This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 214

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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 214

“Your Majesty! I’ve discovered a way to restore your magical power! And Miss Hailey was Princess Adelaine of Meridian all along!”
At Raven’s voice suddenly cutting through the air, I snapped my eyes open and glanced around.
I was kneeling before the imperial throne where Bloden sat, held fast by Raven’s grip.
‘This sudden? Something feels off.’
Raven rattled off not only the contents of the book brought from the Meridian Palace, but even the conditions for Ability Awakening, and drew his conclusion.
“If Miss Hailey can use her Special Ability, it will bring tremendous benefit to the House of Ilpein for generations to come.”
At those words, Bloden smiled brightly and extended his hand to me.
“Your true identity is quite unexpected, Miss Hailey, but there’s no need to overthink it. Let’s make a deal. I’ll fully restore the Kingdom of Meridian and protect it from monsters.”
“I’m sorry?”
“In the meantime, marry someone—anyone will do—and bear a child right away. You’ll need to preserve the bloodline.”
Bewildered and staring blankly, I watched as Bloden’s smile turned cold.
“Don’t you understand? Once the princess bears a child, I’ll personally intervene so you can awaken. It would be even better if you awakened during childbirth.”
Only then did I grasp the full weight of his meaning.
He was saying he’d put me in a near-death state to use my ability. And he wanted me to preserve the bloodline in case I failed and died.
‘No, this is really strange. Bloden would never do this to me.’
Raven, watching me from the side, smiled affectionately and pressed for an answer.
“Miss Hailey, with Derivative Gates opening across the world, is this really something to hesitate over? If Miss Hailey makes this sacrifice alone, the entire world will know peace.”
I was absolutely flabbergasted. They’d switched their tune like flipping a hand over.
‘Not on my watch!’
I bolted upright and grabbed Raven by the hair.
“Aaah! Miss Hailey! What are you doing?”
“What am I doing?”
I seized Raven’s head tightly and shouted at Bloden whatever came out of my mouth.
“I’m rejecting your proposal! Let me out right now! If you don’t, I’ll make Raven completely bald!”
“B-bald?! Anything but that! Please, Miss Hailey!”
Raven, panic-stricken, began begging me shamelessly.
“I look like I’m about to die, and you’re worried about hair?”
The moment I applied more pressure, Raven’s hair tore clean off.
‘What?’
“Ahhh! How cruel you are!”
Now bald, Raven collapsed wailing miserably. Dumbfounded, I looked at Bloden, and he began teasing with an expressionless face, pointing at Raven and singing.
“Bald now. Bald now.”
The moment I saw Bloden’s lips twitch upward, I realized something.
‘This is a dream.’
At that instant, I gasped sharply and woke.
“Gasp!”
The ceiling of our house came into view. It really had been a dream.
Yet my heart took a long time to settle.
‘That was utterly ridiculous.’
I wiped my damp forehead with the back of my hand and gradually caught my breath.
‘Surely that kind of thing won’t actually happen, right?’

* * *

The Pocket Dimension Pouch was incredibly useful.
‘What you put in doesn’t spoil, and it maintains its condition—that’s what I was told. And Raven said he’d depart late this evening, so…’
Recalling the settings I’d read in the original work, I went with Serch’s help to the storage room where preserved foods were kept, placed well-aged fermented condiments in their jars into the Pocket Dimension Pouch, then went into the city and bought plenty of containers suitable for lunch boxes and premium-quality ingredients as needed before returning home and rolling up my sleeves.
Having received something so valuable, I needed to properly thank Camen and Bloden.
The only thing I could do for them was to cook them a meal, but it would have to be enough.
‘Since they’ve helped me so far, I should look after Kimarise and Raven too while I’m at it. Ah, if only I could use a Special Ability.’
But there was nothing to be done about that.
I set out a full meal for Camen and carefully arranged a portion for Kimarise. For Bloden at the Imperial Palace and Raven who would soon be leaving, I prepared thirty lunch boxes each and placed them in the Pocket Dimension Pouch.
By this point I was exhausted, but thinking of them eating with joy made me feel fulfilled.
.
.
.
“What? You want me to give this to His Majesty? But this is yours, Miss Hailey.”
Raven, who had been preparing to depart for the capital, accepted my Pocket Dimension Pouch and asked with a bewildered expression.
“I’ve packed thirty lunch boxes for His Majesty and thirty for you. Once you’ve eaten them all, you can just return the pouch to me later.”
“But surely you don’t mean to entrust a treasure-grade pouch to me just like that? If I were to lose it or have it stolen—”
I smiled brightly.
“I know you’re not the sort of person who would do that.”
Besides, an Emperor’s gift might disappear into someone’s stomach, but I’d wager you have the integrity to prevent that.
After a moment of silence, Raven rubbed the bridge of his nose with a satisfied expression.
“It’s true—I value my reputation more than my life. I’ll eat with gratitude and deliver everything to His Majesty without fail.”
After securing the Pocket Dimension Pouch, Raven called out to Kimarise.
“Most of the people in Snoril are quite well-disposed toward you, so I doubt anything troublesome will occur in my absence.”
He emphasized to Kimarise, who would be guarding his house, that if anyone ever threatened my safety, Kimarise should inform him at once, then departed for the port.
“Um, Miss Hailey.”
Kimarise, who had been gazing after Raven’s retreating figure toward the harbor, swallowed hard and asked me hesitantly.
“Do you happen to have any leftover food from making lunch boxes…?”
His words drew a laugh from me.
It was fortunate I’d made extra portions for Kimarise as well.

* * *

In the study of the Lord of Snorril’s Mansion, Robinson and Nelloa sat across from each other at a table with a single document between them.

◆◆◆

「Ilpein Empire Marriage Certificate」
Groom’s Name (Signature): Bride’s Name (Signature):

Imperial Calendar Year ____ Month ____ Day ____
We hereby declare, in accordance with Imperial Law Article 10, that we have resolved to marry of our own free will
and pledge eternal union before the reign of His Majesty the Emperor and the sacred laws of the Empire.

Witness 1 (Signature):
Witness 2 (Signature):
Approval:

◆◆◆

The document’s format resembled what ordinary commoners typically used.
The differences lay in the paper being somewhat thicker, bearing a subtle lustrous sheen, and having a royal seal of approval rather than an official’s signature at the bottom.
“Write it now.”
At Nelloa’s urging, Robinson picked up a quill and gazed down at the document.
He took a deep breath, then carefully wrote “Robinson Junior Snoril” in the groom’s name field.
Once the ink dried, Nelloa extended her hand to Robinson.
“Did you bring it?”
“Ah, but will this really work?”
Tilting his head uncertainly, Robinson retrieved a document from his own desk.
What Robinson had brought was the confirmation sheet Hailey had signed when she personally received her Identity Badge from the Government Office.
“Now then, shall we put Hailey’s signature on the marriage certificate?”

Hailey

Nelloa took up the quill and carefully copied Hailey’s signature onto the marriage certificate. She then turned her hand and wrote the same signature again in the Witness 1 field.

Nelloa Kelite

“I’ll head to the capital now. In the meantime, you should attend to your duties.”
Nelloa gazed fondly at her own name, elegantly inscribed, as she spoke.
“Duke Roan’s signature will go in the Witness 2 field, and the Regent Anna Beldenburo will provide the approval. After that, there’s only the simple formality of recording it in the ledger. Once the Regent’s approval comes through, I’ll send you the document recognizing the marriage.”
Robinson nodded, a tension visible in his expression, as he recalled what he was meant to do.
From now on, he would court Hailey as Nelloa had instructed. If luck favored him and Hailey accepted his courtship, it would be an ideal ending; but even if she refused, with the marriage recognition document in hand, he could still bring Hailey into the House of Snoril.
Because a husband is taking his wife away.
“But what if she refuses, even after you bring her back?”
“Tame her, I said. Hailey has quite a few landowners connected to her. She’s the type who looks after people—use that against her.”
Robinson thought of the merchants thriving near Hailey’s House.
If Hailey obeyed Robinson obediently, they would live in peace. But if she refused to comply, they would face crushing taxes under special law.
As long as Robinson kept Hailey bound, the merchants wouldn’t dare dream of fleeing to another domain, however much they suffered.
Hailey, too, wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye to her close landowners’ suffering—and that mutual concern would become the shackle that bound them both, or so Nelloa had said.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Raven left for the Capital.
Business was still thriving, and Baron and Kyle were attending the Academy without incident.
Without drawing attention, Serch, Heart, and Camen helped me with my work.
The days were peaceful beyond measure.
“Oh my, Yonseok. We must protect the environment. Ha ha ha.”
I heard a good-natured laugh. When I turned around, Robinson was picking up litter from the beach like a volunteer, gently scolding the child.
Cleaning up garbage itself was fine, but something felt off.
The merchants here were already managing the trash cleanup and the beach’s operations as a tourist destination just fine on their own.
‘…What exactly is he plotting?’

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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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