This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 184

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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 184

Count Enox, resigned to the fact that Kyle already knew of these matters, proceeded to recount what had transpired.
The trouble began when Lora, around the time Bloden turned thirteen, happened upon a letter in Duke Utra’s study by chance.
“It was something the King of the Otix Kingdom had sent to the Duke…….”
“Forgive me, but…… where exactly is the Otix Kingdom located?”
I should have studied the world map more carefully.
It felt embarrassing to ask such a basic question, but there was no help for it. Without knowing what country it was, I couldn’t possibly understand the Count’s account.
Count Enox withdrew a small notebook and sketched a rough map, then pointed to a specific location.
The Utra Territory lay at the center of the Empire, positioned between Mistril and the Capital, its border directly adjacent to the Otix Kingdom.
“Lora informed me of the contents she had read when she returned home. That letter detailed a conspiracy—the Otix Kingdom would invade the Empire, and the Duke would permit it.”
“……I beg your pardon?”
What exactly had I just heard?
Utra was no ordinary count, but a Duke with broad military and autonomous authority granted specifically to defend against foreign invasion.
A Duke bound by duty to protect the Empire would deliberately allow an invasion?
So grave was the matter that Count Enox asked Lora to discreetly inform him of the relevant details.
Over the following two years, Lora fed him sparse information through Lord Frediki, and Count Enox watched as the conspiracy’s designs grew increasingly concrete.
“From this, I discovered that the conspiracy was linked to a plan to exhaust Emperor with excessive state affairs once the Regency ended, and then have him abdicate in favor of Anna Beldenburo.”
Enox and Utra, traditionally loyal to the Emperor’s faction, had long been at odds with the Regency faction, which made Duke Utra’s betrayal all the more shocking.
Yet bringing the conspiracy into the open carried enormous risk.
“The Regency faction’s power was growing stronger by the day, and His Majesty was still young. Above all, we lacked conclusive proof, and armed conflict with the Duke was unthinkable. We had no choice but to gather evidence and wait until His Majesty came of age.”
“I agreed with Father’s concerns.”
Lora continued from where Count Enox had left off.
Regardless of his private affairs, Lord Frediki held an unwavering conviction that the Empire must be protected. With his aid, Lora gathered evidence and bided her time.
The opportunity came when Duke Utra, with the Regency’s approval, sent an envoy to the Otix Kingdom.
Among the delegation, Lord Frediki identified a sealed document presented by the Otix King as conclusive proof and smuggled it away.
That document became the catalyst for the Frediki Family’s destruction.
Pursuing the missing document, Duke Utra soon realized that Lora, Count Enox’s household, and Lord Frediki knew of the conspiracy. The blade fell swiftly.
Count Enox exhaled heavily.
“I attempted to retrieve Lora immediately after learning of her detention. But the Duke preempted us by framing the matter as an improper relationship, seizing the moral high ground and preventing our interference.”
He had considered methods to rescue Lora and clear her name, but a single misstep in provoking Duke Utra could cost not only his daughter’s life, but necessitate preparation for territorial war.
As merely a Count, Enox’s house lacked both rank and military might compared to Duke Utra, and without Emperor Bloden’s power, there was no hope of victory.
“My wife and I began to waste away, day by day.”
Their only recourse was to wait for Bloden to reach adulthood while confirming Lora’s welfare.
Then, in the midst of these trials—as the security in the Domain’s back alleys began to crumble—came word of Hailey’s arrival, followed by Bloden’s sudden appearance.
“His Majesty first resolved the security issues within the Domain, then proceeded to the Utra Territory…….”
Count Enox, who had been tilting his head in puzzlement, suddenly caught my eye, and his gaze brightened.
“I suspect this entire sequence of events has somehow stemmed from Miss Hailey’s visit.”
I started in surprise and quickly waved my hand in denial.
“Oh, surely not.”
Yet the Countess also smiled warmly and gave me a respectful bow.
“Miss Hailey is our benefactor. We are truly grateful.”

* * *

After the conversation ended, Lora retired to rest, while Hailey and Bernard made for the Annex where Margie Loweldern was staying.
Standing at the window, Count Enox gazed quietly after their receding figures before turning to his wife.
“My dear, did it not seem to you that Miss Hailey was already aware of His Majesty’s feelings?”
“Yes. But it looked rather like His Majesty’s one-sided affection. From Miss Hailey’s reactions, it seems she has no intention of reciprocating His Majesty’s feelings.”
The Countess let out a soft laugh.
“I suspect it’s less that she dislikes him than that she’s avoiding danger. After all, even the greatest wealth and honor mean nothing without safety.”
“True enough.”
“That’s why I think Miss Hailey is truly clever.”
The favor of none other than the Emperor of the Ilpein Empire itself.
Even by the standard of a long-married couple, the depth of affection Bloden harbored for Hailey was extraordinary.
In other words, with but a single word, Hailey could sway the Empire. She could make Bloden into a sage-king, or into a tyrant, if she so wished.
When the difference in status was great, fierce opposition from those around them sometimes arose, but in all of the Empire’s history, there had never been an Emperor who failed to marry the woman of his choosing.
To Count Enox and his wife’s eyes, Bloden seemed capable of doing anything at all for Hailey’s sake.
That was why.
The gift of the Regalia, a ship equipped with a rare magic stone, was an act of calculated generosity toward Hailey.
While the Count was genuinely grateful for her rescue of his daughter, his true motive ran deeper.
These people were nobility to their very bones.
If the Regent withdrew, Bloden would no longer traverse the Northern Region—and power would shift into Hailey’s hands. The Count was securing his position in advance, for the prosperity of his house and the future of his domain.
As the couple heard the account of Lora’s escape, they grew only more convinced their judgment had been sound.
Countess Enox linked her arm through her husband’s and rested her head against his shoulder.
“Dearest, bringing the cat and those people here was truly the right choice.”
“Indeed it was.”
“And now is our chance to become the greatest contributor. We must protect Kyle and stand at Miss Hailey’s side.”
The Countess’s eyes gleamed with ambition.
“When Miss Hailey becomes Empress, shouldn’t we lay the groundwork beforehand to keep her safe from all the intrigues that will swirl around her? Even if our predictions prove wrong, His Majesty will know for certain that we are his people.”
Count Enox, who had been calculating in his head, soon curved his lips into an ambitious smile.
If events unfolded as his wife suggested, his domain would not merely survive—his house might enter a golden age of renewal.
“You are indeed wise, my dear.”

* * *

Lora returned home as the Duchess of Utra Territory, and the Count and Countess could finally breathe easy. Bernard remained behind, having promised to give Maji concentrated care.
Everything had ended well.
“I entrust her to your care, Master.”
After offering my thanks to Bernard several more times, I departed the Mistril Territory with a light heart.
The Regalia lay moored at the port. The white-hulled ship was roughly half the size of a typical passenger vessel, and aside from the figurehead carved in the likeness of a goddess, her overall appearance was remarkably simple.
The butler, who had come to see me off alongside the Count and Countess, asked me to sign the receipt.
“It’s just a small favor—you needn’t sign anything.”
When I refused to sign, the butler glanced back at the Count and Countess, then leaned close and whispered to me.
“A vessel of this size affects the Count’s finances not in the slightest. If you refuse, the master will only begin considering something larger.”
“Something larger?”
“He was even thinking of having a grand manor built for you in Snoril.”
……
“If you decline, the master will conclude that his sincerity is insufficient. I would advise you to accept the receipt now—it will spare you considerable trouble.”
Though it felt somewhat like coercion, I feared the situation would spiral beyond my control if I persisted. I signed.
And not long after the ship set sail, I realized I had been swindled.
The Regalia moved at a speed beyond imagination. According to the crew, the ship was fitted with a rare magic stone related to navigation—that was why.
A single stone of that kind was worth as much as two grand manors.
‘No matter how grateful I am for her saving my daughter, this is outright fraud! And they said it was just a small ship!’
And so I became the owner of a ship fitted with a magic stone.

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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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