I Became the Master of the Empress

233 – 237

A space all around, white as snow.

“Amazing!”

A light looking at me takes the shape of a person.

I had seen this being before.

“El?”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Ah… Is it because I thwarted the Demon King’s resurrection and fulfilled my mission?

“Did you call me here to give me that reward?”

I remember being told I’d receive a reward once I completed my mission.

But El shakes her head at my words.

“No, you haven’t completed your mission yet. You’re about halfway there, shall we say?”

“What?”

El’s perplexing words.

I thought dealing with the demon cultists and the locusts was my mission?

“Of course, that’s part of your mission, but it’s not the entirety of it.”

Having met like this, I ask what I’m curious about.

“But if the Demon King’s resurrection was prevented, what happens to the hero Lee Seo-joon who was supposed to be summoned?”

“His summoning has just been postponed.”

Postponed?

My mind is a whirl of confusion.

“The Demon King hasn’t been annihilated, has he?”

“What?”

I’m at a loss for words at El’s statement.

And for good reason, since the Demon King here does not die.

The immortal Demon King.

Even when driven to death, he grows stronger and resurrects.

Thus, from the very first hero to the present, many have existed, but the Demon King revives as if to mock them.

To annihilate such a Demon King?

“Wait, what exactly is my mission?”

I call out to El urgently, but she only speaks in a playful tone.

“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing… cooperate in defeating the Demon King when he eventually resurrects.”

“What?”

“When the time comes, the Demon King will descend upon this land. It’s an absolute fate that you cannot prevent.”

As the voice of the deity fades, I ask in desperation.

“So?”

“The first hero will appear, and when the second one does… you must choose.”

I’m confused. There has always been only one hero.

But a second hero will appear?

What kind of nonsense is this?

“What… what do you mean?!”

“Through your and his sacrifice, all dimensions shall be saved.”

***

“Wait! Damn it! What are you talking about?!”

I see a familiar ceiling.

Was it a dream?

“Haah… Haah…”

I feel a cold sweat trickling down my body.

I tried so hard to stop the Demon King. To think his resurrection can’t be stopped?

What is this?

Surely, this must be a ridiculous dream.

Honestly, it’s suspicious how often the deity appears in my dreams.

And the way he speaks so vaguely is strange too.

So, it must be a ridiculous dream.

Just when I take it lightly,

I feel a soreness in my muscles as I get up.

“You? Are you awake?”

Theodora, who was sitting on the sofa, comes over with a surprised look.

“Uh…? Uh…”

As she places her hand on my forehead, her sweet scent stirs something in me.

Why… why is this happening?

“Oh my, look at all that sweat. Just a moment. I’ll call a doctor.”

As Theodora gets up to leave, I speak to her.

“What about the locusts?”

She halted her steps and turned her head slightly, furrowing her brow.

“Waking up to such talk? You’re really incorrigible.”

And then she approached softly…

-Thwack!

“Ouch…”

She flicked my forehead.

“No more risky behavior! And no more sacrificing yourself to protect me.”

She spoke with a hint of annoyance, and I rubbed the spot where I’d been flicked.

“Ugh… At that time, it seemed like the best thing to do…”

I stopped talking as I felt the temperature around us drop. Theodora sighed.

“Haah. You really are hopeless. I’ll bring the doctor. Just wait a moment.”

I watched her leave in a daze.

He… must be dead, right? No matter how strong, surviving that pile-up is impossible, isn’t it?

While I was lost in thought,

Sena and Theodora entered together.

“Oh? It’s been a while.”

I greeted Sena, and she responded with a bright smile.

“I’m glad to see you’re looking well, Your Grace.”

She said, sitting beside me and examining me with a stethoscope.

After conducting a few tests…

“There’s nothing majorly wrong with your body.”

“Thank you, Sister Sena.”

Now that there was no need to hide the fact that Sena was a nun, I said so.

“Congratulations on waking up, Your Grace. And… hehe, I’ll tell you the rest later.”

What is she going to tell me?

Sena, with a gentle smile, greeted Theodora and me before leaving.

Watching her go, I asked Theodora.

“What’s going on?”

I asked, but Theodora just smiled gently.

“Who knows?”

Though she seemed to know everything, she chose not to speak, and I felt a sense of wonder but soon broached an important topic.

“Locust…?”

Asking if it was still alive, as it would have been quite upsetting, Theodora nods her head.

“Yes. We’ve confirmed the body. You don’t need to worry.”

“Phew… Finally. It’s over.”

At last, it’s over. The tiresome life of a power broker…

Now, all I need to do is divorce Theodora and head to the New Continent for a leisurely and happy life to unfold before me.

Once I’m in the New Continent… maybe I’ll try my hand at orange farming? I hear oranges are popular these days?

“You really went through a lot. You.”

“Huh?”

Surprised by the sudden praise, I looked at her.

“You’ve had a tough time dealing with the demon worshippers and Locust. His Holiness the Pope has spread the word about all you’ve done.”

Theodora says this with a gentle smile.

I smirk back at her.

“You’ve had it tough too. The Golden Knights, right? You were the one who called them? Thanks to you summoning Ea, we survived.”

It was Lea who saved me in a moment that could have been instant death.

In a way, what Theodora did might seem trivial, but it saved my life.

“What?”

Startled by my words, I explain the whole story to Theodora.

“You fell from the palace roof?”

Hearing this for the first time, she’s shocked, but I downplay it.

“Hey, I survived, didn’t I?”

“That… What! What were they all doing, not protecting you?”

Seeing her fierce look, I say,

“Locust was strong, right? Honestly, it was a complete monster.”

An ordinary person would have struggled just to stand against so many knights.

“But you’re a key figure in the empire, aren’t you? Ugh… Just thinking about you dying.”

Theodora’s expression turns grim, but I reassure her with a smile.

“I survived, didn’t I? Speaking of which… could you bring me some fruit? I’m hungry.”

Maybe it’s because I slept for so long? I’m a bit peckish.

“Ah? Just a moment.”

Theodora, having said that, picks up an orange and a knife from the tea table.

Now that I’ve gotten quite close to Theodora.

Maybe I should go to the New Continent and try my hand at an orange farm to supply the royal household?

A farm that supplies to the royal household would be incredibly popular, wouldn’t it?

If done well, supplying to the royal families of the United Kingdoms and the Grand Duchy could be quite profitable, I reckon.

And what if I had fertilizer as well?

Since the supply of food is expected to increase from next year, selling Devian Farm’s produce with a premium feel seems promising for a bright future, even 10 or 20 years from now.

Moreover, if I venture into the liquor business like wine and establish a premium brand, my descendants will live quite comfortably, I suppose.

Sitting on the throne, I begin to dream about my future for the first time.

“Hehe…”

“Why are you laughing?”

As I laugh foolishly, Theodora, peeling the orange, asks me, and I shake my head slightly.

“Just. I’m just so happy right now.”

How can I not be happy?

To escape this hellish workload and become a true free man?

It’s been truly hellish for three years.

Overtime upon overtime upon overtime… It would probably be quicker to count the days I haven’t worked overtime since sitting on the throne.

And it wasn’t just any overtime.

The usual quitting time was midnight, and sometimes I even napped on the sofa in my office at the Grand Duke’s residence.

The thought of escaping that hellish place brings an involuntary smile to my face.

First thing after stepping down from the throne, I plan to undergo surgery and call the Golden Knights to ensure no gaps, and then leave Roman.

“Here, have some.”

As Theodora brings a nicely cut orange to my lips, I reach out to grab it but… fail.

“Oh, do it.”

“What?”

This is like something out of a romance drama, isn’t it?

No… why is this happening?

As I think this.

“Honey, my arm hurts.”

“Then… I’ll eat.”

“No, let me. I want to feed you. You’re a patient, aren’t you?”

Almost fully recovered, aren’t I? The words rise to my throat, but seeing her blushing face beaming with a bright smile, I find it hard to refuse and open my mouth.

“Is it delicious?”

More than delicious, it’s… embarrassing?

The only time someone fed me fruit… was in my infancy by my mother.

In aristocratic society, it’s customary to eat on one’s own.

I’ve heard of lovers feeding each other, but…

“Heh? Embarrassed? Your face is all red.”

Teodora teases me with a mischievous tone.

But does she know? That her face is red too?

So, I decide to tease her back.

“What… What’s that? Your face is even redder?”

“It’s because I’m happy.”

“What?”

“I’m happy you’re up, and we’re doing things we haven’t done before.”

Her sudden words leave me feeling deeply flustered.

Teodora has changed so suddenly while I was down.

She picks up an orange and brings it to my lips again.

“Come on, say ‘ah’ again.”

What… What is this adorable creature?

A beautiful woman with bright grey hair and red eyes, blushing as she wants to feed me… It’s a first, and I’m not sure what to do.

“Hurry up.”

Urged by her, I open my mouth weakly.

What does it matter. We’ll annul the marriage soon anyway.

“Hehe.”

Watching her blushing happily as I eat the food she feeds me, I decide to let it be…

Though I left the oranges and apples she fed me…

“That’s… that’s enough… It’s too much.”

But I eventually had to stop her from bringing endless fruits.

What’s this? A new method of assassination?