I Became the Master of the Empress

214 – 218

There’s something that’s been troubling my mind lately.

“Hoo… to think it wouldn’t work, even with the Pope’s power.”

Just a moment ago, after conveying my plans to Sena, she relayed the Pope’s thoughts to me.

The Papacy exists, but it’s difficult to control the entire Vatican with the Pope’s power alone.

The Pope, elected for life by vote.

While the final decision is indeed made by the Pope, it’s not a system where he wields absolute power like an emperor.

I realize that executing my plan is not going to be easy.

When the dissolution of the Papacy is at risk, there’s a fear that bloodshed could ensue.

“We must preserve the Papacy’s power as much as possible.”

Among the clauses with the devil worshippers, there’s no refusing the disbandment of the Papacy.

That’s why I intended to use the Pope to maintain the Papacy’s power while dismantling it, but it seems it won’t be easy.

“What should I do now?”

There’s hardly any information on the political structure of the Papacy.

To stage a political show targeting the Papacy, I need information about its political structure and the power players within.

“I’ll have to ask Karl to gather some information.”

In the worst case, the Papacy may have to be abandoned, but the Holy Knights must be preserved.

“Hmm…”

Of course, the likelihood of those Holy Knights following my command is virtually nil.

“Ugh!”

At that moment, I feel a burning pain in my left eye.

I hastily press on my left eye and bite my lip.

Damn it… Just a little longer. I have to hold on just a bit more.

I can’t collapse now. How could I after coming this far?

Is it because I bit my lip too hard to bear the pain?

A bitter, metallic-tasting liquid enters my mouth.

The pain feels longer than usual.

Tears start to flow from my left eye without my realizing it, due to the pain.

“Heugh!”

In more pain than usual, I frantically search through the drawers for medicine.

My left vision becomes blurry.

With trembling hands, I open the medicine bottle, pour the pills into my mouth, and swallow them with water.

“Haah… Haah…”

As the pain slowly subsides.

How much longer can I endure?

The dark, cloudy vision.

And I wipe my left eye, now moist with tears, with a handkerchief.

The pain had vanished after Sena’s treatment.

But feeling it today, does that mean my condition has worsened?

Suppressing the lingering pain, I sense there’s not much time left.

I must conclude matters before it’s too late.

If I delay further, the worst-case scenario becomes inevitable.

Should the situation deteriorate to the point of abandoning the pursuit of the demon cultists,

I must transfer my power to Theodora while I still can see.

Only then can we avoid the direst of circumstances.

I have to recall the Golden Knights stationed in Nicaea back to Roman.

There’s so much to do.

“Still… There’s still time left.”

With that thought, I begin paperwork, closing my left eye.

***

A few days later.

Joy’s birthday has passed, and now she has come of age.

A splendid birthday party.

But perhaps because she’s still unpaired?

Many young men at the venue proposed dances to my sister-in-law, seeking her hand.

Well… I, who will step down within a year, have no reason to choose a partner for her, so I turned a blind eye.

As you know, my sister-in-law’s marriage is a matter for her family to decide.

It’s not for me to determine.

I was certain of that, but…

“Is… Is this all courtship letters sent to my sister-in-law?”

I start to feel sick looking at the hundreds… no, thousands of letters piled up in the ducal office.

“Wait… Aren’t these letters supposed to go to the mother-in-law?”

At my words, Sena replies with an embarrassed face.

“Well… It seems they were sent to the Empress Mother, and also to His Imperial Majesty and His Grace the Duke.”

“Why… Why is that?”

Logically, my relationship with Joy is that of a brother-in-law to a sister-in-law.

Why would I be seeking a marriage partner for her?

Of course, it’s possible. I’ve just been cursed at a lot, that’s all.

Could they really think I would force my sister-in-law into marriage against her will?

Let me say in advance, I wish for her, who suffered in the original work, to live a peaceful life.

So there’s absolutely no way I would arrange a marriage she doesn’t want.

But it seems the nobles think differently, sending me thousands of these letters.

I can’t believe what kind of person they take me for.

“What should we do about this?”

Sena looks troubled.

Why? Why do I have so much to do?

Just when I was getting so irritated.

“Do we… have to reply to all of these?”

It’s only polite to respond to letters from nobles.

“Just burn them,”

After all, I’m already notorious among the nobility.

No one would dare criticize me for doing something like this.

Especially since there’s no one bold enough to start a major internal conflict now.

“Is it really okay to do that? In noble society…”

“Yes, don’t worry. I have things to do, so I’ll go ahead.”

With that, I head into my office.

I worked through documents in a relay until evening.

Lately, there have been many troublesome petitions from the Emperor’s faction.

Requests for increased support for unresolved issues from the last civil war within the Emperor’s faction and for more funds for facility development.

With the current state budget I can manage, it’s impossible to maintain any longer.

“If only I had Nicaea and Epirus in my hands, things might have been different.”

Epirus, where I’m currently making the most substantial profits from the fund I manage.

But I don’t have the right to use the budget of the Epirus territory.

That’s because the law has been passed for the Emperor to govern the territories directly under the previous Emperor.

Of course, in exchange for turning a blind eye to that, I was able to carry out tax reforms in the direction I wanted.

I gave one and received one, so it’s not bad.

No, rather, since I’m going to step down from power, I haven’t lost anything.

I won’t have to deal with Ephesus myself.

In any case, I must decline the Emperor’s faction’s request for support this time.

After all, Theodora’s budget under her rule is enormous. If necessary, I’ll ask Theodora.

As I ponder this and set out to write a letter of refusal.

-Knock knock.

Visitors are rare at this late hour, so I ask.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Maximilian’s voice comes through the door as I speak while writing the letter.

“Come in.”

-Creak.

The door opens, revealing a radiant Maximilian.

“Looking radiant, is it the married life?”

His face isn’t weary with fatigue like before, perhaps marriage to Eia has been showering him with blessings.

“Your Grace! I am so, so sad.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Maximilian, glowing with happiness, is sad?

I don’t understand.

“I’m just so sad I can’t see my lovely Eia right this moment.”

Is he mad?

While some get nagged at after marriage, this guy looks blissfully happy as if marriage is the greatest joy of his life, which is annoying.

“So? You came to report that to me?”

If he really came to report such nonsense, I’m about to open a drawer to hand him work that’ll keep him up all night when…

“No way! I’ve come because there’s been progress with the artificial skin you mentioned before.”

Saying so, he pulls out two very small boxes from his coat.

“We’ve been thinking it’s a dye issue, just adding more dye. But what if we made it thinner to increase translucency? And when we tried…”

Maximilian opens the box.

“Look what we’ve made!”

Inside the box is a thin flesh-colored membrane.

“Oh? It’s better made than I expected?”

The light penetrates just enough to make it translucent, yet it has a subtle flesh tone. I cover it with my thumb.

Looking at the boundary between the flesh and the artificial skin, it appears quite convincing. I ask,

“Have you tried filling it with blood?”

Concerned that the red blood might show through the thin skin, I inquire. Maximilian responds with a smile,

“I haven’t filled it yet. But there’s no big worry. We can just double-layer the part where the blood goes, or make it a bit thicker.”

Nodding at his words, I say,

“If you say so, it must be right. Then, could you test this out?”

Maximilian nods at my request.

“Yes. But, Your Grace…”

He wears an awkward smile as if he has something to say, prompting me to ask,

“Why? Is there something wrong?”

He opens his mouth cautiously.

“May I retire?”

“Excuse me?”

Retirement.

Maximilian, as a specially appointed senior civil servant, cannot voluntarily retire.

It wasn’t for no reason that I included such a clause for Mueller and Maximilian.

So, shaking my head, I say,

“That might be difficult, don’t you think? But why all of a sudden?”

“It’s just… I want to help with Ea’s work. As things are getting bigger, we need someone to manage it.”

He glances at me tentatively.

“For now, it’s not possible this year, but let’s talk about it around this time next year. You know how busy it is this year, right?”

Next year, I won’t be here. The person in charge of this matter will change.

“Next year?”

Maximilian looks slightly puzzled at my words.

I nod at him.

“Yes. If you’ve discussed it, then please leave.”

As I issue the dismissal, doubt surfaces on Maximilian’s face, but he quietly exits the office.