Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 516

“Oh my. Did that really happen?”Viviana brought out warm tea for the Crown Prince’s group, who had suddenly arrived. They looked somewhat exhausted; it seemed they had been through quite a lot during their incognito outing.Romandro waved his hand as if to say, ‘Don’t even mention it,’ and sipped his tea.”Ugh. To think there was such a puppet show in broad daylight on a main street. It’s unbelievable. You should also be careful when you go out with Vivi.”He didn’t mention the puppets made of human skin, lest his wife and daughter be shocked.Viviana placed a teacup in front of Crown Prince Jin, offering comfort.”Your Highness, please don’t worry. Truly, I have never seen such disloyal people around here. I go to the commercial district several times a day, and even then, I only hear cheers of support for Your Highness’s coronation and departure ceremony. It seems they are not from Bariel. Perhaps they are from Burgos?”It was a reasonable point. Puppets made of human skin were a cruelty unimaginable in Bariel, but there might be tribes among the northern sorcerers who used such methods.Ian put down his teacup and looked at Jin.”I also believe that is highly likely. I will investigate immediately and submit a report.””Alright. Well, there are those who resent the gods, so why would I be an exception? I don’t care much about that.”‘That?’ Viviana sensed a subtle, unspoken emotion in Jin’s words. It sounded like he did care about something else.Vivi, who had been munching on cookies, seemed to notice as well and directly asked the Crown Prince,”Then, is there something else that bothers you?””Vivi, what kind of lady talks while eating cookies?””I’m not a lady, I’m a kid.””I can’t even.”‘That’s how she is,’ Viviana thought, raising her hands in surrender and then giving Jin an apologetic look.Just as Jin was about to respond with a smile, Beric, who had been stealing Vivi’s cookies, jumped in first.”It’s because of that woman from earlier, right?””Woman?”Vivi’s eyes sparkled instantly.Could the Crown Prince have a lover? Would she be the first to know about the topic everyone was curious about? Vivi unknowingly dropped the cookie she was holding and quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.”Oh my, she really is a kid.””A woman? What happened?””Kids don’t need to know.””I’m not a kid!””See? She does whatever she wants, just like a kid.”Vivi and Beric started bickering, while Romandro pretended not to notice and continued sipping his tea.Amidst the noisy commotion, Jin calmly recounted what had happened. He mentioned that he had seen a woman he had been meeting in his dreams.Viviana and Philia exchanged glances, sharing a meaningful signal.’Isn’t this fate?”Yes, since His Highness has been dreaming about her, it must be ordained by the heavens.”Oh my goodness. What a joyous occasion!”Let’s pretend we don’t know. He’ll be embarrassed if we make a fuss.””By the way, Mother.””Yes?”Philia smiled awkwardly and straightened her posture. It was almost the first time she had sat face-to-face with Ian since he had returned to the capital. Usually, they would only see each other briefly at the Magic Department or during meal times.”When are you planning to go down to Hielo?””Ah, nothing specific has been decided yet. Why?”Did they think their presence in the capital was a hindrance? Philia cautiously asked, and Ian shook his head with a smile.”If possible, I would like you to go down to Hielo slowly, Mother.”As Ian said this, his gaze fell on Roel. Roel, who had been quietly munching on cookies, seemed to understand Ian’s intention and just stared back at him.”Brother. I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything right now.”In other words, ‘Don’t ask me.’Ian shrugged and turned his gaze back to Philia.”Roel’s abilities will be of great help to Bariel. We might also find clues about Silask during the war. I’m not forcing you, it’s just a suggestion. Mother, if you plan to stay for a long time, I will get you a house. I feel like we are imposing too much on Romandro’s family.””Oh my, no, Ian.””Yes, Ian. You’ve been helping us with living expenses and in many other ways, so don’t say it’s an imposition. I’m embarrassed.””Thank you for saying that, but…””No, no. It’s fine. Let’s leave that matter there. Madam, please make yourself comfortable. Roel, you too.”Then, Philia nodded slightly and added,”Since the coronation is not far away, I plan to stay in the capital until then. It’s a glorious occasion, so I must attend. But, Ian, there’s something I wanted to ask.””Yes, Mother.””Do you have any connection with the Davion family?”The Davion Marquisate.It was not something Philia would usually bring up. Ian, as well as Jin, Romandro, and Siao, who had been listening quietly, all paused and turned their heads.Startled by their reaction, Philia waved her hands and leaned back.”It’s not that, but I received an invitation to a tea party a while ago. They said that since I came up to the capital from the border, I might be lonely, and that Roel and Madam Viviana could also come along.””Did you attend?””No, absolutely not. I wrote a heartfelt letter of refusal. I don’t know what kind of family they are, and more than anything, their intentions were too obvious. But then I received another invitation a while ago, so I was wondering if my refusal was wrong.”Ian and Jin exchanged glances. The intention was so transparent that even Philia could see through it, revealing their inner motives. Since they had been refused a meeting at the Magic Department, they were trying to approach Ian through his mother, Philia.And ultimately, to reach Jin.”You did well. In the future, please refrain from private meetings with Davion or any other family. If you feel too bored, please tell me. We can arrange suitable social gatherings at any time. You don’t need to move yourself; we can invite guests.””I’m not bored. The day ends too quickly when I’m doing things with Madam Viviana.””Yes. It’s best to be careful.”Beric, with his hair all messed up, scratched his ear and muttered,”Geez, they’re really trying hard.””Yeah. Davion is being more proactive than I thought. I thought they would stay quiet until the Holin Dukedom was dealt with.””Your Highness, have you checked the report?”Oh, no. The word ‘report’ had come up.Viviana picked up the empty cookie plate and got up from her seat, and Philia naturally followed her. It was a consideration to allow them to have a comfortable business conversation. The two daughters were still sitting on the sofa, though.”I have. Holin asked us to deal with Davion. It’s a clear overreach of authority, and I wonder if they didn’t know that.””I think so too. It seemed like a proposal that they would be happy if it worked out, but it wouldn’t matter if it didn’t. I think they have other intentions, so it’s best to keep an eye on them.””I was thinking of using it as an excuse to get rid of someone from Davion who has been bothering me lately. It seems like they’re getting anxious as Holin is rising.”Oh, oh. The adults were talking. Vivi couldn’t understand more than half of what they were saying, but she focused on their conversation, puffing out her cheeks.Only Beric and Roel were uninterested. The two of them blankly munched on the remaining cookies and then simultaneously looked towards the door.Knock knock.”Yes. Who is it?””I’m from the Imperial Palace.”At the familiar voice, the surroundings became quiet. Mini, the only servant in the mansion, wiped her hands on her apron and went to the front door. It was Barsabe. She took off her hat, bowed, and delivered a message to Jin and Ian.”Your Highness and Minister Ian, there’s been a problem. You need to return to the palace urgently.””Problem? What is it?””The Davion side, having heard about Holin’s proposal, is filing a complaint about the overreach of authority, and work has stopped. Holin is reportedly moving to sell their territory.””Aish, they’re all a bunch of trouble.”Beric stretched and grumbled, while Jin leaned back on the sofa, looking troubled. Ian put down his teacup with a clatter and picked up his jacket.”Let’s go, Your Highness.””Why can’t a single day pass without something happening?””That’s what the Imperial Palace is like.”As the two superiors left first, Romandro and Siao started gathering their belongings and got up. Then, their shoulders brushed slightly. Siao kept gesturing as if it was nothing, but Romandro felt awkward and just wrinkled his nose.”Romandro.””Uh, uh? What is it?””Please be consistent with your honorifics, or don’t use them at all. It’s uncomfortable.”And then she just walked out.Romandro quickly and playfully followed her.”No, no, even so, you’re an officer and a noble. I can’t just speak casually! We’ve known each other for over ten years, haven’t we? Right? Good things are good, and when things get hectic, cutting the front and back of my hair is common. Right?””I don’t know.””Aish. What do you mean you don’t know?””What are you doing? Get in!””Alright, you rascal!”Romandro answered Beric’s urging and loaded the luggage onto the back of the carriage. Viviana and Philia rushed out to see them off.”Are you leaving so suddenly?””Dad, when will you come back?””I’ll come on my day off.””But you don’t have days off.”Cough. Romandro pretended to wipe away tears again, and Viviana smiled as she hugged her daughter.”See you again. I’ll bring anything you need.””Okay. I’ll be back soon. Big Vivi. And our little Vivi.”Light kisses were exchanged, and Ian waved to Philia and Roel through the window.”I’ll see you again, Mother. If anyone sends you an invitation, no matter who it is, please tell me.””Okay. Take care, and eat well.””Let’s depart.”Hee-heeing!Clunk!At Ian’s command, the carriage slowly began to move.Vivi waved her hand from the road. Romandro stuck his face out the window, and Jin remained silent, resting his chin on his hand, as if something was bothering him.”Don’t worry, Your Highness. It can be easily resolved.””No, it’s not just that. It’s a shame that we couldn’t finish our incognito outing.”It might have been a recent event for Ian, but for Jin and the others, it was their first outing in ten years. As Jin narrowed his eyes and looked outside, Ian added, as if to comfort him,”Brother, can’t we just go out again next time?”At the cheeky address, Jin only turned his eyes to look at Ian. There was no particular change, but his eyes seemed much more relaxed, indicating that his mood had also improved.Beric, who had been listening from the side, leaned forward and pointed at himself with his finger. He seemed slightly excited.”Ian! Me too! Call me ‘brother’ too.””Beric. Be quiet.””Ah, why! Call me ‘brother’!””Do you want to walk?””Huk. Sorry.”Beric raised his hand as if to apologize, and the carriage became quiet again. Only the sound of horses’ hooves clattering towards the Imperial Palace continued to echo.In front of the Imperial Palace gate. As if to announce that there was a commotion, carriages were lined up.”Are they all from the Davion family?””It seems so.”The Davion group looked determined.They were vehemently criticizing the Holin family’s overreach of authority and were carrying all sorts of luggage as if they would go on strike if it wasn’t dealt with properly.It was understandable.Just like Holin, this was an opportunity for Davion as well. An opportunity to completely cut off the other side.