Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 12

‘Are we there yet?’

Chell asked, wiping away sweat. The weather was cool, and they hadn’t walked for too long, but the child seemed exhausted and kept falling behind.

On the other hand, Ian felt lighthearted, enjoying the outside breeze for the first time in ages. The unfamiliar street scenery was quite a treat.

‘We’re almost there.’

‘If you’re tired, young master Chell, shall we head back?’

Chell shook his head at Mac’s kind words.

If Theo were here, maybe. But if he went back alone now, he wouldn’t be able to follow his father’s orders. He had to remember as much as possible of the conversation between Ian and the others.

‘Oh, here it is.’

‘The Portro is beautifully landscaped to a high standard. The lake is very clear too. On a good day, the mountains are reflected perfectly on the water’s surface.’

Molin’s praise wasn’t just lip service. Even Ian, who had seen the magnificent gardens of the Imperial Palace, found it quite impressive.

But only for a moment. Ian looked around, hiding his unease.

‘How large is it?’

‘Well, I haven’t explored it all myself.’

‘It will take about thirty minutes to walk around at a leisurely pace.’

The park was bigger than he thought.

Since they hadn’t specified an exact location, the question was whether they could find the child’s mother. Even while talking to Molin, Ian was keenly aware of every passerby.

‘Ah.’

Then. In the distance, he noticed a vagrant with a stall, covered in cloth. Not a single strand of hair was visible, so it was impossible to tell if they were male or female. But among the items scattered on the ground, one was familiar.

‘It’s the same.’

There was a flowerpot of the same species as the dried flower his mother had given him. Ian stopped walking and looked back at Chell. Thankfully, he was a mess, his hair disheveled from sweating profusely.

‘Chell seems very tired, so I think it would be good to rest here for a bit.’

‘Shall we?’

‘If it’s alright, could we ask for something to drink?’

‘Just a moment. Lee!’

Mac called a servant walking behind them to bring drinks, and the group sat down on a nearby table bench to catch their breath. Ian kept glancing at the stall, looking for an opportunity.

‘While the servant is coming, I’d like to take a look over there. Brother, would you like to come with me?’

‘…No. I’m fine.’

Chell waved his hand, panting. Ian looked at the three men, silently asking for their consent. It wasn’t far from where they were sitting, so Mac nodded lightly.

‘Go ahead. Though I doubt there’s much to see.’

‘Thank you.’

Ian went to the stall and squatted down to examine the items. The vagrant, almost lying down, didn’t react. Could they have collapsed? Ian turned his head to the side and gathered his mana. His absinthe-colored eyes turned gold, and the brooch glowed red before stopping.

‘Mother.’

At his voice, the vagrant flinched and raised their head. Under the black cloth, golden hair like desert sand flowed. Green eyes like a child’s. It was Ian’s mother.

‘…Ian.’

‘Please don’t react too much and listen to what I have to say.’

Ian’s mother, Philia, was quite beautiful. It was understandable how she had caught Derga’s eye.

Philia tried to raise her head but stopped at Ian’s words. With her vision blocked by the cloth, she could only see the child’s chest.

‘Ian. Ian…’

‘Mother. I’m doing well. I received your letters. Don’t worry about me.’

Ian silently watched as his mother’s tears fell. He was sorry, but there was no time. The men behind him wouldn’t take their eyes off him.

‘Please understand that I can’t ask about you through Hanna like before. And I have a request.’

Ian took out a gold coin from his pocket.

‘Did you put this in?’

‘What? The gold coin?’

Philia looked completely clueless. He had expected it, but it was as he thought. It was a subtle attempt by the Count to emphasize that he was taking care of his mother materially.

Ian smiled brightly and placed the gold coin in the woman’s hand.

‘Prepare to hide yourself well with this money. I’ll let you know when through Hanna.’

Whether he wanted it or not, Philia was currently Ian’s obstacle. To cut down Derga, it was best to eliminate all possible variables.

The woman held the coin and raised her head, as if she didn’t understand what the child was saying.

‘Ian, your eyes…’

‘Promise me. Promise me you’ll do it for me.’

Golden eyes shining like a lion’s. Startled, Philia blinked, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

‘Ian, if you want to run away, you can.’

‘Mother, I’m sorry, but…’

‘Young master Ian!’

The servant placed drinks and snacks on the table. Mac called out to Ian, but the child couldn’t turn his head. He couldn’t show his golden eyes to those men.

‘Just sending you away like that makes me so sorry. So, if you want to, don’t hesitate to run away.’

Mac slowly approached. The closer he got, the more puzzled his expression became. The woman seemed to have come to meet Ian to convey her resolve. She couldn’t bring herself to hold the child’s hand, but she gripped his sleeve tightly.

‘I won’t run away.’

Ian added quietly, as if making a resolution.

‘Collect Gula seeds whenever you have the chance. They will surely be of great help later. And forget the song you used to sing to me. The lyrics I send in my letters will be the code from now on.’

Mac stood right behind him. Ian released his mana and smiled brightly. The golden eyes and the red brooch instantly lost their glow.

‘I’ll take the flowerpot. The price should be enough.’

‘Young master Ian? Is something the matter?’

‘I’m sorry, Sir Mac. I took a while because I was debating whether to buy it or not.’

Ian picked up the flowerpot and smiled. Mac carefully observed the child’s expression, but he couldn’t sense any emotion other than composure. He glanced at the vagrant and guided the child away.

‘Young master Chell’s stamina is much weaker than I thought.’

He whispered, chuckling as he made fun of Chell. Ian also smiled and glanced back slightly. Philia was completely prostrate, still covered in cloth. She was a woman who knew how to cry silently.

‘You bought a flowerpot, young master Ian.’

‘What kind of plant is it?’

Ian just smiled at Degore’s question. What did it matter? He wasn’t knowledgeable about plants, and from the letter, he was only sure that it was the flowerpot the child had been growing.

‘Well, I bought it because the flower was so pretty.’

‘I’ve never seen it before… Mac! Do you know?’

‘How would I?’

‘Aren’t you the expert at giving bouquets?’

‘Degore! Really!’

But surprisingly, everyone present seemed to be unaware of the flowerpot’s identity. The red petals, like watercolors, were so vibrant that one wouldn’t forget them after seeing them once.

Ian carefully hugged the flowerpot and looked back. The woman had already disappeared.

* * *

Click.

‘We’ve arrived.’

The coachman opened the door, and Theo staggered out. He was clearly still drunk. In front of the gate, servants with lanterns were waiting for them.

‘Young master, you’ve arrived?’

‘You must be tired? Please come inside quickly.’

‘Young master Ian has been asked to go to the study first.’

They quickly took his coat and provided a wet towel. Ian handed the flowerpot to a servant and headed straight upstairs.

Knock knock.

‘Come in.’

The permission came almost simultaneously with the knock. He must have been waiting quite a bit. As he entered, Derga stopped moving his quill.

‘The brooch.’

Checking the brooch was more important than greetings. Ian went closer to the desk and placed the brooch on his chest.

‘What did you talk about?’

‘Nothing special. The luncheon was held in the drawing room of the residence, and we mainly talked about the capital. After the meal, we went to a nearby park and continued our scholarly discussion.’

‘Is that so? That’s all?’

Derga stroked his mustache and picked up the brooch. Next to it was a glass container filled with a transparent liquid, which was a potion to activate the mana stone.

Splash.

The mana stone submerged in the liquid began to glow. The same reaction as when Ian infused it with mana. After a moment, a voice echoed slowly, like the sound of waves spreading from a conch shell.

‘[…Is this the residence?]’

‘[A civil servant from the capital… is dispatched… …It’s a place to use. It’s clean and… like my own home… it is.]’

‘What did he say about it being like his own home?’

‘I think he said he was living there as if it were his own home.’

The voice wasn’t clear, probably because it was a low-grade mana stone. Ian had to sigh inwardly.

‘So, this is how he plans to scrutinize the parts that aren’t accurate.’

He was tired, should he just unleash his mana and break it? Ian was seriously considering it when he heard a commotion outside. It was the Countess Mary.

‘I need to speak with you for a moment.’

‘What is it that requires such urgency?’

Her stiff lips were filled with anger. The Count frowned as he retrieved the brooch, and the Countess strode forward, glaring at Ian. She clearly didn’t like the situation.

‘Are you planning to have Chell follow that lowly thing every time he goes out? Taking him away from his lessons just to have him follow and watch that thing!’

‘How dare you speak to me like that!’

‘How can I not?’

Chell’s appearance when he arrived at the mansion was a mess. He was soaked in sweat like a drowned pig, and his staggering walk was pathetic.

Mary declared that she would never send the child as a guard again, and Derga raised his voice. They already had a lot of pent-up frustration, and it felt like a fire was being ignited.

‘Excuse me.’

Ian watched them quietly before interrupting. There was no reason to listen to their ear-splitting marital spat any longer.

‘I’ll take my leave first. Father. I’ll see you again tomorrow.’

And he slipped out of the study as if he were sliding on ice. As if it were a common occurrence, the servants were quickly scurrying down the hallway, crouching low. Ian went downstairs and met Hanna.

‘Hanna.’

‘Young master Ian. I’ve put the flowerpot in your room.’

‘Thank you. Thanks to you, I finished my task well.’

It meant he had met his mother successfully. Hanna followed him, chattering.

‘When I actually went to deliver the message, I realized the park was quite large. So, I told them to meet at the entrance closest to the Portro’s third district, where the guests reside.’

Ian turned to look at the child as he opened the door. No wonder. He had met her so easily because Hanna had done an excellent job. She was a smart and helpful child.

‘Yes. Thank you. Tell me if you want anything to eat.’

‘Yes, young master. Thank you!’

Hanna tidied up the lantern and bowed before leaving.

Ian wasn’t as exhausted as Chell, but his legs were sore and he was tired. He collapsed onto the bed and muttered.

‘This is troublesome… Should I use Chell as an excuse to go to the training grounds?’

It was time to start moving, both to train his stamina and because a time of upheaval was surely coming.

For the first time in his life, Ian fell asleep face down.