This Emperor Is Running a Marriage Scam - Chapter 9

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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 9

“You can do it whenever you want, even every night if you’d like.”

“Ugh!”

At such a sight, I unconsciously let out a groan and fell to my knees.

Such cute behavior is against the rules!

I realized the true meaning of ‘heart flutter’ that people commonly used in my previous world. This was exactly when to use that expression.

When I clutched the area around my heart, Baron was startled and grabbed my face with both hands.

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?”

“No. It’s not that it hurts.”

I looked up at Baron. His eyes were full of worry.

This lovable little guy.

I pulled Baron into a tight hug.

“Because you’re so cute!”

I expected Baron to be embarrassed and pull back, but after hesitating for a moment, the little one hugged me back.

Ah, this is true cuteness!

I gave Baron one more tight squeeze before standing up.

Thanks to Baron, I caught a search light, and with the wind calm and waves gentle, it was perfect for testing its effectiveness.

I tied the rope connected to the basket around my waist, attached the glass bottle with string and tied it to my left wrist, and gripped the net in my right hand.

“Baron, go inside the house first. Since I caught the search light, I’ll take a quick look at the sea. If the water color is good, I might try catching some things.”

“What’s water color?”

“It refers to the color of the seawater. The better the condition, the more transparently you can see into the sea. If muddy water flows in, you can’t see anything.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Baron nodded and pointed to one side, saying something unexpected.

“Then I’ll light a bonfire over there. Look for it when you come back.”

I was speechless at Baron’s cleverness.

To think a child of only seven years old would have such thoughts.

At this level, it wouldn’t be strange if Baron were the male lead. Though with purple eyes, he couldn’t be the red-eyed emperor who is the male lead.

‘Anyway, no matter how smart he is, it’s too much to ask a young child to start a new fire.’

But it was true that going into the night sea without a landmark would be too dangerous.

I stacked a few pieces of wood and transferred fire from the stove to light them. This way, a small bonfire would soon start burning.

“I’ll set it up like this. Go inside and rest, but come out occasionally to tend the fire, okay? If it looks like the fire might go out… um…”

I looked around and picked two palm-sized leaves to give him.

“Use these to pick up twigs and put them in the fire.”

Baron took the leaves and asked back.

“In case thorns get stuck in my hands?”

“Yes. And don’t get too close to the fire.”

I smiled as I reminded him, patted Baron’s head, then headed toward the sea.

When I caught conch shells yesterday evening, I didn’t go in when water rose above my ankles. But now, thanks to the search light I just caught, I could go in up to thigh-deep and examine the sea.

The search light’s glow was really bright.

‘If I could put it underwater and examine things, I’d be able to see even better.’

Unlike underwater lanterns from my previous world, since this was a living creature, that would be impossible.

I held the glass bottle in my left hand and examined various parts of the sea. The basket connected to my waist floated well on the surface and followed wherever I pulled it.

Soon I spotted a conch shell half-buried in the sandy terrain. As I tried to gently scrape it up with the net, something whitish passed by the edge of my vision.

‘A blue crab!’

Instinctively recognizing what it was, I quickly looked up. When I illuminated the surroundings with the search light, I could see five or six blue crabs crossing through the seawater as if flying.

“Jackpot.”

Since no one else was catching them, I would have them all to myself.

At this rate, it seemed I wouldn’t have to struggle for long.

‘Maybe I can even build a new house soon?’

I praised myself for making sea foraging a side job.

Then something with an unusual feeling swiftly passed through the seawater.

“Huh?”

I quickly turned around in surprise and thought I glimpsed a large black shadow. I tensed up involuntarily.

‘Could it be… a magical beast? Something like that?’

But no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see the black shadow anymore.

However, at the end of the direction the shadow had passed, there was a really large blue crab resting attached to the bottom. It must have been that guy’s shadow after all.

Hooray!

* * *

Baron watched the Ignis Fatuus named ‘Search’ and Hailey gradually move away, then muttered in a low voice.

“Camen.”

A rock formation rose up in front of Baron. The rock formation, similar in size to Baron, was an earth elemental that consumed the magic power allowed by its contractor and used its unique abilities.

Camen slowly bent its body in greeting.

Baron pointed at the small bonfire with the leaves gathered in one hand.

“Add some firewood to build up the bonfire.”

Camen went back into the ground. Soon there was a small vibration from the floor, and dry wood pieces scattered all around were pushed together, stacking neatly on top of the small bonfire.

This nearly extinguished the already small fire, but Baron didn’t care and gestured toward the cottage with his chin.

“Keep the foundation solid so the house doesn’t collapse, and clean up the surroundings. Also do some repairs inconspicuously before you go. Be careful not to make noise.”

Hailey didn’t seem to notice, but Baron had received a report on the first evening when he had his subordinates tidy up that the cottage wasn’t entirely safe.

It would be fine when the weather was decent. But since it could collapse if hit by monsoons and typhoons, he had Camen do maintenance.

Creeeeak-

Soon there was vibration along with small sounds from the cottage.

Since the cottage itself was tilted due to its age, complete silence seemed impossible.

As a result, several pieces of wood fell to the floor. Even the log supporting the roof seemed about to come loose, but it was soon caught and fitted back in place by Camen’s power.

Clatter clatter.

Trash that had been around the cottage moved along the ground and piled up in one spot.

Watching Camen work, Baron recalled Hailey’s voice.

‘B-Baron. Did you happen to clean this?’

Her eyes, round with admiration, sparkled like sapphires.

Baron chuckled and looked at his left index finger.

‘Come to think of it, this did seem to sting a little.’

Since he couldn’t say he had his subordinates do it, he pretended a thorn had pricked him.

The feeling of soft lips that had touched his finger right after he spoke still seemed to linger.

Hailey’s lips.

Baron unconsciously closed his eyes and touched his index finger to his own lips.

Thinking of the lips that had touched his finger and, just moments ago, his cheek, and that warm embrace, made his heart race.

This emotion he couldn’t define was a first for him, but it felt very good.

That’s when it happened.

“Lord Raven, I came running after hearing Black Libia’s message.”

At the sudden voice, Baron was startled and cleared his throat, raising just his hand to make Raven wait while calling another elemental.

“Salamander.”

What suddenly appeared at Baron’s call was a very small fire lizard.

“Light the bonfire. Also revive the embers inside the house before you go.”

“Squeak.”

The adorable fire lizard burrowed into the small campfire.

With a whoosh, the dying campfire began blazing brightly. The Salamander that crawled out of the campfire went into the house.

Baron glanced at Raven, who was kneeling on one knee with his head deeply bowed, then looked back at the sea.

When his master remained silent, Raven turned his head to look toward the night sea.

After confirming where Baron—no, Bloden’s—gaze was directed, he asked cautiously.

“Your Majesty, it seems an imperial citizen has entered the sea. Shall I make them come out? The sea slimes roam around at night, so it’s dangerous.”

“Ah, sea slimes.”

Bloden answered with a snort.

“Those things hate bright light. So it’s fine.”

Sea slimes were nocturnal giant leeches that lived in the sea, with the habit of latching onto animals they discovered and sucking their blood until death.

Therefore, imperial citizens never approached the sea at night, and even during the day when the sun was up, they would fish by boarding boats and casting nets, or using fishing rods and scoops.

This was natural culture in the empire.

“It’s fine, Your Majesty?”

“I gave her Ignis Fatuus in a glass bottle.”

‘What? Ignis? You put a spirit next to an imperial citizen?’

No wonder that area looked so bright!

Just as Raven’s mouth fell open in shock, Baron, who couldn’t care less about his subordinate’s shock, added.

“Ignis will continue staying with her from now on, but Hailey thinks it’s a flash firefly, so make sure to play along.”

“H-Hailey, who is this person?”

“My housemate.”

“Pardon?”

“I started living with her yesterday.”

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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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