Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 79

Ian paced around the room, arms crossed. He couldn’t quite grasp how the situation was unfolding.

Beric was sprawled out, half-unconscious, while an agitated Countess of Mereloff sat on the sofa, bound. Her back was ramrod straight, and her expression was as determined as ever.

“What on earth is this…”

Romandro squatted down, examining the powder compact with its glass lid. Hanna had rushed to get the lid from the kitchen after Beric had collapsed from smelling it.

“Madam, I think we have a lot to talk about.”

“……”

“You need to explain everything from start to finish so we can understand. Otherwise, things will get difficult for everyone.”

“It’s an aphrodisiac. It’s nothing special, why are you making such a fuss?” The Countess of Mereloff asked, raising her bound wrists. It was Hanna’s handiwork, the ribbon tied neatly and firmly.

In truth, if it were just an aphrodisiac, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Debauched and pleasure-seeking nobles often had them at parties, and they were especially easy to come by in these remote areas.

“This isn’t an aphrodisiac.”

However, Hanna, squatting next to Romandro, immediately refuted her.

“Although there are many types, most aphrodisiacs have a yellowish tint or thicker granules. But this is so white and fine that it’s easily mistaken for face powder. More than that, I’ve never heard of anyone fainting just from smelling it.”

That was true. Ian turned to the Countess of Mereloff, signaling her to explain. She just glared at Hanna with a dumbfounded expression.

“Who is that child?”

“…As you can see, she’s a member of our household who knows everything.”

Hanna wore a very proud smile at the word ‘household’.

The Countess of Mereloff then shut her mouth again. Ian gestured to Romandro and Hanna to leave for a moment. It would be difficult to talk openly with so many people around.

“Then, I’ll go get a wet towel for Beric.”

“Oh? Okay, then I’ll just…”

The two quick-witted individuals hurried out of Mary’s room. As the door closed, only Beric’s wheezing breaths could be heard. Ian pulled a chair in front of her and sat down.

“Countess of Mereloff, no matter how much I think about it, there are too many strange things.”

“So, that is…”

“Let’s talk openly. I’ll go through it one by one as I think of them. You seem to know about the Dripper. Is that correct?”

“……”

“More precisely, the value of the Dripper.”

The Countess of Mereloff bit her lip and sighed. She was clearly hiding something. Ian carefully examined her face and then threw out a question, just in case.

“Are you perhaps from Mount Laja?”

“…What did you say?”

Mount Laja. It was the place where the Dripper was first thought to have been created. She stared at Ian with a completely dumbfounded expression. And for good reason, being from Mount Laja meant…

“I’m asking if you’re a Dera.”

“You’re crazy. Do I look like a mole?”

“Judging by the fact that you know what the Dera look like, you must be from that area.”

Mount Laja was a mountain located directly opposite Bratz, with the center as the dividing line. Before the Dripper and other inventions gained attention, even the people of that territory didn’t know such a mountain existed. Someone who hadn’t left the vicinity would never know, nor would they have any reason to know.

“I am, I am…”

The Countess stammered, glaring at him.

“I am friends with them.”

“With whom? The Dera? That’s impossible.”

The Dera were reclusive and didn’t interact with the outside world. They were a people who spent their lives buried in tunnels, assembling and dismantling inventions every day.

A race that lived the same day every day but ultimately created a different future. That was the definition of the Dera given by later generations.

“…It’s the truth. I was born nearby, and I grew up there. My mother is a dryad.”

Ian’s mouth slightly opened at the unexpected confession.

“A dryad? Are you talking about the dryad I know?”

“Yes. That’s right. The one whose fate is intertwined with trees.”

The Countess of Mereloff was calmly stating that she was of the blood of a tree spirit. Judging by her not even blinking, it didn’t seem like a joke.

“But I didn’t inherit my mother’s fate. It’s a good thing, really. How terrible it is to have to devour the body of a loved one and live rooted in one place for the rest of your life.”

Dryads were known to be dangerous even among fairies. Perhaps because they had to protect the tree they shared their life with, they were known for their extremely eccentric and cruel nature. The act of absorbing a beloved human alive to be with them forever was proof of that.

“I couldn’t understand my mother at all. So, I cut down the tree myself and ran away. I didn’t even have time to collect my father’s stiffened corpse.”

The Countess looked out the window, recalling that day. The forest echoed and the ground shook with each swing of the axe. Birds took flight, screaming, and at the same time, the roars of beasts rang out. It might have been her mother’s screams.

“And that’s how you ended up here?”

“Well, it’s a long story. To be precise, I was captured by a merchant guild and sold. Unfortunately, the first thing I encountered after going down into the forest was a slave trader. I didn’t know it then, but looking back, I think it was the last curse my mother left me. If you don’t mind, could you give me a cigarette?”

The Countess raised her arm and wiggled her fingers. Ian didn’t smoke, so he immediately opened the door to find Romandro. He hadn’t gone far and came running back, startled.

“Romandro, could you give me a cigarette?”

“Oh? Okay, just a moment, here it is.”

“Thank you.”

Slam!

And then the door was closed again, mercilessly. Romandro scratched his head, looking embarrassed. Of course, Ian had no way of knowing that.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you, Sir Ian.”

The Countess of Mereloff exhaled a puff of smoke with a sigh.

“So, the answer to the question I asked earlier would be ‘yes’. I knew the value of the Dripper. I don’t know what it’s used for, but the Dera never make anything useless. But how did you know about it, Sir Ian?”

“I’ve just picked up bits and pieces here and there.”

“You know too much for that.”

The decision to gift the Dripper was half impulsive and half intentional. As soon as he saw the Dripper in the warehouse, he was drawn to it, and he thought that if it was something made by the Dera, it must be useful.

“Madam, were you also the one who leaked the merchant guild’s arrival schedule throughout the territory?”

“Why? Is that important?”

“It’s just that I have a strange suspicion that you’re helping me.”

“You’re funny, Sir Ian. That’s not something to be suspicious about, it’s something to be grateful for.”

“It depends on your intentions.”

At Ian’s words, the Countess slightly lifted her skirt. From her bruised and swollen ankle, to her festering calves, and her knees covered in scabs.

Ian frowned and turned his head away.

“Shall I show you higher up too?”

“I’ll pass.”

“The Count of Mereloff, my husband, is not in his right mind. It speaks volumes that he would elevate a woman he got from a slave trader to be his Countess.”

That was why he had secretly taken a wife without a wedding ceremony. As he recalled Mary’s subtle condescension towards her, things started to make sense.

“Does the Count know that you are of dryad blood?”

“He doesn’t. I look more like my father than my mother.”

Still, the saying that blood cannot be hidden was not for nothing. Her beautiful appearance, the slow passage of her biological clock, her longer lifespan, and her superior physical abilities. All of it was proof that she was a child of a dryad.

“There’s no way a lowborn like me can divorce my husband, and I don’t want to live in a place like this for decades. I cut down my mother’s tree and ran away from the forest, only to end up here.”

“So?”

The Countess of Mereloff looked at the sprawled-out Beric instead of answering. So, she needed that. Ian’s expression immediately changed, and he grabbed her wrist.

Thud!

“…Is it poison?”

“No. It’s a new type of sleep-inducing hallucinogen that’s being distributed in the Hawan Kingdom. They say that if you take it regularly for about a month, you’ll experience sleep apnea. But I’ve never heard of anyone getting like that just from smelling it.”

“Is that reliable information?”

“I was fine, and Madam Mary also took the powder compact without any problems. I guess she’s having a good dream.”

A new type of drug that caused hallucinations and gnawed away at the body from the inside. The reason why she had to get the drug from outside was obvious. If the Count of Mereloff’s death were to be suspected externally, she would have to avoid the autopsy drug.

“This is insane. Madam Mary was doing this too?”

“Well, I don’t know if she used it. At first, I think she was planning to use it on Derga. But she soon realized that it would be better to do it herself than to use it on Derga.”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask? Sir Ian, your reason for existence is the reason.”

Ian, the illegitimate child brought from outside. Wasn’t he the result of Derga’s many wrongdoings? Ian suddenly recalled Mary’s haggard appearance in the underground secret space. It must have been the withdrawal symptoms of the drug.

“Sir Ian, I hate the name Mereloff so much. What’s the difference between me now and my mother, who was stuck in one place?”

Even her actions to kill her husband were similar to her mother’s. Was this what they called fate, something you wanted to ignore but could never ignore?

“I just want the freedom to choose my own destiny. That’s all.”

“I believe the Count has a younger brother.”

Even if the Count of Mereloff died, the next owner of the territory would be the Count’s younger brother, not her.

“It doesn’t matter. As long as I can decide where I want to be.”

Besides, at this rate, she would die before the Count did.

Ian stared at her silently, thinking. Although they were neighboring territories, they were in a position where they were constantly eyeing each other’s necks to expand their influence.

“I’ll make you an offer.”

The Countess of Mereloff made the first move. She held out her wrists as if asking to be untied.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, there’s no reason why you and I shouldn’t join hands, Sir Ian. If you help me, or rather, turn a blind eye, I’ll provide you with as much tribute as possible.”

“As much as possible. How much is that?”

“…It’s hard to say exactly.”

The sun had already set outside. The time for the Countess of Mereloff to return home had long passed, and now he was just weighing whether it was really in his best interest to send her back.

Bang! Thud!

It was then. The commotion from outside.

Ian slowly opened the door to assess the situation. An unfamiliar man was clashing with the servants.

“Are you kidding me? Why can’t I see the Madam?”

“Well, Sir Ian is having an important conversation with her right now…”

“I have something to tell her. It’s suspicious that you’re not even relaying the message, so get out of my way.”

“I told you, you can’t!”

“Get out of the way! You guys, what did you do to the Madam?!”

“How can you say that! Ugh, this is frustrating! What did we do? Your Madam is the one who did something to us!”

It was the Countess of Mereloff’s attendant causing a ruckus. It was past the time for her to return home, and there was no word from her. He had barged inside because they wouldn’t let him meet her.

“Hey.”

Ian called out to him in a low voice.

“The Madam is busy right now, so wait a little longer.”

But the attendant rushed towards Ian without thinking. And then, he saw the Countess of Mereloff with her wrists bound and his eyes went wide.

“What on earth is-!”

“Clark! Wait!”

Clark rushed towards Ian. The servants were shocked and tried to stop him, but they were too late. Ian grabbed Clark’s wrist as he reached for him and unleashed his magic.

Zzzzz!

Thud!

“…Huk!”

“Clark!”

The Countess of Mereloff approached the collapsed Clark and cried out in a shrill voice. The Countess of Mereloff hugged the trembling Clark, worried.

Everyone looked down at her with dumbfounded expressions, and then Beric mumbled in his sleep.

“What a load of… crap…”