Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 518

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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 517
Fire. Overreach and Strike
“My goodness. Did something like that happen?”
Viviana brought warm black tea for the Prince and his entourage who had arrived so suddenly. I thought she looked rather exhausted, but it seemed she’d experienced quite a lot during the secret journey.
Romandro waved his hand dismissively and sipped his black tea.
“Yes. In broad daylight, without a shred of fear, putting on such a puppet show right on the main road. It’s unbelievable. You be careful when you go out with Vivi too.”
He didn’t mention the puppets made from human skin, lest his wife and daughter be traumatized.
Viviana set a teacup before Prince Gin and offered comfort.
“Your Highness, do not trouble yourself. Truthfully, I have never witnessed such disloyalty in my circles. I visit the commercial district several times a day. Every time, of course. Everyone is showing their support for your enthronement ceremony and your military campaign—I hope you hear only cheers. It doesn’t seem to be someone from Bariel. Could it perhaps be someone from Burgos?”
Her words held merit. Using human skin for puppets was a cruelty difficult to imagine in Bariel, but among the sorcerers of the north, there might be tribes that employed such methods.
Ian set down his teacup and looked at Gin.
“I also believe that is highly probable. I will investigate immediately and submit a report.”
“Yes. Well. There are those who curse God himself—why would I escape such things? I don’t concern myself greatly with that.”
That? Viviana detected an unspoken, subtle emotion in Gin’s words. It sounded like he was concerned about something else.
Vivi, who had been crunching cookies beside him, seemed to sense it too and asked the Prince directly.
“Then, is there something else that troubles you?”
“Vivi, what lady conducts conversation while eating cookies?”
“I’m not a lady—I’m a child.”
“There’s no helping you.”
This one was something else. Viviana threw up her hands in defeat and pressed her forehead, then cast an apologetic glance toward Gin.
Just as Gin was about to respond with a laugh, Berik, who had been stealing Vivi’s cookies, beat him to it.
“It’s because of that woman from earlier, isn’t it?”
“A woman?”
Vivi’s eyes sparkled in an instant.
Had the Prince found a lover? Would she be the first to learn of the topic everyone in the world was curious about? Without thinking, Vivi let the cookie fall from her mouth, then rubbed her lips frantically with the back of her hand.
“Oh my, she really is a child.”
“A woman? What happened?”
“Children don’t need to know.”
“I’m not a child!”
“Look at that—doing whatever she pleases. That’s exactly what a child does.”
Vivi and Berik bickered and snapped at each other, while Romandro pretended not to hear and merely sipped his black tea.
In the midst of the noisy commotion, Gin casually recounted what had happened. He said he had seen a woman he’d been meeting in a dream he’d had since long ago.
Viviana and Philia, listening quietly, exchanged knowing glances and shared a meaningful signal.
‘Isn’t this fate?’
‘Yes, since His Highness has continued to have these dreams, it must be heaven’s blessing.’
‘My goodness. What wonderful news!’
‘Let’s pretend we didn’t hear. He’ll only feel embarrassed.’
“By the way, Mother.”
“Yes?”
Philia straightened her head with an awkward smile. It was the first time she and Ian had sat facing each other since he’d returned to the capital. Usually they only caught glimpses of each other at the Magic Department or met at mealtimes.
“When are you planning to go down to Hielo?”
“Ah, nothing concrete has been decided yet. Why?”
Philia wondered if their presence in the capital was becoming a hindrance, so she asked carefully. Ian laughed and shook his head.
“If possible, I’d like for Mother to descend to Hielo at a leisurely pace.”
As Ian spoke, his gaze rested on Roel. She had been quietly crunching cookies, and now she stared directly at him as if she understood his intention.
“Brother. I apologize, but I cannot see anything at the moment.”
In other words, please don’t ask.
Ian shrugged and turned his attention back to Philia.
“Roel’s abilities will be of great help to Bariel. We may also gain clues about Silasque through the war. I’m not forcing this—it’s merely a suggestion. Mother, if you’re planning to stay for a long time, I’ll arrange a house for you. It seems we’re imposing too much on the Romandro family.”
“Oh, no. Minister Ian.”
“That’s right, Ian. You’re providing living expenses and helping us in many ways, so don’t speak of debt. It’s embarrassing.”
“I appreciate you saying so, but…”
“No, no. That’s enough. Let’s end this matter here. Countess, please make yourself comfortable. Roel, you too.”
Then Philia nodded slightly and added.
“The coronation ceremony isn’t far off, so I plan to stay in the capital until then. It’s such a glorious occasion that I must attend. But you know, Ian.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Do you happen to have some connection with the Davion family?”
Count Davion’s house.
It was not something that should have come from Philia’s lips. Ian, of course, and even Jin, Romandro, and Xiaoxi, who had been listening quietly, all stiffened and turned their heads.
Surprised by their reaction, Philia waved her hand hastily and leaned back.
“It’s nothing serious. I simply received an invitation to a tea party not long ago. They said that since I’ve come up from the borderlands to the capital, wouldn’t I be lonely alone? They mentioned that Roel and Mrs. Viviana could attend as well.”
“Did you attend?”
“No, absolutely not. I sent back a polite refusal. I don’t even know what kind of family they are, and besides, their intentions were far too transparent. But then another invitation arrived recently, so I wondered if perhaps I was wrong to refuse.”
Ian and Jin exchanged glances. Philia’s perception of their intentions was so clear that their inner workings were completely exposed. Since the Magic Department had rejected the meeting, they were trying to approach through Philia, Ian’s mother.
And ultimately, to reach Jin.
“You did well. Going forward, whether it’s Davion or any other family, please refrain from private meetings. If you become too bored, inform me. I can always arrange appropriate social gatherings. There’s no need for you to go out yourself—you need only invite guests here.”
“I’m not bored. The days pass too quickly when I spend time with Mrs. Viviana doing this and that.”
“Yes, it’s good to be cautious.”
Berik, his hair disheveled, muttered while picking at his ear.
“They’re certainly working hard over there.”
“Indeed. The Davion side is more aggressive than expected. I thought they’d stay quiet until the Marquis Hollin matter was settled.”
“Your Highness, have you reviewed the report?”
Oh. The word “report” had come up.
Viviana rose from her seat with the empty cookie plate, and Philia naturally followed her. It was a considerate gesture to allow them to discuss business matters freely. The two daughters remained seated on the sofa.
“I have. The Hollin family asked me to settle the Davion matter. It’s a clear overreach of authority, and I wonder if they didn’t realize it.”
“I think the same. Rather than a genuine desire, it seemed more like a suggestion of ‘it would be nice if it happened, but it’s fine if it doesn’t.’ There seems to be something else behind it, so it would be best to observe.”
“Actually, there’s been someone from the Davion side lately who’s been irritating me, so I’ve considered using this as a pretext to eliminate him. With the Hollin side making their move, he seems to be burning with anxiety.”
Ooh. Adult talk. Vivi couldn’t understand more than half of what was being said, but she snorted and focused on their conversation.
Only Berik and Roel seemed uninterested. The two of them sat blankly crunching the remaining cookies, then simultaneously looked toward the door.
Knock, knock.
“Yes. Who is it?”
“I’ve come from the palace.”
At the familiar voice, the surroundings fell silent. Mini, the estate’s only servant, wiped her hands on her apron and headed to the entrance. It was Barsabe. She removed her hat and bowed respectfully, then delivered her message to Gin and me.
“Your Highness, Minister Ian. There’s been a problem. It seems you’ll need to enter the palace urgently.”
“A problem? What kind?”
“After hearing of the Hollin Family’s proposal, the Davion side has begun proceedings to accuse them of overstepping their authority, which has halted all operations. The Hollin side appears to be making moves to sell off their territories.”
“Ugh, these people are something else.”
As Berik stretched languidly and hummed, Gin leaned his head back against the sofa as if troubled. I set down my teacup with a clink and reached for my coat.
“Let’s go, Your Highness.”
“How is it that not a single day passes without something?”
“That’s what the palace is, isn’t it?”
After the two of them left first, Romandro and Xiaoxi rose, gathering their belongings.
Then, their shoulders brushed slightly. Xiaoxi continued with his gestures as if it were nothing, but Romandro felt oddly awkward and merely twitched his nose.
“Romandro.”
“Huh? Yes? What is it?”
“Either use formal speech consistently or informal speech consistently. This is uncomfortable.”
And with that, he left in a flash.
Romandro playfully hurried after him.
“No, no, you’re an officer and a nobleman besides. I can’t just speak casually to you! But we’ve known each other for over ten years now, haven’t we? That’s right? Good is good, and when things move urgently, sometimes you cut the front and sometimes the back—that’s just how it goes, right?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“What are you all doing? Get in, quickly!”
“Got it, you bastard!”
Romandro answered Berik’s urging and loaded the luggage onto the back of the carriage. Viviana and Philia hurried out to see them off.
“You’re leaving so suddenly?”
“Dad, when will you come back?”
“On my day off.”
“Dad doesn’t have days off.”
Tch. As Romandro made a show of wiping his tears again, Viviana laughed while holding her daughter in her arms.
“See you soon. If you need anything, I’ll bring it with me.”
“Yes. I’ll be back soon. My big Vivi. And our little Vivi.”
Light kisses were exchanged on cheeks, and I waved goodbye to Philia and Roel through the window.
“Until we meet again, Mother. If anyone sends an invitation, please inform me of who it is, no matter who.”
“Yes. Take care of yourself, and eat well.”
“Let’s depart.”
Whiiiing!
Clatter!
At my command, the carriage began to move slowly forward.
Vivi waved from the road. Romandro leaned his face out the window, while Gin sat in silence with his chin resting on his hand, clearly displeased about something.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. This can be resolved easily.”
“No, that’s not it—I’m just disappointed we couldn’t finish the covert operation.”
For Ian, it had been mere days, but for Jin and the others, this was their first outing in a full decade. As Jin gazed out the window with narrowed eyes, Ian added consolingly.
“Brother. We can always go out again next time, can’t we?”
At the smooth form of address, Jin turned only his eyes to look at Ian. No dramatic change was visible, but the relaxation in his gaze made it clear his mood had softened considerably.
Berik, listening from beside me, leaned forward and pointed at me with his finger. There was a hint of excitement in his expression.
“Ian! Me too! Let me call you brother too!”
“Berik. Be quiet.”
“Why not! Just let me call you brother!”
“Would you prefer to walk?”
“Gasp. Sorry.”
Berik raised his hand in an apologetic gesture, and the carriage fell silent once more. Only the rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed as we raced toward the imperial palace.
Before the main gates of the imperial palace. Carriages lined the entrance as if announcing that chaos had erupted.
“Are they all from House Davion?”
“It appears so.”
The Davion faction looked resolute.
They were fiercely condemning the Hollin Family’s overreach, loading their belongings as if prepared to strike if this threat wasn’t completely eliminated.
It made sense.
Just as with the Hollin Family, this was an opportunity for Davion—a chance to completely cut down their rivals.

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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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