Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 300

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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 300
True Intentions
King Damon Runkvis of Burgos gazed out the window, his black hair tied back in a short knot.
Unlike his barren homeland, this land flowed with milk and honey, where the people knew how to celebrate. Not even an Emperor’s coronation, but merely the appointment ceremony of a Prince who had barely registered his presence—and yet they rejoiced with such fervor.
As he exhaled a sigh and tilted his head, a strand of loosely bound hair slipped down his face.
“It seems they’ve just arrived from Burgos.”
“I’ve never seen such a magnificent black carriage before.”
“Hello! Burgos!”
“Welcome! We’ve been waiting! I’m sure Prince Jin must be as well!”
“Burgos! Wave to us!”
The crowd’s enthusiasm burned hot, especially since the kingdom that had just passed through was Cliffford.
They had witnessed acrobatics performed on horseback, the winking gestures whenever eyes met, and even an orchestra that stirred the heart—expectations had swelled to their fullest.
Timothy, seated behind the coachman’s bench in front of the King’s carriage, turned his gaze away in discomfort.
Tap, tap, tap!
Thud!
The guards and knights of Burgos, even the lowliest servants, marched with such dignity and precision that there was no room to accept even a single flower a child offered.
Save for the occasional sound of a buffalo horn struck to keep rhythm, Burgos’s procession was remarkably silent.
It felt less like a delegation come to celebrate an appointment and more like the tense entry of an enemy nation during wartime. Those who had been scattering flower petals over the railings stopped as if deflated, resting their chins in their hands.
“Why are they like that? Smile a little! Don’t ruin the mood!”
“That kingdom never changes. Leave them be. They’ve always been like that. Cold, distant, and frankly, disagreeable. I thought things might improve with the new king, but…”
“What about the king?”
“He’s young. Probably only a bit older than our Minister of Magic, I’d say? Well, their royal family is known for being unusual, so I suppose it’s not entirely unexpected.”
“Unusual how?”
“Common folk say royal blood runs through their veins.”
“What? Ha ha ha!”
Though Burgos’s procession was silent, the center square overflowed with thousands of conversations and songs. Even if drunken voices spoke unfavorably, they would never reach the carriage.
Whoosh.
“Your Majesty. We shall arrive at the imperial palace shortly.”
In the distance, at the end of the central avenue, soldiers of Bariel could be seen. As Timothy reported through the window connected to the carriage’s interior, Damon straightened his posture and gaze.
‘Is she not here?’
The Gypsy who devours secrets.
One who acted as though she possessed truth merely by knowing the past and future—if she knew he was pursuing her, she would surely be hidden among the crowd, watching with mockery.
Damon bit the inside of his cheek and looked up at the window connected to the coachman’s seat. Through the opaque glass, he could see Timothy’s profile.
‘…How will this unfold?’
Honestly, Damon could not yet be certain. Whether the Timothy of his previous life and the Timothy of now were truly the same person.
When he regressed, and as Burgos’s history twisted, the fates of many had changed. Timothy must have been affected as well.
Then would his end differ too?
‘There have been large and small changes, but some things remained unaffected except for what directly stemmed from them.’
Had this been his third life, he would have known everything without hesitation.
Damon closed his eyes for a moment. He felt the carriage’s speed gradually decreasing. Upon arriving at the imperial palace, it would be like throwing himself into a storm.
The carriage door clicked open, and his eyes snapped awake. Those violet irises, hidden in shadow moments before, now caught the Bariel sunlight. In my past life, it was my father who came to this place instead.
Creak.
“Welcome, King of Burgos.”
Barriel’s Prime Minister, with his hand placed respectfully over his chest, bowed politely. Behind him, the imperial palace officials stood in a fan formation.
As Damon descended from the carriage, they simultaneously raised their hands in salute. It was a moment when the wind swept through with unusual force.
“I trust the journey was not too taxing? His Majesty recognizes the long distance you’ve traveled for Bariel’s sake. Please, this way.”
As the Prime Minister turned to guide them, golden hair caught my eye from behind him.
A remarkably young boy.
Damon recognized him immediately—Ian Hielo, the name that appeared in Timothy’s reports. The Minister of Magic, born of a border nobleman’s illegitimate line.
* * *
Pale.
If one were to describe the officials’ first impression of Damon in a single word, that would be it.
He seemed to possess a keen temperament. The Prime Minister paused as if to urge them forward, but Damon simply stood there, his gaze fixed solely on Ian.
“King Damon, is something the matter?”
“…No. Never mind.”
Ian kept his eyes lowered until Damon passed. There was no need to exchange words hastily with this man.
Even if it were merely a simple introduction, every interaction carried information—the other’s breathing, tone, gestures, frequently used words, and more.
If Ian’s presence was something Damon encountered for the first time, he needed to be even more cautious.
Whoosh.
Damon swept past Ian. With the Prime Minister and Damon leading, the Burgos delegation and the imperial officials followed in a line.
When Timothy’s eyes met Ian’s, he nodded lightly in greeting. Ian smiled in return and bobbed his head slightly—acknowledging the effort.
“Ah, welcome, King Damon.”
“It is my first time meeting you, Your Highness. I offer my sincere congratulations on your appointment, and I genuinely hope that Bariel’s future will be blessed with flowers like those falling today.”
As Jin rose from the sofa and extended his hand, Damon grasped it politely and offered his praise. Despite his sharp demeanor, his words were quite gentle.
Jin smiled brightly and gestured for him to sit.
“You are my final guests.”
“Oh my, I apologize. We’re not late, are we?”
“Not at all! As long as the central path remains open, no one is ever late. Come now, everyone, please be seated.”
At Jin’s invitation, Damon took his seat across from him.
The Prime Minister and Jin did likewise.
Pour.
Watching the black tea fill the cup, Jin found himself laughing awkwardly despite himself. How many cups was this now? The King of Eriponi, the Mei Envoy, and even the refreshment hour. This was already the fourth tea time.
Xiaoxi, standing in the back, noticed this and frowned with concern. With three nations gathering, he couldn’t simply skip a teacup without showing favoritism.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“If I may be so bold, might we postpone the tea for a moment? I’ve only just stepped out of the carriage, and my stomach feels unsettled.”
Just then, a perfectly timely request arrived. Had he read my mind? Jin was inwardly surprised, but he quickly composed himself and wore an unbothered expression.
“Of course.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Damon merely touched the cup to his lips out of courtesy, then placed the teaspoon on the saucer. A clear signal that he would not be drinking.
Since the guest wasn’t drinking, there was no need for Jin to match him either. The boy responded with a light laugh.
“I’ll send a doctor to the guest palace. It seems your body must be quite exhausted from spending so much time on the road.”
“…Thank you.”
As Timothy placed the tribute box on the table, Damon’s gaze lowered slightly. The young prince had never left the palace before. How could he possibly empathize with travel fatigue?
Could there be a problem with one of the delegations that arrived first?
‘That would be troublesome.’
And watching him was Ian. Unlike Ruswena or Cliffford, this time he stood shoulder to shoulder with the other officials. Several officials who noticed this difference in demeanor exchanged awkward glances with one another.
Click.
“These are tribute gifts. The nobles of Burgos have specially selected them from across the realm, so I hope you will appreciate their sincerity.”
“Tell me about them.”
“These are dried leaves of the duoguaja plant. We’ve prepared fifty bundles, each weighing ten kilograms. It’s a representative crop produced in the arid Burgos.”
“Ah, I’ve heard of it. It’s mainly used as an anesthetic, isn’t it? Usually it’s called Brudo duoguaja leaves rather than just duoguaja.”
“Brudo is the family that leads maximum crop production. Duoguaja is the official name. And next, we have the golden diamonds that come down from the Kackel family. They are treasures passed down from the family head, and the family has brought out this heirloom to celebrate Your Majesty’s appointment. Over there.”
At Damon’s gesture, a man mixed among the delegation bowed his head. Jin examined the small jewel with curiosity. Seeing that only one had been brought, its rarity was self-evident.
“I see. I shall accept it with joy.”
“And next is….”
There were so many sample items prepared in the small boxes. The tribute gifts were far more abundant than those from the previous two nations. Jin and the officials listened to the presentation with interested exclamations.
“Oh, so it’s a crop from there.”
“Yes. Burgos is barren and arid, but various things grow and thrive suited to those conditions.”
Click. Ian discreetly checked his pocket watch and signaled the Prime Minister with his eyes. The man, who had been laughing, noticed Ian’s signal and cleared his throat. It meant they should wrap up now, as the banquet time was set.
“Your Majesty.”
“…Yes?”
“It seems all the tribute gifts have been inspected. Would it not be appropriate to adjourn now? King Damon’s rest from travel fatigue will make the upcoming banquet all the more pleasant.”
“Yes, quite right. I became so absorbed in the gifts that I forgot myself for a moment. The delegation from Burgos also needs time to settle in.”
Yet he had talked far too much to someone who was supposedly feeling unwell.
“Not at all, Your Majesty. Since you are pleased, my long journey has been worthwhile.”
“I shall have you guided to the guest palace. Separate instructions will be sent regarding the banquet. Prime Minister.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. King of Burgos. Allow me to guide you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall see you at the banquet.”
Damon bowed with the same courtesy as when they first met, then left the reception room.
To look at his appearance alone, one would think he didn’t know how to bow, yet his demeanor toward Jin was quite the opposite. The officials also left the reception room in sequence, following the delegation.
Creak.
Thud!
After the last official left, only Ian and his close companions remained in the reception room.
Jin stretched contentedly, straightening his legs. The quality of the tribute gifts was good, and the king seemed better than expected. Most importantly, all the official daytime schedule was now complete. After the banquet, I could finally rest!
“Ian? What’s wrong?”
But soon, at Romandro’s question, Jin turned his head. Ian was rubbing his chin with a smile on his face, yet something seemed off about his expression.
“Count Ian?”
“…Your Majesty.”
What was the matter?
I sat close to Jin and grasped his hand firmly. The awkwardness from earlier in the day lingered faintly, but my smile was so fierce that it seemed to erase any memory of it.
“Listen carefully. Among the three kingdoms, you must be most vigilant of Burgos.”
“Hmm? What do you mean? Is it because he’s particularly shrewd?”
I immediately noticed that Jin didn’t want to drink tea. He was certainly perceptive, but judging by his overall demeanor, wasn’t Eriponi the most dangerous threat?
“Your Highness. Please examine the tribute gifts you’ve received thus far. Don’t you notice something different about them?”
At my words, Jin and Romandro searched their memories. With such a diverse array of items and quantities, they couldn’t pinpoint what was different.
“…The other kingdoms prepared their tribute gifts as the kingdom’s own initiative. But Burgos—all of them were presented by the nobles. Do you not understand the significance of this?”

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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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