The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 14

His tone was the same as usual, but it gave me chills.

‘…No way.’

While denying it in my head, suspicion kept raising its head stubbornly.

Wilma.

It was the alias I had used for Cassian in my childhood.

*

Although I had decided to go on strike as the protagonist, my conscience worked overtime.

In the original work, Roselita and Cassian’s first meeting was her saving Cassian when he was about to die.

I had made up my mind to ignore it several times, but I just couldn’t shake the thought that he might die if I turned a blind eye.

So I made thorough preparations before the events of the original work began.

Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to match the timing since in the original work, they met during a summer vacation trip with my parents.

‘Still, I didn’t want to get involved, so unlike the original, I didn’t bring him to the cottage where I was staying with my parents.’

I temporarily rented a shabby cabin in the forest with my carefully saved allowance and took the injured Cassian there.

And I even matched Lady Wilhelmina’s hair color by always wearing a light purple wig, and deliberately used the nickname Wilma!

I even wore a mask pretending to have a cold to avoid being recognized. There’s no way he could have recognized me, right?

“What’s wrong, Rose? Is the meat not good?”

It’s because of you, because you’re being so suggestive!

“…Maybe we should change the chef.”

“Why are you trying to take away the poor chef’s job?”

“It’s also my duty to make my beloved fiancée’s mouth happy.”

Ugh, right. There’s no way.

This guy just wants to tease me.

I tackled the meal more aggressively than usual to prevent the skilled chef from facing misfortune.

Cassian’s lips softened as he watched me.

Seriously.

How annoying!

*

Afterwards, the Empress pleaded with the Emperor for days, even going on a hunger strike, saying the Third Prince was still too young.

But the Emperor had no intention of sending Cassian, and the prince younger than the Third Prince was only 12 years old, so there was no other choice.

‘That’s what happens when you disobey the Emperor’s order to exercise restraint.’

Well, in her own way, she put forth the cause of smoothing relations with the kingdom.

Thanks to that, the Empress was reluctantly preparing for the Third Prince’s marriage to reap what she had sown.

However, because the Third Prince was raised like a hothouse flower even more than the First Prince Charlie,

‘I hear the kingdom’s princess is extremely beautiful? And they say the kingdom has many fascinating things, so I’m really looking forward to it. Don’t be jealous that I’m getting married earlier than my older brothers, okay?’

He went around saying such things, adding to the Empress’s frustration.

Perhaps to relieve such stress, the Empress was spending national funds like water on the Third Prince’s national marriage.

Of course, some of those details also came to Cassian’s and my office.

“How kind of the Empress to conveniently provide us with this excuse.”

My boss, who wouldn’t miss such an opportunity, was excitedly collecting the data.

The Empress probably doesn’t realize she’s digging her own grave….

I spent my days focusing on work while feeling just a tiny bit of sympathy for the Empress’s future.

While preparations for the Third Prince’s royal marriage were in full swing like that.

I ended up encountering her.

Lady Wilhelmina Lopez, who had returned earlier than expected due to news of the Third Prince’s national marriage.

*

That day, I was completely worn out.

It was because the Emperor — that crazy bastard (I only thought this to myself since I have a small liver) — had piled more work on Cassian as if for revenge.

Rich father and son, both really unpleasant.

Anyway, because of that, I had no choice but to spend a busy day going back and forth between the Winter Palace and the Sun Palace where the Emperor and other administrators stay, with my legs, hands, and head all busy.

With my soul abandoned, barely avoiding a staggering gait, I heard a voice as beautiful as a lark.

“Would you mind stopping for a moment?”

After hearing only work-weary low voices except for Cassian’s for the past few days, my ears perked up at hearing this refreshing high-pitched voice.

When I turned around, I saw a woman with beautifully curled light purple hair cascading down.

Slightly upturned eyes, a mole in the middle of her cheek.

Add to that those pale gray eyes and that lovely appearance that overall looked like a cat.

No doubt about it. That’s Lady Wilhelmina!

I addressed her with businesslike courtesy,

“What’s the matter, Lady Wilhelmina? Have you lost your way?”

“…Lost my way! As if that could happen to me!”

Lady Wilhelmina shouted, though not too loudly for some reason.

“Un-unlike you, I brought a proper lady-in-waiting with me! Are you suggesting that I, Miss Lopez, would bring a lady-in-waiting who hasn’t properly learned the palace geography?”

I just smiled gently at those words.

This made Wilhelmina’s face flush even more with embarrassment.

“A-and…! Unlike you, I’ve been frequenting the palace since childhood! There’s no way I wouldn’t know!”

“I see, Lady.”

I deliberately took a step closer to Lady Wilhelmina.

“I just thought you might be having difficulties since I heard you’ve returned after a long time, and since you’re such a kind person, I hope you’ll be generous about my shortcomings.”

I said to her with the highest level of business smile on my face.

At this, the young lady’s face turned red.

How can she be so cute?

“Th-they said you weren’t to be taken lightly! You know my face even though you’ve never seen it before, that’s quite something. You! So you’re also trying to keep me in check?!”

She’s even honest to boot.

I maintained my smile a bit longer and shook my head at those words.

“Keep you in check? I don’t know what you mean. How could I not recognize the young lady of the long-established Lopez ducal family?”

I spoke to her while placing my hand on my chest as if paying respects.

“If I didn’t even know that much, how could I dare call myself the assistant to His Highness the Second Prince? And…”

“And?”

“I just thought, who else could be so lovely and have such beautiful light purple hair besides you, Lady.”

At these sweet words spoken as if driving in a nail, the young lady’s face turned even redder.

“Y-you! Don’t think you can get away with everything just because you have a pretty face! I, I! I won’t give up!”

Then she turned around as if running away and strode towards the Dawn Palace where the Third Prince was staying.

Watching her, I didn’t stop the corners of my mouth from curling up.

Wow, Wilma, Wilma.

How can you be even simpler and cuter than I thought!

*

In the original work, Wilhelmina certainly played a lot of nasty pranks.

But Wilhelmina was secretly quite timid and didn’t have the courage to cause really big trouble.

In fact, during the original serialization, fans used to call the parts where Wilhelmina was misbehaving as healing parts.

It was just slapping a few times, spilling some juice, and gossiping in social circles.

Compared to the evil deeds committed by the temple and the Empress, it was child’s play.

It even got to the point where it was unclear whether she was obsessed with Cassian or Roselita.

‘Wilma is just starved for affection.’

In the original work, Wilma ends up being used by the Empress while trying to bully Roselita in a really minor way.

It was really just her usual level of bullying, but when it escalated greatly in the Empress’s hands and led to confinement in a convent, there was even public opinion that the author had gone too far.

Wilhelmina just really wanted to make Roselita a little uncomfortable.

It was about the level of stopping me now and picking a small fight.

Anyway, before leaving for the convent, Wilhelmina sought out Roselita, not Cassian, and said this,

‘I’m sorry, really sorry. I know an apology won’t fix things, but… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in such danger.’

She apologized while shedding tears, and even said there was no need to accept her apology.

Even the original Roselita felt sorry for such a Wilhelmina.

‘Because the Lopez ducal family didn’t try to save her.’

Although she was said to be raised as the noblest lady, Wilma wasn’t actually raised that way.

She had four older brothers, and everyone around her, including her father, were only interested in their own advancement.

From her childhood, no one paid much attention to the high-maintenance little sister.

The Lopez ducal family just saw her as a tool for a good political marriage, and thus considered the young lady who ruined her social reputation by clinging to Cassian as useless.

Ever since she fell for Cassian and chased after him, a political marriage with the imperial family, especially with Prince Charlie, was as good as gone.

So they willingly used their daughter as a shield for the Empress for the sake of power.

‘Such an honest and cute young lady.’

In fact, that’s why I deliberately disguised myself as Lady Wilhelmina in my childhood.

I thought it wouldn’t be bad if she achieved her goal this time.

However….

A big problem has arisen.

‘The Cassian now, unlike the original Cassian, is capable but has become a demon.’

To recommend that man to such a soft young lady…?

It’s like the Demon King asking to be my friend!

I let out a big sigh.

For now, I should shower her with compliments whenever I see Wilhelmina.