This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 199

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

Chapter 199

At Bloden’s decisive words, Raven’s expression shifted into a cold smile—one he had been holding back for a long time.
“A hundred times over, you are right, Your Majesty.”
“But the Regent will slip away.”
Raven understood why Bloden was saying this.
After the recent interrogations and arrests of many suspects, Bloden had become convinced that Baron Aer and Duke Utra were the masterminds behind the child abduction case. But as he pieced together their confessions, a thread appeared connecting to Anna as well.
The problem was that the evidence didn’t point directly to her. Given the gravity of the matter, any correspondence between them would have been destroyed long ago.
The documents they’d obtained now were no different.
Although Duke Utra’s attempt to attract foreign capital was plain to see, it couldn’t be called proof that Anna had directly intervened.
The documents could be used to implicate Anna. But without direct evidence, doing so would certainly bring the government to a standstill under protests from the House of Roan and the nobles who supported the Regent.
“It is regrettable, I grant you. But even so, the Regent will receive a serious blow. From our previous investigations, Duke Utra was also implicated in the abduction case alongside Baron Aer. We can correct that matter as well.”
“At last it comes to this.”
Bloden nodded slowly, his hand clenching into a fist.

‘There are many children like me. Please save us.’

The words of the abducted child he had met by chance in the north echoed in his mind.
Suddenly, the howling of wolves drifted down from the mountain. Bloden gazed up at the full moon hanging high in the sky, listening to the long, mournful cry, and muttered in an even lower voice.
“Whether it’s my mood or not, it sounds like the wailing of those who fell victim to abduction.”
“I hear it the same way.”
A light kindled in Bloden’s red eyes. Seeing his jaw tighten as he ground his teeth, Raven bowed with respect.
“Your Majesty, grant the fools the blade of ruin.”
At Raven’s plea, one corner of Bloden’s mouth twisted upward.
“Not a single rat will escape.”

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the documents were found in Frediki Village.
First, the documents Lord Frediki had hidden were delivered to Bloden through Raven. After that, Raven began making frequent trips to the capital.
And many changes came to Frediki Village. Nobles rushed forward, vying to invest in the beast feeding ground.
In this world, living wolves and bears were rare to see outside of hunts. But now that they could be observed safely at the feeding ground, it was only natural that the place became a popular tourist destination.
Moreover, the nobles who had invested were said to maintain good relations with Duke Utra. So it would be difficult for Duke Utra to easily halt the business operations that had sprung up in Frediki Village.
‘Well, Duke Utra also benefits from the increased taxes, doesn’t he?’
Though now that the secret documents had fallen into Bloden’s hands, whether Duke Utra would ever actually see those taxes was another question entirely.
In any case, Frediki Village would thrive without my continued attention.
And the situation surrounding Kyle was also taking a turn for the better.
Through Raven, Bloden had conveyed that not only would he uphold the promise of clemency, but he was also reviewing appropriate compensation once this crisis was resolved.
“See you on the weekend. Sister. Everyone.”
Thanks to that, Kyle’s face was free of shadow as he waved to Raven, Kimarise, and me before heading into the Academy. I couldn’t have been happier to see it.
Baron smiled brightly as well.
“Sister, I’ll see you soon.”
We waved until Baron and Kyle were out of sight, then returned home.
Once we arrived, Raven exchanged a glance with Kimarise before turning to me.
“Then I shall take my leave to see His Majesty, Hailey.”
“Of course. Please take care on your journey.”
“Oh, and I did mention it before, didn’t I? While I’m away…….”
Raven was starting the same speech again. It was the warning about how Duke Utra and his allies might target me, and how I absolutely must not go anywhere alone from now on and always stay with Kimarise.
I understand he’s concerned.
“I know, I know. But Raven, this is the fifth time you’ve said this.”
“Ha, well, given the seriousness of the matter…….”
Raven turned to leave with an embarrassed laugh. But then he turned back to me again.
His eyes crinkled softly and his lips curved upward in a way that spoke of genuine warmth, and I felt utterly bewildered.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“The more I think about it, the more grateful I am.”
“……What?”
“Many things have changed since I met you, Hailey.”
“?”
But isn’t it I who have changed the most?
“I owe you so much, Hailey.”
The words came with a quick wave of the hand and a deferential bow.
“Oh, please don’t say that. If anything, I’m the one indebted to you.”
He smiled softly and bowed to me with formal courtesy.
“Then, Hailey, I’ll see you when I return.”
Raven headed toward the port.
Watching his receding figure, I pressed a hand to my racing heart.
Something felt off about Raven, no matter how I looked at it.
His expression was certainly special, but honestly, it didn’t feel romantic. It was more like the kind of affection and trust one shows toward someone of higher standing.
But wait—affection toward someone of higher standing doesn’t make sense either, since there’s no hierarchy between us to begin with.
After a moment’s deliberation, I glanced at Kimarise standing beside me. His expression was not so different from Raven’s.
Though now that I looked again, there was something more romantic about the light in Kimarise’s eyes.
……
I tapped both cheeks with my hands.
‘Get a grip, Hailey.’
Even an overactive imagination has its limits.
This isn’t some reverse harem romance novel, and I’m not anyone special.
Never mind—let’s just get to work.
“Well then, Kimarise, I’ll see you later.”
“Are you heading home?”
I rolled up my sleeves and grinned.
“No. With this much time passed, the soy sauce should be properly fermented by now. I want to check on it.”
“I’ll accompany you.”
“There’s no need—it’s far back and no one else will be there.”
“Raven instructed me never to let you go anywhere alone and to always stay by your side. It’s my duty.”
Given that, I had no choice.
I called for Serch, and together with Kimarise went to where the storage jars were kept to collect the soy sauce. Afterward, I checked the crops in the field, then headed into the city to purchase the materials we were short on.
It was around the time I’d bought most of what we needed.
“Say, isn’t the Emperor about to have a State Marriage with the Princess of Kelite?”
At that overheard conversation, my heart suddenly dropped and I stopped in my tracks.
Bloden and Nelloa are getting married?
Turning around, I saw villagers near the newspaper stand chatting while holding papers.
“The two of them make quite a fine pair, don’t they?”
“Remember? When the Emperor and the Princess of Kelite stayed here at the same time before.”
“I wondered what brought them both to Snoril, but it seems this happy occasion was the reason.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
‘That can’t be right. Bloden said he disliked Nelloa as a princess from a defeated nation.’
“That’s strange news. Shall I get a newspaper for you?”
Before I could even answer, Kimarise had already bought two copies.
The headline splashed across the front page was unmistakable.

<An Emperor Who Closes Gates, A Saint Who Discovers Them.>

A saint who discovers gates? What does that mean?
While I was trying to recall the original story, Kimarise quickly flipped through the paper and spoke.
“It’s a capital edition special from the Roan Times. It appears to have been out for a while, but this is the first time it’s reached Snoril. It says Nelloa Kelite is a saint.”
“Nelloa is a saint?”
That makes no sense! Why would she be a saint?
I quickly took the newspaper and unfolded it.
‘Good heavens.’
Now I saw—while I’d been running my business in Frediki Village, Nelloa had awakened her abilities at the Great Temple and become a saint.
She possessed the ability to immediately sense whenever a Derivative Gate appeared and pinpoint its exact location. It was an extraordinarily useful power for Bloden, allowing him to eliminate the threat before danger could escalate.
‘Since she’s using so little magic, this might produce a result similar to breaking the curse……’
The article went on breathlessly about how Regent Anna was actively pushing forward the State Marriage between Bloden and Nelloa. It presented the Regent’s argument that an Emperor would readily accept a political marriage for the Empire’s stability as though it were an obvious conclusion.
In tandem with that announcement, writers began pouring out romantic narratives using the heaven-sent combination of the two’s abilities as material. The touching love stories born from their imaginations were serialized in newspapers across all the major media outlets and were receiving enthusiastic responses from the public.

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