Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 162

“Lady Hanna. A messenger pigeon has arrived.”

“From where? Merellof?”

“No. It seems to be from the central region. The letter’s seal is similar to the one the lord had sent previously.”

Hanna received the letter with gloved hands. Her hair was tightly tied without a strand out of place, and her clothes were clean and neat. The appearance of the child who lived near the brothel and starved had long since vanished.

Hanna smiled joyfully and commanded the servant.

“Give the messenger pigeon cool water and feed, and prepare a comfortable place for it to rest.”

“Yes. Lady Hanna.”

As the servant bowed and disappeared, she hurriedly went up to the study. She thought she had become quite dignified, but it seemed she still had a long way to go. Seeing how she couldn’t control her steps out of joy from her master’s correspondence.

“Is Lord Nersarn inside?”

“He is. However, Madam Philea is with him as well.”

“Please inform them immediately. I have brought a letter from Lord Ian.”

The Cheonrye warrior guarding the door nodded.

Who would have known things would turn out this way between Nersarn and Philea? Moreover, not long after Ian left for the central region, Philea had returned to the forest again.

Knock knock.

“Lord Nersarn. It’s Hanna. A letter from Lord Ian has arrived.”

However, just a few days later, Nersarn, who had only tread on desert sand, personally went up to the forest and brought her back. He let her use the newly furnished master bedroom and gave her pastimes like tending the garden to add weight to her life. A weight for a stable life, so she couldn’t fly away anywhere.

At first, Philea seemed burdened by it, but at some point, she perfectly blended into the mansion and became an indispensable presence. Both for them and for Nersarn.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Nersarn was sitting at the desk flipping through documents. Indifferently, without a hint of dishevelment. It was a clear contrast to Philea’s flushed face as she sat on the sofa.

“You said it’s a letter from Sir Ian?”

“Yes. There are quite a few enclosed in one envelope. There’s one for Madam Merellof as well, but since the messenger pigeon seems tired, I’ll deliver it personally.”

“I hope nothing is wrong.”

Nersarn muttered worriedly. This was only the second contact they received since Ian left for the central region.

The first was informing them that since he was bestowed the surname ‘Hielo’, the name of the territory had also changed. Since there wasn’t a single line of personal message, Philea and Hanna couldn’t hide their disappointment at the time.

“If something’s wrong, what…”

As the color drained from Philea’s face, Hanna calmly called her name and calmed her down.

“Madam Philea. There’s no need to worry. There’s also something sent by sir Beric. It’s not a letter but a drawing, yet it’s colored quite diligently. If it were urgent, that wouldn’t be the case.”

“Yes, Philea. Don’t worry. There’s one for you too.”

“For me?”

Nersarn naturally called her name and pulled her arm. The sight of him having her sit on his lap and reading each letter for her was truly affectionate. Hanna stared at the distant mountains as if her eyes were open but she couldn’t see anything.

“He’s asking if you’ve ever seen magical talent in himself when he was young. Other than his eyes turning gold.”

“No. I… I had no idea Ian had such talent. I just…”

Philea’s words gradually trailed off as she rummaged through her past. Something was coming to mind with the word ‘talent’. Nersarn gestured to Hanna to prepare pen and paper.

“When Ian was very young, I once went on an errand to a merchant group. At that time, he received a red flowerpot-“

“Silasque.”

“Ah. Yes. That’s right. As he brought it back, he said this. The person who gave him the flowerpot greatly praised him, saying he had ‘talent’. I naturally thought it was about doing chores well, but thinking about it now, the nuance seems to have been different.”

The woman furrowed her brows as if trying to squeeze out even a drop of withered memory.

“That’s all.”

“It will likely be helpful to Sir Ian.”

“Are there no other words, by any chance? Like greetings or such.”

“There are. Philea, he says to please live comfortably at the mansion. Though contact may be sparse due to affairs at the Imperial Palace, he asks you to consider his heart close by.”

At Nersarn’s words, Philea’s face bloomed brightly.

Whenever he saw her smile, Nersarn was reminded of the rainy season in the desert. The spectacular sight of white flowers covering the sand dunes from the downpour that comes once every few decades. His eyes were drawn to her because she was like a wildflower, but now she was someone who devoured him like that flower.

“Would you like to write the reply yourself? I’ll help you.”

“Yes. I’d love to. I really want to do that.”

“And I want to inform him of our relationship as well.”

“…I’d like that too.”

Hanna raised her hand as if dazzled by her beaming smile. Philea was beautiful even when in the slums, but now that she had found love, she was radiance itself.

“But what if Ian opposes it?”

Philea asked cautiously while fiddling with the pen. Nersarn was wonderful, but if her son objected, she didn’t have the confidence to go against him. At her words, Nersarn smiled and immediately shook his head.

“There’s absolutely no way that would happen. Sir Ian is a wise man.”

Nersarn was also relieved to see Philea reassured.

However, he couldn’t fully shake off the worry deeply embedded in his heart. Though he had deliberately said there was no way, strictly speaking, this was a matter unrelated to ‘wisdom’.

‘How will Ian think…’

At the strange emotion he felt for the first time in his life, Nersarn tightly grasped Philea’s small hand.

***

“Madam Philea is getting married? To Lord Nersarn?”

Romandro’s mouth was hanging open and didn’t seem like it would close anytime soon. Well, that’s understandable. What on earth was this…

“Why? They look good together. Philea is pretty and Nersarn is cool. Of course, compared to Kakan, he’s a bit small, but he’s still a warrior among warriors!”

At Beric’s words, Romandro’s expression became even more peculiar. ‘Small’? No matter how much Nersarn held the position of a scholar, how could the word ‘small’ be appropriate for him?

“Just take care of your own tiny body.”

“What’s wrong with me?! These are all practical muscles!”

“Ian, by the way, how will you write the reply?”

Romandro ignored Beric and surreptitiously observed his expression. He couldn’t sense any emotion from the way he flipped through the letters one by one. In the atmosphere where it felt like he had to be mindful, his heart grew restless for no reason.

“…Ian?”

“…It’s Nersarn.”

“Well, it’s not my place to interfere, but… Phil, Philea has suffered a lot, so wouldn’t it be nice if she met a good person and became happy? We’re now close with the Cheonrye tribe, and um. I think it’s truly a joyous occasion. Of course, there will be contemptuous eyes at the Imperial Palace.”

The father of Ian, the Minister of Magic and lord of Hielo territory, was a barbarian. Even when he first set foot in aristocratic society, he was despised for being lowborn.

But if the new father he was bringing in was Nersarn? It was obvious what kind of gossip would spread. Ian and Romandro knew they were true warriors, but the nobles in the central region didn’t know and didn’t want to know.

“It is quite surprising.”

“But Hielo territory is very far from here. If we keep quiet, I believe no one in the central region will know.”

“You seem to cherish Philea, no, my mother very dearly, Sir Romandro.”

“Of course! Hasn’t she lived a difficult life?”

Romandro added while coughing awkwardly.

“And actually, I expected this.”

“Eh? Liar! You were totally surprised earlier!”

“No, back then at the mansion entrance when Madam Philea and Lord Nersarn met. I sensed that strange zzing! zzing energy between them.”

“Ian! That’s a lie. He didn’t know but is pretending he did.”

“Hey you brat! I’m serious!”

Ian pondered for a moment and then dipped his pen in ink. He had decided on the content to write for the reply. Romandro, who was bickering with Beric, poked his head out to check the content.

“If the nobles find out, it will certainly become a topic of gossip. But is there anything problematic about that?”

He was not the ‘Ian’ who had just entered the palace, but ‘Ian Hielo’, the Minister of Magic. No matter how much talk circulated behind his back, it would be nothing more than gossip.

“Rather, this is good. True alliances are sealed through marriage. Especially the Cheonrye tribe, aren’t they people who have exceptional affection for family? It will be a great happiness for my mother as well.”

Moreover, it wasn’t just any warrior, but Nersarn, the Chief’s younger brother and a scholar. It would become an unbreakable link of trust between Hielo and the Cheonrye tribe. It would be a stepping stone to make up for the previous loss of forces from Bratz and the central army.

“We must sincerely congratulate them. It’s a joyous occasion.”

“Yes, it’s a joyous occasion! A celebration! I’ll write a separate congratulatory letter.”

“Me too, me too! I’ll draw another one!”

As soon as they heard Ian’s positive answer, Romandro grabbed Beric’s hand and cheered hooray. Honestly, when Hanna tearfully saw off the warrior, he had expected a union through marriage to happen someday.

‘Though I never imagined it would be Philea.’

Anyway, it was a good thing. Yes. Setting aside political calculations, this was a humanly congratulatory matter. Ian knew well how much hardship Philea had endured. He smiled softly while looking at the letter written in crooked handwriting.

-Ian, my son. I love you. I miss you. Hanna, Lord Nersarn, everyone at the mansion is living happily. Thanks to that, I am happy too. Ian, what about you? Are you happy? Never forget that your mother is always here. I want to hold you, safe and sound. My child. I love you.

A mother’s love was this ardent. Ian honestly found it unfamiliar to the point of being a bit wondrous.

‘Not only did she pass away when I was very young, but all the remaining memories are nothing special.’

Was it because it was a political marriage of the aristocracy? For Ian to recall the faces of his biological parents, he had to recall the faded family portrait hanging in a frame itself. There were no other memories.

“Ian, what’s wrong? Did the ink harden?”

“No. I’m contemplating how to begin the letter. And what’s curious is that mother’s letter makes no mention of marriage. I thought she would first ask for my permission before proposing.”

Perhaps Philea was thinking of it as just informing him of their relationship? At Ian’s playful words, Romandro let out a foolish laugh.

“Oh ho ho! Oh ho! My, my, no matter how much of a warrior one is, they become adorable in front of love.”

“Ah, Sir Romandro. Did you look into that matter?”

“Ah. About the Hayman family?”

Romandro slapped his cheeks to calm his excited heart. Then he nodded, saying Ian’s words were correct.

“The Hayman family is in the process of an unofficial engagement. It has become a fait accompli. There was a lot of gossip including the curse, so it seems they’ll make it official once the situation stabilizes.”

Romandro furrowed his brows while twirling his beard.

“But there’s a strange rumor circulating these days.”

“Are you referring to the Hayman family?”

“They say they placed an unusually large order for mana armor. Didn’t you see them back then? It’s the armor the bank guards wear, capable of fighting off a hundred men.”

“Me! I totally want that!”

Beric shouted, raising his fist. He was so astonished to see them easily lifting heavy coffers filled with gold coins with one hand. Ian tilted his head while lightly twirling the pen.

“Isn’t it for branch expansion?”

“Usually the trend is to increase by only two or three per year, but there’s talk that the order this time amounts to 100 sets. Thanks to that, I heard the order for the Imperial Guards was delayed. It’s still just a rumor for now. I suppose the mana stone supply will be the same? Has Chief Akorella not said anything?”

“She’s too busy focusing on Luron stones  these days.”

“I heard her complaining that the medium-grade mana stones used for armor are nearly depleted. Please check on it.”

“Yes. I will.”

Ian smiled brightly and thanked him for verifying it. He could roughly guess what it meant for the Hayman family to prepare mana armor.

Ian finished the letter he was writing to Philea and took out a new sheet of paper.

Swish.

-Lord Nersarn. I received your letter well. Please take good care of my mother. Just as you pledge eternal love, I hope eternal alliance will be imbued in Hielo and Cheonrye.

And in preparation for any unforeseen situation, he added:

-Whenever the weather clears, the thin ice here will break. At that time, will you be able to assist me? In the name of our alliance, and in the name of my mother.