Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 351

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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 351
Fire. The Reverse Bait
Damon fell silent, resting his chin on one hand.
Tap, tap. With each strike of his fingertips against the table, the Advisors felt the air grow heavier and exchanged glances, their final plea directed toward Timothy. Please, say something, anything.
Timothy swallowed a sigh and slowly turned the page.
“Your Highness. If King Clipoford intended to contact us, he would have done so by now. The absence of any message suggests his intention to bury the Envoy’s sudden death. Perhaps we should send another representative.”
“I concur. They offer no hint whatsoever, fearing the revelation of the Envoy’s death would cause problems. If we delay further, they may find some way to escape accountability. I believe sending another should be considered.”
“Rumors spread widely that a black moon rose and set over King Clipoford’s palace. The possibility that one or two have died seems quite significant…”
Knock, knock.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside. Damon straightened from his resting position and hastily ordered them to enter. An Advisor who appeared urgent handed a neatly folded letter to Timothy.
“An urgent dispatch from Clipoford.”
“How many are dead?”
“Ah, that is…”
Timothy glanced at Damon’s expression before carefully reading aloud.
“The Envoys are suffering collectively from high fever and chills, and Clipoford is treating them. There is no mention of death.”
The Advisors frowned in disbelief and whispered among themselves. What in the world was this? Had the poison failed to work, leaving them alive? Or had something gone wrong in the interim?
Damon read through the characters with his violet eyes gleaming sharply, then let out a soft laugh.
“What an elaborate lie.”
“If you say it is a lie…”
“The Envoys are already dead. But they are conveying this to evade responsibility. It seems King Clipoford has discovered that Burgos is concealing its fangs.”
“Then, what should we do? Perhaps we should still send another Envoy to gather evidence and grounds…”
“No. Even if we send them, they will not return. It would be pointless. Rather, it would be better to withdraw the eyes and ears we have planted in the palace. Furthermore, it is important to gather the rumors circulating in Clipoford’s streets and ascertain precisely what is happening within.”
“Understood, Your Highness. I will make contact in that direction. Should we assume the Mages are present?”
“It is safe to assume so. But there is something puzzling.”
Damon murmured softly while gently running his fingers through his short, shimmering hair.
He was aware that Clipoford and the Mages of Bariel had caused quite a commotion at the border. And through Ruswena’s hints, he learned that they had entered King Clipoford’s palace as an extension of that incident, and that most of the Magic Ministry had mobilized in support.
But why were the Mages not returning to Bariel?
The pretext of protecting Clipoford was far too flimsy. They were not yet in an official alliance, and leaving the imperial palace vacant would be an even more critical situation.
‘They say something happened to Ian, but I cannot discern what it is.’
I could not understand why someone who had risen to the position of Minister of Magic at such a young age had suddenly faltered.
‘…Should I send Timothy?’
Murky waters. Unable to see even an inch ahead, forced to navigate forward by touch alone.
If I cast Timothy into those depths, would there not be something to grasp and pull to the surface? Besides, Ian’s attitude toward Timothy seemed to transcend that of a mere diplomat.
“Your Highness?”
“Ah.”
As Timothy called out to Damon with concern, Damon regained his focus and nodded slightly.
“First, we must secure evidence that the Envoy is dead. It appears Bariel is seeking an opening to intervene through Clipoford, so we must be thorough on our end. You all understand what I mean.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Of course. We shall obey.”
“Leave it to us.”
“However, there is one thing, I…”
The meeting was drawing to a close when an Advisor raised his hand. He hesitated, fingering the petitions that had been arriving steadily from the provinces.
“The Nobles are assembling their private forces smoothly, but several houses are requesting the return of their family heirlooms first. It seems they’re concerned about management and loss once the war begins.”
The military strength of Burgos’s royal palace alone was insufficient. Especially considering population, there was quite a significant gap compared to Clipoford’s side.
Burgos’s only path forward was to consolidate all the military forces scattered among the provincial Nobles into one place. To accomplish this, the certain disposition of the jewels that had been handed over to Bariel as tribute was necessary.
“They certainly worry a lot. Did I tell them they would receive them once they arrived in the capital?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Send them a letter sealed with the royal palace stamp as proof. Nobles, really.”
Damon muttered thus while rummaging through the drawer of his work desk.
Soon, a small box came into his grasp. A box containing the golden diamond that should have originally been kept in Clipoford.
A second life—heaven was surely aiding me. Not only had I secured a massive quantity of Idgal, but I had also recovered the jewels that had nearly fallen into their hands. This was destiny’s instruction to begin the war swiftly.
‘Rutherford.’
The mysterious man belonging to Rutherford. I couldn’t fathom what methods he used, but he had extracted the jewels from Prince Noah’s carriage and placed them in my hands. The price I paid for it was negligible.
I realized that Rutherford’s true desire was not material gain. War and destruction. Moreover, the tensions between nations, and perhaps even Bariel’s downfall.
Regardless of the merchant guild’s intentions, since Burgos and they looked in the same direction, it was fortunate. Thus, I was able to consolidate the Nobles to the center without issue.
Click!
Damon closed the drawer and instructed Timothy.
“Timothy.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Go out to the streets of Clipoford and handle matters yourself. Go directly and gather information about the other side’s situation as swiftly and accurately as possible.”
It was the moment Timothy was about to bow his head and acknowledge the command.
“If you cannot learn it from the streets, then enter the palace itself.”
“Pardon?”
Hadn’t I myself just said that even if I sent another Envoy, they would not return? As Timothy raised his head in confusion, Damon laughed aloud.
“Haha. A jest. Merely a jest.”
“Ah….”
Timothy awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Though he served his lord, sometimes he was too sharp and his depths were unfathomable, which left Timothy perplexed. As Timothy bowed, Damon turned away without hesitation.
“Let us observe. What unfolds in Clipoford.”
* * *
“Is there any response?”
“No. There is none. No movement either.”
Ian, having received word from across the border, gazed down at the map with his arms crossed. Already a day had passed. The Burgos side, having received Clipoford’s message, remained silent without any movement.
The fact that no reply came, despite all the Envoys falling ill, meant they recognized the content itself as false. Naturally, Damon would have sensed this.
“Should we maintain the standoff?”
“Yes. Bariel’s forces also need time to descend, and above all, Burgos has likely already infiltrated informants into Clipoford to find fault. It is right to give them time to investigate and search.”
“Sigh, this is more tense than I expected.”
“There is no need to be tense. When one is tense, even possible things become impossible.”
Tap.
Ian examined Clipoford’s terrain in detail, continuing to move stones back and forth. What thoughts were passing through his mind, Clipoford’s Advisor could not tell, rolling only his eyes. Prince Noah beside him was similarly quiet, so what more could they add?
“Is the rumor spreading smoothly?”
“Yes. The royal palace is already listening intently, so the rumor will spread quickly. It serves well as a lure for Burgos, but it also allows the people to make their own preparations. It seems to be killing two birds with one stone.”
Three Burgos envoys had died within the royal palace. This would inevitably become a diplomatic incident, so the palace was working diligently to suppress the matter and handle the aftermath. Consequently, the citizens were also stockpiling food in preparation for a potential conflict with Burgos, gathering with their families, and heeding unofficial warnings to avoid going out.
“Since he doesn’t tire of singing all day long, it may spread faster than I anticipated.”
Tap, tap, tap!
Crash!
“Your Highness! Information has arrived!”
“What is it?”
“Timothy, the Burgos envoy, has entered the country.”
I paused. My hand, which had been about to set down the stone, stopped abruptly. I had anticipated that someone would infiltrate and show a reaction, but I hadn’t expected that person to be Timothy. He held a position high enough to lead an envoy delegation, which meant he was among Damon’s closest confidants.
To send such a man to Cliffford in this situation? Unlike Noah, who seemed to have no particular thoughts on the matter, I turned the matter over in my mind.
‘Is this bait that Damon is throwing at me?’
This was precisely why emotions and the favorable actions that followed them must not be exposed to others. Damon clearly believed there was some unfathomable significance to the special connection between me and Timothy that he had witnessed in Bariel. Timothy might not know, but I had indeed acted that way.
Since he was Naum’s ancestor, I could not allow him to become entangled in unexpected deaths or incidents.
“Timothy the envoy. Ah, yes. That man I saw in Bariel. Where did he go?”
“We lost track of him after he entered the capital.”
“He will approach the palace. Keep a keen watch.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
If there were spies within the palace, he would move to make contact with them. I pushed the stone aside and asked.
“Is there anyone within the palace who could serve as Burgos’s eyes and ears?”
“Ah, there are a few suspicious individuals. Among our children’s tutors and there…”
Since the organizational structure of the imperial palace and the royal palace differed, he seemed uncertain how to explain it. Noah gave a vague nod.
“I’ve narrowed it down to five or six. I’ve had them under surveillance, so if they show any suspicious behavior, I’ll be notified immediately. This works well. If Timothy makes a report, Damon will accept it without much suspicion. Since rumors among the people aren’t entirely lacking, it might be good to turn the spies to our advantage.”
If I leaked false information to the spies, and Timothy reported it to Damon…
Damon was already on edge. He wouldn’t leave Timothy alone. He was a cruel man who used the deaths of envoys as signals. Timothy’s life could be ended simply by the fact that he brought false information.
I let out a hollow laugh with my arms crossed.
‘The bait you’re throwing without even knowing what it is, Damon, is sinking quite deep.’
I stood up and spoke to Noah. At this point, I had no choice but to directly persuade Timothy to defect.
“Please share that list with me as well.”
“…Very well.”
Noah looked up at me as I stood, then reluctantly muttered his agreement. Within his words of consent, he concealed his intention not to share it.
I didn’t know what Ian was thinking, but information about defectors was classified above all else. There was no need for Ian to know, nor any reason to bear the risks that would arise from his knowing.
Noah watched silently as Ian left, pretending to hand over documents.

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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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