This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 161

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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 161

When I didn’t respond, Baron seemed to reach his limit. He stood up, wiping away tears as he spoke.
“I hate you, Nuna! I’m going to stay at Raven’s House!”
“No, Baron, that’s imposing on our neighbors!”
“I don’t care!”
As Baron bolted from the house, his ears and the nape of his neck were completely flushed red.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
I wanted to chase after him immediately and bring him back, but Baron’s emotions were far too turbulent right now.
‘I’ll wait about twenty minutes for him to calm down, then go retrieve him.’
I began tidying up the things Baron had arranged so beautifully. The more I looked at them, the more romantic and lovely they appeared.
“He must have looked up proposal methods at the Library.”
The image of him holding a lute and singing in that sweet voice came to mind, filling me with warmth, and seeing him throw a tantrum and cry only made him more endearing—I found myself smiling softly.
My Baron is handsome, adorable, cool, charming, and so very lovable.
‘Now I understand.’
Baron’s proposal failed because of our age difference. Had he been an adult, I wouldn’t have been able to refuse without falling apart.
‘I might have even fainted from the overwhelming joy.’
“Hailey.”
At that moment, I heard a knock followed by Raven’s voice.
Oh no, it seemed Baron’s imposition on the neighbors was quite serious.
I quickly opened the door and apologized to Raven first.
“I’m sorry, Raven. Our Baron has been causing you quite a bit of trouble. I’ll go get him right away.”
“That’s not it. I came to tell you that I think it would be better if Baron stayed at our house tonight so you wouldn’t worry… Pfft!”
Raven hastily covered his mouth with both hands. His body trembled slightly as if suppressing an erupting laugh. But it was only momentary—Raven’s smile bloomed like a flower in full bloom.
“Ah, I simply cannot contain myself. Baron is just too adorable.”
With a face that showed how delighted he was by Baron’s sudden outburst, he wished me a peaceful night.
I wondered if it was really something to be so fond of when Baron would surely be upset, but the truth was that everything our child did—whether laughing or crying—was endearing. Besides, Raven clearly adored Baron.
‘Especially since Baron is currently imposing on him.’
Unable to say anything more, I simply asked him to take good care of our Baron.
‘Once he spends a night at Raven’s House, his mood should improve a bit, right?’
That’s what I thought until I went to bed.
Until Baron returned home at the crack of dawn the next day and, as if he’d never thrown a tantrum, began a hunger strike with a dignified smile on his face.
.
.
.
‘This makes no sense.’
I truly couldn’t believe it.
Baron skipped breakfast and lunch as well. Even when I offered carefully prepared snacks, he refused them with a gentle smile.
I wanted to wonder where he was eating, but honestly, it made no sense. Baron had been by my side all day, as if to prove a point.
He hadn’t even taken a single sip of water.
‘He must be absolutely starving.’
That much was certain. Baron’s stomach had been growling, but it had stopped at some point.
Yet he refused to eat anything at all.
I wondered if such resolve was even possible for a seven-year-old child, but I worried that Baron might genuinely go days without eating.
So today, I took extra care to prepare an early dinner.
I made rice with tofu miso stew, rolled eggs seasoned with salted fish, beef ribs, white kimchi, and three-color seasoned vegetables.
‘Baron must be absolutely ravenous. Surely he can’t resist eating with this spread?’
Even I had to admit it was an exceptional dinner. I called to Baron in an even gentler voice.
“Baron? Let’s have dinner.”
Baron, who had been reading while leaning against the headboard, spoke calmly.
“Did you forget what I said?”
“…What?”
The corners of Baron’s mouth rose peacefully.
“I said I wouldn’t eat unless you married me.”
“But… I’ve prepared all this.”
“It really does look delicious.”
Baron’s gaze returned to his book.
“But I can’t eat even if I want to. If I eat, I can’t marry you.”
But he couldn’t marry me anyway, even if he didn’t eat?
“A seven-year-old will have a harder time enduring than an adult, but what can I do? I’d rather die than not marry you.”
“Baron, that’s blackmail. You shouldn’t do that.”
“Even knowing I shouldn’t, what can I do? I love you too much.”
Baron met my eyes and smiled with a pitiful expression.
“Don’t worry about me. You eat.”
Good heavens.
In that moment, I realized something.
Watching Baron refuse to eat was unbearably painful for me.
‘What should I do? A child’s fasting could be dangerous, unlike an adult’s.’
But I couldn’t actually marry a minor… yet I had to get him to eat.
As I pondered, I found myself clasping my hands together and praying silently.
‘How can I get my child to eat?’
That was when it happened.
As if my prayer had actually worked, a solution suddenly came to me.
‘Why didn’t I think of that? The fact that Baron is a minor was the answer!’
“Alright, Baron. Let’s do this.”
I took out the marriage certificate and wrote my name in the bride’s section, then signed it.
I hesitated for a moment before signing… but I had to feed the child.
Baron’s eyes widened as he quickly set down his book and came closer.
“Y-you?”
“Baron, can you see it? I wrote my name here and signed it, didn’t I?”
Baron rubbed his eyes in disbelief several times, his cheeks flushing a rosy pink.
“Yeah. Nuna, are you going to marry me?”
“No, I just wrote my name for now.”
“…What?”
I smiled with quiet satisfaction.
Now it was time to apply the rule of three yeses—a psychological technique where obtaining small agreements in succession makes it easier to secure consent for larger requests.
“Listen carefully. Marriage registration is something adults do with adults, right? You know that much, don’t you?”
Baron’s eyes darted left and right before he finally nodded.
“But you’re a minor. Under Imperial Law, if we took this to the Government Offices or the Court right now, it wouldn’t even be accepted. That’s just reality. Isn’t it?”
Baron fell silent, then nodded again.
“So I’m asking you—don’t write your name here for now.”
I pointed with my fingertip to the section where the groom’s name goes.
“When you’re all grown up, if your feelings haven’t changed, then you can write your name here. Understood?”
“So when I become an adult, if I still want to marry Nuna, I can write my name here and submit it to the Court?”
“That’s right.”
“Great!”
Stars began to twinkle in Baron’s widened eyes.
“Okay, Nuna. I’ll grow up fast and become the best Husband.”
“Sure, sure.”
Baron carefully tucked away the marriage registration form and quickly sat down at the table. He fished out a piece of tofu from the miso stew, ate it, and grinned at me with pure joy, giving me a thumbs up.
“Nuna, this is so delicious! It’s the best! Let’s eat together quickly!”
I went to the table and sat across from Baron.
“Eat slowly, Baron.”
“Okay, Nuna.”
Baron looked at me and smiled with genuine happiness.
“I love you.”
“Yeah, I love you too. Eat plenty, okay? You need to eat a lot and grow big and strong.”
“Okay! I’ll grow so fast you’ll be amazed, Nuna!”
Haha, what a cute kid.
He’s so pleased that I feel more than just warmth—I feel genuinely proud.
‘I should have signed that marriage registration form sooner if I’d known he’d be this happy.’
I’m not sure why I rejected him so seriously when he’s just a child speaking with a child’s heart.
Documents from minors won’t even be accepted by the Court anyway, and this kid has over ten years before he reaches adulthood.
Besides, he was about to enroll in the Academy soon.
Baron would quickly become interested in girls his own age, and he’d either forget about the marriage registration form forever or laugh it off as a childhood embarrassment.
When the day comes that Baron has grown well and brings someone he loves to introduce to me, I’ll have plenty of time to tease him about it.
Our Baron threw such a fit when he was little, saying he wanted to marry his mom.

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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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