This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 163

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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 163

Kimarise’s brow furrowed at the sudden appearance of a rival.
“You don’t even have a family name or a title.”
“Such trivial matters can be obtained and created once I receive a title. What’s the problem? And you dare present a mere sub-baron as if it were something significant.”
Dantarion, smirking, made a request of Bloden.
“Your Majesty, I would prefer if my title were that of a Duke.”
“What?”
Bloden seemed taken aback by Dantarion’s demand, but Dantarion opened his chest as if it were only natural.
“Once you have completely seized imperial authority, I believe it would be fitting for me to be called a Grand Duke.”
Kimarise let out a derisive snort.
“What merit have you shown that you deserve to be a Duke?”
Dantarion, in turn, scoffed at Kimarise.
“You simply don’t remember, boy. I have accomplished such tremendous deeds that everyone would have no choice but to acknowledge them.”
“What deeds?”
“For my liege, I have… cough! Hack! Gag!”
In an instant, Dantarion clutched his chest and hastily retreated from the marriage certificate, vomiting bright crimson blood as if he were about to die.
Startled by the sudden turn of events, Bloden, Raven, and Kimarise all rose from their seats at once. Meanwhile, Crockel’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
After suffering for a long while, Dantarion finally caught his breath and glared at Kimarise as if to kill him.
“Damn it. I nearly died carelessly speaking like that. Don’t you dare ask me such things again.”
Kimarise’s mouth fell open, and he swallowed hard with an expression of utter bewilderment.
When Crockel saw Dantarion leave to change his clothes, his ears drooped. He looked regretful.
While Dantarion washed and changed quickly, Raven and Kimarise tidied up the ruined space and moved the meeting to the Second Floor Reception Room.
Bloden and the two Commanders waited for Dantarion to arrive while conversing.
“Raven.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“The symptoms Dantarion displayed—he’s under a geas, isn’t he?”
Raven sighed deeply.
“There is no way to confirm it at present, but it does seem that he committed some grave act for you and became bound by a geas.”
…
Kimarise, who had been silent for a moment, leaned back against the sofa and murmured as if resigned.
“Since a geas does not react to falsehoods, it appears he did indeed do something for you.”
It meant they would grant Dantarion the title of Duke and a Domain, regardless of the reason.
“Then I should simply grant him the Ducal title and Domain as he wishes, and create a new family name for him…”
As Bloden murmured to himself, Raven ventured a question.
“Unless they operate openly, what a Commander truly needs is merely the appearance of legitimacy, is it not?”
It was a fair point. That was precisely why Kimarise had been given a relatively lower title and a small Domain to avoid suspicion.
Raven had operated at Lienda’s side, after all, making it impossible not to grant him a title of that caliber officially.
“Once you decide which Domain to grant him, I shall handle all the relevant administrative documents.”
At those words, Kimarise pointed northward and spoke to Bloden.
“Your Majesty, the barren lands behind the Northern Gate stretch vast and wide.”
“No one lives there, though?”
At Raven’s counterquestion, Kimarise let out a dry chuckle.
“Correct. But no noble would bother traveling all the way out there to verify it. You can simply tell them to build a castle wherever suits their fancy.”
“Oh, and it won’t cost us anything either.”
“Exactly.”
That was when Crockel, sniffing the air, suddenly began wagging his tail with violent enthusiasm.
“Woof!”
At that sound, Bloden spoke up.
“Nuna’s here.”
Moments later, the doorbell chimed from the entrance hall.
“I shall answer the door.”
Raven rose promptly and headed to the entrance. As he opened the door, Hailey, carrying a large basket, broke into a bright smile.
“Hello, Raven.”
“Yes, hello. Baron is currently playing chess with Kimarise on the second floor.”
“I see. As always, I’m truly grateful for all your kindness these past two days.”
“Think nothing of it. Please, don’t mention it. Haha.”
“Thank you so much. And since it’s lunchtime, I need to head out for a meeting with some merchants.”
Hailey extended the basket toward him.
“I’ve recently started making soybean paste stew. Finally, it’s beginning to taste exactly as I envisioned it.”
Soybean paste.
Recognizing the name of the ingredient that had been fermenting in a Crooke container, Raven felt a thrill of anticipation and eagerly accepted the basket.
“Oh, a new menu item!”
“Baron enjoyed it quite a bit. I do hope it suits both of your palates as well.”
The fact that Baron ate it well meant it wasn’t the kind of fiery heat that made one sweat profusely.
And Raven now understood as well—that “fiery heat” was what Hailey called “spiciness.”
“Since Baron enjoyed it, it seems it’s not as spicy as the rice cakes, then.”
“Yes, I wanted Baron to share it with you, so I brought lunch for both you and Kimarise as well.”
“How thoughtful of you to prepare for us too. We’re grateful and will enjoy it thoroughly. Safe travels on your errands.”
“Thank you.”
After bowing politely, Hailey headed toward the Drained Tidal Flat to make her way to the City.
“What’s that? There’s an unusual smell coming from it.”
Before Hailey’s figure had completely disappeared, Dantarion approached and sniffed toward the basket she’d given, his eyes suddenly gleaming bright.
“Nuna made this!”
While it was unavoidable when standing in for Bloden, calling her “Nuna” even when Hailey wasn’t around was too much.
“That creature is at least several hundred years older than Hailey…”
Raven, feeling a chill run down his spine, voiced his exasperation, but Dantarion’s expression showed he couldn’t care less as he swallowed his saliva eagerly.
“If she’s adorable, she’s Nuna. Besides, my wounds from sparring with that mutt are still aching… Perfect timing. Let’s head upstairs.”
“You won’t have any, will you?”
“Raven, you can just eat what you’ve earned.”
Without waiting to see if Raven agreed, Dantarion snatched the basket in a flash, humming as he climbed to the second floor.
Soon, a loud clatter and Dantarion’s anguished cry echoed down.
“Hey, you mutt! That’s Nuna’s rolled omelet! What are you doing drooling all over it!”
Raven, heading toward the second floor, pressed his forehead with his hand and let out a long sigh.
Ever since those two arrived, there hadn’t been a single quiet moment.
.
.
.
When Raven climbed to the second floor, Dantarion had already spread out the food Hailey had brought.
The meal appeared to be for three people—prepared for Baron, Raven, and Kimarise.
The rolled omelet was already being carefully savored by Crockel, who held it with a blissful expression.
“Ah, that stuff is really delicious.”
Dantarion, who had been momentarily disappointed, turned his attention to the steaming broth wafting upward.
“I’ve never seen this before, my lord.”
“Ah, this is called miso soup. Nuna told me to try the broth, but I only picked out the tofu and squash. I couldn’t eat it properly in front of her.”
“Still, it’s not as potent as tteokbokki, is it?”
“This is on a different level. This broth uses miso—an ingredient aged with Crooke. The moment I tasted it, I knew.”
Bloden let out a hollow laugh, retrieved a cloak from his pocket dimension, draped it over himself, and scooped up some miso soup with a spoon.
“Try it. Then you’ll understand what I mean.”
Raven, Kimarise, and Dantarion all tasted the miso soup following Bloden’s lead.
Soon, without anyone going first, their spoons clattered to the ground.
“Ah, Your Majesty. This is….”
Unable to continue, Raven was followed by Kimarise, who shed a single tear, overwhelmed with emotion.
“Could Hailey possibly be… a god?”
Joy painted itself across Dantarion’s face.
“I can’t believe it. My entire body is recovering, and strength is flowing through me.”
Soon, the reception room fell silent except for the sound of hurried eating.

* * *

After finishing the meal, Bloden, now appearing as a sturdy young man, handed the marriage certificate to Dantarion.
“We decided to make it Duke. You decide what the surname will be.”
Dantarion glanced at Kimarise and Crockel in turn, then his lips twitched upward as he rubbed beneath his nose with his hand.
“I shall take the surname Doenjang. Duke Dantarion Doenjang.”
Everyone doubted their ears at his words.
“But that’s the name of a food ingredient?”
At Raven’s question, Dantarion laughed with satisfaction.
“What’s the problem? The Woodcutter family is Wood, the Hunter family is Hunter, aren’t they?”
Kimarise also shook his head.
“Still, Doenjang doesn’t quite fit with the Imperial pronunciation.”
“Is that so?”
Dantarion pondered briefly, then snapped his fingers with the expression of someone struck by inspiration.
“Then I shall be Duke Dantarion Deneujang, my lord.”
Soon the marriage certificate bore Raven Aner’s name and signature in Witness 1, and Dantarion Deneujang’s name and signature in Witness 2.

Raven Aner
Dantarion Deneujang

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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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