Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 229

“Your Highness.”

“……!”

“Your Highness Jin. Are you alright?”

Jin’s eyes snapped open. It felt as if he had been dragged up from the depths of the sea. The pain that had been gripping his chest loosened, and tears that had pooled in his eyes trickled down.

Siao Shi was kneeling at his bedside, meeting his gaze. It seemed he had been calling Jin’s name repeatedly. Unable to touch him carelessly, he was about to go call Ian if Jin didn’t wake up this time.

“Haa, haa…”

“Are you unwell? Shall I call for someone?”

“…No.”

His whole body was drenched in sweat. As the boy slowly raised his upper body, Siao Shi propped up the pillow and poured him some lukewarm water. The sunlight streaming through the window was bright. It must have been quite some time since morning had arrived.

“Did nothing happen last night?”

What a random question out of the blue. Siao Shi carefully examined Jin’s complexion. Fear and anxiety were clearly visible.

Well, if your brother was a demon, and had been plotting to wither you away for ten years, who could remain sane?

Whatever it was, Siao Shi’s answer was already decided.

“Nothing happened.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. I was by your side all night.”

“I see. So it was.”

Then it was definitely a dream, Jin thought, rubbing the back of his neck to shake off the awkward feeling.

Still, it was a relief. Although he had been overwhelmed, the fact that he had stood up to Arsen. It felt like his eroded self was slowly coming back to life.

Jin buried his face in the pillow and let out a sigh of relief.

“I will bring you some water to wash your face.”

“Yes. It would be good to change the bedding too.”

Just a simple nightmare. His whole body was tense before the big event, and it was a natural hallucination. Jin brushed it off as such and shook off his worries.

Knock knock.

Soon, the servants brought in water for washing and clothes, helping Jin with his morning preparations. The boy sat on a chair, quietly receiving their ministrations, but something felt strange.

“Is something going on outside?”

The servants’ expressions were odd, and the commotion was more than usual. It was always noisy in the Magic Department, but this was particularly different.

The servants exchanged glances, seemingly unable to answer, and remained silent.

“I asked you a question.”

“We apologize. There, um, there’s a rumor going around the Imperial Palace right now.”

“A rumor? What kind?”

“That His Highness Arsen is a, a demon.”

Jin’s eyes widened. Wasn’t that a top secret known only to a few? If even a low-ranking servant knew about it, it meant everyone in the Imperial Palace already knew. It wasn’t like this when he went to sleep last night; in just a few hours, the world had turned upside down.

Siao Shi helped Jin put on his shoes and informed him.

“It seems that the Master made a statement at the Grand Assembly last night. It wasn’t as if he was trying to keep it a secret, so people from other departments have been flocking here since sunrise, making it a bit chaotic.”

Some had taken it upon themselves to verify the truth, while others strongly protested, demanding that the slander stop immediately.

The confusion wasn’t limited to outsiders. The mages were also debating whether Ian’s statement was true.

Tap!

“Oh my, Your Highness!”

Jin refused the servant’s help and ran to Ian’s office. However, he couldn’t get close due to the countless people blocking the way and had to stop in his tracks.

Thump! Thump!

“Sir Ian. Are you inside?”

“He hasn’t been seen for days, and then he goes to the Grand Assembly?”

“It was held at night, they say. And he quietly prepared the carriage.”

“I’m from the Administration Department. Let’s talk!”

“Is the statement at the Grand Assembly true, Sir Ian!”

The corridor was filled with the murmur of conversations, each with their own agenda. Siao Shi, who had followed behind, draped a coat over Jin’s shoulders.

“It seems like he’s trying to pull a fast one because he’s afraid of losing his position as Minister.”

“Of course. They came out of the same womb, but one is a demon and the other is human? Is that even believable? The magic confirmation ceremony is coming up soon, so he’s clearly trying to create controversy to avoid it.”

“Still, this statement carries a lot of weight. If it’s not true, he’ll be executed immediately, so the fact that he revealed it himself means he must have some reason to believe it.”

“Why, the officials said it before, didn’t they? That His Highness Arsen never showed his magic in front of people. It’s an excuse about his physical condition, but there must be something fishy about it.”

“What’s the reaction from His Highness Arsen’s side?”

As Arsen’s name was mentioned, Jin hid himself deeper into the corner. What would Arsen do? Arsen was….

Tap tap.

“Huh?”

It was then. A tap on Jin’s shoulder, it was Ian. He smiled, putting a finger to his lips, then gestured as if to say, let’s go out. Roman, who looked haggard, was with him.

Tap tap!

“Did you cough? I heard you didn’t sleep well. Are you not feeling well?”

“It’s, it’s not that. Don’t worry.”

As they walked through the quiet corridor, Jin looked up at Ian. His expression was as calm as ever. Like the sea that holds everything within it.

Jin thought that the sea that had swallowed him in the morning and Ian’s sea were different yet similar. The clear thing was, he wasn’t afraid of being swallowed by Ian’s.

“I heard you said something at the Grand Assembly, Sir Ian.”

“That Arsen is a demon? Yes, I did.”

“Why? There’s only one day left.”

“Because there’s only one day left, it’s the perfect time. Depending on the facts you are aware of, the conclusion can be different even when looking at the same phenomenon. So, there is a big difference between participating in the confirmation ceremony while being aware that Arsen is a demon and not.”

“…I don’t quite understand.”

Jin mumbled, looking perplexed, and Ian pondered. In times like this, an easy analogy was the best.

“Well, Your Highness. Let’s say Beric appears badly injured. Those who don’t know Beric can only ‘guess’ why he’s hurt, but they can’t be ‘certain.’ Did he fall somewhere? If he’s a slave, did his master beat him? Or if not that-”

But those who know Beric well can immediately reach ‘certainty’ without that process. Roman, who was listening from behind, answered instead.

“That guy, he must have gotten into another fight!”

“I want everyone to think that way when they see the injured Beric. That’s why I revealed the information that Beric is aggressive and likes blood.”

The magic confirmation ceremony wouldn’t proceed as formally as the New Year’s party. There would be numerous reactions to the revelation that Arsen was a demon, and if they saw it with a blank slate, they might misinterpret the effects of the magic.

But what if they saw it with the information that ‘Arsen is a demon’?

“They will be more sensitive to even the smallest oddity. So, it’s better to reveal it before the magic confirmation ceremony.”

“…I’m worried.”

“Are you worried that Arsen and Haiman might cause trouble?”

At that moment, a rainbow appeared in the distance. It was because the gardener had been spraying water. He recognized Ian and Jin, took off his hat, and greeted them.

“Arsen did not refuse the magic confirmation ceremony and was confident. Whatever it is, it means he has the leeway to activate the light of the oracle. And with that, he has gained the support of his close aides, including Haiman. Even if Arsen himself doesn’t know, those around him must be celebrating.”

The stakes were high. He had said that if Arsen was a demon, he would die. Wasn’t it?

It was a kind of one-on-one match. From their perspective, who were in control of the situation, there was no reason to refuse. They could officially and with a legitimate cause, defeat Ian.

“So, you can assume that there’s no chance they’ll cause an accident by overturning the magic confirmation ceremony with only one day left.”

“Um, Sir Ian.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Actually, I had another dream about Lord Riversaid.”

He was referring to the night two days ago when the brothers’ identities were first revealed. The night Ian had read Jin a fairy tale.

Jin was curious. If Arsen was a demon, would he be aware of it? Did he truly understand the curse’s calling and commit evil deeds?

“Lord Riversaid didn’t answer.”

“Because it’s a question that can’t be answered.”

“Why?”

“The wicked do not know they are wicked. The good do not think of themselves as good either. If someone adorns themselves with the rhetoric of being good, remember this. That person is more arrogant and selfish than anyone else.”

Their own standards are justice. So, there was no need to know, nor could they know, the other’s awareness. Ian held Jin’s hand tightly and urged him.

“And even if Arsen doesn’t realize he’s a demon and denies his own existence, don’t waver. That is pure evil. On that day, what will die is not your brother, but the curse that torments Bariel.”

Jin looked straight into Ian’s eyes and nodded. It was an answer vowing not to waver. Ian smiled contentedly and let go of the boy’s hand.

“Anyway, thanks to the commotion I caused, the Magic Department is a bit chaotic. Please bear with it until tomorrow, Your Highness.”

“Yes. I will graciously bear with it.”

“Thank you.”

As the two were having a playful conversation, mages came running from afar. It seemed the gardener had told them he was here.

Tap tap!

“Sir Ian! Ah, really! Sir Ian!”

“Why are you here? It’s chaos inside.”

“I ran away because it’s chaos.”

“Why are you doing this, really! Please don’t do this. Sir Ian, you’re the Minister of the Magic Department!”

As the mages tearfully rushed at him, Ian laughed and cut them off. They snapped to attention and reported.

“They’ve arrived, they’ve arrived!”

“They’ve just passed through the main gate of the Imperial Palace.”

“The Carbo priests and the light of the oracle!”

* * *

“Did you hear?”

“Yes. Sir Ian made a huge mistake. Calling His Highness Arsen a demon. How can that be? And what about His Highness Jin, who was born with him? Haha. Honestly.”

“I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.”

“He’s gone too far. It’s a ploy to belittle His Highness Arsen’s magic. We must never let it happen.”

Clink! Clang!

The ministers gathered in Delilah’s drawing room laughed, each one cursing Ian. They said he was doing all sorts of things before the magic confirmation ceremony.

However, when Delilah placed her teacup down as if throwing it, they fell silent and only cleared their throats. Arsen, who was sitting next to her, was staring out the window indifferently.

“Is it funny? Ian’s statement means that I gave birth to a demon. It’s an insult to the Carbo family, and it’s an act of contempt towards me and His Majesty the Emperor. I wouldn’t be satisfied even if I twisted his neck right now, but you’re laughing? All of you?”

“Lady Delilah. It’s not that…”

“Ahem. I apologize.”

Delilah’s eyes were narrowed. If they offended her even slightly, she looked like she would tear them apart instead of Ian. The ministers kept their mouths shut, repeatedly biting their tongues.

“Lady Delilah. Please calm your anger. Once the magic confirmation ceremony is over, you can twist his neck or tear him apart as you please. Then you can also regain custody of His Highness Jin, and only blessings will befall Bariel in the future.”

At someone’s consolation, Delilah held her son’s hand tightly. How could her beloved and precious son be a demon? The more she thought about it, the more furious she became, and flames rose within her.

“Arsen.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“If only His Majesty the Emperor were here at times like this.”

The mother hugged her son tightly, but the boy looked up at the ceiling without any emotion. How foolish. If the Emperor was fine, would there have been an opportunity? It was the moment Arsen was about to pull away from his mother’s arms.

Knock knock!

“What is it?”

“A message has just arrived. The light of the oracle has just entered the palace.”

“Oh, finally!”

“That’s great news! Yes! Hahaha!”

The ministers clapped their hands and rose from their seats. It was to greet the light of the oracle. Everyone had a bright expression, but Arsen was somehow not smiling.

Ian had risked his life. From what he sensed, Ian was someone who never did anything that would put him at a disadvantage.

‘…What is it?’

As Arsen pondered, Delilah grabbed his shoulder and called out worriedly. As if asking what was worrying him so much.

“Arsen?”

Then Arsen quickly changed his expression and smiled brightly.

“Let’s go out too, Mother.”

He had never used his abilities on a mage. But now that questions about his existence had been raised, there was no harm in trying. He didn’t know if it would work on Ian, who was the Minister. But he couldn’t spend the day suspiciously like this.