Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 251

Melania, stepping out of the carriage, stared blankly at the mansion. It felt truly strange. This place, her home for her entire life, felt foreign, as if she were visiting someone else’s house.

The trampled grass, the bloodstains on the marble floor, the toppled and broken ornaments, the torn curtains, and the entrance where no one came to greet her, despite her arrival.

Melania opened the half-open door herself and stepped inside.

Creak.

‘Hey. Who’s there? You’re not supposed to enter without permission. Are you perhaps from the Haiman family?’

At the end of the hallway, the Imperial Palace soldiers, who were gathered in small groups, shouted, sensing a presence. They didn’t recognize Melania. Just as she was about to reply, the soldier who had escorted her from the Imperial Palace followed her in.

‘This is Lady Melania, the youngest daughter of the Haiman family. Please don’t mind her and continue with your duties.’

‘Ah, yes. Thank you for your work.’

‘Where is Commander Jerritt?’

‘He said he was going to search the training grounds one more time, just in case.’

Melania bit her lip. The simple words of the soldiers, telling her not to mind them, reminded her of her situation.

She turned resolutely and ascended the stairs. Creak, creak, when did the stairs start making noise? All her senses were telling her that everything was a mess.

Thump! Clatter!

‘Melania!’

‘Brother!’

Her younger brother ran out, hearing the noise from downstairs. His disheveled clothes and messy hair were one thing, but his eyes, filled with despair, were particularly disturbing. He hugged his younger sister tightly, asking worriedly about her well-being.

‘Melania, are you alright? What about Father and Mother? And our older brother?’

‘Brother, let’s go inside first. Let’s talk inside.’

‘Please, tell me first. Is everyone alright? What happened at the Imperial Palace? Huh?’

Melania glanced around. There was no one upstairs either. Surely, she had told the servants to stay put…

She sat down on the stairs with her younger brother and ran a hand through her hair. A sigh, heavy with sweat, escaped her lips.

‘Before that, what happened to everyone?’

‘Don’t even ask. I’ve only just realized their true nature.’

Half of the mansion’s staff had left immediately after Melania’s carriage departed. The Imperial Palace soldiers’ words that they wouldn’t receive their wages had a significant impact.

No matter how long their loyalty had been, they had their own lives. Their families, lovers, and friends were waiting outside the mansion.

‘Brother. That’s how it is. Even shadows abandon me in the dark, so how can the people around me stay? Don’t resent them. We don’t even have enough strength to resent them.’

‘The slaves were taken away by the Imperial Palace soldiers, who counted them. It was as if they knew the exact number. The private soldiers were also dismissed. Some were badly beaten while resisting and were taken to the hospital. The treatment costs are being covered by the butler’s private funds for now…’

Her younger brother rubbed his face roughly with his dry hands. How did things get like this? How did the Haiman family reach a point where they couldn’t even afford their family’s medical expenses and had to rely on the butler’s money?

Melania comforted her brother, who had witnessed and endured everything. It was heartbreaking, but this was just the beginning. Brother. We’ve already left the starting point, and only death awaits us at the end. Melania swallowed the words that she couldn’t bring herself to say.

‘Brother. Don’t you remember? The Haiman children used jewels for marbles and silk for scissors games. If we just look for an opportunity, paying the family’s wages won’t be a problem. The end of Haiman isn’t that pathetic.’

‘Melania, the end! Now tell me. What exactly is happening inside? What about you? How did you get out?’

Melania held his hands tightly. And very quietly, she told him that the fate of Haiman was standing at the edge of a cliff.

‘Father, Mother, and our older brother will be executed. It seems like there’s no turning back. Sir Ian, the Minister of Magic, said he wouldn’t back down.’

‘Damn it! Damn it!’

Thump! Bang!

He roared in frustration and stomped his feet. Two or three soldiers downstairs peeked their heads up, wondering what was going on.

‘But there’s still a chance.’

‘A chance? Mother, Father are going to die! The family is ruined and penniless! And you say there’s a chance!’

‘We-!’

Melania grabbed her brother’s shoulders firmly. The woman’s eyes, clear and sparkling. The resolute stance of someone walking into a massive storm.

‘We are the existence of Haiman. If we live, Haiman lives. Haven’t you forgotten? Any family, no matter what, starts from just one person.’

‘Me, Melania…’

Melania couldn’t guarantee her younger brother’s life. No, she knew that it was more likely to end in tragedy.

For a direct descendant to survive from a family that was being destroyed for treason was a miracle. A miracle that she couldn’t have even imagined if she hadn’t met Ian in Bratz.

‘The Seroh family is being considered as the next family to replace Haiman. Sir Ian suggested it. If we prove a value superior to Seroh, they might spare one or two of us.’

Ian’s proposal only included Melania, but she didn’t tell her younger brother the truth. She knew his nature well. He was opportunistic, weak, and would ultimately choose his personal life over honor.

Unnecessary words would only create unnecessary misunderstandings and explanations, wouldn’t they? In this urgent and sensitive moment, Melania didn’t want that.

‘Is, is that true?’

‘Yes. So, keep your wits about you. There must be remaining descendants in the other seven families as well. We must unite and reverse the situation.’

A small hope was thrown out, and her younger brother’s face relaxed slightly. He fumbled in his pocket, looking for a cigarette.

‘Th, then… we don’t have a carriage we can use right now.’

‘I have the one I came in. And brother, just in case, I urge you, everything is a secret. If the other families know we have a chance, it will be difficult to change the situation. They might not cooperate out of spite.’

He nodded repeatedly, biting down on his dry cigarette.

Melania stroked his cheek with pity, her eyes reddening. Ah. Brother. When we were young, we used to hide by the stairs and share secrets, but now we’re whispering, prepared for death.

‘Melania. If the goal is to keep Seroh in check-‘

Melania, who had been gently stroking her brother’s face, raised an eyebrow.

‘So, Seroh is so arrogant now because he has gained the trust of Sir Ian and His Highness, right? If we show that his trust has fallen, wouldn’t his arrogance naturally subside?’

‘That’s a good idea, but we shouldn’t do that.’

‘Why not?’

‘That’s something Sir Ian can also do. If he directly invites another family instead of Seroh, has tea with them, discusses the situation, and proposes future projects, he can naturally show that his trust has shifted. But Sir Ian is trying to use us.’

What Ian wanted. Or what Ian couldn’t do. It meant a muddy fight between nobles. Her brother frowned, snapping his cigarette.

‘Are you saying he might use us and then discard us?’

‘Of course, he will.’

Melania smiled brightly. As if she had heard something truly naive.

‘But whether he throws us into the incinerator or onto the streets depends entirely on his will. Our goal is simply to be thrown away alive. Do you understand? To do that, we have to prove our usefulness and satisfy him.’

‘H, how…’

‘Go tidy yourself up and come out. I’ll change into something easier to move in as well.’

Melania grabbed her long dress with one hand and stood up. Then, with determination, she ran up to her bedroom, one step at a time.

There was no time. Before the trial begins, before everything comes to an end, she had to achieve results. Her brother watched his sister’s retreating figure, then, coming to his senses, crushed his cigarette.

* * *

Ian and Jin were sitting side by side on the sofa in the office, reading books. His desk was occupied by Romandro. He was sorting through the approval documents that he hadn’t been able to see while he was lying down.

Thanks to that, Ian was taking a short break, having tea time with Jin and turning the pages of his book.

Rustle.

‘Your Highness. Please read this.’

‘Car-deroni.’

‘Your pronunciation is very good.’

‘Is it? Hehe.’

Jin smiled bashfully at Ian’s praise. Beric, who was munching on gula across from them, decided to try it too.

‘What is it? I want to try.’

‘…Try to repeat after me. Car-deroni.’

‘Caa-rteroni!’

‘…Not bad.’

‘But what does it mean?’

‘It’s a foreign language. It means, “I will not eat meat from now on.”‘ [A joke based on a similar-sounding phrase in a foreign language].

At Ian’s words, Beric covered his mouth. It sounded like a joke, but his face didn’t change, so it was hard to tell.

As Beric rolled his eyes in confusion, Jin, who was sitting next to him, blinked his eyes strongly. It was a signal that it was a joke.

‘Ian! You shouldn’t joke about food! Huh? You completely scared me!’

‘Beric, I received the receipt yesterday. Are you sure you didn’t joke about food? It was an amount that no human could have eaten. You’re only allowed to eat pork for a while.’

‘Ha, damn it. I shouldn’t have gotten involved. I should have kept my mouth shut.’

With that, he grabbed a handful of gula and shoved it into his mouth. Romandro, who was watching from behind, scratched his chin with his pen and asked Ian.

‘By the way, Ian.’

‘Yes. Is there a problem with the approval?’

‘No. It’s not that, but after Jin’s successor appointment ceremony, what are we going to do with Beric and Siaoshi?’

Beric was a magic swordsman but a commoner, and Siaoshi was a slave. If Jin and Ian continued to be together, it was obvious that they would also be by Jin’s side. For those who were next to a member of the Imperial Family, especially the next Emperor, to be lower-class people without titles was not a good look. Ian leaned back on the sofa and nodded.

‘I’ve been thinking about that. How about making Beric a member of the Imperial Guard?’

‘Me? Where am I going?’

‘Not going anywhere, just the name.’

The Imperial Guard was full of magic swordsmen. So, if he wanted to stay in the Imperial Palace, it was natural for him to join that group. When Beric jumped up, Ian gestured for him to calm down.

‘Just the name? Is that okay?’

‘Do it.’

‘What about training?’

‘I’ll tell Jerritt. He’ll be assigned to that group, but we’ll pull him out to handle our tasks. They value every magic swordsman, so they won’t refuse the offer. Now, you have to earn your keep.’

‘Ah, I’m going to starve to death?’

He was trying to exert influence over the Imperial Guard through Beric. To be honest, he was such a mess that he didn’t think it would be of much help. But it was better to have his name on the list than to let him play around like this.

‘What about Sia?’

‘Sia is…’

Ian turned to look at Siaoshi, who was standing by the door. He was looking at Ian with a calm face.

‘Sia, what do you want to do? You’re not a magic swordsman, so the Imperial Defense Force would be perfect for you. Do you want to join there?’

‘I’m fine with anything.’

‘Then, shall I buy your slave papers from me?’

‘…Pardon?’

‘What’s the current market price, Romandro?’

‘Well. I’d have to check, but usually, the owner sets the price.’

If a slave could save up money to buy back their slave papers, they could restore their status. However, it was practically impossible because the owner set the price, and it was difficult for a slave to accumulate private property.

‘If you don’t have money, I’ll lend it to you. How about regaining your status and working here to pay it back?’

In reality, he would be living the same life as now. But the person closest to the prince couldn’t be a slave. Siaoshi understood the meaning and nodded.

‘If you would do that, I would be grateful.’

‘It’s money you have to pay back. There’s no need to be grateful.’

‘No, thank you.’

He was probably the only one in his lineage to escape slavery. Siaoshi thought of his mother, who had died in a cage, and his nose tingled strangely. Siaoshi couldn’t understand the source of that emotion.

Knock knock.

At that moment, a presence was heard from outside.

‘Come in.’

‘Sir Ian. The Ministry of Justice has contacted us. They said the final date for the trial of the seven families has been set.’

‘When is it?’

‘In ten days. And…’

‘And?’

‘Sir Seroh is outside.’

Seroh?

Ian, Romandro, Jin, and Siaoshi, the four men’s gazes met in the air. Beric just yawned and picked at his ears.