Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 194

Creak.

When Ian opened the door to the interrogation room in the Star Tower, Mariv was gazing out the window. A single ray of light shone into the dark interior. Even as the mages moved stacks of documents, he kept his eyes fixed outside, as if unable to believe the future he hadn’t dreamed of had arrived.

“Please sit down, Your Highness. We will begin the interrogation.”

Unlike Gale, whose neck was torn, Mariv was unscathed without a single major injury. Although covered in specks of dirt, he had a noble appearance unbefitting the mastermind who plunged the Imperial Palace into chaos. After all, most of his key forces, including his chief of staff, died with their limbs torn apart.

“Did you do it yourself?”

Mariv turned around. His eyes were calm, seeming to smile in despair. Ian felt he had seen those eyes somewhere before and soon realized they were the same as Gale’s when he lay in bed. Despite being desperate to kill each other, their blood tie was undeniable.

“Yes. I will treat you with respect, so please cooperate.”

“An interrogation? You’re putting too much effort into something so unnecessary. If it were me, I would never bother with such a bothersome thing.”

The tables had already turned. He stabbed the Emperor, his father, seized the Imperial Seal by force, and tried to kill his brother. Given that he would be stripped of even the Imperial family name, the end would be beheading. With the outcome predictable even without a trial, what was the point of wasting time on an interrogation?

However, Ian simply flipped through the documents indifferently.

“You may feel that way, Your Highness, but I do not.”

All procedures for the trial were to proceed accurately and precisely. Only this would restore the discipline of the Imperial Palace that the two princes had disrupted, establishing the legitimacy of Jin as the next Emperor and the foundation for centralized power.

“First, regarding the attempted assassination of His Majesty the Emperor. Records show His Majesty experienced breathing difficulties during sleep several months ago.”

“Ah, yes. His sleep was indeed disturbed. He even saw dead people. But what does that have to do with me?”

Thwack.

Ian presented the documents Gale had handed over. The price for overlooking the Wesleigh Curse and neutralizing the Truth Potion.

At the gesture to read them, Mariv slowly flipped through the papers. Judging by his constant hollow laughter, he seemed to have realized something.

“So this is why you teamed up with Gale.”

He understood now why Ian didn’t clearly take sides between himself and Gale. Mariv couldn’t deny that the situational upper hand was in Ian’s grasp.

“To be treated like this by a lowborn bastard from the frontier, haha. Ha.”

“If you have anything to argue, please do so.”

Ian replied while leisurely perusing other document papers, signaling his readiness to refute any arguments.

“These will be presented as evidence at the trial, so it’s best you do what you can.”

Mariv leaned back in his chair and locked eyes with Ian. He had sworn every moment that he would be born a prince and die an emperor, believing it to be so.

Is this the end? Is this truly the end? Mariv muttered while gazing at the sunlight pouring in. The tables had turned, but his neck had yet to be broken.

“Wasn’t it all instigated by you, Sir Ian?”

The mage recording the interrogation in the corner flinched. The observers reacted similarly. Everyone furrowed their brows at Mariv’s sudden remark.

“By me?”

“Yes. You incited me, Sir Ian.”

“Your Highness, I was in Hielo Territory at the time.”

“You’re a mage. You had your ways.”

Ian grasped Mariv’s intention and chuckled bitterly. It was a ploy to protract the trial process by presenting outrageous testimony during the interrogation, and if there were any opposing forces to Ian in the Imperial Palace, it provided an opportunity for them to find fault.

As the scribe put down his pen, Mariv rebuked, “How dare you tamper with the records that will go down in history at your own whim? Don’t leave out a single word.”

It was a paltry threat, implying he would act out at the trial.

Ian signaled with a light gesture to continue the recording. Inconsistencies would be dismissed without the need for explanation anyway.

“It’s rather fortunate this mess happened now. Had you ascended to the throne, Your Highness, I fear it would’ve been Bariel, not the Imperial Palace, that crumbled.”

Ian remarked that Mariv lacked not only qualifications but was utterly despicable.

A vein bulged on Mariv’s temple, but he just kept laughing. Humiliation for an opportunity meant nothing. As long as he could live, as long as he could alert the gods to his plight, he would do anything.

“Beols, the captain of the guard, witnessed and testified that you wielded a sword against His Majesty the Emperor. There is nothing to interrogate on that matter. The seized Imperial Seal is still missing. What have you done with it?”

“I colluded with the Ministry of Magic and handed it over. Is that not why I’m being kept alive?”

Bang!

“Sir Ian, this is unacceptable!”

A mage who could no longer stand it shouted in fierce protest. Mariv grinned, and Ian furrowed his brow, signaling restraint. As if to say there was no need to get so angry over such a petty trick.

“You know of Rutherford, right?”

“Ah, the merchant group?”

“How did you come to deal with them?”

“When was it? It’s been a while. I crossed over Hawan Kingdom on my way back from the Grand Tour. That’s when I met Rutherford. Weren’t you with me then, Ian? Since it was in Brats Territory, I must’ve been this tall.”

The Grand Tour, a journey taken by privileged class offspring. A short trip of several months to visit neighboring countries and broaden one’s knowledge of culture, economy, society, and such. Although it involved dozens of wagons, making it more akin to a procession than a trip.

Mariv glibly estimated a child’s height with his hand.

“Hmm. No? Was I this tall?”

“Your acting is superb.”

Mariv had indeed been on a Grand Tour, but no one in the interrogation room believed him. The scribe sighed, pressing down on each letter, astonished that someone like him had been revered as a prince until now.

Swish.

That’s when it happened.

Through the window of the door Ian had his back to, Mariv saw a head of silver hair pass by. At that height, it had to be a child, and how many silver-haired children could enter the interrogation room in the Imperial Palace?

‘Arsen?’

No, it must be Jin. He had clearly seen Jin embracing Ian at Dilaina’s palace. And he had confirmed their bond at the Ministry of Magic when he went to kill Jin.

If it was Ian, the Ian who had toyed with him and Gale, he would undoubtedly aim for central control through Jin.

“But it’s strange.”

“What is, Your Highness?”

“I don’t understand why you sided with Jin, not Arsen, Ian. I can comprehend everything else, but that alone eludes me.”

The mage who had been standing still flinched.

Oho, so Jin had tugged at his collar. He seemed to have hit the mark on the child’s doubts. Why Jin and not Arsen? Everyone would think the same thing in response.

‘The remaining card that could barely compete with Arsen, taken in by Dilaina.’

“It’s none of your concern.”

Ian retorted, suppressing his gradually rising irritation. The nonsense was getting out of hand. There were mountains of issues to deal with, yet he was being hindered by meaningless quibbles.

At his lowered voice, the mages bit their lips, glancing around nervously.

‘Please shut up, Your Highness.’

‘Sir Ian seems on the verge of losing his temper.’

“If your support for Jin is only superficial, well, I suppose there may be no reason. Since you’re the one who played me and Gale, swaying a kid like that would be no issue. Do you think I can’t see through you?”

Thwack!

Finally, it came to an end. Ian roughly closed the documents and folded his arms. Constantly spouting such worthless words…

“Your Highness Mariv, please shut up.”

Bang!

At the same time, something bumped against the door.

As Ian turned around, Jin was squatting, rubbing his forehead. He had pulled the doorknob too hard out of nervousness. Xiaoshi turned pale and examined Jin’s forehead.

“Your Highness?”

“Well, ah, I was trying to make my presence known.”

Ian immediately stood up and signaled the mages with his eyes. It was an order for them to continue Mariv’s interrogation in his stead.

“Your Highness, is your forehead all right?”

“It is, but…”

“Jin, the wound is deep.”

Mariv called out to his half-brother, resting his chin. The wound he had inflicted ran straight across his face. Perhaps it was the mark of an emperor.

“Be grateful to me. It missed your eyes.”

“Please leave. The air here is foul.”

Creak!

Thud!

The door closed without a moment’s hesitation, as if dealing with something filthy. Jin kept rubbing his forehead, looking up at Ian.

“Sir Ian, I apologize for disrupting your work.”

“No, it’s fine. I was about to stop anyway, as it was proving fruitless.”

“Well, about that…”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Jin paused as he was about to exit the Star Tower.

“I want to make one thing clear, Ian.”

“What is it?”

Ian bent his knee, meeting Jin’s gaze. He must have heard all of Mariv’s nonsense earlier. He knew Jin was there. Instead of having him listen painstakingly, he should have told Mariv to shut up from the start.

“The reason you follow me.”

“I see.”

Jin clenched his fists tightly. It was something he would have to address eventually. Whether now was the right time was another matter, but anyway.

Why does Ian support him? Why does Ian hold him in high regard? Does he truly see him as just another “card” to rival Arsen?

If so, then what?

“Your Highness.”

Ian smiled slightly. It was evident that all sorts of thoughts were swirling chaotically in Jin’s small head. He explained one by one in a gentle voice.

“I understand your confusion. But at times like these, you must calmly assess the situation and use it to your advantage.”

In a place where there are no eternal enemies or friends.

That is the nature of the Imperial Palace.

“Accept the essence itself and do not quibble over right and wrong.”

Whether Ian held Jin’s hand out of sympathy or with ulterior motives, which would be right or wrong? Either way, it benefits Jin and is the right thing.

“However, if you understand the essence, it will be easier to prepare for changing circumstances in the future.”

“Are you saying that regardless of Sir Ian’s true intentions, I should utilize you for now?”

“Yes. And once Your Highness’ authority stabilizes, take a breather and look at me again. You will gain a different perspective.”

Xiaoshi, listening from the side, eyed his master quizzically. To readily suggest using and discarding someone, what a mindset. He could tell Ian’s sincerity in treating Jin, but did Jin realize it?

“It’s too difficult.”

“It’s all right. You will learn through experience.”

“You told me to keep the essence in mind.”

Jin tightly grasped the hem of Ian’s robe, then straightened his eyes and met Ian’s gaze head-on.

“Then answer my earlier question.”

“The reason I follow Your Highness?”

Ian chuckled, tilting his head.

“Because you bear a vast wound.”

The mark of an emperor.

The curse of the prophecy.

And the fate of being abandoned by his mother.

Everything was a vast wound. Ian removed Jin’s hand gripping his robe and asked, “What do you think?”

“I want to believe you spoke the truth.”

“Yes. Then believe as you wish. As the center of the world, Your Highness, your belief is the truth.”

Dong! Dang!

Then came the sound of a huge clock chime from afar, signaling that not much time remained until the opening of the city gates.