Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor
Chapter 44

In the history of Bratz, there may never have been a day as confusing and awkward as this one. As if it was not enough that the people who were once thought of as one nation drew swords against each other, the servant who was expected to die had returned. And he did so while being carried by the Cheonrye tribe, whom he had considered enemies for life, on their back.

“Is the world about to end…?”

An old, decrepit man muttered, looking up at the Bratz mansion. Was this not a bizarre sight? The soldiers carrying the Imperial flag and the warriors of Cheonrye were stationed together. All in one place, in the mansion’s main building.

Shaking his head, the old man cleaned up a headless corpse and put it on a cart.

Squeak.

Inside the mansion was an even more complicated situation than what it looked like from the outside. There were the incompatible presences that mixed like oil and water, but the biggest problem was there.

“I can’t find Lady Countess Mary and Chel’s corpses.”

“Did you look at the mangled bodies properly?”

“I checked the clothing and even the tips of the nails, but there was nothing that seemed to belong to the nobility. The bodies that were washed down the river have not been retrieved yet, so perhaps they are mixed in there.”

Erica bit her nails at her subordinate’s report. She had secured Dergha’s body, but there was no trace of his wife and child, Mary and Chel.

“Check the ones that were torn apart.”

“Understood.”

“We must find the bodies. Search the mansion thoroughly.”

If they were dead, she could finally claim to have completed her mission if the bodies were confirmed. What’s more, hadn’t she turned the territory upside down? If the clean-up wasn’t neat, the central government’s trust in her could be shaken.

“…And if you find the bodies, you know?”

“Until the appointment letter comes from the Imperial Palace, we’ll hide it well.”

If Mary and Chel were dead, there would be no reason to delay Dergha’s execution. Then there would be no reason for her to stay in Bratz. It was uncertain whether she could re-enter the territory occupied by the Cheonrye tribe.

‘Damn it!’

Erica bit her nails again. The finely chewed nail fragments rolled around in her mouth.

Meanwhile, in a small room behind the corridor.

Kakantir, Nersarn, and Ian sat in a circle. Nersarn was the first to speak.

“Ian, it’s about Erica. Doesn’t it look like she’s waiting for a ceremonial appointment?”

“I feel the same way. Considering the forced march all the way to the edge of the border, it must have been internally decided when she was appointed as the head of the investigation.”

“It’s almost been two weeks since Erica came down here. The appointment letter will arrive soon, and then it will be difficult for us to be stationed here.”

Nersarn’s words made Ian shake his head. As Erica said, ceremonial appointments are the Emperor’s jurisdiction. No matter how much 2nd Prince Gale supports Erica, shouldn’t there be results?

“Dergha was just arrested today, and even if they sent a letter of appointment today, it would take almost two weeks. You don’t have to worry about that part.”

The Emperor’s command is weighty and valuable, so it cannot be sent by courier but only by horse rider.

Nersarn calculated the dates in his head, looking slightly relieved.

“In any case, it’s a foregone conclusion that Erica will become the lord. Cheonrye has already invested a lot. And now we’re going to throw it all away?”

By supporting Ian, they sought future benefits and the direct punishment of Dergha, among others. Cheonrye had conceded much in this plan.

“No, Kakantir, the flow of the situation is good.”

“Will you explain?”

“First, Mary and Chel’s corpses have not been secured.”

“That’s good? Thanks to that, we’re stuck here in this mansion.”

“Didn’t Erica herself blow this? Her mission is to annihilate the Bratz family, and to secure their corpses.”

At this point, Nersarn, who had realized it first, exclaimed.

“Ah… then?”

The investigation troop, remaining here, was predicated on the proposition that Mary and Chel were still within the territory.

However, if Mary and Chel were confirmed to have left, they were duty-bound to pursue them.

It was a trap.

“Furthermore, the central government will never be able to drive me out.”

“On what basis?”

“Because of the very reason Kakan is curious about.”

That Ian is a magic wielder. Though he’s inexperienced, he confidently claimed that he could push back Erica.

“Okay. Good. We’ve only just caught Dergha, so I’ll watch a bit longer.”

“Thank you, Kakan.”

“So what should we do now? Do we have to go to the village and search for the corpses, as the commander said?”

“No, instead, you can help the injured. The battle is already concluded for now, so the focus will be on reconstruction for a while. The support of the territory’s people is also one of the essential foundations during the ownership transition, so please do so.”

Kakantir’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The more he looked at him, the cuter the brat before him seemed. Without lifting a finger, didn’t Ian use the power of Cheonrye to pour all sorts of help into Bariel?

Did they say he was just sixteen? It’s hard to believe. But like a child of that age, Ian smiled and caught Kakantir’s gaze.

‘Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t say anything wrong.’

Yes, he didn’t say anything wrong.

From the central standpoint, the ownership change to the land was indifferent as long as its people paid taxes and guarded the borders well. This means it was independent from the Imperial influence.

So, to manage the territory well, a capable and recognized head of the family would be needed. This case could be seen as an act for the latter.

“What about the ceremony?”

“I have some business to attend to. I heard that Dergha set fire to the annex and fled. That must have been the ‘time of Mary and Chel’s disappearance’ that Commander Erica mentioned.”

If they’re not inside the territory and haven’t gone outside, then…

There’s a possibility that they’re hiding somewhere in the mansion. It’s common for there to be a secret passage in a grand mansion. The problem is that all the servants who could provide clues have died.

“When Beric finishes his errand and returns, we’ll move. Kakan, you should rest with the warriors and then go down.”

Kakan looked back at Ian while gulping down a bottle of wine. There was no other way since they had come this far.

Time passed, and in the afternoon,

Beric arrived to see Ian leading two Kusilre horses.

“You’re here?”

“What are you doing? Going out again?”

“You know where I lived, right?”

The place where Ian’s mother lived. Ian only knew it was in the red-light district, but he didn’t know the exact address.

“I know. But why? Philea is living well in the forest. I’ve just seen her eating, sleeping, and looking well.”

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“It’s okay, it’s okay. No one heard.”

Even the Cheonrye tribe didn’t know Ian’s biological mother was alive. It wasn’t his weak point by now, but it was still difficult for him to reveal first.

“Anyway, why there?”

“We’re going to look for Hannah from now on.”

Mary and Chel, no matter how he thought about it, he was suspicious of the existence of secret passages in the mansion. How could a woman and a child escape that chaos? If they were dead, the bodies would have been discovered long ago.

It could have been Erica’s superficial deception, but Ian had to verify it until he could confirm it so.

Clip-clop.

“Is it this way?”

“Uh-huh. Probably.”

Beric led the way with a light cover of his nose. The alleys were tangled like a maze in the backstreets. Even if one was not weak, anyone shabby would immediately get pickpocketed considering the area was so isolated from the outside.

“Here.”

“Here?”

Good heavens. Ian managed to keep his expression as best he could and clicked his tongue.

As they headed down to the semi-basement, the rooms were branching out like an anthill. Among them, one seemed to have been the dwelling of Ian and Philea. A place where rats were teeming, and the foul stench overwhelmed the smell of battle.

“Why? Don’t tell me you’re talking about the place where you used to live? I don’t even know about that.”

Ian must have moved when he entered the Bratz mansion. There had been Dergha’s display of power to financially oppress Philea, and this place was the result.

“Tsk.”

After clicking his tongue once, Ian turned his back without regret. The masterless dwelling seemed to have nothing worth taking. He went to the crossroads and gestured to Beric.

“Investigate where’s Hannah.”

“Me?”

“Who else? Should I do it?”

“…Hey, you passerby over there! Can I ask you something?”

As Beric wandered around, stopping people to ask them questions, Ian also carefully looked around. But since it was such a chaotic and miserable sight, nothing caught his eye other than the pity.

However.

“Ian! Over here!”

Hannah’s family, who had five siblings, was quite famous. Moreover, Hannah was a servant who worked at the mansion, so she seemed to stand out among the neighbors.

“Go up the stairs to the 2nd floor.”

As soon as he stepped on the stairs, the cry of a baby reached his ears.

Waaah!

“Oh dear, why are you crying again?”

“Hannah?”

Hannah, who was holding and soothing the newborn baby, turned around in surprise and then recognized Ian and Beric with a surprised smile.

“Young master! Beric!”

“I’m relieved to see you safe.”

“You’re back! I’m so glad you’re alive, Master Ian!”

“Is your family affected?”

“No, we don’t have any family members who went off as soldiers… Every night my parents are so thankful that they left the mansion.”

But her slightly gaunt face seemed to have endured hardship. The wooden boards nailed to the windows, including the door Ian pushed open, had been prepared to prevent intruders during the heat of battle.

Ian smiled slightly and touched the baby’s hand.

“This must be the sibling I’ve heard so much about.”

“Yes. There are more besides this one. But…”

Hannah poured out words like a flood.

“Are you here to find me? Is it okay for you to be back here? Aren’t you Count Dergha’s son, young master Ian? I thought the talk about coming back with the Cheonrye tribe was a lie…”

“Yes. It’s fine. I have something more important to ask you.”

Hannah offered a chair to Ian while soothing the baby.

“I wonder if there are any eerie tales or rumors secretly going around the mansion.”

“What? All of a sudden?”

“I’m asking if there’s a hidden passage or something.”

For example, a ghost appearing at the end of the corridor or hearing voices from a forbidden room by the master. Most of these tales were derived from rumors of secret passages.

“Hmm. I don’t know. I’ve never heard of such ghost stories. Especially about secret passages or rooms.”

“Of course. If you knew, would it still be a secret space?”

“You’re still the same, Beric.”

Beric and Hannah exchanged playful glances, while Ian leaned back, looking puzzled with his arms crossed.

“…It would have been nice if the butler was here.”

Sadly, he was found with his arm cut off. It wasn’t by the Central Army but by a soldier from the neighboring territory of Merellof. He seemed to have entered the border by mistake while fleeing, and the Merellof side requested the body to ascertain the situation and then left.

“Did the butler also pass away?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Hannah smiled awkwardly, looking down at her sibling. Ian didn’t miss that subtle change.

“Why is that?”

“No? Isn’t it just unfortunate? They said most of the people living in the mansion died…”

Was that really all there was to it?

Ian fixed Hannah with a sharp gaze, and she sighed as if she couldn’t deceive him.

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