Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 161

‘Lady Hanna, a carrier pigeon has arrived.’

‘From where? Merelov?’

‘No. It seems to be from the central region. It has a crest similar to the one the master sent before.’

Hanna received the letter with gloved hands. Her hair was neatly tied back, and her clothes were clean and tidy. The image of the child who had lived near the red-light district and suffered from hunger was long gone.

Hanna smiled happily and ordered the servant,

‘Give the carrier pigeon some cool water and feed, and prepare a comfortable place for it.’

‘Yes, Lady Hanna.’

As the servant bowed and disappeared, she hurried to her office. She thought she had become more composed, but it seemed she still had a long way to go, seeing how her steps couldn’t be controlled because she was so happy about her master’s contact.

‘Is Lord Nersarn inside?’

‘Yes, he is. But, Lady Filia is with him as well.’

‘Please inform them immediately. I have brought a letter from Ian.’

The Cheonryeo warrior guarding the door nodded.

Who would have known that Nersarn and Filia would end up like this? Moreover, not long after Ian left for the central region, Filia had returned to the forest.

Knock knock.

‘Lord Nersarn, it’s Hanna. A letter from Ian has arrived.’

But just a few days later, Nersarn, who had only walked on the desert sand, personally came up to the forest and brought her back. He had her use the newly renovated master’s room and gave her small tasks such as gardening to give her life some stability. A weight for a stable life, so she wouldn’t fly away.

At first, Filia seemed to be uncomfortable, but at some point, she had completely blended into the mansion and had become an indispensable presence. To them, and to Nersarn.

‘Come in.’

‘Excuse me.’

Nersarn was sitting at his desk, going through documents. He was indifferent, without a single flaw. It was a clear contrast to Filia, who was sitting on the sofa with a face as red as a beet.

‘A letter from Sir Ian?’

‘Yes. There are quite a few letters in one envelope. There’s also one for the Lady of Merelov, but I’ll deliver it myself since the carrier pigeon seems tired.’

‘I hope nothing’s wrong.’

Nersarn muttered worriedly. This was the second contact they had received since Ian left for the central region.

The first one was to inform them that he had been granted the surname ‘Hielo,’ so the name of the territory had also changed. Since there wasn’t a single personal message, Filia and Hanna couldn’t hide their disappointment at the time.

‘If you mean something wrong, what kind of…’

As the color drained from Filia’s face, Hanna calmly called her name to calm her down.

‘Lady Filia, there’s nothing to worry about. There’s also one from Beric. It’s not a letter, but a drawing, and he put a lot of effort into coloring it. If it were urgent, he wouldn’t have done that.’

‘Yes, Filia. Don’t worry. There’s one for you too.’

‘For me?’

Nersarn naturally called her name and pulled her arm. The way he sat her on his lap and read each letter was truly affectionate. Hanna stared at the distant mountains as if she couldn’t see anything even though her eyes were open.

‘He’s asking if he ever saw any magical talent in himself when he was young. Besides turning his eyes gold.’

‘No. I, I didn’t know Ian had such talent at all. I just…’

Filia’s words trailed off as she delved into the past. The word ‘talent’ had reminded her of something. Nersarn gestured to Hanna to prepare a pen and paper.

‘When Ian was very young, he went on an errand to the merchant guild. At that time, he brought back a red flowerpot—’

‘Silask.’

‘Ah. Yes. That’s right. He said that the person who gave him the flowerpot praised him greatly, saying he had “talent.” I thought it was about chores, but when I think about it, it doesn’t seem like that was the nuance.’

The woman frowned as if trying to squeeze out even a single drop of dried-up memory.

‘That’s all.’

‘It will probably be helpful to Sir Ian.’

‘Is there anything else? Like, a greeting or something.’

‘Yes. Filia, he says to please stay comfortable in the mansion. He says that he hasn’t been in touch much due to the affairs of the Imperial Palace, but he wants you to know that his heart is close.’

Filia’s face lit up at Nersarn’s words.

Every time he saw her smile, Nersarn was reminded of the desert monsoon. The spectacular view of white flowers covering the sand mountains during the torrential rain that falls once every few decades. She was like a wildflower that caught his eye, but now she was like a flower that had consumed him.

‘Would you like to write a reply yourself? I’ll help you.’

‘Yes. I’d love to. I really want to.’

‘And I want to let him know about our meeting.’

‘…That’s good too.’

Hanna raised her hand as if she was dazzled by her beaming smile. She was beautiful even when she was in the gutter, but now that she had found love, she was like light itself.

‘But, what if Ian opposes it?’

Filia, who was fiddling with the pen, asked cautiously. She loved Nersarn so much, but she didn’t have the confidence to go against her son if he opposed it. At her words, Nersarn chuckled and shook his head immediately.

‘There’s no way he would. Sir Ian is a wise man.’

Nersarn was also relieved at Filia’s reassured expression.

However, he couldn’t shake off the worry that was deep in his heart. He had said that there was no way, but strictly speaking, this had nothing to do with ‘wisdom.’

‘What will Ian think…’

With a strange feeling he had never felt before, Nersarn tightly grasped Filia’s small hand.

* * *

‘Lady Filia is getting married? To Lord Nersarn?’

Romandro’s mouth was wide open, and he didn’t seem to have any intention of closing it. And for good reason, what was this all about…

‘Why? They look good together. Filia is pretty, and Nersarn is handsome. Of course, he’s a bit small compared to Kakan, but he’s still a warrior among warriors!’

At Beric’s words, Romandro’s expression became even more strange. ‘Small’? Even if Nersarn was a strategist, was it appropriate to call him ‘small’?

‘Take care of your own body. You little thing.’

‘What’s wrong with me?! These are all real combat muscles!’

‘Ian, by the way, how are you going to write the reply?’

Romandro ignored Beric and subtly observed his expression. He couldn’t feel any emotion from the gesture of turning the letters one by one. For some reason, he felt like he had to read his mood, and he felt anxious for no reason.

‘…Ian?’

‘…Nersarn, huh.’

‘I, well, it’s not my place to interfere, but… Lady Filia has been through a lot, so wouldn’t it be great if she met a good person and became happy? We’re now close with the Cheonryeo tribe, and, um. I think it’s a real celebration. Of course, there will be those in the Imperial Palace who will look at it with disdain.’

Ian’s father, the Minister of Magic and the lord of Hielo, was a barbarian. He had already been despised as a commoner when he first set foot in aristocratic society.

But if the new father was Nersarn? It was obvious what kind of rumors would spread. Ian and Romandro knew that they were true warriors, but the nobles in the central region wouldn’t know or want to know.

‘It is surprising.’

‘But the Hielo territory is very far from here. If we keep quiet, no one in the central region will know.’

‘Lord Romandro seems to care very much for Filia, no, Mother.’

‘Of course! She’s had a hard life.’

Romandro cleared his throat and added,

‘And actually, I knew this would happen.’

‘Huh? No way! You were completely surprised earlier?’

‘No, when Lady Filia and Lord Nersarn met at the entrance of the mansion. I sensed a strange, tingling energy, that’s what I mean.’

‘Ian! That’s a lie. He didn’t know, but he’s pretending he did.’

‘Hey! It’s true!’

Ian pondered for a moment before dipping his pen in ink. He had decided what to write in the reply. Romandro, who had been bickering with Beric, peeked his head out to check the contents.

‘If the nobles find out, they will definitely gossip. But does that mean there will be a problem?’

He was not ‘Ian’ who had just entered the palace, but ‘Ian Hielo,’ the Minister of Magic. No matter how much gossip spread behind his back, it would just be a matter of gossip.

‘Rather, it’s a good thing. True alliances are formed through marriage. Especially since the Cheonryeo tribe are people who have a special affection for their families, wouldn’t it be a great happiness for Mother?’

And it wasn’t just any warrior, but Nersarn, the younger brother of the tribal chief and a strategist. It would be an unbreakable bond of trust between Hielo and the Cheonryeo tribe. It would be a stepping stone to make up for the loss of power of the previous Bratz and the central army.

‘We should sincerely congratulate them. It’s a celebration.’

‘Yes, it’s a celebration! A celebration! I’ll write a congratulatory message separately.’

‘Me too, me too! I’ll draw again!’

As soon as he heard Ian’s positive answer, Romandro grabbed Beric’s hand and cheered. Honestly, when Hanna cried as she sent the warrior away, he had expected that a union through marriage would happen someday.

‘I never thought it would be Filia, though.’

Anyway, it was a good thing. Yes. This was something to celebrate on a human level, setting aside political calculations. Ian knew how much Filia had suffered, didn’t he? He smiled softly as he looked at the crookedly written letter.

-Ian, my son. I love you. I miss you. Hanna, Lord Nersarn, and everyone in the mansion are all doing well and happy. Thanks to you, I am happy too. Ian, how are you? Are you happy? Never forget that your mother is always there. Stay healthy and safe, I want to hold you. My baby. I love you.

A mother’s love was so heartfelt. Ian was honestly unfamiliar with it, and even a little amazed.

‘She passed away when I was so young, and the memories I have are all trivial.’

Was it because it was an arranged marriage of nobles? To recall his biological parents’ faces, Ian had to recall the faded family photo in the frame itself. There were no other memories.

‘Ian, what’s wrong? Has the ink dried?’

‘No. I’m just thinking about how to start the letter. And I’m wondering why there’s no mention of marriage in Mother’s letter. I thought she would ask for my permission first before proposing.’

Perhaps Filia was just thinking of informing him of the relationship? At Ian’s playful words, Romandro burst into a foolish laugh.

‘Heh heh! Heh! Well, even if he’s a warrior, he becomes cute in the face of love.’

‘By the way, Lord Romandro. Did you find out about that?’

‘Ah, about the Hyman family, you mean?’

Romandro slapped his cheeks to calm his excited heart. Then, he nodded, saying that Ian was right.

‘The Hyman family is in the process of an unofficial engagement. It has become a fait accompli. It seems that they will make it official when the situation stabilizes, as there have been many rumors, including the curse.’

Romandro frowned, twisting his beard.

‘But there’s a strange rumor going around these days.’

‘Are you talking about the Hyman family?’

‘They’ve ordered an unusually large number of magic armor. You saw it back then, didn’t you? The ones the bank guards use, the armor that can take on a hundred men.’

‘Me! I really want that!’

Beric shouted, raising his fist. He was so shocked when he saw them lifting heavy chests full of gold coins with one hand. Ian lightly twirled his pen and tilted his head.

‘Isn’t it just a branch expansion?’

‘They usually only increase by two or three per year, but this time they’ve ordered 100 suits. Thanks to that, the Imperial Guard’s delivery order has been delayed. It’s just a rumor so far. The supply of magic stones will probably be the same? Has Commander Acorella said anything?’

‘He’s been busy with Luron stones lately.’

‘I heard him complaining that the magic stones used in the armor, though they are low to mid-grade, are running out. Check it out.’

‘Yes. I will.’

Ian smiled brightly and thanked him for checking. He had a rough idea of what it meant for the Hyman family to be preparing magic armor.

Ian finished the letter he was writing to Filia and took out a new piece of paper.

Scribble.

-Lord Nersarn. I received your letter well. Please take good care of my mother. Just as Lord Nersarn swears eternal love, I hope that an eternal alliance will be established between Hielo and Cheonryeo.

And in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances, he added,

-Someday, when the weather warms up, the thin ice here will break. At that time, can you help me? In the name of the alliance, and in the name of a father.