This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 147

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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 147

Bloden and I had somehow ended up walking together, each holding a skewer of rice cakes in hand after his incognito outing began.
A subtle smile never left Bloden’s lips. The moment he said “Owner,” the expressions of everyone in line shifted dramatically, and from the point he leisurely received his rice cake skewer onward, his face remained exactly like that.
‘He seemed to find the people’s reactions quite amusing.’
Walking alongside the Emperor through the streets was incredibly nerve-wracking at first. I couldn’t help but become cautious about every step, every expression.
But unlike me, Bloden moved through the streets with ease, observing the various street stalls.
Then suddenly, with a face that suggested he understood nothing, he whispered to me.
“If I imitate what the people are doing, it seems like it would be easy to understand what they enjoy and like. What do you think?”
‘An Emperor so interested in the lives of his people—surely this is a most admirable attitude?’
My ears perked up, and I quickly nodded in agreement.
“Of course! And you’ll find it quite enjoyable too.”
“Is that so? Then, though it feels somewhat awkward…”
Bloden’s gaze stopped at a stall selling animal ear headbands. After examining the displayed items briefly, he purchased a rabbit ear headband.
And that headband was placed directly on my head.
‘W-wait, Your Majesty? Why are you putting this on my head?’
Though flustered, I couldn’t voice the question that naturally arose and could only move my lips soundlessly.
Just from him saying “Owner,” people’s reactions had been so dramatic—if I called out “Your Majesty” here, I might ruin his incognito outing.
At that moment, the headband vendor chuckled and spoke to me.
“It suits you wonderfully. Why don’t you put one on your boyfriend too? As a couple’s headband set, it would really set the dating mood perfectly!”
It was clearly a sales tactic to sell more headbands, so I could have simply refused and moved on. But Bloden reacted differently than I would have.
“Ah, now that I mention it, I see many people wearing them together.”
He examined the display counter as if readily willing to purchase another, then shook his head once.
“I think matching ones would be better, but it seems there are no more rabbits.”
“The one I just put on the young lady was a popular item—that was the last one. Besides, it’s more fun if they’re different.”
The vendor quickly picked up a headband and offered it to Bloden.
“Young man, how about this wolf ear? This headband sells quite well too.”
Bloden appeared to hesitate for a moment, but the vendor switched to a fox ear headband instead.
“Wolves eat rabbits, so that might be awkward? Then how about this fox? The quality on this one is excellent.”
Bloden stood quietly, alternating his gaze between me and the headband. Noticing his hesitation, the vendor chuckled knowingly.
“Alright! It’s a festival, so why not! You’ve already made a generous purchase, so I’ll give you a discount on this one. It’ll be perfect once your girlfriend puts it on you!”
“But wolves and foxes both eat rabbits, don’t they?”
Bloden muttered with a shrug, and with a resigned expression, he purchased the fox ear headband from the vendor.
He then handed the headband to me and bent his waist slightly to meet my eye level.
I cautiously asked as Bloden tilted his head slightly toward me.
“Should I… should I put this on you?”
“Didn’t the stall vendor just say you would be the one putting it on?”
No, that was merely a suggestion, not something I absolutely had to do. Besides, you’re the Emperor, Your Majesty—how could I possibly presume to touch your head?
“How much longer do I have to stand like this?”
I couldn’t help it.
“…W-well then, I’ll take the liberty for just a moment.”
At my words, Bloden chuckled softly.
“It’s no trouble at all. Make yourself comfortable.”
I carefully placed the fox ear headband on Bloden’s head. The strands of hair brushing against my fingertips were remarkably silky.
‘Wow, like silk itself.’
Yet the texture of his hair didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar to me.
‘Where have I felt this before? When did I experience this sensation?’
“All done?”
Bloden’s timely question left me no room for further contemplation. I quickly withdrew my hand and stepped back.
“Oh, yes!”
Only then did Bloden straighten his posture, his lips curving upward in evident satisfaction. There was something subtly cunning in his slightly narrowed eyes, yet simultaneously his smile was captivating—mysteriously enchanting in a way that drew people in.
Without realizing it, I found myself staring intently at his face.
“Does it suit me? How do I look?”
Startled, I answered hastily.
“Yes, you look just like a fox.”
“…A fox?”
Oh no.
I immediately clapped my hand over my mouth.
Seeing my expression, Bloden laughed with evident amusement.
“Shall we go see the next stall?”
I nodded and followed behind him.
But before we could take more than a few steps, a surge of people rushed past us between our bodies. The crowd had grown considerably denser in the meantime.
Just then, the voice of the animal headband vendor called out from behind us.
“Soon there will be all sorts of events happening here and there, and the crowd will only grow larger. The fireworks display hosted by the Imperial Palace will be starting soon as well.”
Turning around in surprise, he pointed toward my hand with a smiling face and added:
“If you’re not careful, you might lose each other and have a hard time finding one another. It would be better to hold hands instead.”
Then he even winked at Bloden, whose eyes had met his.
Bloden smiled broadly and asked me:
“Just until we get through the crowded areas—what do you think?”
I looked around and nodded. Just as the vendor had said, I could see people continuing to arrive, and I risked losing sight of Bloden if I wasn’t careful.
Bloden took my hand. His hand was very large and warm.
“Tom Headband Stall.”
Bloden read the small sign aloud and spoke to the vendor:
“Thanks for the advice.”
.
.
.
After we finished browsing the various stalls, we decided to try our hand at dart throwing in the area where goldfish scooping, mole-whacking, and balloon-popping games were set up.
“Oh, what a shame. If it had landed just slightly to the side, I could have won the fifth-place prize.”
I had just barely hit the outer edge of the spinning circular dartboard—the widest section, the “miss zone.” As I sighed in disappointment, Bloden glanced at the prize list and asked me a question.
“First prize is a full-course dinner voucher for two at the most famous restaurant in the Capital. Fifth prize is a small wooden ornament. Is that tiny star-shaped decoration what you wanted?”
“No. That was just the prize with the highest probability of winning. Look, I couldn’t even dream of first place.”
I pointed at the dartboard, now still.
First prize had impossibly difficult odds. It looked identical to the bullseye in the center, but its diameter was only about one centimeter, and it was positioned off to the side.
In other words, when the board spun rapidly, you couldn’t even guess where it was, so you needed pure luck to hit it.
“So you’re saying first prize is good?”
“Who doesn’t like first prize?”
Bloden paid the Dart Game Vendor and watched the spinning circular board for a moment before throwing the dart pin with an indifferent expression.
Thwack! Clang!
As the dart pin lodged itself, the stand nearly toppled backward. If the Dart Game Vendor hadn’t quickly caught it, it would have made quite a loud noise.
The Dart Game Vendor looked at Bloden with a bewildered expression, then turned to look at the board and was even more shocked.
Bloden’s dart pin was lodged precisely in the center of the first-prize zone.
“F-first prize!”
At the Dart Game Vendor’s cry, everyone’s attention turned toward us.
Bloden handed me the prize and shrugged one shoulder slightly.
“I don’t need it, so you use it. It would be perfect for you and your brother.”
Using his ability on something so trivial was both astonishing and absurd.
‘Hey, that’s basically slaughtering civilians, you know?’
But since I couldn’t say that outright, I just stood there with my mouth agape, and Bloden laughed with a grin.
“You’ll lose it if you hold it like that. Put it away safely. Now, shall we try shooting fireworks?”
After hesitating briefly, I tucked the prize carefully into my chest.
‘He’s not even suggesting we go eat together, and I won it in a game, so it should be fine to accept it, right?’
Besides, this time he was even thinking of Baron, which made me genuinely happy inside.
It felt like he was saying Baron would never face threats from the Imperial Palace again.
So I bowed respectfully to him.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it well since you’re giving it to me.”

* * *

Bloden and I purchased small fireworks and headed toward a quiet spot. However, along the way, I noticed a theatrical performance for children was underway. This time, it was quite a substantial stage, with books stacked like mountains on both sides.
Torches surrounded the area on all sides, and as I gazed at the brightly lit stage, I remembered something I had forgotten.
“Oh, that’s right—I need to light the fireworks, but I didn’t buy matches. Let me go get some right away.”
Bloden laughed at my words as if I worried about the most trivial things.
“There’s no need.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s right there on your shoulder.”
Only then did I feel a small movement on my shoulder.
“Squeak!”
Ah, that’s right. The Salamander! Good heavens, I had completely forgotten about her.
“Now that you mention it, she was here. She’s His Majesty’s familiar, isn’t she?”
“Yes. She hid when she saw me.”
She hid because she saw her master? Perhaps she didn’t feel like working.
The Salamander appeared to be far more intelligent than I had initially thought.
That was when the Actor spoke his lines in a very loud voice.
“The Warrior became invisible to people’s eyes the more power she used.”
In that moment, I pressed my forehead.
‘Good grief, it’s the Northern Gate fairy tale again.’

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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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