This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 81

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 81

Questions began to pile up one after another.

What if Baron didn’t need a temporary guardian, but real parents? What if the feelings he’d been hiding all along came bursting out because of this incident?

Once I had the questions, the answers came quickly too.

No, when I think about it, it’s natural for a child to need parents, isn’t it?

I wondered if, as a temporary guardian, I should have been working to find good adoptive parents for him instead of the Academy.

If Baron had originally stayed at the orphanage, he might have eventually been adopted by a wealthy family and grown up well.

No, honestly, wouldn’t nobles without heirs eagerly adopt someone like Baron?

He’s handsome, healthy, and smart.

If we just hid the fact that he’s the child of a fallen noble family, there would definitely be a line of hopeful adopters or sponsors.

Then should I look for a family that could adopt him even now? But if he gets adopted, wouldn’t that mean we’d have to part ways?

When my thoughts reached that point, my heart felt like it was being torn apart.

‘Ah. I’m so stupid.’

I finally realized it. That I had this thought way too late.

‘I don’t want to send Baron somewhere else. I’ve already grown too attached to send him away.’

Now I can’t even imagine sending Baron anywhere. Because I already think of Baron as family.

And Baron, who had been making eye contact with me for a while, soon blushed.

“Nuna, why does your expression look so wistful? Like you’re about to cry. Don’t tell me it’s because of me? What did I do wrong?”

“Huh, huh. No. I was just thinking about something.”

“Wh-what were you thinking about?”

Before answering, I looked around the interior of the house, then observed Raven’s expression.

Raven was very fond of Baron. Sometimes it looked like a father taking care of his son. And he seemed financially stable too.

‘Should I ask if he could officially become Baron’s father?’

He might agree. If that happened, I would always be able to see Baron.

But if I changed my perspective just a little, this was my selfish thinking.

Because Raven is unmarried.

He’ll probably meet someone nice and get married someday too, so even asking this question would be shameless and rude.

‘Then.’

There’s only one conclusion.

“I’ve been thinking about something.”

I calmly told Raven and Baron my thoughts.

“What? Adoption?”

After hearing the whole story, Baron’s expression became really strange.

“So N-Nuna is going to become my mom? For my sake?”

“Yeah, if you’re okay with it, I’d like to try.”

“I always like having Nuna around. But.”

Baron, who had been rolling his eyes busily, added a question.

“Nuna doesn’t have verified identity. So adoption wouldn’t work, right?”

“The bakery ajusshi once said that if someone with verified identity vouches for you, it works. In that case, you’d officially become a landowner, so you’d have to pay taxes though.”

I thought for a moment and nodded.

“Before, no one knew me, but the situation is different now.”

There’s Raven and Kimarise, Ben ajusshi’s family, Cosette and the Potter brothers, and others. Now I have good neighbors.

“I’d have to go ask first, but I think someone would help if I requested it.”

Raven rolled his eyes for a moment, then nodded.

“I don’t think those people would refuse to help.”

“Th-then re-really, Nuna is going to a-adopt me and become my mom?”

Baron stammered as if he couldn’t believe the situation. And Raven, who had been lost in thought while listening to our conversation, suddenly brightened up.

“Oh, then you two would become a real family? This is something to celebrate.”

“Wh-what celebration!”

Baron’s eyes shook frantically and his face turned bright red.

Then Kyle’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Huh? What’s that about? Baron is going to become Nuna’s son?”

Kyle and Kimarise had just entered the reception room.

“Hello, Nuna.”

“Hello. Are you done studying?”

“Yes. It’s snack time now.”

Kyle and Kimarise each brought chocolate and tea to eat, then found empty seats and sat down.

“I heard on the way in. Hehe. That’s good news.”

Kyle smiled as he picked up the chocolate he’d set out as a snack and put it in his mouth.

“Nuna and I are going to get married, so that means Baron would become my son too, right?”

Baron jumped up in shock.

“Wh-what nonsense!”

But Kyle didn’t care and smiled at me.

“I’m feeling motivated, Nuna. I’ll study harder too and try to become a wonderful father.”

“…Haha.”

Here comes another unrealistic childhood plan. I should just laugh it off appropriately.

“Well then, I’ll write a recommendation letter, Hailey will get identity verification to adopt Baron, and Baron just needs to agree to become Hailey’s son.”

Raven clapped his hands lightly to summarize the situation, and I nodded.

“Yes, then I’d also have the legal responsibility to raise Baron well.”

Baron’s face had now turned red as a beet.

“Ah, forget about adoption and all that! If I just quietly go to the Academy and attend on a scholarship, everything will be solved!”

Baron was flushed from his neck to the tips of his ears. He clenched both fists tightly as if making a big decision and declared.

“Right?”

“Th-that’s true, but.”

I put down the teacup I was holding.

“Since we’re talking about it, how about we properly go through the adoption process and become family?”

I looked at Baron, whose mouth was hanging open, and expressed my honest feelings.

“I can’t even imagine being separated from you now. You really feel like family to me. So if you’ll allow it, I’ll take responsibility and raise you well, Baron.”

Raven nodded.

“Hailey’s heart is truly warm. I think you’ll make a really good family.”

Baron, whose pupils were shaking even more violently, looked at Raven.

“Raven, are you serious?”

“Wouldn’t Hailey and Baron’s happiness be my happiness too?”

Raven smiled peacefully. But something must have really bothered him, because Baron’s voice suddenly got louder.

“No! Even if dirt gets in my eyes, I won’t allow it! I’m not going to be Nuna’s son!”

“!”

“Nuna is Nuna! Why would she be my mom?”

I thought Baron had opened his heart to me too, but it seems I was mistaken.

I felt embarrassed and quickly apologized to Baron.

“S-sorry. I guess I got ahead of myself. Let’s talk about it again when your heart changes.”

“That’s something we’ll absolutely never talk about again.”

No, I understood that he was rejecting it, but why so clearly?

He was so firm that it felt like my heart was being stabbed with a dagger. It seemed inevitable that I’d be hurt.

Then Raven asked Baron in a gentle voice.

“Baron, you don’t dislike Hailey, do you?”

Baron’s eyebrows shot up fiercely.

“Raven, you know everything, so why do you keep acting sly?”

“Gasp! Baron! You can’t talk to Raven like that!”

“But this is really getting on my nerves.”

“You misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand what? Anyone can see you’re enjoying this!”

Kimarise, who couldn’t stand watching anymore, also spoke up.

“Baron, please calm down.”

“Do I look calm? If Nuna has a son, I can’t marry Nuna! I clearly said before that I was going to marry Nuna, didn’t I?”

“Ah. Is that still valid?”

“Ah. That’s right, it was.”

“Is that why you said you didn’t want to be adopted?”

Following Raven, Kimarise, and Kyle’s reactions, I also remembered.

That cute day when Baron and Kyle bickered during our meal at the restaurant, going on about a child who looked like me and a child who looked like Nuna.

“Ah, that.”

Baron’s reaction finally made sense. The ‘I want to marry mommy’ phase was starting again.

“Hehe, so you don’t actually dislike me?”

Baron’s momentum considerably subdued as he blushed.

“Of, of course. You know how much I like Nuna.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————