This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 166

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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 166

My threat startled Nelloa far more than I’d anticipated, and I felt a twinge of guilt for it.
‘No, there’s no need to be that shocked. This is exactly why I feel like I’ve become the villain.’
Soon Nelloa forced the corners of her mouth upward and backed me up.
“Hailey’s right. That’s not something to joke about. Stop asking pointless questions and let’s move. Do you expect me to wait for you?”
At Nelloa’s blunt rebuke, the Reporter’s face flushed crimson. He quickly stuffed his notebook into his pocket and apologized.
“My apologies.”
With that, Nelloa and the Reporter departed as well.
Then the merchants, who had been watching cautiously until now, began applauding me.
“Wow, Miss Hailey, you’re truly remarkable.”
“How are you so knowledgeable about the law?”
“And standing next to the Princess, I was surprised to find Miss Hailey even more beautiful.”
Ha, if you praise me that much, I won’t know where to put myself.
“No wonder The Lord covets her.”
Well, you needn’t understand The Lord’s feelings on my account.
The people who had been chattering away promised to meet again tomorrow for another discussion and parted ways.
Then I headed straight home, scanning my surroundings.
Bloden’s height made him easy to spot even from a distance. Yet no matter how thoroughly I looked, I couldn’t see Bloden or anyone of similar build.
That was when it happened.
“Nuna, where are you going?”
I turned to find Baron there.
“Oh, Baron. It’s nothing. Your sister isn’t going anywhere.”
Baron took my hand. The child’s hand was warm and comforting, and a smile bloomed naturally on my face.
And I gave up searching for Bloden.
‘If I were to meet His Majesty, what would I even say? Ask if he truly helped me? After I rejected him so firmly that day?’
Besides, thinking it through calmly, I couldn’t tell whether Camen acted on his own or followed Bloden’s orders.
Camen had helped me even before I met Bloden.
It seemed Camen came to this area to play whenever he had nothing special to do.
‘Then I absolutely must thank Camen properly. He might still be nearby.’
I recalled how Camen had enjoyed crispy rice crust before.
‘Good, I’ll make plenty for him.’
With that resolve, I took Baron’s hand and entered the narrow embankment path that led to the stream behind Our House.
Even though The Lord had no right to passage along the embankment, the Knights who had blocked it before now paid me no attention.
This was because The Lord’s orders had changed from “No Trespassing” to “Pedestrian Protection.”

* * *

“Alright, we’re ready.”
At my signal, Bloden, who had been sitting in front of the donation box, shook a small bell.
The eight people standing in the front row called out to me.
“Sixteen skewered rice cakes, please. Ten in the basic flavor and six in the spicy flavor.”
I moved my hands swiftly, brushing sauce onto the skewers before handing them over.
“Thank you.”
The Passengers, clutching skewers in both hands, turned away with bright smiles.
As I greeted the next customer, I glanced at the long line stretching behind them.
.
.
.
After Camen’s intervention caused the geological upheaval, the surrounding landscape had transformed as well.
First, the Embankment that had naturally formed near Our House turned out to be two meters tall when the water receded. It was quite wide and had a non-slip surface, making it convenient for people to traverse.
So I held a meeting with the Temporary Shop Merchants and had railings installed on both sides of the Embankment, decorating the pillars with flowers and ribbons.
Finally, I relocated the skewered rice cake stall to the section connecting Our House to the Embankment. One of the Merchants then placed a newspaper advertisement announcing the resumption of business.
Within days, Passengers began crossing onto the Embankment to purchase skewered rice cakes and other goods. Today was one of those busy days.
As the waiting line grew longer, Passengers spread out along the Embankment and began using the other temporary stalls nearby. During high tide, seawater lapped around the Embankment, so they enjoyed fishing, and during low tide, they descended into the Tidal Flat between the Embankment and the Beach to collect shells and other treasures.
In doing so, they also began to witness the landscape where the passageway that the Lord had once held usage rights to was now completely sunken.
After some more time had passed, someone constructed a viewing platform on top of the Embankment.
It was an invitation for people to climb up, take a telescope, and see for themselves just how deeply the Lord’s land had collapsed.
Meanwhile, Robinson, who had left to restore the land to its original state, had not returned even after a month had passed.
From what I heard, he had inquired about the cost of restoration, and the sum was apparently astronomical. No matter how much toll he collected, he could never recoup the losses.
‘Well, the path was already long to begin with, so filling in land that’s twenty meters deep would certainly not be easy.’
I tried to think of methods to fill in such a deep depression. But even imagining myself doing it, it seemed truly difficult.
‘State-owned land usage rights aren’t that expensive, so wouldn’t it be better to simply forfeit the rights?’
Of course, since the path was so long, the cost of purchasing that much usage rights would be considerable, so it would still amount to a loss.
Just then, Bloden rang the small bell again. The business day had ended.
.
.
.
After tidying up the stall and returning, I tended to my clam-digging equipment, grabbed some scorched rice, and headed out to the Field.
Since the earthquake, Camen had remained near Our House, and would pop out whenever I called, so giving him the scorched rice was not difficult.
“Camen, Camen!”
After calling a few times, Camen soon emerged from the furrow and came before me.
He was now in the form of a small Stone Pillar about thirty centimeters tall, with weeds caught in his protruding hands.
“I brought you some scorched rice.”
Camen quickly discarded the weeds and took the scorched rice, tucking it into his body. Watching him eat contentedly, I looked around and called out another name.
“Heart.”
“Squeak!”
The Salamander I had traveled with during the Founding Festival came bounding out immediately.
On the day the bridge collapsed, I happened to find Camen near our house, and on a whim, I called for the Salamander as well—and sure enough, it was there.
‘It must have a proper name.’
Bloden, whom I’d met at the festival, never told me the Salamander’s name.
‘I was too busy worrying about the Emperor to ask, so he probably didn’t mention it.’
Baron, however, had casually remarked upon seeing the Salamander.

‘It’s a fire lizard, so isn’t it a Salamander?’

Salamander was the name of a spirit that dwelt in fire and consumed it—a fire-dwelling lizard.
At that moment, I’d pondered what to call this creature, so I wrote two names on stones and placed them before the Salamander, asking which it preferred.
Since it was the Salamander’s name to bear, it only seemed right that the Salamander choose.

‘This one is Salamander, and this one is Heart. Which name would you like?’

‘Heart’ was a name I’d given because the Salamander’s head markings resembled a heart.
Without hesitation, the Salamander chose Heart, and from that point on, I’d been calling it by that name.
Heart also ate the crispy rice snacks quite well. So whenever I gave Camen treats, I made sure to set aside a portion for Heart too. Soon, Serch flew down and fluttered about.
“Hello, Serch.”
At my greeting, Serch spiraled joyfully, scattering light in all directions. No matter how many times I saw it, the beautiful display of luminescence made me smile involuntarily.
It looked as though Serch were asking if I was going to gather shellfish, so I answered with a laugh.
“Yes, yes. Let’s go after these little ones finish their snacks.”
Serch seemed to understand and settled upon my shoulder.
I crouched down and watched Camen and Heart intently eating their crispy rice, then asked.
“By the way, your master is nowhere to be seen. Where is he?”
Camen and Heart both lifted their heads at once. Yet their adorable eyes were not looking at me.
“Squeak.”
When I turned around, Baron was standing there.
“Were you feeding them?”
His gaze was deep and his lips curved upward in a way that was somehow captivating, and I found myself staring blankly without meaning to. Baron smiled brightly and spoke to Camen and Heart.
“Finish up quickly. Camen, pull out all the weeds, and Heart, light a fire in the firewood stacked on the beach.”
He gave orders so casually that I was taken aback.
“Baron, you can’t give them work like that. They’re the Emperor’s Commanders.”
“They seem to be having fun doing it anyway.”
At Baron’s unbothered response, Camen bowed its body respectfully.
“See? I was right.”
“Squeak!”
Heart smiled brightly as well.
After finishing their crispy rice, Camen and Heart began doing exactly what Baron had instructed. No matter how I looked at it, these creatures were simply too obedient.
That was when it happened.
“Miss Hailey. Baron.”
I heard Raven’s voice.
“Yes.”
I answered quickly and headed to the front of the house, where Raven stood and pointed toward the entrance.
“Linda from the Government Offices mentioned that the Lord completed the administrative procedures to relinquish his rights to the state-owned land just a moment ago.”

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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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