TECMF 04

Chapter 4

In This Princess is a Marriage Scammer, Bloden Ilpain, with his black hair and red eyes, was an incredibly handsome man who possessed a special ability passed down only to the emperors.

Namely, the power to summon demons, spirits, ghosts, and the like to serve as subordinates.

However, this ability came with a side effect known as the “Curse,” whose symptoms and severity varied with each emperor.

Bloden’s mother, the previous emperor, Lienda, was unlucky. The more power she used, the shorter her lifespan became.

Her reign happened to coincide with a rampant surge of magical beasts, forcing her to use her power extensively, which resulted in her early death. Afterwards, the era of regency began when her only child, the young Bloden, ascended the throne.

The first regent was his maternal uncle, and father figure, Grand Duke Golden borough. However, he married Anna, the daughter of Duke Loan, and died suddenly a few years later.

Subsequently, Anna Loan, now the Duchess of Golden borough, began her regency.

Citing reasons of imperial security, she sent the young Bloden to the Gate in the northern mountains, the source of the magical beasts.

Since he couldn’t handle state affairs anyway before coming of age as long as there was a regent, Bloden headed to the northern mountains without protest.

The side effect of his ability was that the more power he used, the younger his apparent age, including his appearance and voice, became. But Bloden didn’t mind.

Even if he looked young, he was aware of his position as emperor, and if the empire’s citizens were safe from the threat of magical beasts, that was enough.

Then one day, Nelloa, the princess of the Kingdom of Celt who had possessed a book, obtained intelligence that Bloden, who had just come of age, was in the port city of Snow rill. Using the knowledge she possessed, Nelloa played a pivotal role in solving the long-troubling child kidnapping case, then proposed to Bloden.

‘I know how to break the Curse. I’ll lift your Curse, so marry me.’

It was a lie told to win the male lead’s love, but Bloden, who favorably evaluated Nelloa capabilities, accepted the proposal.

Afterwards, as is typical for a romance novel, overcoming hardships and trials, Nelloa successfully enters into a political marriage, drives out Anna Golden borough who tries to hold onto state control until the end, and rules the empire together with Bloden.

The claim of knowing how to break the Curse was a lie, but it didn’t matter. Bloden hadn’t believed her from the start.

I was recalling that Bloden and Nelloa got their own happy ending, even as the fight against magical beasts to protect the empire’s safety and peace continued, when…

“Wow!”

An exclamation escaped me before I knew it.

A conch nearly twice the size of my fist!

Even in my previous world, I had often caught large  while tide pooling, but I’d never seen one this heavy or this size.

“With this, the meat inside must be incredible.”

My bucket was full just from putting in this life-changing conch.

‘This should be enough for Baron and me, right?’

I deliberately ignored the other seafood I saw and hurried home. It didn’t even feel like I’d been out that long, but the surroundings had already grown dark.

“Next time I go in, I should light a fire on the beach first or something.”

The sun set faster in this world than I’d expected. If I had been any later, I might have broken my promise to Baron to return before the sun fully set.

“Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t decided how to get tide pooling gear. I need at least a searchlight…”

Most sea creatures were primarily active at night, and to catch them, a searchlight as lighting equipment was essential, among other things.

“Carrying a torch alone is too inconvenient, and magic stone lamps are insanely expensive. How do I solve this?”

I was sighing deeply while muttering to myself when I suddenly looked up.

A white glowing sphere was blinking from the direction of my house.

“What’s that?”

Even after rubbing my eyes and looking again, the white light kept blinking. It was like a lighthouse, seeming to say, ‘The place for you to return is here.’

I stopped worrying and quickened my pace.

I didn’t know the source of the light, but I was glad and grateful for it becoming my guide as darkness fell.

“……”

But unfortunately, I didn’t get a proper chance to see the light. As soon as I stepped onto the safe tidal flat, the light vanished.

It felt truly mysterious, enough to wonder if I’d been led astray by a will-o’-the-wisp.

As I stood there dazed for a moment, a dark shadow moved in front of the house.

“Why are you so late?”

It was Baron.

“Come in quickly. I waited.”

Baron opened the house door. A warm crimson light seeped out from inside.

Did he not see that strange light?

I absolutely had to ask.

“Didn’t you see something strange out here?”
“Something strange?”
“Yeah, a white light blinking and then disappearing.”
“Ah. That?”

Baron answered with a laugh, as if it was no big deal.

“It’s a firefly, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“A firefly.”

That light being a firefly was ridiculous.

“What kind of firefly in the world does that?”
“They exist. They’re very rare, though.”

Baron tilted his head as if wondering why I didn’t know.

“It’s a flash-firefly.”
“Th-there’s such a firefly?”

I couldn’t believe my ears, but Baron nodded calmly. He showed no sign of joking.

“Yes. It’s a very small insect that emits light about the size of an adult’s fist. It suddenly appears, blinks, sometimes stays lit, and then vanishes in a flash like lightning. They sometimes appeared in the garden of the house I used to live in.”

Baron stroked his small chin with his tiny hand and nodded.

“You can even tame them if you do it well.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. They’re intelligent and follow their master well.”

Then, with an arrogance unbecoming of a child, he gave a slight smirk.

“Well, most people probably don’t know. I hear many mistake them for ghost lights.”

I was left speechless. Moreover, because his tone somehow felt dismissive of me, it was subtly irritating.

But the moment I met Baron’s eyes, that feeling melted away like snow. It was all because this kid was just too cute.

Then Baron said,

“Should I catch and tame one for you? I can do it.”
“Well, that would be nice, but don’t overdo it. Anyway.”

This tiny child wanting to do something for me…

Wasn’t his heart too cute and sweet?

Besides, if he could actually tame one, I’d be getting LED-level lighting.

“Well, it’s my first time seeing one. You’re so smart, kiddo.”

I playfully ruffled Baron’s hair, filled with gratitude.

“Eek! Who are you calling a kiddo!”

This time, it was Baron who was flustered. His startled expression was also cute.

“Hehe, come in quickly. I’ll grill the  for you.”

Laughing, I stepped inside the house and was truly astonished.

The furniture fragments I hadn’t had time to clear were neatly piled to one side as if storing firewood, and the floor, though still old, was clean and dust-free.

The fire in the hearth, which I had barely revived with kindling, was now burning fiercely as if it had been doing so for a while. No wonder a crimson light had been seeping from inside the door.

“B-Baron. Did you clean this?”

No matter how I thought about it, Baron was the only one who could have done this. But could a child really do all this?

“Yes.”
“How did you manage all this? It must have been hard.”

Baron shrugged his shoulders.

“Even if it’s hard, I have to. Since we decided to live together.”
“No, don’t do this anymore from now on. Come here first.”

I first washed my own hands thoroughly in the water I had drawn yesterday, then grabbed Baron’s two hands and examined them carefully.

“Huh, huh, why are you doing this?”

Baron, whose eyes widened, perhaps in surprise, hesitated and pulled his body back.

I’m not going to eat you, kid.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Huh?”
“Your hands. If you handle wood fragments carelessly, you can get splinters.”

Honestly, it broke my heart.

Children this age usually can’t work like this. But Baron did. And very quickly, too.

Which meant he had watched adults’ moods enough to know how to do high-intensity housework on his own.

Probably the innkeeper, where the nanny had left Baron, had made him work before kicking him out.

‘He’s still so young. Just how much hardship has he endured?’

The more I thought about it, the more pitiful it seemed, so I looked even more carefully at Baron’s palms. Then Baron, who had been quiet, pointed to his left index finger.

“Now that you mention it, I think this spot felt a bit prickly.”
“Ah, really?”

I examined Baron’s index finger intently. But even upon close inspection, I couldn’t see anything, so I gently pressed the center of his fingerprint.

“What about here?”

Seeing Baron tilt his head, it seemed that wasn’t the spot. I gently rubbed the area next to it.

“What about here?”
“That hurts, I think. Feels like something’s there.”

I stared intently at Baron’s finger. But I couldn’t see any splinter.

‘What to do.’

Thinking it over, I remembered my own method.

It might be unhygienic, but there was no choice. If this tender hand got infected from a splinter, it would be a big problem.

We don’t even have any medicine in this house.

“Then let’s do this. It seems like the best I can do right now.”
“Huh?”