Chapter 249

That day, the wind in the imperial palace was unusually biting. Blossoms had bloomed on the trees, and though the breeze scattered the clouds warmly, it still carried a chill.

So when Jin was found wrapped tightly in a thick blanket, covering herself from head to toe, no one thought it strange.

“Did Lady Dilaina pass away?”

“Just a little while ago, in the middle of the night.”

“Tsk, tsk. Our Jin is truly pitiful.”

“His Majesty hasn’t shown any signs of improvement either. The young prince must be going through a lot emotionally. Orders have been given to be especially cautious—no careless words.”

“What about the funeral?”

“It’ll probably be a simple one. They don’t want the cause of death to be revealed.”

Exposure to the venom of the monster Arsen was the direct cause of Dilaina’s death, but everyone in the palace was working together to erase that fact. Most likely, her death would be recorded as due to illness or complications from injuries sustained during the rebellion.

A mage scratched his forehead in frustration as he flipped through documents.

“By the way, how many candidates are left for the Forbidden Spell?”

“Only about fifteen now. Since Ian can’t contribute much, progress is slow. We’re already short-handed, and some have been dragged off to the investigation room. Have you seen Patrick?”

“That lunatic. I told you, no one should be getting any wild ideas.”

“This is the first time since entering the palace that things have been this chaotic.”

The loss of personnel due to Arsen was one thing, but rooting out traitors had taken two or three more rounds of manpower. Both those being investigated and those doing the investigating were mages.

As they complained about their fatigue while passing down the corridor, someone was secretly eavesdropping from a corner.

“Huh? Jin’s mother died?”

It was Beric. His cheeks were stuffed, and both hands were full of meat. To recover, he absolutely needed tender, chewy meat, but the palace quacks kept serving him bland, watery gruel.

So, avoiding the watchful eyes of the attendants, he wandered near the dining hall constantly, searching for meat. The memory of carrying the unconscious woman during the height of the rebellion was still vivid.

Beric pressed himself against the wall, chewing meat nonstop.

‘…Her mother died.’

He was about to return to his room but stopped. Though he staggered and nearly tumbled, he didn’t feel too bad. Every time the juice slid down his throat, he felt life returning to his blood.

“Beric?”

“Gah!”

What he didn’t realize was that it wasn’t him sneaking around unnoticed—rather, the mages were deliberately turning a blind eye.

Perhaps a report had come in about him rolling around the corridor with meat in hand, because Viviana and Romandro showed up in person.

“Tsk, tsk. Is that even a person?”

“Romandro, your face isn’t exactly a picture either.”

“I just woke up!”

Romandro had just roused from a dead sleep, his features swollen and half unrecognizable. Beric wobbled and leaned against the wall.

“Then why don’t you just keep sleeping? Why come out?”

“Lady Dilaina died. I’m worried about Jin, and thinking about Ian handling everything alone makes me uneasy. I just wanted to see his face, at least.”

Since Jin was recovering alone without the mages’ help, it seemed he could only manage a few words before retreating. Romandro yawned widely and motioned for Beric to follow.

“Jin must be deeply heartbroken. Be careful how you behave. He’s so young and now alone. Oh dear.”

“He has two brothers, so how is he alone?”

Beric scratched his nose and asked, prompting Romandro and Viviana to exchange a glance. Come to think of it, Beric had been bedridden since the rebellion’s end. When Arsen used magic in Prince Gale’s chambers, Beric had been on the brink of death. It was natural he didn’t know anything.

Romandro cleared his throat and spoke cautiously.

“Marib, the first prince, was stripped of his title and executed.”

“…What?”

“Prince Gale has also passed away.”

“Whaaat?!”

“Arsen is, well…”

Romandro glanced around before whispering into Beric’s ear—revealing Arsen’s true identity, the consequences, how the aftermath was being handled, and warning him not to speak carelessly.

Beric was so shocked he dropped his jaw, the half-chewed meat inside plainly visible. Viviana gently closed his mouth.

“Whaaaat?!”

“Quiet, you fool.”

“Damn it, what’s going on without me? Why am I the only one left out?”

“Who said you’re the only one? That’s not even something to talk about.”

“Ugh, if only I’d been there!”

“You? Been there?”

Beric ground his teeth roughly, unable to hide his agitation. Romandro tugged Viviana’s arm, muttering that Beric was definitely not normal. She smiled softly and helped steady him.

“That’s nothing! You know, this and that, just snap! Chew it all up and be done with it! I always thought he was unlucky. Just like Jin, but something was off. Hmm. My instincts are sharp. Wow. Crazy.”

Romandro thought to himself that it was a relief Beric had been lying low during all the chaos. Things were hectic enough without him causing trouble.

They exchanged nods with passing mages and soon reached near Jin’s chambers. Turning the corner, a familiar figure came into view.

“Oh, madam.”

“Hello, Lord Romandro. You’re up. Are you able to move around? Are you feeling alright?”

It was Filia and Nersarn. They had come to the magic department at Ian’s summons and met them right at the entrance. Spotting Beric, they approached.

“Lord Beric, we heard you’ve been rolling around.”

“I’m better than you think.”

“Rolling? I’m not rolling anywhere.”

“Is that so? Then that’s good.”

Beric looked puzzled, not understanding why they said that. His gait was a bit off, but he was walking on two feet just fine.

Romandro signaled an attendant, and soon the door inside creaked open.

“Squeak.”

“Ian?”

“Your Highness, we heard.”

The couple entered cautiously. Ian, sitting by the bedside, raised a hand to his mouth, signaling them to keep their voices low.

Wrapped tightly in a thick blanket, a shapeless figure lay there. It was Jin. The child had only one hand sticking out, clutching Ian’s left hand.

“You’ve come?”

“Is Prince Jin asleep?”

Ian shrugged as if unsure. His breathing was steady, but his grip hadn’t loosened. Jin had been read the “Roberside Chronicles” twice but remained unmoving.

Ian placed documents on his lap and flipped through the pages with one hand.

“Romandro, how’s your condition?”

“No problem. If I rest my head on a pillow, I’ll probably fall asleep right away. Ian, how about you? Sorry I couldn’t get up sooner.”

“Not at all. Captain Hale did his best. Though, I don’t think I’m cut out for desk work.”

Ian smiled faintly, and Romandro exhaled in relief. Beric squeezed in between them. Ian looked surprised.

“Beric, you were supposed to be rolling around?”

“Damn it. What the hell is going on?”

“Never mind. You look fine, so no worries.”

“Master, can I order that meat I missed last time? I’m allowed to eat meat now, really! Look at this!”

Beric stuffed himself greedily, as if to prove he was healthy. Ian watched with mild surprise, letting out a short “hoh,” but quickly returned to his paperwork.

“Nersarn.”

“Yes, Ian.”

Nersarn’s tanned shoulder twitched. Ah, this awkward stepfather and son dynamic—what to do about it? Even the honorifics felt uncertain. Romandro rolled his eyes subtly, while Viviana and Filia tried to soothe Beric’s meat-eating display.

“We found a lead on Silask.”

“Is that true?”

“The flowerpot I had—the merchant who gave it to me was Rutherford. He’s also the source of the amber gemstone ‘Idgal’ used by Marib during the rebellion.”

Rutherford. Nersarn shook his head, unfamiliar with the name. They were a small tribe trading only with the Bratz in the Great Desert. There was no additional information worth telling Ian.

“How is Chief Winchen’s condition?”

“Not quite recovered as before, but he’s holding on.”

The gypsy’s chronic illness was similar, but at the time, the traitor Bumart, who had colluded with Count Derga, had made things worse. As the head of food supplies, he deliberately worsened Winchen’s health to seize control of the tribe.

“We expect Rutherford to enter Bariel around autumn. Whether they’ll pass through Hawan or elsewhere, we don’t know.”

“Autumn…”

“If they enter Bariel, we’ll be able to make contact, so there’s no need to worry about that.”

Will he hold on? Winchen, as frail as a withered branch—could he survive until then? The worry crept in, but there was nothing to be done. Nersarn nodded in agreement.

“Khan Khe is writing a letter to the Western Territories, right? Since he’s traveling slowly on the way down, won’t it take quite some time?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Mother.”

“Hmm?”

Philia, who had been quietly clapping and watching Berrick eat his meat, suddenly turned her head sharply at Ian’s call.

“Do you remember clearly when you said I was praised by the merchant guild back then?”

“Remember clearly?”

“Or maybe if since that day I seemed different, or acted strangely, or anything unusual—even something small. Please, just tell me whatever comes to mind.”

“Hmm…”

Philia searched her faint memories carefully. But no matter how hard she thought, it wasn’t Ian on that day who seemed strange—it was Ian now.

After barely escaping death several times, could he really have become so composed and sharp? Philia smiled awkwardly and smoothed her hair.

“I don’t think that’s much help.”

“That’s alright.”

“You had a fever a few days ago.”

“A fever? Why?”

When Ian asked about the cause, Philia looked flustered. He was a child from the slums. Even if he had a fever, how many would know the reason? The conditions were harsh, and there were no doctors to care for them.

“Sorry, I don’t really know.”

“Ian, well, when you come and go between foreign merchant guilds, mysterious illnesses tend to spread. Fevers like that are common in children.”

“That’s right. Usually they come and go quickly.”

Romandro glanced at Philia’s complexion and chimed in, and Viviana added her voice as well.

“Are you worried we might blame you?” Ian gave a faint smile to the mother looking at him. Instantly, Philia’s face brightened.

“…Sir Ian.”

Just then, Jin gently pulled back the blanket, revealing his eyes. The delicate skin around them was swollen. Ian shielded the light with his hand and asked kindly,

“Your Highness, are you awake? Shall I send Berrick out?”

“No, what? I didn’t say a word, just ate meat! Your Highness Jin, everything that’s been said so far is Ian’s fault! I’m so unfairly treated!”

“Hey, you! Quiet down. Your tone’s weird.”

“What are you saying? Romandro’s the noisy one here!”

Romandro and Berrick bickered loudly. Under Viviana’s smiling but firm gaze, peace was forcibly restored. Jin looked around at everyone and said,

“If you’re busy with work, you may leave.”

“You were quite loud.”

“Not at all.”

“If that’s the case, I’m fine. And though everyone’s busy, we came because we were worried about Your Highness. Right, Berrick?”

“Huh? Me? Yeah, yeah! That’s right! Meat here!”

At Ian’s call, Berrick raised his hand. Ah, no meat left. He had brought some to share with Jin, but had eaten it all in the meantime.

Jin couldn’t help but smile quietly.

“Berrick, good to see you up. Let’s eat that meat we missed last time later. It was very delicious beef.”

“Huh? When? I’m the type to set meal plans exactly. How about breakfast together?”

“You can’t just share a meal with His Highness like that!”

“Ah! Shia also ate with His Highness Jin!”

Clap!

Romandro and Berrick started bickering again, Viviana raised her voice, and Philia, caught in the middle, tried to calm them down.

“Quite noisy, isn’t it?”

“No, I like it.”

Jin muttered in response to Ian’s question. Rather than hearing someone sob alone, this was better. Jin stared blankly at them from under the blanket, then suddenly asked,

“By the way, Sir Ian.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Do you happen to have a younger sibling?”

“Huh?”

A younger sibling? To him?

Ian raised an eyebrow, and Jin wore a confused expression as well.

“Roberside told me. That your younger sibling is very lovely.”