This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 224

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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 224

I was genuinely flustered as Stanley guided me with a respectful bow.
The problem was that he’d led me to the throne.
“Why am I sitting here?”
When I asked, Stanley’s forehead beaded with cold sweat as he bowed again.
“I understand that your surprise is natural, Hailey. But please, I beg you—sit in this seat for now.”
Moved by the desperation in his expression, I settled awkwardly onto the throne.
At once, the King of Kelite and everyone present fell to their knees. Stanley, kneeling beside the King, spoke to me.
“The Kelite Royal Family is painfully aware that the wrongs we committed in our past invasion of Meridian cannot be undone by any means. We therefore offer you, Princess Adelaine Meridian, our formal apology.”
…What?
“Our Kelite kingdom seeks, however humbly, to earn your forgiveness…”
The King of Kelite rose, unfurled a scroll, and began reciting a list of reparations in a hoarse voice.
So they were proposing to restore the damages the Kingdom of Meridian had suffered in the war.
It wasn’t unpleasant that a war criminal would reflect and repent. But even so, there was something distinctly odd about summoning a person out of nowhere, seating them on the throne, and having the King himself come forward with an apology.
Clearly, Bloden had done something overnight.
‘But what on earth did he do to make them act like this?’
.
.
.
“I was just hoping to rest quietly, really.”
Later, when I found Bloden in his quarters and asked what was going on, he was holding the Kelite Ability Book.
“The King sent an assassin to visit me last night.”
“An—an assassin?”
“Someone eager to discuss things with a sword.”
Bloden laughed as though it were absurdly amusing.
“The King’s getting on in years, see. He wasn’t grasping the situation, so I had the Commanders bring him and the Crown Prince here together and we had ourselves a proper conversation.”
I could only blink.
Though I didn’t know the details, just hearing it was enough to tell me the King had been absolutely terrified.
To no less a person than Bloden, an assassin came.
Kelite deserved annihilation without complaint.
“So you threatened him—said you wouldn’t spare him unless he apologized?”
“Isn’t that the sort of thing you dislike?”
“……”
“It’s strange to force an apology. It wouldn’t be sincere anyway.”
“That’s… true.”
“So I said nothing. They came forward with the apology on their own.”
“What?”
“The moment they were brought in with the King, Stanley was already begging for forgiveness. I just selected the words that pleased me and told him to continue. Being the Crown Prince, he’s quite quick at calculation.”
So that’s why the attendants were so solicitous.
“After that, I explained what I wanted.”
Bloden’s lips curved upward in a slow smile, and he gave the Kelite Ability Book a gentle shake as his head tilted back.
“The ability book appeared immediately. Everything else I needed was settled too, so we should go now. Nelloa needs to be put under warrant.”
“A warrant?”
“Kelite promised they wouldn’t interfere no matter how many times Nelloa is tried. They won’t ensure her safety either.”
I started at this, glancing around before lowering my voice.
“Don’t tell me the ability to create Gates is really genuine?”
“Still unknown. It’s written in ancient Kelite, so I haven’t translated it yet. But if we catch her, we’ll first pursue forgery of official documents.”
That was very welcome news to hear.
“And we’ll hold her fully accountable for the invasion of Meridian and Tillan.”
“A war crimes trial…”
I recalled the reparations Stanley had recited.
“Now that I think of it, there was talk of polite apologies and compensation, but nothing about prosecuting the war criminal.”
“The King is a war criminal too, so even if they negotiate behind closed doors, they couldn’t state it officially.”
Bloden nodded and slipped the ability book into the Pocket Dimension, then rose from his seat.
“Kimarise contacted me too, so the timing is perfect for moving. Nelloa apparently headed for Otix, not the Imperial Palace.”

* * *

About an hour had passed since Bloden and Hailey departed on Crockel, heading toward Otix.
Master.
Kimarise’s voice reached Bloden.
What is it?
Stanley is composing a letter to Nelloa. The contents are so incriminating he wouldn’t even need a confession.
Bloden’s mouth curved into a half-smile at that.
Stanley, having noticed that the ‘watcher’ Bloden had assigned couldn’t read Kelite script, was in a panic writing his letter to Nelloa—not realizing that his observer Kimarise had been studying the Kelite language all this while.
What did he write?
He says the Emperor of Ilpein arrived unannounced and took the Ability Book, so it’s only a matter of time before the ability to open gates becomes common knowledge to the world.
To open a gate… I see. Derivative gates connected to the Main Gate.
Yes, and he’s also written down methods to deny the ability in his letter.
“Nuna, I’ve just learned that the Kelite Royal Family’s ability is creating Derivative Gates connected to the Main Gate.”
The moment Bloden spoke Kimarise’s words aloud, Hailey’s eyes widened and she turned to look at him.
“I had a suspicion, but so it’s true.”
In that moment, the tension that had gripped Bloden’s features while communicating with Kimarise melted away.
His own reflection lay bare in her blue eyes—warm with kindness yet resolute with determination.
‘Nuna is looking only at me.’
The realization filled his chest so full it ached. He wanted to press his lips to her rounded forehead—that’s how endearing she was to him.
Yet he couldn’t act on his own impulses toward her. Especially not when he was still in the process of asking for her forgiveness.
Wait a moment.
Bloden severed his Mental Communion with Kimarise and called to Hailey softly.
Nuna.
Unintentionally, his voice came out tender, and Hailey’s cheeks flushed.
At that, Bloden’s heart began making noise again.
Whenever his heart did this, Bloden felt tense and breathless. He was embarrassed at how loudly it was beating—loud enough for Hailey to hear—but this moment felt too good to bear.
His heart kept announcing it.
I love Hailey.
“C-can I kiss you?”
When he gathered the courage to ask for permission, his heart trembled fiercely.
Hailey’s eyes went wide, her face flushing crimson.
“W-what, wh-how can you just ask something like that so suddenly…!”
Unable to find anywhere to look, she stammered and bit her lip anxiously. After a moment, she nodded slightly and closed her eyes—and Bloden’s overflowing heart began pounding as if it might burst.
He heard the soft thump-thump of Hailey’s heart, saw her closed lashes trembling faintly. As her face grew steadily redder, breath seeming caught, Bloden nearly wept.
‘She’s so adorable.’
Taking a shallow breath, Bloden closed his own eyes and lowered his head.
Then he slowly pressed his lips to her forehead.
Though he’d touched that face countless times when he was Baron, the instant their lips made contact, tears sprang unbidden to his eyes.
‘Even kissing her forehead feels this good.’
If only he could taste her lips.
But he didn’t dare ask permission for that.
‘Someday, for certain.’
Drawing in a breath and savoring the scent of her, Bloden slowly opened his eyes.
‘I hope she felt as good as I did.’
If she did, next time they could hold hands and perhaps even press lip to lip.
But in that moment, looking into her eyes, he saw only confusion.
‘Could it be… she didn’t enjoy it?’
Without a word, she tapped her flushed face and gazed ahead.
“Let’s hurry and catch Nelloa.”
She’d even changed the subject.
‘Is she embarrassed?’
No conclusion presented itself no matter how much he pondered it, and asking outright felt too delicate.
After a moment, Bloden decided to gauge Hailey’s mood again later and reconnected his mind with Kimarise.
He’s warning her—the moment it’s discovered, she’ll face criticism from the entire world, absolutely must not be caught, and even if she is caught, she should deny ever having the ability. He’s just sent a Message Pouch.
Thinking they might intercept it if their path aligned, Bloden found a suitable stream and brought Crockel to a stop.
“Nuna, let’s rest here for a moment.”
Sensing Bloden had something to do, Hailey waded into the stream and enjoyed the surrounding landscape, while Bloden watched Crockel and the sky.
After some time, an eagle came into view, cutting across the distant sky.
“Crockel, do you see that eagle?”
Crockel studied the eagle carefully, then answered.
Aye, it’s got a Message Pouch hanging from its neck, sir.
Soon an eagle passed overhead.
-It looks like it’s heading the same way we are, sir.
“I think so too. Let’s follow that eagle.”
-Understood, sir!

* * *

“Hmm… why is the condition like this?”
Nelloa, who had tasted the soybean paste soup she’d made, couldn’t hide her displeasure.
The soybean paste was exceptionally well-made—whatever she added to it tasted good. Yet the crucial sensation of magical recovery felt different.
When she’d eaten the soybean paste soup that Hailey made, all her exhausted strength would recover completely. But the soup she’d made herself had no magical recovery effect.
After some deliberation, Nelloa dipped her spoon into the soybean paste and tasted it directly. Then she felt a faint magical recovery.
‘Condiments work brilliantly as cooking ingredients, but eating them straight is torture.’
Nelloa screwed her eyes shut and swallowed a spoonful of the paste in one desperate gulp. The pure, concentrated flavor flooded her mouth.
“Ugh, so salty.”
Though she wanted to spit it out, she forced down the paste and drank water. Then she felt her magical power recover a bit more.
The conclusion was clear.
‘Only food finished by her hands has the full effect, it seems.’
Nelloa sighed and examined the food and ingredients she’d brought along.
She’d loaded a whole cart, but only some of the provisions actually helped her magical recovery. The finished dishes were nearly gone now, and the only items that could keep long-term were red chili paste, soybean paste, and soy sauce.
Yet to recover her magical power, she had to eat these in their raw state.
Nelloa’s face contorted miserably.
“This is driving me mad.”

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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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