Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 94

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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 94. Usurpation
Dive’s residence was not far from the manor. The butler who accompanied him on the Countess’s orders stared blankly out of the carriage window. The death of his master had clearly struck him quite hard.
“…Lord Ian.”
Ian answered by turning his head.
“Since we’re alone now, I wish you would tell me the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
“Are you truly unrelated to the Countess?”
“Ha, good grief.”
“It’s an important matter to me.”
“Is it? To me, it’s a pointless question.”
Samon was bewildered. If Ian and the Countess were not in such a relationship, why had she been so terrified and refused to return to her bedroom? That frightened reaction was unmistakably that of someone whose secret had been exposed.
“If the two of you truly aren’t like that, then it feels as though all the tragedy began with my misunderstanding.”
Had I ignored the servants’ whispers, the tragic night might never have befallen the Count, the Countess, and Clark alike.
Ian chuckled softly and murmured.
“Your name was Samon, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Samon, who calls it a tragedy?”
“…Pardon?”
“Is someone’s death always a tragedy? For the Count himself, certainly it would be, but for those who desired his death, could there be any greater blessing? I trust you know this well enough yourself.”
There were plenty of servants bearing scars from whippings, their limbs twisted in pain, and I had witnessed the Countess’s suffering as she bore their anguish beside them.
Samon covered his eyes and released only a low sigh. He could not fathom what was right anymore.
“And even if it were a tragedy, it’s not because of your misunderstanding—it’s because of the Count’s own damnable nature.”
Ian drew a firm line. As he spoke, the carriage gradually slowed. They had arrived at Dive’s residence. The surroundings were sparse with buildings, having ventured far into the outskirts.
“Hmm. It’s quite charming and pleasant, more than I expected.”
A three-story mansion with a low roof. Compared to the dwellings of commoners, it could be called a palace, yet for a nobleman to reside in, it was remarkably modest. Only a single willow tree stood in the small garden.
“Aren’t you Butler Samon?”
A servant who emerged at the sound of footsteps recognized Samon and bowed respectfully. It was unusual for him to visit in person, and now he’d brought a stranger besides.
“Is Lord Dive inside?”
“Yes. He is currently in prayer, but—”
“There is urgent news. Show us in.”
“Ah, yes. This way….”
At the word “urgent news,” the servant entered first. The interior of the residence seemed equally unremarkable, save for the dark-toned paintings hanging on the walls.
‘Prayer, of all things?’
It was somewhat unexpected. In the Borderlands, it was difficult to find the devout. The central regions had the Papal See and were closer to magic, so there was at least some reverence for the divine.
But here, was not a lord’s power equal to that of the Emperor himself? Everything revolved around the Count, leaving no place where faith could be wielded as a tool of power.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
Creak.
The servant led Ian and Samon to the reception room. With only that one servant to attend the residence, there was no sound of activity, no noise at all. Ian absently touched the back of his neck and asked Samon.
“By the way, what sort of person is Lord Dive?”
“Lord Dive? You didn’t know him well?”
“How would I know? He’s not even my brother.”
Samon seemed to be searching for the right words to describe him. While waiting for his response, I examined the reception room more carefully.
A birch wood cross painted crimson, a table cloth with geometric patterns, withered leaves scattered about, ornaments strung with colorful beads, books stacked to the ceiling without a single bookshelf….
“All I can say is that Dive’s aesthetic sense is quite peculiar.”
Samon glanced at the firmly closed door once, then cleared his throat.
“I don’t know much about his childhood myself, but from what I’ve heard, Dive was apparently a person of extraordinary scholarly passion.”
“Scholarly passion?”
Since Samon wasn’t originally from Merelrof but a settler, he didn’t know the details of their childhoods. He only knew fragmentary rumors that had trickled down through hearsay.
“The Count didn’t seem interested in scholarship at all—only in counting money.”
Samon wanted to object, but since it wasn’t entirely wrong, he let it pass lightly.
“The Count once said he thought that scholarly passion was a blessing, but later realized it was a curse. You see, Dive read a forbidden book that came from abroad.”
“A forbidden book? What kind?”
“It was about the Underground God, I’m told.”
“Ah. The Underground God.”
“You know of it?”
I let out a small exclamation. Despite its grandiose name, the essence was simple—an emerging religion created among the lower classes in foreign lands. At this time, it was merely considered one of many heresies, but as time passed, its scale grew and its influence became formidable.
‘Bariel remains outside its sphere of influence, but other nations have had quite the headache. Religious wars have broken out because of it.’
Since Merelrof handled the trade routes for new goods entering Bariel, they naturally had opportunities to encounter such things. I stroked my chin with my arms crossed.
‘Good grief, this territory is in such a state….’
It was a mess beyond comprehension—how it had managed to function until now was a mystery. The Count, who was the lord, was a mentally unstable man with severe paranoia, and the sole heir was a heretic. This was a catastrophe beyond catastrophes.
‘At this rate, replacing the family head as the Countess suggested would be better.’
If power were given to a heretic, no one could guarantee what would happen next. In the long term, it could pose a threat not just to my territory but to Bariel itself.
Creak.
“Samon.”
“Ah, Dive.”
At that moment, the reception room door opened and Dive entered. I had expected there wouldn’t be much age difference between him and the Count, but he looked younger than anticipated—appearing to be in his late thirties. His features certainly resembled the Count’s, but his overall demeanor was quite different.
He gave off an aura as if he spent his days in seclusion, doing nothing but praying.
“The Underground God has answered my prayers.”
“There is… news, sir.”
“Who has died?”
Samon was startled by his prescience and merely nodded, but I couldn’t help but snort derisively. Of course news meant someone’s death. It was ridiculous how he acted as if he’d accomplished something remarkable by guessing that.
“The Count met with an accident last night at the hands of a servant in the manor. A doctor is currently stitching his wounds for the funeral.”
“Haa.”
Dive merely sighed meaningfully. He seemed both sorrowful and relieved, even pleased. He interlaced his fingertips and pressed them to his forehead, muttering something incoherent.
‘Severe. This is severe.’
“But who is this person beside you?”
“Ah, this is Ian, the new lord of the neighboring territory.”
At Samon’s introduction, I extended my hand for a handshake.
“I am Ian. Since I haven’t yet received my family name from the Emperor, please feel free to address me informally. Currently, an Imperial Advisor is staying with us, and Lady Lien Merelof requested my assistance, so I’ve come.”
Dive glanced at my hand once, then reluctantly grasped it and reciprocated. He too had apparently heard rumors about me—how a bastard of common birth had brought down his father and become the new lord.
“What kind of help?”
“Starting with informing Dive of the situation right now, and various other matters around the estate. Lady Lien seems quite overwhelmed, so she needs someone to look after things.”
“My sister-in-law is something else. Leaving family behind to bring in an outsider like that. I’ll prepare quickly and return to the estate.”
I nodded with a faint smile. Yet even in that brief exchange, there were several things that caught my attention. Though I was young and of lowborn origins, I had received a title, whereas Dive had none. There was an unmistakable undercurrent of subtle contempt simply because he was of noble birth.
‘And he said he’d return?’
It might have been an oversensitive reaction, but his attitude—as though the estate were originally his own—was particularly grating. Dive left the reception room to change clothes, and I turned to Samon.
“Butler, do you wish for Dive to become the new head of this house?”
Samon hesitated for a moment. The sudden question made it difficult for him to readily agree. The Count had not been an excellent master, but his business acumen was reasonably sound.
But Dive? Since reaching adulthood, he had never once handled any affairs, spending half his days absorbed in a pseudo-religion, lost in prayer.
“If he enters the estate, I suspect you’ll lose your place as well. You don’t have a generational connection to this house, do you?”
A butler, after all, was one whom the head of house entrusted with managing the estate. Currently, Dive had one servant attending him, so if he returned to the estate, he would naturally appoint that man as butler.
“I have no authority to speak. Having served the Count, I merely wish to inherit his will and hope for the glory of Merelrof.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Truly? I raised my eyebrows and asked again, but I could not hear his answer.
We returned to the estate with Dive leading the way. As we entered through the estate’s entrance, I spotted a familiar carriage.
“Isn’t that your carriage, Lord Ian?”
“Yes. It seems Berik moved quickly.”
Berik, who had gone to fetch Romandro, had arrived. With related parties arriving in succession at the estate’s entrance, the knights frowned and took an openly vigilant stance.
“Lord Ian. What is the meaning of this?”
“Let’s go inside first. This is Dive, the Count’s only blood relative.”
“An Imperial Advisor from the palace?”
“Indeed. Please accept my condolences.”
“Condolences are unnecessary.”
Dive walked ahead with his back held rigidly straight, already bearing the demeanor of the estate’s master. Watching him rush in ahead with his butler, I gestured to Romandro. A signal to observe him for a moment.
“Ian. I don’t quite understand—what exactly has happened?”
“A slave stabbed and killed his master. But the estate’s knights seem suspicious. It appears they’re planning to seize the estate at an opportune moment.”
“Seize the estate? That means they’re after the position of lord, doesn’t it?”
I briefly explained the morning’s events and clarified the situation. Using the infidelity between the Countess and him as a pretext, they would remove Lady Lien, and Dive would certainly be disposed of as well.
“Moreover, Dive believes in the Underworld God.”
“What? What kind of day is this? Troubles never come alone—it’s a complete mess.”
“What is the Underworld God?”
“Berik, I’ll explain later. Just listen for now.”
“Hah. Truly, the Borderlands really… continues to exceed expectations.”
Romandro groaned in exasperation. Of all things, the Underworld God! Wasn’t that the religion Bariel found most troublesome and abhorrent among all heresies? Any noble from the central regions would know of it.
“So from my perspective, it seems the best option would be for Lady Lien to become the new head of house. Even if we must leave matters after she becomes lord to fate, at least she’s someone we can negotiate with.”
“I agree with that. The knights are aggressive, so we can’t predict how they’ll act later, and the Underworld God is out of the question. Tell him to go eat candy instead. The man looks perfectly fine, yet… tsk tsk.”
At Romandro’s words, I nodded in agreement.
“Then let us intervene.”
“Well, do you have a good method?”
“There are many methods, but since I must soon head to the capital, I cannot afford to delay long.”
Berik’s eyes sparkled as he listened to my words, his expression like a puppy who’d caught a scent.
“…You haven’t said anything yet.”
“So you’re saying I should just kill them?”
“Remarkable how well you understand such things.”
But I couldn’t simply sweep them away so brazenly. There was no justification for it, and besides, Lady Lien needed to be the one driving this matter.
“Kill them, yes—but it must be done with care.”

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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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