After putting on the dress and hat with the light veil that Cassian had prepared, I climbed into the carriage with him.
When I asked if it was okay not to wear a wig because my hair was a concern, Cassian said something strange.
“You can't hide your beautiful hair with something like that, Rose.”
I understood from that that the hat alone was enough.
“By the way, Your Highness.”
“Don't call me that.”
“Then what should I call you, hey?”
Cassian let out a laugh as if he found my words ridiculous.
“What is our relationship today?”
"…two spouses."
This was a mode I didn't really like, but it was the most effective
Two business owners who had succeeded commercially in the Kingdom were visiting the imperial capital as tourists.
“However, I cannot call His Highness by his name.”
“It's perfectly fine if it's you, Rose.”
“I do not want to be arrested for insulting the imperial family.
Your Highness.”
“...in the past...”
When I refused, Cassian muttered something inaudible.
“Ian..”
“Excuse me?”
“Call me Ian.”
I was relieved to hear the name, which was a bit far from Cassian's real name..
No matter how impudent I was, how cold-hearted I was, calling the prince's name out loud was a bit too much...
And for some reason, I thought it looked familiar...
“Anyway, Ian.”
"Yes."
Why is he smiling with that bright smile again?
I held my breath for a moment under the attack before I could return to the main topic.
“Didn't you originally plan to close down the gambling dens within six months?”
"Yes, this is correct."
“If I target this place now, with Her Majesty the Empress in f-contemplation...”
“It's going to get annoying.”
Cassian concluded my hesitant words indifferently.
Of course, the Empress had several sources of funding, and this casino was not the largest among them.
But that was enough to upset her.
“So I decided to speed things up.”
There was even a possibility that the Emperor might blame Cassian this time.
The Emperor was not entirely innocent regarding the sources of the Empress's funds.
As Cassian said, the Emperor was no fool.
If the national treasury could be filled, he sometimes turned a blind eye to somewhat illegal activities.
The Empress's gambling den was something similar.
It was a place where the money of budding businessmen, and Cassian's disguise, could be absorbed by the national treasury and high-ranking nobility.
If such a place was struck, outwardly, he might blame the Empress, but internally, it might only increase his hatred for Cassian.
“Are you that worried about me, Rose?”
“Of course, without Your Highness, I mean Ian, who will pay my salary?”
Cassian burst out laughing at my direct response.
He reached out and played with the hair hanging under my hat while he spoke.
“Don’t worry, Rose, this campaign is very simple, and the target is not the Empress.”
I felt very comfortable hearing those words.
I thought Cassian was in the original position..
I would rather have him suffer fewer losses due to the strategy than to be frank and honest.
“If it is not Her Majesty the Empress… are they businessmen?”
"Yes."
At those words, she frowned.
“Then wouldn't it have been better to say it wasn't a crackdown?”
This was intentional!
In short, Cassian plans to look around the businessmen around the gambling den to find people to recruit...
As long as the Empress retained the old nobility, Cassian had to secure those rising in the new class.
“…I was worried about nothing.”
When I complained, Cassian let go of my hair and spoke calmly.
“I'll buy you something else from Sapphire.”
I don't think everything can be solved with money.
But..
Only this time.
The gambling house was in the western area, but for some reason, the cart was heading towards the central shopping district..
“Aren't we going straight to the gambling house?”
“The sun has not set yet”
“They're open during the day, too.”
On top of that, the reputable businessmen Cassian might want to recruit would come and go during the day more often
It was a place where the weather changed between night and day.
A place that becomes more dangerous as the night falls, with illegal conversations and high betting rates.
During the day, it's at tourist level, but I've heard that at night, it comes to fistfights.
When she looked at him with a puzzled face, Cassian smiled indifferently and said,
“The sun hasn't reached its peak yet, Rose.”
For some reason, all his words today seemed like a collection of contradictions.
“And I wanted to give you a gift first.”
After saying that, Cassian opened the carriage door himf when it stopped just in time.
Seriously, His Highness was always taking things from me that I should have done as a subordinate..
He extended his hand to me as if it was normal
Since the hem of my dress was longer than usual, I did not reject his hand and got out of the cart carefully.
“As soon as Sapphire’s name was mentioned, your eyes started to sparkle, and I couldn’t ignore it.”
"…I?"
I couldn't deny it categorically, as I usually do.
I think I was full of material desire, and that was very true.
While I was thinking, I heard Cassian's low laugh above my head.
He offered me his arm and said something really scary.
“Shall we go then, wife?”
The interior of the Sphere was truly charming..
It is unique, beautiful and cute!
A beautiful clock said to have been carved from a whole tree, beautiful pottery said to have been formed from two halves but without any visible glue line..
Even crafts made from strange colored stones, which are said to be found only in the Kingdom.
Everything was so beautiful that I couldn't choose.
“…Is that enough?”
When Cassian looked at what I had chosen after a long internal struggle, he seemed dissatisfied.
What's wrong with this?
This is a very beautiful fountain pen.
Even if I brought home a beautiful decoration, I would only be able to see it briefly in the morning and evening.
I wanted to keep what I loved as close as possible so I could see it.
Of course, it would be a good idea to bring decorations to the office as well
“I like this.”
On top of that, it was beautifully made and didn't hurt my hand when I held it..
It's as if it could bring peace to my rough fingers
“The materials used here are said to prevent the ink from clotting or hardening.”
How could I give up something so practical!
When Cassian heard my words, he sighed for an unknown reason...
“I really don't understand you sometimes.”
“I'd rather you didn't know me so well, Ian.”
What does he say when he knows all my tastes?
Instead of answering, Cassian took the pen and went straight to paying for it.
He gave me the guarantee and the pen, then spoke calmly.
“Choosing just one thing means...”
“Yes?”
“You'll give me your time again next time, right Rose?”
What logic is this!
I was just trying to respect my conscience
But for some reason, I couldn't open my mouth.
Because Cassian Artiz was looking at me with a happy and expectant face
I thought we'd really go to the Western Region now that we were done with Saphir.
But Cassian said something to the driver and sent the carriage away.
“…Ian, you know that we are very far from the Western Region, right?”
No matter how comfortable the new shoes he prepared are, which is amazing being new…
I didn't want to walk there for more than an hour..
“I know that, but we won’t go to the Western Region right away, and it seems unfair to keep the driver waiting.”
After he said that, Cassian pulled my hand to his arm and said...
“I thought you asked me to value my subordinates' time, Rose.”
How long have you been listening to my words so well?
So far, you are not explaining properly and are just doing what you like..
Cassian looked at my expression, which I had no intention of hiding at all, and continued to smile as if there was something very amusing...
“You're in a bad mood when you're hungry, and I can't let you skip a meal when I brought you out.”
“…I can handle this much.”
I really don't know what he doesn't know about me..
In just one year, he got to know all my tastes and personality in this way.
It was really scary.
Cassian's precision in not abandoning the subordinate he was using..
He simply ignored my words and took me to the most popular restaurant in the capital these days
He said that there is a two-month waiting list for reservations.
The taste was as good as it heard...
“But I think your steak tastes better, Ian.”
When Cassian heard my words, he nodded as if he was noticing something.
Even after that, Cassian had no intention of going to the gambling house and instead took me to the most famous stores in the central shopping district..
“Shall we go look at the books you like?”
After saying that, he called for the carriage again, and when we reached the library near the house, the sun was setting.
Aren't the days already short because we're in winter?
“...You tricked me, didn't you?”
At my words, Cassian flipped through a romance novel that didn't suit him at all and replied...
“Yes.”
This fox…
“The idea of Rose enjoying a holiday without just me...”
“Just?”
“You made me jealous.”
What exactly?
You might as well roll around on your own, workaholic!
As I looked at him in amazement, Cassian grabbed all the novels I glanced at and ran away, saying he would pay for them.