Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 266

‘Ji, Jin! Look at this!’ Romandro called out to Jin awkwardly. The child sat on the park bench with a blank expression and tightly pursed lips. Anyone could tell he was in a bad mood. He shook the bread repeatedly to try and cheer the child up. ‘Wow, there are so many pigeons here!’ ‘Romandro, your pants are being torn.’ ‘Huh? Ugh! Sia, catch this.’ ‘I’ll catch it if you throw it.’ ‘Pigeon, you rascal! Oh, stop flying!’ Flap! Flap! How could it be easy to live in the city? The pigeons pecked at Romandro’s bread, flapped their wings, and made gurgling noises. Swarming around, unable to move even a step, Romandro realized something was going wrong. ‘Oh, you little birds! Here! Sia, help me!’ ‘I’m sorry. Ian told me not to leave Jin’s side.’ ‘Hey, how far is it from there to here?’ ‘Throw the bread far away.’ ‘Ugh! Ugh!’ Romandro was putting on a one-man show, getting pecked here and there. It was a funny sight, but Jin just hugged his knees and sighed deeply. Just a moment ago, he was so happy and joyful, how could his mood flip so quickly? ‘I wonder when Ian will come?’ ‘He said he would just take a look around, so he’ll be back soon.’ It was a mistake. He shouldn’t have brought up Timothy there. He was such a striking person that it was easy to think of him, but Ian had gone to look around inside with only Beric. ‘…’ ‘Cheer up.’ ‘I’m in a great mood.’ ‘…’ Siaosi scratched his chin awkwardly. He said he was in a good mood, but he wasn’t even looking at the pigeons in the park. What was he thinking? Jin crossed his arms and kept changing his expression. He frowned, then pursed his lips, then sighed again. It was a cycle. ‘Really. Ian is too much.’ Honestly, he knew that Ian’s response was the right one. Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, the person was a key member of a foreign delegation, so it was necessary to confirm, and he also knew that taking him to an unfamiliar and crowded place would increase the burden of protection. But he couldn’t help but complain. It was a grumble, but it was a justified one. Swoosh. Jin got off the bench to walk for a bit. At the same time, the bushes nearby rustled. The hidden knights moved with Jin. ‘Romandro, Jin is moving.’ ‘Oh, where are you going? No, where are you going? Jin!’ ‘I want to walk a bit.’ ‘Let’s go, let’s go together. Ugh! You guys! Move!’ ‘Did you throw away the bread?’ ‘I threw it away, but the smell is still on me. They keep sticking to me!’ Siaosi looked back and forth between Romandro, who was being attacked by pigeons, and Jin, then followed Jin. He could almost hear his screams from behind. Swoosh. The child let his thoughts flow and looked around. Couples whispering sweet nothings on a bench, families napping on mats, a dog chasing a ball excitedly, and so on. The peace of Bariel was protecting such a diverse scene. Jin was walking along the flower bed. ‘Child.’ Someone was calling Jin? It was an old woman with a stall, wearing a shabby robe. Various items of unknown use were neatly laid out, and behind her, a handcart was full of miscellaneous goods. ‘Are you calling me?’ ‘I’m sorry, but could you pick up that marble for me?’ A little away from Jin, a crystal marble was slowly rolling away. At the old woman’s request, Sia moved first, picked it up, and handed it to her. ‘Thank you.’ ‘…’ Siaosi noticed that the old woman had no legs under her robe. Jin looked at the items on the stall and the crystal marble with curiosity. It was as if the night sky was contained within it. ‘Is it a decorative marble?’ ‘Hmm. That can’t be. There’s no such thing as a decorative marble for a gypsy. We use this to see the past, read the present, and predict the future.’ Wow, a gypsy. The gypsy he had only heard about. There was a rumor that the tribal chief of the Cheonryeo tribe was a gypsy, but other than that, Jin had no connection with them. ‘Are you curious? Shall I show you?’ ‘Show me what?’ ‘Anything you want.’ Jin, who was squatting, smiled faintly. What could she predict with a divine power that couldn’t even recognize the Empire’s prince? And above all, he knew that there was nothing as uncertain as predicting the future. Jin’s life was proof of that. Even the divine revelation that he had believed without a doubt was a lie. How much more would it be for a gypsy on the street? ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t have any money right now.’ ‘I don’t take money.’ ‘Then what?’ As the wind blew, the old woman’s face was briefly revealed under her robe. Her features were sagging with wrinkles, but her smile was gentle. Looking closely, it seemed like there was a gap in her cheek. Like a human with gills. ‘I am a secret eater. Tell me your secret, let me hear it. Then it will no longer be a secret, and I will eat it. Even the smallest thing is fine. Then, I will tell you your past and future that I have seen.’ Interesting. Is this how gypsies usually do business? Jin asked quietly. ‘Even the smallest thing?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You won’t tell anyone else, will you?’ ‘Of course not. Since I ate it, you won’t be able to tell anyone else either. If you share it with someone else, their secret will be the same.’ Hmm. What should he tell her? Jin tapped his toes and pondered, then came up with one. The old woman gestured for Siaosi to step back as if telling him not to listen, and then leaned her upper body closer. She had no legs, so she was supporting herself with her elbows on the ground. ‘Actually, when I read a foreign language.’ To be precise, when he read a foreign language in front of Ian. ‘Hmm.’ ‘It wasn’t the first time, I had practiced it beforehand. I wanted to be praised.’ ‘Oh ho!’ That’s a very delicious secret! The old woman chuckled, very pleased. The more she breathed heavily, the more the gills on her cheeks seemed to twitch. ‘Good. This is a secret that only you know. Very delicious. Delicious.’ The old woman stroked the crystal marble with satisfaction. Then, the sparkles that had filled the marble began to move slowly as if they had a will of their own. How strange, it was similar to when he first saw Ian’s magic. ‘…That scar.’ The old woman murmured quietly. Jin glanced around. Siaosi saw Romandro running from afar and gestured that he was here. He still hadn’t chased away a few pigeons. ‘It’s a relief, child. If it weren’t for that, you would have already died.’ Siaosi was surprised and turned his head. Putting aside the suspiciousness, it was a very rude thing to say. He tried to stop her, but Jin lightly grabbed his arm and stopped him. ‘Remember that the beginning of all the questions you have is that scar. And be suspicious. That will make you grow and protect you. You are a lonely child. How pitiful.’ Jin unconsciously touched the scar on his chin. The beginning of all questions was this scar? Come to think of it……. ‘That’s when Ian first reached out to me.’ Since that day, he had whispered that he was precious and comforted him to stop crying. He thought he was just comforting a child caught up in the rebellion, but he could clearly remember the moment of change. ‘And stay away from the light. You know that you can’t shine the brightest next to a brighter light.’ ‘What are you looking at?’ ‘What you are showing me.’ The light of the crystal marble went out. Romandro, who had rushed over, brushed off the pigeon feathers and looked at Jin and the gypsy old woman. Was she a suspicious person? As Romandro’s eyes narrowed, she smiled and stroked the marble. ‘Welcome. Would you like a reading too?’ ‘No, thank you. By the way, you shouldn’t be doing this here.’ ‘Hmm? Why?’ ‘This is a no-stall zone, and if you go back to the main gate, there are authorized spots. It would be better to move before the manager finds you.’ ‘Oh, my. I didn’t know because I haven’t been here long. Thank you for telling me.’ The old woman smiled awkwardly as she slowly packed her things. Then her robe was completely pulled back. Jin also realized that she had no legs. ‘Shall I help you?’ ‘Child, you are kind. But it’s okay. Wouldn’t it be too sad if I couldn’t handle this much? Go on now.’ Jin nodded and turned around with his group. She was a very strange person, and he kept looking back even as he walked away. Romandro noticed his gaze and asked the two of them. ‘Did anything happen?’ ‘She gave me a reading. She said she was a secret eater.’ ‘Oh, my. What a setup. It’s old-fashioned.’ ‘Are there many people like that?’ ‘They’re all over the place. From those who eat souls to those who babble nonsense about coming from the future. Well, it’s just a business tactic to survive.’ Siaosi subtly gave them a look as Romandro and Jin were talking as usual, forgetting that they were undercover. They had attracted some attention by loitering at the stall, so it would be better to be careful. ‘What time is it, Romandro?’ ‘Hmm. It’s just past four in the afternoon.’ ‘There’s still some time before Ian comes…….’ The pigeon feeding in the park ended in a mess. Would it be better to finish the schedule and go back? It was still a bit disappointing. ‘How about we go pick up Ian?’ ‘Ian told us not to come.’ ‘Not into the alley, just near it.’ ‘Hmm. We can’t just stand here anyway…. Then shall we see if there’s a decent tea house to rest?’ ‘That sounds good.’ ‘I wonder if that Beric is following orders well.’ ‘Don’t worry. Beric listens to Ian well.’ Once they joined up, the last thing on the schedule was to stop by Romandro’s mansion for dinner and then enter the palace. Jin was about to leave the park when he suddenly turned back. The legless gypsy was nowhere to be seen, and only the crushed grass remained as a trace of her stall. * * * Meanwhile, in the back alley where Ian and Beric had gone. The group’s worries were not unfounded at all. Ian frowned and waved his hand at the cigarette smoke that wafted from all directions. There were subtle sour and sweet smells mixed in with the acrid odor. Surely, it was drugs and aphrodisiacs. He put down his cards and tapped the remaining chips. ‘Oh, you’re pretty good?’ ‘Wait, wait! I’m not dead yet.’ ‘You idiot! Die quickly. The only card that can beat his is an ace. But that already came out.’ ‘Ugh! Damn it! Annoying!’ ‘Oh my, you can’t even calculate your hand, but you’re annoyed.’ ‘Hey, set up a spot here too. I want to join.’ The number of onlookers surrounding Ian’s table was increasing. As the atmosphere heated up, the sound of beer glasses clinking could be heard, and someone’s cheers and screams were interspersed with the music. ‘But I’ve never seen you before. Are you from here?’ ‘From the provinces.’ ‘I don’t like the way you look.’ ‘You always say that when you see handsome guys.’ It was absurd to join a gambling game that he hadn’t expected, but to be noticed like this while undercover. Ian rubbed his temples and looked at the iron bars on the other side. Beric was locked inside, diligently tearing into meat. ‘Ian! Fighting! Cheer up, cheer up!’ ‘You…….’ When their eyes met, Beric shook the iron bars and cheered him on. When the guard next to him poked him with a skewer for being noisy, Beric glared and cursed. ‘That hurts! You wanna die!’ ‘Oh, stop your nonsense.’ ‘Yeah, you too. If I get out of here, you’re the first one I’m going to chop up.’ Ian thought that he should never bring Beric with him again, and then flipped over his card. Cheers erupted from all over for the winner.