Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 428

“Berik.”

“Yes?”

Romandro, sensing an unusual atmosphere inside, grabbed Berik’s arm and pulled him aside.

Berik, who had been absentmindedly patting his stomach, turned his ear towards Romandro.

“What is it? Are we going to eat something?”

“No, you idiot. Is that all you ever think about? Can’t you see what’s going on in the Imperial Palace?”

“What do you expect from someone who just arrived? I’ve been rolling around on the battlefield, and now I’m just back.”

“Go to the mansion immediately and meet with Lady Philia. Tell her that questions are being raised about Ian’s origins in the Imperial Palace. It’s better for her, especially since she’s not in the best condition. Tell her not to hide rashly, and if she has anything to say, to let me know with a small note.”

“Why me? There are plenty of guards here who do nothing but loaf around.”

*Thwack!*

“Ouch!”

“You idiot, this is a serious matter, so a trustworthy person needs to go! What if Lady Philia’s message gets leaked?”

“Ah, a trustworthy person. Me?”

“…It’s a shame you’re bad with directions, but we can give you a carriage.”

Berik, who had been hit on the head by Romandro, grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. Even in the midst of annoyance, he never missed a chance to hear good news.

Romandro looked around restlessly and led Berik out of the Magic Department. While waiting for the coachman to bring a private carriage, Berik kept smiling and circling around Romandro.

“Am I trustworthy? You really know how to pick people. I guess I didn’t get a free ride on the nation’s payroll after all.”

“You’re the one getting a free ride on the nation’s payroll, Berik.”

“Hey, what are you talking about! My stomach has more holes than a sieve because of the war!”

“Berik. Before I met Ian in Bratz, you two already had a connection, right? Was there anything strange?”

“What are you talking about?”

Romandro watched a carriage approach and questioned Berik.

Romandro thought he had seen Ian at his lowest point as a bastard. Wasn’t he the boy who had carried the weight of a thousand worries on his shoulders in the devastated territory after the clash between the Central Army and the Derga Army?

Romandro had been able to laugh off the rumors about Ian’s origins in the palace. He was one of the few who had seen ‘Bastard Ian’ before ‘Ian Hielo.’ He knew Ian not as the powerful minister in the Imperial Palace, but as the Ian who had struggled in the borderlands.

But now that he thought about it, there were definitely strange things.

‘When he first came to the center, he used administrative terms like those used in the commercial district, and he knew the old Imperial etiquette. No matter how brilliant he was, he knew so many things that even I, a bureaucrat, didn’t know.’

Over the past six months, there had been countless examples. At the time, Romandro had passed them by without much thought, but with so many repeated doubts, he couldn’t ignore them.

“He was always like that. Why are they making a fuss now?”

“Really?”

“He knows a lot, and he’s a bit of a show-off. Hmm. He does whatever he wants. Sometimes he’s annoying, but he always feeds me well.”

“…Go. Give my regards to Lady Philia. And don’t eat there. Vivianna is about to give birth, so she really shouldn’t move. Mini is busy taking care of Vivianna, so don’t bother her!”

“Eek? You’re not going to feed me and still make me work? Isn’t that a violation of the Imperial Palace labor laws?”

“You’re just pretending to know something you overheard. There’s no such thing as Imperial Palace labor laws.”

“Caught me. If there isn’t, then never mind.”

*Tap tap!*

Berik dashed down the stairs and hid himself in the carriage. Soon, he stuck his forehead against the window and waved goodbye. Romandro waved back, telling him to be careful, and then heard the loud sound of the door closing behind him.

*Thud!*

“Oh my.”

What was that about? Romandro turned around involuntarily and saw Jin coming out of the main door. His eyes and cheeks were flushed red, as if he was furious.

It was the first time Romandro had seen the Crown Prince so angry, so he instinctively hid behind a pillar. It was a survival skill he had learned while working in the administration. When your superior looks upset, try to be as invisible as possible.

“Your Highness. Please slow down.”

“He’s terrible. Minister Ian is truly terrible.”

“What do you mean?”

Siaosi, also unaware of why Jin was angry, followed behind him with a puzzled look. The child bit his lip hard and glared at the quiet office.

“It’s not just Minister Ian who cares about Bariel.”

“Your Highness?”

“Let’s go. I’ll be in my chambers until the assembly.”

“…Yes, I will escort you.”

Siaosi quickly went ahead to prepare the carriage, making sure Jin wouldn’t have to slow his pace.

As the Crown Prince’s carriage left the Magic Department, dozens of attendants followed behind. Romandro peeked out from behind the pillar and clicked his tongue.

‘What did Ian say to make him so upset? Whatever it is, it’s highly likely that Ian is at fault. Oh dear, our Prince. He seems very hurt.’

Romandro was about to turn around, thinking he should say something to Ian, when he saw Ian walking across the hallway, wearing his coat haphazardly. In his hand were a couple of files. Without hesitation, Ian entered the basement where Damon was being interrogated, and soon, all the mages, including Acorella, poured out.

“Hey, why are you all coming out?”

“Ah, Lord Romandro. Lord Ian told all the members of the Magic Department to leave.”

“Huh? But the Imperial scribes are still inside?”

“Yes. He only told us to leave.”

Isn’t it usually the opposite?

It was common sense to keep the Magic Department, which was under his jurisdiction, close by and to send out those from other departments. But Ian had specifically ordered ‘those belonging to the Magic Department’ to leave.

Of course, the scribes were under the Imperial family, so Ian had no authority over them.

“By the way, Lord Romandro, have you heard anything?”

“Heard what?”

A couple of mages gathered around Romandro and whispered subtly. The others pretended not to hear, but it was clear they were listening intently to their conversation.

When Romandro pushed them away, a mage smiled slyly and asked,

“Why? You know, about Lord Ian’s origins.”

“Lord Ian’s origins are from Bratz, now Hielo. There’s nothing else to add. And everyone, do you believe what the leader of the enemy forces is saying? You’re supposed to be smart, but you have no discernment. How can I trust you with work!?”

“Oh my, my ears are going to fall off. Why are you suddenly so worked up?”

“Calm down, calm down. Whoa, whoa. Lord Romandro. Let’s breathe and talk.”

“All this whispering is pointless. Lord Romandro, can you lower your voice a bit? Huh? The Imperial staff might hear.”

Romandro deliberately raised his voice to distract the mages, worried they might have other intentions.

“You all know, right? Is Lord Ian the kind of person who would harbor dark intentions? He’s been protecting the Imperial Palace from the civil war without wavering. Come on, that’s ridiculous!”

“Ah, well, we’re not interested in that.”

“That’s right. Honestly, even if Lord Ian is from the Imperial family, we’d just be a little surprised. It’s not unbelievable, is it? He’s quite… what should I say?”

“He seems like royalty.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s it. He’s refined and elegant. He probably didn’t even cry when he was born.”

“The problem is Idgal. Lord Romandro, when you were in Bratz, did you ever see Idgal? That’s what we’re curious about.”

That remark that Damon had subtly let slip. It had left the mages with a great deal of doubt. Judging by Damon’s tone, it seemed like Ian was closely related to the existence of Idgal. But they couldn’t figure out if it was true or not.

That was because Ian had always been very strict about eradicating Idgal within the Magic Department.

Even when Acorella and other mages had investigated and analyzed Idgal and submitted reports, he had acted as if he was seeing the data for the first time. No matter how thorough Ian was, he wouldn’t have reacted like that.

“Idgal?”

“Yes. A pretty amber gem.”

“……”

Romandro pursed his lips. Of course, he had seen it! He had brought the amber gem that Lady Rien had given him from Bratz. And it had been handed over to the Magic Department, where it was revealed to be the same substance that Marib had used in the civil war.

Some mages who were not aware of the details asked questions with sparkling eyes, and Acorella, Romandro, and the mages from the relevant departments awkwardly averted their gazes.

“If Lord Ian really made Idgal-”

Romandro closed his eyes tightly at the mage’s muttering.

He was the one who had created the substance that bound the mages. This was a betrayal of the mages and could be a serious threat to Bariel.

That was because all the incidents related to Idgal had threatened the safety of Bariel. The civil war among the princes, the collapse of Clifford in southern Bariel, and so on.

“Is he crazy?”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t he? He’s crazy, really. I knew he was a genius, but this is beyond genius level.”

“You, you, are you Acorella’s subordinate?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“You sound just like her.”

“…I’m honestly a little confused. Genius or not, why would a mage make something like that?”

“It was long before he joined the Magic Department, wasn’t it? It was when Lord Ian was a little kid. So, even if you don’t understand, you should pretend to understand. What would a kid know? It’s a relief that he came to the Imperial Palace and took charge.”

“Hey, you crazy bastards. Get your heads straight. This isn’t something we can just brush off because it’s Lord Ian. On the contrary, how would you feel if Philic made Idgal?”

“He’s a damn bastard. How could he put his own kind in danger?!”

“That’s what I’m saying. Ah, you’re all bewitched by Lord Ian. It’s a crime that deserves a joint signature from all the mages to capture and kill him.”

“Watch your mouth. It’s Lord Ian.”

It seemed that opinions were divided among the mages. They were having a debate disguised as a discussion, trying to figure out if Ian was really connected to Idgal.

Acorella, who was chewing on a cigarette in the corner with her eyes closed, was thinking about how to deal with this situation.

“Ah, but where is that useless, brainless Hale doing!?”

*Thud! Bang!*

*Boom!*

At the same time as they realized Hale’s absence, a loud explosion erupted from the basement.

The mages flinched and lowered their upper bodies at the same time. Soon, smoke began to rise, and they gathered around the stairs leading down.

“Lord Ian, are you okay?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Should someone go down?”

“Lord Ian said no one is allowed to enter.”

“That’s why, someone should step up and go!”

Their gazes all turned to Romandro at the same time.

“…Me, me?”

“You’re his aide!”

“No, that’s, ugh!”

*Thump! Thud!*

Before he could refuse, Romandro was pushed down the stairs by the mages. He slowly grabbed the doorknob and turned it, and the hallway was filled with smoke.

*Tap.*

“I, Ian?”

And as his vision gradually cleared, he saw the basement. The scribes were covering half their faces with paper in shock, and Ian was standing there, grabbing Damon by the hair. The corners of his mouth were covered in red blood, and anyone who didn’t know better would think Damon’s tongue had been cut off.

* * *

“Ding-! Dong! Ding-dong! Open the door! Mini!”

Meanwhile, Berik arrived at Romandro’s mansion.

He made the sound of a doorbell with his mouth and shouted, and instead of Mini, he saw Philia first. Philia’s face was filled with joy, worry, and surprise as she opened the door.

“Berik!”

“Oh, hello.”

“Oh my, it’s so good to see you again! I heard you returned from the battlefield! Are you hurt anywhere? How is Ian? Is he safe?”

Philia hugged Berik tightly. Berik raised his fist as if to say not to worry and shouted,

“Of course! I crushed all the enemy’s heads and returned safely!”

“Yes, yes. You’ve worked hard. But what’s wrong? Why did you come? Did Lord Romandro leave some documents behind?”

“No, it’s not that-”

Berik frowned as he looked into Philia’s green eyes, which were just like Ian’s. Seriously, no matter how much he looked, she was a carbon copy of Ian.

“Well, there’s a problem in the Imperial Palace? Ian is your real son, right? Lady Philia, are you related to the Imperial family? Like, Ian’s father wasn’t a Derga, or something like that?”

“…What?”

A pure, yet very rude and blunt remark.

Philia’s eyes widened in bewilderment, and she rolled her eyes, trying to understand what Berik was saying.