Chapter 184

Dillaina exhaled sharply, glancing around the grand hall. Her silver hair was wildly tousled, as if she had rushed here without a moment’s pause. Ian rose from his seat and pulled out a chair for her.

“You must have come in quite a hurry.”

There was no need for such concern, yet…

Perhaps sensing Ian’s intention, Dillaina stepped closer and whispered quietly.

“I heard from Captain Veols about His Majesty the Emperor’s condition. But tell me—what on earth was the purpose behind separating me from my sons?”

Her breath trembled faintly at the end, a mixture of doubt and fear woven into her question.

Outside, Romandro whispered with the mage who had brought her in, nodding subtly before signaling Ian. It seemed there was no cause for alarm.

“Purpose? That’s a baseless assumption.”

Ian answered softly, responding to Romandro’s signal. His boldness in meeting her gaze head-on made Dillaina bite her lip tightly.

“I tried to see Arsen and Jin, but your men blocked the way and refused to let me through. In a situation like this, such treatment—how am I supposed to interpret it?”

“It was to protect the twin princes. In this chaos, we judged that someone might harm them to survive.”

Ian smiled faintly, a bright smile that carried a chilling, ruthless undertone. Wasn’t she the mother who had driven her son into a deadly trap, begging Marib for her life? Having witnessed that with her own eyes, Ian could not entrust the princes’ safety to her.

Dillaina fell silent, squeezing out her voice, her eyes moist with frustration and sorrow.

“I did it for Bariel. For Bariel’s sake.”

“Ah, so Bariel ordered you to do so?”

“How dare you!”

“Then why did you stand by silently when Marib tried to lure the child with the mother’s life as bait?”

Jin, cradled in Ian’s arms. Marib, who threatened to kill Dillaina if the child didn’t return. Dillaina screaming in despair as she watched.

Ian frowned deeply. He hadn’t seen the expression on Jin’s face at that moment of lost humanity.

“You know the prophecy that if Arsen dies, the royal line ends, don’t you? Arsen is still young. I need someone to support me from behind. Before being a mother, I am a member of the royal family. Who has the right to blame me?”

Dillaina muttered each word with heavy emphasis, convinced beyond doubt that her actions were necessary. Ian met her gaze calmly.

“…You may avoid blame, but understanding will not come easily. Prince Jin is, after all, your son before he is a member of the royal family.”

At that moment, Quintana approached Dillaina and boldly grabbed her shoulder. Startled, Dillaina turned to see Quintana sigh softly, the faint scent of tobacco on her breath.

“Dillaina, I don’t know what’s happened, but please calm down and sit. There’s much to discuss.”

Dillaina steadied herself, stepping back a pace before sitting in the chair Ian had pulled out, trying to regain composure.

“Are you all right? You don’t seem hurt, which is a relief.”

“We were just discussing the succession.”

“It seems we must choose between Prince Arsen and Prince Jin. We’d like to hear your opinion.”

The officials looked to Dillaina, each offering a word. She was silent for a moment before speaking.

“By rank and birth order, it’s only right that Arsen, the elder, ascend as heir.”

“Actually, I was thinking the same…”

“He’s mature and intelligent, isn’t he? And above all, there’s the prophecy: ‘If the one closest to the throne dies, the royal line ends.’ If Marib and Prince Gale are expelled from the royal family, then Prince Arsen is the closest to the throne, isn’t he?”

“That’s right. The prophecy is unfolding as foretold.”

“Marib was aware of this and ultimately couldn’t harm Prince Arsen, correct?”

Since they were senior officials of the same department, they knew the hidden prophecy. As support for Arsen grew, Ian raised his hand to speak.

“I oppose that.”

It was Quintana. She tapped the table with an unlit cigarette, as if restraining herself for Dillaina’s sake.

“Do you not understand how this crisis began? It’s the result of unqualified people lusting for power. Rank no longer holds meaning. And more importantly, that order was assigned by doctors. It’s a trivial standard to entrust Bariel’s future to.”

“So you support Prince Jin?”

“No. I support raising the one with true merit. We should take time to verify.”

“The prince is gravely ill. There isn’t much time.”

An official, unaware the emperor was frozen in stasis, voiced concern. Quintana remained unshaken.

“It’s better to be late and certain than to rush and fail. If such chaos happens again in the palace, foreign powers will surely intervene.”

Is there a better time for the great empire of Bariel to be devoured? The emperor has fallen, the princes imprisoned. Nobles have died, and the empire’s forces are in disarray.

“Anyway, it’s fortunate that Sir Ian closed the gates. I only learned after entering the palace.”

Ian nodded at Quintana’s words. Though it was to protect the people, ultimately it was to protect Bariel. He took up her point and declared:

“I, too, oppose Prince Arsen.”

Ian’s declaration was weighty. He was the central figure managing palace affairs, bearer of the emperor’s message, and the one who would consolidate power by dealing with the princes.

“Sir Ian, do you also mean to verify the princes’ merit?”

“No. I mean that Prince Jin should ascend as the next emperor.”

It was as if lightning had struck the chamber. The officials murmured in shock, unable to hide their surprise.

Not Arsen, but Jin? The cursed child branded as the one who would kill his brother and end the royal line!

“Sir Ian? The elder twin is Arsen.”

Someone blurted out incredulously. Ian responded with a slight frown instead of words.

“I agree that merit must be considered, and therefore I support Prince Jin.”

His gaze met Quintana’s. In a room where everyone called for Arsen, those with different aims but the same conclusion needed to unite.

“But what about the prophecy?”

“The prophecy isn’t always right.”

“Still, it can’t be ignored. The prophecy for the twin princes came directly from the Carbo Temple.”

An official glanced pointedly at Dillaina, pressing her. The sacred family of the founding heroes, relatives of the current twin princes. How could one deny a prophecy delivered by such a place?

“I will verify that again.”

“Verify? How?”

Ian was certain Jin was the next emperor. The portrait he passed daily in the royal corridor was vivid in his mind. Jin, now an adult, bore scars but had grown into a dignified man, far from the child he once was.

History doesn’t change, but prophecies passed down by humans can.

“Isn’t the meaning of ‘closest to the throne’ ambiguous? Do you understand what that means? Is it rank determined by minutes? Or could it mean physical proximity?”

The officials said nothing, acknowledging the room for interpretation. Ian’s aggressive stance made them wary of contradicting him.

“Because you spoke Prince Arsen’s name, he has become the one closest to the throne.”

Silence fell. The next emperor is the one who climbs over his subjects’ backs. The prince chosen by the ministers is the one closest to the throne.

Ian lightly set down the list of traitors, shifting the mood.

“Once palace repairs are mostly complete, we will revisit the prophecy. Let us take time to discuss the heir. The emperor remains in place, and there is no immediate danger.”

He will not die until death is necessary.

The officials stroked their beards, murmuring uneasily. Amid the confusion, cracks were forming again—Dillaina supporting Arsen, Ian backing Jin.

“Let’s move past the succession for now and focus on urgent matters. The Minister of Imperial Defense sided with Marib and was killed. We must quickly restore discipline, assess remaining forces, and restore order.”

“Ahem, yes, let’s do that.”

“There’s an order to things, yes.”

“What about Deputy Minister Moreno?”

“He’s away on a trip outside the capital. Though few, there are still disciplined soldiers. We should order their swift return.”

Whoever becomes heir will reshape the palace’s power structure. The officials busied themselves calculating and assessing the situation. Dillaina was no different.

‘Sir Ian… why does he support Jin?’

She couldn’t understand. Either twin would become emperor, and Dillaina would stand at the center of power regardless.

But since she saw that Jin had been abandoned, wasn’t pushing Jin just a way to keep him in check?

‘Using the fact that Jin was discarded as a pretext to challenge the imperial authority. With Marib and Gale fallen, someone new is trying to make a move.’

Without realizing it, Delaina bit her lip nervously, staring off into space. All she could think about was protecting Arsen.

Ian pretended not to notice and continued the meeting, but he took in every detail of Delaina’s behavior with his eyes.

“…Then, let’s adjourn the meeting for now.”

A few hours passed. Dawn was breaking outside. The officials rubbed their heavy eyelids and rose from their seats.

“Once the administration issues their orders, send the personnel immediately. We can’t afford any delays in deliveries.”

“Prepare for the trial under the judiciary’s lead, and make sure all departments share their information.”

“Everyone, tidy up your buildings. We’ll reconvene around afternoon.”

“Understood. We’ll report the necessary materials.”

Tap, tap, tap!

The officials returned to their departments, promising to meet again later. Ian was just about to stand when he staggered slightly, clutching his nose. It stung as if it might start bleeding any moment.

“Are you alright? You’ve been using magic nonstop and haven’t slept. Try to rest until lunch. I’ll handle the rest.”

Romandro helped Ian out of the building with concern. But Delaina stepped in their way. Ian frowned tiredly, but she didn’t back down.

“Return Arsen and Jin to me.”

“If anyone heard that, they’d think I did something terrible.”

“I haven’t even had a chance to see them properly!”

Ian brushed past Delaina and climbed into the carriage. Before the door closed, he relented.

“Fine. But I won’t remove the guards beside His Highness Arsen, and you’ll only be able to see His Highness Jin when he permits it.”

“Are you saying Jin is rejecting me now?”

“I didn’t exactly say that.”

Ian trailed off and closed the carriage door, waving his hand wearily.

Hiiing!

Tap, tap, tap!

Romandro watched Delaina disappear through the carriage’s rear window and muttered,

“She keeps glaring at us.”

“That’s because I’m a nuisance. Naturally.”

“Still, what can Delaina really do? Huh? Isn’t Ian the most important person in the palace right now?”

Romandro glanced nervously behind him, wiping cold sweat from his brow. Ian covered his eyes with the back of his hand and said nothing.

“Well…”

“Well what?”

“If I were Delaina, there’s one way to turn this situation around… though I’m not sure she’d actually do it.”

Ian’s cryptic words made Romandro blink. It was surprising that Delaina might have a solution—and it sounded like Ian hoped she would take it.

“Ian?”

“Let’s go to where His Highness Jin is.”

“Could you tell me too?”

“…I’m going to sleep.”

“Ugh.”

At that, Romandro shut his mouth tight and scratched his head. When he heard Ian’s steady breathing, he leaned out the window and told the driver,

“Slow down a bit.”

“Pardon?”

Slowly, so Ian could get some rest.

The driver loosened the reins and eased the carriage’s pace. As the carriage rocked gently, Ian’s head nodded lightly with the motion.