Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 167

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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 167. The Emperor’s Seal
Morning in central Bariel was always chaotic as ever.
Shop doors that had been firmly shut overnight opened, and imperial citizens rushed about busily heading to work. The carriages of nobles were trapped motionless among the transport carts, while messenger birds flying between them cried out loudly.
“Extra! Extra!”
“Oh dear, what’s happening here?”
“Move forward! What are you doing from this early morning!”
“Wait, please! Sorry, but could you help me!”
Ian’s carriage was no exception. Ian, Romandro, and Berik had been stuck waiting on the road for several minutes now. The wheel of the carriage directly ahead had gotten stuck, leaving no end in sight.
“Extra! Prince Gail, the Second Prince, was attacked during the night!”
Whoosh!
A boy in a bread hat scattered papers as he weaved between the carriages. The content was so shocking that people gladly stopped their hurried steps and picked up the papers.
“What did you just say?”
“Prince Gail, the Second Prince, was attacked!”
“Are you insane? An attack on the imperial palace?”
“My goodness, what is this!”
“He’s bleeding heavily, but his life is not in danger!”
At the added information, I frowned. Before the boy could pass, I opened the carriage window slightly and held out a coin. Like a bird spotting feed, the boy’s eyes sparkled as he ran over and pushed in a newspaper, extra edition, and advertisement.
“Thank you, sir!”
“But is that true? He’s bleeding heavily?”
“I heard from the newspaper office that it will be published after lunch. Do you have a preferred newspaper?”
At the boy’s words, Romandro opened his pocket this time. A silver coin. The boy’s lips, chapped from the cold, curved with satisfaction.
“There seems to have been an intruder. All the central nobles entered the palace early, and there are rumors they brought knights with them. Things are moving unusually.”
Whispering softly, the boy kept his voice as low as possible, worried information might leak. The waiting horse began tapping its hind legs impatiently. Seeing the carriage ahead moving slowly, it was time to gradually proceed.
“But isn’t the Second Prince close with Princess Melania of the Haiman family these days? There are widespread rumors that someone moved assassins to check this.”
“We’re moving!”
“Put your strength into it! Go!”
“Specifically, it’s Prince Marib!”
Whinnnnny!
As the carriage wheel came free, the coachman quickly cracked the whip to make up for lost time. The boy bowed toward the carriage as it grew distant, then ran through the streets shouting again.
“Extra! Extra! Prince Gail was attacked during the night!”
As I closed the window, the cold wind cut off abruptly. Romandro muttered in confusion while examining the extra edition.
“Ian, look, isn’t this a problem?”
I had clearly ordered that there be no commotion involving Xiaoxi. I had placed a sword in the pillow, but instructed him not to confront anyone.
“If Prince Gail is bleeding, we may not know now, but it could cause problems later.”
“That Xiao seemed quite clever. Turns out he’s just an idiot!”
“Quiet, you fool. How many times have I told you not to act like you know Xiaoxi!”
“There’s only us here, so it’s fine, right?”
The signal flare had been fired. It exploded too loudly and brought unexpected circumstances, but in any case, the task was done.
‘Xiaoxi seemed to have an aversion to blood. Perhaps it wasn’t him but Gail himself who inflicted the wound. To give me grounds for leverage.’
I could ask Xiaoxi for details when we met.
“But the newspaper is impressive. How did they find out what happened in the palace overnight?”
“Prince Gail leaked it himself.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes. It’s advantageous for Prince Gail if it becomes known that he nearly died and why he was nearly killed.”
Bariel is entangled in Prince Gail’s curse. And Bariel means the imperial people. If it becomes clear that Prince Gail’s life is connected to the empire’s fate, public opinion will turn in his favor.
“Whether it’s Prince Marib or Prince Gail doesn’t matter much to the imperial people. They don’t even know what they look like. Tomorrow is guaranteed regardless of who becomes the next Emperor. But when they learn that Prince Gail’s death means Bariel’s decline, what then?”
“They’ll pray for him not to die!”
“That is ‘support.'”
Ah! Berik’s eyes widened as if he’d realized something. Praying for someone not to die is support! He grasped Romandro’s hand and muttered with determination.
“I support you, Romandro.”
“My, I should thank you then.”
“I support you, Ian.”
“…I support you too.”
Ian chuckled and played along. Occasionally, Berik had such amusing moments. Romandro patted the back of Berik’s hand and sighed—as if telling the reckless boy to behave himself.
“So the Emperor has issued a gag order regarding the curse, and they’re breaking through in this manner.”
“Clever. It seems they have the press under control as well.”
“Most newspaper operations are funded by the nobility anyway, so connections must reach in various directions.”
Prince Gail was attacked—just this one sentence could spark countless questions. Why? How? Who? What?
As they satisfy that curiosity and peel away layer by layer, information about the curse will inevitably leak out. After all, nothing seeps through cracks as easily as words.
“If they’re saying the bleeding was severe, one can imagine the atmosphere in the imperial palace.”
It would surely be incomparable to the previous Judgment Day that concealed the curse. Then it had been tension rooted in despair, but now it would be tension rooted in the threat of survival.
“Berik. When we go in, exercise restraint and stay right beside me.”
“Master. When have I ever wandered around?”
“You didn’t exercise restraint. Romandro, once we’re inside, let’s attempt to make contact with Xiaoxi immediately.”
“Understood.”
I expected the interrogation had already been hastily concluded. Since this was a process of creating truth, those connected to Xiaoxi were already determined.
“Once word spreads that Prince Marib is involved, rapid changes will occur in the imperial palace. Prohibit the mages from going out on errands or leaving, and summon back all those who have already left the palace.”
“Even those who’ve already left?”
“When the storm is fierce, you must huddle together to survive.”
“Right. A solid body doesn’t crumble easily.”
Romandro wrote the orders in a small notebook, nodding continuously. However, the hand holding the pen trembled noticeably—he was quite nervous. Meanwhile, Berik hummed cheerfully and gazed leisurely out the window.
“Hmm, hum-hum. I like holding a sword. It’s fun. Imperial palace people, snip-snap-snip. Hum-hum.”
“What kind of bizarre lyrics are those!”
“Huh? Is it weird? Okay, okay. I’ll change it to ding-dang-ding-dang. Hum-hum.”
It was better not to listen at all. Romand deliberately ignored Berik’s humming and asked me.
“But Ian, what kind of changes do you mean?”
“First, Prince Marib’s side will react immediately.”
Once it spreads that the nighttime attack was Prince Marib’s doing, he’ll want to confirm Xiaoxi right away. But Prince Gail’s side won’t want to show him.
A first collision was expected right there.
“One side will formally demand the investigation process be revealed, while the other will insist they cannot investigate under the perpetrator’s observation. If the standoff continues, whoever is more desperate will make a move first.”
It was Marib. Cornered as he was, he would resort to any means necessary to escape. Whether that meant force or some other card he’d kept hidden, I couldn’t say for certain.
“Prince Gail’s faction will raise their voices with accusations of treason and every grave crime imaginable, since they attempted to kill Prince Gail, who shares Bariel’s fate. Meanwhile, Marib’s side will be busy mounting their defense.”
“You have no intention of informing Prince Marib of this?”
“That Xiaoxi is my slave?”
“Yes. After all, Prince Marib ordered it. He asked you to prove the truth.”
“The best course is to speak at the appropriate moment. The signal flare has been fired, but what good is it if none of the players move?”
Since Prince Gail had drawn blood, Marib would need to follow suit in turn.
“Moreover, from Marib’s perspective, I have failed. He ordered me to kill Prince Gail, yet my slave was captured alive and provided evidence against me. Revealing this now would be poison—it wouldn’t merely erode his trust, it would shatter it. Like letting something drift downstream, the opportunity to inform him will come naturally.”
I looked up at the imperial palace drawing steadily closer. Bariel’s flag was flying majestically as always. Just as the boy hawking the news had said, it was clear that nobles had entered the palace accompanied by their knights. Entry permits were being issued several times slower than usual.
“And honestly, what concerns me right now is—”
I was about to speak when a guard recognized my carriage and approached first.
Knock, knock.
“Are you Minister Ian Hielo?”
“That’s right.”
I nodded while showing my face, and the guard ordered the coachman to turn the horse’s head.
“We’ve received urgent orders from above. When the Minister of Magic arrives, you are to proceed directly to the First Palace. We’ll open the rear gate for you to enter that way.”
The First Palace was where the imperial family’s quarters and the officials’ offices were located. It meant an emergency meeting had been convened.
My carriage passed through the long queue and, escorted by the guards, entered the palace smoothly.
“Ian, what were you about to say earlier?”
“Yes?”
“You said something concerns you.”
“Ah, yes.”
The carriage was already moving at a gallop. I steadied myself against the jolting and answered.
“The Emperor, Your Majesty.”
“The Emperor?”
“No matter how frail and weakened he may be, he remains the center of the world and the dignity of the imperial palace. When such turmoil occurs, I cannot predict how he will act.”
It was a variable of sorts. The fact that Prince Gail, who enjoyed the Emperor’s favor, had come this far suggested there was a strong possibility the Emperor was implicitly consenting to Gail surpassing Marib.
‘He’s not aiming for the throne itself, but rather contending for the position of heir. Perhaps he believes such a prize should go to whoever seizes it.’
The Third Prince had fallen to his death. Only God knew if that was the truth. Though Prince Gail was born of a concubine, without Marib, he was the man closest to legitimate succession among the living princes.
‘If Gail has informed the Emperor of suspicions regarding Marib’s assassination, the Emperor will push Gail all the more.’
I pressed my temples with my knuckles. When someone who held everything in their grasp was driven to the brink of losing it all, what lengths would they go to?
“Look at that, Ian.”
“Ohhh! They’ll kill each other!”
At Romandro and Berik’s words, I turned my gaze out the window. Armed knights had gathered like clouds, each bearing their family’s banners. Colorful fabrics rippled across the palace grounds.
“…It seems the real thing has begun.”
The factions were positioned against each other, holding their ground. The atmosphere was so tense that at any moment, if someone shouted, they would hurl spears at one another. My carriage passed between them and arrived at the First Palace.
“W-we’ve arrived.”
The coachman’s voice came out hoarse with tension. I quickly descended from the carriage and climbed the steps, with Romandro and Berik following behind.
Tap, tap, tap!
The First Palace. Where the imperial family’s quarters and the officials’ offices converged. So many people had gathered that the great conference hall’s doors stood half-open. Those who recognized me twisted their bodies left and right to make way.
“What do you mean by that? Prince Marib!”
The murmuring crowd of bureaucrats blocked the view inside. I could only hear their voices.
“You’re telling me Prince Marib is managing His Majesty’s seal?”
At the unexpected words, my eyes widened. I pushed through the throng and stepped forward, only to find Marib sitting in the Emperor’s seat with his hair pulled tightly up on top of his head.
Those who knew understood.
That was the hairstyle Marib wore only when going out to hunt.
“Oh, Minister Ian Hielo!”
Marib grinned widely and waved his hand. Before him lay an enormous golden seal.
“Welcome.”
The Emperor’s seal.
I quickly gathered my thoughts to assess the situation. The Emperor’s seal in Marib’s hands—it was certainly Gail who had summoned the armed forces last night, yet….
‘All those confronting us at the entrance were armed.’
I realized it then. Marib had already anticipated that Gail would attempt assassination and strike first.
Whether I too had been used in this, that would depend on what happened next.

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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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