Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 248

That day, the wind in the Imperial Palace was particularly chilly. Flowers bloomed on the trees, and the wind that scattered the clouds was warm, yet it was chilly.

So, even if Jin was wrapped up to his head in a thick blanket, no one found it strange.

“Lady Dilaina passed away?”

“Yes, sometime last night.”

“Tsk tsk. Our Prince Jin, how pitiful.”

“His Majesty is not showing any improvement either, so the young one must be suffering a lot. Everyone has been ordered to be extra careful, so refrain from making rash comments.”

“What about the funeral?”

“It seems they will keep it simple. They can’t let the cause of death be known.”

Death by exposure to the poison of the monster Arsen.

This was the direct cause of Dilaina’s death, but everyone in the Imperial Palace was working together to erase the events of that day. Her death would likely be recorded as a disease or the worsening of injuries sustained during the rebellion.

The mage scratched his forehead with a stack of documents and sighed.

“By the way, how many candidates for the Geum-eon magic [a type of magic] are left?”

“Only fifteen have left so far. Ian can’t use his power, so the speed is slower. We’re already short-handed, and some have been dragged to the investigation room. Have you seen Petrik?”

“That crazy bastard. Who told him to have such foolish thoughts?”

“This is the first time I’ve experienced such chaotic days since entering the Imperial Palace.”

Even if the loss of manpower due to Arsen was taken into account, they had to put in double or triple the effort to weed out the traitors. The people being investigated were mages, and the people doing the investigating were also mages.

As they expressed their fatigue and walked down the hallway, there was someone secretly eavesdropping in the corner.

“Huh? Prince Jin’s mother?”

It was Beric. His mouth was full of meat, as were both of his hands. For recovery, juicy, chewy meat was essential, but the quack doctors in this Imperial Palace didn’t know anything and only gave him bland porridge.

He had no choice but to evade the attendants’ surveillance and wander around the dining hall, searching for meat. He still vividly remembered carrying her while she was unconscious during the rebellion!

Uh-huh, Beric stuck to the wall of the hallway and kept munching on meat.

‘…His mother died.’

Beric was about to return to his room, but he changed his course. It wasn’t walking, but more like staggering and rolling, but he didn’t feel too frustrated. Every time the juice went down his throat, he felt like his blood was circulating.

“Sir Beric?”

“Huck!”

But he didn’t know. It wasn’t that he was secretly moving without the mages’ knowledge, but that the mages were gritting their teeth and pretending not to notice.

This time, a report came in that he was rolling around the hallway with a lot of meat, so Vivianna and Romandro appeared in person.

“Tsk tsk. Look at him, is he even human?”

“Sir Romandro’s face isn’t much better.”

“I just woke up from sleeping!”

Romandro, who had fallen asleep as if he had fainted and barely woken up, was swollen, and half of his features had disappeared. Beric staggered and leaned against the wall.

“Then why didn’t you just keep sleeping? Why did you come out?”

“Lady Dilaina passed away. I was worried about Prince Jin, and thinking about Ian handling the work alone, I thought I’d at least come and see his face.”

Since he was recovering alone without the help of the mages, it seemed like he would only be able to say a few words and return. Romandro yawned and gestured for Beric to follow him.

“Prince Jin must be very heartbroken. Be careful with your actions. He’s alone at such a young age. Oh dear.”

“He has three siblings, how is he alone?”

When Beric asked, scratching his nose, Romandro and Vivianna made eye contact. Come to think of it, Beric had been bedridden since the end of the rebellion. He was in critical condition when Arsen used his magic in Prince Gail’s residence. It was natural that he didn’t know anything.

Romandro cleared his throat and spoke carefully.

“Marib, the First Prince, was stripped of his title and even executed.”

“…What?”

“Prince Gail also passed away.”

“Huh?!”

“Arsen, that…”

Romandro glanced around and whispered in Beric’s ear. Arsen’s identity and the consequences, how the aftermath was being handled, and that he shouldn’t speak carelessly, etc.

Beric was so shocked that his jaw dropped. The meat he was chewing was clearly visible. Vivianna carefully closed it for him.

“Huuuuuuh?!”

“You’re loud, you bastard.”

“Crazy, what happened while I was gone? Why am I the only one left out?”

“What do you mean you’re the only one left out? Is that even something to say?”

“Ugh, if I had been there!”

“If you had been there?”

Beric clicked his teeth roughly, unable to hide his excitement. Romandro grabbed Vivianna’s arm, saying that he was not human after all. She smiled gently and supported Beric.

“That’s nothing! Huh? Like this, like that, just, bam! Chew it up and done! Clean! I knew there was something off about him. He looked just like Prince Jin, but something was strange. Hmm. My intuition is always right. Wow. This is crazy.”

He’s playing around. Romandro thought it was fortunate that Beric was lying down while the incident was happening. They were already busy and chaotic, and if that guy had caused an accident, it would have been a real headache.

They exchanged glances with the passing mages and arrived near Jin’s residence. As they turned the corner, they saw a familiar figure.

“Oh my. Madam.”

“Hello, Sir Romandro. You’re up. Are you able to move? Are you alright?”

It was Philia and Nersarn. They had entered the Magic Department after being summoned by Ian, and they had just run into each other at the entrance. She and Nersarn found Beric and approached him.

“Sir Beric. I heard you were rolling around.”

“He seems better than I thought.”

“Why would I roll?”

“Is that so? Then that’s a relief.”

Beric looked puzzled, as if he didn’t understand. He was walking a bit strangely, but he was walking well on two feet, so he didn’t know why they were saying that.

In the meantime, Romandro gestured to a servant to send a message, and soon the door opened from the inside.

Creak.

“Sir Ian?”

“Your Highness, we heard.”

As the two couples carefully entered, Ian, who was sitting by the bed, greeted them with his hand to his mouth. He was asking them to be quiet and lower their voices.

Something shapeless wrapped in a thick blanket. It was Jin. The child was wrapped in a blanket, with only one hand out, holding Ian’s left hand.

“Have you come?”

“Is Prince Jin sleeping?”

Ian shrugged as if he didn’t know. His breathing was steady, but the grip wasn’t loosening. He had read to him twice, but Jin was still motionless.

Ian placed the documents on his lap and flipped through the papers with one hand.

“Sir Romandro, how is your condition?”

“I’m fine. I feel like I could fall asleep right away if I put my head on a pillow. Ian, how are you? I’m sorry. I couldn’t get up easily.”

“It’s alright. Captain Hale did his best. It seems he’s not cut out for office work, no matter how you look at it.”

When Ian smiled faintly, Romandro also let out a sigh of relief. In that gap, Beric pushed his head in. Ian was surprised and asked again.

“Beric. I heard you were rolling around?”

“Damn it. What the heck is going on?”

“Never mind. Judging by your appearance, you’re fine.”

“Master. Can I order the meat I couldn’t eat last time? I can eat meat now. Really! Look at this?”

Wagyu wagyu, Beric devoured the meat as if to show that he was healthy. Ian looked at him with curiosity. Oh, he let out a short exclamation, but that was it. He focused on the documents and scribbled with his pen.

“Sir Nersarn.”

“Yes, Sir Ian.”

Nersarn’s bronze shoulders twitched. Ah. What should they do about this awkward father-son atmosphere? Even the honorifics were ambiguous. Romandro rolled his eyes slightly, and Vivianna and Philia were just trying to appease Beric, who was putting on a meat show.

“I found a clue about Silask.”

“Is that true?”

“The trading company that gave me the flowerpot, it’s Rutherford. It’s also the source of the amber gemstone, ‘Idgal,’ that Marib used in the rebellion this time.”

Rutherford. Nersarn shook his head as if he had never heard of it. Wasn’t it a minority group that only interacted with Bratz in the Great Desert? There wasn’t any information he could give Ian separately.

“How is Chief Winchen’s condition?”

“He’s not fully recovered as before, but he’s holding up well.”

The gypsy’s chronic illness was also like that, but at the time, it was even more critical because of the traitor Bumat of Cheonryeo, who was in collusion with Count Derga. He was the chief of food management and had worsened Winchen’s health to take over the tribe.

“Rutherford is expected to enter Bariel around autumn. But I don’t know if it will go through Hawan or another route.”

“Autumn…”

“If they enter Bariel, we will surely be able to contact them, so there’s no need to worry about that.”

Will he be okay? A worry suddenly arose that Winchen, who had withered like a thin branch, would be able to endure until then, but there was no way to know. Nersarn nodded.

“Send a letter to Kakan. He said he’s going down slowly, combining it with a trip, so it will take a long time, won’t it?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Mother.”

“Yes?”

Philia, who was clapping her hands lightly and watching Beric eat meat, turned her head at Ian’s call.

“You said I was praised by the trading company back then, do you remember it in detail?”

“In detail?”

“Or if I was strange or different from usual after that day, etc. Even if it’s something trivial, please tell me anything that comes to mind.”

“Well…”

Philia tried hard to recall her faint memories. But no matter how much she thought about it, the strange one wasn’t Ian from that day, but Ian now.

How could he become so composed and intelligent after going through a few near-death experiences? Philia smiled awkwardly and touched her hair.

“I don’t think I’m being very helpful.”

“It’s alright.”

“He had a fever for a few days.”

“A fever? Why was that?”

When Ian asked the cause, Philia was flustered. He was a child from the slums. How many would know the reason for a fever? The environment was poor, and there were no doctors to look after them.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know that well.”

“Ian. Well, when foreign trading companies come and go, there are all sorts of unknown diseases that spread. A fever is common when you’re young. Yeah.”

“That’s right. It usually comes and goes quickly.”

As Romandro spoke, looking at Philia’s expression, Vivianna also added.

Did she misunderstand that he was blaming her? Ian gave his mother a faint smile. Philia’s face brightened instantly.

“…Sir Ian.”

At that moment, Jin slightly pulled back the blanket and showed his eyes. His pale and delicate eyes were swollen. Ian covered the light with his hand and asked kindly.

“Your Highness. Are you awake? Shall I tell Beric to leave?”

“No, what about me? I didn’t say a word and just ate meat! Prince Jin. Ian is the one who has been talking all this time! I’m innocent!”

“Uh-huh, you bastard. You’re loud. And your way of speaking is strange.”

“What are you talking about? Sir Romandro is louder, you know?”

Slap!

Romandro and Beric started bickering again, and under Vivianna’s smile, who had rolled up her sleeves, peace was forcibly restored. Jin looked around at the people gathered and asked.

“If you’re busy with work, you can go now.”

“Were we too loud?”

“It’s definitely not that.”

“If that’s the case, I’m fine. And everyone came here because they were worried about Your Highness, not just because of work. Right? Beric?”

“Huh? Me? Yeah, yeah! That’s right! Here’s the meat!”

At Ian’s call, Beric raised his hand. Ah. There was no meat. He had brought it to share with Jin, but he had eaten it all in the meantime.

Jin couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“Beric. I’m glad you’re up. Let’s eat the meat we couldn’t eat back then later. It was very delicious beef.”

“Huh. When? I’m the type to set a meal appointment and stick to it. Shall we have it for breakfast together?”

“This guy, how dare you eat with His Highness!”

“Agh! Siao-si ate with Prince Jin too!”

Slap!

As Romandro and Beric started bickering again, Vivianna even raised her voice, and Philia was caught in the middle, trying to stop them.

“Is it noisy?”

“No. I like it.”

Jin muttered at Ian’s question. It was better than listening to his own sobbing alone. Jin stared blankly at them from inside the blanket and suddenly asked.

“But Sir Ian.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do you perhaps have a younger sibling?”

“Yes?”

A younger sibling? For him?

When Ian raised his eyebrows, Jin also looked puzzled.

“Sir Riversaid told me. That your younger sibling is very beautiful.”