Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 314

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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 314
A Bond Woven by Secrets
“Your Highness—”
My words trailed off as I caught the subtle sound of movement outside. It seemed Romandro was attempting to approach Timothy.
“—don’t you agree?”
The Emperor of a great nation stands firm, so I couldn’t fathom why Burgos would raise objections—that was the implication. My expression held both amusement and displeasure, and the atmosphere grew noticeably colder.
Damon tilted his head slightly, a gesture to lower the tension.
“I trust he remains steadfast, of course. Yet with the kings of three nations gathered at the Imperial Palace, and not even his shadow gracing us with an appearance, I speak from genuine concern.”
“Your sentiment is appreciated, but unnecessary worry only breeds anxiety. I humbly ask that you exercise restraint.”
Courteous, yet discourteous. No matter that I served as Bariel’s Minister, Damon was a king. How dare I speak of restraint to royalty? The king’s teeth clenched against his inner cheek, and he swallowed his fury along with blood-tinged saliva.
A subtle shift.
I observed Damon keenly. His violet eyes burned with intensity. I’d heard he’d suddenly descended from his carriage during the journey and caused a commotion, yet no one knew the reason.
If so, there were two possibilities.
‘Either he was intoxicated, or it was connected to a secret.’
What secrets did King Damon possess that I didn’t already know? It concerned the regression. With high probability, I suspected he’d encountered the Gypsy.
If that were true, my workload would increase significantly. It meant the Old Woman was moving freely through the capital, evading the Imperial Palace’s pursuit. This wasn’t merely a matter of tracking an anomalous existence—it directly affected the credibility of my elite investigation unit.
“In any case, I apologize for the misunderstanding. It seems I cannot meet your expectations.”
“Aren’t you the one supporting the Crown Prince?”
“Indeed. If you’re curious, ask him directly. Ask what sustains him.”
I turned away with a light cough. My health wasn’t particularly good, and if he’d come for trivial purposes, this gesture made clear he should leave.
“Hmm.”
To begin a game, both players must reveal their hands, but much depends on who plays first. I had decided to yield neither courtesy nor the initiative in this conversation.
Damon reclined against the backrest with an impassive gaze.
‘I see.’
That a bastard of lowborn origin had risen to Imperial Minister was no accident. Now I understood—from the way he’d remained seated to receive me, to his casual attire, every move was calculated.
I lifted the bell and smiled.
“Shall I have your carriage brought around?”
Cast the first stone. Just as the thirsty dig wells and the desperate take a step forward, he should bow and enter on my terms. That smile also conveyed: consider carefully who would lose if this conversation ended here.
Damon pressed his temple lightly with his fingertips, eyes closing. Then, slowly, as if reaching a decision, he spoke. His voice was thin as a sigh, yet heavy with weight.
“…According to the Imperial Palace’s investigation, the Gypsy crossed into another nation. Yet she was plainly moving through the capital.”
So Damon had indeed encountered the Gypsy.
I set down the bell and raised my chin, inviting him to continue. Between us, separated by sofa and table, our gazes held different heights.
“Aren’t those sent for Burgos supposed to be elite? I find myself quite disappointed.”
The Gypsy carries my secret. A secret transcending time, bearing the imperial radiance. Damon has already revealed everything, so he cannot divine what lies within her womb.
‘Still, just in case, when that person departs—’
The moment I thought it best to verify the leak alone, I understood.
Damon had done the same.
He now knows my secret has been exposed.
Recognizing this, his actions took on far greater significance.
“Well. In any case, the matter has been resolved satisfactorily, so I offer my gratitude.”
“Not at all. Please, don’t mention it.”
I had definitely encountered the Gypsy, so had I captured her? Yet I’d received no reports of anything unusual about the carriage. Perhaps she wasn’t brought into the Imperial Palace but was being secured outside?
A whirlwind of questions swirled through my mind, leaving me dizzy.
Snap.
King Damon flicked his fingertips, drawing my gaze toward him—a gesture demanding my complete attention.
“I wouldn’t call it a reward, but I’ll tell you why the Imperial Palace failed to capture the Gypsy.”
King Damon withdrew a small dagger from his robes, its blade sticky with blood.
“She is light as wind, impossible to grasp like water. Therefore, the moment she falls into one’s hands, there’s no choice but to sever her. Her missing legs are the suffering she has endured through long years.”
To ensure she cannot escape the moment we meet—to inflict pain that makes flight impossible.
I furrowed my brow, studying King Damon.
“My impatience got the better of me, and I lost control. I made a mistake. I felt life breaking at the blade’s edge. She’ll likely die within days.”
“…I see.”
I remember clearly the moment I met the Gypsy. She showed no fear of death—rather, she seemed to welcome it, didn’t she?
“It seems you too wish to cut open my belly. But remember this—why I still live.”
If my belly is cut open, the secrets festering within will spill into the world, creating a river of chaos. Those who made deals with me would also be swept away by those currents, facing unknown dangers.
King Damon surely knew this, and without special reports, it would be reasonable to dismiss such claims as lies… yet.
‘The possibility cannot be entirely ignored.’
Currently, the Gypsy holds none of King Damon’s secrets. So even if her belly were cut open, what would it matter to him?
Above all, Burgos harbors the intent to threaten Bariel. Since his own secret was exposed, he must have deduced that a corresponding secret was taken in exchange.
Nothing is more fitting than the weight of the Imperial Family. In other words, he may have acted under the judgment that cutting open the Gypsy’s belly would reveal the Imperial Family’s weaknesses.
‘The problem is that I’m not the only one who made a deal with the Gypsy—Prince Jin also gave her a secret. If I show a reaction now, I admit the Imperial Family is involved. If I ignore it, we’ll pass this moment, but we carry forward a dangerous element.’
It’s like a dagger King Damon has thrown flying toward me.
I can dodge it, but I can also catch and stop it.
In the former case, if I succeed, there’s no problem, but if not, even Jin standing behind me is endangered. In the latter case, I sacrifice one hand, but I can certainly protect Jin standing behind me.
“To me…”
I tapped the desk lightly with my left hand.
Yes. Why should giving up this one thing be so difficult? When I weighed everything on the scales, choosing the lighter danger was the wiser path.
“Will you show me the Gypsy?”
“For what purpose?”
When King Damon laughed, I laughed as well. Though we harbored different thoughts, our desires were the same—to uncover hidden truths.
‘Who in the Imperial Family took my secret.’
‘Whether the Gypsy is truly dying.’
This time, it was my turn to move first. King Damon’s black short hair flowed smoothly as he tilted his head. I raised one hand and struck the dagger away.
“I received something from the Gypsy, and I wish to return it.”
So it wouldn’t reach the Imperial Palace. So King Damon’s gaze would fall directly at my feet.
“Carrying it has grown heavy.”
King Damon’s expression twisted strangely—a satisfied look of finally finding what he sought.
He rose from his seat and drew close before me. Leaning his arms on the desk, he peered into my eyes as if looking into my very soul, his absinthe pupils studying me. Speaking softly, as if revealing some profound truth.
“Even the stars of the night sky cannot withstand a single death and fall—much less two. It is only natural that one cannot bear such weight.”
A foolish king, thinking himself the sole protagonist of the world. I wonder what expression he’d wear if he knew another exists who can bear this burden. My smile twisted into a bitter one, but King Damon paid it no mind, murmuring on.
“Indeed, such rumors don’t arise by mere chance.”
As I pondered what he meant, I soon grasped his assumption. Damon was mistaking my secret for something else—the question of my birth that had been raised by the Haimanga, the rumor that I was of imperial blood.
‘It’s not entirely wrong, but convenient. Alena must have leaked it to Eriponi, and Eriponi to Damon.’
“The truth is, you were always the stronger candidate compared to the Crown Prince. Even if that boy harbors secrets, how significant could they truly be?”
“King Damon. While it’s true we share a connection bound by secrets, your words are quite presumptuous. Show restraint. Prince Jin is of Bariel, and you are of Burgos.”
When I spoke firmly to end the conversation, Damon’s expression turned bewildered.
I am of imperial blood. And I know the future.
Naturally, shouldn’t I be conspiring with him? The fact that a true wielder of imperial lineage remains so withdrawn surely indicates hidden complications.
“Count Ian. We could become far more than you imagine. To seat a new bloodline on the imperial throne, what is more certain than the power of an external force?”
Eliminate Bariel. Then Burgos can flourish, and I can bloom as well.
Hearing Damon’s proposal, I chuckled softly and shook my head.
“I know why Your Majesty sought out the Gypsy. In my previous life, the fates of you and Burgos were truly harsh.”
It was so before, and it remains so now.
Only the one who dies and the one who acts have changed, but family spilling family blood remains unchanged.
“Thus, you dream of a different future. An age of prosperity, fertile lands, and a thriving nation.”
Damon slowly rose and stepped back. He had sensed my lack of goodwill. Though bound by secrets, he couldn’t fathom why I acted this way.
This was a certain opportunity—joining hands with me!
“But, do you know something?”
A table pressed against Damon’s back. A vase trembled slightly. I smiled sadly and uttered a curse, almost like a declaration.
“Ah, you wouldn’t know. You sought out the Gypsy to learn.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“The Gypsy said that King Damon would walk a fate no different from your previous life.”
Distant.
Damon’s jaw clenched hard. Nonsense! Much has already changed, and more will change.
“To be precise, it is Burgos’s fate that remains thus. Therefore, even if Your Majesty knows the future, it holds little appeal for me.”
“Rubbish.”
“Whether it’s rubbish or not, you need only ask the Gypsy. Since she’ll be dead soon, you’d best hurry.”
When I gestured toward the door with my chin, Damon glared at me fiercely. What did he think he knew, speaking such insolence? What had he done for Burgos’s new future?
Just as there cannot be two suns in the sky, if Burgos claims glory, Bariel’s naturally fades. I would never allow such a thing, yet Damon, like one trying to complete an empty puzzle, failed to grasp it properly.
“Amusing. Do you know what situation you’d face if the Crown Prince learned your true identity?”
“It cannot be proven. And as you said, ‘we’ are bound by secrets, are we not?”
If my secret leaked, Damon too would not escape unscathed. Was he not the one who turned his mother and father against each other, leading to their deaths? Moreover, countless illegitimate children remain in his homeland. Should such conduct be revealed, his royal authority would certainly be threatened.
Already uncertain where the nobles’ trust would flow amid the jewel collateral incident, Damon seized the vase within reach and hurled it at me.
Crash!
Glass shattered against the table. I slowly rose and smiled.
“Your Majesty. Are you unharmed?”
“….”
“Should your esteemed person suffer injury, I would find myself in difficulty.”
“Is that so? I rather like that. If I could make you this way by drawing blood.”
I walked past the shards and sat across from Damon.
What I need to know right now is just one thing.
Whether Jin standing behind me is unharmed, or rather—
“I must see with my own eyes whether the Gypsy is dying. I will have the Burgos envoy investigated, so I ask for your cooperation.”

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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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