This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 168

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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 168

“Giggle, giggle, giggle.”
The sound of children’s laughter reached my ears first.
Soap bubbles glistened brilliantly in the sunlight, drifting through the air.
In front of the temporary structure, grass and pretty pebbles were laid out alongside flagstones, and a shallow water park—about knee-deep—stretched in a long line from the entrance all the way to Raven’s fence.
Inside the water park, children played with their parents, blowing soap bubbles and splashing about in the water.
The surrounding landscaping was meticulously maintained, and the temporary structure was neatly arranged to welcome the bustling crowds of visitors.
‘What is this? It’s no worse than a luxury resort.’
An outdoor water park of this scale was operating without even being a paid theme park. Nelloa had never seen anything like this, even in her past life.
“This is insane. How did she manage all this in such a short time?”
The question escaped my lips unbidden.
Robinson, standing beside Nelloa, opened his eyes so wide they seemed ready to pop from his head before letting out a long sigh.
“What is this place…”
Clark also muttered in a daze.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before… The scenery looks like it’s barely different from paradise.”
Right after that, Clark’s eyes gleamed with ambition as he began rapidly scribbling something in his reporter’s notebook.
‘Ah.’
Nelloa bit her lip in dismay.
‘This is obviously a scoop no matter how you look at it.’
Once that article came out, this place would become even more famous. As tourists increased, Hailey would inevitably become a tycoon.
I needed to prevent Clark’s article from being published, but no method came to mind immediately.
Even if I stopped him, it wouldn’t matter. If Clark didn’t write the article, other reporters would.
‘Hmm. Should I tour the facility and use any problematic areas as leverage? If safety hazards are exposed, that would also make a good scoop.’
Even with shallow water, someone could have a drowning accident if unlucky.
‘Good, if someone falls in, I can make The Lord hold Hailey responsible for it. Since I’m already here, I should scout the location well and plant a Derivative Gate seed in the water.’
Then I would approach Bloden, who was disguised as Baron, and inform him of this fact.
Bloden had already secretly removed the Gate from the Aer Domain. Though he had treated Nelloa coldly, he must have acknowledged her abilities in his heart.
‘If I plant a seed here and then inform him, it would be like preventing a catastrophe, wouldn’t it? Then he’ll have no choice but to acknowledge my merit. If I’m lucky, this facility might even be shut down.’
Just then, Robinson clenched his fists and strode purposefully toward Hailey’s House.
“Unbelievable! No matter how I look at it, something’s wrong! This has to be a scam!”
Nelloa followed him along with Clark. As they walked, she carefully scanned the newly created area.
She needed to find a suitable spot to secretly plant the Derivative Gate seeds.
Since the water park stretched out in a long line, stepping stones were installed at intervals to cross it. Several young men and women in red shirts and shorts were visible.
Standing at regular intervals with sharp, watchful eyes surveying the water park, one young woman suddenly waded into the water.
Now I could see a young girl in the corner struggling as she fell into the water.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Don’t worry. You’ve only been in the water for less than three seconds. I’ve been watching you with a hawk’s eye.”
Hearing those words, Nelloa ground her teeth in frustration.
‘Ha, so they’ve even stationed a safety officer here.’
The safety officer spoke matter-of-factly while checking on the child’s condition. Then, as the guardian came rushing over, the officer handed the child back and explained the situation. The guardian thanked them, but it was only a moment before the child, having stopped crying, ran back into the Water Park to play again.
Soon, the sound of a dog barking rang out loudly.
“Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!”
Lost in observation, I had arrived at Raven’s House before I knew it.
Robinson and Clark were already peering inside the fence. Nelloa also looked in. A small puppy was barking enthusiastically.
“Ha, I thought it was ridiculous the last time I saw it, but it’s still absurd now. I thought they’d brought in a vicious guard dog, but instead they just got a single day-old puppy and put up a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign.”
Robinson, scoffing, gestured toward the puppy.
“Be quiet and get out of here.”
Then Clark stepped forward.
“I’ll chase it away for you.”
Clark leaned over the fence and swung his reporter’s notebook as if to strike the puppy.
“Shoo, get away from here. You little brat. Shoo!”
But instead of backing away, the puppy suddenly snatched the notebook in its mouth.
In that instant, something remarkable happened.
“Ugh!”
Clark tumbled over the fence into the yard.
Dragged in by the puppy’s bite, Clark quickly got to his feet and reached out his hand.
“Hey, you little beast! Give me back my notebook!”
The puppy then shook its head and flung the notebook far behind it.
“This damn dog!”
An enraged Clark reached toward the puppy, intending to grab it and throw it far away.
But something unexpected happened.
“Arf!”
The puppy, dodging his hand, bit Clark’s calf. Despite being bitten by teeth no larger than millet seeds, Clark felt an impact like being struck by lightning and screamed in panic.
“Ahhh! S-save me, someone!”
“Kyaaah!”
Nelloa screamed in surprise, and people rushed over at the commotion.
Kimarise also came running out from Raven’s Mansion.
“Argh! Crockel!”
Kimarise grabbed Crockel’s body.
“Let go at once!”
But Crockel didn’t release what he was biting. Just then, the door to Hailey’s House opened, and Hailey and Baron came out. Seeing the situation, Hailey was startled and came running over.
“What on earth is all this commotion?”
“I came out to find this chaos. Please, get this creature off me.”
Hailey quickly grabbed Crockel.
“Crockel, you can’t bite people. Let go now, okay?”
Immediately, Crockel released Clark and began barking loudly.
“Arf arf, woof woof woof woof!”
Seeing this, Nelloa scoffed.
“A dog that bites people should be put down immediately. Why are you trying to convince it?”
“What are you saying, Nelloa? We must follow Imperial Law here.”
Hailey immediately countered Nelloa’s rebuke.
“According to Imperial Law, if someone trespasses into a fenced property with warning signs posted and gets bitten by a dog, the trespasser bears full responsibility. Consider yourself fortunate it ended this way.”
Even as she spoke, she quickly scooped Crockel into her arms and forced a smile toward Clark.
“Are you alright? Crockel here looks deceptive, but he’s quite a fierce dog. It must hurt terribly.”
Nelloa stared at Robinson in disbelief at Hailey’s rebuttal.
Robinson then spoke with a resigned expression.
“I’m not certain about Kelite, but that’s how the Empire operates.”
Clark pointed toward Hailey’s House even as tears streamed down his face from the pain.
“U-ugh. P-please retrieve my reporter’s notebook for me.”
“Your reporter’s notebook?”
“This puppy threw it over there. Ow!”
Clark groaned and rolled up his pants leg. Because Crockel’s mouth was small, the wound on his calf wasn’t particularly wide, but blood streamed freely from the deep gash.
“I clearly posted signs warning about the dog. Why did you insist on coming inside?”
Kimarise pressed his forehead with an exasperated expression, then addressed a merchant who had been watching.
“Do you know where the Emergency Medical Station is? Please contact them and have them come immediately.”
Then he turned to Clark with a cold gaze.
“As a reporter for the Roan Times, you should know Imperial Law. You can handle the treatment costs yourself, and you could have simply rung the bell. Why did you trespass?”
“I-I didn’t trespass. I accidentally dropped my notebook inside the fence and was trying to retrieve it when my foot slipped.”
“That’s a lie.”
At the sudden voice, everyone turned to see a boy of about twelve picking his nose with a sullen expression.
“I saw everything. That man was trying to hit the puppy with his notebook.”
As the boy’s testimony continued, Clark clenched his teeth but could offer no further excuses.
Once the full circumstances were revealed, the onlookers cast cold gazes and sneers at Clark.
“What an idiot.”
“Why would he try to hit someone else’s dog without permission and get dragged in?”
“And a grown man losing to a puppy, no less?”
Meanwhile, Baron glanced around and approached, speaking.
“I don’t see the notebook anywhere. It’s better to treat the wound first and search for it later.”
Soon the resident Doctor from the Emergency Medical Station rushed over with the others and took Clark away as he groaned in pain. Once Clark disappeared, the spectators lost interest and returned to their spots to resume enjoying the Water Park.
Only after the surroundings grew quiet did Kimarise ask Robinson.
“I hadn’t heard you were visiting today. What brings you here?”
Robinson cleared his throat and lifted his chin.
“Hmm. I heard rumors that the sunken land had been restored, so I came to see for myself. But it’s organized far better than I could have believed.”
“Ah, that?”
Kimarise smiled brightly while looking at Hailey.
“Hailey guided us through it.”
“That’s precisely what’s strange and suspicious about it!”
“…I beg your pardon?”
“Do you have any idea how much it would cost just to fill in that land?”
Robinson gestured toward the site where people were enjoying themselves, his expression darkening.
“To fill it all in and construct such facilities in the blink of an eye—where on earth is this funding coming from?”
He clenched both fists and fixed his gaze upon Hailey.
“That’s why I intend to investigate the source of these funds. Hailey, you are to come to my mansion at once!”

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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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