This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 45

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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 45

He clicked his tongue in regret, realizing anew how unfortunate it was that he couldn’t collect taxes since this was state-owned land.

“It looks like they’re building it quite well. If they were going to do it anyway, they should have built it in the city with a good view of the sea. That would have been good for socializing, and the trade taxes would have been lower too. This merchant doesn’t know how to do business.”

“My apologies.”

Kimarise answered briefly and now asked as Baron instructed.

“But what brings you here? I didn’t hear that you would be visiting.”

“Well.”

The Lord, who was about to answer immediately, glanced at the young woman.

The young woman dismounted her horse and stood before Kimarise, extending her right hand.

“Ahem, I am Nelloa Kelite.”

Only then did Baron examine Nelloa’s appearance through Kimarise’s eyes.

She had disheveled orange hair and emerald eyes. Her appearance was decent, and she seemed to have some intelligence.

But that was as far as it went. In Baron’s eyes, Nelloa couldn’t even compare to the dirt under the toenails of Hailey’s beauty and intelligence as she sat beside him, resting and drinking a beverage.

Moreover, Kelite was not a country that had given Bloden a very good impression.

By his standards, Kelite was a war criminal nation that had waged war with neighboring countries while the Ilpein Empire was busy fighting demons.

-What? Why is a princess from Kelite here?

As soon as Baron’s displeased thoughts were transmitted, Kimarise bowed his head with a dry tone.

“Oh my, you’re a princess. I was very rude.”

Nelloa’s extended right hand hung in the air. Seeing this, the Lord furrowed his brow.

“You fool! Show proper respect to the princess!”

He meant to kiss the back of her hand. At the same time, Kimarise became extremely displeased.

In fact, it wasn’t that Kimarise, a transcendent being, had made any judgment about Nelloa. To a demon lord, humans were beings that evoked no feeling, like looking at clouds in the sky or grass in a field.

However, the higher the rank of a demon lord, the more greatly they were influenced by the emotions of the master who summoned them.

In other words, Nelloa was truly an unwelcome existence to Kimarise.

Kimarise couldn’t hide his grumbling tone as he asked Baron.

-Master, a human is demanding unnecessary actions. Must I comply?

-Never mind that, just ask why the princess of Kelite came here.

“Ahem. My apologies.”

Kimarise cleared his throat and bowed his head again.

“I’m from a distant foreign land, so I don’t know any etiquette other than bowing my head.”

“When a lady extends her hand, it’s gentlemanly etiquette to kiss the back of her hand to show respect.”

“…Pardon?”

Frustrated by Kimarise’s reaction as if this was truly the first time he’d heard of such a thing, the Lord beat his chest and called for a soldier. Two soldiers quickly came forward and helped the Lord, who was staggering as he dismounted his horse.

“Though you’re hopelessly uncivilized, I’ll teach you once.”

The Lord took Nelloa’s hand and kissed the back of it. Nelloa’s brow furrowed in disgust, but the Lord, who had his head bowed, couldn’t see her expression.

“Like this.”

-Master, they’re making a troublesome request. How should I handle this?

-Do as you please.

-May I kill them both?

-That won’t do.

Kimarise sighed inwardly and cleared his throat again.

“My apologies. For us, that action is…”

Kimarise pondered for a moment. What should I say so these humans won’t demand that action from me?

Then Baron offered an idea.

-Ah! How about saying that’s an act of proposing marriage?

-I’m grateful for master’s wisdom!

Kimarise took a breath in and out, speaking with an air of helplessness.

“That action is, well, a marriage proposal in our culture.”

“Mar…riage proposal?”

“Yes.”

Nelloa’s eyes rolled around.

Honestly, Nelloa really liked the appearance of the man standing before her. But his status was quite disappointing.

Not even a noble, but an employee of a baron. Moreover, she had a different reason for coming here.

She had persuaded Anna Beldenburo with her own excuse.

Rather than just waiting for the Emperor’s return at the Imperial Palace, she would actively seek him out and pursue a natural meeting.

‘As the prospective empress, I’ll engage in activities for the empire’s citizens and use the Information Guild to find out where he is.’

At those words, Anna was greatly pleased and wrote her a letter of introduction that would allow Nelloa to stay at any noble’s manor anywhere in the empire.

And she gave her portraits of Bloden at ages 15 and 18 that were in the Imperial Palace. This included information that although Bloden was now 18, he would actually look like a boy of about 15.

In fact, this was Bloden’s appearance just before entering the Gate, so it differed somewhat from the truth.

After sending back the knight order that had come with him, Bloden had entered the Gate alone and used a massive amount of additional magic to summon a much larger demon army.

Since even the knights who had gone with him to the Gate hadn’t seen that transformation, no one could even imagine Baron’s current appearance and age.

This was the same for Nelloa.

Therefore, imagining Bloden as he would look at 15, or perhaps his actual age if he had recovered by now, she suppressed her desire for Kimarise.

‘It’s a shame, but I need to catch the big fish.’

Nelloa pulled up the corners of her mouth and withdrew her hand.

“Oh my, if that’s the foreign culture, I should respect it. I didn’t know that.”

Only then did Kimarise also feel relieved inwardly and managed his expression.

“Thank you for your generous understanding. But what brings the princess here?”

“I just came out for a walk. I didn’t expect to run into you like this.”

As soon as Nelloa arrived in Snorilo, she had sought out the Lord’s manor and used the Information Guild.

She was fortunate to learn about where the rescued children were. At that moment, Nelloa judged that if it were Bloden, he would have come to solve the kidnapping case, so there was a high probability he would be near the children.

But this damn Lord seemed to have no interest in the kidnapping case at all and was only busy trying to please her, who had come with the Regent’s letter of introduction.

It would be strange for a foreign princess to openly show interest in the matter, and it would also be odd to mention that the Emperor was traveling incognito in the domain, so she had come here using a walk as an excuse.

“But seeing that I’ve encountered the children, it seems God has guided us. To quickly provide the children with a place to rest.”

“You speak wisely. If they’re orphans anyway, it’s better for them to receive institutional care as soon as possible.”

The Lord rubbed his hands together obsequiously and agreed. He couldn’t ignore the princess’s statement that God had guided them.

Then he stiffened his neck and ordered Linda.

“You, report on the children’s current status immediately.”

He also gave instructions to the soldiers standing behind him.

“Move the children to the orphanage in the domain.”

Kimarise quickly stepped forward to stop them.

“No, thank you, but it’s fine. Duke Dillen plans to send the children to the orphanage in the imperial capital.”

“…Huh?”

The Lord still had no interest in the orphans. He had never looked into the orphanage, so he didn’t know what the situation was like.

His only interest was the support funds coming from the Royal Court.

When support funds for orphans came according to headcount, he would first take half, then give it to the orphanage director and tell them to handle it themselves. Whether the orphanage’s situation was good or bad was none of his concern.

But his pride was hurt by the fact that this person called Duke Dillen was building a house here but hadn’t come to visit, and had chosen the capital’s facility instead of Snoril.

‘Is that baron looking down on this place as a small port city? Besides, if they’re sent to the capital, I won’t be able to receive the support funds.’

Even the Lord himself thought the capital’s orphanage facilities would probably be vastly superior. After all, it was the capital. However, he couldn’t admit that fact.

If he admitted it, wouldn’t Nelloa also think the capital’s orphanage was much better?

When the foreign princess who had made a rare visit returned to the Imperial Palace, she would tell the Regent how she had spent her time here. An opportunity for advancement might come then, so he needed to make it seem like his domain management abilities were very excellent.

“No, there’s an orphanage here too, so what need is there to go all the way to the capital? What could be lacking about this orphanage’s facilities compared to the capital’s?”

The Lord puffed out his balloon-like belly and raised his voice.

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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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