Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 292

Chapter 292

The reception room was quiet. Most palace officials had left along with Ruswena’s delegation.

Between inauguration preparations and tasks for receiving and hosting guests from each nation, there was a mountain of work. Ian nodded to the attendants while looking at the cold teacups. As if telling them to hurry and clean up.

“Your Highness, you did well.”

The child was just staring outside through the half-open bay window. Though flower petals continued falling, why did one corner of his heart feel so heavy? Jin smiled faintly and merely shrugged.

“What did I do well?”

If Ian hadn’t appeared at that moment to catch the queen’s attention? The meeting would have fallen apart long ago.

He wouldn’t have been able to tell them to take back their insulting gift, nor return their provocations in kind. It was all possible because of Ian. This was fortunate, yet disappointing.

‘Everyone was watching.’

Not just the Prime Minister, but ministers from each department, officials, even delegations from other countries. Jin furrowed his brow firmly and rested his chin in his hand.

Seeing His Highness’s clear discomfort, Romandro quickly noticed and approached to comfort him.

“Your Highness. No. Queen Eripony was beyond expected parameters. Who could have known she would dare speak such words before Your Highness? Please don’t regret too much. Just remember the queen’s expression as she left the reception room.”

“……”

Jin just stared at Romandro, blinking silently with pressed lips. Then he slightly turned his gaze to Ian. He wore a faint smile, his thoughts unknown.

“Why do you smile, Lord Ian?”

“Seeing Your Highness’s regret makes me think you will develop infinitely from here.”

Queen Eripony had been ruling a nation for some time. Beyond political experience, she was a leader with more life wisdom. When such a person shows unexpected attitude in a one-on-one meeting, it’s not easy to handle.

Ian muttered while looking at the child’s fingertips. Faint marks showed where he had gripped the bowstring with bare hands.

“Don’t be too disheartened. Your Highness hesitated ultimately because you love the empire too much.”

It was a meeting with a leader. Jin’s choices could determine peace or war, life or death for the empire’s people. Knowing this weight well, he couldn’t respond easily.

“This is far better than acting on impulse. You did well. Remember this is Your Highness’s first diplomatic encounter.”

Jin looked down at his right hand, following Ian’s gaze. Then he casually rubbed his fingertips, saying it was nothing. His expression had softened somewhat from before.

“Without Lord Ian, I would have been in serious trouble.”

“Why make suppositions about what’s passed?”

“…How far have Burgos and Clifford come?”

His words carried the determination not to make mistakes when facing the other two nations.

Ian naturally deflected the question by looking at the mage behind him, who bowed awkwardly.

“My apologies. We haven’t received any updates yet.”

“We’re maintaining contact with the outskirts and watching, so we’ll inform you as soon as news arrives. Why don’t you rest a bit before then?”

Though Romandro gestured and suggested returning to his quarters, Jin sat in place for a long while, contemplating something.

His round head, fidgeting fingertips, and constantly moving lips. Ian and Romandro just looked at each other in confusion.

‘Why, why is he acting like this?’

Romandro mouthed the question, but how could anyone know?

Just as Ian was about to speak-

“…Wasn’t it difficult?”

“What was?”

“Creating the magic.”

“Ah.”

Unable to directly say thank you – constrained by princely dignity, others’ gazes, and pride, it could only be expressed as concern.

But Ian immediately understood Jin’s intention and naturally knelt to meet his eyes.

“How could it be, Your Highness?”

Well done. A prince shouldn’t carelessly thank his subjects in such situations. Though the words kept dancing on his tongue, Ian too filtered his response.

“It wasn’t difficult at all.”

“Good. That’s fine then. I’ll go ahead. Xiao.”

When Jin called for Xiaoshi, the attendants bustled into motion. They rushed ahead to prepare for the prince’s movement, and the few remaining officials also disappeared as if they had no further business.

In the space left with only the Ministry of Magic, Romandro sat on the sofa and heaved a deep sigh of relief.

“Ah, all the tension just drains away. Though it’s a problem that we have two more such meetings ahead. Haha! No, it’s an imperial celebration, so I shouldn’t call it a problem. Ahem.”

He cleared his throat needlessly while crunching on candy.

Something seemed different in the relationship between Ian and Jin from before. The child who used to follow calling “Brother, brother” had drawn a boundary line, and Ian didn’t seem to even think of crossing it.

“Hey, Ian.”

Ian turned his head at Romandro’s call. Though his expression was the same as usual, somehow it was slightly different.

What was it? What was different?

“…Did you perhaps quarrel with His Highness Jin?”

After blurting this out unconsciously, Romandro covered his own mouth.

Ian was equally dumbfounded. How could such a description possibly apply to his relationship with Jin?

When Ian frowned, Romandro waved both hands and corrected himself:

“Sorry, I made a mistake!”

“Be careful. Even the portraits in the palace have ears, don’t they?”

“Right. I misspoke. Mm-hmm. It’s just that I wondered if there was something I didn’t know about.”

Ian indicated there was nothing to answer as he instructed the mages:

“…Send another message to the outskirts. After waiting one more hour, if there’s no sign, we’ll need to send people along the expected route.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Hey, Ian. I may not know much else, but I have excellent intuition. This is how I survived as Viviana’s husband!”

“Clifford’s delegation is larger than Ruswena’s. It will take three hours from when they’re spotted at the outskirts to reach the palace. Keep this in mind when proceeding with schedules.”

“Communication, it’s really important!”

While Ian gave various instructions as he left the reception room, Romandro buzzed around him chattering. Though Ian blatantly ignored him, so no answers were forthcoming.

“Why is Lord Romandro acting like that?”

“Don’t you know? Did you do something wrong?”

“Never mind that, just hurry and come! We need to switch shifts!”

Patter patter!

The mages’ curiosity sparkled briefly before they scattered, cutting off their attention after seeing Ian’s response.

Even as they walked along the outer corridor connecting to the garden, Romandro kept going on about the importance of communication and building trust in early marriage.

Ian, who had been half-listening and letting it slide, suddenly stopped walking.

Rustle.

“Queen Eripony was quite something earlier.”

“So arrogant, acting like this was her royal palace. Did you hear how she asked His Highness if he knew about black jewels?”

“Of course. She treated him like a commoner child.”

“This is all because the imperial family has no adults. The Emperor is frail, and the void left by the two princes is too large.”

“No. That’s not it – princes’ positions naturally become vacant, but the problem is His Highness Jin is too young to fill them.”

“Nothing can be done about it. The two princes, it wasn’t just anything – they ended up that way because of the civil unrest, didn’t they?”

Romandro opened his eyes wide and stuck his head out past the railing. Officials who had gone ahead were gathered in threes and fives, smoking cigarettes. Just as he was about to call out a warning, Ian grabbed his arm.

“Sir Romandro.”

“But still-“

It meant to leave them be. Ian lightly restrained him before continuing on his way.

Romandro looked back and forth between the people beyond the railing and Ian’s back before following his superior and starting to chatter again.

“Ian, why are you letting those people be?”

“When the master’s away, even the king gets criticized. Even if we cut off their conversation, we can’t cut off the facts. Though His Highness did well for his first time, we can’t help outside evaluations. These are things His Highness must endure.”

When you’re bitten, cut, and scratched, tough skin grows. Those people too were adding their words out of concern for the current situation.

“Endurance is a very good method for growth.”

Those were probably among the milder behind-the-scenes comments. The child’s inexperience, his momentarily flustered expression, and Eripony’s rude attitude would be talked about everywhere.

And his own name would be added to that as well.

‘Jin barely managed the situation because of me…’

If rumors spread like that, it would be fortunate. Hadn’t he even shot up that flashy magic arrow? It might get distorted to say he had put Eripony in her place.

That would put even more pressure on Jin and the opposition faction. The more stimulation given, the more intense the reaction, and the wider the range of possible advancement.

‘Perhaps from now on, I won’t be able to hear words of concern from Jin.’

The child had carefully whittled down even words of thanks before barely conveying them. It showed how much attention he paid to others’ eyes. This was what Ian wanted.

Not standing on the single leg of himself, but making his body take on another leg for balance. The more people there were to share the weight of the crown, the better.

“Ian.”

Romandro suddenly blocked Ian’s path.

“I’ve thought this before, but you’re too light.”

“…Me?”

“Light like you might fly away at any moment. When there are people around, try holding onto them. Don’t just think about enduring, share things, won’t you?”

A faint smile appeared on Ian’s previously expressionless lips. Then he brushed past Romandro, telling him to move aside quickly.

“I’m grateful just for you saying that, Lord Romandro.”

A carriage waiting for Ian and Romandro appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Ian gestured to the driver to prepare for departure.

But at that moment.

Patter patter!

“Iaaaan!”

A very familiar voice.

They could see Beric riding towards them on horseback from far away. Though he had rolled around, he was still Imperial Guard – his messily thrown-on uniform particularly fluttered about.

“Why is Beric coming here?”

“I thought the Imperial Guard had a separate schedule?”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Gasp! Could he have been fired?”

Always breaking, tearing, and destroying things – could he have finally been kicked out! Romandro rushed down the stairs, pale-faced.

Neeeigh!

“Hey you, why are you here?”

“It’s an errand? Did the Ruswena Queen arrive safely?”

“Yes. We just finished arranging the tribute and guided her to the palace where she’ll stay. But why? What do you mean errand?”

Running errands when you’re Imperial Guard? Romandro grabbed Beric’s arm, feeling needlessly sympathetic. But regardless, Beric sniffled and nodded towards Ian.

“Ian. The old man wants to see you.”

“Captain Jeirutt?”

“Super urgent. So he told me to bring you quickly. What was it again? Popo! Something about the grape country!”

Ian lightly furrowed his brow.

Good heavens, grape country?

Surely not.

“…Clifford?”

“Yeah, that’s it. He said he’d feed me if I brought you within twenty minutes. Let’s hurry!”

It seems Jeirutt had figured out how to handle Beric.

Ian gestured to the driver to change their destination.

“We’ll go to the Imperial Guard building.”