This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 15
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 15
Something collapsed with a crashing sound. No more sounds could be heard.
After traveling for a long time, we came to a dark forest. The sky over there was burning bright red with fire, while the moon in the night sky shone brilliantly – the scenery was so beautiful that I thought it was ironic.
-From now on, listen carefully to what I say. Princess.
The appearance of the woman who kept talking wasn’t clearly visible, perhaps because it was night.
The silver badge on her chest sparkled as it reflected the moonlight. My gaze naturally went to the badge.
Inside a sun-like border was a wing pattern curved like a crescent moon, which also looked like vines and leaves from another angle.
-No matter how great the shock, pull yourself together! Only you remain now, Princess!
I was startled and looked up as the other person grabbed both my shoulders and shook me.
The moonlight strangely illuminated the knight’s face clearly. I gasped in shock and swallowed my breath.
The left side of her face was melted by fire. The knight continued to say something.
And the grip on my shoulders grew stronger, making me feel as if my whole body was being pressed down.
* * *
‘L-let go of this.’
As I groaned, Baron’s voice suddenly reached me.
“Nuna, are you okay?”
At the same time, my stiff body relaxed.
“Huk!”
As I breathed in, a cool herbal scent rushed into my lungs and I saw Baron in front of me.
“Are you okay? It seemed like you were having a nightmare.”
“No, just a little… Thanks for waking me up.”
I rolled my eyes and carefully sat up.
I guess I had sleep paralysis from sleeping a bit.
“How’s your body?”
At Baron’s words, I realized that my right arm didn’t hurt at all. My left arm still hurt but felt lighter.
“Huh? What’s this? It seems completely healed.”
My gaze naturally went to the window. I wondered if I had slept too long, but it was still bright outside.
“How long did I sleep?”
“About two hours?”
I couldn’t believe it. I had only slept for two hours and hadn’t moved, yet my muscle pain was almost completely gone.
“I need to loosen it up a bit more, so lie down again.”
Baron grabbed my left arm.
“Huh?”
Baron started massaging my left arm. Whatever he had applied made his hands slippery.
“Ugh. It hurts.”
Every time Baron pressed, I involuntarily groaned. But after the pain, there was a strangely refreshing feeling.
“It hurts but feels good, right? Just bear with it a little.”
Baron carefully massaged the tense muscles in my arm with his small hands. The more he did, the less pain I felt in my arm.
It was massage skills that could only inspire admiration.
“Wow, Baron. Where did you learn this?”
Baron’s lips curved upward.
“I told you we’re a knight family for generations. Muscle tension is daily life, so we’re good at relieving it too.”
“Where did you get the massage lotion?”
“I made it. While wandering around, I was lucky enough to find some medicinal herbs around here.”
Baron spoke casually while massaging my arm.
“It was enough for one use, but sufficient for Nuna’s immediate needs.”
After about 5 more minutes, Baron removed his hands.
“There, how is it now? Just let what I applied absorb.”
I moved my arm. The muscle pain had completely disappeared and my condition was very good.
“Wow, Baron, you’re really amazing. Thank you.”
At the same time, I had a question. I had never slept wearing sleeveless or tank tops. No, I didn’t even have such clothes to begin with.
‘But why… are my arms completely exposed?’
Only then did I examine my outfit carefully and was shocked. The clothes themselves were the same as when I lay down to sleep. However, the seams of the sleeve parts had all been torn out.
Baron, who had been watching my expression, pouted and pointed to one side.
“I put them over there.”
Both pieces of my sleeves were neatly placed on the table. I went to the table and examined the sleeves. Since only the thread had been carefully cut along the sewing lines, the shape of the sleeves wasn’t damaged.
“Puhahaha!”
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight.
Imagining how that little kid had worried about what to do and carefully cut the threads, it was really inevitable that I would hug Baron and rub my cheek against his face and give him a kiss.
“Ah, this cute little thing. Thank you so much.”
“If Nuna is happy, I’m happy too.”
Baron also giggled and hugged me tightly.
“Good. Then shall we get moving?”
I took out my sewing kit and sat at the table, taking off my dress.
“Let me quickly fix this and put it on, then we’ll go shopping and have lunch. Wait just a moment.”
I started roughly sewing the sleeves back onto the dress.
“There, done!”
I shook out the quickly completed dress and stood up. But Baron was nowhere to be seen.
“Baron? Where did you go already?”
When I called his name, the blanket rustled. Baron peeked his head out slightly, saw me, was startled, and quickly hid back under the blanket.
“What’s wrong?”
“H-how can you suddenly undress like that? You startled me.”
“Huh?”
Since he seemed embarrassed, I examined my outfit.
I was indeed wearing a beige slip that reached about knee-length.
But the shoulder straps were thick, the material wasn’t see-through, and the fabric was rather thick, so it wasn’t form-fitting either.
I chuckled.
“Are you saying I’m in my underwear right now? Nothing is showing except my arms and legs.”
“Ah. I don’t know, but still, you can’t just undress like that without warning.”
“What’s wrong between family members?”
I put on the dress since we needed to go out, but the more I thought about it, the funnier it was.
What does a mere seven-year-old know to act like that?
“Okay. I’m all dressed.”
Eventually, I couldn’t hold back my laughter and giggled, so Baron peeked his head out from under the blanket.
“Why, why are you laughing?”
“Baron.”
“Yeah?”
“Want to take a bath with Nuna?”
Baron’s face turned red as a tomato and he pulled the blanket over himself again.
“Ah! You’re just teasing me! Really!”
Baron curled up tightly under the blanket as if he would never come out.
“Nuna is going to the city now.”
“…”
“Are you going to keep doing that?”
“…”
I sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Should I go alone? Or should I carry you on my back at least to the door?”
When I extended my arms behind me, a small body immediately clung to my back.
It seemed like being carried was enjoyable, as giggles came out again.
‘No matter what, she’s still a child after all.’
* * *
We went to the city and sold the crabs and sea snails we caught last night to Ben, then bought a set of pajamas for Baron at the general store.
Baron told me to buy clothes for myself instead, but I let it go in one ear and out the other as I examined the clothes.
If they weren’t made of fabric, I would have believed they were flour sacks with holes cut for heads, the design was so simple.
‘As expected, cheap things can’t be helped…’
The ones that looked decent were too expensive. I’d have to earn money quickly and either buy fabric to make clothes myself, or buy yarn to knit them directly.
After that, while buying rice, soybeans, eggs, and several other ingredients, I noticed a children’s bookstore in the alley across the street.
I took Baron and entered the children’s bookstore.
Looking at the information sign, it seemed they not only bought and sold used books but also rented them out.
“What kind of book do you like? Something good to read when you’re bored, and I was thinking of reading to you before bed.”
“Read when I’m bored? These are just fairy tale picture books for kids.”
Baron, who had been looking at the books on the shelf and slightly frowning, cut off my words with an annoyed expression. But soon his eyes widened again.
“Huh? Wait, I think I missed something you said? What about before bed?”
“I thought it would be nice to read to you before bed, so I came here…”
Without realizing it, my voice naturally became smaller.
I thought it would be good for a child’s emotional development if we lay side by side in bed, I read him a fairy tale, then gave him a goodnight kiss.
But thinking about it again, Baron was exceptionally smart compared to his peers.
Fairy tale picture books for such a child? Wouldn’t that feel childish?
“Sorry. I guess I was thinking wrong. It’s probably too low-level for you.”
Baron’s brow smoothed out completely as he smiled.
“No, why would the level be low? I like fairy tale books.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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