This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 156

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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 156

It was heartening to hear Baron steeling his resolve to succeed, and it seemed he could accomplish anything except for his plan to marry me.
Baron was clever, after all.
“And I’ll rise through the ranks at lightning speed to become the most powerful person and protect you, Nuna!”
‘Baron, the most powerful person is the Emperor.’
I thought I’d uprooted the seeds of rebellion by changing the original story, but surely he wasn’t planting them again here?
“And the most important thing! I’ll tell you I love you every single day, and I’ll hold you tight and sleep with you every night. I’ll raise our children too. A daughter who looks like you, a son who looks like you.”
Baron, unaware of my inner thoughts, gazed at me with passionate, gleaming eyes.
‘It wouldn’t be good to dampen a child’s ambition, would it?’
I paused to think, then smiled softly.
“Alright, give it your best try, Baron. We can talk about the rest after you’ve grown up.”
“Huh? After I’ve grown up?”
Baron pulled out the marriage certificate again.
“Why wait until I’m grown? All you have to do is sign right here, right now.”
“Even if you did, it would be invalid. You’re a minor.”
“Still, I’d like it if you’d sign for me.”
“Linda would see me as a criminal.”
“….”
At a loss for words, Baron puffed out his lips like a duckling. The sight was so adorable that I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Oh, Baron. No matter how clever you are, you’re still just a child. You have a long way to go before you can outwit your Nuna.’
Baron’s face flushed as he watched my smile.
“Why, why are you smiling like that? What’s with that goofy expression?”
I lifted Baron into my arms and carried him to the bed. I sat him on my lap and gently stroked his hair.
“Baron, would you not want to live with me if we don’t get married?”
“Huh?”
Startled, Baron quickly shook his head.
“Of course not!”
“Then you’d still like me even if I don’t sign the marriage certificate, right?”
“Obviously!”
Baron answered without a moment’s hesitation, then his ears flushed crimson.
“I want to marry you because I like you so much, Nuna.”
I pulled Baron close and rubbed my cheek against his.
“I understand your feelings. But since my heart hasn’t decided yet, would you be willing to wait?”

* * *

Meanwhile, Nelloa had been confined to her room for four days after receiving Hailey’s warning at the birthday banquet.
Terrified that Bloden would storm in and demand answers, she could barely eat and couldn’t sleep at all. She simply huddled under her blankets, trembling uncontrollably.
The fact that Hailey had read the original work featuring her as the protagonist sent chills down her spine. It meant Hailey knew her entire future.
It seemed Hailey had harbored the intention to drive her out and become Empress from the very beginning.
Only when Nelloa heard that Hailey and Baron had returned to Snorilo did she finally venture out of her room.
She found it strange that no punishment had come her way until then.
If Hailey truly knew the future from reading the original work, she would never leave someone like her—destined to sit as Empress and possessing the ability to open Gates—unmolested.
There could only be one answer.
‘Ah, so she really did deceive me after all?’
Nelloa immediately began exchanging letters with Stanley to gather more information. First, she needed to determine how much Bloden knew about her misdeeds.
Through this correspondence, she discovered that Bloden had learned she was the mastermind behind the destruction of the Kingdom of Meridon and the Tillan Kingdom.
It was deeply unsettling. Stanley was an idiot for blurting it out when asked.
However, she took some comfort in the fact that her ability to open Gates had not been revealed. And naturally, her next plan began to take shape.
Nelloa’s primary objective had never been Bloden’s love. It would be pleasant to receive the affection of a handsome Emperor, but far more important was whether she could wield power while Bloden guarded the Northern Region.
‘Royal marriages don’t require love anyway. He won’t be able to refuse my next proposal.’
With this confidence, Nelloa sought out Anna.

* * *

Anna was massaging her temples, her head throbbing with pain.
She had originally believed that since Bloden always wore the face of a model student, she could rule the Empire for life by simply placing an Empress of her choosing in that position.
But when she had approached him with the list of commanders, his demeanor had been that of a tyrant.
If an Emperor with transcendent power became a despot, maintaining control would be impossible—anyone’s life would hang by a thread.
Knowing this well, Anna had considered having Bloden followed when he left the Imperial Palace with his entourage to uncover his weaknesses. However, his very means of travel was unlike that of ordinary people, making pursuit itself impossible.
As she sat there, troubled by this dilemma, Nelloa arrived with an unexpected proposal.
“His Majesty has gone to Snorilo, and I wondered if the Regent might be willing to help me?”
She spoke with such certainty about his whereabouts?
It was only natural that Anna’s attention was drawn.
“How would the Princess know such a thing?”
Nelloa laughed softly.
“Oh, I’ve known for some time that His Majesty has been in hiding at Snorilo. I even mentioned in a letter that I was with him for a time.”
At the time, Anna had dismissed Nelloa’s letter as boasting, but hearing her speak with such confidence suggested there was some truth to it.
“That’s true. But why would His Majesty go to Snorilo?”
“It’s nothing serious. He simply wished to rest and gaze upon the Sea for a while. The truth is, I was on the verge of becoming much closer to His Majesty, but….”
Nelloa’s smile turned bitter.
“Since Snorilo isn’t my homeland, maintaining proper dignity is quite costly, and my position is far too weak to remain long at His Majesty’s side. His Majesty is very particular about the standing of his female companions.”
With that, Nelloa sighed, as if her relationship with Bloden had grown distant.
“A princess from a small kingdom simply cannot match His Majesty’s stature.”
At those words, Anna recalled Bloden’s wealth.
The fortune of House Ilpein was astronomical. There were even rumors that they possessed so many rare gems and hidden mines that their true wealth was beyond calculation.
When Bloden was young, so many nobles—starting with the maidservants—had attempted to seduce him in order to plunder his wealth.
That arrogant little brat had learned something from the previous Emperor Lienda, for he wouldn’t so much as blink at any temptation.
‘He seems generous with disaster relief funds, yet he won’t spend money even on a woman he nearly became intimate with….’
Men typically lavished their wealth on women they fancied, but according to Nelloa’s account, Bloden possessed no such inclination. Without a legitimate justification, he was extraordinarily stingy with everyone.
‘If he had a generous nature, securing funds would have been far easier for me.’
Anna let out a hollow laugh, her thoughts turning to Baron Aer and Baron Ilnid.
Baron Aer had declared his intention to resume child abduction and trafficking, yet nothing had stirred since. The news that the Emperor had appeared in the neighboring estate of Snoril must have spread, making him far too intimidated to act.
Baron Ilnid’s illegal gambling den was something Anna had even prepared a pardon for, but it had entered reinvestigation by imperial decree.
Until that investigation concluded, his pardon would be worthless. No—if he were found guilty this time, he would face execution, making the situation far worse.
The one consolation was that Bloden, who had issued the imperial decree, had immediately vacated the Imperial Palace. Though Anna could not manipulate the facts of the crime itself, she could delay the investigation process as much as possible.
Whether by continuing as Regent or by controlling Nelloa from behind the scenes as I saw fit.
As long as I maintained power, Baron Ilnid could be pardoned once Bloden had gone north and the timing seemed right.
‘I can officially serve as Regent only until next year. To suppress the Emperor’s momentum by then, I cannot afford to be choosy about my methods.’
Having reached this conclusion, Anna offered Nelloa a benevolent smile.
“Oh my, it seems I failed to give you proper attention.”
“Not at all. Everything was so unfamiliar then that I was quite lost myself.”
“I see. Do you need any support?”
“I am grateful for your consideration.”
Anna promised Nelloa sufficient support and sent her away. Now it was time to write letters informing Duke Utra and Duke Roan of Bloden’s whereabouts.

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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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