Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 252

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

Chapter 252
Mud and Mire
Melania descended from the carriage and gazed up at the mansion in a daze. How strange it was. This had been my home my entire life, yet everything felt alien, as though I were visiting someone else’s house.
Trampled grass, marble floors stained with blood, toppled and shattered ornaments, torn curtains, and an entrance devoid of any welcome despite my arrival.
Melania pushed open the half-ajar door and stepped inside.
Creak.
“You there. Who are you? You shouldn’t enter without permission. Are you perhaps from House Haiman?”
The Palace Guards gathered at the end of the corridor sensed movement and called out. They did not recognize Melania. Just as she was about to respond, the soldier who had escorted her from the palace followed her inside.
“This is Princess Melania, the youngest daughter of House Haiman. Pay no mind and continue your duties.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you for your service.”
“Where is Captain Jairot?”
“He said he would conduct another search of the training grounds just to be certain.”
Melania bit her lip hard. The soldiers’ casual words—to pay no mind—had reminded her of her precarious position.
She turned decisively and climbed the stairs. Creak, creak. When had the stairs begun to sound like this? Every sense awakened to the ruin that had befallen everything.
Crash! Thud!
“Melania!”
“Brother!”
My younger brother rushed out upon hearing the commotion from below. His disheveled clothes and tousled hair were secondary concerns; it was his eyes, drowning in despair, that looked utterly wretched. He embraced his sister tightly and poured out worried questions.
“Melania, are you alright? Father and Mother? Older Brother?”
“Brother, let’s go inside first. We can talk once we’re inside.”
“Please, tell me first. Are they all safe? What happened at the palace? Tell me!”
Melania glanced around. The upper floors were also empty. I had certainly ordered the servants to remain at their posts…
She sat down on the stairs with her younger brother and swept her hair back. A sigh, damp with perspiration, escaped unbidden.
“Before that, what happened to everyone?”
“Don’t even speak of it. Only now have I seen the true nature of these people.”
Half of the mansion’s servants had departed shortly after Melania left in her carriage. The Palace Guards’ words about unpaid wages had weighed heavily on their decision.
No matter how deeply loyalty had been forged over long years, these people had their own lives. Families, lovers, and friends waited for them outside these walls, not within.
“Brother. That is simply how things are. When darkness falls, even shadows abandon me. How could those around me remain steadfast? Do not resent them. We lack even the strength to harbor resentment and move forward.”
“The slaves were taken by the Palace Guards, who counted them with precision—as if they knew the exact number. The private soldiers were also discharged. Some resisted and were beaten severely, sent to hospitals. The treatment costs will apparently be covered by the Butler’s personal funds for now…”
My younger brother scrubbed his face harshly with dry hands. How had it come to this? How had House Haiman fallen so far that we could not even pay for our family’s medical treatment without borrowing from the Butler?
Melania watched and endured everything beside her brother, offering him comfort. It is regrettable, but this is only the beginning. Brother. We have already left the starting point, and only death awaits at the end. Melania swallowed those words that would not come.
“Brother. Do you not remember? The children of House Haiman played marbles with jewels and cut silk cloth for games. If we seize even the smallest opportunity, providing for our family’s wages will be no problem. The end of House Haiman need not be so shabby.”
“Melania, the end? Now tell me. What exactly is happening inside? You—how did you escape?”
Melania grasped both his hands firmly. And finally, she revealed that House Haiman’s fate stood at the edge of a precipice.
“Father, Mother, and Older Brother will be executed. It seems this cannot be undone. Count Ian, the Minister of Magic, has declared he will not relent.”
“Damn it! Damn it!”
Crash! Bang!
He let out a anguished cry and stamped his feet. Below, two soldiers glanced up, wondering what had happened.
“But there is still a chance.”
“A chance? Mother and Father are dead! The family is scattered and ruined! So what!”
“We—!”
Melania grasped her brother’s shoulder firmly. Her eyes gleamed with crystalline clarity—the resolute bearing of one stepping into a raging tempest.
“We are the very essence of House Haiman. If we survive, House Haiman survives. You haven’t forgotten, have you? Every great house, no matter how mighty, began with a single person.”
“M-Melania….”
Melania could not guarantee her younger brother’s life. No—she knew all too well that tragedy was far more likely.
For a direct heir to survive a house condemned for treason was nearly miraculous. A miracle she could never have imagined had she not met Ian in Bratz.
“Sereo has been designated as the successor house to replace House Haiman. Count Ian proposed it himself. If we prove ourselves of far greater value than Sereo, we might be permitted to spare one or two.”
Ian’s proposal had only included Melania, but she did not reveal this truth to her younger brother. She knew his nature well—an opportunist, weak-willed, someone who would ultimately choose personal survival over honor.
Why invite unnecessary misunderstandings and explanations? In this urgent, delicate moment, Melania wanted none of that.
“Is that… truly so?”
“Yes. So you must sharpen your wits. The other seven houses surely have surviving members as well. We must unite and reverse the tide of events.”
At this glimmer of hope, her younger brother’s expression softened slightly. He fumbled in his pocket and found a cigarette.
“R-right…. There are no available carriages at the moment.”
“I arrived in one. And brother—I must caution you on this: everything is secret. If the other houses learn we have a chance, it will become difficult to move the situation. They may refuse to cooperate out of resistance.”
He clenched the unlit cigarette between his teeth and nodded repeatedly.
Melania gently stroked his cheek, her eyes reddening. Ah, brother. When we were young, we would hide beside the stairs and share secrets. Now we whisper with death at our heels.
“Melania. If the goal is to check Sereo—”
As Melania slowly caressed her brother’s face, she raised her eyebrows slightly.
“That’s precisely why Sereo is so arrogant now—because he’s earned the trust of Count Ian and Jhin. If we make it known that trust has wavered, won’t his momentum naturally collapse?”
“A sound opinion, but that won’t do.”
“Why not?”
“Because Count Ian could do that himself. Instead of Sereo, he could directly summon another house, share tea, discuss the situation, and propose future ventures—naturally signaling that his trust has shifted. But Count Ian is not doing that. He means to use us.”
What Ian desired. Or what Ian could not do himself. That meant a mudslinging war among the nobility. Her brother snapped his cigarette and frowned.
“Could he be using us only to discard us afterward?”
“Of course he will.”
Melania smiled brightly, as if she’d heard something wonderfully naive.
“But whether he discards us in an incinerator or on the street depends entirely on his will. Our only aim is to survive being discarded. Do you understand? To achieve that, we must prove our usefulness and satisfy him.”
“H-how….”
“Change into practical clothes. I shall do the same.”
Melania gathered her flowing dress in one hand and rose. Then, with determined steps, she ran up toward her chamber.
Time was running short. Before the trial proceeded, before everything reached its conclusion, they had to produce results. Her brother watched her departing figure, then came to his senses and crushed the cigarette in his hand.
* * *
Ian and Jhin sat side by side on the office sofa, reading. His desk belonged to Romand. While Ian had been bedridden, he’d been organizing the approval documents he’d missed.
Thanks to this, during his brief breaks, Ian spent tea time with Jhin, turning pages.
Rustle.
“Your Majesty, read this.”
“Car-dero-ni.”
“Your pronunciation is excellent.”
“Is it? Hehe.”
At Ian’s praise, Jhin broke into a broad smile. Berik, crunching on gula across from them, volunteered to give it a try as well.
“What is it? I want to try too.”
“…Try mimicking me. Car-delorni.”
“Caaardelorni!”
“…Not bad.”
“But what does it mean?”
“It’s a foreign language. ‘From now on, I shall not eat meat.'”
At Ian’s words, Berik clapped his hand over his own mouth. I wondered if it was a joke, but with his expression remaining completely unchanged, there was no way to tell.
As Berik’s eyes darted about in confusion, Jin, seated beside him, blinked hard. It was a signal that this was a prank.
“Ian! Don’t joke about food! Seriously, you scared me half to death!”
“Berik, I received the receipt from yesterday. Are you certain you weren’t joking about the food? The quantity was something I couldn’t imagine a person consuming. For now, eat only pork.”
“Damn it. I shouldn’t have butted in. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
With that, he shoved a handful of Gula into his mouth. Watching from behind, Romandro tapped his chin with his pen before asking Ian.
“By the way, Ian.”
“Yes. Is there a problem with the approval?”
“No, that’s not it, but after we proceed with Jhin’s succession appointment ceremony, what will you do with Berik and Xiaoxi?”
Berik was a Mage Knight but a commoner, and Xiaoxi was a slave. If Jhin and I continued together, it was evident that they would remain by Jhin’s side as well. Those standing beside the imperial family—and the next Emperor at that—being commoners without titles. It wasn’t a good look. I leaned back against the sofa and nodded.
“I’ve been pondering this matter. What if we have Berik join the Imperial Guards?”
“Me? Where are you sending me?”
“Not sending you anywhere—just a title.”
The Imperial Guards had numerous Mage Knights stationed within. So if he were to remain in the palace, joining them was the natural course. As Berik sprang to his feet, I gestured for him to compose himself.
“Just a title? That’s fine?”
“It shall be so.”
“Training?”
“I’ll inform Captain Jeirat. We’ll have your affiliation there, but we’ll requisition you for our purposes. Since they too find each Mage Knight precious, they won’t refuse the proposal. Now you’ll earn your own keep.”
“Ah, I’ll starve to death?”
Through Berik, I intended to establish influence within the Imperial Guards as well. Though truthfully, given how reckless he was, I wondered how much help he’d actually be. But assigning him a title seemed better than leaving him idle like this.
“What about Xiao?”
“Xiao is…”
I turned to look at Xiaoxi standing by the door. He was watching me with an impassive expression.
“Xiao. What would you like to do? Since you’re not a Mage Knight, the Imperial Defense Ministry would be fitting. Would you like to enter there?”
“It matters not to me.”
“Then shall I purchase your slave certificate from you?”
“…Pardon?”
“What is the current market price, Romandro?”
“Well, I’d need to check, but typically the master sets the value.”
If a slave could accumulate money to reclaim their slave certificate, they could restore their status. However, since the master sets the price and it’s difficult for a slave to accumulate private property, it’s realistically impossible.
“If you have no money, I’ll lend it to you. How about reclaiming your status and working here to repay me?”
In essence, your life would remain unchanged. But the one closest to the Prince cannot be a slave. Xiaoxi understood the meaning and nodded.
“If you would do so, I shall accept gratefully.”
“It’s a loan to repay. There’s nothing to be grateful for.”
“No, thank you.”
He was likely the only one among his ancestors to escape slavery. Xiaoxi recalled his mother dying behind iron bars, and strangely, his nose tingled. The source of that emotion remained unknown to him.
Knock, knock.
Just then, footsteps sounded from outside.
“Come in.”
“Count Ian. The Judiciary has sent word. The trial for the Seven Houses has been finalized.”
“When?”
“Ten days from now. And….”
“And?”
“Count Sereo is outside.”
Sereo?
The gazes of four men—Ian, Romandro, Jin, and Xiaoxi—locked together in the empty air. Berik merely yawned widely, scratching at his ears.

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