Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 297

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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 297
Inspection
The moment I stepped out of the reception room, I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. A royal secret that even our own kingdom kept hidden had surfaced here, in the Bariel Empire of all places.
It was fortunate that Prince Jin was still young and possessed a gentle temperament, and that we had come as festival guests. Otherwise, this would have been truly troublesome.
What kind of diplomatic delegation arrives at the imperial palace without showing their faces? Even with illness as an excuse, there were plenty of grounds to find fault.
‘I must be careful. I need to keep my wits about me.’
As I stood in place, pressing my forehead, my subordinates watched with quiet concern. We had only just arrived in Bariel, and both Prince Noah and I appeared unwell. If all the leaders collapsed, it would be a complete disaster.
“May, are you alright? You don’t look well.”
“There’s no need to worry so much. Prince Jin has shown his understanding, so haven’t we already overcome this hurdle?”
“That’s right. So let’s hurry back and rest. By now, everyone should have finished unpacking.”
The history of Cliffford was a kind of proof. It revealed that in ancient times, the kingdom’s founding had begun with a fox.
The royal family would celebrate deeply whenever a baby was born with ears raised and a tail, considering it an unmistakable sign of their bloodline. A gift from the gods passed down through countless ages. Surely, in the early days of the kingdom’s founding, they must have viewed it that way.
‘Never knowing it would later be called a curse.’
I couldn’t even say when it changed. Certainly, in the past, there must have been no prejudice against those of mixed descent for Cliffford to have been established in the first place, yet now I couldn’t even imagine such a thing.
“Let’s hurry. The Prince is waiting.”
“Yes, understood.”
“The coachman was provided by the imperial palace?”
“They said once we become familiar with the geography, we can return him anytime. Oh, here he comes. You there! Please hurry and board!”
Though called a coachman, he was actually a servant under the imperial palace’s administrative division. He was provided not only for his knowledge of the geography but for the overall convenience of the guests. He pulled on his gloves and bowed respectfully to the Cliffford delegation.
“I am at your service. If you need anything, please tell me at once. And should you go to the annex, Minister Ian Hielo will prepare a letter to send. He specifically requested Prince Noah’s signature.”
It was a kind of agreement—the imperial palace had attempted to provide medical support to the Prince, but we had declined.
To them, it must seem quite strange. They say his condition is grave enough to prevent him from making a courtesy visit to the palace, yet he refuses a doctor. They might even suspect we have ulterior motives.
“I understand. Tell them not to worry about that.”
“Yes. Please board. We’ll depart at once.”
Diplomacy that had already started under scrutiny. Any unnecessary complications would become troublesome.
I boarded the carriage and calculated the dates on my fingertips. One to two days. That seemed to be the minimum time needed for the curse to fade, but how could I manage everything?
‘Setting aside the precarious overlap with the inauguration ceremony, if I fail to meet the Kings of Ruswena and Burgos, there’s no point in coming all this way. Starting with tonight’s banquet alone….’
Cliffford shared borders with both Ruswena and Burgos. Like all bordering nations, we had built and excavated our history through countless great and small wars.
Burgos is a people whose true nature remains unfathomable. Especially since King Damon ascended to the throne.
‘If Cliffford is absent when all three nations gather, no one knows how the other two will scheme. They might even throw us as bait to oppose Bariel. Somehow, I must secure a place at….’
Whiiiing!
Clatter!
While I was lost in thought, the carriage dashed smoothly and arrived at the annex.
Just as my subordinates said, all the unpacking was complete. I could see people leaning against railings singing, gathering to dance, and sipping wine. This was how the people of Cliffford spent their afternoon.
“May, you’ve arrived?”
“Where is the Prince?”
“We brought him food, but the bowl hasn’t come back out. Other than that, there were no problems.”
“Will he be alright? This place is different from Cliffford—the food and drink are different. His recovery might be slower.”
The guard reported with some concern. The royal curse was something no one outside a select few families knew about. They generally believed that when he hid like this, he would suffer fits and seizures.
“Leave me. I’ll call when I need you.”
May stated curtly that it was unnecessary talk.
Once the Guard withdrew, she slowly opened the door. A wave of floral fragrance wafted up—it seemed the imperial palace had prepared it especially for them.
“Your Highness? It’s May.”
The Prince, whose sense of smell had grown acute, couldn’t possibly endure it. May spotted Noah sprawled flat on his back in the courtyard beyond the glass doors. Noah’s tail wagged happily at the sight of her.
“May, you came?”
“Why are you lying directly on the bare ground like that?”
“The smell inside is too overwhelming.”
The Prince sniffed at the grass scent as he spoke.
May sighed and descended into the courtyard. When the curse manifested, the Prince’s five senses became as keen as a beast’s, while his reason dulled. It was sometimes quite troublesome.
Yet there was nothing to be done about it—the faster his mind eased, the quicker his recovery progressed.
“Are you feeling well?”
“Quite well. It feels like I’m in a foreign land. Even the soil smells different from Cliffford, the trees are different, and even the sunlight seems different.”
Noah approached May and rubbed his forehead against her shoulder. The reputation of a fox who enchants people hadn’t arisen for nothing. Because of him, I’m nearly at death’s door.
But what could be done? May stroked the fox’s ears and recounted what had transpired during the audience.
“All the tribute gifts have been presented. Prince Jin showed consideration, but his momentum was sharper than expected. Since this is our first diplomatic event and with the inauguration ceremony approaching, his reactions are immediate. It seems he may be harboring some misunderstandings.”
She sensed that Cliffford deliberately avoided showing himself to suppress the Prince’s initiative.
The more she felt this way, the more May actively denied it, bowing respectfully. Whether Prince Jin truly understood remained uncertain.
“Therefore, when you meet him later, you must be mindful and conduct yourself without giving him any grounds for criticism.”
“Right. Lie flat and grovel, is that it?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Noah laughed as if joking, his fangs particularly pronounced. He always began to gradually return to normal from that point onward.
“…It seems the curse is passing.”
“Yes. Look at my teeth and pupils—they’ve completely changed. See?”
It was the moment May turned her head to verify.
Sounds came from outside. Several people seemed to be speaking, and from the raised voices, it appeared something had gone wrong.
Sure enough, the Guard knocked urgently on the door.
Knock knock! Knock!
“Miss May! Prince Noah!”
“There’s quite a commotion. What’s happened?”
May rushed out shouting. Noah too, unable to resist his curiosity, thrust his face through the glass doors. But the acrid smell immediately made him gag.
Retch.
“Miss May. M-Mages from the Magic Ministry have arrived. It seems you need to come out for a moment.”
“Mages?”
Was it the letter mentioned earlier? If so, there’d be no reason for such a fuss?
May turned and gestured to Noah, who immediately wrapped himself in a blanket. With only his eyes peeking out and blinking, when his tail stuck out, he fidgeted to tuck it back in.
“I’ll be back shortly, Your Highness.”
May said so and followed the Guard outside.
At the corridor entrance, at the far end of the passage connecting to the quarters, the Guards were facing off against the Mages. May hurried forward and blocked their path.
“What is the matter? You said you’re from the Magic Ministry?”
“Are you Miss May, the delegation supervisor?”
“That may be so, but we agreed to receive the letter separately.”
If it came from the Magic Division, it must have been sent by Ian. The Mages tilted their heads in confusion at May’s words, unsure what she meant.
“We haven’t received any such communication. What are you referring to?”
“The letter refusing the imperial palace’s medical support.”
“Ah, that’s a different matter. Actually, not long ago, an abnormal hypersensitivity reaction to dragon antigens and antibodies was reported in Bariel. After investigation, it appears to have originated from Ruswena, and we intend to conduct our own examination of foreign visitors who have entered the palace. It’s not complicated. We just need a little time from the Mages. The results come back quickly.”
As the Mages looked outside, May’s gaze followed theirs.
Groups of Cliffford’s people were extending their hands to the Mages. Those who were moderately drunk seemed delighted, chattering away about something. Oblivious to the situation.
“This isn’t only being done for Cliffford, but was also applied to Ruswena, who entered the palace earlier. We request your cooperation, but the Guards won’t let us through.”
The Mage laughed awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders. It meant the Prince was no exception and had to proceed.
May bit her lip without realizing it, flustered.
“Perhaps, what are the symptoms of this abnormal reaction?”
“Chills, fever, convulsions, hemoptysis, vomiting, dizziness, and so on. Since it’s complex, I can’t describe it simply. The Prince said his body wasn’t feeling well, didn’t he?”
Damn it. How could things unfold this way?
Now that the abnormal reaction had been reported, there was no good way to avoid the Prince’s examination. Rather, the more he avoided it, the more precarious Cliffford’s position became.
Won’t see a doctor, won’t take the exam, yet claims to be ill and avoids an audience? If unlucky, he could be accused of bringing an external plague into the imperial palace.
“Is it truly a fact that this originated from Ruswena?”
“Yes, of course. How could we lie about such a thing? The King of Eriponi also underwent the examination.”
What kind of nation was Ruswena that it created and spread plagues like this?
Well, it could happen. It wasn’t their intention.
But why now of all times!
‘The fact that they mention the King of Eriponi makes it seem certain. Sigh.’
As May hesitated, the Mage stepped forward.
The Guards immediately braced themselves firmly. Their Prince clearly wanted to hide this. How could they step aside?
The Mage, looking quite displeased, made a request to May.
“Would you consider withdrawing the Guards? We have much work to do.”
“The Prince’s condition is quite poor at the moment. Couldn’t we conduct the examination after he recovers a bit? Tomorrow, or even the day after?”
“….”
“It’s absolutely not the dragon abnormality reaction we’re trying to test for now. It’s just—”
She couldn’t call it a common cold. It made no sense to avoid the imperial palace’s examination for such a trivial reason. An impossible situation from every angle.
The Mage frowned and pressed further.
“…It won’t take long, and it’s actually we Mages who expend the magical power. Is it because we’re Mages?”
Regardless of the Mages’ status, they were commoners without titles. The assumption was that royalty refused to let commoners touch their bodies.
It was a grave misunderstanding, but for May, it felt like a godsend opening.
“I, I apologize.”
“There’s no need to apologize.”
But then, a voice from behind.
“That could be the case.”
It was Ian.
The head of the Magic Division and a Baron of the Empire.
Berik and Romandro trailed behind Ian.
“In that case, I shall conduct the inspection myself. That should be acceptable, shouldn’t it? Envoy May.”
I pulled on my gloves and smiled brightly.
As if urging her to step aside.

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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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