~TMPM 11~

Chapter 11

Before the sky had completely turned black, Cassian escorted me home with my arms full of various things he had bought for me.

No matter how I thought about it, calling today “overtime work” made my conscience sting.

“Your Highness.”

“Today’s work isn’t over yet, Rose.”

“…Ian, I really do love my salary, but I feel like I shouldn’t accept pay for today.”

Even just the things Cassian had piled into my arms cost a fortune.

We had gone around all the famous shops in the capital.

We even stopped by a dress shop, and despite the glare I gave him asking why he was doing this, he said:

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

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

How often would I even get the chance to wear things like that?

“…I thought you would like it, Rose.”

For some reason, he looked disappointed at my reaction.

“But this was supposed to be work—”

“It was work, Rose. I wanted to personally look around the famous shopping district in the capital.”

“You really are good at making excuses.”

If that had really been his goal, he could have said so from the start.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but today it felt like Cassian just wanted to see what I liked.

Normally, my workaholic boss would treat me to luxurious meals or give extra bonuses when work got particularly intense.

But today didn’t quite feel like a reward for hard work.

“Was it tiring?” he asked.

“No, not really.”

Honestly, after we left the restaurant, I had just enjoyed myself.

Shopping with someone else’s money was incredibly fun—but still, I felt a little uncomfortable about it.

“Then it wasn’t meaningless. I just…”

“……?”

“I just wanted to give you something other than work.”

He had already given me plenty of other things before.

Like salary. Bonuses. Delicious meals.

While I stared at him with a blank expression, Cassian suddenly stepped closer.

A soft touch landed briefly on my right cheek.

Smack.

“This is repayment for something from before.”

“…Pardon?”

“Good night, Rose.”

He smiled with satisfaction and quickly disappeared into his carriage.

Did he eat something weird today?

What is wrong with him?

“…Repayment for something from before?”

He even left me with a riddle.

Feeling strangely like something had been stolen from me, I covered my right cheek with my palm and watched the direction his carriage was heading.

“…I feel like you were supposed to take me there too, Ian.”

The carriage wasn’t heading toward the central shopping district we had circled all day—it was heading toward the western district.

Seriously, what is with that man?

After spending a weekend full of mysteries, I went to Cassian’s office on Monday, trying to shake off my complicated thoughts.

As usual, he was dressed casually in a shirt, calmly processing paperwork.

The familiar, almost boring scene was strangely reassuring, so I sat down comfortably and began reporting today’s schedule.

“There’s nothing special this morning, and at 2 PM the knights—”

“More importantly, Rose.”

“Yes?”

He suddenly cut me off before I could finish.

“Shall we get engaged?”

“…What?”

“I said, shall we get engaged?”

“…Do you have a lover now? When should I schedule it?”

The topic was so unexpected that I automatically prepared to take notes as his aide.

Cassian had a lover? I hadn’t noticed anything. Then was last weekend some kind of rehearsal for a date?

But as if smashing my attempt to avoid the thought, he continued:

“I don’t have a lover. I was asking you.”

“…What?”

“I want you and me to get engaged.”

“….”

What kind of bolt from the blue is this?

I thought after working as his aide for a year, I had become quite good at reading Cassian’s intentions.

But right now, I had no idea what he was thinking.

“…Your Highness, just to be sure.”

“Yes?”

“We weren’t secretly in a relationship already, were we?”

I suddenly became worried that I might have said yes to becoming lovers while being drunk on work.

No matter how work-obsessed I was, I didn’t think I had lost my mind that badly.

“If I said we were, you look like you’d believe it. Makes me want to lie, Rose.”

“…That’s a relief. I thought I had committed some huge offense against you.”

“Why would that be an offense? Us being lovers?”

Cassian muttered, sounding slightly dissatisfied.

Even if I was sometimes slow, I knew one thing for sure: Cassian Artez had no romantic feelings for me.

That wasn’t me being dense—that was just the truth.

He just treated me like a precious younger sister.

“Please explain properly, Your Highness.”

“I wanted to make your heart flutter a little, but I guess I failed.”

If he really wanted that, he would have tricked me more thoroughly.

Seeing the tired look on my face, Cassian raised both hands like he was surrendering.

“Alright, Rose. You’re right. I need a fake engagement.”

“Why?”

“I thought she would behave after being reprimanded, but the Empress spread rumors in the kingdom.”

“…What?”

“She proposed a royal marriage with the kingdom’s precious princess.”

My eyes widened.

The butterfly effect from changing the original story was showing up here too.

In the original novel, the Empress trying to marry Cassian into the kingdom as a prince consort happened much later in the story.

And now this was happening already?

“But as you know, my older brother already has a fiancée, and I don’t. Well, there are more princes than just me and him.”

The third prince was still only about sixteen, if I remembered correctly.

And the kingdom’s princess was older than Cassian.

“But I have absolutely no intention of leaving the Empire.”

“Did you call me out last weekend as rehearsal for today?”

“…That wasn’t the plan. But if thinking that makes you feel better, Rose.”

He looked strangely lonely, and I shook my head.

“But Your Highness, you could choose someone else as your fiancée, couldn’t you?”

Even with the Empress interfering, unlike the original story, Cassian had built enough influence to arrange an engagement with a noble lady from a good family.

“That would be rude to the other person, since I don’t intend to marry them.”

“So you want a contract engagement?”

“Mm, something like that.”

Cassian said with an amused expression.

“You don’t have those feelings for me.”

“Neither do you, Your Highness.”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s perfect.”

Then he immediately began writing something quickly on a document.

Wait. No matter how much I love money, getting engaged to him is a bit…

Even if it’s a contract engagement, it will be publicly known, and dealing with the aftermath of breaking the engagement would be extremely troublesome.

Honestly, I didn’t particularly care about marriage, but I didn’t want to give my parents something to worry about either.

But before I could finish thinking, Cassian finished writing.

“How about these conditions?”

[50 gold per event attended as fiancée.
All necessary items provided.
Triple overtime pay.
No deduction from regular salary even when accompanying during work hours.]

My eyes widened.

This was the devil’s temptation.

Selling my soul.

I should refuse.

I should say no—

“I see. If that’s not enough…”

He added more conditions immediately.

[30 gold per newspaper mention as fiancée.
100 gold extra per portrait exposure.
Separate retirement bonus at the end of the engagement period.]

The devil read my hesitation and pushed even more conditions in front of me.

This crazy boss of mine.

I looked at Cassian with a dumbfounded expression.

I thought he would look confident—but instead…

“Is this still not enough?”

He actually looked desperate.

“Only you can save me, Rose.”

I wish he would just act arrogant like usual!

Then no matter how good the conditions were, I could have refused by saying I shouldn’t ruin someone else’s marriage prospects.

But with that face… and the fact that I had once rooted for him in my past life…

“Even after the contract ends, I’ll make sure you won’t be in trouble.”

He added that clause to the contract too and placed it in front of me.

“Please.”

He even said that.

Ah, seriously!

I let out a deep sigh.

Fine. I’ll save a person and make money.

At this rate, I’ll pay off my debt five years earlier.

I’ll do it.

I shut my eyes tightly and signed the contract.

A strong sense of déjà vu crept up my spine.

Right. People repeat the same mistakes.

Whether I was swayed by the money or by Cassian’s ridiculous desperate expression, I still wasn’t sure even after signing.

I handed the contract back to him with a bitter expression, and he chuckled softly and suddenly grabbed my left hand.

“You look like you’ve been kidnapped.”

“I think that’s accurate.”

Kidnapped—of my personal time, Your Highness.

“Then is this the shackle that will bind you to me?”

He lifted my left hand slowly with a strange expression.

Before I knew it, a ring was on my left ring finger.

A large diamond ring with flashy craftsmanship.

“Of course, this is yours too.”

He lightly kissed my ring finger and smiled gently.

And I couldn’t smile.

Your Highness, this ring definitely costs more than 1,000 gold.

Who gives a ring this expensive for a fake engagement…?