Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 301

‘Oh, do you make a lot of wine?’

‘They say the quality is good.’

‘Then it’s definitely a grape country! Just as I thought!’

‘Ha, if Clifford is grapes, is Bariel a banana?’

‘Ugh, childish. What are you even saying?’

‘You started it first!’

Ian, about to enter Noah’s detached palace bedroom, stopped. Romandro, standing behind him, did the same.

The conversation was not what one would expect to hear from the prince’s bedroom. It was clear that the prince had been influenced by Beric in the meantime.

Knock knock.

Squeak.

‘Excuse me, Your Highness. It’s Minister Ian Hielo.’

‘Oh! Come in! You’re just in time! Please, take this guy away!’

‘Hey, why are you like this? We were having fun. Ian, I was keeping His Highness company.’

‘Keeping company, my foot! You just spout nonsense all the time, it’s making me lose my mind!’

The two beasts rushed at Ian as soon as they saw him. Noah, not intending to hide that he was a beastman, openly displayed his ears and tail.

The two began to circle around Ian. Romandro managed to stop them by grabbing Beric by the scruff of his neck.

‘Haa.’

It was a sigh from the May envoy. She sat at the table, her forehead in her hand as if in despair. Her reason was already shattered due to the curse, and now she was being influenced by Beric. ‘Our prince is not like this,’ May muttered repeatedly.

‘Your Highness, please calm down and sit down first.’

‘If it weren’t for that Beric, I wouldn’t be so agitated!’

‘Huh? You shouldn’t say that, Your Highness. I was the one who rolled you around in the garden! You said it was fun!’

What on earth had happened in the last few hours? Ian placed a transparent crystal bottle on the table and sat down. Then, with a bright smile, he gestured for the two to sit down.

Beric, who had been chattering with Noah, noticed Ian’s gaze and quietly sat on a chair.

‘Your Highness. What are you doing? Standing there alone.’

‘You…!’

He didn’t forget to tease Noah until the very end.

Ian checked the time. It was more pressing than he thought, so it would be better to hurry a bit.

‘Prince Noah. The banquet time has been set. It will be held at seven in the evening at the main palace banquet hall, and the order of entry for each country will follow the order of their arrival. The Vergos envoys are still unpacking their carriages.’

‘Has the King of Vergos arrived?’

‘Yes. Safely.’

Safely. That included the meeting with Prince Jin as well. Of the three countries, only Clifford had not followed the proper procedures. Realizing this, May once again let out a distressed groan.

Swoosh.

‘His Highness Jin has been informed of your condition, Your Highness.’

‘Wh, what did he say?’

‘He didn’t say anything in particular.’

‘…Really?’

‘He just said he understood.’

Of course, it was a lie.

When he told him that Noah was a beastman, the child’s eyes widened so much. He seemed to be trying to restrain himself, but he couldn’t hide his excitement and surprise.

‘Oh, what should I do? Prince Noah is a beastman!’

‘That’s very good. It seems to be an inherent trait of the royal family itself. It’s a top secret known only to the closest aides within the palace, so we can surely gain considerable cooperation from Bariel. Beric has done something commendable for the first time in a while.’

Ian glanced at Beric. He was stuffing snacks from the table into his mouth, then, looking around, he pretended not to have eaten anything. His cheeks were bulging, but he had an expression that said he hadn’t eaten anything.

‘Then, is this the potion that will help me?’

At that moment, Noah asked, fiddling with the crystal bottle. It was filled with more than half of a light indigo liquid. Even at a glance, it looked unappetizing, according to Beric’s assessment.

‘Yes, it is. Unfortunately, the mage who specializes in this area is on sick leave, so it was made by the mages under him. The effect is certain, but the side effects cannot be ignored.’

‘Side effects?’

Noah and May’s brows furrowed at the same time. Suspicion instantly arose. It was easy to say side effects, but who knew if it would cut off Noah’s breath?

At the single word ‘side effects,’ the two became wary and their eyes turned cold.

‘You don’t have to look at it like that.’

‘You didn’t mention that. Your Highness is the successor of Clifford. We refuse anything that could be a problem. We’ll get the carriage right now—’

‘I understand that you are sensitive because of this situation in a foreign country, but you are being hasty, Envoy May. Anyone would think you are the one cursed.’

They said that if you are cursed, your reason becomes dull, right? That’s what you are now. Ian calmed May down with a composed but firm voice.

‘Even medicines that are good for the body have side effects. Moreover, this is something that temporarily erases what the Clifford authorities call a ‘curse,’ so it would be a lie to say there are no side effects.’

Swoosh.

Romandro took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his inner pocket. It was a simple document, but it was a kind of contract. Ian’s signature was clearly stamped at the bottom.

‘According to the mages who made it, it can temporarily hide unwanted physical characteristics, but after the effect wears off, they will return two to three times stronger before returning to their original state.’

‘Th, that means my ears and tail will grow two or three times?’

Noah grabbed his ears, looking disgusted. He was already monstrous enough as it was, but more ears? He didn’t even want to imagine it.

‘No. It’s not that, but there is a high possibility of problems with the fullness of the fur or maintaining your reason, which Prince Noah is experiencing.’

‘…How long does it last?’

‘It can be determined. If you drink all of the potion, it will last for seven hours. However, the side effects will increase two to three times accordingly.’

‘If it’s a maximum of twenty-one hours…’

May calculated, counting the schedule with her fingertips. Ah. That’s a relief. He would be able to attend the inauguration ceremony without any problems.

‘Besides this, you may experience chills, fever, and nausea, but it is not certain. As I said, the specialized mage is on sick leave.’

‘Then, can’t you order him to come back to the palace for a while?’

‘I apologize, but he left due to an abnormal reaction from the Luswena dragons. There is a risk of infection, so that is not possible.’

Noah’s ears perked up. Luswena. Come to think of it, everything started because of that place.

How could they have managed the dragon breeding grounds so poorly that a new epidemic had emerged after the previous one had disappeared? If it weren’t for that, there would have been no need for inspections, and there would have been no risk of being discovered in the first place.

‘Then, what is this contract?’

‘It is a contract agreeing that you are aware of the side effects I just mentioned. Besides this, if any other physical problems arise, it means that it is not due to the potion but a personal problem of Prince Noah.’

Just in case Noah might raise an issue with an excessive reaction.

Since the potion was made by Bariel’s magic department, if something went wrong, it could escalate into a diplomatic issue. It was a contract to prevent this in advance.

Of course, Clifford was not happy about it.

‘The first meeting of the three-nation alliance, committing a discourtesy to Bariel for the second time in a row. If there are no problems, it is much more advantageous to take the medicine and attend…’

Puff.

While May was pondering, Noah, without hesitation, pulled out the cork and smelled the liquid.

It smelled sweeter than he thought. Noah’s eyes narrowed, and his tail moved slowly from side to side, as if on guard.

‘Minister Ian Hielo. I want you to swear on a mage’s oath that there will be no tricks other than what you have said.’

Oh ho. He knows the mage’s oath.

That was unexpected. Unlike Luswena, where only a handful of mages exist, the last one in Clifford died ten years ago, or so he had heard.

Ian raised his hand, indicating that he would swear.

‘Your Highness. I swear on a mage’s oath that the potion was made without any problems. Your Highness, please also swear on the name of Clifford that you will not abuse Bariel’s goodwill and that you will sincerely congratulate His Highness Prince Jin on his inauguration.’

Noah’s tail thumped fiercely on the floor. It seemed like he was unconsciously revealing his mood, but he didn’t seem to realize it himself.

‘Alright. I also promise.’

Without hesitation, Noah downed the potion in one gulp. May, surprised, tried to stop him, but it was no use.

In the first place, when Ian discovered his identity, he had intended to die. He had thought of digging his own grave and crawling into it, so this was a win-win situation, and it was a golden opportunity for him.

‘Pen!’

‘Here it is.’

The moment Noah was about to sign the contract, the effects of the drug slowly began to appear. His full tail gradually shrank, and his protruding ears flattened as if they were lying down.

Beric, who was watching the scene from the side, exclaimed in amazement as if it were fascinating.

‘Wow, it’s disappearing. The ears and tail are gone! Amazing!’

‘What? Already? What do I do now?’

After signing the contract, Noah touched his head and buttocks with his fingertips. It was real. It had really disappeared without a trace. Yet, a subtle sensation remained, which was truly strange.

‘This is supposed to last for seven hours, right?’

‘…Your Highness. I didn’t say a single word that you should drink it now.’

Thud. Noah was so shocked that he froze. How reckless was a prince whose reason had not returned? When Ian turned to May, she had her eyes closed.

Noah carefully fumbled around May’s waist, looking for her pocket watch.

‘Ho, how many hours are left until the banquet?’

‘Two hours.’

‘Gasp.’

Five hours? That’s a bit close for comfort…….

Ian, as if he had finished his business, put the contract in his inner pocket and stood up.

‘I’ll see you at the banquet. Just in case, I’ll have more potions prepared. What should we do with Beric? Should we leave him behind?’

‘No! Take him with you!’

‘Huh. Your Highness, I’m disappointed! I rolled you around so much! I even brushed your tail, huh? And gave you delicious things!’

‘You bit me while brushing my tail! And the delicious things were prepared by the imperial palace, why are you taking credit for it?’

‘It looked plump, so I thought it would be nice to bite! And the food—’

‘Shut up! Sir Ian. Take him with you.’

‘…I apologize.’

At Ian’s signal, Romandro dragged Beric by the scruff of his neck.

Noah’s bedroom became quiet in an instant. He lay down on the bed with a sigh of relief.

‘Haa.’

‘How is your body, Your Highness? Are you okay?’

‘Yeah. I’m fine. I don’t feel anything.’

In response to May’s question, Noah awkwardly stroked his head repeatedly.

Wasn’t magic truly amazing? The royal family’s curse, which had been passed down since its origins. He couldn’t imagine how much effort the previous generations had put in to hide it.

Yet, a potion made in a few hours had such an effect…….

‘May. This must be the true taste of magic. I wish I could take some mages with me when I go back.’

May, also tidying up the table, nodded.

‘That’s why the King of Vergos proposed it. When the imperial palace opens, mages will pour out. There will be nothing as sweet as the fruit they bring. What will you do at the banquet? Things have gotten a bit twisted…….’

‘More than that, the problem is that my condition is strange.’

‘I was a bit surprised. It’s because you’re just past the transition period, so don’t worry too much. Who knows? It’s the power of magic, but since the beastman traits have disappeared, maybe your judgment will return as well.’

‘That would be a problem. It means I’ll become twice as stupid after the effect wears off. Probably even more than Beric. I’d rather not.’

Noah mumbled, rubbing his face against the pillow. Still, he drank it quite well, May added, but stopped herself.

‘Get up now. The banquet is in two hours, so you should start getting ready.’

‘Yeah. Okay.’

Noah stretched like a fox and got up. It seemed that only his appearance had changed, and his reason had not returned.

Beyond the curtains, the sun began to set. As dusk fell and the night completely descended, the imperial palace would shine more splendidly and brilliantly than during the day.

Because it was the moment of the first banquet between the three countries and Bariel, the meeting of the kings.