Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 296

As soon as she left the reception room, May ruffled her hair and sighed. The royal family’s secrets, which were kept hush-hush even in their own country, had surfaced in another nation, and that too, in the Bariel Empire.

It was fortunate that Prince Jin was still young and had a gentle nature, and that they had come as guests for the festival. Otherwise, it would have been truly awkward.

Which kingdom’s delegation would enter the palace without even showing their faces? Even if they claimed to be ill, it was a situation that could easily be criticized.

‘Let’s be careful. Stay focused.’

As May stood there, touching her forehead, her subordinates cautiously expressed their concern. They had just arrived in Bariel, and both Prince Noah and May seemed to be in poor condition. If both leaders collapsed, it would be a complete disaster.

‘May, are you alright? You don’t look well.’

‘There’s no need to worry too much. Prince Jin understood, so we’ve overcome one hurdle, haven’t we?’

‘That’s right. So, let’s hurry back and rest. By now, everyone should have finished unpacking.’

The Clifford Kingdom’s lineage was a kind of proof. It indicated that their founding began with a fox in ancient times.

In the royal family, when a baby’s ears perked up and a tail grew, they considered it undeniable proof of their bloodline and celebrated deeply. A gift from the gods that had continued for a long, long time. Surely, they must have thought so in the early days of their founding.

‘Without knowing that it would later be called a curse.’

It was unclear when it had started. It seemed that the Clifford Kingdom was established because there was no issue with the perception of beastkin [people with animal features] in the past, but now it was unimaginable.

‘Let’s hurry. The prince is waiting.’

‘Yes, I understand.’

‘The coachman is provided separately by the Imperial Palace, right?’

‘They said we can send him back anytime once we’re familiar with the area. Oh, there he comes. Hey! Hurry up and get in!’

Although he was called a coachman, he was a servant under the Imperial Palace’s administration. He was there to assist with the guests’ overall convenience, as well as being familiar with the area. He put on his gloves and bowed to the Clifford people.

‘Please take care of me. If there’s anything you need, please let me know immediately. And if you go to the annex, Minister Ian Hielo said he would send a letter. He specifically requested Prince Noah’s signature.’

It was a kind of agreement that they had refused medical support from the Imperial Palace for the prince.

It must have seemed very strange to them. They claimed to be in such poor condition that they couldn’t even attend the palace greetings, yet they refused a doctor. They might even suspect that they had ulterior motives.

‘I understand. Tell them not to worry about that.’

‘Yes. Please get in. We’ll leave right away.’

Their diplomacy had already started with a disadvantage. If any unnecessary noise arose, it would become difficult.

May got into the carriage and calculated the date with her fingertips. One or two days. It seemed that it would take at least that much time for the curse to disappear. How could she manage it well?

‘Leaving aside the fact that it overlaps with the inauguration ceremony, if we don’t meet the kings of Luswena and Vergos, there’s no point in coming all this way. Starting with the evening banquet…’

Unlike Luswena, which was a bit distant, bordering the great desert, Vergos had a border that was adjacent to them.

Like all bordering countries, they had built and destroyed their history through large and small wars. Vergos was a group whose true intentions were hard to grasp. Especially since King Damon’s ascension to the throne.

‘If Clifford is absent from the meeting of the three countries, no one knows how the other two countries will conspire. They might even throw us as bait to oppose Bariel. We must somehow make it to the meeting…’

Hee-ing!

Thud!

While May was worrying, the carriage sped smoothly and arrived at the annex.

As her subordinates had said, the unpacking was all finished. There were people leaning against the railings, singing, dancing in groups, and sipping alcohol. It was how the Clifford people spent their afternoons.

‘May, you’re here?’

‘Where is the prince?’

‘We gave him a meal, but the dishes haven’t been taken out. Other than that, there were no problems.’

‘Is he alright? This place is different from Clifford, so the food and drink are different. His recovery might be slower.’

The guard reported with a slightly worried tone. The royal curse was something that no one knew about except for a few families. They often thought that when he hid his appearance like that, it was just a seizure.

‘Step back. I’ll call you again.’

May firmly rebuked them, saying it was unnecessary.

As the guard stepped back, she slowly opened the door. A rush of floral scent. It seemed that the Imperial Palace had prepared it for them…

‘Your Highness? It’s May.’

The prince, whose sense of smell had become more sensitive, couldn’t possibly stand it. May found Noah lying sprawled in the yard outside the window. Noah also wagged his tail happily upon seeing May.

‘May, you’re here?’

‘Why are you lying on the bare ground like that?’

‘The smell inside is too strong.’

The prince said, sniffing the scent of the grass.

May sighed and went down to the yard. When the curse manifested, the prince’s five senses became as sharp as an animal’s, and his reason became dull. It was sometimes quite troublesome.

But there was nothing she could do. If he felt comfortable like that, his recovery speed would increase.

‘Are you feeling better?’

‘Yes. It feels like I’m in a foreign country. The smell of the soil is different from Clifford, the trees are different, and even the sunlight seems different.’

Noah approached May and rubbed his forehead against her shoulder. It wasn’t for nothing that they called him a fox who bewitched people. She was dying because of him.

But what could she do? May stroked the fox’s ears and told him about the audience.

‘All the tribute items have been presented. Prince Jin was considerate, but his demeanor was sharper than I expected. Perhaps it’s because it’s his first diplomatic event and the inauguration ceremony is coming up, but his reaction was immediate. I also felt like he was misunderstanding something.’

She felt that they thought Clifford was deliberately not showing themselves in order to gain the upper hand over the prince.

That was why May had bowed her head politely and actively denied it. It was uncertain whether Prince Jin had understood her properly.

‘So, when you meet him later, you must be mindful and act well without giving them any reason to criticize you.’

‘Alright. So, I should lie flat on my belly, is that it?’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

Noah grinned as if he was joking. His fangs were particularly sharp and prominent. It was always from that point that he slowly returned to normal.

‘…It seems the curse is passing.’

‘Yeah. My teeth are like this, and my pupils have completely changed. Look.’

It was the moment May turned her head to check.

There was a commotion outside. It sounded like several people were talking, and judging by their raised voices, it seemed like there was a problem.

Sure enough, a guard urgently knocked on the door.

Knock knock! Knock!

‘May! Prince Noah!’

‘It’s very noisy. What’s going on?’

May shouted as she rushed over. Noah, unable to resist his curiosity, also poked his face through the window. The strong smell made him immediately gag.

Creak.

‘May, the, the mages from the Magic Department have arrived. It seems you need to come out for a moment.’

‘Mages?’

Was it the letter she had mentioned earlier? If so, there was no reason for such a fuss.

May turned to look at Noah, and Noah immediately wrapped himself in a blanket. He blinked with only his eyes peeking out. When his tail poked out, he even fidgeted to tidy it up.

‘I’ll be back in a moment, Your Highness.’

May said this and followed the guard outside.

At the end of the corridor entrance, at the end of the passage connected to the residence, the guards were confronting the mages. May hurriedly ran and stood in front of them.

‘What’s going on? You said you’re from the Magic Department?’

‘Are you the head of the delegation, May?’

‘Yes, I am. But we were supposed to receive a separate letter.’

If it was the Magic Department, wouldn’t it be something sent by Ian? At May’s words, the mages tilted their heads, not understanding what she meant.

‘We haven’t received any notice. What are you talking about?’

‘I’m talking about the letter refusing medical support from the Imperial Palace.’

‘Ah, that’s different. It’s not that, but recently, an abnormal hypersensitivity reaction to dragon antigens and antibodies was reported in Bariel. After investigation, it’s believed to have come from Luswena, and we’re conducting our own tests on foreigners who have entered the palace. It’s not complicated. If you could just give the mages a little time, the results will come out quickly.’

As the mages looked outside, May’s gaze followed.

The Clifford people, gathered in groups of three or five, were handing their hands to the mages. Those who were moderately drunk were excitedly chattering about something. They didn’t know what was going on.

‘This is not just for Clifford, but also for Luswena, who entered the palace earlier. We request your cooperation, but the guards are not letting us through.’

The mage smiled awkwardly and shrugged. It meant that the prince was no exception.

May was flustered and bit her lip without realizing it.

‘What are the symptoms of this abnormal reaction?’

‘Chills, fever, seizures, coughing up blood, vomiting, dizziness, etc. It’s complex, so I can’t say it definitively. You said the prince wasn’t feeling well, right?’

Damn it. How could things turn out like this?

Now that an abnormal reaction had been reported, there was no way to avoid the prince’s examination. No, rather, the more they avoided it, the more difficult Clifford’s position would become.

They wouldn’t see a doctor, they wouldn’t get tested, but they would avoid the audience because they were sick? If they were unlucky, they could be attacked for bringing an external epidemic into the Imperial Palace.

‘Is it really true that it started in Luswena?’

‘Yes, of course. Why would we lie about something like that? King Eriponi also received the test.’

What kind of country was Luswena to create and spread an epidemic like that?

No, it was possible. It wasn’t their intention.

No, but why now of all times!

‘Judging by the mention of King Eriponi, it seems certain. Haa.’

While May was hesitating, a mage took a step closer.

Then, the guards stood firm, puffing out their chests. It was the appearance that their prince wanted to hide. How could they let them pass?

The mage, looking very displeased, asked May.

‘How about you have the guards step aside? We have a lot of work to do too.’

‘The prince’s condition is very poor right now. Could we do the test after he recovers a bit? The day after tomorrow, no, even tomorrow.’

‘……’

‘It’s definitely not the dragon abnormal reaction you’re trying to test for now. It’s just-‘

She couldn’t even say it was a cold. It didn’t make sense to try to avoid the Imperial Palace’s test for such a reason. It was a situation where she couldn’t do anything.

The mage frowned and asked again.

‘…It doesn’t even take a few minutes, and it’s actually us who use the magic. Is it because it’s us?’

Even if the mages’ status was high, they were commoners without titles. They thought that the royal family was refusing to let commoners touch their bodies.

It was a huge misunderstanding, but it was a gap that felt like a blessing to May.

‘I, I apologize.’

‘There’s no need to apologize.’

But then, a voice was heard from behind.

‘It could be.’

It was Ian.

The head of the Magic Department and a viscount of the Empire.

Beric and Romandro followed Ian, trailing behind him.

‘Then, I will conduct the test myself. Would that be alright? Envoy May.’

Ian smiled brightly as he put on his gloves.

As if telling them to clear the way.