Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 632

Ian’s teacup was emptied twice. As darkness fell, the commotion outside subsided, and Ian’s past flowed out in a low voice.

Romandro, with a distressed look, kept fidgeting with the empty teacup, gazing at Ian. He felt that the young boy’s past was as cold as the tea that had gone cold.

“-And that’s how it happened. I had no intention of deceiving anyone. Please understand that I did my best to prevent confusion.”

“No, don’t say that. Honestly, who would have believed it? That the bastard son of the Border Marquis was actually the future Emperor—that’s something that would have led to execution for insulting the Imperial family the moment it was mentioned. I heard everyone saw your true appearance.”

The reason his colleagues could accept Ian’s words without suspicion was the result of the trust, loyalty, and wisdom he had shown so far. And above all, it was thanks to the true form he had shown to the gypsy who consumes secrets [a reference to a character or entity that can learn secrets by consuming them].

Even so, Romandro couldn’t quite grasp it, and he scrutinized Ian’s face from various angles.

“You saw it, didn’t you, Beric?”

“I don’t know. Don’t ask me.”

Whenever Ian Verosian was mentioned, Beric became uncomfortable. Romandro thought he understood that feeling. Although they were facing each other, it was as if Ian’s time had stopped 10 years ago, a sense of loss stemming from the fact that they were standing in different worlds.

Romandro glanced at the hem of a dress slightly visible behind the stairs leading to the upper floor.

“Madam, the floor is cold.”

It was Philia. She had lightly tidied herself up on the upper floor, but she was sitting down without showing herself. It was too difficult to hear the life story of the boy named Ian Verosian, not Ian Hielor, face to face.

Swoosh.

Despite Romandro’s concern, Philia remained silent and did not move. Vivianna tried to get up to support her, but Romandro stopped her and shook his head. It seemed she needed some space right now.

“You can resent me if you want.”

Ian also fiddled with his empty teacup. From Philia’s point of view, wasn’t it the same as him having taken away her son’s body? Unlike everyone else here, she was the only one who knew the ‘bastard’ Ian.

“Why do you say that…”

Philia’s voice, barely managing to answer, was full of tears.

Then, Ian suddenly recalled the day he first met her in Bratz. Philia, sitting in a corner of the park, wearing a robe. Yes, that’s right. She was someone who knew how to cry silently.

“I’m sorry.”

He had nothing else to add. Philia had lost her son, and wasn’t he here now?

She hesitated for a long time before asking.

“Then, what is the existence of that child who wriggled in my arms?”

“It is the source of all things. And to be precise, it’s like a small cog that the gods set up to erase Bariel’s shadow. I came here as the existence of the ‘bastard’ Ian, and Bariel found a way to move forward, so that’s how I see it.”

The ‘bastard’ Ian knew the meaning of his existence. He could confirm that through the testimony of Melania, whom he had met as a child. He was probably waiting for Ian Verosian, creating the most suitable time.

“I can’t believe it. Why Ian?”

The child who smiled like an angel, the child who teared up when he fell and hugged her, the child who slept soundly with his long eyelashes lowered…

“I don’t know if he had a mission from birth or if he realized it at some point. But what is clear is that the ‘bastard’ Ian knew the meaning of his existence.”

Squeeze.

Philia hugged Roel tightly. Her heart was beating coldly, and it felt like the world was collapsing. And the lovely anchor that supported her every time this happened, Ian.

Philia stared blankly into the air and murmured.

“If Ian’s existence was for you, then your existence might eventually be for Ian.”

Ian Verosian’s abilities were outstanding. He possessed strong magic, was wise, and was a successor to a noble spirit. If Ian Verosian’s only purpose was to go back in time, he could have come here on his own, couldn’t he?

But the fact that he borrowed the body of ‘bastard’ Ian meant that the two had to coexist at the same time.

“Ian.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

Philia’s tears flowed down her chin. Now that she had faced the truth, all that was left was to choose. Roel, held in her arms, wiped away his mother’s sadness with his small hand and held her trembling body.

“Just because you are Ian Verosian doesn’t mean my love for you will change. You were there, so the ‘bastard’ Ian was there, and because the ‘bastard’ Ian was there, you were there. And that appearance of yours is that of my son whom I loved and gave everything for. Even if you are a precious member of the Imperial family 100 years from now, you will always be my precious son. But-”

Ian put down his teacup. He knew what she was about to say.

“You might not think so. You have your own life. If you don’t want a mother-son relationship, tell me. I don’t want to burden you any more.”

It was the beginning of an eternal unrequited love. Although the relationship between parents and children is originally like that, the future that Philia would have to endure would be even more difficult. A son, but to him, she was not a mother…

“But I swear. I will love you forever, no matter who you are, and as I swore, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

It was a plea for him to choose with pure intention, regardless of the political issues intertwined with the Hielor Territory. Of course, even if Ian made a political decision, her love would not change.

“Ian. Actually, I might have known a little.”

When Ian said he didn’t know the lyrics of the song Philia used to sing to him as a child, she seemed to have sensed it instinctively. She had definitely felt something in Ian’s slightly cold and aloof attitude, which was different from when he was a child.

Yet, how could she explain why she couldn’t let go of Ian?

‘Love.’

Philia loved Ian, whom she faced. Even if it was Verosian’s soul, it was clear that the emotion she had experienced was love.

“…I also have a mother and father. Both of them passed away when I was young, but just as you are here for the ‘bastard’ Ian, my parents who gave birth to me are definitely separate.”

Ian, who had been deeply silent, slowly opened his mouth. It was a calm tone with almost no change in pitch. It might have felt dry, but Romandro clearly noticed. Ian was being cautious.

“But if someone asks me about ‘mother,’ I will think of you, Philia.”

Philia was the only one who had seen and experienced that overflowing love with her own eyes.

The love that resulted in sacrifice was truly noble, pure, and strong. Ian learned that through Philia.

“I didn’t know before what kind of relationship parents and children have. But after coming here and meeting Philia, I came to know. You are the first person to show me a mother’s affection, so you are an unforgettable person to me in a different sense.”

He was sorry. Every time Philia showed her love, he had no choice but to let it go because he was not the ‘bastard’ Ian. But, not anymore.

“Philia, if you forgive me, I am fine as I am. I want to be called mother and enjoy love without guilt. The choice is not mine, but yours.”

As the sound of sniffling continued from behind the stairs, Romandro took out a handkerchief and handed it to Ian. Ian slowly walked over, peeked behind the wall, and met the gaze of Philia, who was only shedding tears like chicken droppings.

“So, mother. Please don’t stay there and come in here. The floor is cold.”

“Ian.”

“Yes, Roel will be worried. Please stop crying.”

Philia hugged Ian tightly with Roel. Ian, who accepted the hug, stayed still for a moment and then casually asked Roel.

“Are you okay?”

If it was uncomfortable, he was free to do as he pleased. Since there had been no interaction during the 10 years Roel had lived, even a brother might feel awkward. But the fact that his inner self was the emperor of the distant future meant that he was practically a stranger to the child.

But Roel’s answer was firm.

“…I’m okay.”

His mother’s joy was his joy, and above all, the continuation of their relationship would help the Hielor Territory and the Great Desert.

Philia had asked him not to consider political issues, but wasn’t it a part that he, as a third party, could think about? Besides-

“Actually, I also vaguely knew. Sometimes when I looked at my brother, he seemed like a different person.”

A different person? Ian smiled and raised his eyebrows.

“A boy with long platinum blonde hair and cool blue eyes.”

“That’s Ian Verosian. Yeah. That’s Verosian.”

“Beric, I told you not to mention it so carelessly! If you do that at the Imperial Palace, you’ll be in big trouble, you rascal.”

Romandro pleaded as Beric, who was listening from the side, interjected. But who cared? Beric conspicuously picked at his ear.

“Okay, so we’ve talked about everything, right? Let’s eat now.”

“Oh my, look at my mind. I left the meat on.”

“Vivianna, it’s okay. It’s not burnt. It smells delicious.”

“This rascal must have been starving in the war. Even in this atmosphere, he’s talking about food. Ian, how was Beric? Did he do his mission well in Burgos?”

“Huh? Didn’t Lord Romandro hear? I cleaned up everything in the battle against the great demons in the north.”

“I heard. You got beaten up by Commander Jerritt.”

“Huh?! There’s a problem with this! Ian, it’s completely changed? I beat up old man Jerritt! Right?”

“Shut up, you crazy bastard. What about the Commander?”

“Grinder, you saw it back then, your eyes were fine. Now I beat old man Jerritt.”

Before they knew it, it became noisy again. Ian led Philia and Roel to the sofa and sat down together. Vivianna, who had been quietly watching, smiled and filled their teacups with warm drinks.

“Then, shall we all go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow?”

“Vivianna, not you.”

“Huh?! What about Roel?”

“Roel has to go too. He saw something about the kidnapping. Vivianna, stay at the mansion with your mother.”

Philia would give testimony about the kidnapping, and the others would report on the process. Romandro scribbled something in his notebook and asked.

“Hmm. But from what I hear, the Toallun forces don’t seem that great. They were swayed by Beric and the Barsabe members, so won’t this end easily?”

“‘Now’ it will be like that.”

“What do you mean?”

A country that had been cut off from the outside world had shown its weakness due to the sudden attack by the mages. But with this, they would prepare for the upcoming war, find their weaknesses, and reinforce them.

“Then, wasn’t it pointless to make a fuss? It’s like we stirred them up and made them arm themselves. It seems like we’re just making trouble.”

“That’s true, but it was a necessary process. In the process of Toallun gathering its forces to face Bariel, the temple will not be left out.”

“Temple?”

The temple of secrets where Damon’s brothers planted the seeds of blood, and the secrets of Rutherford and the fate of Bariel would be shaken.

Ian put down his teacup and said.

“They will definitely show movement, so we must not miss that opportunity. It’s just the beginning.”