Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 3

‘It was an honor to meet you today, Ian.’ A carriage, the one Molin had arrived in, was waiting at the main gate. As the old man took off his hat and bowed, a servant brought him his cane. Ian, too, placed his hand on his chest, showing respect. ‘Despite my rudeness, your kind words will surely please my father.’ It was a formal and elegant gesture. A perfect posture, as if he were a tutor in the etiquette of the Imperial family. Molin looked down at the child’s eyes again and smiled. The deep green eyes were as clear as glass beads. ‘You truly care for the Count, Ian.’ Was it genuine? No. It was a question disguised as a compliment. An ambiguous intention, whether it was sarcasm or a probe. Molin seemed to expect an answer, but Ian had no intention of satisfying the old man’s desires. ‘Please have a safe trip.’ He only maintained the minimum courtesy with an ambiguous smile. Since he didn’t know the meaning of the words, he had no choice but to give an answer that followed suit. Molin seemed even more interested in Ian’s attitude. ‘Then, I’ll see you next week.’ The registration process wasn’t something that could be completed in a single day. Four times in total, with a week’s interval. He had to spend about a month like this with Molin. Only then would a report be sent to the capital, and after another fifteen days, a messenger would come down. One way or another, it meant that there were at least a couple of months if nothing went wrong. Ian confirmed the time he had been given and let out a sigh of relief. He was in a state where quick responses were ingrained in his body. ‘Then. Goodbye.’ Squeak. The coachman opened the door for Molin. He disappeared, keeping eye contact with Ian until the very end through the small window. Only when the carriage was no longer visible did the overall appearance of the Bratz Count’s residence come into view. ‘It’s quite old-fashioned for a border count.’ ‘Ian, shall I escort you to your room?’ ‘No. I think I should go back to the reception room.’ When the servant standing behind him asked cautiously, Ian shook his head. He had to check how Chel’s aftermath had been handled. Now that he hadn’t fully grasped the situation, he couldn’t predict what results his power would bring. So, he had to see it for himself. He had to see with his eyes and hear with his ears. ‘You may go ahead.’ ‘Yes, I understand. But, Ian!’ Ian turned his head at the servant’s call. Come to think of it, the hesitant face was somewhat familiar. It was the child who had endured Chel’s tantrum in the reception room. ‘Is your hand okay?’ The servant grabbed his slightly swollen hand and bowed. It wasn’t properly treated, but the heat seemed to have subsided. ‘…Thank you.’ ‘It’s nothing.’ What was so great about such a small act of kindness? As soon as the servant disappeared around the corner, Ian looked down at his own hand. There was something to confirm. ‘I can feel the mana.’ It was said that mana resonated with the soul, not the body. Even though it was an unfamiliar body, it seemed he could still summon power. He was flustered because he didn’t know anything about this situation… ‘It’s a relief, at least.’ It couldn’t be compared to his original body, but if he trained, he would be able to use mana much more easily. Even if the worst situation came, as long as he had mana, he would avoid that. Knock knock. Just as Ian, who had already arrived at the reception room, was about to knock on the door and enter. Instead of the Count’s family, he could only hear the chatter of unfamiliar servants inside. They were clearly cleaning up the messy floor. ‘Oh, my. Really. What on earth is going on?’ ‘I know, right? At seventeen years old.’ ‘Shhh. Be quiet. The Madam told us. Never to say it out loud. She said she’d punish us, so be careful.’ ‘I’d rather believe Ian made a mistake. Last time, his head was torn off by the young Count, and he fainted. When they said it was urine, I thought he had been torn again and made a mistake!’ The servants’ laughter rang out clearly. Ian hid his presence in the doorway and eavesdropped. It seemed they were being watched like hawks. Tsk tsk. ‘But when I saw him coming out of the garden today, it was really amazing. His posture was so upright, he looked more elegant than the Madam.’ ‘He’s just putting on a show because there’s a guest. If not, would the Count have left him alone? Like mother, like son. Seeing how shiny he is, he definitely has some courtesan blood mixed in him. Hey.’ ‘But his mother wasn’t a courtesan. Why do you call him a courtesan’s child?’ ‘That’s right. If you think about it, it’s the Count’s fault. Why would he touch a well-off woman?’ ‘Well-off? Is living hand-to-mouth considered well-off?’ Squeak. Ian, knowing there was no more value in listening, opened the door. The servants, who had been making a mess of words, all froze. ‘…Oh, um. Ian?’ ‘Where did my parents and brother go?’ Should they make an excuse, or not? The servants were also being polite and respectful, but everyone knew that Ian’s origins were humble and that he would soon be sold to the Cheonryeo tribe. ‘Do I have to ask again?’ ‘Ah! I’m sorry! The Madam and Young Master Chel have returned to their rooms, and the Count has gone to the main gate with the butler.’ If he went to the main gate, he must be trying to see off Sir Molin belatedly. He must have been too flustered. To send off Molin and Ian alone after his grown son’s mistake. He was clearly worried about what kind of weakness the sly old man might have caught. ‘Our paths have diverged.’ ‘I understand.’ As Ian calmly closed the door and left, the servants let out a sigh of relief and, at the same time, scolded a woman. ‘Oh, really! Bella! Your mouth is the problem.’ ‘Tch. What does it matter? He’s just a kid who’ll be sold off in a couple of months.’ ‘Don’t you watch your mouth? Do you want to get punished?’ It was a part that the Count was particularly concerned about. Wasn’t he making a big deal out of cleaning up Ian’s identity for the sake of the peace treaty? Even if the Imperial Palace didn’t say anything because it was their own business, who knew what kind of fault the Cheonryeo tribe would find if they knew? There was a reason why all the servants in the mansion treated Ian with such care. ‘Ah, Father.’ Ian found Count Derga returning from the end of the hallway. He approached Ian with a deeply furrowed brow. ‘Did Sir Molin leave?’ ‘Yes. I watched the carriage he came in leave.’ ‘What did you talk about while you were together?’ ‘It was just casual conversation. He did say something about Chel’s mistake, but it was just a worried concern.’ At the mention of Chel, Derga frowned even more, as if he were in trouble. Ian didn’t miss a single detail of that. Judging by his reaction, it was clear that Chel had kept quiet about the golden eyes. ‘…Go and prepare the carriage.’ The Count felt his stress levels rising and instructed the butler. Then, he put a jade mouthpiece to his lips. Whether the child was in front of him or not, he blew out a cool stream of harsh cigarette smoke. Then, suddenly. ‘How did you know about the Baron Pullen?’ It was a question that came up as he slowly reviewed the luncheon. It was because a bastard, who was lower than dirt, knew a scholar from the capital that even he didn’t know. Ian casually made up an excuse without much thought. ‘I overheard someone in the family talking about it.’ ‘Whose words?’ ‘I don’t know the name.’ He was a child who had not been here long. It was an impromptu response based on the judgment that he wouldn’t know all the people in the mansion. It seemed quite plausible, as Derga inferred the blank space on his own. ‘Is it Chel’s tutor? That man did say he graduated from Bariel University.’ Well. It wasn’t a very important part. Derga deliberately lowered his voice sternly. ‘Make no mistakes next week. If you drink the finger bowl water again, I’ll shove your head in the mop bucket.’ It seemed to be a part where the child had made a mistake before Emperor Ian possessed him. Ian nodded without adding anything. Derga held the smoke in his mouth and looked down at Ian. ‘Hmm.’ He certainly looked like his mother, so his face was worth looking at. When he first brought him, he was covered in grime and cried all day, so he didn’t have a chance to look at him. He didn’t particularly feel like looking at him either. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ If his registration was done well, he certainly had a face that the Cheonryeo tribe would welcome. And he was only sixteen years old. He might even be able to marry into the chieftain’s family. He didn’t know what would happen to his life as soon as he crossed the border. Anyway, if things went well, it would help with the formal peace treaty. ‘Forget about what your brother did today.’ ‘Yes, I understand.’ It was embarrassing even for the servants of the mansion, but what if the Cheonryeo tribe found out? The dignity of the next border count would become a joke. Just as he was about to finish his cigarette, the butler appeared with a coat. ‘Count. It’s ready.’ ‘Let’s go.’ Then, the Count turned away coldly. Ian watched him get into the carriage through the window. Judging by the fact that the servants didn’t even see him off, it was clear that it was a secret outing. ‘Tsk.’ He was a useless man. Ian erased his thoughts about him from his mind and turned around. It would be good to map out the entire mansion in his head first. Or, he could meet Chel and firmly control him. As he wandered around the huge mansion, he ended up reaching the central kitchen. The servants and their families were gathered in small groups, eating the leftovers from the backyard. ‘Ian?’ ‘What’s the matter?’ ‘It’s nothing. I was just taking a walk.’ How strange. Usually, he wouldn’t come out even if there was a fire. As the servants munched on the food, Ian frowned slightly. ‘They’re not livestock, so why are they eating leftovers…’ It was something that could never happen in Bariel, where he had been. Unless it was the lowest slum, who would eat food that had been thrown away? Regardless of the generally affluent standard of living, it was a taboo habit even in the slums after the outbreak of infectious diseases transmitted by saliva. But in the Bratz Count’s residence, it was a familiar sight, and they didn’t seem to mind at all. ‘Are you hungry? Would you like some?’ ‘Hey! How can you say such rude things to the young master!’ ‘Ah, I’m sorry.’ ‘No. No, it’s okay.’ The Cheonryeo tribe’s territory was in the middle of a scorching desert. The Bratz territory, which was the closest to it, was also affected by it, so it could be considered barren land compared to other places. The farmland itself was not abundant. And because it was a border area, how many soldiers were there? The balance between supply and demand had been broken for a long time, and the lower people were always hungry. ‘Then, please eat.’ ‘Yes. Please go in.’ Ian moved away so they could eat comfortably. But the more he thought about it, the stranger it felt. Was it a sense of incongruity? The time gap between Emperor Ian’s era was large, so it was natural, but even considering that, it felt like something was missing. ‘What is it? What’s missing…’ ‘Excuse me, Ian.’ At that moment, someone called him from behind. It was a girl of about his age with braided black hair. She was one of the family members who had been eating earlier. ‘What is it?’ ‘Well, I’m going to the market in an hour.’ …Why was she telling him that? Ian diligently racked his brain under his gentle smile. What was it? Was Ian also in charge of the market? Filling the mansion’s food supplies was a difficult task even for adults? ‘Well, what would you like me to tell your mother…’ ‘Ah.’ As the girl fidgeted with her fingers, he understood her intention. Every time she went out, she must have been giving Ian’s birth mother updates. Since she couldn’t read or write, she had no choice but to go through someone’s mouth. ‘Then that means I can’t leave the mansion.’ He was a precious sacrifice for the peace treaty. Perhaps he wouldn’t be able to leave the Count’s residence on his own until the Cheonryeo tribe arrived. With just one word, the girl reminded Ian of the shackles that were on his feet.