The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 79

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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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79.

 

As we warmed ourselves, we began to share old stories one by one.

 

Like looking through an old photo album, it was a somewhat haphazard reminiscence where we spoke whatever came to mind, in no particular order, just as memories drifted by.

 

“Actually, there was a time when I regained consciousness but pretended I hadn’t.”

 

“So that’s how you recognized who I was?”

 

“It wasn’t difficult. No matter how much the Salice Barony lived without caring much about status, the Baron and his wife hadn’t neglected your education.”

 

In other words, my speech and mannerisms were somewhat different.

 

Well, even that was minimal, so after going to the capital, I was constantly criticized by nobles who strictly emphasized etiquette.

 

“And whether it was because you were young, or because you didn’t have time to prepare…”

 

Casian spoke while running his fingers through my hair, combing it down.

 

“Day by day, your light purple wig became disheveled, and your lovely brown hair began to show through little by little.”

 

I could only laugh at those words.

 

There were so many things that gave me away.

 

Since I was busy running around without explaining the situation to my parents, I often just threw the wig on carelessly and secured it with hair ribbons or similar things.

 

“And I already knew Princess Wilhelmina’s face back then.”

 

“…Because you’re a Prince?”

 

“Mm, that’s not it. Rather, it was because I acted in a way unbefitting of a prince.”

 

Casian giggled like a young boy.

 

“Since the Empress was so fierce, I was officially a non-existent child.”

 

“You say that so cheerfully.”

 

“Why should Rose feel hurt on my behalf? I’m perfectly fine with it.”

 

Casian said this while gently fidgeting with my hand that he was holding.

 

“It was rather comfortable, actually. There were hardly any people watching me. Oh, of course, occasionally knights or servants would pass by pretending to check if I was alive.”

 

Casian said he thought those were probably people sent by His Majesty the Emperor.

 

When he was young, he thought it was surveillance, but looking back now, he wondered if it might have been kindness.

 

Listening to that story, I thought that even if it were true, Casian’s heart was perhaps too generous.

 

Though if thinking that way made his heart more comfortable, it didn’t matter to me.

 

“As you know, I’m not someone who can contain my curiosity, right?”

 

“That’s right, considering you even uncovered the identity of the kind and fragile noble child who had been helping while hiding their identity.”

 

“That’s a bit hurtful, isn’t it?”

 

While being perfectly fine with being officially a non-existent child?

 

When I turned my head to look at him in disbelief, he showed me an eye-smile full of happiness.

 

“Anyway, so whenever there were palace events, I would sneak in.”

 

“Your Highness has been Your Highness since childhood.”

 

“I was, but the current me is something you created.”

 

“…Me?”

 

I, who am two years younger, raised you who are so incredibly robust?

 

“Because I listened carefully to everything you chattered about so adorably.”

 

Casian hugged me even tighter.

 

Despite the cottage being poorly prepared for winter, we had kept the fireplace going for a long time and were even clinging to each other, so it was getting quite warm.

 

Even so, I strangely had no desire to push away Casian’s arms that were holding me.

 

Because it reminded me of the old days.

 

‘Are you leaving?’

 

When he asked that, I hesitated for a moment but finally.

 

‘I’ll go and come back. I promised I’d stay until you got better.’

 

Just like I had answered back then.

 

Both then and now, I became strangely weak when it came to Casian.

 

Probably.

 

‘…Because I’m weak to pretty things.’

 

Though he wasn’t as cute as Prince Joel, the Sixth Prince, young Casian had been truly beautiful, far beyond the descriptions listed in the novel or what I had imagined.

 

I should attribute it to this reason.

 

I deliberately grumbled as I answered Casian.

 

“How can you so easily believe the words of a young girl?”

 

“It seemed like it would be fine, and…”

 

Casian’s lips settled near my ear once again.

 

“There’s no way listening to Rose would cause any loss, right? All the residents of the Salice Estate said so.”

 

But you only heard that yesterday.

 

Feeling slightly mischievous, I pressed my body firmly against his embrace, but he didn’t budge at all, which made me even more annoyed.

 

Casian made a pleased laughing sound as he watched me like this.

 

It seems like I’m always the one who gives in, doesn’t it?

 

While feeling a bit wronged, on the other hand, I was also fine with it.

 

Young Casian had been a much gentler child than I had thought.

 

He had been a child who had barely survived while embracing all sorts of suffering, much more painfully than I had assumed from the novel.

 

I truly liked the current Casian who was mischievous, cunning, and incredibly crafty, teasing me as if he found it enjoyable.

 

*

 

In the middle of our conversation, Casian suddenly said.

 

“But Rose, you knew back then that I was me, didn’t you?”

 

Don’t tell me you’re going to ask now how I knew you were the Second Prince?

 

That could get troublesome again.

 

Should I say I saw it in the newspaper? While I was quickly turning my head with such thoughts.

 

“But why don’t you call me like you used to?”

 

This person had once again said something in a different direction than I expected.

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“I really liked it.”

 

“…Calling you by name?”

 

“Come to think of it, you also spoke informally, didn’t you?”

 

“Surely you’re not going to charge me with lese-majeste now-”

 

“I wish you would commit lese-majeste, please?”

 

Did your values get seriously damaged while growing up?

 

When I looked at him with worried eyes, Casian acted even more adorably and wheedled me.

 

“Hmm? Can’t you do that when we’re alone together?”

 

“No, that was when we were children! How could I dare when Your Highness is royalty-”

 

“You knew though.”

 

Why are you so confident about that, really?

 

Was nine-year-old me that careless?

 

Did I unknowingly chatter about “since you’re a prince” and such?

 

To be honest, since I had tried my best not to play the protagonist role, I didn’t remember every single word I said.

 

No, it’s normal not to remember the details of when you were nine years old!

 

“When I was young, I could be forgiven for being a child, but now I’m an adult who has even completed her debutante greeting, you know?”

 

“I said I’m fine with it.”

 

Casian showed me a sulky face.

 

Really, don’t think that everything works just because you act like that with your pretty face.

 

Thinking that, I deliberately turned my gaze away.

 

“It’s not like I’m asking you to call me Casian, and you’ve already called me by name before.”

 

“Ian? But I think I used to call you Sian.”

 

“It was Ian.”

 

Casian scratched his neck and laughed.

 

“Back then Rose had lost several teeth so your pronunciation was all lisped.”

 

Wow, what a truly bad person.

 

Remembering all the shameful past of my childhood.

 

“Call me that, okay?”

 

His Majesty the Emperor really wouldn’t know.

 

That his son is so obsessed with such trivial matters that he shamelessly acts cute toward his subordinate.

 

“Only when we’re alone?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“If Her Majesty the Empress ever tries to arrest me for disrespect, you absolutely have to protect me.”

 

“I’d commit treason if I had to.”

 

“Don’t say such frightening things over just a form of address.”

 

“It’s not ‘just’ anything to me.”

 

Hearing his slightly sulky voice made me want to laugh now.

 

If those two syllables are all he wants, I should grant it.

 

Opportunities to match wits with your boss don’t come often either.

 

“Ian.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I think you’ve forgotten everything I said.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Laughter leaked out from Casian again.

 

“I think I told you not to dwell on the past unless you’re dying.”

 

“Right now I’m just reminiscing about lovely memories we share together. But you do remember saying that?”

 

“After hearing such ridiculous requests.”

 

Casian showed his pleasure so obviously at my naturally flowing tone that I felt genuinely embarrassed.

 

That’s why I emphasized it so much.

 

Not to cling to the past.

 

I thought that way I could avoid becoming the protagonist and live peacefully.

 

Is this person really ruining all my life plans?

 

But on the other hand, I had this thought too.

 

That his change might be the part of the original story I’d damaged the most.

 

*

 

Around the time the coachman would come to pick us up, I learned a surprising fact.

 

“…So you’re saying the anonymous benefactor who offered to pay off all our family’s debts was Ian?”

 

I kept the form of address but changed my speech pattern just a little to go along with it.

 

Calling him Ian seemed like something I could brush off with the excuse that we’re engaged, but informal speech seemed a bit dangerous.

 

Casian grumbled that I was heartless, watching me immediately change my attitude.

 

But my survival comes first.

 

“That’s right, but Rose coldly rejected it.”

 

“Well, that’s because…”

 

“That’s because?”

 

I quietly swallowed my words.

 

Such a good offer at that timing.

 

It seemed too much like a voice phishing scam!

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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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