The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 11

It was a place where the money of emerging businessmen, like Cassian’s disguise, could be absorbed into the national treasury and high-ranking nobles.

If such a place were hit, outwardly, he might blame the Empress, but inwardly, it could only increase his dislike for Cassian.

“Are you so worried about me, Rose?”

“Of course, without Your Highness, I mean Ian, who will pay my salary?”

Cassian burst out laughing at my straightforward reply.

He reached out and played with the hair hanging under my hat as he spoke.

“Don’t worry, Rose. This crackdown is more of a simple one, and the target isn’t the Empress.”

I felt greatly relieved at those words.

I thought Cassian had gone into original mode.

I preferred a male lead who suffered less loss through strategy than one who was straightforward and honest.

“If it’s not Her Majesty the Empress… Is it the businessmen?”

“Yes.”

At those words, I frowned.

“Then shouldn’t you have said it wasn’t a crackdown?”

This was intentional!

In short, Cassian meant to look around the gambling den and find people to recruit.

As long as the Empress held the nobility, Cassian had to secure those rising in the new class.

“…I worried for nothing.”

When I grumbled, Cassian released my hair and spoke softly.

“I’ll buy you one more thing from Saphir.”

Don’t think everything can be solved with money.

This time…

It can, though.

*

The gambling house was in the western district, but for some reason, the carriage was heading towards the central shopping area.

“Weren’t we going straight to the gambling house?”

“The sun hasn’t set yet.”

“They’re open during the day too.”

Above all, the reputable businessmen that Cassian might want to recruit would be coming and going during the day.

It was a place where the atmosphere changed between night and day.

A place that becomes more dangerous as the night deepens, with illegal talks and rising betting rates.

During the day, it ends at the level of tourists enjoying themselves, but I heard that at night, it gets to the point of fistfights.

As I looked at him with a puzzled face, Cassian smiled nonchalantly and said,

“The sun hasn’t even reached its zenith yet, Rose.”

For some reason, all of his words today seemed like a bundle of contradictions.

“And I wanted to give you a gift first.”

Saying that, Cassian opened the carriage door himself as it came to a timely stop.

Seriously. His Highness was always taking away the things I should be doing as a subordinate.

He reached out his hand to me as if it was natural.

Since the hem of my dress was longer than usual, I didn’t refuse his hand and carefully got out of the carriage.

“As soon as Saphir was mentioned, your eyes started sparkling, and I couldn’t just ignore it.”

“…Me?”

I couldn’t flatly deny it as I usually would.

To think I was so full of material desire, it was too true.

While I was pondering, I heard Cassian’s low laughter from above my head.

He offered me his arm and said something truly chilling.

“Shall we go then, wife?”

*

The inside of Saphir was truly mesmerizing.

It’s unique and pretty and cute!

A lovely clock said to be carved from a whole tree, beautiful pottery that was said to be molded in halves but with no visible seam.

Even crafts made from peculiar colored stones that are said to only be found in the kingdom.

Everything was so pretty that I simply couldn’t choose.

“…Is that enough?”

Looking at what I had chosen after much internal conflict, Cassian looked at me, seemingly unsatisfied.

What’s wrong with this? It’s an extremely pretty fountain pen.

Even if I brought a lovely decoration home, I’d only be able to see it briefly in the morning and evening.

I wanted to keep what I liked as close as possible to see it. Of course, it would be fine to bring decorations to the office too.

“I like this.”

Above all, it was beautifully crafted but didn’t hurt my hand when I held it.

It seemed like it could bring peace to my bumpy fingers.

“The material used here is said to prevent ink from clotting or hardening.”

How could I pass up something that’s even practical!

Hearing my words, Cassian sighed for some unknown reason.

“I really don’t understand you sometimes.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t know me so well, Ian.”

What are you saying when you know all my tastes?

Instead of answering, Cassian took the fountain pen and went straight to pay for it.

He handed me the warranty and the fountain pen, then spoke leisurely.

“Choosing only one thing means…”

“Yes?”

“That you’ll give me your time again next time, right Rose?”

How does that work!

I was just trying to be a bit conscientious.

But for some reason, I couldn’t open my mouth.

Because Cassian Artez was looking at me with such a joyful and expectant face.

*

I thought we would really go to the western district now that we were done at Saphir.

But Cassian said something to the coachman and sent the carriage away.

“…Ian, you know it’s quite far to the western district, right?”

No matter how comfortable the new shoes he prepared were, which is surprisingly so for being new…

I didn’t want to walk there for over an hour.

“I know, but we’re not going to the western district right away, and it seems unfair to keep the coachman waiting.”

Saying that, Cassian pulled my hand onto his arm and said,

“I believe you told me to value the time of my subordinates, Rose.”

Since when did you listen to my words so well?

Even now, you’re not explaining properly and just doing as you please.

Cassian looked at my expression, which I didn’t intend to hide at all, and kept smiling as if something was so amusing.

“You get in a bad mood when hungry, and I can’t let you skip a meal when I brought you out.”

“…I can endure that much.”

I really don’t know what he doesn’t know about me.

In just a year, he knows all my tastes and personality like this.

It was truly frightening. Cassian’s thoroughness in not letting go of a subordinate he could use.

He simply brushed off my words and took me to the most popular restaurant in the capital these days.

He said it had a two-month waiting list for reservations.

The taste lived up to its reputation.

“But I think the steak you prepare tastes better, Ian.”

Hearing my words, Cassian nodded as if he was taking note of something.

Even after that, Cassian had no intention of going to the gambling house and instead took me to the most talked-about shops in the central shopping area.

“Shall we go look at books you like soon?”

Saying that, he called for the carriage again, and by the time we arrived at the bookstore near home, the sun was setting.

Aren’t the days already short because it’s winter?

“…You deceived me, didn’t you?”

At my words, Cassian flipped through a romance novel that didn’t suit him at all and answered.

“Yes.”

So refreshingly.

“The thought of you enjoying a holiday without me just…”

“Just?”

“It made me jealous.”

Of what exactly?

You could just roll around alone too, you workaholic!

As I looked at him in disbelief, Cassian grabbed all the novels I had glanced at and ran away saying he would pay for them.

*

Before the sky turned completely black, Cassian brought me home with my arms full of various things.

No matter how I thought about it, my conscience pricked at calling today additional work.

“Your Highness.”

“Today’s work isn’t over yet, Rose.”

“…Ian, I really do love my salary, but I don’t think I should accept it for today.”

Besides, just the things Cassian had given me were all quite valuable.

We visited all the famous shops in the capital.

We even stopped by a dress shop in the middle, despite my glares questioning why he was doing this.

‘I want to gift a special dress for my wife, but she’s so frugal she keeps running away.’

He had ordered several custom-made dresses, from evening gowns to outing dresses.

How often would I have the occasion to wear such things?

“…I thought you would like them, Rose.”

For some reason, he looked disappointed at my reaction.

“But this is work–”

“It was work, Rose. I wanted to see the famous shopping district in the capital with my own eyes at least once.”

“You’re really good at making excuses.”

If that was really the purpose, he could have said so from the beginning.