The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 82
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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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82.
As soon as we boarded the train, when I naturally took out my notebook, Casian covered it with his hand.
“You can rest a bit.”
“…It’s a habit.”
“I did learn very well through this trip that you were like this even before coming to my side.”
Casian leaned his arm against the window and drew a playful smile.
“I think I also learned well how much the Barony and even the nearby residents love Rose.”
“Didn’t you see how everyone treats me like a nag?”
“You don’t need to try to hide your embarrassment with such words.”
At Casian’s point, I was momentarily stunned, then soon nodded.
“That’s right, the uncles and aunties have all taken care of me since I was young and always try to give me one more of anything delicious, so they’re all like family.”
“I’ll have to work hard.”
He let out a shallow sigh.
Casian really seemed reluctant to let me leave his side.
Of course, I understood.
‘I also want to prevent Francis Ashwood from submitting his resignation.’
The resulting situation of minus five administrators was horrifying just to think about.
So I spoke to Casian reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness.”
“Mm?”
However, he already looked worried.
“First of all, I still have too much work left to do in the Capital.”
“…Yeah.”
“Even if I submit my resignation, I’ll make sure to properly handle the handover and find a successor before I go! Your Highness’s notoriety isn’t as high as it used to be.”
Before that, I just need to figure out how to block the First Empress’s interference.
I didn’t think Casian was such a bad boss that I would throw my resignation without considering the aftermath.
‘The people at the Winter Palace are precious too.’
I said this with my heart full of sincerity, but Casian’s face only filled with spite.
“You really don’t know anything.”
“Pardon?”
What don’t I know?
You need to tell me so I can correct it!
I sent such a look, but Casian just let out a deep sigh.
“Even when I tell you, you pretend not to know at all… Stupid Rose.”
Then he spat out childish complaints.
It seemed he had been influenced badly by the Salice Barony, which was troubling.
‘If he becomes like our village people, it’ll be big trouble when we go to the Capital.’
Please don’t abandon your cunning.
When I looked at him as if praying, Casian seemed even more frustrated and pulled me into a tight embrace, covering my face.
*
Since Casian’s sulking lasted quite long unusually, I appeased him by changing how I addressed him and yielding work I should do to him.
Casian had a tendency to steal away all my work when he was in a bad mood.
“You’ve really become cunning.”
“I don’t think Ian is one to talk.”
When you forcibly made me change how I address you again.
It had been about twelve hours since the train departed.
It was quite a long time, but since it was first class, it wasn’t too uncomfortable.
We both weren’t particularly picky about sleeping arrangements either.
“Even though it’s my second time riding, it’s boring.”
Two years ago, when I came up to the Capital, I also took this direct train.
Though it was third class then.
“It’s because we finished all the work Rose brought on the way to the Barony.”
“Your Highness did the same.”
Talking like this made me think we both had rather sad habits.
While I was thinking that, Casian squinted his eyes.
“Ian too.”
Watching me hurriedly correct myself, Casian let out a sad sigh.
Somehow I felt his sighs had increased after visiting the Salice Barony.
His affection deficiency seemed to have worsened too.
Casian looked exasperated watching me feel sorry for him, then picked up the phone to call the conductor.
After asking them to prepare breakfast, he began talking to me with serious eyes.
“Rose, of course we came here for work, but.”
“Yes.”
“Everyone in the Capital knows we traveled alone together for nearly two weeks, right?”
“That’s right?”
“And we’re in a loving relationship?”
I immediately nodded at those words too.
Meanwhile, the conductor rang the bell saying breakfast had arrived.
Casian stopped me from getting up and received the two trays himself, placing them on the table.
Golden toast and perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs, tomatoes and sausages, some vegetables with jam and butter were prepared.
Casian put tea leaves in his teapot to steep, while pouring orange juice for me.
He seemed to remember my complaints about how terrible the coffee we ordered on the way to the Barony tasted.
“So Rose, if we’re an engaged couple who traveled together for two whole weeks, shouldn’t there naturally be some changes?”
Casian spoke after lightly cutting my sausage with a knife too.
When I cut it, it was tough and didn’t cut well like that, so I watched curiously while not forgetting to answer diligently.
“So you’re saying it would look much more natural to change how we address each other?”
“Right, they’ll think on their own that there must have been some progress between us.”
Thinking about it, it seemed like a reasonable point.
“So you’re saying there won’t be any problems even if I call you Ian out of habit?”
“Correct, if your reluctance to get used to it is because of that possibility.”
Even while saying this, Casian’s face didn’t look relieved at all.
Rather, I felt regret about having to explain this much, which made me sad for no reason too.
I had never been scolded by Casian for not doing my job well.
I thought I should look up some contract marriage novels when I returned to the Capital and study behavioral patterns.
*
Casian wrote memos on the restarted train instead of the sleeping Rose.
Around ten in the morning, the smoothly running train suddenly stopped.
The conductor, knowing Casian’s party was aboard the first-class car, hurriedly ran over to explain the situation.
There was a problem with the axle that fixed the wheels, so they temporarily stopped for safety.
He nodded since it was better than having an accident, but their subsequent handling irritated both of them.
After informing them, they couldn’t hear the conductor going around the passenger seats making announcements at all.
Just in case, Rozelita went to the third-class car to check the passengers’ condition, but they were just anxiously looking around.
She immediately suggested on the spot that the crew explain the current situation in detail to them, and install amplification magic devices afterward if necessary.
She also didn’t forget to help guide passengers in each compartment together with the crew.
The train restarted three hours after it had stopped.
Casian forced her to rest after she had been constantly moving around the twelve train cars.
Of course Rozelita said she was fine, but she had completed a ten-day schedule in five days and constantly moved around the Salice Barony without rest.
Though it was more leisurely than in the Capital, long-distance travel itself was inherently exhausting.
Casian himself was fine since he was trained and had experienced frequent long-distance travel by various means of transportation, but she was an exception.
Fortunately, Rozelita had the habit of falling asleep quickly when fatigue accumulated in her body, so when he covered her with a blanket and even covered her eyes, she soon breathed evenly.
Casian organized the points that had been lacking and closed his notebook, then quietly gazed at Rozelita’s sleeping face.
He was freely indulging his greed using the story he heard in the Salice Barony as a shield.
He was grateful that Rozelita didn’t know his true feelings.
Because if she really noticed, the one in trouble would be himself.
So because she was someone who could read others’ feelings well but remained indifferent as if she had built walls in that regard, Casian could be as greedy as he wanted.
‘It’s not like I’m expecting anything from you.’
The complaints, the pleading, all of it was just him taking one more step forward, relying on her indifference.
Even though he would surely run away if she actually approached him.
Casian broke the promise he made to Rozelita and dredged up old memories.
‘I want to live happily like this with my parents.’
The little lady who had stayed longer because he held onto her.
There had been his cunning younger self who, reluctant to part, pretended to be sick for another week even after he had fully recovered.
Though his younger self had been a child treated as nonexistent in the Imperial Palace, he thought he could become someone who could grant her wishes.
So before parting, he asked if she had any desires.
But the answer that came back was a wish he couldn’t grant the more he coveted it.
But if that was the wish of Rozelita who had saved him, he had to grant it.
Even beasts repay kindness, so he couldn’t repay what lay ahead of her with massive misfortune instead of modest happiness.
‘So even if it’s just until you need me, just a little longer.’
He wished for her to stay by his side.
Rozelita truly didn’t know. That he had been cunning then and was still full of greed now.
He would try his best to let her go when she truly needed to leave.
Even while thinking this, Casian mocked himself.
Because he would surely keep whispering, disguised as jokes, for her not to abandon him, not to leave, countless times and continuing into the future, all while hoping that day would never come.
*
For some reason I didn’t understand, there were times when a sudden afternoon nap felt sweeter than nighttime sleep.
I was sleeping soundly, reassured by the familiar touch on my forehead and cheek.
Only Casian touched me in this way, and if he was beside me, nothing dangerous would happen to me.
How long had I been sleeping like that?
Crash—!
A loud noise forcibly woke me as my body shook.
“…Ugh.”
Soon the groan I heard by my ear brought me fully to my senses.
Because it was Casian’s voice.
“…Ian!”
“I’m glad the way you address me didn’t change even after waking from sleep. I’m not sure whether I should be happy or not that my persuasion seems to have worked.”
Casian spouted nonsense while holding me in his arms.
When I hurriedly checked his condition, he smiled and stroked my cheek as if he was fine.
“I’m okay, I protected the areas that would be hit with aura.”
“Really?”
“You could strip me down to check if you want.”
Seeing him make such jokes, it seemed this time he wasn’t lying.
“More than that…”
“It seems like a derailment, since there was no impact from hitting something.”
Casian smiled and tapped my wrist.
It was where that scroll was hanging in miniaturized form as a bracelet charm.
“It seems to be connected to this, don’t you think?”
I nodded at Casian’s words.
Because it was one of the reasons why we had shortened our schedule on the way here and why Casian had unreasonably insisted I take a rest.
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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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