I Ended Up Snatching a Marriage With the Male Lead! - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I ended up eloping with the male lead.
Chapter 24

‘Ugh.’
A bitter taste was enough to make one’s head spin—even if it wouldn’t kill you.
Living here, accustomed as I’d become to the chef’s exquisite touch, it was all the more unbearable.
“How is it? Good, isn’t it?”
“Hmm? Y-yes.”
“It’s okay! You can eat all of it since it’s yours, Emilia!”
At those words, she hastily wiped away tears that had begun to well up, hidden from Ivan.
Once she’d dried her eyes, Ivan’s face—shining with anticipation—came into sharper focus.
Emilia couldn’t bring herself to ignore the boy’s innocent hope, and the moment she squeezed her eyes shut to eat the cookie—
“Oh.”
Kaiden appeared from nowhere and snatched the cookie right from her hands.
Without so much as a blink, he popped it into his mouth.
“That was mine, you know?”
“Do you perhaps enjoy tormenting yourself?”
“I’m sorry?”
“If not, hand them over.”
He frowned and simply confiscated the entire plate of remaining cookies.
Emilia stood there bewildered at the sudden seizure when Kaiden turned to Ivan with a warning.
“Ivan. No matter how much you hate your studies, you cannot assassinate your tutor.”
“Assass… what?”
The boy tilted his head at the unfamiliar word.
“Right. That thing those men were trying to do to us on the train back then.”
At that, the child’s face went pale and he clung to Emilia, tears brimming.
“Emilia! I—I didn’t—that wasn’t—!”
His urgency was so great that Hifrean tumbled out instead.
Emilia patted Ivan’s back soothingly while glaring daggers at Kaiden.
“Don’t tease the child.”
“I’m not teasing. If he ate all of them, wouldn’t that make it true?”
“…….”
Emilia couldn’t argue the point.
Thanks to Kaiden confiscating the cookies, she’d avoided an upset stomach.
‘And Ivan certainly learned the word assassination.’
Whether learning such a word was a good thing, she couldn’t say.

* * *

After finishing her lesson, Emilia headed straight for the Library.
It had been only about two weeks since Ivan started studying the Imperial Language, yet he was already managing everyday vocabulary with ease.
As a result, the Hifrean Book she’d purchased initially had become nearly useless.
Something longer and more complex was needed.
‘Hmm.’
In the Library’s language section, Emilia moved slowly between the shelves.
She checked even the books on the lowest shelf before narrowing her brow.
‘Nothing quite right.’
Of course, the Library here was far more extensive than any bookshop, but books focused on Hifrean were scarce.
She was about to slip out with a few volumes that included other languages when—
“Aaaaaargh!”
An agonized cry echoed from deeper in the Library.
‘What in the world?’
Surely no doe had barged into the Library.
Emilia tightened her grip on her books and ventured further in.
“Herald…?”
There sat Herald at a table piled high with documents, writhing in distress.
“Hhhuuugh—”
He lifted his haggard face from his torment, looking utterly worn.
“Miss Emilia?”
The moment she saw his face, Emilia nearly stepped backward in alarm.
He looked far more gaunt than when they’d signed the employment contract last time.
Emilia set her books down on a clear space at the table and asked the Herald, whom she hadn’t seen in some time.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, no, not at all. Just… tired of these documents piling up as usual, haha.”
Herald murmured as if he’d achieved some sort of enlightenment.
After a moment’s thought, Emilia asked carefully.
“Is there anything I could help with? I could organize the documents, at least.”
Even without understanding the contents, she could surely sort out this messy pile of papers.
“Really?!”
Herald’s eyes lit up as if he hadn’t even considered refusal.
“Just a moment.”
He quickly pushed a stack of documents toward her.
“Could you sort these by category for me? That’s where I need to start.”
“That’s easy enough.”
She gave a light shrug and began reviewing the documents as she flipped through them.
‘Business plans, it seems.’
Emilia paused and looked up at Herald.
“Is it okay for me to see these?”
“What? Is it too difficult?”
Herald asked with a look of desperate pleading, as if begging her not to abandon him.
“No, that’s not it…”
“Then I’m asking for your help!”
At that, Emilia nodded readily.

* * *

Over the next hour or so, she sorted the documents exactly as Herald had requested.
It wasn’t particularly difficult work, so she finished quickly, though Herald still looked busy.
‘I’ll wait a moment.’
Emilia pulled out a blank sheet of paper, read through the Business Plan contents, and compiled a summary.
She organized each one by title into a list and placed one on top of each stack of papers.
Then Herald looked up in surprise.
“What… what is this?”
“Oh, just to make it easier for you to look through.”
At that, Herald gazed at her with eyes full of gratitude.
“I wish you could have been my assistant instead of just Ivan’s tutor…”
“What would an assistant’s assistant be, then?”
Emilia took his comment as a joke and gave a small laugh.
Then, with curiosity in her expression, she asked.
“But what are these Business Plans for? Are they things the Valen Family is investing in?”
The volume seemed too great for that.
“Ah, somewhat similar. We’re selecting some of these to…”
Herald glanced around the table and handed her a single sheet of paper.
“Invest in without any special conditions. Though only for the Vassal Families.”
Emilia examined the Official Document he’d given her.
“So it’s more like business support, then?”
“Yes, well. If the Vassal Families develop useful technology, it benefits our family too, you see.”
Emilia nodded as if she understood.
“I had no idea the family did something like this.”
“That’s only natural, Miss Emilia—you haven’t been at the Mansion long. And besides, you’re Ivan’s tutor, not staff.”
At Herald’s words, Emilia laughed somewhat awkwardly.
The truth was, she’d read the original story and still hadn’t known—that’s why she’d asked.
“Well, it’s a win-win situation, but for me it just means one more task.”
With that, he continued somewhat glumly.
“Most of the applicants are from humble families… sigh.”
He swallowed a bit of resentment as he spoke.
“I get so many inquiries—’I didn’t understand this part,’ ‘What’s this supposed to be?’—it’s quite the burden just distributing the Official Documents.”
At Herald’s lament, Emilia turned her attention back to the Official Document.
“In that case, listen…”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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