This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 121

—————

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

—————

Chapter 121

“There’s no need to worry so much.”
Linda let out a small laugh upon seeing my expression.
“No one knows yet. It seems like no one could even imagine such a thing.”
Phew, what a relief that was.
“Thank you so much, Linda. I’ll head to the Government Offices as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
“Isn’t tomorrow a busy day? The day after tomorrow is the skewer sale day.”
“The sales volume will decrease somewhat, but it seems unavoidable.”
“That would be a loss for the Landowners. Besides, there’s no need for that.”
Linda, who immediately opposed my decision, pulled a document from her pocket and handed it to me.
“Just in case, I brought an application form with me.”
Upon receiving the document, I was truly startled.
[State-owned Land Usage Rights Purchase Application]
“You brought the application form?”
“If I were in your situation, even if I couldn’t do business for a day, I’d handle this matter first. So I brought it. Once you fill it out, I’ll process it first thing when I report to work tomorrow.”
For a moment, it seemed as though Linda was surrounded by a radiant glow. Moved by her kindness, I grasped both of her hands tightly.
“My goodness, Linda, thank you so much. You’ve been an enormous help.”
I quickly filled out the application form. Linda carefully secured it and rose from her seat.
“It will take three to fourteen days at the fastest and longest, and once approved, you’ll receive a telegram. Then within five days, you’ll need to pay the usage rights fee at the Bank and come receive the permit.”
* * *
Four days later, as I was preparing to go into the City with Baron to check the ‘missing cat’ post that Linda had mentioned, the postman delivered a welcome telegram.
My application had been approved quickly.
“Wow, she really did process it first thing after clocking in.”
Linda’s consideration had been a tremendous help.
I promptly paid the usage rights purchase fee at the Bank and received the occupancy permit from the Government Offices.
Stepping outside and looking at the permit again, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. The days I’d spent working hard alongside Baron flashed through my mind.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
As I wiped away the tears that had naturally formed, Baron took my hand and asked with concern.
“Nuna, why are you crying? Is something sad?”
“No, it’s the opposite. I’m happy.”
“You’re that happy about getting the permit?”
“Of course. Not long ago, I didn’t even have a status.”
I held Baron’s hand firmly and walked with confident steps toward the Town Square.
“Now I have a family and a status. Just being able to send you to the Academy was already so wonderful.”
A smile naturally bloomed on my face.
“Now I have a house where I can live for the rest of my life. How could I not be happy?”
“I thought we’d live there for at most two years and then move.”
“What? You don’t like Our House?”
“No, it’s not quite that….”
Baron trailed off, and when our eyes met, he quickly averted his gaze.
“I just thought that by then, it would naturally lead to moving into a larger, nicer house.”
“Come on, houses are so expensive.”
“But the skewers are selling well.”
“Even so, there’s a limit to how many we can sell in a day. And there’s no guarantee people will keep lining up to buy them forever.”
Baron paused thoughtfully before making a suggestion.
“Besides, it seemed like Nuna was finding that work too exhausting to continue, right? Since you’ve already registered your identity, couldn’t you just hire employees now? Or you could teach the technique and receive royalties like you do with kimbap. That way you’d earn money much faster.”
It was a reasonable idea. Along with it, several menu items that could be sold alongside the skewers came to mind.
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll look into it.”
As I talked with Baron, we arrived at the Town Square.
But the moment we approached the bulletin board, Baron suddenly gasped and pointed to the right board.
“Oh! Nuna, isn’t that Toto?”
On the right bulletin board hung a large notice with a drawing of a cat.
The cat in the picture was unmistakably Toto.
“It is.”
I examined the notice’s contents carefully.
【We are searching for Alexandre Pandra Grace III.】
‘So Toto’s real name is Alexandre Pandra Grace III.’
“It seems the cat belonged to a noble.”
Baron’s expression brightened as he read the notice.
“Toto can finally find his owner—that’s wonderful. And there’s even a reward for finding him. We just need to report it to the Detective Agency office over there.”
I reread the notice and forced a smile.
“Yes, that’s fortunate.”
It truly was fortunate. But honestly, I wasn’t happy about this notice.
I’d grown attached to Toto in the meantime, and the thought of parting with him was painful.
‘Still, his owner is searching so desperately—I can’t pretend not to know.’
“Nuna, let’s go tell them right away.”
I studied Baron’s expression. He seemed completely unbothered about letting Toto go.
“Okay. Just a moment.”
I turned my gaze to the left board to hide my reluctance.
“While we’re here, let’s check the other news too.”
The left board didn’t look much different from what I’d seen before.
Several notices were densely posted—lost cats, ship schedules, wanted posters, today’s news, Guild recruitment announcements, and miscellaneous other items.
“Huh?”
“What is it, Nuna?”
“Baron, there’s another notice here about finding a cat.”
“What? Where?”
“Here in the corner. But….”
I fell silent for a moment as I examined the notice more carefully.
【Missing Cat】
Name: Hailey
Age: 5 months
Fur Color / Pattern: Black tuxedo markings, white socks on all four paws
Distinguishing Features: Extremely wary temperament
Location of Disappearance: Aer Harbor
Report To: Detective Agency Office in Town Square
Reward: Reward provided by Sojung
“Huh? What’s this? This looks like Toto too… but the cat’s name is the same as Nuna’s.”
I examined Toto’s age and checked the posting date at the bottom. It had been quite some time since it was posted.
‘Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve seen this before.’
“If you’re going to look for a cat, you should post it more visibly like the one on the right. What is this?”
Baron grumbled quietly about the size of the posting and pointed toward the Detective Agency office.
“Anyway, it looks like it worked out well. Whether Toto belongs to any household, the owner will be found eventually.”
We reported to the Detective Agency office that we were protecting the cat mentioned in the posting, and after taking care of a few other errands while we were out, we returned home.
.
.
.
As I opened the Entrance, a quiet space greeted us.
I looked around the Interior and carefully called out Toto’s real name.
“Alexander Pandra Grace the Third. Are you there?”
“…”
Still nothing but silence. After waiting a moment, I called out a different name.
“Hailey?”
“…Meow.”
With a small, feeble cry, Toto poked only her face out from under the Bed. But upon seeing Baron, she quickly hid back underneath. Watching her, I suddenly understood something.
‘Toto only followed me.’
Come to think of it, when we first met, she was extremely wary, and even during the fire, she hid under the Wardrobe.
‘She must have clung to me because she was frightened of the Monster and the earthquake.’
“Ah, so her name really is the same as Nuna’s. How interesting.”
Baron, tilting his head curiously, turned away without entering the House.
“Nuna, I’m going to play at Raven’s place. She said an interesting book should arrive around today.”
After confirming that Baron had headed toward Raven’s place, I entered alone and called out Toto’s real name again.
“Hailey? Is your name really Hailey?”
“Meow.”
Toto, poking her head out again, looked around cautiously before slipping out from under the Bed and rubbing her head against my leg.
I crouched down and stroked Toto.
“You know, I think I’ve found your owner.”
* * *
A few days later, we received a call from the Detective Agency and took Toto out with us.
Inside the Detective Agency office sat a plainly dressed Maid and a person so thoroughly wrapped in a robe that their face was completely obscured.
“Hailey!”
The moment we entered, the Maid caught sight of the cat cradled in my arms and brightened, quickly straightening her posture and offering us a respectful greeting.
“Welcome. Thank you so much for protecting Hailey. I’m truly grateful.”
As we returned her bow, the Maid gestfully pointed to the person draped in the robe.
“This is Hailey’s owner.”
At that, Baron crossed his arms and furrowed his brow.
“Here, we’ve decided to call the cat Toto.”
“…Pardon?”
The Maid looked at Baron in surprise, then awkwardly lowered her head.
“Is this the respect you show a noble? Do you think a young noble is easy to dismiss?”
At Baron’s firm words, the Maid quickly bowed deeper.
“I… I apologize for my rudeness.”
It was still a surreal sight, but what was done was done. I forced a smile and tried to set Toto down from my arms, where she clung tightly.
“It’s just that my name happens to be Hailey as well.”
At that moment, the robed figure stiffened.
“Hailey?”
It was a middle-aged woman’s voice.
In the next instant, Toto’s eyes widened, and she leaped from my arms, approaching the middle-aged woman to examine her face.
The woman gazed at Toto, then smiled warmly.
“Hailey, it really is you. I’m so glad you look healthy.”
Soon after, Toto nestled into the woman’s embrace.
“Do you remember me?”
“Meow.”
Toto answered in a delicate voice, clearly delighted and affectionate.
The woman stroked Toto several times before handing her to the Maid. Watching Toto accept the Maid’s embrace without resistance, I realized the moment of parting had truly arrived.
I held back the tears that threatened to spill and prepared myself to say goodbye to Toto.
But the robed woman stood and spoke to me.
“By the way, you’ve been using the name Hailey, haven’t you?”

—————

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

—————