Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 146

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 146. The Curse Is Real
A terrible smell of ash. I opened my eyes with difficulty, my face contorted in disgust. Faint smoke drifted beside me—a calming incense, yet to my senses, it was utterly repugnant.
Crash!
“Oh my. Prince Gail!”
At the commotion from the bedchamber, a Servant rushed in hurriedly. The moment I regained my senses, I asked while pressing my forehead, wondering what on earth had happened while the Servant tidied the floor.
“How many days have passed?”
“Not long, Your Highness. Barely a full day has gone by. I shall contact the medical wing. Please do not overexert yourself…”
Despite the Servant’s protests, I rose from the bed. Then I naturally reached toward the table, searching for the sword that should have been there, but my hand grasped nothing. Only then did I realize I was lying in an unfamiliar bedchamber.
Creak.
“Quite the commotion the moment you wake, Gail.”
“Marib…”
“Have you given the title of ‘older brother’ to your lover instead?”
Marib laughed cheerfully—a radiant smile I had never seen before. As always, when one of us laughed, it meant disaster for the other. I ran my hand through my hair and let out an exasperated sigh.
“A lover, you say? That is an exaggeration.”
“Indeed. You locked lips in front of everyone’s eyes, yet she may not be your lover. I cannot fathom such debauchery, though I thought you understood it deeply.”
I gritted my teeth in irritation. I had given him the perfect opening. This was a man who kept his blade sharp, waiting for even the slightest gap. I decided to play innocent first.
“What became of Minister Wesley?”
“The Personnel Conference concluded successfully. Everyone had difficulty concentrating while you were outside having a lovers’ quarrel, but somehow it ended well.”
“…Please refrain from using that damned word ‘quarrel.'”
“So, Wesley is no longer a Minister. The position of Minister of the Magic Department is now vacant, and each ministry continues investigating this incident along with new personnel restructuring. Gail, I cannot tell you how long we waited for you to wake.”
Marib slowly approached me and adjusted my collar. Tap, tap—he straightened it neatly, raising his eyebrows as if urging me to speak.
“What curse did Wesley place upon you?”
“…”
He looks delighted. Absolutely delighted.
I knocked his hand away, but he paid no mind and grasped my collar again. He had never approached me so openly before. I realized Marib was entirely confident in his victory.
“This one curse has turned the Imperial Palace upside down. Why you sought to bring down Wesley, why he resorted to forbidden magic because of it, and what curse he poured upon you as he was dying.”
If even one secret submerged beneath the surface were revealed, I would lose my head in an instant. Marib gently caressed my cheek and smiled brightly once more.
“You would do well to confess the truth quickly. If this is a curse upon which the very survival of the Imperial House depends, then surely you must sever it with your own life.”
“…”
I met Marib’s gaze with a calm expression. Though we shared the same blue eyes, one was cold and the other burned with heat. Marib stepped back slightly and righted the fallen incense.
“When His Majesty summons you, come at once. Take care of yourself as you see fit.”
Creak.
Marib left the bedchamber, his neatly bound hair flowing behind him. His stride was confident and assured, as if the throne had already fallen before him.
My Steward, standing at the door, bowed respectfully to see him off, then entered the bedchamber. I merely sighed and snapped my fingers.
“…A cigarette.”
My Steward immediately lit one and handed it to me. After drawing a deep breath, I exhaled smoke with my command.
“Strike.”
Thwack! Thwack!
At that moment, my Steward prostrated himself on the ground, striking his own forehead against the floor without hesitation. As a Steward, failing in my duties was shameful, and without genuine sincerity in the beating, my head would roll.
“I beg your forgiveness, Your Highness!”
Thud!
He wailed and continued slamming his head against the ground. The servants bowed their heads, unable to bear the sight, but Prince Gail watched every moment with clear eyes. Soon blood streamed down from his broken forehead, across his nose and jaw.
“…Wesley’s escape must have been possible thanks to the help of her steward, whom we overlooked.”
Prince Gail only remembered that the steward had always stood by Wesley’s side, but he couldn’t recall the man’s face. His presence had been so faint, so unremarkable that he hadn’t warranted attention. Yet this insignificant man had caused such a catastrophe.
“His corpse was discovered in Your Highness’s bedchamber. It appears he and Wesley performed forbidden magic together. The Magic Department is currently investigating and controlling the situation, which is why he has been brought here.”
Prince Gail threw a dry cloth to his subordinate, who lay prostrate before him. It was a signal to wipe away the blood—and a gesture of forgiveness to cease the beating.
“…What is the atmosphere within the Magic Department?”
Prince Gail straightened his clothes as he asked. I needed to keep my wits sharp. One careless move had already pushed me to the brink of a cliff, and any further misstep would send me plummeting into the abyss.
“That is somewhat peculiar, Your Highness.”
Peculiar? Prince Gail nodded and ordered him to continue without pause. The steward pressed the cloth to his forehead and reported methodically—the very content he had rehearsed in his mind dozens, hundreds of times while Prince Gail lay recovering.
“The Magic Department finds itself both under investigation and conducting the investigation simultaneously. The attempt on Your Highness’s life is clearly treason and a grave crime. However, since the means employed forbidden magic, other departments cannot proceed with their own investigations.”
With each exhale of cigarette smoke, Prince Gail felt his mind sharpen. If that were the case, the situation was transparent as water.
“The faction has split completely.”
“Indeed. It has divided into the Magic Support Division, which was under Wesley’s direct command, and all other departments. With the ministerial position currently vacant, internal strife among the mages is anticipated.”
Tap, tap. Prince Gail drummed his chin thoughtfully. Since Prince Marib already knew I had awakened, my summons for questioning would come soon.
“Few people know about forbidden magic, correct?”
“Yes. We are currently searching through old records to understand it. However, Your Highness, that….”
The steward continued carefully, as if the words themselves were too abominable to speak aloud.
“Was the curse real?”
“…Does no one know what it was?”
“I was standing right beside Your Highness at the time, yet I heard nothing. I believe my mind was clouded by Wesley’s dark energy.”
No one, absolutely no one knew what Wesley’s curse was? Prince Gail couldn’t help but smile, a look of satisfaction crossing his face. His mind raced as he rose from his seat.
“What of Ian?”
“Pardon? Ian, Your Highness?”
“Yes. I need him urgently right now.”
“Ian is currently attending an emergency meeting and has not emerged for the past half day.”
Prince Gail frowned as the servant dressed him. Could it be that Prince Marib had noticed Ian knew of Wesley’s necromancy? Had he discovered that I had tried to deceive him?
If Ian were to face Prince Marib’s punishment, it would be troublesome. Among all the weapons I currently held in my grasp, none was as reliable and useful as Ian.
The steward sensed his concern and quickly added more.
“Ian was the only one who directly opposed Wesley. Because of this, he is currently participating in the meeting as the representative of the Magic Department at the scene. You need not worry.”
He was the one who had stopped Wesley, who had been the head of the Magic Department. While the commanders were absent, it meant Ian possessed the strongest magical power among the mages present at the scene.
‘All the more reason. I need Ian.’
The balance was gradually tilting in Ian’s favor. Just days ago, Ian had been in a position to entrust his forces to me, but now I found myself in a precarious position.
“Is Father present at the meeting?”
“The emergency meeting continues. He maintains his position by alternating between entering and leaving, depending on his physical condition. The other officials are doing the same.”
Prince Marib had likely stepped out for a moment. Prince Gail quickly donned his formal uniform and fastened his sword at his waist.
“Let us go. They are all surely waiting for me.”
* * *
“Are you seriously saying that now?”
“Why are you raising your voice? When you think about it, everything being said is correct, is it not? We said from the start that something seemed odd about the sudden discussion of former Minister Wesley’s dismissal. Clearly, the discord between Prince Gail and former Minister Wesley is the root of this matter!”
“That is His Highness’s private matter. It is not a subject for discussion. What we must investigate is why Wesley used forbidden magic!”
“That’s precisely connected to His Highness, I’m telling you! Good grief, this is frustrating. You keep trying to cut off the tail—speak sense!”
“Frustrating? Have you finished what you were saying?”
“You? You!?”
Bang, bang, bang!
The emergency conference hall was in chaos. Papers weren’t flying, but Prince Marib’s faction and Prince Gail’s faction were practically at war. I couldn’t tell how many hours this argument had been going on. The Prime Minister struggled to strike his gavel, demanding silence.
“Please, everyone, stop this.”
I was exhausted. After finishing the long personnel conference, now came this emergency meeting. The Emperor, seated at the head of the table, had clamped his mouth shut at some point and merely observed.
“Count Ian!”
Then a Minister called out to me. I, sitting with perfect posture, nodded and rose from my seat.
“Testify again.”
How many times was this now?
I was parroting the same testimony—that Wesley had indeed used forbidden magic, and recounting the scene I’d witnessed. Additionally, I was declaring that the Magic Department had nothing to do with this matter.
I thought that if I were Emperor, I would have bitten off all these Ministers spouting nonsense. I parted my lips to give my testimony.
But then.
Creak.
“I announce the arrival of Prince Gail.”
“Prince Gail?”
“He’s recovered already? Can he move about so soon?”
“Quickly, quickly, escort him in!”
With Prince Gail’s entrance, the conference hall took on a new atmosphere. I, who had awkwardly risen, sat back down and swallowed a sigh.
‘Wesley landed quite a blow. For his power to wane so much in just a day.’
There was no longer any need to weigh between Prince Gail and Prince Marib. At this rate, Prince Marib’s influence would clearly dominate the appointment of the next Magic Department Minister.
‘Prince Gail does have one option, though….’
There was no need to tell him. In the early stages of this conflict, I’d thought it might be necessary to check Prince Marib, but with a forbidden curse upon him, there was no reason to push him forward recklessly.
“Prince Gail! Are you feeling well?”
“Ugh, Your Highness. We were truly worried.”
“Your Highness, since you’ve come, please tell us at once. Is it true you were cursed by Wesley?”
“Ahem, you there! The Prince just arrived!”
“Whether he just arrived or arrived earlier, what does it matter? To be honest, I’m concerned about him being in the same space as His Majesty the Emperor. Who knows what kind of curse it is!”
Prince Marib’s faction pressed forward vehemently. Though their language was excessive, every word rang true, so Prince Gail’s supporters merely looked at their prince in silence.
Whoosh.
“A curse, yes. It could indeed be called a curse.”
Prince Gail stepped forward slowly, gazing at Prince Marib. Prince Marib merely smirked as if to say, go ahead and try. But I sensed something—an inexplicable confidence in Prince Gail’s tone….
‘Surely not.’
“A curse! Did you all hear? Prince Gail has admitted it! A curse! He must be banished from the palace at once!”
Prince Gail calmly surveyed the roiling conference hall. He placed his hand over his heart and knelt on one knee before his father, the Emperor.
“Father. I have been cursed.”
“…Gail. Speak truthfully.”
“I have always desired only the glory of Bariel, and believed that righteous progress was the only meaning to my life. Beyond that, nothing else holds meaning for me.”
Prince Gail continued, his voice unusually beseeching.
“Thus, Wesley said to me: ‘With your death as the beginning, the shadow of death shall fall upon countless citizens of Bariel. And so we advance down the path of decline, which is nothing less than the destruction of Bariel itself.'”
Prince Marib, who had been listening quietly, removed his hand from his chin and opened his eyes wide. Ian, too, felt a silent laugh escape him internally.
‘A lie, certainly. But it is the best option available now.’
“Furthermore, he spoke thus.”
Prince Gail looked up at his elder brother Marib as if to ensure he was listening carefully. This time, Prince Gail was smiling.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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