another 4 hours by carriage from there.

 

Just looking at the time, it seemed reasonable for a vacation trip…

 

‘But trains to the station closest to the Salice Barony only run from the capital about once every three days…’

 

I considered making multiple transfers, but that carried a high risk of wasting an entire day if the timing was even slightly off, so I gave up on that idea.

 

The lodging costs during those gaps couldn’t be ignored either.

 

When I went to Wilma and Ilium, it was possible time-wise, but…

 

‘It was such sudden vacation time that when I looked into it, train tickets weren’t available until five days later, so I couldn’t go.’

 

Just the journey would have used up all my vacation time.

 

So even though this was a work trip home, I felt more joy than anything.

 

Being able to see my parents for the first time in two years, when I’d only been able to exchange letters asking after each other’s well-being.

 

On the fifth day after departing from the capital, we were able to arrive at the easternmost train station of the Empire.

 

Naturally, since this was a work trip, we had to inspect train stations along the way and handle briefings about trains on other routes.

 

I did too, but Casian made every effort to shorten the work hours somehow.

 

Even during nighttime when trains weren’t running, instead of getting lodging, we borrowed duty rooms to handle work while catching some sleep, which made the station masters look quite exhausted.

 

Of course, there were also admirable employees who took this as a wake-up call.

 

Accordingly, we naturally spent each day packed with work even while riding the trains.

 

I felt a bit sorry for shocking the crew members who later found out we’d ridden in first, second, and third class cars without discrimination.

 

‘But that’s how you conduct a proper field investigation.’

 

Thanks to working this hard, we were able to cut the originally scheduled 10-day one-way journey in half.

 

“I’m so glad Your Highness is my supervisor.”

 

“I’m also very happy that you’re by my side.”

 

So we headed toward the exit of Terodima, the easternmost train station of the Empire located closest to the Salice Barony.

 

“…Are all the people working in the capital such monsters?”

 

Leaving behind the exhausted murmurs of the Terodima station staff.

 

*

 

We called a passenger carriage to travel to the Salice Barony.

 

We left the station around 1 PM, and the coachman cheerfully laughed, saying it would be perfect timing when he returned after picking up workers whose shifts had ended.

 

For those 4 hours, we spent time in the carriage organizing what we’d investigated so far.

 

This had been Casian’s suggestion when we departed from the capital.

 

‘You’ll want to rest well when we get to the barony, right?’

 

‘If only I could.’

 

‘I was thinking we could do it like this.’

 

Saying he also wanted to rest well in the barony, he suggested we finish all the organizing work during the journey before arriving.

 

That didn’t mean we did anything carelessly though.

 

Since we’d shortened the time and planned to stay several days in the Salice Barony, we put in even more effort than usual to avoid any criticism.

 

‘We even made extra effort to arrive on the weekend just in case.’

 

Since the return trip had a scheduled inspection of a direct train to the capital, considering that train’s departure date, I could spend about four and a half days with my parents.

 

It was reassuring that we could return to the capital before the full two weeks were up.

 

“I’m really glad everything went according to plan up to this point.”

 

Just before the carriage arrived at the barony, Casian spoke to me as he finished organizing documents.

 

With good timing, I was also writing the last sentence, so I carefully finished without scribbling, then nodded while flapping the papers to dry the ink with satisfaction.

 

“Really, my parents will be surprised, won’t they? According to the original schedule, it would have been five days later, and even then only for about a day.”

 

“Probably, and I think they’ll be very happy.”

 

Casian said this while taking the document I’d been drying and organizing it into the file folder himself.

 

Not long after, the horse whinnied softly and the coachman announced our arrival.

 

When I tried to get up quickly, Casian gently stopped me and stepped outside first.

 

“We didn’t come here just as supervisor and subordinate, did we?”

 

“You speak as if you’ve ever let me get off first before.”

 

Not once since I started working had you done that, always just overworking my fragile heart.

 

“It would be nice if you understood the reason for that.”

 

The reason?

 

When I paused and looked at Casian, who was extending his hand after getting off, his lips curved up gently.

 

He was making such a pretty face toward me that I felt like my heart might beat faster.

 

“You looked so precarious when hurrying that it seemed like you’d bang your head on the carriage ceiling at any moment, so I had no choice.”

 

Casian Artez was indeed Casian Artez.

 

When I firmly rejected his hand and got off the carriage by myself, he laughed quietly and caught my hand, placing it on his arm.

 

“You think I’m forgiving you just because we can stay in the barony for over four days?”

 

Instead of pulling my hand away, I spoke deliberately petulantly,

 

“That would be quite an honor.”

 

But he answered so happily that my feelings became complicated.

 

*

 

“Miss!”

 

“You said you’d come five days later!”

 

As we entered the house, the butler and head maid greeted us with surprise.

 

Mother was just as surprised.

 

“Rozelita, my daughter!”

 

As soon as the commotion started, she hurried down to the first floor and embraced me.

 

“You always surprise us, and always in the best way.”

 

Mother’s green eyes were full of joy.

 

Then when large teardrops formed and I was startled, Mother quickly wiped her eyes and smiled.

 

“Mother was just so surprised, so don’t make that restless face.”

 

Then he released me and bowed his head to Casian with an apologetic expression.

 

“It’s my first time meeting you, Prince Casian. I apologize for being late with my greetings as I was seeing my daughter after so long.”

 

“Not at all, Baroness.”

 

Casian hurriedly asked my mother to raise her head while making an embarrassed face.

 

“Rather, I’m the one whose greetings are far too late. I’ve been receiving help from your daughter in many ways.”

 

His tone was extremely polite.

 

To be honest, Casian didn’t use such courteous and even kind speech even in front of the Emperor, so I couldn’t hide my surprise.

 

“We understand from the newspapers how busy both Rozelita and Your Highness must be.”

 

“I’m deeply grateful for your understanding, Baroness.”

 

I was confident that this year—though it had just begun—nothing more surprising than Casian’s excessively proper speech would happen.

 

“R-R-Rosie came?!”

 

But that premonition was immediately shattered.

 

“Rosieee! My daughter…! Waaahhh!”

 

It was because my usually dignified father came running in disheveled clothes and, upon seeing me, immediately began wailing loudly.

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