Chapter 271
At the Romandro Estate.

From early lunch until sunset, Vivianna and the servant Mini were diligently preparing food at the kitchen counter. It wasn’t just because Romandro was dining at home after a long time, but also because a very important guest would be joining them.

“Ma’am, should I cook this a bit longer?”

“Hmm. It’s moist and delicious as it is. This should be fine. Mini, please check if we have enough wine. I’m worried the warriors might have already finished it. Since His Highness Jin doesn’t drink alcohol, we mustn’t forget to have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks as well.”

“Of course, ma’am. I collected fresh milk early this morning. I’ll prepare both chilled and warm options in advance.”

This was none other than His Highness Jin, the crown prince, sole heir, and future emperor. Vivianna had seen him at the palace and had even had the honor of dining with him during his stay at the Magic Department.

But this occasion was entirely different. To dare invite him to their home and host a banquet—if Romandro and his wife were nobles, the entire social circle would be watching them with keen interest.

“I like the new tablecloth; it’s so clean. We’ve replaced the chairs with more comfortable ones, added lamps, decorative candles, the appetizer salad bowls, paintings…”

Vivianna’s sharp eyes scanned every corner of the dining room. She had checked everything multiple times already, but as the appointed hour drew near, her anxiety only grew.

Just then, the dining room door slowly opened. Filia peeked in cautiously, her face tentative. She wore a coral-colored dress Ian had bought her, so radiant it seemed almost otherworldly.

“Madam, is there anything I can help with?”

“Oh, my goodness, Filia, no, not at all. You’ve been working in the garden since morning. Even a professional gardener would be worn out and ready to leave early. Please rest a little before everyone arrives.”

“I saw Mini was busy. I thought maybe I could lend a hand.”

“Thank you, but I’ll take your kindness as enough. I’d be heartbroken if your dress got wrinkled. Besides, tonight’s banquet is ‘my’ honor to host for His Highness Jin, so I want to handle everything myself.”

The privilege of serving food to the crown prince doesn’t come around often. This was a polite refusal, asking to be allowed to manage it fully.

Filia smiled softly and glanced around the kitchen. The flowers she’d picked from the garden were perfectly arranged, making the room feel like a forest glade.

“Madam?”

“Yes, Filia? What is it?”

Vivianna was busy hanging and rehanging paintings, barely noticing Filia’s hesitant expression.

“I wanted to discuss something… if perhaps—”

“Ma’am! Ma’am! Ahhh! They’re here! The carriage has arrived!”

Bang! Crash!

Mini’s shout cut off Filia’s words. Vivianna stiffened, gripping Filia’s hand tightly. The moment had come.

“Filia, is it urgent?”

“No, not at all. It’s nothing.”

“Thank you. Let’s greet the guests first, then we’ll talk.”

“Yes. Let’s go together. Madam, your hairpiece looks stunning today. You’re the perfect lady of the house.”

Vivianna kissed Filia lightly on the cheek and hurried to the entrance. Nersarn and several warriors were already waiting in the garden.

The carriage screeched to a halt, and the coachman opened the door. Romandro stepped out first. He greeted Vivianna warmly but maintained the dignified composure of a seasoned official as he escorted Jin inside.

Jin’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he stepped into the garden. This was Romandro’s home, the place where Ian and Beric had stayed before entering the palace! Vivianna held the hem of her dress and bowed.

“Welcome. It is an immense honor that you have come here.”

“Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Vivianna. It’s simple, but please accept it.”

“Oh my, the flowers are so beautiful! Thank you.”

“They’re Filia’s doing.”

“Your Highness, thank you. May I call you Jin? I heard you use a different identity during your covert missions.”

“Of course. It’s fine. It’s just us here, and this is the last event of the day.”

Jin handed bouquets to the ladies and gave them a light embrace. They were all familiar faces from the Magic Department, but moving to a new residence made it feel like ages since they’d last met.

“Wow, the smell of meat is incredible!”

“Ah! Blood! Blood!”

“That’s not mine! I’m fine!”

“Mini, please bring warm towels soaked in water. What on earth happened? To have such a bloody scene during His Highness’s covert mission…”

And why was Beric always covered in blood whenever he came to this house?

Whether aware of Vivianna’s dizziness or not, Beric kept repeating that he was hungry as he charged into the estate. The warriors quickly grabbed him, pinning his head under their arms.

“Ah! Let me go!”

“Long time no see, and you don’t even greet us? Rude!”

“You were supposed to be dead, but you’re fine! Still the same, huh? Mm-hmm.”

“Let me go! I’m starving to death here!”

The lively commotion filled the garden with warmth. Jin followed Beric, who led the way, and everyone naturally moved inside. Ian gave a brief nod to Filia and Nersarn.

“How have you been?”

“Good, thanks. Ian, I heard you bled again.”

“No, it’s less now. Your dress is beautiful. It suits you perfectly. Nersarn, you don’t look out of place in imperial attire anymore.”

“It’s about time I got used to it. Once we leave the capital, I’ll go back to my old clothes.”

“Shall we go inside?”

Ian supported Filia’s back as he led her in. She smiled awkwardly. Ian’s compliment felt strange—she’d heard he had personally chosen the dress for her, so why did he speak as if seeing it for the first time?

“Oh, so this is Romandro’s estate. Neat and full of dignity.”

“The second floor is the room Ian used. Would you like to see it after dinner? The food is warm now, so it’s best to eat soon.”

“Ian’s room?”

“Excuse me? Brother?”

Jin covered his mouth in surprise, and Vivianna’s eyes widened. Brother? No matter how close they were, that title could cause complications. Romandro soothed Jin by pulling out a chair for him.

“You’ve been calling him that all day, so it’s stuck. It’s fine. Just be careful when other officials are around.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

They gathered around the round table and unfolded their napkins. Since this wasn’t a grand mansion, the dining room felt cramped with everyone seated.

Jin, who was used to spacious dining halls, surprisingly liked this. Being close made conversation easier. Reaching out to share food and refill glasses added a new flavor to the meal.

As the meal got underway, Romandro wiped his mouth and asked,

“So, Ian, tell me. What exactly happened? Why was Envoy Timothy there?”

Jin nodded thoughtfully while nibbling on his salad. Beric, seated at the far end in a special spot Vivianna had prepared, was devouring meat so fiercely he seemed oblivious to the conversation.

“They were searching for a gypsy. An old man with a scar on his cheek. We had intel on the area, but the location was tricky. We suspected illegal slavery and were investigating.”

“A gypsy with a scar on his cheek?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Is something wrong?”

“I saw him earlier in the park. We even spoke.”

Ian paused mid-cut, surprised.

“Rather than a scar, it looked like a slit—like gills.”

“What did you talk about?”

“I used a crystal ball to see the past and future.”

There were many fortune-telling gypsies, and given their harsh lives, facial scars were common.

But was it really a coincidence that Jin met that gypsy?

“Since Timothy personally went searching, it must be a special gypsy. Did you notice anything unusual?”

“He called himself a ‘secret eater.’ In exchange, he told my fortune…”

Jin’s voice trailed off, and everyone looked at him curiously. He wanted to say it was a trivial secret, like practicing foreign languages behind someone’s back to get praise, but he couldn’t. His throat felt tight, and his tongue wouldn’t move.

Ian jumped up, alarmed.

“Your Highness, are you alright? Is something stuck in your throat?”

“What!? Oh no, Your Highness! Try coughing hard!”

“Mini! Get a doctor—”

“No, I’m fine.”

Jin blinked in embarrassment and shook his hand to refuse. Sighs of relief spread around. Jin gulped down some milk and shook his head.

“When I tried to say the secret I gave in exchange, my words got stuck. It’s very similar to a silence spell.”

Ian studied Jin carefully. Indeed, what Jin described resembled a silence spell. But how could a gypsy do that?

He had a feeling this was deeply connected to why Timothy had been wandering for months searching.

Ian poured milk into Jin’s glass and patted his shoulder.

“Before Timothy leaves Bariel, he’ll officially visit the palace. We’ll meet him then and find out more.”

“Alright.”

“And the illegal gambling we caught earlier will be handled by the guards for now, but the situation is serious enough that the palace should form its own investigation team. There are also security concerns nearby…”

Ian paused mid-bite, startled by the sharp glares from everyone except Philia. Even Beric had stopped eating to jeer at him. Ian acknowledged his mistake with a sheepish smile.

“My apologies.”

“Yeah, that was a bit much just now.”

“Come on, let’s change the subject. Oh, right—Philia, you said you had something to tell us earlier?”

“Uh, well…”

Viviana remembered Philia’s earlier comment about it being a minor matter and decided to draw her out. Changing the topic to something trivial was always a good way to ease tension.

Everyone else casually sliced their meat or twirled their noodles, but Philia fidgeted nervously, her fingers twitching. Nersarn gently covered her hand with his, concern etched on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s, it’s nothing really!”

Philia suddenly spoke up, her voice louder than before, causing everyone to freeze in surprise. She trembled as she faced Ian. What was going on? Had Ian done something wrong?

“I-Ian.”

“Yes, Mother?”

Her calm gaze urged her to speak. Philia bit her lip tightly and forced out the words.

“…How do you think it would be… if we had a baby?”

“……”

“……”

The room fell utterly silent, as if frozen in place. Forks hovered mid-air, noodles slipped from chopsticks, and even breathing seemed to stop.

Several pairs of eyes rolled simultaneously—first to Ian, then to Nersarn, and back to Ian.

‘Ah.’

So what Jin had told them before was true.

Ian quietly resumed cutting his meat, clearly unbothered. Honestly, it wasn’t really something for him to fuss over.

“Are you expecting a child?”

“…Y-yes, I believe so.”

“I see. That doesn’t bother me.”

Philia’s eyes widened as if her thoughts had come to a halt. Then tears began to stream down her face. She had imagined Ian’s reaction countless times, but this calm, matter-of-fact response was not one of them.

He spoke as if it were someone else’s news entirely. Of course, Ian already knew, but Philia had no way of knowing that.

“Why wouldn’t it matter? We’re family…”

“Oh, I just meant—”

Ian quickly corrected the misunderstanding with a calm tone.

“I meant, as long as you’re okay with it, it’s fine.”

“I-I’m more than okay. I’m so happy.”

“Then I’m happy too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Truly. It’ll be wonderful. Congratulations, Mother.”

Philia stood and reached out her arm toward Ian, who embraced her tenderly. Romandro and Viviana, who had been nervously waiting for a reaction, both exhaled in relief. Even the frozen Beric relaxed, shaking his meaty bones as he shouted.

“Hey! At least celebrate with some enthusiasm! I thought you hated the idea and nearly had a heart attack!”

“Finally, Beric says something right! My heart’s pounding.”

“H-Honey, can I have some water?”

“Viv, here. Drink up. After you, I’ll have some too. Man, my stomach’s been in knots this whole time. Nersarn, congratulations! This is truly wonderful! Hey? Nersarn?”

Romandro stood and gently tapped Nersarn’s shoulder. The massive man swayed weakly to the side.

Thud.

Only after hitting the floor did he seem to come back to himself, looking up at Philia with a dazed, almost ecstatic expression.

“Uh…”

Ian helped him up, offering a hand.

“Congratulations, Nersarn. You’re going to be a father.”

For the first time, Nersarn’s eyes glistened with tears as he pulled Ian into a tight embrace. “Thank you. Truly, thank you. For turning this confession into a blessing.”

The strength of his hug was almost suffocating, but Ian smiled and patted his back. Seeing this, Beric, still chewing meat, charged forward.

“Me too! Me too! Congratulations!”

“You little—know when to join in and when to back off!”

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

As usual, Romandro grabbed Beric by the scruff of his neck to stop him.

Amid the joyful chaos, Jin smiled and shared her dream with Xiaosi, while Viviana took a refreshing sip of water and sighed in relief once more.

Thankfully, today was shaping up to be a feast everyone would remember for a long time.