I Became the Master of the Empress

225 – 229

Days passed since seizing the regime.

It’s about time I find out what Theodora knows, isn’t it?

It hasn’t been easy to meet with her alone.

Her mother-in-law’s presence at the last Gold Area was not just menacing but downright savage.

Occasionally, Theodora exudes an aura that’s just a drop in the ocean compared to hers.

That’s why this time, I summoned Theodora to my office.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has been a while.”

Looking at her calm face, I’m certain she knows something.

What does she know, exactly?

Right now, there’s nothing she can do.

Her hand, Sabinelli, is currently locked up in the imperial prison with the holy knights, and her staunch supporters, the Emperor’s faction and Duke Yans, are outside of Romancy.

They’re setting up a provisional assembly to declare me an enemy of the state, but it will take some time to build legitimacy.

“You look quite pale. Are you eating well?”

But instead, Theodora looks at me with concern, which is disconcerting.

Who am I worried about?

I’ve been losing sleep lately, afraid something might go wrong.

Just one more step and it all ends.

But how many greats have fallen just before that last step?

-Slap.

I swat away Theodora’s hand that tries to caress my face.

“How much do you know?”

“Heh? How much do you think I know?”

Theodora looks at me with a provocative gaze.

What’s changed?

She’s definitely different from the naive girl I used to know.

Does she seem a bit more at ease?

“Are you anxious? Because I might know something?”

Her expression and tone are relaxed.

But I am not at ease.

Three weeks. For three weeks, neither the Locusts nor the demon worshippers should suspect a thing.

“All I know is… it’s nothing much.”

She licks her lips with a captivating expression.

She continues to speak.

“The Pope’s arrest and the dissolution of the Vatican are a deception, a ruse to catch Locust.”

“How… How so?”

At my words, she smiles seductively.

“And they lied about using me as bait to resurrect the Demon King?”

Shock and horror.

It’s not nothing, is it? You know everything, don’t you?

The realization that she knows all this fills me with deep despair and helplessness.

“So, you didn’t touch my purity because you need a pure royal maiden to catch Locust?”

What nonsense is this?

Despite the strange things she said at the end, what she said is true.

“Hehe, I’ve never seen such an expression on you. It looks somewhat foolish, doesn’t it? Cute.”

As she says this and reaches out to stroke my face, I turn my head away.

“How did you know? Did you plant someone in the intelligence service?”

I ask, gritting my teeth.

It would be a relief if she had planted someone in the intelligence service.

That would mean she stole the information.

But… if she predicted and contemplated my actions…

The demon worshippers might suspect.

Of course, they might not if they blindly believe in the blood pact.

“Hehe, perhaps your actions give you away?”

“What?”

“Are you scared? Your eyes are shaking quite a bit.”

“That’s not important. I’m asking you again. How did you know?”

“You’re known to be cunning, with exceptional schemes. Only a wise person would set themselves up like this.”

Despite my repeated questioning, Theodora digresses.

She gazes at me intently.

“It must be bait thrown to someone. And the only being who would need such bait is Locust… the demon, don’t you think?”

Darn it… The situation has gotten complicated.

The minions, Theodora had predicted, wouldn’t the demon cultists or Locust have predicted it too?

Is this plan a failure?

Casualties have already occurred. If it ends up failing so miserably, what can I possibly compensate those who suffered?

My head starts to ache.

Suddenly, I begin to feel nauseous.

“Ugh…”

“Are you okay?”

As I clutch my chest, Theodora looks at me with concern.

“I’m fine. Ugh… It’s just a stomachache.”

What if Locust goes into hiding?

No, he won’t hide, even if he knows it’s a trap…

Wouldn’t it be difficult not to take such bait? Those guys around him, like Beta and Theta, they seemed noble, didn’t they? Could they have noticed?

When my head becomes dizzy.

“Are you eating properly? You really look pale.”

With Theodora’s worry, a throbbing pain starts in my left eye.

“Ugh!”

Damn it… Not again?

“Get out, please go out.”

I urgently speak, anticipating the pain that’s about to surge…

But the pain in my eye comes faster than I thought.

“aaagh!”

“You? Are you okay?!”

Unknowingly, I clutch my left eye and bite my lip.

Damn it… Damn it…

As I endure the burning pain and forcibly bite my lip.

“Is there a doctor outside! Any court physician?!”

As she shouts something, I quickly grab her hand.

As if it must not be known.

I roughly grab her hand and shake my head, and she quiets down.

Ignoring her, I sit on the sofa, suppressing the pain as much as I can.

How much time has passed?

I remove my hand from my left eye and open it.

The left side of my vision is tinged red.

Is it bleeding?

Theodora, with an incredibly shocked expression, speaks without hiding her trembling emotion.

“Gasp?! Your blood!? Are you really okay?”

“Don’t make a fuss. It happens often.”

At my words, she chews on her lip.

“Then you should rest. Why… are you overdoing it? Do you know how my heart feels watching you always pushing yourself?”

Theodora speaks with a quivering voice, her shoulders shaking weakly.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were in pain? If it was this bad, you should have seen a doctor, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Just stop, it’s nothing. The doctor said it wasn’t serious either.”

As I deflect with such lies, she shakes her head vehemently as if to deny it.

“Lies! Blood is flowing from your eye. How can you say it’s nothing? Does it have to be death to be something serious?! What if you go blind…”

It’s hard to define her expression.

Anger, frustration, sorrow – all mixed in her face.

I too feel a deep sadness at her expression.

Why? Why do I feel such emotions?

I struggle to compose myself, emotions of deep sorrow and guilt mingling.

Don’t be consumed by petty emotions, think rationally, rationally…

Emotions are just obstacles in my path.

Such luxury is unbecoming of a politician at the pinnacle, holding all the power of the empire.

Cold reason, only by scrutinizing everything from above can one survive.

Power is that cold and frightening.

Enough to be betrayed by Lucius, by Karl.

Those twisted by power can trust no one.

Many desire to snatch that power away.

Whether it’s between parents and children, or spouses, it’s all the same.

“It’s really nothing. Do you think someone like me wouldn’t get care if I were sick? What would I do if I went blind and was ousted from my throne? So don’t worry, it’s really nothing.”

When the empire was once the Kingdom of Roman.

Or perhaps, since it was a city-state, there has been one bizarre custom.

Those with disabilities are deemed unfit to rule, seen as abominable beings cursed by the gods.

If I were to become disabled, everything I’ve built up until now would crumble.

“I’m well aware of Roman customs too. Someone like me wouldn’t lose physical perfection. It’s just fatigue, nothing more. The doctor mentioned there might be side effects from the medication, like bleeding from the eyes.”

Of course, if there were such side effects, I would have banned the sale of that drug myself.

But Theodora asks with a half-doubting face.

“Is that true?”

“Of course. I plan to sit here and govern until I die.”

Once we catch the Locust, we’ll start the peaceful succession of power.

I’ve only drawn up a rough blueprint, haven’t figured out the actual details yet.

She takes a handkerchief out of her bosom and wipes my eyes.

“You’re telling the truth, right? It’s nothing serious?”

Seeing her double-check, perhaps out of anxiety, I nod.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of letting go of this power.”

She nods at my words.

“I hope you stay healthy and work for a long time too. So don’t get sick.”

What?

The thought that she, who had been working in various ways to drive me out, would say such a thing is a bit absurd.

What? She’s planning to oust me?

“I love you, Devian.”

Her words make my body freeze for a moment.

“I really, really love you so much.”

What is this? Some new assassination plan involving pregnancy?

She, who was detached from romance in the original work, looks at me so pitifully and says she loves me?

It’s a lie, it must be a lie.

She, who is almost an incarnation of power, willing to seduce a hero with her body to kill Valoran, says she loves me…

Is there some ulterior motive? What is it? What could it be?

So, I look at her intently, trying to figure out her intentions.

For about ten minutes, I gaze at her, trying to understand her thoughts…

“I… I should be going now.”

Theodora says something, but that’s not what’s important right now.

What is it? What does she expect?

Is she trying to seduce me into a pregnancy assassination plot? But that has failed so far, hasn’t it?

It’s only then that I guess why Theodora said such a thing.

The recent string of failed physical confrontations.

If brute force won’t work, is she trying to seduce me mentally now?

It took me a while to come up with a plausible thought.

Right, she can’t physically win me over, so she’s trying to shake my heart first.

She probably knows she’s pretty and is trying to use that as a weapon to target me.

Haha… Nice try, Theodora.

“Ahem, sorry Theodora, but I prefer women with… larger assets.”

Just as I see through her scheme and try to deflect.

There was no one in my office.