I Became the Master of the Empress

223 – 227

From the morning, Sergei, a man of devout faith.

He heads to the Vatican for the morning prayer hosted by the Pope, as he does every day.

The time when the dark blue sky gradually brightens.

“What’s going on?”

In front of the Vatican, many soldiers are stationed, and people are vehemently protesting against them.

-What in the world is this?!

-We came for the morning service, why can’t we enter??

Among those confronting the Vatican, there are people Sergei has spoken with several times.

Not understanding the current situation, Sergei enters the crowd to inquire.

“Tell me, what’s all this commotion about so early in the morning?”

When Sergei asks a familiar-faced man, he bursts out in frustration.

“The Grand Duke has blockaded the Vatican. We’ve come to attend the service, and now we can’t even enter. Good heavens, it’s like the end of the world.”

At the mention of the Vatican’s blockade, Sergei is taken aback.

“What reason could there be for such a blockade?”

“Indeed, it’s not the first time those high and mighty ones have done something bizarre, is it?”

Come to think of it, there was recently a rumor about a certain duke who had committed incest with his own daughter.

Sergei found it difficult to look kindly upon nobles who often engaged in such vile acts.

“Tsk tsk, I thought the Grand Duke was a bit different.”

When the Grand Duke first came to power.

He received a tremendous amount of abuse, but as life became more comfortable, Sergei, who had come to think positively, clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Then, the doors of the Papal State opened, and young girls in nun’s habits were led out by soldiers.

The young nuns cried out as if begging for their lives.

“Everyone! Please save us! The Pope has been arrested!”

“Hey! Can’t you keep quiet?!”

-Slap!

“aaah!”

A young nun was slapped by a soldier for provoking the crowd with her words.

“What… What?! The Holy Father has been arrested?!”

“You scoundrels!? What are you saying?!”

Hearing this, the crowd was momentarily stunned into silence before protesting.

“What are you doing to the nuns?!”

Sergei too was bewildered by the unbelievable reality.

‘Wasn’t everything fine just yesterday?’

But overnight, the Pope had been arrested, and the people of the Papal State were being dragged away like dogs, which began to stir anger in Sergei.

“These b*stards!”

Sergei stepped forward and exclaimed.

“Do you realize what you’re doing?! The Pope is a person sent by God to humanity! To arrest such a person! Are you not afraid of El’s wrath?!”

“That’s right! El will curse you!”

“You won’t find peace even in death!”

As the crowd protested against the soldiers, more and more soldiers began to emerge from the Papal State.

The crowd, shocked by the number that seemed to be in the hundreds.

“Do you think the citizens of the empire will stand by idly when they hear of this?! This is why the ignorant Grand Duchy fools!”

In a moment of fear, someone took a stand.

“Yes! Let’s quickly gather people and head to the imperial palace! We’ll confront the Grand Duke!”

From morning, Roman bustles about.

***

The Pope and the paladins have arrived at the imperial prison.

“Welcome, Your Holiness and knights. It is with sincerity that we welcome you to our prison.”

Before them lay a dozen long tables, delicious scents wafting from the food, and dozens of men in intelligence service uniforms guiding them to their seats.

“First, you must be hungry. Please, have a meal.”

The paladins take their seats, somewhat bewildered.

And the jailer himself escorts the Pope.

“Your Holiness, your seat is here.”

The Pope sits at the ornate table.

To his left, a beautiful woman holding wine asks him,

“Would you care for some wine?”

She is in her thirties, dressed as a maid, and is the wife of the jailer, Elise.

She once attempted to poison Theodora and failed.

Having been imprisoned here, she fell for the jailer’s impressive skills and has settled down for just under two years.

But the Pope, unaware that this maid-clad woman is an attempted regicide.

He answers, still taken aback,

“Just a little, please.”

“Yes, this is a wine from the Adesson region of the Suasson Kingdom, directly taken from the imperial collection by His Grace, made 150 years ago in a winery there.”

At Elise’s words, the Pope looks a bit surprised.

Adesson is the most famous wine-producing region here.

It was prepared by the Duke, who had rummaged through the Emperor’s collection, obsessed with ancient wines.

Feeling a bit sorry for the Pope and the paladins, it was something he had prepared.

Unlike the previous William and the Order of the Golden Knights, this Roman prison is located underground.

Thanks to that, it’s highly secure, but just as suffocating as expected, so it was decorated with the finest interior as a gesture of help, rummaging through the imperial storeroom.

Thus, the paladins, stunned by the luxurious interior and treatment, which hardly seemed like a prison, murmured as if in a trance,

“Is… is this a prison?”

They had come here prepared for death.

Having resisted the soldiers of the Duchy, they had braced for torture, never imagining such hospitality.

Anyway, they arrived at a place a bit difficult to call a prison, with no bars, just the Pope and his entourage.

Inside, the clean furniture and the burning of luxurious scented candles awkwardly mask the gloomy atmosphere of the underground dungeon.

“I believe all the brothers must be feeling bewildered right now.”

He continues, looking at the puzzled holy knights.

“Since it’s just us brothers here, I intend to speak the truth.”

Thus, the Pope reveals to the holy knights the grand duke’s and his own plans.

***

That evening, after the dismantling of the Papacy was completed.

Reports from the intelligence department about intense reactions erupting within Roman territory were piling up.

The imperial citizens had risen, and there was significant backlash against the parliamentary suspension I had implemented.

Protests condemning me were being organized, and imperial senators were relaying the situation back to the homeland in real time.

And the imperial factions loyal to the Emperor were demanding an explanation from me for the failed meeting with the Emperor.

It could be summarized that, in an instant, the entire empire was uniting against me as their adversary.

“Now, we must manage this crisis.”

Their uprising was anticipated.

Therefore, I have already contacted Amon to request rapid entry into Roman territory, and he should be arriving soon.

“One month… Let’s hold out diligently for one month.”

The Pope’s execution ceremony is scheduled for two weeks from now.

Instead of executing the Pope directly, a prisoner resembling him is planned to be executed.

From a distance, who could tell?

Knights, priests, and nuns affiliated with the Papacy will be forcibly brought out as witnesses to the execution.

Normally, we wouldn’t proceed this way, but we’re dealing with demon worshippers sensitive to divine power.

The plan is to deceive their senses by bringing out those with abundant divine power.

Once the Pope is executed, that’s when the real conflagration will begin.

“Sigh…”

The throbbing in my eyes starts again.

“Argh!”

The sensation of my eyes bursting is agonizing.

-Swish!

I open the drawer and hastily swallow some medicine.

-Gulp!.

After taking the medicine, I press my eyes with my hands, wishing for time to pass quickly.

Not much longer now. Just a bit more… hang in there a little longer.

The pain gradually subsides.

“Sigh… Sigh…”

I wipe away the tears with a handkerchief and glance at the clock.

10 PM.

Maybe it’s time to head out.

The last appointment of today… only the meeting with Theodora remains.

I’m personally curious how she came to know about my plans.

Could there be a mole in the intelligence service?

Or did she bribe someone close to me?

I trust Karl himself wouldn’t betray me after receiving a fortune and a high position, but those under him might be different.

No matter how conservatively the intelligence service recruits, in this place where only 10-20% of people are literate, it’s nearly impossible to recruit without including the nobility and merchant classes.

Meaning, there’s a leak on this side, and another one on the other side.

Agrippa and Mary.

Both of them are close friends of mine and quite close to Theodora as well.

Especially Mary, since she’s like a sister to Theodora.

Could Mary have let something slip?

Agrippa’s friendship with Theodora is also quite deep.

During the last kidnapping incident of Joy. Agrippa, who took command and saved Joy.

That’s why I know both Theodora and her mother-in-law favor Agrippa.

Damn, I need to find out where the leak started.

Unless they’re a fool, they won’t reveal the source of the information.

-Thud, thud.

Soon, the bridal chamber comes into view.

I glare at the door for a moment.

Theodora…

“Haah…”

With a sigh, I open the door and enter.

“Theodora? We need to talk.”

As I burst through the door forcefully, there stood Theodora, the mother-in-law, and Joy.

“You’ve come at the right time. Have a word with me.”

“Yes…? Me?”

Why is the mother-in-law here in our room at this late hour?

The mother-in-law glares at me with cold eyes and commands.

“Explain this situation so we can understand. Quickly!”