The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 8

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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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08.

And I really did go to work.

“…Rose?”

“…Your Highness?”

I entered the office with a big sigh and had to check the calendar for a moment.

January 2nd, Saturday.

Today was definitely a holiday.

I was sure Casian had said he would be resting too.

“Starting the new year by earning overtime pay, that’s so like you, Rose.”

“What wonderful words to hear at the start of the new year.”

At my sarcastic remark, Casian just smiled with a relaxed expression.

“So? Should I have them prepare lamb for today’s lunch?”

And my boss was annoyingly perceptive today as well.

*

The morning was so leisurely it was hard to believe we had come to the office.

We had processed an enormous amount of work at the end of the year, and for some reason Casian only assigned me easy tasks.

Meanwhile, he would occasionally furrow his brow and seem deep in thought about something, making me curious about what he was doing.

He, who had been concentrating on work like that, suggested lunch earlier than usual.

It was thick lamb as I had mentioned.

The imperial chef’s skills were so good that it was perfectly grilled meat without any gamey smell.

“Both the Empress and Countess Irenol know too little about Rose’s tastes.”

Casian spoke with a satisfied smile as he watched me eat.

“What Rose likes is meat, alcohol, and pretty things.”

He knew my preferences with uncanny accuracy.

It was even scary how he had prepared chilled mulled wine instead of alcohol since it was lunch.

“Of course, you like money too.”

If only he hadn’t added that last comment, his favorability would have gone up a bit more.

Naturally, I reported to Casian about Countess Irenol.

I boldly used the excuse that he had made me work on a holiday.

“I apologize for acting without reporting in advance, Your Highness.”

“No. Feel free to use me as a shield for such matters.”

Casian answered leisurely while putting meat in his mouth.

Though it wasn’t surprising anymore, Casian really ate very neatly.

From how he held his utensils to how he chewed his food, there wasn’t a single flaw to find.

I was sure that in the original story, Casian had been somewhat lacking in such etiquette from rolling around on battlefields and had been mocked for it.

Did my going on strike as the protagonist affect even this?

My guilt lessened slightly.

It seemed like things had flowed in a good direction for Casian in various ways.

“But Rose, even though you got away with it this time, Countess Irenol will definitely try to pair you with that heir again.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Of course, I can block it with excuses like today’s as much as you want, but that’s not your style, is it?”

At Casian’s words, I nodded while putting the last piece of lamb in my mouth.

“Of course not.”

I already had the solution in my hands.

*

When the Empress called me to talk about Baron Irenol’s heir, I felt a sense of déjà vu.

And when Baron Irenol’s house suggested the dinner gathering invitation yesterday, that déjà vu turned into certainty.

‘The point when Roselita in the original story got into big trouble wasn’t after coming to the capital, but after meeting the Empress.’

I should have noticed this first.

That unpleasant feeling I had forgotten about for the past year began to rise.

But unlike then, instead of shrinking back, anger welled up.

‘How dare they make an office worker come in on their own initiative?’

As if I would respect the original story that I had already sufficiently destroyed!

Whether it was because of my anger at coming to work on my own, the contents of the original story came back to me very vividly.

‘Think carefully, Miss Salice. Do you really need to risk your life for Prince Casian?’

‘You should be grateful, my son for a baron family! Without Her Majesty the Empress’s grace, you couldn’t even dream of it.’

‘It’s not a bad story for you, is it? A count’s heir is offering to become an adopted son-in-law to the Salice Baron family.’

They really were crazy people even thinking about it again.

Who did they think they were to ignore a person’s will?

Even Baron Irenol’s heir, who already acted like I was his wife, was extremely annoying.

‘I’m taking a bit of a loss, but I’ll put up with it.’

Trash both inside and out, yet acting like he was something special!

Still, unlike the original Roselita, I had already crushed the first flag.

The dinner gathering was a very private occasion, and the Empress had started spreading word that the original Roselita who attended was in an official relationship with Baron Irenol’s heir.

Ugh, how could she say such horrible things!

But unlike the original, I had a sturdy boss as a shield.

Well, it wasn’t that the original Casian had just stood by.

If only he had been helpful.

That Casian was too much of a child unlike my current boss, so instead of using schemes, he made an official protest.

Then he got scolded by the Empress, who said friends shouldn’t interfere in other people’s marriage affairs.

The original Roselita tried to fight alone and clarify things, but the more she did, the worse the situation became.

Starting with nonsense like she was trying to break off an engagement that had already been arranged, or that she was disrespecting the count’s family, and later they even threatened Roselita’s parents!

Saying they would let everything slide if she accepted the engagement, or asking if she had even thought about what would happen to Salice Estate if she refused. It was quite a spectacle.

Of course, her parents bowed their heads and pleaded that they wanted to respect their daughter’s feelings until the end.

‘Really, it’s annoying even thinking about it again.’

Anyway, Roselita, who gritted her teeth even more at her parents’ appearance, gathered all kinds of information to strike at the count’s family and resolved the situation.

Of course, I didn’t have the information guild that the original Roselita had.

But instead, I have public authority!

They probably don’t know how many nobles I’ve taken down while suffering under that demon of the Winter Palace for the past year.

I smiled ominously and began to carefully select and organize only the necessary information from the pile of documents.

The resentment of working on a holiday, I’ll repay it with compound interest.

*

Countess Irenol was anxious and in a bad mood.

‘Just a baron family, yet.’

How dare they act high and mighty toward our family?

‘Isn’t she still a young lady? She must be shy.’

Her Majesty the Empress had said that, but Countess Irenol could only think she was being impudent.

If it weren’t for Her Majesty the Empress’s orders, she wouldn’t even be able to dream of reaching for House Irenol!

To think she had to sell off her precious son to such a losing position.

Her husband, who was like a scarecrow, was particularly annoying today.

‘Still, I have to endure it. Didn’t Her Majesty the Empress say so? That since she’s young, it depends on how you educate her.’

Once she entered the count’s family, she planned to make her cry her eyes out.

The nerve of her, saying without shame that she worked to pay off the family debt.

Well, fortunately, once this marriage was arranged, the Empress said she would pay off all the debts.

Both the Salice Baron family’s and House Irenol’s.

‘Then from that point on, all the money Miss Salice earns will belong to our family.’

It was an open secret among those working in the imperial palace that Prince Casian treasured his aide so much that he paid a large salary.

Her Majesty the Empress said she would let Roselita return to live at Salice Estate, but Countess Irenol had no intention of doing so.

Setting aside her reluctance to send her precious son to that distant and rough countryside estate, why would she let such a good source of income go to waste?

Spending her son’s and the family’s money? Know your place!

If she worked her bones off for the Salice Baron family, then naturally she should do the same for House of Irenol!

For her beloved son, all they needed to do was arrange a mistress for him.

Countess Irenol caught her breath and thought she should summon Roselita once more, considering the future.

If she threatened that refusing twice would be an insult to Her Majesty the Empress, she would surely ask Prince Casian to relieve her of her duties.

It was just as Countess Irenol barely suppressed her irritation and picked up her pen that the downstairs became noisy.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this!”

At the hot-tempered butler’s loud voice, the Countess felt her irritation surge again.

The fact that ink had leaked from her pen tip, creating a stain and forcing her to take out new stationery, added to her wretchedness.

She should have fired that noisy butler long ago.

“What’s all this commotion about!”

The Countess stomped down the stairs with loud footsteps, determined to fire him this time for sure.

But she was left speechless at the sight before her eyes.

“S-Salice?”

There stood Roselita, wrapped in a simple dress of deep navy blue.

What was that tacky appearance, and what was all that entourage she had brought with her?

Dumbfounded, the Countess barely managed to open her mouth and ask.

“What are you doing right now…?”

Even at the Countess’s question, Roselita only turned around after finishing the instructions she had been giving to the royal guards and work-worn administrators.

Facing the bewildered Countess, she tucked her fallen hair behind her ear and pulled out some documents.

“As of January 5th, 14:27, there was an order from His Highness Prince Casian to conduct a seizure and search of House of Irenol.”

“Wh-what! Seizure!!”

The Countess shouted angrily at Roselita.

“Miss Salice, you shouldn’t be doing this!”

How dare she do such a thing to a family she would soon marry into!

There was no rudeness quite like this.

However, far from being intimidated, Roselita smiled brightly and responded in a purely businesslike manner.

“Please refer to the attached documents for details, Countess.”

As if such work was completely familiar to her.

‘Wh-what is that attitude! Shouldn’t she be scared?’

Why was a young lady acting so composed?

For some reason, the image of the Winter Palace demon who had casually mocked the Empress seemed to overlap with Roselita’s figure.

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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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