Chapter 246

Eldert, the representative of the Ruswena delegation, glanced at his incapacitated subordinates before moving closer to the window to observe outside.

He saw the backs of several servants hurriedly gathering and running off. And that wasn’t all. Doctors were coming and going with their house call bags, wearing out the threshold.

No matter how he looked at it, this didn’t seem like the usual scene in the imperial palace, but everyone was keeping tight-lipped, so he couldn’t guess what was happening.

“Ugh, I’m really dying here.”

“I chewed powder. I chewed it. Oh, I’m going crazy.”

“Everyone, keep quiet.”

By taking medicine that caused stomach pain, they were able to move their lodgings to a guest house near the infirmary instead of leaving the palace.

Eldert examined the tightly closed door while keeping his subordinates in check. Cold sweat, pale complexions, trembling bodies. Even at a glance, their condition looked serious.

“You won’t die. There’s just pain.”

“That’s why I’m dying. When we return to Ruswena, you’d better give us plenty of paid leave. What kind of unnecessary trouble is this? Oh, it’s so hard to make a living.”

“Do you know anything while we’re stuck here?”

“We should have chosen just one person to take it.”

Instead of answering, Eldert sipped his tea and shook his head. Could they have stayed in the palace for one person’s problem? It would surely have been dismissed as an individual issue. Because they didn’t make any special protests, the imperial palace accepted their request without making a big fuss.

‘Still, this is really strange.’

Eldert examined the imperial palace garden visible in the distance outside the window. Between the long-stretching branches and fresh leaves, a long bench could be seen.

Since coming here, he hadn’t once seen people gathering to rest. Not only were there no people sitting and relaxing, but there was no one entering the garden for that purpose at all.

“There aren’t enough doctors, the servants and guards seem unusually busy, and the Prime Minister and officials even more so.”

They were a diplomatic delegation. Even though there was a problem, no doctor was assigned to stay with them 24 hours. Instead, as they had seen, people were just coming and going.

“Duke Hayman is said to be in custody, so isn’t it because of that? It’s Hayman. Hayman.”

“If that’s the case, it could also be classified as a rebellion.”

“Two consecutive rebellions in the imperial palace. It’s doomed. Haha! Oh, my stomach hurts.”

“The report said Arsen was a magic user. Just looking at that, there’s no way the Duke would be in custody. Don’t you think something’s wrong? They say the force behind Prince Jin is the Ministry of Magic…”

Knock knock.

“Representative Eldert of the delegation. Prince Jin and Minister Ian Hielo are here. Please move to the reception room next door.”

It was perfect timing, as if they had heard their conversation and burst in. Eldert made a gesture with his finger to be cautious, then opened the door and stepped out. They couldn’t meet in the room where his subordinates were lying down.

Creak.

“Oh, welcome, Representative Eldert.”

“Greetings, Prince Jin. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“I am Minister Ian Hielo.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

Eldert hesitated when he saw the scar cutting across the child’s face. The young prince wouldn’t have gone into battle, so it must be a trace of the rebellion. He could guess that the turmoil had been fiercer than expected.

“So, you drank the wrong tea in the imperial palace?”

Jin’s eyebrows were deeply furrowed. Though his concern seemed genuine, Ian beside him was scanning Eldert with a cold, unchanging expression.

Faced with these two extreme gazes, Eldert cleared his throat briefly to regain his composure.

“No, the tea was excellent, but I think our bodies couldn’t handle the demanding schedule. Everyone is grateful for the kindness shown to us.”

“Oh my, I see. I see.”

“Representative Eldert.”

Tap.

Ian called his name in a low voice as he picked up his teacup.

How old is he? He seemed to be before his coming-of-age ceremony, but the rise and fall of his voice, the way he held the teacup, all exuded a well-practiced elegance.

‘I only heard he was a noble from the frontier.’

“Yes, Minister Hielo.”

“I heard from the Prime Minister. You have experience as a professor at the national university at a young age, and currently serve as an advisor to King Eriponi. That’s truly impressive.”

“Not at all. You flatter me.”

Are you joking? That’s not something someone wearing the badge of Ministry of Magic Minister at that age should say.

Ian continued to measure him, slowly lowering and raising his gaze.

“Well. Has your professor experience been helpful in your advisory work?”

“With my limited knowledge, I’m helping with urban planning, reorganization, palace architecture, and construction.”

“Hmm. Right. The Ruswena palace buildings are famous for their beauty. By the way, you didn’t come because of a message from Hayman, but out of concern for His Majesty the Emperor’s distress due to the rebellion, correct?”

“That’s right.”

A lie known to both the speaker and the listener. It was an abruptly changing question, but Eldert gave a concise answer without any unnecessary additions.

At that moment.

‘Wait a minute.’

Eldert suddenly felt something strange about Ian’s words.

‘Hayman’? Why was the title ‘Duke’ missing after that name? No matter how high-ranking a Ministry of Magic Minister might be, isn’t there still a clear difference in status?

As Eldert tried to connect his thoughts, Ian added:

“That’s fortunate. Hayman is currently in custody for insulting the imperial family and causing a disturbance. His title has also been temporarily revoked, so he’s not of noble status. He probably won’t be able to leave the imperial palace until the trial for rebellion is held.”

He knew about the custody.

But title revocation? Duke Hayman?

Perhaps because it was such an unrealistic combination of words, it was hard to comprehend. What were the other nobles doing while this happened to him?

Eldert could naturally draw a conclusion.

‘The central nobles too-‘

They must have all been subdued.

Title revocation was something all nobles would react sensitively to, even if they weren’t part of Hayman’s faction. But would those who could bring down Hayman leave the other nobles alone? It meant all the key figures had been subdued.

‘How on earth? Is it indeed the power of the Ministry of Magic?’

With the aging Emperor and the failure of the two grown princes, how different was the imperial palace from a toothless beast? If the nobles united, it wasn’t impossible for even the imperial surname to change.

He realized that the imperial situation was developing more strangely than expected. This would remain an eternal question mark if one didn’t recognize the existence of the absolute evil ‘demon’, but…

“So the delegation should not mention Hayman’s name. I heard the King of Ruswena has a letter for his wife. You’ll understand that it can’t be delivered directly. What will you do, hand it over or take it back?”

“…We’ll take it back.”

Eldert declined Ian’s offer, breaking out in a cold sweat. One can’t board a ship with a hole in it. If they continued to be entangled with Hayman here, they would provide diplomatic grounds for trouble.

‘My guess was right.’

The reason for the imperial palace’s confusion. It was because after suppressing the central nobles, they were in a lull. Just dealing with the aftermath must be keeping them busy.

The intention behind mentioning Hayman like this was to minimize friction between them. In plain words, it meant ‘given the situation, please leave quietly’. Let’s not tire each other out.

“When Hayman’s trial is over, Prince Jin’s heir appointment ceremony will be held for the stability of the imperial family. We’ll send an envoy to Ruswena as well, so please come again and grace the occasion.”

“Of course, it would be an honor. Prince Jin, I offer my congratulations in advance.”

“…Thank you.”

As Eldert bowed politely, Jin just smiled shyly.

He wanted to ask where 4th Prince Arsen had gone, but he knew it wasn’t appropriate. Above all, if Jin was ascending to the heir position, doesn’t this mean the victor in the imperial palace had been clearly decided?

More precisely, the man named Ian sitting next to Jin seemed extraordinary, but…

“Is there any gift you desire, Your Highness? I’ll convey your wishes to the King and have it selected with utmost sincerity.”

As the future Emperor, Ruswena needed to pay special attention. Jin answered with a bright smile, as if he had been waiting for this.

“Nothing else matters, but I’d like the King to come and enjoy it personally.”

It wasn’t even an Emperor’s coronation, just an heir appointment ceremony. Yet he was asking for the king of a country to come personally.

Eldert flinched momentarily in surprise. This must be an attempt to widely announce solid external support amid the internal turmoil caused by the purge of central nobles. Or it could be a stepping stone to exert influence over Ruswena in the future.

Eldert managed his expression and bowed his head once more.

“I will surely convey Your Highness’s words.”

“Good. Thank you for your hard work. If there’s anything inconvenient, just tell the servants anytime.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.”

But contrary to his reply, Eldert decided to return to Ruswena immediately. Hayman’s downfall was more serious than expected. He realized this was not something that could be resolved at the delegation level.

“Oh, and.”

Ian gestured as if he had just remembered something.

“The charges against Hayman in the trial also include something about Dragon Scales. It seems there might be an illegal supply point among his connections, does Ruswena know anything about this?”

“Dragon? In Ruswena, we only operate dragons from one certified supply point. If it’s related to anything illegal, we have no knowledge of it.”

“I see. Understood. You may go first. It was good to meet you.”

“It was good to meet you!”

“It was an honor, Your Highness and Minister Hielo.”

Ian and Jin shook hands briefly with Eldert before leaving the reception room.

As Eldert returned to the room where his subordinates were lying down, he hurriedly searched his inner pocket. It was medicine to relieve stomach pain.

‘If 5th Prince Jin and the Ministry of Magic Minister are the real powers, there will be pressure on Ruswena’s side connected to Hayman one way or another. Let’s hurry back.’

Creak.

Meanwhile, Jin, who had come out into the corridor, glanced back. Seeing the door close completely, he tightly grasped Ian’s hand.

“He didn’t bring up Arsen.”

“Indeed. The King of Ruswena chose his delegation representative well.”

In a situation where it’s unclear how things will unfold, the best strategy is to keep one’s ears open and mouth shut. Ruswena was already in a slightly difficult position due to its connection with Duchess Hayman. If it was revealed that they had rushed here at the Duke’s call, they would be directly linked to the rebellion and put at a great disadvantage.

“However, Arsen will surely be mentioned when they return to their country and share the situation.”

Arsen’s magic confirmation ceremony is a strictly guarded secret in the imperial palace. But they know about it? This could raise suspicions that they were in communication with someone at the scene, and this would likely bring to mind Hayman, who is highly likely to be connected to Ruswena.

“This is why secrets are heavy. They’re so heavy that the more you know, the more they suffocate you.”

They will erase Arsen from Bariel’s history, but they can’t do anything about the facts known in the neighboring country. However, what’s comforting is that his recognition is faint because he was a young prince without achievements.

On the other hand, what about Ruswena? They must have heard through Hayman’s side that Arsen was a ‘magic user’. That’s precisely the problem.

“If they mention Arsen, we can use that as a pretext to link it with Hayman’s treason charges? And thus pressure their royal family?”

“Yes, that’s right. And while there won’t be problems for a while due to the confiscation of family assets, seven noble families will fall. Until other nobles fill those positions, there will be a period of tax revenue shortage. It would be good to open up the kingdom.”

They disguised the confusion caused by the Arsen incident as the revocation of noble titles. And at the same time, they threw out bait. Now they just need to wait for Ruswena to bite.

“Hmm. I see.”

Jin carefully organized this information, wiggling the fingers of the hand not holding Ian’s. At that moment, a servant following behind them received something and approached Ian’s side.

“Lord Ian.”

“What is it?”

“Duchess Hayman and her children have entered the palace.”

“Is that so? I understand.”

“But…”

The servant trailed off, glancing at Jin. When Jin slightly furrowed his brow, the servant carefully conveyed:

“Lady Melania insists on seeing you, Lord Ian. She says it’s about Bratz.”

Bratz?

Ian raised an eyebrow at Melania’s choice of words.