Chapter 188
“This is Ian Hielo, Minister of Magic. Are you Duke Gaudino Haiman?”
At Ian’s call, Haiman slowly turned his head. Facing him now, Ian was certain he hadn’t seen this man at the New Year’s gathering. If he had, he would never have forgotten that striking face.
“I am indeed Ian Hielo, Minister. And you must be Duke Gaudino Haiman.”
A peculiar man in his prime. His neatly combed hair revealed a broad forehead, sharp eyebrows, and a prominent nose—features that marked him as no ordinary noble. But what stood out most were his eyes, almost entirely black, with barely any white showing. The intimidating aura didn’t come from the Haiman name, but from the piercing gaze itself.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Ian didn’t offer his hand first. Though by rank, Haiman was far above him, the current situation was different: Haiman was among those who had threatened the palace, and Ian was the one responsible for managing the aftermath. Aware of this, Haiman bowed slightly and smiled faintly.
“Compared to your efforts, Minister Hielo, it’s nothing. Ah, this is my youngest daughter, Melania. I believe this is your first meeting. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Haiman already knew Ian and Melania had met before. Yet, introducing her as if for the first time was a subtle dismissal of Gale—the link between Ian and Melania.
In high society, even if acquaintances had met before, it was proper to act as strangers in formal settings.
“Pleased to meet you,” Melania said, lightly holding her green dress as she greeted him. Her eyes met Ian’s briefly, smiling slyly. Her effortless way of playing along with her father was uncanny.
“Miss Melania may be meeting me for the first time, but I have seen her before—from a distance, when I went to deliver a report to His Highness Gale,” Ian said, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand with a smile. He maintained decorum while subtly acknowledging the connection to Gale. Both Haiman and Melania showed a flicker of discomfort, as if they had anticipated this.
“Minister Hielo, I came to the palace urgently because of this. His Highnesses Marib and Gale have caused quite a scandal. It has put me in a difficult position. I wish to report directly to His Majesty, but your mages are blocking the way.”
Haiman was requesting an audience with the emperor. Ian met his dark eyes, unable to tell exactly where he was looking since the whites of his eyes were nearly invisible.
“How much do you know?”
If Haiman hadn’t yet contacted Delaina, he probably didn’t know the emperor had been frozen. No one had left the palace, so he likely didn’t know Marib had stabbed the emperor.
Ian’s answer would be information to Haiman, and the moment he left, it would become his guide for action.
“There has never been, nor will there ever be, a traitor granted an audience with His Majesty.”
Haiman’s jaw tightened at Ian’s words. Ian refused to reveal any information about the emperor’s condition but confirmed that the palace disturbance was officially deemed a crime.
“If you have a message, direct it to me.”
Ian’s words subtly asserted that he was now the one in charge of the palace. Haiman lifted his chin and asked,
“Are Marib and His Highness Gale unharmed?”
“That information cannot be disclosed.”
If Gale were alive, Haiman’s defense would lose all credibility. Ian’s refusal to share any details narrowed Haiman’s eyes. Then, cautiously, he began.
“It’s a misunderstanding. It’s true Melania had a brief relationship with His Highness Gale, but the support with the magic stone armor was intended to aid the Imperial Army’s research. We never expected it to be used this way.”
This could be interpreted as the Imperial Defense Department siding with Marib, but revealing that now would be like announcing the palace’s lack of troops. Sometimes silence cuts deeper than argument—and this was one of those moments.
“So, sensing something was amiss, I recalled half of the support. I wish to report this directly to His Majesty.”
“As I said, that is not permitted.”
“Is this His Majesty’s command?”
No one could claim to have orders not directly given by the emperor. When Ian was at the border, he had dismissed Chielonia, who brought a noble appointment, on that basis.
“It is the will of the royal family.”
Ian evaded with a vague but firm answer. Haiman covered his daughter’s hand with his gloved one. Melania met Ian’s gaze calmly.
“I deeply regret this. Though unintentional, I admit some involvement in this incident. I will offer the best compensation and do everything in my power to protect the honor of House Haiman.”
Compensation, not reparations? Reparations imply legal punishment, while compensation is a moral responsibility.
‘Clever word choice, sharp as ever.’
To think they could survive after participating in treason—that arrogance. Only someone who truly understood the weight of the Haiman name would speak so boldly.
Given their attempt to place their daughter on the empress’s throne, they clearly had ambitions to influence the imperial authority.
‘Better keep Arsen in check alongside him.’
Ian muttered, frowning openly.
“Duke, do you believe the empire’s security can be bought with money? No matter how full your coffers, they are but stones before the centuries-old authority of Bariel.”
“The authority of Bariel was built upon those very stones.”
“I’m afraid an investigation into the connection between House Haiman and His Highness Gale will begin soon. You will pay reparations appropriate to the findings, not mere compensation.”
Reparations always come with further penalties—demotion, loss of privileges, imprisonment, or even execution. Haiman waved his hand dismissively. A subordinate approached and handed him a tobacco pipe.
“…Is Lady Delaina and the twin princes safe?”
The low question drifted out with a puff of smoke. Haiman’s dark eyes quickly scanned Ian, trying to gauge the situation.
“They are unharmed.”
“If I cannot meet His Majesty, I would at least like to see Lady Delaina.”
“That is not permitted.”
“Not permitted?”
Haiman’s lips twisted slightly at Ian’s words, as if he caught a clue. The refusal was not Delaina’s wish but Ian’s alone.
“Why?”
“To maintain order within the palace.”
“Minister Ian, from an outsider’s perspective, it would seem that it was you who overthrew and seized control, not His Highnesses Marib and Gale who caused the disturbance.”
“Ahem! Krrm!”
Romandro, standing behind, coughed in displeasure. Haiman’s guards also frowned, sensing the tension. Amid the charged atmosphere, Haiman calmly asked again.
“Inform Lady Delaina that the Duke of House Haiman requests an audience.”
Otherwise, he implied, the misunderstanding would be taken as fact.
“Very well. But only you, Duke, without Miss Melania, and accompanied by palace guards. You cannot deny the suspicion of collusion with His Highness Gale.”
Ian stood and relayed the remaining instructions. Entry was allowed freely, but exit was not. Even the emperor could not leave until the palace was secured.
“Is there a party waiting for you at the palace gates?”
“Yes.”
Precisely, a knight order was on standby, ordered to come rescue him if no word arrived within a day. Ian felt as if he had tightened a safety belt around his waist, crawling into the tiger’s mouth. He continued as if expecting this.
“The initial containment will be completed within three days. No one may leave before then. Inform the gatekeepers accordingly. Farewell.”
The heavy door creaked open.
Ian said this and left. His footsteps faded into silence. Melania leaned back in her chair, sighing.
“What shall we do, Father? It seems His Highness Gale is alive. And His Highness Marib is quite something—destroying the palace yet failing to finish the job.”
“Do not worry. Delaina is the answer.”
“Lady Delaina?”
Haiman muttered, slowly recalling his conversation with Ian.
“Think about it. If Marib and Gale are disgraced for treason, the next heirs are the twin princes—strong candidates for the next emperor. But they are still too young.”
“Delaina will act as regent.”
“Exactly. So naturally, Delaina holds the real power in the palace. But judging by Ian’s behavior, the political tide is clearly shifting that way. For now, Delaina may stay in the background while things settle, but if this momentum continues, it will become a burden.”
Above all, Ian’s attitude toward Haiman was hostile. Some palace officials, careless or corrupt, might want to keep the Haiman influence alive.
‘Haiman is the perfect counterbalance to whoever subdued Marib and Gale. We should push in that direction and watch for openings.’
Though unaware that Arsen and Jin had parted ways, Haiman had pieced together the situation well enough. Meeting with Delaina would clarify everything.
“Sigh. But really, what is going on here? Both Lady Marib and Lady Gale ending up like this… It’s a failed investment.”
Melania sipped her tea with a weary tone.
“If we had known earlier that Lady Marib was connected to the Rutherford Guild, would things have turned out differently?”
The Rutherford Guild—a mysterious group of alchemists. They were the source of the amber gemstones Marib had been supplied with, and had long-standing dealings with Haiman. Such a secretive and unpredictable organization, no one had suspected they had ties to the prince as well.
“No, my dear. The process might have changed, but the outcome would have remained the same. History’s choices are absolute.”
It was too late to realize. Only after colluding with Gale did they become aware of the flow of processed gemstones through Rutherford. Following the trail, it led back to Marib, and soon it became clear that Haiman was preparing something equivalent to a magical sealing stone.
‘If Gale won, that would have been fine. If Marib won, we could have attached ourselves to that side through Rutherford as a mediator. That’s why we only sent half the magical stone armor.’
They tried to walk the tightrope, but it snapped. Fortunately, Gale’s betrayal would likely open another opportunity for them.
“Go find out when I can have a private meeting with Dilaina.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Clack.
Melania’s mind drifted back to that child she had seen on the frontier, the name Rutherford stirring the memory. Ian Hielo’s face overlaid the faint image. Since she had thought they looked similar, the image had refused to fade.
Meanwhile, outside, Ian and his group were preparing to move. Romandro opened the carriage door and asked with concern. Despite everything, he was still uneasy about Ian meeting with Haiman and Dilaina.
“Given the situation, are you sure it’s wise to meet them? They’re both difficult to handle on their own.”
“Being on the same ship means sharing will and weaknesses. There’s nothing to fear from their size. The bigger they are, the more exposed they become to attack, no matter where you throw them. To justify keeping them in check, we need to attach someone who holds that leverage.”
“That may be true, but still…”
“And the conversation earlier was quite fruitful.”
“Hm? Fruitful, you say? Really?”
Romandro looked uncertain. After all, they were outsiders coming in with no prior knowledge. Ian held the information.
No matter what was said, it was natural to assume Haiman was the one benefiting from the imbalance.
“They told me directly.”
“That’s strange. I wasn’t away at any point.”
“From an outsider’s perspective, they’d think I overthrew and took control. Words are expressions of thought. The fact that they’re considering this as a way to turn the tide means they’re planning accordingly.”
Romandro’s mouth dropped open. It sounded absurd, but it made sense! If the empire’s citizens, unaware of the true situation, heard these fabricated rumors, it would definitely cause damage—especially regarding Jin’s succession.
“Smile, Romandro. Things aren’t as bad as they seem.”
Ian leaned his head against the window and smiled faintly. Romandro awkwardly lifted the corners of his mouth in response. With a clatter, the carriage carrying the two sped toward the Ministry of Magic.