Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 44

“I feel a bit sorry for the deceased butler.”

“What for?”

“…I borrowed something while leaving the mansion.”

She prettily phrased the word ‘stole.’ Ian chuckled, looking at her as if to say, ‘Go on.’ It wasn’t a reaction of resentment but genuine disbelief.

“I couldn’t help it. Didn’t you tell me to stop?”

“Yes, yes. I did.”

“I had to leave the mansion, and I needed money until I found a new job. But I went into the butler’s room a few times because you asked me to.”

She meant she took something she had her eye on when she quit. How audacious. If something went missing, they would naturally suspect the person who quit, wouldn’t they?

“About a dozen people quit besides me. For different reasons, but the Countess became very sensitive. The beatings got worse every day, and the mansion atmosphere was a mess.”

“Countess Mary? What happened?”

“I never got hit, so I don’t know, but she seemed very stressed. She had strange spots on her arms and legs, and anyway, I thought I’d die from the beatings if I stayed any longer.”

Since she was quitting anyway, she thought she could get away with it by blending in with the crowd. Among the butler’s belongings, she took the only one with a lock, assuming it was valuable.

Ian guessed and asked again.

“But it seems it wasn’t that great. You don’t look too happy.”

“Yeah. Well, it was just letters and drawings that he had collected. It feels like I stole memories. I wouldn’t feel this way if it were money.”

Hanna confessed that she couldn’t even sleep because of guilt. Then, after putting her sibling down, she opened the bottom drawer and took out a pile of paper bags.

“If you’re going to have a funeral, would you take these and burn them? I feel like I’ll be punished if I keep them.”

Ian nodded and naturally handed them to Beric, who habitually opened the bag and rummaged through it. It was a gesture as if he was looking for something useful.

“Beric.”

“Huh? Why? Can’t I look?”

“Thank you for your trouble. Put it away carefully.”

Ian was about to click his tongue when a piece of paper fell from between Beric’s fingers. It was a mansion blueprint that the newly hired butler had used to efficiently understand his duties.

“Give it to me. I’ll put it away.”

“Wait a minute.”

“Wow. You told me not to look.”

“Be quiet. Let me see.”

It was a blueprint of the Bratz mansion, not much different from what Ian knew. It was divided into detailed floor plans, with even the window and door positions of each room perfectly marked. But why….

“I don’t know why, but it feels off.”

“Off? What’s that?”

“It means something doesn’t feel right.”

“Let me see. Hmm, hmm.”

At Ian’s words, Beric and Hanna leaned in, their eyes wide. Hanna carefully compared it based on her memories of working at the mansion but couldn’t find any significant differences.

“There’s nothing particularly strange? It’s the same as now.”

“The only difference is that the garden was barren at this time?”

“Barren garden?”

What Beric pointed out was a single tree drawn on the blueprint. It was a simple drawing, but Ian recognized it as the willow tree closest to the annex.

“Usually, these blueprints omit landscaping. If you draw every bush and tree in detail, it never ends….”

Ian trailed off. Yes, blueprints usually didn’t include landscaping.

But why was this tree drawn here?

It could just be a meaningless drawing by the creator, but this was a document given to the mansion manager. It would be more natural to give it meaning.

“Beric. Let’s hurry back to the mansion.”

“Why! Tell me too.”

“Hanna, I’ll contact you again. Once the mansion is organized, we’ll need people to help. If possible, I’d like the former servants to come back.”

“I’ll ask around. Of course, I’m happy to. I was wondering how I was going to make a living.”

Ian smiled at Hanna’s words and tore off a button from his sleeve. It was from the clothes he wore during the peace ceremony. A single button could stave off hunger for now. Whether there was a place that would accept jewels in this situation was another matter.

“It’s a kind of down payment.”

“Th, thank you. Young master, you’re really amazing. You always appear and help us when we’re starving.”

“Maybe that’s why I met you.”

“Then I’ll try to find a reason why I met you, Ian. I think the stable keeper is okay. I think I saw him passing by yesterday.”

“Ah. Yes. I saw him too.”

“Please go in. I’ll contact you right away.”

“Okay. Take care.”

Ian finished his farewell with Hanna and dashed towards the mansion. Without even getting off his horse, he went straight to the annex and looked for the tree in the blueprint.

‘That must be it.’

It was unique with its branches drooping down. Underneath it, Cheonryeo people were gathered in small groups, burning and eating gurut leaves [a type of local herb].

“Ian?”

“What brings you here?”

“Can you keep watch for a moment?”

“Watch? Hey, hey. You go.”

The annex was charred, and there were holes dug here and there. Surely, the bodies of the servants who died in the fire were buried there.

Was it because of the eerie atmosphere? The central army and the investigation team didn’t even glance at the annex, but you never know.

“Make sure the central army and the investigation team don’t see.”

“Hmm. Okay. Are you doing something here?”

“Yes. Just move aside for a moment.”

The Cheonryeo people moved aside without asking any questions. They stood guard around the perimeter. Beric held the blueprint upside down, constantly comparing the tree and the drawing.

“Is this the right place?”

“Yes. So don’t just stand there, dig.”

“Oh my, oh my. I’m really digging, digging. I’ve got a great master!”

The tree was identified, but that was it. There was definitely something hidden, but there were no traces left. Beric took out a dagger and carefully scraped the ground.

“But if we find Mary and Chel, are you going to kill them yourself?”

“Of course not. I can’t kill them like that.”

Ian answered, running his fingertips over the grass. The texture of the grass was different.

“It’s better to keep them alive for a while.”

“What do you mean?”

“So that they can run far, far away.”

It was fake grass.

Ian took the dagger from Beric and pushed it into the gap. The ground lifted like a lever. Even the Cheonryeo people, who were just chewing gurut leaves in the distance, looked at them with curiosity.

Creak.

A staircase leading to a secret space appeared. A spiral stone staircase leading to a basement. The floor was damp when he ran his hand over it. It meant that the seam between the door and the ground had been created recently.

In other words, someone had used it recently.

“I found it. Beric. Get ready quickly.”

“Okay, why are you in such a hurry?”

“How pathetic. We’re not the only ones chasing Bratz.”

“Who else? Erika?”

“Yes. Bring the lantern so no one notices.”

* * *

Mary stared blankly at the burning wick.

The noise echoed along the ceiling and walls. It was likely the outsiders who had newly occupied the mansion. Otherwise, her husband, Derga, would have come to get her and her son.

In a tunnel where not a single ray of light or breath of wind entered, Countess Mary was experiencing the worst despair of her life.

“Mom. I’m hungry.”

“Eat some jerky.”

“Is this all there is here?”

Chel sat on the cot, complaining. He was old enough not to act like that, but why could he only say such things! For the first time, Countess Mary felt ashamed of her son.

“Should we try moving the back door?”

“It’s blocked with molten metal. Don’t do anything that will hurt your hands, just sit still. You need to save your strength.”

A space similar to an underground prison. The secret door leading to the outside was blocked by Derga’s father in case it was used as an entry route. At the time, the atmosphere with the Cheonryeo was so bad, so she understood, but this was a self-inflicted wound.

“How long are we going to stay like this?”

“Let’s wait a little longer. There will be a chance in a few days. We can rest when we return to Pontrol, so be patient.”

Mary planned to return to her parents’ home through the Merelov territory. She would have to live in hiding for the rest of her life as a traitor, but her family would help her somehow.

Mary peeled off the jewels attached to her fingernails and rubbed them on her dress. She never thought that the jewels she had dismissed as cheap would be used as valuable travel money.

Thud, thud.

It was then. Suddenly, she heard footsteps like a hallucination. Mary reflexively turned off the lamp, and Chel hid behind the bed. In the pitch-black space, a faint yellow light flickered in the distance.

“Huuuh!”

Someone was coming! They had discovered the mansion’s secret space and were following their trail! Mary gripped the dagger tightly with her trembling hand and stopped breathing.

‘Derga, is that you? Hurry, hurry….’

If it’s you, give me a signal.

But despite Mary’s desperate wish, the voice she heard was that of a stranger, yet familiar. Shadows stretched over the stone wall.

“Are you there? Mother, Chel, brother.”

“…Y, you, how did you get here!”

It had been a couple of months since she had heard it, but she recognized it immediately. It was Ian.

Ian looked around the secret space, his eyebrows furrowed in surprise. The men who followed him were painted with red pigment on their faces… Cheonryeo!

“H, how is this possible….”

“Wow, they dug a tunnel. Derga is really something.”

“I heard that imperial nobles always make a dog hole like this. They’re the type to run away rather than die fighting.”

“But it doesn’t look like there’s a way out in the back?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Mary felt like her mind was shutting down. She had assumed that the investigation team and the central army were stationed at the mansion. How did Ian and the Cheonryeo appear?

But that was only for a moment.

“Iaaaaan!”

Swoosh!

Mary reflexively screamed hysterically and lunged at Ian. She believed that it was Ian who had contacted Molin from behind and reported Derga, and it was Ian who had lured the Cheonryeo to break the alliance.

A Cheonryeo warrior quickly grabbed her wrist at the woman’s sudden attack.

“Aaaah! It hurts!”

She struggled as if trying to shake off his hand, but she couldn’t escape the warrior’s rough grip. The warrior lightly snatched the dagger and threw it away, then bound Mary and pinned her against the wall.

Thud!

“What is this rude behavior! You lowlifes! You have no roots!”

“Mother. I heard you’ve become more aggressive, but it’s worse than I thought?”

“Shut up! Shut up! It’s all your fault! It’s all because of you!”

Ian held up the lantern and carefully examined Mary’s face. Dark circles under her hollow eyes, dark and dull skin, and yellow eyes with bulging veins. And her lips were a mess with dead skin. There was nothing healthy about her.

On the other hand, Chel had only lost a little weight and was covered in dust, but otherwise, he was no different.

‘…Why is this?’

Ian frowned, realizing that there was something unusual about Countess Mary’s change.