Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 831

Ian examined the hotel lounge menu with a serious gaze, as if he were scrutinizing a top-secret document from the Imperial Palace. Anyone watching would have thought so.

After a long deliberation, Ian raised his hand to call a staff member.

“Minister Ian, did you call?”

“A slice of Sachertorte [a rich chocolate cake] and a cup of Murod black tea.”

“Would you like whipped cream on your cake?”

“Do you recommend it?”

The staff member barely suppressed a smile. The way Ian was discussing whether or not to put whipped cream on the cake was far from casual. It was clear how he usually handled the Ministry of Magic’s affairs.

The staff member composed his expression and nodded politely.

“Of course. Especially if you like sweets.”

“…I don’t particularly enjoy sweets.”

“Then I’ll serve the whipped cream separately. You can adjust it as you like. Is there anything else you need?”

“No.”

“Thank you. I’ll prepare it right away.”

Ian closed the menu and leaned back on the sofa. The sensation against his back was pleasant, as if his tense muscles were melting away.

‘I wonder if things went well.’

After visiting the Maily Daily [a fictional newspaper] and sending the president to the Imperial Palace, he had returned straight to the hotel. He needed to hurry before the world became too noisy.

“Extra! Extra! A must-buy! You’ll regret not getting it!”

“It’s reported that Minister Ian of the Ministry of Magic secretly saved the daughter of the Haiman family! The Haiman family has not been destroyed!”

As expected, the sound of newspapers being hawked continued from outside the window.

The staff members pretended not to hear and closed the windows in various places. Even though Ian was at the center of the controversy, they seemed determined to treat him with respect as a guest staying at the hotel. Ian picked up a newspaper with satisfaction, thinking it was an excellent management philosophy.

*Thwack!*

He carefully examined the special report again and felt relieved. It was done. This would limit the actions the Imperial Palace could take.

‘A situation where they have no choice but to dismiss me, but if they do, they won’t be able to control the Ministry of Magic, so they’ll be in a bind. If Acorella suddenly rises as the next minister at this time, they’ll have a way out and naturally choose her.’

If that were the case, everything would be perfect.

If Acorella became the minister, the Ministry of Magic would be freed from all restrictions. It would be completely different from all of Ian’s actions. Naturally, the attacks would disappear.

Moreover, he would be able to leave the Ministry of Magic as he wished, so there was no better option. Of course, he would be in a slightly unfair position externally, but that was not Ian’s concern.

‘Now, all I have to do is find those with ulterior motives.’

“Minister Ian. Here is your Sachertorte. Please drink the black tea after it has steeped a bit. Thank you.”

*Clink.*

Ian stared at the chocolate cake placed on the table. If he started a full-scale rebellion now, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy such luxuries. It was food he might never eat again until he died.

Therefore, Ian decided to make the most of his remaining time by doing what he wanted and eating what he wanted. He picked up a fork and took a bite of the chocolate cake.

“……”

After savoring it for a while, Ian frowned deeply. The chef, who had come out to observe Ian’s reaction, muttered worriedly.

“Doesn’t it suit your taste? You said you don’t enjoy sweets.”

“No. It seems like he likes it?”

This time, he cut a piece with a little whipped cream on top. His brow furrowed again without fail.

However, the staff member knew that this was the ‘brow of truth’ that only appeared when he ate something truly delicious. He said he didn’t like sweets, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

*Ding.*

“Welcome.”

It was then. Another guest entered the lounge and looked around. His luxurious attire was noticeable, and he looked somewhat familiar. When the staff member tried to guide him to a seat, he raised his hand to refuse. Then, he pointed towards Ian and smiled.

“I’m with him.”

“Ah.”

Although there was no mention of a companion coming, the staff members couldn’t stop him. The fact that he had come up to the lounge meant that his identity had already been verified in the lobby.

“Greetings, Minister Ian.”

The man approached Ian and greeted him. Half of the cake remained. Ian wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked up at the man. Where had he seen him before?

“Charlotte?”

“That’s right. It’s an honor that you recognized me. May I sit for a moment?”

It was Lambert Charlotte, the second son of the Charlotte family. Ian gestured for him to sit on the sofa, and he sat down opposite him, adjusting his coat.

“I hope I’m not disturbing your personal time?”

“That depends on what brings you here, Lord Charlotte. Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Ian poured tea himself, recalling information about the Charlotte family. The eldest son had a military background, and the second son had once courted Lady Chloe. It was a rumor that had quickly disappeared from society.

“So, what brings you here?”

Ian actually had an idea of Charlotte’s intentions. In this situation, there were only a few reasons why a noble would visit him.

The first was to offer condolences. The second was…

‘To seize an opportunity.’

The former would be mockery disguised as condolences, and the latter was what Ian had been waiting for.

“I saw the special report. I personally have respect for Minister Ian, so I couldn’t stand by and do nothing in this unfortunate situation.”

Was it the former? Ian sipped his tea, tilting the cup.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine. It’s the truth, after all.”

“Is that so? The current political situation is certainly unsettling. If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to assist you.”

“Do your best to assist me, you say.”

It was the moment Ian was about to put down his teacup. Charlotte quietly passed on some information.

“There’s news that Lady Melania has entered the palace. I don’t know how it happened, but it seems she had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Lady Melania?”

Ian asked back, slightly surprised. And he immediately understood how the situation was unfolding. Melania had finally seized her opportunity.

He didn’t know what kind of conversation had taken place between Jin and Melania, but it was clear how things would proceed.

‘A complete pardon for the Haiman family.’

The Imperial Palace would release Melania from the shackles of being a traitor to justify the legitimacy of the last descendant of the Haiman family, and accordingly, Ian himself would also receive absolution.

“Yes, so please don’t be too disheartened. This kind of slander will end now.”

Ian also understood why Charlotte had come to see him. Since the charge of treason against Ian would be cleared by the Imperial Palace, there would be no problem with Ian’s reputation and honor. Therefore, he had judged that now was the right time to get on Ian’s good side.

“Well, I suppose that’s true for now.”

Ian muttered, looking at the melted whipped cream. He looked genuinely regretful.

‘Well, either way, it’s good. I was going to meet with the nobles anyway. Count Charlotte is influential and suitable.’

Ian sighed demonstratively, and Charlotte asked cautiously. He had a mountain of questions about the puzzling events.

“Are you feeling alright?”

First of all, there was the rumor about Minister Ian’s health issues. There were widespread rumors that his magical power was not what it used to be.

“Of course. It’s quite absurd that everyone is making such a fuss over me pushing myself a bit in the war. Even ordinary people are bedridden for days after exercising intensely, but I fought against the underground gods all over Gaia for months.”

“Yes, yes, indeed.”

“The Imperial Palace is so heartless. I don’t know how they can treat me like this. Ian Verosian—”

When Ian mentioned the name Verosian, Charlotte paused. He looked around vigilantly to see if anyone was listening. It was almost a reflex.

“—It’s tiring to keep pushing me like that. His Majesty knows better than anyone who my father and mother are.”

“But why did that Rutherford leave such outrageous remarks?”

“He must have been trying to confuse Bariel [a fictional place] until the very end. It’s a blatant scheme, but His Majesty can’t seem to keep his head, tsk.”

The sound of him clicking his tongue was blatant.

Charlotte smiled awkwardly and took a sip of his tea. He had expected the relationship between the Imperial Palace and the Ministry of Magic to be strained, but the conflict seemed deeper than he had thought.

“Everyone in the Imperial Palace calls me a dangerous element, but I think they’re quite foolish. As you can see, I’m the victim here.”

Instead of worshipping him as a war hero, they were treating him so poorly. Ian gave a cold smile.

“You saw the special report, didn’t you? Saving the daughter of the Haiman family was a decision made with His Majesty the Emperor, yet they slander me like this.”

“But the Imperial Palace immediately issued a statement, saying it was clearly a misreport.”

“They tried to make it seem like it was all my doing, but then they realized that His Majesty the Emperor was also involved, so they backed down. They knew I wouldn’t stay quiet.”

Ian fabricated a plausible lie. He didn’t know how far Charlotte’s information network reached, but it didn’t matter since it wasn’t entirely false.

“…There’s also a rumor that all of the Idgal [a fictional substance] has been disposed of.”

“Yes. Everything that was being distributed in central Bariel has been disposed of. They tried to bind the Ministry of Magic with magic sealing stones, so I couldn’t leave the Idgal alone. After all, I created them all, so there’s no room for argument.”

“That’s true, haha.”

Ian continued to press on, observing Charlotte’s reaction. His goal was to give the impression that he was very angry with the Imperial Palace and that he might make any choice if they continued like this.

“Especially those who advise His Majesty, I will make an example of them this time.”

Charlotte only smiled without answering at Ian’s chilling determination. The situation was more serious than he had thought.

Ian took advantage of the situation and asked Charlotte for a favor.

“If you believe in my innocence, Lord Charlotte, please tell the nobles. I need someone to support me, Ian Hielo. I’m almost at the edge of a cliff, so I will use every possible means to restore the glory of the Ministry of Magic.”

‘Every possible means’ was a very dangerous statement. But Charlotte didn’t bother to correct him. If Ian Hielo’s power was still intact and it was revealed that they had tried to frame a war hero, the support of the people would increase.

“If there is anyone who supports me, please ask them to contact me. A letter is fine, or they can visit me directly.”

“Of course. How could anyone stand by and watch when something unfair has happened to Minister Ian, who has dedicated himself to the country?”

“Thank you, Lord Charlotte. It is said that even shadows abandon you in the dark, but the lamp always exists. If you help me, I will not forget it.”

Even though he was asking for a favor, his attitude was haughty. It was as if it didn’t matter whether the nobles helped him or not.

And it was understandable. Ian alone had the power to overwhelm the entire Ministry of Magic, so if he wanted a coup…

‘I’m crazy.’

Charlotte shook his head lightly and got up from his seat.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I can’t disturb Minister Ian’s rest. And above all, your situation is urgent, so you won’t have time to rest.”

Ian smiled gratefully.

Even if they acted like they were on his side in front of him, humans could change once they went outside. Ian hoped that they would run far away from him.

“Then, goodbye. It was a pleasure.”

“Yes, please go safely.”

But since he had made an offer to the nobles through Charlotte, there would be a reaction in some way.

Ian watched Charlotte leave and picked up his fork again. The cake was a mess with the melted whipped cream.

*Swish.*

He took another bite, but it wasn’t as delicious as before. It somehow tasted bitter, and Ian frowned.