This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 22

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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 22

His reaction was so enthusiastic that I forgot to eat and just watched him eating.

“Amazing. This is my first time tasting flavors like these.”

Most of the dishes disappeared in an instant.

The last remaining food was the octopus lantern.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this dish. It looks like grilled skewers.”

Baron’s eyes lit up as the corners of his mouth curved upward.

“I helped prepare the ingredients for this one too, you know. What’s it made of?”

“You did, Baron? You cooked?”

“Of course. The child is so sweet and helpful.”

After hearing my words, Raven examined the octopus lantern seriously and shook his head.

“I don’t know. But if Baron had a hand in making it, it’s a dish I can’t refuse to eat. Let me taste it first.”

Raven took a big bite of the octopus lantern. Rolling his eyes around while chewing the octopus in his mouth, Raven eventually let out a pleased hum.

“This is a flavor I’ve never experienced before. The taste is excellent.”

“I’m glad it suits your palate.”

“Really? Is it… delicious?”

“Haven’t you tried it, Baron?”

“No, honestly it looked pretty intimidating. I helped make it, but it’s… octopus.”

“O-octopus? You mean a cephalopod?”

I suddenly wondered what magnitude Raven’s pupil earthquake could reach.

“Ahem.”

After clearing his throat, Raven looked at the remaining octopus lantern, closed his eyes tight, and put it in his mouth. Then he chewed and swallowed it deliciously.

“Honestly, the ingredient is shocking, but it’s too delicious not to eat. It’s tender yet chewy.”

At Raven’s words, Baron also bit into the octopus lantern.

His expression, which had been scrunched up like he was taking unpleasant medicine, relaxed as he chewed the octopus, and eventually his eyes lit up.

“Wow.”

Those sparkling eyes now turned to me.

“How did you think to prepare it like this? Nuna, you really seem like a genius.”

Baron smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling.

“A cooking genius.”

He was essentially returning the words I had said earlier, but seeing Baron eat so deliciously made me feel proud and happy.

“Is it really that good? I’ll make it for you again later.”

“Yeah!”

As we nearly finished eating, the conversation shifted from cooking to foraging. Raven seemed amazed that I had personally caught things like crabs and octopus.

After hearing about where I went, what I caught, and how I caught them, Raven clicked his tongue.

“Ah, you really did something extremely dangerous. The sea is dangerous, you know.”

“Ah, I heard about the Sea Slimes later. It’s different from where I used to live…”

“Looking at this meal makes me even more curious about which country Hailey used to live in.”

Where I used to live.

“Actually, I don’t remember, so I don’t really know either.”

Suddenly, the dream I had when suffering from muscle pain came to mind.

The burning castle, the female knight whose face melted in the fire, and the emblem inside the badge.

It had been so vivid that the emblem’s form was still clear as if it were right before my eyes, making me wonder.

“Since you’re a merchant who travels around many places, Raven, have you ever seen an emblem that looks like this?”

I described the emblem to Raven.

“An emblem with crescent-shaped wings inside a sun-like border?”

“Yes, it could also look like vines and leaves depending on how you see it.”

At my description, Raven crossed his arms.

Seeing him roll his eyes for a while as if searching his memory, I wondered if I had just described a meaningless dream. Soon Raven shook his head with a regretful expression.

“I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

Oh? Could the place from my dream actually exist?

“But I can’t quite remember where. If it were a place that serves such unique cuisine, I shouldn’t be able to forget it.”

“Ah…”

It must have just been a dream after all.

“I see. Oh, let me bring out dessert.”

I cleared away the empty dishes. Then Baron also got up from his seat to help me.

“Good heavens.”

“Yes?”

I reflexively turned around at the exclamation from behind.

Was I imagining that Raven seemed surprised looking at Baron?

The flustered Raven lightly scratched near his temple.

“It might be one thing if you didn’t know, but it’s fascinating how unbothered you are even after hearing about Sea Slimes.”

“Ah. That. There’s a reason for it.”

After wiping the table, I prepared nurungji and sungnyung while telling the story of how Baron caught the flash firefly for me.

“Ah, you have a flash firefly? Those are really rare.”

Ah, so those who know really do know.

“Yes, that’s what I heard. I named it Serch and it’s really smart.”

I felt deeply grateful, realizing that Baron was essentially my lifesaver.

I saved Baron, and Baron saved me. This is what they call mutual rescue, right?

“Baron saved me from danger. You have no idea what a blessing our child is.”

Baron, facing me, smiled warmly. Seeing this handsome, pretty, and cute boy’s eyes crinkle made me feel so pleased that I couldn’t help but smile too.

“If Baron hadn’t caught and tamed the flash firefly for me, I might not be in this world right now.”

I joked lightly while serving the well-toasted nurungji and well-steeped sungnyung in front of each of them before sitting down.

“This is nurungji, and this is sungnyung. It’s hot, so please be careful.”

Both carefully sipped the sungnyung. Soon after swallowing a mouthful, both exclaimed in admiration without missing a beat.

“How should I describe this? It has a rich flavor, and the unique aroma and warmth comfort both the heart and stomach while lifting the mood.”

“I’ve never tasted anything like this either. It really makes my stomach feel comfortable and warm. It somehow puts me in a relaxed mood too.”

“Haha, it’s ‘gusu,’ right?”

“Gusu… That’s an unfamiliar expression. Is that a word from the country where Hailey lived?”

“I suppose so?”

“What does it mean?”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

How do you explain that something gusu is gusu?

“Um, well.”

After thinking for a moment, I pointed to the sungnyung.

“The meaning of ‘gusu’ encompasses exactly what Raven felt and what Baron described.”

Was that too inadequate an explanation?

“Ho. I see.”

But Raven’s eyes lit up as he looked at the sungnyung.

I’m glad he didn’t ask more questions.

I was drinking my sungnyung with relief when Raven expressed genuine admiration.

“Amazing. This would be perfect for an Imperial Palace tea party.”

“Cough!”

I choked and quickly turned my head while coughing.

“S-sorry. Cough! It went down the wrong pipe.”

Baron quickly patted my back.

“Nuna, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. I’m fine. Thank you.”

I took a breath and offered nurungji to Raven and Baron.

“Please try this too. Come to think of it, you said you’re a merchant, Raven? I see you do business with the Imperial Palace as well.”

“That’s right. Wow, this is really delicious too. The texture is quite special.”

Raven nodded and glanced around the House as he spoke.

“Both the sungnyung and this nurungji. They have such excellent flavors that they’d be worthy of tribute.”

For a moment, I was genuinely tempted.

Is he saying he’ll help me make money because the House looks like it’s in bad shape? If I could earn money dealing with the Imperial Palace, I could escape this poverty in an instant, right?

It seemed like I’d met a really good neighbor. However.

“What is it made from?”

The moment I thought of an answer, I hesitated.

After cooking rice, I poured water over what stuck to the bottom of the pot and boiled it. This way, it’s easier to wash the pot later too?

“…”

But is it okay to answer like that? Should I package it in fancier words somehow?

I could package it somehow. Right now, it seems like I’m the only one in this world who cooks rice.

Since rice is a menu that doesn’t exist in this world, it’s rare. But honestly, once the method of cooking rice becomes known, anyone could easily make nurungji or boil sungnyung.

This world doesn’t have Korean food, but it’s not like the ingredients don’t exist.

‘If I package it unnecessarily and accidentally fall out of favor with the Imperial Palace, that would be more dangerous.’

It’s tasty, but it’s not food that requires special skills worthy of supplying.

It would be better to finish with an answer like that, right? Still, since nurungji has a long shelf life, maybe I could try selling it as a snack?

I was recalling how various companies used to roast and sell nurungji in my previous world.

Baron said something unexpected.

“Isn’t the taste too good to waste on the Imperial Palace?”

…Huh?

“I want to eat it all by myself.”

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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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