Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 5

‘Hah! Hah!’ It was still the time when the blue moon hung in the dawn sky. Ian sat by the window, gazing blankly outside. He had tossed and turned all night with many thoughts, only to be awakened by some noise. ‘Left, dress!’ ‘Left, dress!’ ‘Move forward!’ It was the sound of Bratz’s soldiers heading out for their dawn training. Ian rested his chin on his hand, carefully observing their formation. ‘Quite a lot for just soldiers.’ The number of them running out the main gate in a long line was considerable. Considering the ratio of soldiers stationed at the mansion and the general soldiers deployed throughout the territory, Derga seemed to have an excessive number of troops. ‘It’s tricky to reduce the number of soldiers, though. He must be troubled too.’ Other border regions reduced their troop numbers after making peace. Unemployed soldiers could return to their original jobs, till the land, sell goods, and pay taxes to the lord again. Peace was a means to bring economic benefits along with tranquility. However, Count Derga had not reduced his troop numbers even though he had been at peace since his predecessor’s time. It must be because the peace was incomplete and unreliable, just a formality. The Count’s second brother had been attacked and killed while crossing the border, and Ian was also a sacrifice sent with the assumption of death. ‘It would be better to break the peace in this case.’ The military can only be maintained if the economic activities of the territory’s people support it. Right now, there were too many soldiers compared to the population. Therefore, frequent battles would actually be more balanced. If battles continued, the number of soldiers the territory’s people had to bear would decrease, and if they succeeded in occupying, they would gain new labor and capital. Of course, the assumption of defeat was another problem, but the end of a human whose head is getting bigger is obvious. It had to be resolved before that. ‘War if it’s war. Peace if it’s peace.’ One of the two had to be secured, but if it was a vague situation where neither was achieved, everyone’s suffering would only increase. Even Hanna was like that. She was a servant working at the Count’s mansion, yet she was starving unless she got errands from Ian. Creak. Ian straightened his clothes and stepped out of his room. He saw a servant dozing off in the hallway. It must be the guard who had been watching Ian all night. ‘Hey there.’ ‘Y-yes, Master Ian?’ ‘The air is chilly. Go inside.’ Was it a dream or reality? The servant blinked, wiping his mouth. It was the first time Ian had come out in the early morning. Until now, they had only confirmed that there were no problems during the night by handing over the breakfast tray. ‘W-where are you going?’ ‘I’m going for a walk?’ At this early hour? Could he have some ulterior motive? As the servant’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, Ian smiled brightly and gestured with his chin. His gaze was as cold as ice. ‘What are you looking at?’ It was a signal to lower his eyes and step aside. The servant came to his senses and bowed his head, but he couldn’t hide his perplexed expression. He was worried that Ian might have bad intentions since the mansion was too quiet to let him go, but there was no good reason to stop him. ‘Um, Master Ian…’ ‘You may follow.’ Ian allowed it as if there was nothing more to say and walked ahead in the hallway. Even if he told him not to follow, he wouldn’t listen, and anyway, the mansion was full of things he didn’t know. It would be good to take him along and learn a few things. ‘Is that annex over there locked?’ ‘It’s for guests, so it’s swept and cleaned every day.’ ‘You’re being roundabout in saying it’s open. Then what about over there?’ ‘The armory is all about security.’ He was quite good at keeping his mouth shut. The servant didn’t answer clearly, while watching Ian’s expression. He looked like he would run off to report somewhere as soon as his watch ended. It was obvious, but Ian didn’t care much. He wouldn’t do anything that would cause trouble. The real problem was something else. ‘Haa.’ He took a deep breath and straightened his back. He had been trying hard to gather information, but the first problem he noticed was the child’s physical strength. A body that hadn’t been trained. He had guessed it, but it was more serious than he thought. He was so tired just from walking around the mansion. He would surely be exhausted to the point of death near the border before meeting the Cheonryeo tribe. And the second problem. ‘It doesn’t seem like there’s any goulash either.’ He had checked the well-maintained garden and even the secluded backyard, but he couldn’t find any goulash. Since it was a plant with strong propagation and survival, it would have been picked and burned as soon as it was seen. It wouldn’t be found in inhabited areas except for deep mountains. He couldn’t go outside, so this was also a problem. ‘Master Ian. The morning has come. Let’s have breakfast.’ The servant yawned widely and suggested. It was about time to end his night watch. It was rude for a servant, but considering his position, it was understandable. Ian nodded and followed obediently. ‘Alright. Let’s go to the main dining hall.’ ‘Yes? The main dining hall?’ He knew what the servant’s question meant. Didn’t he receive dinner on a tray in his room last night? Ian must have spent every meal like that. But Ian had no intention of doing so. He was very hungry, and he needed to confront the people of the Count’s family who held Ian’s life in their hands. ‘Oh my. Master Ian? Good morning?’ The servants who were busy in front of the dining hall were flustered when they saw Ian. Judging by the number of dishes, it seemed like two people were inside. ‘I’ve come for breakfast.’ ‘The Countess and Young Master Chel are inside.’ ‘What about Derga, I mean, Father?’ ‘He went out yesterday and hasn’t returned yet.’ Tsk. He clicked his tongue, but when he thought about it, it wasn’t a bad situation. It would be easier to deal with the two of them without Derga. ‘Open the door.’ At Ian’s command, the servant had no choice but to pull the handle. Soon, the luxurious interior of the dining hall was revealed. The eyes of the two people waiting for the meal inside were contrasting. Chel’s eyes widened in surprise, and Madam Mary’s narrowed unpleasantly. ‘What’s going on?’ Her tone was sharp. Ian responded nonchalantly. ‘Good morning, Mother. It’s a lovely morning.’ After a light greeting, he sat down opposite them. Chel fidgeted and looked back at his mother, but Madam Mary was glaring at Ian and didn’t notice. Her expression was so vicious that he couldn’t believe she was the same kind woman he had seen in the garden yesterday. ‘If you’re having a meal, receive it in your room.’ Even with her sharp tone, Ian calmly moved his body towards the table. ‘I certainly did so last night. But after chewing on a piece of bread, I thought it wasn’t right.’ ‘What?’ ‘Didn’t the Molin Lord get very surprised because I drank the finger bowl yesterday? Both of the Count’s only children made mistakes.’ At his words, Chel’s face turned bright red. Mary roughly put down her knife and clenched her mouth. Her eyes warned him that if he didn’t shut up, he would be punished. ‘My father also told me to focus on learning. It’s hard to learn etiquette with a meal on a tray alone, so it would be better to eat together like this.’ He spoke very cleverly. It wasn’t what Derga had instructed, but it was as if it was his intention. ‘Mother?’ ‘…Sit down.’ Her expression showed that her stomach was boiling from the morning. Madam Mary nervously grabbed her fork and knife and cut the frittata. Chel seemed to have lost his appetite and just sat there, glancing at Ian. Ian smiled brightly and met his gaze. ‘It’s better to receive it at the table than on a tray. Isn’t that right, Brother?’ ‘Huh? Uhm…’ The portions were much larger. Ian filled his hunger with elegant and diligent movements. At the same time, he carefully observed the Madam. Her jewelry, dress, and everything she wore were things that would be praised as precious even in Emperor Ian’s era. The lower servants were so hungry that they were eyeing even the illegitimate child’s bowl, but the Madam was indulging in luxury. Overall, it was a messed-up family. ‘Mother. There’s something I need to tell you.’ ‘Can’t you just shut up and eat?’ ‘Please change my room. And it would be nice if you could give me a candle.’ ‘Ha!’ The Madam finally looked at Ian. She even let out a hollow laugh as if she was dumbfounded. ‘You don’t know your place. Change your room? And what do you need a candle for? You’re so dull that you can’t even learn a single letter, yet you’re trying to waste things. You’re just like your lowly, vain mother, aren’t you?’ It was beyond insult, it was like a verbal discharge. Chel’s body noticeably stiffened. He was clearly worried that Ian would get angry and reveal his golden eyes, and thus unleash an unknown power. ‘My mother is the Countess, so it’s natural that I’m just like her. Everything you say is right, Madam.’ But Ian smiled brightly and gave her a blow. He was saying that the lowly and vain woman you mentioned is you. Because of his polite tone, the Madam didn’t immediately realize the offensive content, but she soon realized it was a nasty remark and her face turned red. ‘…You!’ ‘The Molin Lord asked to see my room when he comes next week.’ The Madam was about to scream in a shrill voice, trembling. Ian cut in neatly. It was a lie, but it was a lie that he could handle and that was useful. ‘You can’t show such a room to a distinguished guest. Even if you change it only on that day, he’s a sharp person, so he’ll immediately notice the awkwardness. It’s not like there aren’t any rooms, so it would be better to give it to me now, wouldn’t it?’ ‘How dare you look me straight in the eye!’ ‘If I show my dull and lacking side, the burden will fall entirely on Brother Chel. You don’t want that, do you, Mother?’ Although it was a formality, the Molin Lord was a central official sent from the Imperial Palace. It was natural to keep the local nobles in check. If things went wrong, they might really have to send Chel instead. ‘I will do my best, Mother.’ Ian smiled brightly and munched on the meat. It was a look that said, so shut up and help me in every way. The Countess was beyond flustered, she was dumbfounded. How could that corpse-like thing have become so audacious in just one day? Thud! The Madam stormed out of her seat as if she was truly displeased. Chel also hesitated, looking around, and then got up. ‘Brother?’ ‘Ah? Uhm…?’ Chel, who was quietly leaving through the door, turned around. ‘Don’t worry about what happened yesterday. Everyone makes mistakes, don’t they?’ ‘W-well, that’s true, but…’ ‘It’s only petty people who bring up the past.’ On the surface, it was a comforting remark about Chel’s mistake, but the underlying meaning was to forget what he had seen yesterday. Chel nodded silently and quickly ran out. ‘There’s a lot of food left, isn’t there?’ Ian raised his eyebrows and looked at the abundant table in front of him. Then, he took only what he would eat and pushed the rest aside. It was for the servants. ‘Hmm.’ Ian leisurely tasted the food while looking outside. It was so peaceful to sit alone in the spacious dining hall. It was a leisure he had never felt in his previous life. Then, he suddenly saw his reflection in the glass window. A small, frail, and unfamiliar face. ‘Ian.’ If Emperor Ian was here, where did the illegitimate child Ian go? Ian rested his chin on his hand, facing the calm face of the child. The tall trees in the garden swayed gracefully. Meanwhile, late that afternoon. The Countess, though indignant, had no choice but to move Ian’s room to the annex. The servants rummaged through Ian’s room to pack his few belongings, and soon found a strange piece of paper. ‘What is this?’ It was what Ian had written about the history of Bariel the night before. However, it had been soaked in a water cup, so the ink had spread, and the paper was torn and soaked. It was impossible to check the contents. ‘Did Master Ian study?’ ‘But why did he put it in water?’ ‘Why else? He must have been ashamed to look at it himself.’ The servants threw the paper into the trash without knowing what it contained. Everyone in the mansion didn’t suspect that the illegitimate child Ian was illiterate.