This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 38

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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 38

 

The problem was that Baron remembered all the families with some degree of power, but Frediki was a name he was hearing for the first time.

 

At Baron’s expression with one eyebrow raised, Kyle smugly offered a handshake.

 

“That’s right, I’m a noble. You probably never thought an orphan would have a surname, so it’s no wonder a country bumpkin like you is surprised.”

 

Baron took Kyle’s hand with an expressionless face.

 

“Anyway, nice to meet you.”

 

Kyle, wrapping up what he was saying, put strength into his hand and asked.

 

“Baron, how old are you?”

 

‘Huh? Look at this?’

 

Unlike Baron who could exert the strength of an adult, Kyle was still just a child, yet his grip strength was comparable to that of an average adult.

 

When their eyes met, Kyle grinned with a mischievous expression full of anticipation.

 

“I’m… seven years old.”

 

…pretending to be, when he’s actually eighteen.

 

“I’m twelve, you know? Since we’re going to live together here from now on, call me hyung.”

 

Baron chuckled at the increasingly loud voice.

 

“Dream big. You’ll be going to the facility tomorrow anyway.”

 

“What facility. From what I heard earlier, you’re also an orphan that nuna picked up and is raising. Looking at the state of the house, it seems like nuna was originally living alone.”

 

Kyle puffed out his chest, saying he would do the heavy work instead of Hailey from now on.

 

“I’m tall and strong, so in just 5 more years I’ll be very manly, right? That pretty nuna might fall for me and ask to marry me as soon as I become an adult.”

 

Baron could only let out a hollow laugh at his boastful words.

 

“I don’t know how your thought process works that way. First of all, nuna is someone who would never make a child do hard work.”

 

He had no intention of making a little kid do heavy labor, but since he was being so arrogant, it would be better to show him a lesson and suppress his momentum.

 

When Baron put strength into his hand, Kyle’s grinning expression suddenly stiffened.

 

“Also, I want to let you know that thinking your strength is stronger than mine is a mistake.”

 

“Ugh, urgh.”

 

The more strength Baron put into his hand, the more Kyle’s face contorted in pain.

 

“Remember clearly that I’m currently letting your bratty behavior slide.”

 

“Ugh, ah, it hurts! Let, let go of this.”

 

Kyle, feeling the overwhelming difference in strength, tried to shake off Baron’s hand. But he couldn’t pull it out with his own strength at all.

 

“Making people cry isn’t my hobby, but I’m also not the type to let someone pick a fight with me.”

 

Kyle eventually couldn’t bear the pain and burst into tears.

 

“Waaaaah! I said it hurts!”

 

Only then did Baron let go of his hand, and Kyle, who must have been in considerable pain, sat down clutching his own hand.

 

“Your dreams are ambitious, but you can’t live here with us. Most importantly, nuna has high standards and likes really handsome guys.”

 

Baron chuckled and turned around.

 

“You’re eliminated for being ugly, so don’t act up and just go to the facility.”

 

Then he spoke to the children who had been quietly watching the situation.

 

“Group leaders, follow me. I have something to tell you.”

 

* * *

 

I had gathered plenty of sea snails with shells so large they were difficult for me to carry, but the way back made me sigh.

 

No matter how much they were just kids, it looked nowhere near enough to feed thirty-two of them.

 

‘I should have the older kids clean the sea snails, and I need to go out again.’

 

While thinking this on my way back, I rubbed my eyes at something I saw.

 

‘Huh? I don’t think this was here earlier?’

 

In a spot that would only fill with seawater when the tide came all the way in, a pool had formed that was a bit shallower than knee-deep. It was quite wide, and with seawater pooled inside, it looked perfect for rinsing sea snails and shellfish.

 

When I approached the pool, I was even more surprised.

 

‘Gasp! What on earth is this?’

 

What was rolling around abundantly in the natural pool were definitely sea snails.

 

They were even all large, plump sea snails, making me wonder if someone had selected and placed them there.

 

Looking around, there was no one but me, so that couldn’t be it.

 

I gauged the distance between the pool and the house. It was incomparably closer to the house than the spot where I had been catching sea snails just before.

 

‘I could just light a fire right away and go back and forth here?’

 

Only then did I realize that white smoke was rising from in front of the house. Seeing that reminded me of what I had said to Baron before going out to forage.

 

‘There’s a big pot, so I’ll put them in water and boil them. It won’t be enough, but I’ll feed them at least a little.’

 

It seemed Baron had lit a fire and set up the pot.

 

‘Sigh, I told him there was no need to do that.’

 

But perhaps because today was a somewhat special case, Baron’s cleverness was more welcome than ever.

 

* * *

 

Thanks to the pool, I caught an unprecedented amount of sea snails, put the ones I would sell in a container for purging, and prepared to process the boiled sea snails to feed the children.

 

When I took out the fully cooked sea snails and put them in a wooden bowl, Baron suddenly held out both hands.

 

“Nuna, boil the other sea snails and give me those. We’ll do it.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Baron grinned and said something unexpected.

 

“While nuna was out, I taught the group leaders how to process sea snails.”

 

“What?”

 

“I had learned it by watching nuna process them.”

 

Baron practically snatched away the wooden bowl containing the sea snails while giggling.

 

“There are over thirty people to feed. So this is faster.”

 

Bewildered, I followed Baron’s suggestion and boiled sea snails while watching the child’s actions.

 

Baron removed the meat from the sea snail shells, split it in half, and passed it to the group leader child next to him. Then the group leader children fumblingly removed the salivary glands and organs from inside the sea snail meat and put it on plates.

 

When that had accumulated to some degree, the second batch of sea snails I had put in the pot was cooked.

 

The same process was repeated, and soon chewy sea snails could go into every child’s mouth.

 

“Hehe, it’s delicious!”

 

“Wow!”

 

The children ate the sea snails while chatting happily.

 

The meal ended quickly, and the children helped with cleanup while patting their bellies in satisfaction from the fullness. Now the children began playing by building towers with the many sea snail shells that had accumulated.

 

A few came over to my side and chattered away.

 

The children’s hair, which had been wet, had also dried quite a bit.

 

“Kids, you have to play nicely, okay? Don’t go where I can’t see you, only play here in front.”

 

After giving them this warning, I took a comb and went outside, sat down facing the sea, then began combing the children’s hair one by one while listening to their stories.

 

“Sister, you know what. Earlier, oppa went like this, pang! and shook out my clothes.”

 

Baron had wrung out the water from the wet clothes. Thanks to that, the clothes dried quickly.

 

“My goodness. Baron is amazing.”

 

Even though he was young, he was so thoughtful and kind that I couldn’t help but be impressed.

 

At my gaze, Baron, who was sitting next to me, shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I’m the homeowner and they’re guests, so of course I should help them.”

 

Baron was truly admirable. But the last child whose hair I was combing said something unexpected.

 

That Baron and Kyle had fought.

 

“The strong oppa went crack! and grabbed his hand so he cried.”

 

“What?”

 

“Hey, hey! That, that story!”

 

Baron panicked and tried to stop the child’s story. But when he met my eyes, he sighed as if he had no choice and stepped back.

 

“Nuna likes really handsome kids, and you’re ugly so get lost! Go to a facility, that’s what she said.”

 

“Huh.”

 

For a moment my head went blank and I couldn’t think of what to say in response.

 

It was true that I liked handsome kids. On top of that, Baron seemed to know very well that he was incredibly handsome.

 

Of course, I didn’t decide whether to live together or not based on appearance alone.

 

“…”

 

No, honestly well… when I decided to live with Baron, it would be a bit difficult to guarantee that influence wasn’t there at all.

 

A person’s appearance isn’t everything though.

 

Feeling my conscience being pricked, I gently patted the child’s head.

 

“Yes, thank you for telling me. Now go and play.”

 

“Yes!”

 

I brushed myself off and got up, calling Baron and Kyle to come inside.

 

“I heard you two fought. Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

 

Kyle and Baron took turns speaking.

 

I was a bit surprised that Kyle was also an orphan of noble birth, but I didn’t show it and continued listening to the story.

 

‘Kyle was the one who started the hierarchy fight.’

 

Because he wanted to live here together rather than go to a facility. And Baron was very displeased with that.

 

I inwardly sighed.

 

Kyle seemed to be born with strong power too. But he couldn’t compare to Baron, who came from a Knight Family for generations.

 

Our kid is practically a genius in that area. Plus, isn’t he a future knight commander sprout.

 

‘Well then. According to the original work’s side story, long black hair and deep orange eyes… no, was it clear purple eyes?’

 

Then I felt something strange.

 

‘Wait. Kyle has long black hair and deep orange eyes though?’

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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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