Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 154

At the word ‘secret,’ Arsen’s demeanor shifted subtly. Though he was smiling, he couldn’t hide his displeasure. He was clearly thinking, ‘How dare a mere baron respond to a prince’s question like that?’

Ian looked down at the child, his smile unwavering.

‘You’re surprisingly full of venom.’

There was a sense of malice that went beyond mere cleverness. After a moment of silent eye contact, Arsen playfully swayed his body from side to side, laughing.

‘Ahaha. Sir Ian, you seem like a very interesting person.’

‘You flatter me, Your Highness.’

Even if Arsen and Jin’s faces were identical, distinguishing between them was not difficult. Their personalities were just too different. Arsen was always blooming and vibrant, while Jin was like ice that couldn’t melt in the shade—calm, cold, and indifferent.

‘I made a mistake. I was caught because I smiled; I would have succeeded otherwise.’

Arsen touched his cheeks, muttering as if disappointed. He seemed to think he was caught not because of his dimples, but because Jin didn’t have a habit of ‘smiling’.

Creak.

‘Sir Ian. Please, come inside.’

‘Will Your Highness Arsen be joining us as well?’

‘Your Highness? Why are you out in the cold? Come here.’

At Ian’s gesture, the chamberlain was shocked and draped his outer coat over Arsen’s shoulders. The child then coughed briefly, as if he had been waiting for it.

‘You’ve caught a chill in the wind.’

‘When I heard Sir Ian was coming, I couldn’t wait.’

Arsen smiled brightly and held out his hand, signaling for Ian to take it and go inside. Ian politely declined the prince’s offer.

‘My hands are cold, and I might make yours cold as well.’

‘Does Sir Ian dislike me?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Then take it. With your right hand.’

It was an order. At the child’s firm tone, the chamberlain bowed his head and urged him. His stubbornness was so strong that once he was displeased, there was no budging him. Ian looked down at Arsen and carefully took his hand. The child then smiled brightly, as if nothing had happened, and pulled him along.

‘Let’s go in.’

Creak. Thud!

As they stepped inside, a warm air enveloped them. Despite the early hour, Delilah was sitting on the sofa, perfectly dressed, sipping tea. She gave a curious smile as she saw Ian and Arsen enter.

‘Arsen, I was wondering where you had gone.’

‘I went to greet Sir Ian.’

Jin was sitting opposite Delilah. He maintained a straight posture, dignity, and composure. When Jin’s eyes met Ian’s, he lowered them slightly in greeting. The shadows of his eyelashes stretched long in the morning sunlight.

‘Sir Ian, please sit. I know you’re dealing with a lot of work, so this won’t be a long conversation.’

At Delilah’s gesture, Ian settled down, adjusting his coat. Meanwhile, Arsen scurried over to Jin, stuck close to him, and whispered quietly so no one else could hear.

‘I held a mage’s hand, you know?’

‘…’

Jin only turned his eyes to look at Arsen. It wasn’t that surprising. Arsen always liked to be one step ahead of others.

Like the other children of the Imperial Family, merely seeing magic directly wouldn’t have been enough for him. So, he must have gone to touch the hand of a mage, and one who had even defeated Wesley.

‘Next time, I’m going to touch a magic orb. How about that? Isn’t it amazing?’

At his brother’s boastful words, Jin recalled his memories with Ian. The warm, fluffy sensation of magic that swam between his fingers. What kind of expression would Arsen make if he knew that Jin had touched it first?

‘Why aren’t you answering? Isn’t it amazing?’

‘…It’s amazing, Arsen.’

His nature was to get an answer no matter what. Arsen smiled brightly and held out his palm to Jin, as if to say, ‘You didn’t get to touch it, but at least you can look.’ At that moment, Delilah cleared her throat, urging the two princes to behave.

‘Princes, be quiet.’

‘Yes, Mother!’

‘…I’m sorry.’

Though they were both reprimanded, only Jin’s shoulders noticeably slumped. Ian could see a fragment of his own past in that sight. A precious existence, but one who didn’t realize it, and thus wasted a brilliant childhood. If only someone had properly guided him, he wouldn’t have suffered so needlessly.

‘Mages are precious, but most are from commoner backgrounds. If you’re found out, you’ll be kicked out of the mansion, so hide it.’

Croni. A traitor, a nephew, and the only adult he could rely on when he was outside the palace. To young Ian, his words were the world, and they were the truth.

‘Speaking as family who has watched over you, not as your nephew. Ian, do you think you have the qualities of an emperor? You’re just a mage born into a noble family. If you seize the throne through luck created by circumstances, you will surely get hurt. So, reject the offer.’

In the end, those words were right. Ian ascended to the throne but fell due to treason, and he lost precious people, including Naum. Though he hated to admit it, Croni was among them as well.

‘Sir Ian?’

‘Yes, Lady Delilah.’

Ian smiled brightly and raised his head, as if he hadn’t missed a word Delilah had said. She gracefully touched the rim of her teacup and opened the conversation.

‘You don’t look well.’

‘I haven’t been sleeping well due to a lot of work.’

‘I heard you’re also involved in the selection of the Minister of Magic.’

‘That’s correct. At times like this, there needs to be someone at the center, holding things together.’

‘Did His Highness Marib offer you any words of encouragement?’

Delilah subtly baited him, asking if Marib was Ian’s patron. This was to confirm whether it would be beneficial for Marib if Ian became the Minister of Magic.

‘Since it’s an internal matter for the Magic Department, there hasn’t been any encouragement from the Imperial Palace yet. It would be an honor if Lady Delilah would be the first to do so.’

With the current situation where Marib and Gail, who was in league with the other princes, were expected to be in conflict, Ian answered with room to maneuver. Delilah then unconsciously placed her hand on her chest and sighed in relief.

‘Whew.’

‘Are you alright?’

‘Why is she like that?’ Ian looked at her with a puzzled expression, but Delilah just shook her head.

‘Then, has the head of the Magic Stone Management Department joined your support group?’

‘Lady Delilah. You’ve met His Highness Gail.’

‘…’

There’s a saying that silence means agreement. Instead of answering, Delilah closed her eyes and frowned. Judging by her attitude, it was clear that Gail had contacted Delilah and proposed a temporary alliance.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t know where Delilah’s family is from.’

Arsen and Jin were too young, and there was an older prince above them, so the power within the Imperial Palace was insignificant.

However, Delilah was a woman who had gained the Emperor’s trust and was acting as the Empress. Moreover, since there were no rumors about her background, it was a given that she was a noble, and it couldn’t be ruled out that she was a foreign royal.

‘Yes. To be precise, Gail came to me. It was the first time that had happened since I entered the palace. I thought the situation was quite difficult, but when I thought about it, it didn’t seem to be just his problem.’

‘It’s good to have more adults in the Imperial Palace. That way, Their Highnesses Arsen and Jin will have more to learn from.’

If the balance between Marib and Gail were to be disrupted, the impact would fall on the twin princes. Even if Delilah wanted to observe, she couldn’t. She realized that joining forces with the side that was gaining power was the only way to survive.

‘Gail said that there was someone hiding in the Magic Department who would replace Wesley. So, I thought it would be one of the candidates for minister, but no matter how much I thought about it, there wasn’t anyone suitable.’

She paused to take a sip of tea before continuing.

‘Most of them are nobodies without any backing, and I was going to support Commander Jang, who was the most useful among the candidates.’

Ah. So, Delilah was the one behind Commander Jang. Ian nodded slightly, as if he understood.

‘But if you are Gail’s hidden card, then things are different. Why bother sharing the pie? I will also actively support you.’

‘I am honored.’

This would mean the birth of a Minister of Magic who was simultaneously supported by the First Prince, Second Prince, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince. No one would dare to voice their opposition. Ian chuckled inwardly at Gail’s machinations.

‘You’re busy, Gail. But if we’re on the same boat, it would be better to give a heads-up about these matters.’

Without information sharing, it was impossible to know how much Delilah knew. Moreover, he didn’t even know what they had traded in their temporary alliance.

Gail’s alliance was temporary, but what about Delilah? What did she gain? She wouldn’t have jumped in just for the sake of maintaining balance.

‘So, was the reason you called me here to confirm that?’

‘That’s the most important thing. For now.’

Delilah smiled. The word ‘for now’ implied a lot. Ian also bowed his head with a customary smile.

‘Once you become the Minister of Magic, I will arrange another meeting.’

‘I will be waiting.’

‘You should know that when that time comes, you will be able to access all the data in the Magic Department. And you should also know that once you know, you can’t go back to not knowing.’

The classified documents of the Magic Department would contain detailed records of Arsen and Jin’s prophecies. Did that mean there was something more besides the revealed prophecies? Well, he would find out later.

Ian simply gave a calm greeting and rose from his seat.

‘Whenever you need me, please give me your orders. I will not forget Lady Delilah’s gracious help.’

‘That’s good to hear.’

‘Then, I will take my leave.’

‘Oh, by the way, have you heard about this?’

Delilah stopped Ian.

‘This isn’t something I heard from Gail, but something I overheard at a gathering of noble ladies. I’m curious if it’s true or not.’

‘Please ask.’

‘There’s a rumor that Gail is getting engaged to a daughter of the Hyman family. Do you know anything about it?’

The Hyman family. A noble family that held the heart of Bariel Finance. They also had royal blood from another country, making them a powerful force. They were the perfect family to fill the void left by Wesley’s death.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about it.’

‘Is that so? That’s a shame. I understand.’

If it were true, Gail was a man who wouldn’t die easily. He would be able to properly strike Marib, who was relieved after almost killing him, in the back of the head.

Creak.

As Ian left, Delilah stroked her hair and fell into deep thought. In the midst of the bloody fight between Marib and Gail, it was always her and her sons who were anxious. Even if they were to temporarily defuse the situation, wouldn’t there come a time when they would have to face it head-on?

Before Arsen and Jin came of age, either Marib or Gail would surely draw their swords.

‘Marib and Gail, and Ian.’

Ian felt like the point where the gears meshed. He seemed to hold the key to check both Marib and Gail at the same time. It would be great if she could properly grasp him…

‘Mother, what are you thinking so hard about?’

‘Huh? It’s nothing.’

Delilah stroked Arsen’s head as he snuggled up to her and then looked at Jin. Jin was still sitting in his place, looking at his mother with indifferent eyes.