Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 737

“Aris, you are lucky,” the child mused.

She’d once heard her father say that.

If she had been born just a little earlier, she would have been using trash in the slums as a blanket. She would have been clutching her empty stomach, shoving rotten scraps into her mouth with tears.

The market manager had stroked the child’s head and smiled.

‘Aris, it’s all thanks to your sister.’

“I’m grateful, even though I’ve never seen her face,” the child said.

She sat on a toy chair, resting her chin on her hand. Her plump cheeks puffed out as she moved, which was quite cute. However, she didn’t seem to realize it as she spoke seriously.

“Never?” Ian asked.

“Yeah. She lives in the royal palace now, and they say even my father hasn’t seen her since she was sent there. It’s said that even the royal officials rarely see her. She’s a very important person.”

“I see,” Ian replied.

A servant approaching from afar paused. He was carrying snacks on a tray so that the child could enjoy refreshments while playing, but an unexpected scene unfolded before him.

The child was on a toy chair, and the slave was leaning against the edge of the table with his arms crossed.

“Lady Aris!” the servant exclaimed.

“Oh! Cookies!” Aris chirped.

“Are, are you alright?” he asked, concerned.

“What do you mean?” Aris tilted her head.

“No, it’s just that you like word games.”

*But why aren’t you playing… it’s like you’re sitting here like a teacher and a student?* the servant wondered. Aris crunched on a cookie and replied,

“We’re playing family!”

“Um-”

It would be troublesome if he misinterpreted the child’s explanation and reported nonsense. Ian lightly cut off Aris’s words with one hand and addressed the servant.

*Swoosh!* A gust of wind blew, lightly ruffling Ian’s hair. Sunlight fell on his sparkling blonde locks.

“We are currently focused on our game, so I would appreciate it if you didn’t disturb us,” Ian stated.

“Ah…” the servant stammered.

*In all my life, I’ve never heard a slave say such a thing… how absurd,* the servant thought. But his actions were different.

“I’m sorry. Miss, please call me if you need anything. I’ll be over there,” he said.

“Okay!” Aris replied.

“Th, then. Please take care,” the servant said, giving Ian a slight nod before scurrying away.

Other servants whispered, asking what was going on, but she just shrugged, saying she had no idea. They whispered that Chief Examiner Mer had brought a real gem from somewhere.

“Let’s continue,” Ian said.

“But what does this have to do with playing family?” Aris asked.

“…It’s to gather specific role information for a more realistic game,” Ian explained.

“Hmm. Is that so?” Aris shrugged. *Either way, it’s just a way to pass the time, I guess.* She continued what she had been saying.

“Anyway, my father knew that my sister would become the king.”

“Knew she would become the king?” Ian repeated.

“My sister’s biological mother, my father’s first wife, had a dream when she was pregnant with my sister. A huge fish came and told her to raise the child well, or something like that.”

It was an unusual conception dream, and the first wife was delighted. But the father dismissed it as nonsense, and when he saw Kumasha, he felt his heart drop.

Skin as white as snow, and white hair. How could a child be born with the hair of an old man? And what about those clear, glass-like eyes?

“They were going to sell her because she was unlucky, but my first mother stopped them, and then she fell and died,” Aris said.

The child’s voice was monotonous, as if she were reciting an old folktale. Ian’s brow furrowed slightly, and the child shoved all the remaining cookies into her mouth.

“So, as soon as my sister could walk, she wandered the streets with my father. When she could hold something in her hand, she spent her days begging with a can. At night, she went around to bars selling cheap candy. Then, bam! The day of destiny came.”

It was when the officials who were looking for the next Kumasha came to the slums.

The child met the conditions of the prophecy. Not only her appearance, but also her composure and unchildlike spirit, which were essential due to her rough upbringing.

The market manager always recounted that moment like an adventure.

“Thrilling!” Aris exclaimed.

Aris shook her body, mimicking her father’s gesture, and looked straight into Ian’s eyes.

“-So, they say he almost fainted on the spot. Isn’t that funny?”

“…Yes, it is,” Ian replied, recalling the dream that Kumasha’s biological mother had. *A large fish. He had just seen something similar in Masantar. Isn’t it quite a coincidence?*

As Ian rubbed his chin with his fingertips, the child narrowed her eyes.

“Why? Do you want to see the royal palace?” she asked.

“Why do you think so?” Ian countered.

“Because everyone around my father and me wants that,” Aris stated.

The reason people gave the market manager wealth and power, and why they always showered Aris with smiles and praise, was all to reach the royal palace.

Aris realized this at a young age. It was, in fact, instinctive. No matter how young, she naturally knew what weapons she possessed.

“But you can’t. You’re mine now!” Aris grinned.

Ian smiled faintly in response. It was the first time he had ever heard such words. If the mages were here, they would have been shocked.

The child wouldn’t know. Who she was saying those words to. Ian stroked Aris’s head and then lowered himself to her eye level.

“It’s said that there’s a war going on outside. Has there been no contact from the royal palace? Since you are of noble blood, they should be trying to move you to a safe place,” Ian asked.

“Hmm. I don’t know,” Aris replied.

The child rolled her eyes. It was the gaze of someone who was clearly lying. Ian raised an eyebrow, as if to say, ‘Really?’

“If I am yours, Lady Aris, then I will be going wherever you go, so I would like to know in advance,” Ian said.

“Really?” Aris asked.

“Yes, of course,” Ian confirmed.

“…It’s a secret. My father told me not to tell anyone,” Aris whispered into Ian’s ear. A secret worth more than gold.

“There’s a secret passage in the basement of the royal palace. It leads to Mount Buk, and there’s a secret fortress that the royal palace of Toolun has managed since ancient times. They say that if anything happens, they’ll go there.”

“Ah, I see,” Ian replied.

A secret fortress on Mount Buk. If it’s connected underground, there’s no way to check it from the outside. The only way to pursue them would be to go up through the underground passage of the royal palace.

Ian nodded, indicating that he understood.

*If the conception dream is true, then she was born with the blessing of the underground god. Then, perhaps the previous Kumashas also unknowingly received traces of the underground god. Is it possible that the power has been completed in the current Kumasha’s generation?* Ian thought.

Ian crossed his arms and fell into thought.

Aris, leaving Ian to his thoughts, scurried over to the toy box and brought out a wig and an apron. *What is this?* Ian looked at her with a puzzled expression. Aris blinked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Family play! You be the mom. I’ll be the dad,” she declared.

“…That won’t do,” Ian said.

“Huh? Then do you want to be the dad?” Aris asked.

“No. Family play is on hold for now,” Ian stated.

“That’s not fair!” Aris threw her toys on the floor and began to sob. *What kind of slave can’t do horsey rides or family play? One… two… three-!*

“Waaaaah!” Aris, who had been counting in her head, burst into a loud cry. She stood firmly on both feet, her head facing the sky. It was practically a battle cry. It was a way of saying, ‘Look at me.’

“Miss!” the servants exclaimed.

“What’s wrong?” another asked.

The servants who had been watching from the shade rushed over in surprise. The child pointed at Ian with tears streaming down her face.

“This guy won’t do horsey rides, and, hic, he won’t, he won’t do family play either! It’s no fun!”

“Is this guy crazy? Doesn’t he understand the situation?” one servant muttered.

“I should give him a beating- no. I might get scolded if I hurt his face,” another said.

“This guy, is he acting out because he knows he can get away with it?” a third servant wondered.

“What are you looking at? Get on your knees and beg Lady Aris for forgiveness! If the master sees this, you’ll be dead!” a servant yelled.

The servants took turns yelling at him, but Ian didn’t even blink. There were still many things he needed to confirm, and he wondered if he should leave now. There was nothing blocking the sky, so he could fly away whenever he wanted.

The servants were somehow unable to approach Ian due to his unyielding demeanor, and Aris was also flustered and forgot to cry, staring blankly.

“Is, is this the end-!” one of the servants, unable to watch any longer, hesitated and raised his hand. A beating was the only way to deal with those who were arrogant just because they had a pretty face.

It was the moment he was about to slap Ian’s cheek.

*Thump! Thump, thump!*

“Everyone, gather!” a voice called from inside the mansion.

The servant’s hand stopped in mid-air at the call. A faint vibration could be heard from somewhere. It sounded like footsteps, or perhaps something was being knocked.

At the same time, other servants who were running through the mansion’s hallway shouted, looking towards the garden.

“I said gather, what are you doing! Lady Aris, take her to her room quickly!” a servant yelled.

“Ah, yes, sir!” another replied.

“You, you’re lucky, you bastard,” a servant muttered to Ian.

“What should we do with this guy?” another asked.

“Lady Aris. Are you going to keep playing with him?” a servant asked.

At the servants’ question, Aris nodded. Even though she was annoyed, she seemed to want to keep him by her side.

The servants split into two groups, one taking Aris to her room, and the other running down the hallway towards the main entrance.

*Tap, tap, tap!*

“But what’s going on?” a servant asked.

“I don’t know. Please stay in this room. We’ll come back for you later,” another servant said, then left Aris and Ian in the room and went back out.

Ian walked straight to the window without looking around. Through the gap in the curtains, he could see people gathered like clouds.

“Heck. Why are they all gathered like that?” Ian muttered.

Most of them were holding farming tools or sticks. They were ordinary residents of the city.

Due to the war, prices were rising, and life was becoming more difficult, causing widespread anxiety. When rumors of the checkpoint’s tyranny spread, the residents, unable to bear it any longer, had risen up.

“Chief Examiner Mer, come out! Is it true that you embezzled goods that were already paid for? Explain everything!” a man shouted.

“Yes, that’s right! If there are no merchants passing through the checkpoint, we’ll starve to death. You can’t do things like that! Market manager, you should explain too, instead of just standing by!” another yelled.

“You’re not even a noble!” a woman shouted.

“No, that’s, let me correct that. The market manager is the king’s…” a man tried to explain.

“Ah, I see. The chief examiner isn’t even a noble!” another man interrupted.

“What does it matter? Honestly, even though the market manager is the king’s father, we never even see his face!” a woman exclaimed.

“That’s right! Stop killing merchants at the checkpoint! We’ll all die if this keeps up!” a man yelled.

The goods that were already paid for were, of course, Ian. *How did the rumors spread so quickly?* Ian was wondering about this when…

“…?” Ian spotted some familiar faces in the crowd.

“Give him back! You bastards!” a voice yelled.

“Give us back our Ian, or whatever!” another shouted.

“Don’t live like that!” a third voice called out.

“If you have a problem, come out and talk!” a fourth yelled.

They were members of the magic division, their faces clumsily covered with robes. *Where did they get those things?* They were all holding shovels and sickles, waving them around enthusiastically.

“…” Ian sighed at the pathetic sight.