Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 618

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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 617. The Sunset Approaches
“Has the Imperial flag been raised?”
“Yes, we’ve just hung it. Once His Majesty enters the palace, we’ll hoist it to the highest point.”
“If there are any items that haven’t been brought up yet, hurry. The sun will set soon, so it’s best to finish before then.”
“Yes, Minister Ian. Don’t worry. If needed, we’ll move everything ourselves. Oh, and we’ve also secured the official seal. It appears to be the one used in the King of Burgos’s palace, and it’s in excellent condition. I was thinking of drafting a letter to Romandro with this.”
I nodded while flipping through the documents.
This was the royal palace of Burgos’s capital—nowhere else. The Emperor’s entry meant the end of the war, so there were many more things to verify and prepare.
While I was listening to opinions surrounded by Mages, someone called out to me from a distance.
“Excuse me, is Minister Ian here? My apologies for the intrusion.”
“I’m here. Who is it?”
As I turned my head, the Mages parted to the sides, creating a path. A Soldier rushed through the gap urgently.
“I bring a message from Officer Xiaoxi of the Imperial Defense Department. There’s been a problem, and he asks if you could come quickly.”
“Officer Xiaoxi? Right now?”
I closed the report and asked in confusion.
Just moments ago, I had seen him moving busily to understand the palace structure and secure Royalist recruits. What problem could have arisen?
Jin hadn’t even entered the palace yet, so it couldn’t be related to that…
“Lead the way.”
Xiaoxi was Minister Tweller’s direct subordinate. The fact that he was requesting help from me instead meant this involved the Magic Department.
As I gestured to the Soldier, the Mages followed and asked.
“Minister Ian, should we handle things as you instructed?”
“Yes. If any problems arise, report back to me.”
“Understood. But what on earth could this be about?”
“Wait, over there…”
My footsteps and those of the Mages came to an abrupt halt. One of the pillars in the outer corridor leading to the annex had been completely shattered.
A woman lying in the debris, sobbing, and Xiaoxi looking at her with an awkward expression. And—
“Captain Akorella?”
“Captain! What are you doing there?”
“Huh? You all came? Hehe.”
Captain Akorella just laughed awkwardly.
The Mages instinctively realized that this mad Mage had caused some kind of incident. They rushed forward and grabbed her shoulders and collar. Akorella continued to smile innocently.
“No, really? Right?”
“Tee-hee, what is it?”
“Please, Captain, just say you had nothing to do with this. You were just passing by!”
“Oh, yeah. I was actually just passing through.”
“Liar! Nooo!”
“Why ask me to say something if you won’t believe it anyway? That’s funny.”
While the Mages shrieked and shook Akorella back and forth, I examined the woman lying down. Xiaoxi, who had only shown reluctance, carefully explained the situation.
“It’s Princess Chloe Davion. It seems she made some kind of deal with Captain Akorella, but her physical condition is not good at all.”
“Chloe Davion?”
“What? Princess Davion, you say?”
The mages tormenting Akorelra’s eyes bulged wide as saucers. Of all people, it had to be Davion—politically entangled with Bariel. That Davion who had been supplying resources from Bariel to here!
“What a mad mage!”
“Captain! Have you truly lost your mind?”
“No, listen to me! Wasn’t it I who suggested this first? When the Princess pleaded with tears in her eyes, how could I refuse? That’s why I even obtained this written consent!”
“Still! There are proper procedures!”
Akorelra protested while showing the written agreement, but it fell on deaf ears. The mages seized the moment, grabbing her collar and shaking her, biting her head, and striking her back.
“Princess, are you well?”
Ian ignored the commotion and immediately examined Chloe’s physical condition. She lay prone, sobbing continuously. She turned her head slightly to look up at Ian. Her face was flushed crimson.
“Are you in great distress?”
“Sob… I… what… what should I do?”
“If you describe your symptoms in detail, the Healing Mages will take measures. First, can you rise?”
“No, that’s not it…”
Chloe gently struck the floor with trembling hands. It was an extremely delicate gesture—tap, tap.
Yet remarkably—
Crack!
Crackle!
Cracks several meters long split across the marble floor. Seeing Chloe like this, Akorelra clenched her fists and then cheered.
“That’s it! That’s the one!”
“C-Captain. What on earth did you… feed her?”
“Wow, the effect is much better than expected. Princess Chloe, try jumping in place once. Let’s see how far your physical abilities have improved.”
“Please close your mouth, your mouth, mouth! This wretched snout of yours.”
“Snout? You want to die?”
“If Captain Akorelra doesn’t stay quiet, she will die.”
“Read the room, you mad captain.”
The mages whispered to Akorelra while glancing toward Ian. Ian watched Chloe with an unchanged, composed expression.
Then, suddenly meeting his gaze, Akorelra flinched and naturally averted her eyes. Right. Getting beaten by the subordinates was the cheapest way out. She gave instructions with clumsy ventriloquism.
“Hit me more. Hit me harder.”
“Never mind hitting—just stay still for a moment.”
“Minister Ian! Leave the mad captain to us! We’ll absolutely destroy her!”
Ian said nothing, observing only Princess Chloe intently. She wept continuously, tears streaming like chicken droppings, whimpering.
“I did want to become stronger, but I never expected it to be like this. Just now when I first drank the potion… my heart was pounding and my head was spinning, so I grabbed a pillar, right? And then suddenly it just… shattered…”
“Calm yourself, Princess. If you lose your composure and cannot regain your senses, greater harm may befall you.”
“Y-Yes, I will. Let me calm down first. But my heart keeps pounding so much I can’t control it.”
“Is this also a side effect, Akorelra?”
“Ah! Yes! To be honest, I’m not entirely sure! It wasn’t something I anticipated.”
The shattered pillar and the cracked floor. Ian pressed his brow repeatedly. Since the Princess had requested this, Davion likely wouldn’t lodge complaints later, but keeping someone with such monstrous strength within the palace was dangerous. What if she lost her senses and rampaged, bringing down the very castle itself? For the Emperor’s safety, Princess Chloe required special supervision.
“…Akorelra.”
“Yes, Minister Ian!”
“You created this situation, so you must resolve it. For the time being, remain at Princess Chloe Davion’s side and ensure no further safety incidents occur.”
“Of course! Since the dose was less than the standard amount, the effects won’t last long. I’ll handle it!”
I was planning to observe and record from up close anyway, so this works out well! When Akorelra saluted with a laugh, Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked like he wanted to say something immediately, but held back since his subordinates were watching.
“Princess, allow me to support you.”
“But what if I accidentally injure your hand in the process?”
“I will protect it with my magic, so there is no need to worry.”
“Then, just for a moment….”
Zing! Zing!
Chloe barely managed to stand by grasping Ian’s hand. Just as she caught her breath and turned her head, her eyes met Xiaoxi’s once more.
“Ah!”
“What is the matter?”
Thump, thump, thump. Chloe’s heart began to race even faster. A sharp pain rising from deep within her chest—a sensation she had never experienced before.
“My heart feels very strange.”
“In what way? Call for a doctor as well.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Understood. Please wait just a moment!”
“It’s… pounding without pause… and there’s also a tingling sensation. Most of all, I feel strangely feverish.”
“Princess….”
“Yes?”
“You are bleeding from your nose.”
Drip, drip. Blood trickled from her right nostril. Chloe touched the bridge of her nose with her fingertips, then lost consciousness and collapsed to the side.
She had fainted from embarrassment, but the others did not notice. They simply assumed it was one of the potion’s side effects.
Thud.
Ian tried to catch her with his left arm, but it was not enough. Xiaoxi, standing on the opposite side, caught the princess’s falling body.
“Akorelra.”
“Yes, Minister Ian!”
“Take the Princess to the annex. And keep watch over her. His Majesty will be entering the palace soon, so there must be no security issues whatsoever.”
“Understood. Should I restrain her hands as well?”
“Use your judgment.”
“Minister Ian. Are you angry?”
“Use your judgment on that as well.”
With those words, Ian handed Chloe over and gestured to the mages. It was a signal to return to their posts and continue their work. The mages looked alarmed and whispered to Akorelra.
“Captain, we’re in trouble.”
“Trouble? He said to use my judgment, didn’t he? I’ll assume Minister Ian isn’t angry. Hahahaha!”
“Must be nice living in the world so easily, really.”
“Go on, don’t cause any more trouble. I’ll handle the cleanup.”
Zing! Zing!
Akorelra winked and waved her hand at the mages to leave quickly. Then she floated the unconscious Chloe with magic and carried her away. Passing soldiers glanced at the sight curiously, but none approached.
And—
Whoosh.
Xiaoxi, left alone in the corridor.
He checked his watch, then noticed his hand was glistening. When he rubbed it, it was still damp. It appeared to be tear stains that had rubbed off while supporting Chloe.
“….”
Without a word, he gently pulled his sleeve to cover the back of her hand, then turned away. He needed to move quickly to track down the remaining Royalist stragglers.
For a moment, the image of Chloe shedding tears flickered before his eyes, but Xiaoxi dismissed it as merely a consequence of the commotion that had just unfolded.
* * *
“Princess Chloe Davion?”
Jin furrowed his brow upon receiving the report.
A presence he had completely forgotten about. He had assumed she would remain quiet and eventually return to Bariel, yet this sudden bombshell of news was truly astonishing. And the content itself was equally alarming.
“How did this happen?”
“Since she lost consciousness immediately, I couldn’t hear the detailed circumstances, but according to Captain Akorella, she expressed a desire for greater power. It seems she must have heard of Princess Kaila’s exploits and grew desperate.”
“…How foolish.”
Did she not hear that Kaila was renouncing the Empress position, only that she was aiming for the throne of Burgos? Had she simply remained still, opportunity would have come as a windfall benefit, but instead she created this unnecessary commotion and dug her own grave.
“This works out well. Once the potion’s effects wear off, contact the Davion Family and have them take the Princess away.”
I had been concerned that if the Hollin Family withdrew from the competition, the Davion side would gain the upper hand, but this blunder they’ve committed is truly fortunate.
Ian nodded at my command.
“Yes, this is a matter for Captain Akorella to handle, so I will proceed once the report comes up.”
“What of the evening banquet?”
“It is prepared. At eight o’clock, all Royalist officials except three will gather.”
“Three?”
“Yes, whether they noticed and fled or not remains unconfirmed, but I believe there will be no problem. Xiaoxi continues to track them. Once you finish discussing the mana stone management matter, he will handle them under the cover of night.”
“Understood. You have worked hard. You may withdraw.”
“Rest well, Your Majesty.”
Ian bowed to me, then stepped into the corridor. Darkness falls faster in this land than in Bariel. It was only just past six o’clock, yet the sun was already setting.
Tap, tap, tap!
“Minister Ian, Minister Ian!”
“Akorella.”
Then Captain Akorella came limping rapidly from the end of the corridor. Had she caused another incident? As Ian’s expression grew puzzled and his eyes sharpened, Akorella stammered out her words.
“L-love!”
“…?”
“It appears to be love.”
“…!”
The Mages’ mouths fell open in shock. What was Akorella saying right now? Love? For Minister Ian? They cried out in unison.
“Kyaaaah!”
“This can’t be! She’s gone mad, for real!”
“It must be a side effect from the potion consumed days ago. Captain Akorella, just go outside and drop dead.”
“No, you madmen! Not me! Princess Chloe!”
“Pardon?”
Akorella thumped her chest with her fist in frustration and added:
“Princess Chloe seems to have fallen in love!”

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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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