Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 450

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 450
Fire. The Poisoned Cup
The moment Eriponi returned to the reception hall, she loosened her outer robe with a violent gesture. Her silence was chilling, and the muffled groans that escaped as she sprawled across the sofa spoke volumes of the fury burning within her.
Her subordinates retreated behind Eldetr, keeping their heads bowed low, fearful that even a spark of her wrath might ignite upon them. Only Eldetr remained, carefully gathering the garments she had cast aside.
“Your Highness, I shall bring the Burgos envoy to you shortly. Please wait a moment.”
“Yes. If possible, bring only the chief envoy. He appears fragile, yet there is a venom in his gaze that should not be underestimated. As he is of King Damon’s blood, there must be hidden designs lurking beneath. If handled well, conversation may flow more easily.”
Eldetr nodded and hastily departed the reception hall. They had only thirty minutes to work with. In that time, they would either seduce the Burgos faction to their side, or…
I must twist the necks of those two young whelps who form Bariel’s foundation. That is the only way to break through this impasse.
Of course, I had no intention of stepping forward openly. I had a palace and people to protect, did I not? The blood spilled by those two children must flow toward Burgos, and Bariel’s fury must likewise be redirected in that direction.
But it was not a simple matter. This was Bariel’s imperial palace. Eyes and ears watching me were everywhere, and most of my soldiers could not even pass through the main gate, lingering uselessly outside the palace walls.
What of weapons? Beyond the golden bow I had managed to bring in under the pretense of lacking arrows, we possessed nothing but a small dagger.
Tap, tap.
Creak.
A deadly poison that could kill even a bear weighing hundreds of pounds with a single drop. It was my only weapon. A mere brush would suffice, but without divine intervention providing an opportunity, the path forward seemed impossibly distant.
Lost in thought with her fingers pressed against her temples, Eriponi did not notice someone entering. Only when a teacup was placed on the table and her subordinates began to murmur did she finally regain her senses.
Clink.
“What occupies your thoughts so deeply that you fail to notice someone entering?”
“You—!”
Zairada. That arrogant, presumptuous little mage. With the same confident expression he had worn when insulting the king, he now stood before her, setting down the teacup.
As Eriponi reflexively reached to seize Zairada by the collar, the boy pulled back and issued a warning.
“I am no longer a Ruswena mage, but a Bariel mage now. If you treat me so carelessly, you may find yourself crying out over compensation for damages. I learned here that a mage’s worth is quite extraordinary.”
“I could tear you to shreds. Who do you think you stand before, spouting such vulgar nonsense? Ruswena is the motherland that gave birth to you and raised you, along with that proud grandmother of yours. How dare you betray her?”
“If a motherland can give birth and raise you, can it also decide your death?”
“The elder chose death herself. I witnessed it with my own eyes from that very spot, yet you continue spouting lies. You are young and base. I do not know about the other mages, but you—I will certainly bring you back to Ruswena.”
Eriponi, mindful of Zairada’s status, did not reach out directly, but instead slowly advanced with her massive frame, pressing him back.
The boy retreated step by step. Ruswena’s subordinates parted left and right, clearing a path, as Eriponi’s enormous shadow descended upon him like it would swallow him whole.
Thud.
At the moment Zairada’s head touched the door, he realized there was nowhere left to retreat. He attempted to push against Eriponi’s arm.
Perhaps the king had desired this from the start, for she waited eagerly for the boy to reach out his hand.
Creak.
In that instant, the door swung open and the boy’s body was pushed backward.
It was Ian. Ian grasped Zairada’s shoulder, standing at a remarkably close distance from Eriponi.
“Zairada.”
“I-Ian…”
“Count Ian.”
Ian glanced at the teacup resting on the table, then swiftly grasped the situation. It was the boy’s recklessness. He had come to meet the king directly to pour out the resentment that lingered in his heart.
Ian offered a light bow to Eriponi as a gesture of respect.
“My apologies, Your Highness.”
“…What apology could you possibly owe?”
“Zairada now belongs to Bariel’s Mage Division, making him my subordinate. Since my subordinate has erred, it is only proper that I apologize. He is still young and has not easily forgotten the sorrows of his past. I ask for your understanding.”
Zaira gripped Ian’s sleeve tightly, her defiant gaze fixed on Eriponi.
I understand, but that doesn’t mean I need to sympathize. Eriponi leaned slightly against the doorframe, resting her elbow on it.
“How curious. A Ruswena Mage transformed into a Bariel Mage in mere days.”
“One cannot choose their birthplace, but nationality is a matter of choice, is it not?”
“True enough. You’re not wrong. Well, it’s fortunate that your subordinate’s mistake brought us face to face. Why not come in for a moment and share some tea? There are matters I’d like to discuss.”
This worked out well. With that thought, Eriponi turned away. Ian caught sight of her smile through the window and briefly pretended to check the time on his pocket watch.
“If you wish to discuss matters, let us do so in the conference hall. We’ll have plenty of time then.”
“No time now? Yet enough time to meet with someone?”
Eriponi subtly hinted that she could make contact with other nations, deliberately provoking Ian.
Typically during recess, each delegation was kept in separate rooms placed far apart, with guards stationed accordingly. But this recess had been sudden, and the Bariel side appeared preoccupied with meeting Cliffford. The guards were sufficiently distracted to be manipulated.
When Eriponi pointed this out, Ian glanced both ways down the corridor before stepping into the reception room.
“What would you have to say? For conversation to be meaningful, both parties must have something of value to offer. If it’s merely Ruswena’s one-sided statements, that would be a request rather than a discussion.”
Transparent, wasn’t it? Reduce the damages owed, don’t extradite the Mages who defected from Ruswena, and so forth. Most of the conversation would consist of Ruswena—or more precisely, Eriponi—asking Ian for leniency.
Yet her head remained held high. Ian laughed, genuinely amused.
A soft rustle.
“…With so many Ruswena Mages relocating, the Magic Ministry must be celebrating.”
Eriponi clenched her teeth and prepared the tea herself. Ian paced cautiously, watching his surroundings, but since they weren’t seated across from each other, an opening presented itself. Eriponi dripped poison onto the dried leaves, then took a moment to steady her breathing.
‘Eldetr will arrive shortly with the Burgos Envoy.’
I’ll pour the water then.
With that thought, her hands trembled slightly.
It wasn’t nervousness about the impending deed. By her nature, she should have pierced his heart with an arrow and torn through his throat, but restraining herself like this left her frustrated. Eriponi set down the teacup with an irritated motion.
A sharp clink.
At that sound, Ian turned to look back. Eriponi gestured for him to sit, but Ian merely leaned against the table with his arms crossed.
“Say what you must. I can hear you from here. I’d prefer no disruptions reach the Bariel officials before the negotiations.”
“Isn’t your mere presence in this room already a disruption to them?”
“I’m simply retrieving a reckless subordinate. That shouldn’t be difficult to understand. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll take my leave.”
“Did the Bariel administration calculate it?”
As Ian turned to leave, Eriponi added urgently.
“Calculate what?”
“The damages owed. Ruswena currently lacks the means to pay. Thanks to certain individuals, the royal palace is in ruins, after all.”
Eriponi’s piercing gaze swept across Zaira. The boy clung close to Ian’s side and immediately shot back without backing down.
“Open the royal treasury then. I’ve seen it myself. It was filled with gold, silver, jewels, and precious artifacts. How can you claim poverty while hoarding such things?”
“Hold your tongue. What would a child know?”
The royal treasures were priceless cultural heritage beyond monetary value. Each piece carried history, and selling them would be tantamount to Eriponi severing the royal identity herself.
Moreover, the Bariel side would never properly assess their true worth.
“I understand that the Ruswena Mages chose to abandon their homeland for Bariel of their own free will. But before that, I cannot overlook the fact that they destroyed the royal palace. You now claim to be their superior, yes?”
Just as Cliffford received damages, Ruswena had the right to claim them as well. Since the Mages’ superior was now Ian of the Magic Ministry, responsibility fell to him.
“Strictly speaking, the Ruswena Mages are traitors and criminals who damaged the palace. I cannot hand them over to Bariel without accountability. Should you persist in denial, Ruswena will formally raise this issue after the negotiations. With the treasury already depleted, we need those Mages to keep the kingdom functioning, don’t we?”
Eriponi smiled and met Zaira’s eyes. You see, child? There’s still a way to bring you back. If I can only take you to Ruswena, I’ll seal a mana-binding stone around your neck for life, forcing you to serve Ruswena until your dying breath.
As if hearing the curse she silently uttered, Zaira quietly slipped behind Ian once more.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from outside. It was Eldetr. He had brought the Burgos delegation with him. Eriponi ordered him to enter promptly, and as Eldetr stepped inside, he caught sight of Ian and Zairada already present, causing him to pause momentarily.
An unexpected situation. He exchanged a brief glance with his sovereign to assess the circumstances, then naturally proceeded to guide Bania forward.
“This is Bania, the representative envoy from Burgos.”
“Ah.”
She too appeared flustered upon seeing Ian’s presence. I narrowed my eyes as if to say, “Look at this,” alternating my gaze between Eriponi and Bania.
“It seems you have much to discuss. The fact that you’ve come here even during the break, unable to restrain yourselves, speaks volumes.”
“Please, sit here, Representative Bania.”
Clink, clink.
As Eriponi clinked her teacup, Bania carefully moved toward the seat. Eriponi took a delicate sip from her tea, which she had prepared beforehand.
The remaining two teacups contained only dried leaves.
“Minister, won’t you sit as well? Everyone else is seated, and surely standing in such a manner is not the custom of Bariel?”
Bania took her seat, yet the servants did not pour tea for her. Before her sat a king of a nation, and beside her stood a minister of the empire. Accepting that she would not be served, Bania took the teapot herself and poured water into her cup.
Seeing this, I sat down beside Bania, and Eriponi naturally offered me the poisoned tea.
‘The tea was brought by Zairada, and I walked in of my own accord. The water was also poured by Bania. Since a thorough body search was conducted at the main gate, if I simply dispose of the poison pouch discreetly, there will be no way to connect Ruswena to this incident.’
As if to prove a point, Eriponi took the first sip of her tea.
Bania and I simply watched the steam rising from the cup. After a moment of silence, I unhesitatingly brought the tea to my lips.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————