Chapter 122

Chapter 122

The magnificent gold thread was flawlessly woven into the precious fabric. The crown was adorned with extravagant jewels that would put a king to shame, but the emperor himself looked like a withered old tree.

Deep wrinkles etched by time and half-faded pupils. His ashen skin tone made it seem like he could die at any moment.

Looking at his face, I can vaguely remember him.

Ian had no trouble remembering him. He immediately recalled the portrait of the emperor hanging in the left end of the hallway. He had a particularly bad complexion, which made him memorable, but Ian also remembered hearing that he had lived a long life despite his appearance.

Then, the next one after him .

Ians head involuntarily turned to look behind the emperor. The princes Mariv and Gale were entering one after the other. They were dressed in full regalia, unlike before, and looked magnificent. The other princes seemed to have no intention of ascending the platform and turned back.

The next emperor has silver hair and blue eyes. And a scar that runs from his left forehead to his right jaw. But I dont see any other princes here.

Its definitely not Mariv or Gale. Their facial features are different, let alone the scar. Ian kept glancing around as he tried to recall the face of the next emperor.

Just in case, just in case. It was unlikely, but if all the princes had died and they had brought in an outsider, he would have to check the dukes as well.

Silver hair, silver hair .

Silver hair is not a common hair color, though. If I see him, Ill recognize him right away.

The moment Ian turned his gaze slowly, feeling relieved, he realized that Mariv and Gale, who were standing on either side of the emperor, were watching him. Their gazes were filled with curiosity, or perhaps vigilance and caution.

Hmm. Looking at them side by side, they do look like brothers.

The two were standing some distance apart and facing each other, so they seemed unaware that they were both looking down at Ian.

Ian pretended not to notice and kept his head turned towards the emperor. The nobles next to him were just looking at the princes, confused.

Why, why are they looking like that?

Theyre not looking at us, theyre looking at this Ian guy.

Theres definitely a different protagonist today.

I have no idea what theyre thinking. Its scary.

Shhh. Be quiet. His Majesty is about to speak.

The nobles gossiping, which had been going on quietly, stopped completely. This was because the emperor had taken a step forward. He pursed his dry lips a few times and then smiled kindly.

Thus passes another year in the great empire of Bariel.

His words were squeezed out quietly, but the emperors voice resonated throughout the large banquet hall. This was also the power of magic. A voice that seemed to resonate in ones head, without any sense of space. Beric flinched and shook his body.

I personally offer my encouragement to those of you who have worked hard for the empire this year. Surely the flowers that bloom next year will be even more beautiful, the fields will be golden, and the returning winds will be warm.

It was the emperors New Years greeting. The nobles listened to the emperor, looking up at him with polite smiles and nodding their heads slightly. He spoke slowly about the past year, touching on the major and minor events that had taken place in the empire this year.

The restoration of the temple after the great earthquake in the spring

To be honest, the emperors speech, which went on and on endlessly, was boring. Ian glanced back and met eyes with Romandro and Beric.

So! Boring! No!

Beric mouthed the words to Ian, while Romandro just sighed as if he had lost half his soul. Ian smiled and looked back to the front, just as his name was called.

The rebellious house of Bratz of the borderlands has been exterminated. If those who oppose the great empire of Bariel wish to see their future, let them look that way.

Clap, clap, clap.

The nobles applauded lightly in response. This was a part of the speech that firmly reminded any houses that were evading taxes and embezzling money that they would meet the same fate as the Bratz. As the emperor spoke these words, Mariv glanced at Gale and smiled. On the other hand, Gale remained expressionless and did not react.

Swooosh.

Ian now knew that it was his turn to be called. This was because the chancellor approached with a pedestal decorated with flowers. The emperor nodded slightly and continued speaking.

I will forever erase the name of Bratz from history, and by imperial decree, I will establish a new house.

Ian! Over here!

Hey! Lord Ian Hielo~?

Youre really a baron now. Youre a noble! Congratulations!

Romandro and Beric were also looking for him, and they met him right away. They were whispering and couldnt hide their joy, which was quite a sight to see. Ian smiled and nodded.

It will take a while for the magic power verification ceremony to begin.

Yeah. Now we can just stand and watch, which is a real relief.

It seemed that there were no promotions like Ians, where his status changed completely, so everyone was going up the stairs next to the platform instead of the red carpet in the center.

But sir Romandro.

Hmm?

He hadnt noticed because he had just walked straight in through the entrance. There were women sitting in groups on the second floor above the door, watching the New Years party.

Are the women sitting upstairs the emperors concubines?

Yes, they are.

A clear line had been drawn. Except for the emperor, empress, and princes, all other family relations were one step behind the center of power.

Ah. Silver hair.

Ian spotted a woman sitting among them. She had her hair tied up in a single bun, and she seemed to be of quite high rank even among the concubines. Ian called out to Romandro again.

Do you know who that silver-haired concubine is?

Who? Silver hair? Oh.

Romandro glanced around and whispered quietly. Even though they were in a secluded spot, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their own private conversations rather than the emperors speech, this was the palace. It was a place where you had to be careful with every word you spoke.

That would be Lady Dilaina.

Dilaina. The mother of the fourth and fifth princes, and currently the only concubine who actively assists the emperor by his side. The other concubines had only married for political reasons and did not have much interaction with the old and dying emperor.

However, Dilaina, who had sons to protect, had to cling to whatever power she could, so she actively took charge of the palace events by directly assisting the emperor.

Lady Dilaina must have also prepared the New Years party on behalf of His Majesty. She takes care of all sorts of internal affairs and fills the void left by the empress.

Dilaina has silver hair.

Then

Do her sons also have silver hair?

Hmm? Yes, they do. They inherited their mothers hair color and their fathers eye color.

Which means they have blue eyes. Ian was now certain that the next emperor would be one of Dilainas sons. The question then was, which one was it, the fourth prince or the fifth prince?

With the first and second princes both being pushed out of the throne, the order of the fourth and fifth princes doesnt matter.

Ian continued to look up, hoping to see the princes.

Thats when it happened.

!

A boy who looked about fifteen years old appeared next to Dilaina. Ian immediately recognized him as the man he had seen in the emperors portrait. That boy would grow up to be the man in the portrait.

Sir Romandro. By any chance, is that

Just as he was about to ask if that boy was the fourth or fifth prince.

Another boy, who looked exactly the same, appeared. Romandro glanced up casually and answered.

Oh, yes. Those are the fourth and fifth princes. Theyre twins.