Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 45

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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 45. Underground
“I have some regret toward the late Butler, so that’s why.”
“Regret about what?”
“…I borrowed something from the Manor on my way out.”
She had phrased theft quite prettily. Ian let out a hollow laugh and looked at her as if to say continue. It was more absurd than infuriating.
“I had no choice. Didn’t you ask me to stop, Ian?”
“Yes, yes. I did say that.”
“I had to leave the Manor, and I needed money until I found a new job. But you asked me to enter the Butler’s room several times, didn’t you?”
She meant she had taken something she’d marked back then while quitting. Truly, nothing could be more reckless. If something went missing, they would naturally suspect whoever had left, wouldn’t they?
“Around that time, over a dozen others quit as well. For different reasons, but Mrs. Mary became extremely sensitive. The beatings grew worse by the day, and the Manor’s atmosphere became a complete mess.”
“Mrs. Mary? What happened?”
“I’ve never been beaten myself, so I wouldn’t know, but she seemed to be under considerable stress. Strange discoloration appeared on her arms and legs, and honestly, I thought if I stayed much longer, I’d be beaten to death.”
Since she was going to quit anyway, she thought it wouldn’t matter if she slipped out among the other departing staff. She had picked it because it was the only item of the Butler’s that had a lock, suggesting it was valuable.
Ian guessed and asked back.
“But it seems it wasn’t what you hoped for. Your expression doesn’t look good at all.”
“Yes. Well, it turned out to be letters and drawings he’d collected over the years. It feels like I stole memories, you know? I wouldn’t feel this way if it had been money.”
Hena confessed that guilt had even kept her from sleeping. Then, after setting down the boy, she opened the drawer below and pulled out a pile of paper envelopes.
“If you’re going to hold a funeral, would you take these with you and burn them? If I keep them, I feel like I’ll truly be cursed.”
Ian nodded and naturally handed them to Berik, who habitually opened the envelopes and rummaged through them. It was a gesture of wondering if there was anything useful inside.
“Berik.”
“Huh? Why? Can’t I look?”
“It’s troublesome. Put them away carefully.”
Ian was about to click his tongue when a single sheet of paper fell through Berik’s fingers. It was an aerial view of the Manor that the newly hired Butler had referenced to efficiently understand his duties.
“Give it here. Put it back.”
“Wait a moment.”
“Wow. You told me not to look.”
“Be quiet. Let me see this.”
It was an aerial view of the Bratz Estate not much different from what I knew. It was divided in detail by floor, and even the positions of windows and doors in each room were perfect. But why…?
“I can’t figure out why something feels off about this.”
“Off? What does that mean?”
“It means something isn’t harmonious.”
“Let me see. Hmm, hmm.”
At Ian’s words, Berik and Hena leaned in their heads and focused intently. Based on her memories of working at the Manor, Hena compared it carefully, but couldn’t find any major differences.
“I don’t see anything particularly strange? It’s no different from now.”
“If there’s something different, it’s this. The Garden was empty back then?”
“The Garden was empty?”
What Berik had pointed out was a single tree drawn on the aerial view. It was simply drawn, but I recognized it as the willow tree closest to the Guest House.
“Usually, aerial views like this omit landscaping. If you draw every shrub and tree in detail, it never ends…”
I trailed off. Yes, it was standard for aerial views not to include landscaping.
But then why was this tree drawn here?
It could merely be a meaningless sketch by the author, but this was a document passed down to the manor’s administrator. It seemed more natural to ascribe meaning to it.
“Berik. Let’s hurry back to the manor.”
“Why! Tell me too.”
“Hena, I’ll contact you again. Once the manor is organized, I’ll need people to help. If possible, I’d like the servants who quit to return.”
“I’ll ask around. Of course I’m pleased. I was wondering how I’d manage to eat after this.”
Ian smiled gently at Hena’s words and tore off a sleeve button. It was from the clothes he’d worn at the peace ceremony. A single button would be enough to stave off hunger for now. Though whether there were still places willing to accept jewels in this situation was another matter entirely.
“Consider it a down payment of sorts.”
“Th-thank you. Young master, you’re truly remarkable. You always appear and help us whenever we’re starving.”
“Perhaps that’s the reason I met you.”
“Then I’ll also find a reason to have met you, Ian. I think the stable hand might not be injured. I think I saw him passing by yesterday.”
“Ah. Yes. I saw him too.”
“Please go inside. I’ll contact you right away.”
“Very well. Take care.”
Ian finished his farewell with Hena and galloped toward the manor. Without even dismounting, he rushed straight to the guest house and searched for the tree from the overhead sketch.
‘That must be it.’
What stood out was how the branches drooped downward as if wilted. Beneath it, members of the Cheonryeo Tribe gathered in small groups, chewing and burning dried leaves.
“Ian?”
“What brings you here?”
“Would you keep watch for a moment?”
“Keep watch? Sure. You go ahead.”
The charred guest house and scattered holes dug into the ground. Surely the bodies of servants who died in the fire were buried there.
Perhaps due to the ominous atmosphere? The Central Army and investigation team hadn’t even glanced toward the guest house, but one could never be too careful.
“Make sure the Central Army and investigation team don’t see this.”
“Mm. Understood. Are you working here?”
“Yes. Just move aside for a moment.”
The Cheonryeo warriors moved without question and took up positions along the wall, entering a state of vigilant watch. Berik held the overhead sketch upside down, continuing to compare the tree and drawing.
“Is it here?”
“Yes. So stop standing around and start digging.”
“Ugh. Really doing some hard labor here, aren’t we? You’ve got a great master!”
The tree was located, but that was as far as it went. There was clearly something hidden, yet no trace remained. Berik drew out a dagger and meticulously scraped at the ground.
“So when you find Mary and Chel, are you going to kill them yourself?”
“Of course not. I can’t kill them that way.”
Ian answered while running his fingertips over the grass. The texture of the grass felt different somehow.
“Rather, it’s better to keep them alive for now.”
“What do you mean?”
“So I can make them run away. Far, very far away.”
Fake grass.
Ian took the dagger from Berik and wedged it into the gap. The ground lifted like a lever. Even the Cheonryeo warriors in the distance, who had been idly chewing dried leaves, looked over in bewilderment.
Creak.
A staircase leading to a secret space appeared. A basement constructed with spiral stone steps. When he swept his hand across the floor, it felt damp. The seams between the door and ground suggested they had formed not long ago.
In other words, someone had used this place recently.
“Found it. Berik. Get ready.”
“Got it. Why the rush?”
“It’s pathetic. We’re not the only ones chasing Bratz.”
“Who else? Erika?”
“Yes. Bring a lantern, but make sure no one notices.”
* * *
Mrs. Mary stared at the burning wick.
Noise echoed along the ceiling and walls. It was likely outsiders who had recently taken over the manor. Otherwise, her husband Count Derga would have come to retrieve her and their son.
In this tunnel where not a single ray of light or breath of wind entered, Mrs. Mary felt the worst despair of her life.
“Mom. I’m hungry.”
“Eat some jerky.”
“Is this all there is here?”
Chel sat on the makeshift bed, whining. Despite his age, he could only manage such complaints! For the first time, Mrs. Mary found her son pathetic.
“Should we try moving the back door?”
“It’s sealed with molten metal. Don’t hurt yourself needlessly—just sit still. We need to preserve our strength.”
A space similar to an underground prison. The secret passage leading outside had been blocked by Count Derga’s father as a precaution against it being used as an invasion route. At that time, relations with the Cheonryeo Tribe had been so tense that he understood the decision, but this was a self-inflicted trap of the worst kind.
“How much longer must we endure this?”
“Wait a little longer. An opportunity will come within days. Once we reach Fontrol, we can rest properly. Just be patient.”
Mrs. Mary planned to pass through the Merelrof territory and return to her family home. As a traitor, she would have to live in hiding for the rest of her life, but family would surely help her somehow.
Mrs. Mary picked at the jewels on her fingernails one by one, rubbing them against her dress. These gems she had dismissed as cheap would become precious travel funds.
Thump, thump.
That’s when it happened. Suddenly, as if an auditory hallucination, she heard footsteps. Mrs. Mary reflexively extinguished the lamp, and Chel hid behind the bed. In the pitch-black darkness, a faint yellow light flickered from far away.
“Gasp!”
Someone had come! They had discovered the manor’s secret space and were following their trail! Mrs. Mary gripped her dagger with trembling hands and held her breath.
‘Count Derga, is that you? Hurry, hurry….’
If it’s you, give me a signal.
But despite Mrs. Mary’s fervent hope, the voice that reached her ears was both unfamiliar and familiar. A shadow stretched long across the stone wall.
“Are you there? Mother, Elder Brother Chel.”
“…Yes, how did you find this place!”
Though she hadn’t heard it in months, she recognized it instantly. It was Ian.
Ian glanced around the secret space with an expression of surprise, his eyebrows furrowing. The men who followed behind him had their faces painted with red pigment… the Cheonryeo Tribe!
“H-how is this possible….”
“Well, they’ve dug a tunnel here. Count Derga is quite impressive.”
“Imperial nobles typically have at least one escape hole like this. They’re the type who’d rather flee than die fighting.”
“But there doesn’t seem to be a way out in the back?”
“Yeah. That’s odd.”
Mrs. Mary’s mind went blank. She had assumed the ones stationed at the manor were the investigation team and the Central Army. How had Ian and the Cheonryeo Tribe appeared?
But that was only momentary.
“Iiiiiian!”
Shiiiek!
Mrs. Mary reflexively shrieked and lunged at me. She believed it was I who had contacted Mollin from behind to expose Count Derga, and I who had seduced the Cheonryeo Tribe into breaking their alliance.
A Cheonryeo warrior quickly seized her wrist in response to the woman’s sudden attack.
“Ahhh! It hurts!”
She thrashed as if to shake off his hand, but she couldn’t escape the brute warrior’s iron grip. The warrior casually wrenched the dagger from her grasp and hurled it away, then pinned Mrs. Mary against the wall while binding her.
Thud!
“How dare you show such disrespect! You lowborn wretches! You have no breeding!”
“Mother. I’ve heard you’ve become quite volatile, but it seems worse than I imagined?”
“Silence! Silence! It’s all because of you! All because of you!”
I raised the lantern to examine Mrs. Mary’s face closely. Hollow eyes rimmed with dark shadows, skin turned sallow and grimy, yellowed eyes streaked with burst capillaries. Even her lips were cracked and flaking. There wasn’t a single part of her that remained untouched.
Chel, by contrast, had merely lost some weight and been covered in dust—otherwise, he appeared largely unchanged.
‘…What is this?’
I furrowed my brow, sensing that Mrs. Mary’s transformation was deeply unnatural.

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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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