Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor #Chapter 332 - Read Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor Chapter 332 Online - All Page

Chapter 332

Emperor Ian lay slanted on the sofa, staring endlessly at the ever-burning fireplace. His pale skin was warmly tinted, and even his cool-looking eyes seemed to melt.

That night was when he had first gone to war and returned with news of victory. While celebration of Bariel’s victory could be heard outside, Ian’s office remained deathly quiet.

“Your Majesty.”

Ian turned his head listlessly. Naum stood slanted against the door. From the reports and box at his side, it seemed more work had arrived.

But strangely, his body wouldn’t move. He needed to get up and go to the desk, but he had no strength.

No, to be precise, he had no will. Because Ian had killed people under imperial authority, in the name of war.

“Are you alright?”

“What wouldn’t be alright? Are those reports?”

Naum slowly approached Ian and knelt. As their eyes met, the emperor’s pupils could be seen flickering in the fireplace’s light.

Was it really just from the burning flames? Or was it the young emperor’s guilt causing the flicker? Naum carefully tidied Ian’s hair hanging down below the sofa while comforting him.

“Your Majesty performed admirably. All of Bariel is relieved and rejoicing. To obtain what one desires, there must naturally be a price to pay, mustn’t there?”

“…Yes. That’s why I did it. I ordered killing, burning, abandoning.”

The young boy emperor’s ears still rang with the enemies’ screams. The chaos of advancing through those begging for their lives, charging forward while leaving allies defending him behind. Naum tilted his head sympathetically and soothed him.

“Don’t worry. You’ll grow numb to it.”

“Growing numb is also frightening.”

“But if not, Your Majesty will be hurt.”

Naum grabbed Ian’s right wrist. Under the impudently rolled-up sleeve was a long cut. Though not severe, it wasn’t a wound that could be ignored either. As Naum glanced at him, Ian smiled and made excuses.

“Isn’t it Bariel’s pride that while the enemy leader’s head fell, I didn’t shed a single drop of blood?”

“Pride perhaps, but pain that gnaws at Your Majesty. Don’t grow numb to things like this. If it hurts say it hurts, if it’s hard say it’s hard, spit out all the things eating away inside.”

Ointment and bandages came out of the box. Having gone to battle together, Naum seemed to know everything.

Though Ian let him tend to the wound, he still just stared at the fireplace. It was no different from the flames burning on the battlefield.

“…An emperor’s tears fill the world, and his sighs make it crumble.”

“If Your Majesty collapses, the world collapses. I…”

He wanted to say he thought Ian had become emperor too young, and that’s why he had tried to stop him then.

The already lonely and difficult path of an emperor. How could someone without even one proper close friend to confide in bear such weight? He could manage it perhaps. While eating away at his own life.

“I am, Your Majesty’s, Ministry of Magic Minister.”

“I know. And I am your emperor.”

While Naum was Ian’s only support, he was the Ministry of Magic Minister. It suggested their relationship couldn’t be purely friendship, but had to involve political interests.

How nice it would have been if Ian had even one pure friend without any ulterior motives. Naum spoke while disinfecting Ian’s wound.

“If it’s hard to let go, just try repeating after me. Just doing that much will help. ‘It hurts.'”

“What nonsense.”

“Try it. ‘It hurts’ or ‘My heart is troubled.'”

“…Naum.”

“Or this might be good too. ‘It’s hard.'”

Ian smiled faintly while resting his chin on his hand. Crackle crackle, the sound of burning wood somehow made his heart feel at ease. Ian murmured with his eyes closed drowsily. The bandaging technique was utterly clumsy.

“Naum. It hurts. Be gentler.”

***

Ian opened his eyes. In his hazy consciousness, he saw an exotic patterned ceiling. He couldn’t properly process where he was.

Just moments ago he had been talking with Naum, but where was this? Why was there this sharp smell? When he tried to move his hand, his whole body’s muscles felt like they were twisting and tearing.

“Ah…!”

A groan escaped without his realizing. The pain instantly awakened his sense of reality. Then, children’s heads came into view.

One, two, three.

“He’s awake.”

“He’s awake?”

“He’s awake!”

Orange hair and drooping narrow eyes. Children who were clearly Noah’s siblings. The little ones hung their upper bodies around Ian’s bed and chattered.

“Amazing. He didn’t die even after losing so much blood.”

“He’s a mage. Of course not.”

“Mages don’t die? They live forever?”

Though he wanted to say something, he had no strength at all. As Ian was about to close his eyes in resignation, the children ran outside. As if they had been waiting just for him to wake up and couldn’t let this chance slip away.

“The Bariel Minister is awake!”

“He’s awake!”

“Mages, come quickly!”

The children’s clear voices rang out. Following that came banging and thumping sounds. People running through the corridors in the distance.

Sure enough, the door burst open and a crowd rushed in. Half were palace staff, and half were mages.

“Lord Ian! Are you alright? Can you understand us?”

“Goodness, can you hear me? How are you feeling?”

“Step aside for a moment. I’ll give him a sedative. Now that he’s conscious, the pain will be hard to bear. Hey!”

“Lord Ian. Do you recognize me? Please say something.”

“Rather than a sedative, maybe we should infuse more magical power. Anyone have energy to spare? Otrik?”

“I’ll do it. Everyone help.”

“Iaaan!”

Crash!

Beric, who couldn’t control his running speed, crashed into the door. He pushed people aside and rushed to Ian’s bedside. Though the doctors shouted for them to move aside, neither he nor the other mages would step back easily.

“Ian, how’s your body feeling?”

Beric whispered as he stuck his head close. He looked more haggard than Ian had ever seen him. Not just him, but all the mages around Ian were the same. Having poured all their already depleted magical power into saving him.

His own appearance lying there must be even more severe. Ian smiled faintly, and habitually tried to say he was fine.

“Try saying ‘It hurts’ or ‘My heart is troubled.'”

But he stopped, remembering his memory with Naum.

Ian quietly looked at his colleagues watching him, then sighed deeply. And very softly, with a serious but light heart, he answered.

“…It hurts.”

“Right. It hurts, doesn’t it? You lost an insane amount of blood. What exactly did you do?”

“I’m sorry everyone. The plan has been disrupted.”

Though he wasn’t sure how much time had passed, if there hadn’t been problems, they should have returned to Bariel long ago. The mages frowned as if telling him not to say such things.

“Please don’t say that. It’s a miracle you survived at all.”

“Was it that bad?”

“You not only soaked the reception room carpet but blood flowed out into the hallway. We really…”

“Don’t upset Lord Ian. But Lord Ian, what happened? Do you know the cause?”

Though Clifford kept insisting they had nothing to do with it, they maintained sharp vigilance until getting direct confirmation from Ian’s own mouth.

“Ah, right.”

Ian slowly raised his hand and touched near his heart. When he tried to execute the magic contract, hadn’t pain like being torn apart by hand rushed in? That had spread and spread until it transferred to other organs.

After pondering briefly, Ian nodded.

“It was my personal mistake.”

“What? You, Lord Ian?”

The mages stumbled back quite surprised at Ian’s answer. ‘That’ Ian had made a mistake executing magic and ended up in this state?

It was unbelievable. Until now he had never shown a single error in execution, and they’d never seen him make mistakes even in spelling. They all exchanged awkward glances.

Could Lord Ian be finding it difficult to talk about?

Right. There’s no way that could happen.

Let’s just let it go for now.

While they whispered among themselves, Ian closed his eyes and recalled Melania’s words. The oath that the illegitimate Ian had made with Rutherford. So this was what she meant by saying he couldn’t go against it.

Honestly, he hadn’t expected this at all. The illegitimate Ian had been very young then, and moreover shouldn’t have been skilled enough as a mage to perform magic contract. So he hadn’t even considered the possibility…

It’s meticulous, and suspicious.

Magic contract can be made twice regardless of the other party. But if that’s impossible, it means the illegitimate Ian’s first contract included content forbidding it.

From Idgal production to completely binding the illegitimate Ian – there was no choice but to quickly pursue Rutherford and resolve these questions. What oath was made, what did they stake on their side, and what did this side promise?

“Ian.”

As Ian remained silent with a plain gaze, Beric called out worriedly. Behind him, Noah’s siblings peeked their heads through the doorway. Ian smiled and patted Beric’s head.

“Now that I’m conscious, recovery is just a matter of time. By the way, how long was I out? Any word from Bariel?”

“Over a week.”

Beric mumbled while sprawled on the bed. Given the severity of the bleeding, waking after a week was fortunate, but Ian seemed surprised that more time had passed than he thought.

“Over a week?”

“We sent a messenger bird the day after you collapsed. It’s about time for a reply, but still nothing.”

The mages also confirmed with silence. Had the messenger bird’s magic caused problems crossing the border? It was concerning that there was no word despite it being time for the imperial palace’s response.

Knock knock

Then came a presence.

Turning around, they saw Clifford’s king and Prince Noah standing there. Unlike the doctors who prostrated themselves, the mages just nodded lightly in greeting.

“Lord Ian, it’s truly fortunate you’ve regained consciousness.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I imagine you were quite startled.”

“Indeed. They say magic’s power is like a double-edged sword, but I never expected to see it like this. Haha. Well, how are you feeling?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

Sensing their chance, the children ran over in a group and clung to the king’s waist while looking at Ian. Noah sighed and looked around at the mages. Everyone’s gentle nature made the palace atmosphere evident.

“Have you told him about that?”

“No, not yet.”

As Ian raised an eyebrow as if not understanding what he meant, Noah crossed his arms. As if asking him to understand.

“We tortured Felix.”

“…Pardon?”

“Though we well know what mages are, the situation was serious and Clifford needed to know all the facts clearly. It was done with the mages’ consent, so don’t hold us responsible. Of course, Felix isn’t dead.”

At the mention of torture, the king gently pressed his children’s ears. When Ian looked at the mages, they avoided his eyes and made excuses.

“Isn’t this all because of that bastard Felix?”

“Words wouldn’t work, so we had no choice.”

“We’re sorry, Lord Ian. But with no contact from Bariel, we…”

Ian rubbed his forehead and sighed softly.

“Fine. It was while I was gone. If it was your choice, I’ll respect it. But first-“

Setting aside the Felix issue, the lack of response from Bariel really bothered him. Shouldn’t there have been some kind of reaction?

“What magic stone did you use for the messenger bird to the imperial palace?”

“Why do you ask that?”

The reason messenger birds could find distant locations without problem was thanks to magic stones. The ones attached to the dove and at the destination pulled at each other like magnets, reacting and following that path.

Since it was being sent from a royal palace to the imperial palace, there must surely be one they usually used. Ian pressed his brow and answered.

“There are magical anomaly reactions at the Clifford border. I wondered if that might be causing problems for the messenger bird.”

Everyone’s jaws dropped at this unexpected answer. Hadn’t Ian’s last message been sent from inside the border, in Bariel territory?

Then, right now at the imperial palace, searching for Ian and the mages…

“Everything must be in chaos? Maybe soldiers are already coming?”

Beric sniffled as he muttered.

Story Arcs