This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 18

Hailey’s tearful voice seemed to echo in his ears.

Baron recalled his childhood when he had wandered around the battlefields surrounding the Northern Gate.

‘The adults around me were all eager to push me into the battlefield.’

Hailey told him not to grow up because it was dangerous. It was truly absurd.

Though it was also strange how his lips curved up on their own along with this peculiar feeling.

Bloden’s eyes changed to a violet color.

Quickly returning to Baron, Bloden closed his book and put his fountain pen back into his spatial pocket. Then he turned his gaze toward where Hailey would be.

Though blocked by the wall and not visible, she must be working hard beyond there.

‘Working should be much easier now.’

Last night while Hailey was sleeping, the earth elemental Camen had done some work.

Following the instruction to make the land fertile ‘without being noticed,’ Camen lifted the surface of the land that Hailey had marked and moved it aside.

Then he removed all the stones, gravel, and rough soil underneath and took them somewhere, brought fertile soil, then covered it back with the original surface and packed it well so no traces remained.

However, Baron had instructed him to leave the area where Hailey first plowed the field as it was. If the stones that were there until bedtime suddenly disappeared, she would surely find it strange.

Baron got up from his seat.

‘Let me see how much progress she’s made.’

* * *

Thinking it was rough land, I had worked only within reasonable limits before planning to go gather seaweed.

I checked the weather as I watched the soil turn over easily with each swing of my hoe.

The weather was clear, but the gentle sea breeze was gradually getting stronger. The waves would also get rougher following the wind, so it wouldn’t be good to go into the water.

‘The sooner crops sprout and grow vigorously, the better, right? Good.’

I decided.

Today, rather than going out to sea, I would finish plowing the field completely.

I felt pleased imagining the green that would soon fill the field.

“Nuna.”

When the hoeing was almost finished, I heard Baron’s voice from behind me.

I stopped hoeing and stretched my back while wiping sweat with my sleeve.

“Yeah, you came?”

“Looks like you’re almost done?”

I nodded at Baron’s question and looked around the field I had plowed. The neat furrows looked so rewarding that I couldn’t help but smile brightly.

“Now that I look at it, most of it is fertile soil. Only the area I dug yesterday happened to have many stones.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Yeah. Now I just need to sow seeds and water them.”

Baron’s gaze turned toward the stream.

“Then should I bring the seeds I bought at the market to plant? Or should I fetch some stream water?”

Baron is so kind.

Even though I told him that children don’t need to do anything, he always tries to help with something like this.

“No, it’s okay. I need to prepare dinner now, so I’m planning to do it tomorrow.”

I put the hoe in the storage shed, lit a campfire on the sandy area in front of the house, then hung a pot and added the soaked beans and water.

Soon, white smoke rose along with the smell of cooking beans.

“You’re boiling quite a lot of beans.”

“Yeah. I’m going to make tofu.”

“Tofu? What’s that?”

“When you grind beans and strain them through cloth, you get soy milk and bean pulp, right? It’s food made by boiling the soy milk.”

“Soy milk? Bean pulp?”

I explained what bean pulp and tofu were.

Baron listened to my story with interest while tilting his head repeatedly. Perhaps because this was inside a romance novel, Korean food seemed unfamiliar to him.

“Hmm, I don’t think there’s such food in the Empire.”

“It’s food I used to eat where I lived before. It’s very good for health and beauty.”

I rolled up my sleeves and dove into making tofu.

At the same time, I hoped it would suit Baron’s taste.

‘I’ll make it really delicious!’

* * *

By the time I finished making tofu, the surroundings had grown dim.

I came inside the house to light a lamp, but Serch hanging on the wall brightened the light appropriately.

I felt amazed anew.

It was definitely inside a glass bottle, but when I looked during the day, I couldn’t see it at all.

“I thought it might have escaped. But it’s still here.”

Baron chuckled at my muttering.

“Flash fireflies are really, really small. They’re so small that they’re hard to see directly with the naked eye.”

“I see. But wouldn’t Serch be hungry too? What should I feed it?”

Baron pulled over a chair, stepped on it, and opened the cork of the glass bottle.

“Huh? You’re letting it out?”

“Yeah, if I let it loose, it will find food nearby and eat and play on its own. Seeing how it controls the light, it seems already tamed.”

“Eh? Already tamed?”

“You did taming training too. This species has high intelligence even though it’s an insect.”

“?”

I did do as instructed. But honestly, it was embarrassing to even call it training.

All I did was stroke the glass bottle while giving some praise and calling its name.

“If you call its name when needed, it will follow you anytime.”

I couldn’t believe it and clicked my tongue. But since this was inside a romance ‘fantasy’ novel, it was plausible that such creatures existed.

The released Serch circled in the air before sticking to the ceiling.

Thanks to that, the interior became completely bright.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the feeling similar to the LED room light I used in the world before my possession.

“Thank you, Serch.”

In the perfectly brightened house, I cooked rice with the rice I bought and made stew with bean pulp and cabbage. I also made rolled omelet.

As the rolled omelet and the freshly completed warm tofu steamed on the plate, Baron’s eyes sparkled.

“Wow, how interesting. I’ve never seen foods like these before. The smell is also somehow fascinating.”

It was a bit disappointing not having the perfect sauce for tofu. Still, I had spicy olive pickles, jalapeños, ketchup, and mustard sauce that I bought in small amounts at the market, so there was enough to accompany it.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

Ah, finally rice! How long has it been since I had this.

I became very happy and picked up my fork. But Baron just stared blankly at the table.

Seeing that, I wondered if I had thought too much from my own perspective.

“Is it hard to eat? Should I give you bread if it’s too unfamiliar?”

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t know which is the appetizer and which is the main dish.”

“Ah.”

Thinking about it again, the way of eating was different.

“This is rice, and the rest are side dishes.”

“This is rice. And the rest are side dishes?”

“Yeah. You can eat rice first and then choose side dishes you like, or eat them together. Like this.”

I scooped up a spoonful of rice, then topped it appropriately with tofu and sauce.

“Say ahh~”

“Huh?”

Baron rolled his eyes to the side once and his cheeks turned peach-colored. But soon he opened his mouth like a baby bird.

The spoon slipped right into Baron’s mouth.

Soon Baron’s cheeks puffed out.

“How does it taste?”

When I asked, Baron carefully chewed in his mouth, then his eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh, what is this!”

“Is it delicious?”

“Yeah. It’s light but savory. It’s kind of like pudding but the texture is different. It coats my mouth nicely.”

“Right? That’s one way to eat it, and also— say ‘ah.'”

I fed Baron another spoonful of rice.

“Again, ahh.”

I tried to feed him some side dishes too, but Baron covered his mouth with his hand.

It seemed he was reluctant because it was proper etiquette not to open his mouth again until he had completely chewed and swallowed what was already in his mouth.

“There’s a way to put them in your mouth in order and eat them together. Watch carefully. Like this.”

I demonstrated how to eat. While I chewed thoroughly and swallowed, Baron finished chewing and swallowing the plain rice in his mouth.

“Even eating just one thing is delicious, but putting food in your mouth and then adding more… that’s really unique.”

I also put some rolled omelet in Baron’s mouth. As he carefully chewed a few times, Baron’s eyes gradually lit up.

Even without asking, I could see Baron was happy, which made me feel proud.

“That’s how you eat it.”

“Yeah.”

I started eating my meal. But Baron just sat there quietly.

“What’s wrong now?”

Baron tilted his head to one side.

“I kind of understand but kind of don’t… so.”

“Hm?”

“I just watched, but maybe because the eating method is unfamiliar, I can’t remember.”

“…”

That couldn’t be true.

When I stared at him intently, Baron stuck out his lips in a pout.

“I think I might understand if Nuna feeds me one more time.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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