This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 113

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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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Chapter 113

At the name this gentleman mentioned, I felt uneasy even before accepting his business card.
‘Roan Times? That’s one of the Capital’s major newspapers.’
I had seen the name Roan Times in the original work. It was a newspaper funded by House of Roan, the family estate of Regent Anna, and it wielded enough influence to sway the Empire’s public opinion with just a few articles.
In the original work, it had consistently written articles favoring Anna, so meeting someone from that organization was hardly a welcome encounter for me.
“Ah, so you’re a journalist from Roan Times.”
Still, I kept my composure and gave a neutral response while accepting his card. But the moment I saw the gentleman’s name, I was genuinely startled.
‘Clark Utra?’
When he introduced himself earlier, he’d only mentioned his first name, so I’d assumed he was a commoner. But the Utra Family?
Suddenly, I recalled the day I learned that Kyle was a child of an Extinct Family.

‘Duke Utra has apparently placed a bounty on the child.’

That single sentence from Raven had caused absolute chaos that day.
Raven and Kimarise were literally kicked out mid-tea, and Kyle consoled himself by picking up a dirt-covered dessert from the ground to eat.
When I tried to comfort Kyle, tea cup fragments lodged in my mouth, and I ended up in the Hospital.
‘I endured it maturely so the children wouldn’t be frightened, but looking back, it really did hurt.’
Though I couldn’t determine the journalist’s true purpose, alarm bells were ringing in my mind.
‘I thought he came to cover the Gate, but did he obtain information about Kyle from somewhere and track us down incidentally? Could he have approached me knowing I’m Kyle’s neighbor?’
I was grateful Kyle wasn’t here right now.
‘From now on, I need to understand the situation clearly and protect Kyle.’
My mind was racing, but I asked Clark with apparent composure.
“My, you have a family name? You must be nobility.”
As our eyes met, Clark’s cheeks flushed slightly and he waved his hand.
“Ah, my father is nobility, but I am not.”
Was he really going to brush past this so easily?
“If your father is nobility, then you are nobility.”
“That may be true, but…”
He offered an embarrassed smile.
“I’m merely a journalist, so please treat me comfortably.”
I observed his demeanor carefully.
‘A Duke is high nobility. Someone from such a family shouldn’t be able to hide it so easily.’
No matter how I looked at it, Clark’s atmosphere was unpretentious, and I detected no arrogance whatsoever.
‘Is he really just a journalist? Then he has nothing to do with Kyle?’
If that were the case, I could relax—but I couldn’t let my guard down completely.
‘Still, if he belongs to Roan Times, he’ll write articles favoring Regent Anna, making him poison to Bloden.’
I smiled at Clark with a professional expression.
“I see. But what brings a journalist from such a major newspaper to this place?”
“I came to cover the Gate. I’m staying at this Hotel.”
“Is that your only business here?”
Clark seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then, a peculiar glimmer flickered across his gaze as he looked at me.
“You seem quite perceptive. Truth is, I’m interested in you.”
“…Pardon?”
Clark pulled out a pen and notepad.
“I’ll ask you directly.”
As the atmosphere shifted toward his true intentions, I sharpened my focus.
“What is your relationship with Raven Aner?”
“Pardon?”
I repeated his words in disbelief.
“Raven… Aner?”
“He’s His Majesty’s closest confidant. Surely you know that? I saw you two together with my own eyes, so I’d appreciate if you’d tell me the truth.”
I recalled Raven Aner.
The one I’d seen was a Deathknight clad in armor.
‘Even if Raven Aner is known as the Emperor’s closest aide, his true identity as a Deathknight shouldn’t be public knowledge, should it?’
I only knew because I’d read the original work, and even there, Raven was described as concealing his true nature.
Yet Clark was asserting that he’d directly witnessed me with Raven Aner.
‘Does this journalist know that Raven Aner is a Deathknight?’
Perhaps the original work’s statement that “Raven’s identity as a Deathknight remained unknown” was only true publicly, not universally.
Clark continued, studying my reaction.
“Aner was quite kind to you. And it was the first time I’d ever seen him behave that way.”
‘Raven Aner was kind to me? That can’t be right.’
As I reflected on recent events, I snapped my fingers. Now I understood—he was referring to when the Deathknight had placed me on his skeletal steed to evacuate me.
‘Ah, he witnessed the situation from the day the Gate closed.’
Since there was no mention of Bloden, it seemed he’d only observed afterward. If he knew Raven Aner was a Deathknight and saw that scene, such a misunderstanding was understandable.
I could see his point. Few people in the world would ever ride a spectral undead’s skeletal mount.
On the other hand, the absurdity of his question made me let out an involuntary scoff.
‘What relationship, he asks. Only a journalist would connect such random dots.’
I needed to shut down this misunderstanding entirely.
If I let idle speculation continue, I might inadvertently cause trouble for Bloden, the Deathknight’s master.
‘As someone close to Anna, if he gets even a hint of something, he’ll twist the narrative maliciously and write an article unfavorable to Bloden.’
I answered Clark, who was preparing to take notes with his pen, with a bright smile.
“We have no relationship whatsoever.”
“No? No relationship at all?”
Clark looked genuinely bewildered.
“That can’t be. You two seemed quite intimate.”
“Intimate? He was simply showing me courtesy. We don’t know each other well.”
“Nuna!”
“Nuna!”
Just then, the children who had finished receiving their snacks returned and called out to me.
“I think it would be best if you sought out Aner directly and asked him for the details. I need to look after the children now.”
I turned away from Clark and warmly greeted the returning children.
“This is quite troublesome, Miss.”
Just as I was about to seat the children back at the table, Clark suddenly stepped forward.
“The citizens of the Empire have the right to know the truth. For the sake of the Empire, I ask that you speak honestly.”
‘Seriously, this guy. Does being a reporter from a major newspaper make him think he can do anything?’
True to form for a journalist, he wouldn’t listen to polite requests.
‘Should I just give him a sharp rebuke and send him away?’
I was hesitating, unwilling to speak harshly in front of the children, when—
“Everyone, show proper respect to His Majesty!”
At the sudden, resonant cry, all eyes—including mine—snapped toward one direction. There stood the Imperial Knights in their ceremonial uniforms, facing us.
The knight at the very front turned with precise, disciplined movements. Following his lead, the other knights dropped to one knee and cried out.
“We behold the Sun of the Ilpein Empire and the Eternal Savior!”
At the end of the line of knights, Bloden appeared in his formal uniform.
The startled people quickly prostrated themselves, bowing their heads and echoing the knights’ words.
“We behold the Sun of the Ilpein Empire and the Eternal Savior!”
As I lay prostrate and shouted, I glanced sideways and saw Clark looking utterly shocked.
“Rise and lift your heads, all of you.”
Bloden’s calm voice carried clearly through the space.
Everyone, myself included, lifted our heads. Bloden’s expressionless gaze swept across the crowd as he continued.
“I merely stopped by upon hearing there was a farewell gathering. Continue as you were.”
The people, hesitantly gauging the mood, either returned to their seats or stepped aside.
The Administrative Official who had been conducting the event approached Bloden’s side, appearing to report something to him.
As Bloden’s attention turned to the Administrative Official, the people began cautiously resuming their conversations.
“Nuna, that was really amazing.”
One of the children standing beside me spoke up.
“Hmm?”
“His Majesty. He was over there, but it sounded like he was speaking right in front of us.”
The other children beside her nodded in agreement, their faces full of curiosity.
“Oh, that’s—”
Clark suddenly interjected, answering in my place.
“An amplification magic stone.”
Still gripping his pen tightly, he explained with confidence.
“With an amplification magic stone, even words spoken from far away sound as if they’re being said right in front of you.”
“Ah, I see. But—”
The girl who had nodded furrowed her brow.
“I asked Nuna, so why did you butt in, Ajusshi? Who are you anyway?”
“Me? I’m a reporter from a famous newspaper. But I have something to discuss with this young lady. So why don’t you children play over there for a bit?”
He waved his hand at the children as if to shoo them away.
“What are you talking about? I have nothing to discuss with a journalist.”
I quickly wrapped my arm around the child’s shoulders.
“These children are the guests of honor at the farewell gathering. So please don’t interfere and leave.”
“Interfere? I’m simply trying to fulfill the public’s right to information and conduct fair reporting….”
“No.”
As I refused and waved my hand dismissively, Clark pulled out his wallet as if he’d suddenly realized something.
“Ah! I was being insensitive! I’ll compensate you generously for the interview.”
‘Good grief, this man.’
I was about to tell him to leave immediately.
“Interview compensation? What do you mean? Are you a journalist?”
It was Bloden’s voice.

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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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