This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 88

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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 88

Just by opening her shop twice a week, Hailey had apparently managed to gather all the academy entrance fees for her younger brother.

“Are you certain about that?”

“I had some things I needed to look into, so I asked the bank, and an employee casually let me know. They said she completed the entrance fee payment to the academy as of yesterday.”

When the Lord finished speaking, the carriage came to a stop. They had arrived at the beach leading to Hailey’s house.

On the beach, a saddled horse was waiting.

“I’m going to ride the horse because of those damn sea lice. Please wait a moment, I’ll be back shortly.”

The Lord got out of the carriage and mounted the horse. Then he spoke to his guards.

“You protect the Princess.”

‘Should I follow?’

Nelloa looked in the direction they needed to go. The beach looked peaceful, but thinking about the swarms of sea lice that could appear at any moment made her skin crawl.

She was curious, but she couldn’t help it. She’d have to come back on horseback next time.

* * *

“Baron, Baron!”

Bloden, who had been working in the spatial office set up inside Raven’s mansion, looked up at Hailey’s excited voice coming from far away.

“Lady Hailey has returned. As expected, she must have gathered plenty, and she seems happy about it.”

Raven took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of his eyes.

“This is my first failure like this, so it’s absurd, but I’m also incredibly happy that the battle with the sea is over, and I’m grateful to Lady Hailey.”

At those words, Bloden sighed through his nose and put down the documents he was reading.

The operation to interfere with gathering entrance fees hadn’t even lasted two months.

Even though he had controlled the sea to block her income source, Hailey had stubbornly found a way. She made strange snacks that drew tears of emotion from his very eyes as the Emperor, and earned all the money she had targeted.

And in just two months, faster than her original plan of gathering money through foraging over half a year.

Perhaps afraid that thieves might break in, Hailey had completed payment to the academy as soon as she gathered the entrance fees.

It was Bloden’s complete defeat.

‘Ha, I should have insisted it was tasteless that day no matter what.’

Regret was already too late.

Even if he had known Hailey’s plan when he tasted it, he wasn’t confident he wouldn’t have fallen for the devilish taste of those rice cake skewers.

The crispy yet chewy texture, the light yet sweet and savory flavor dancing on his tongue. The combination with the warm rice and black paper that followed, light yet satisfying.

How could one not be moved by that?

If even he, who had tasted all kinds of delicacies as Emperor, felt this way, it was natural for the domain residents to lose their minds.

Anyway, there was no longer any need to control the sea. So Bloden had also withdrawn the mission he had given to Raven.

Additionally, he had prepared for any possible situation.

Most of the seafood that had been cleared away during this time would have been swept back by the tide or moved on their own back to Hailey’s activity area.

Since their numbers would have increased as much as she couldn’t catch them, today’s harvest for Hailey would obviously be too much to carry.

It was a big catch after such a long time – could Hailey easily give it up?

Knowing that Hailey wanted to feed ‘Baron’ even a little better, Bloden thought she probably couldn’t.

There was also the possibility that she might get distracted, or move slowly due to catching too much, coming out later than the tide.

‘If Nuna does that, it would be really dangerous.’

Imperial palace knights had already been stationed around the gate for a long time anyway. It wouldn’t be a big problem to spare Camen.

So today, he had instructed Camen to quietly follow along with Hailey’s foraging.

“Baron!”

That bright and excited voice getting closer was probably the result of a jackpot harvest.

Bloden’s red eyes soon changed to purple.

As Baron stood up, Raven opened the door to the spatial office.

Baron, who came out of the mansion, changed his expression and went out to meet Hailey.

“Nuna! I’m here!”

Hailey came running with a bright smile. Even in broad daylight, Serch was spinning around Hailey, sparkling.

At Hailey’s spring-like smile, Baron also naturally smiled warmly and let out a small sigh.

‘Ha, she’s so pretty.’

The more he looked at her, the more his heart pounded.

The academy didn’t matter anymore.

‘What does it matter? I can just attend for a bit.’

The problem was that if he took first place, the person who would really receive the scholarship would be harmed…

‘Hmm, I think I could add a special admission track.’

He should increase the number of scholarship recipients and set it up so they could receive treatment one level higher than their actual grades through the academy director’s special recommendation. And he should influence Snoril’s academy director to admit one additional person.

That way, cases of unfairness due to his admission would also decrease.

‘Full scholarships would be appropriate for about 41 people.’

While waiting for Hailey to approach and organizing the scholarship issue, Baron suddenly remembered the time he had unintentionally mingled with children at the night market.

Some of those noisy kids who had been chattering that day had definitely said they were entering the academy together with Baron.

‘It would be annoying if I run into them again.’

It seemed like he should set up a suitable substitute to deal with them. Then there would be no problem.

Just as he had organized his thoughts and reached a conclusion, Hailey, who had arrived right in front of him, held out a bucket to Baron.

“Ta-da! Look at this! And you know what!”

* * *

Ha, they say life’s fortunes are like Sai Ong’s horse.

When the foraging results were disappointing, I felt completely lost, but while selling bite-sized kimbap and rice cake skewers, things worked out well in various ways.

And as soon as the entrance fee problem was solved, the sea also began to provide abundantly as before, as if asking “when did that happen?”

I was so excited that I joyfully collected conch shells.

The joy of filling the bucket to the brim and piling them up like a mountain after so long was greater than the money I would make from selling these.

Serch, who came with me, also seemed excited. He jumped around like a grasshopper, selecting only places with large conch shells and swept through the shallow water.

I was so absorbed in collecting that I lost track of time, and the water had risen quite a bit. I wanted to do more, but it was time to stop being greedy and head back.

I picked up the bucket and said to Serch.

“Wow, we really caught a lot.”

Serch also spun around my body as if answering.

I headed home with Serch. But because the conch shells were too heavy, my steps became slow.

The piled-up conch shells fell one by one with a rolling sound, and it was difficult to pick them up again, so it hurt my heart to just pass by them.

“Wouldn’t it be better to make a collection container with wheels?”

It’s becoming more and more of a concern.

There was still a long way to the house, but no matter how far I walked, the water still lapped at my knees.

No, it seemed to be getting higher.

“This could be dangerous if I’m not careful.”

At this point, I thought it might be right to release about half of the conch shells I caught.

“But I caught them with such effort.”

I was thinking I should try to get out as much as possible first, and if it really didn’t work, then reduce the load, when it happened.

The water surface ahead rose unnaturally.

“Huh? What’s that?”

What emerged through the water surface was a stone pillar about half my height.

I noticed a single sprout poking out from the top of the stone pillar. Soon, sky-blue button-like eyes revealed below it met my gaze.

“Oh! Rock Mole, what brings you here?”

Isn’t this my lifesaver!

I was so happy to see him after such a long time that I couldn’t help but smile brightly.

“Nice to see you! Have you been well?”

Then I was startled and looked around.

“Gasp! Is there a monster around here by any chance?”

The Rock Mole’s body tilted left and right, then returned to its original position. It seemed to be saying no.

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

Splash.

Just then, a wave hit the back of my knees once more. As my body swayed slightly from the impact, several conch shells I had piled in the bucket rolled around and plopped into the sea again.

“Oh, what a waste.”

I readjusted my grip on the bucket and spoke to the Rock Mole.

“I need to get out of the sea quickly right now. Stay healthy, and see you again next time.”

At my words, the Rock Mole disappeared below the water surface.

In the meantime, the water had risen even more, with the seawater now reaching just above my knees.

“Ha, I need to get out quickly.”

Just then, the ground beneath my feet shook.

“Huh, what?”

I was startled and tried to regain my balance, but my body was suddenly pushed forward.

Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop!

From the recoil, the conch shells I had stacked in the bucket came tumbling down and fell into the sea one after another.

“Ahhh! My conch shells!”

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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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