I Became the Master of the Empress

37 – Episode 37

Starting with Mirine, all the witnesses confessed one by one that they had been threatened by Leopard.

Truly… Is there a crystal that can tell you a lie?

The crystal I brought to the court is all about shining.

However, if you use the authority of the emperor and the archduke to someone who does not know much about magic, you will inevitably be deceived.

If I or Theodora say one word, they will have no choice but to die.

But there’s no way Leopard would fall for this trick. Since he saw and heard something about the principles of magic, he protested and was kicked out.

“So you’re saying you’ve never seen Hans commit a crime?”

The villagers sitting in the witness stand nod their heads.

I took out the cards I had prepared, but no clear answer came out.

Hmm… I didn’t expect this.

Leopard is presumed to be the real culprit given the current circumstances.

However, none of the witnesses here saw the scene where Leopard killed Milina.

In addition, Leopard’s motive and evidence for killing Milina have not been revealed.

Well, we still haven’t caught the real culprit, but we’ll be able to catch him soon.

I found out this much.

There is no way the Imperial Court, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of the Interior will remain silent.

They must have felt burdened by my coming forward and their interest in this case.

He will no longer be able to look after the Baron, who is a low-ranking noble.

So, we can just look at the trial results later, right?

“Then, I will declare the defendant Hans not guilty. It also orders the Imperial Court and the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. “Make sure Hans receives appropriate compensation, catch the real culprit in this case, and bring justice!”

-Bang!, Bang!, Bang!

I declare this and leave the court.

***

With the trial over, my work day ended today.

There is something I really want to do today.

Is this a small award given to me after a busy schedule and tiring daily life?

Let’s go back to the office with such a happy heart…

“You…”

Theodora with a strange expression next to me.

She looks a little angry and curious as she opens her mouth.

“The artifact of being able to tell a lie… Is that real?”

I confidently say that.

“No, it’s a lie?”

“Ha?, I thought so too.”

As she said that, she shook her head and then smiled and said.

“You deceived the people of the empire with lies like that. “It was mean.”

I shrug my shoulders and say that.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. Because if we don’t do this, it will be difficult to know the truth of the incident.”

A well-constructed lie.

In order to destroy it, I also lied, and through that, I eventually found out the truth.

“Well, in any case, he wasn’t the culprit.”

Hearing those words, I stretch and say.

“Ugh!, Right? “For some reason, there were too many witnesses.”

If you think about it now, it’s strange that there are so many witnesses who witnessed the circumstances and scene of the murder.

The fact that there are many people who saw the scene of an incident that should have been kept secret and testified about the circumstances…

It can’t be because Hans isn’t an idiot.

It would have been more convincing if he had been killed in the bedroom at night.

Theodora nods at what I say and says.

“Phew… But I didn’t know that the empire’s nobles were this rotten.”

I answer that question.

“Not everyone is like that, and honestly, I don’t even know why Leopard did that.”

But at least this proves that Hans is not the culprit.

“But… Where are we going today?”

I nod my head at Theodora’s words.

“Yes, to give me a reward.”

She speaks with curiosity written on her face.

“What is the reward? A person who is crazy about work gets a break from work?”

“That’s…”

I pondered for a moment whether I should speak or not.

“It’s a secret.”

Theodora looks slightly offended by my words.

“Hmph, I’m not really curious either?”

As I see him making loud footsteps and heading somewhere while saying that, I smile involuntarily.

The relationship is not as bad as before.

Thinking like that, I head towards my office with light steps.

-Kkiik!

I take out a small box that I had already put in the closet.

***

Gorgeous Roman.

A large-scale night market held here once a week.

“Iyaap!”

I sip my cup of coffee while peacefully watching children play games at the street stalls and a little girl riding a merry-go-round on her father’s shoulders.

-No! Is that wrong? The reason the empire is in trouble right now is because of the incompetent archduke?

-Ay! Man, don’t you know that the Archduke is trying to run the empire in his own way?

-It’s hard to make a living right now, so why are you trying?

This is how you can find out about public opinion…

“Guest? “This is the calzone and wine you ordered.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I look at the half-moon shaped bread in front of me and cut it with a knife.

A protruding half-moon shaped bread filled with soft and light mozzarella, tomato sauce, smoked ham, and mushrooms.

I personally like it because it tastes similar to pizza, but is it a food that is difficult to eat in the imperial palace because it is mainly eaten by common people?

hehehe… I go into hiding because of this little happiness.

The clothes and hairstyle I am wearing right now are not the outfits I usually like to wear.

So people here probably don’t think I’m the archduke.

There are no photos here and no one will be able to meet me face to face.

After meeting Ioanes at the cafe the other day.

I think it would be a good idea to go secretly when a night market opens like this.

I eat delicious food like this and do it in secret to find out what the people of the empire think of me and what their lives are like.

So I never came out to have fun.

“Mmm, isn’t it so delicious?!”

I feel very grateful to be able to eat comfortably outside, rather than in the imperial palace, where strict dining etiquette must be observed.

-Gulp!

“hehehe~ The wine is so delicious!”

At that moment…

A familiar tune is heard.

-My beloved princess~♪ Why does fate try to separate us~?

Lyrics sung by a bard.

Somewhere, very familiar lyrics are sung.

-I will kill the evil lion for you and the empire. So… Let me have you!♬

Ugh…

He is clearly a bard who sings very well…

I don’t like that song.

If that’s the reason… It’s because it’s my song that I’m sponsoring and making popular in the empire…

I try not to listen, suppressing the feeling that makes my hands and feet tremble.

Then pick up a piece of calzone with one hand and eat it.

-Well…Well…

This is how we live in the world.

This moment of eating and drinking freely, forgetting about complicated politics and the world.

And perhaps because I work hard, I relieve stress by seeing the people of the empire with smiles on their faces.

Because this is a small reward for me.

“Debian! “What if it really comes out?”

Then I hear a familiar voice.

“Huh? “Is Agrippa here?”

When I greeted him brightly, Agrippa sighed and sat down across from me, frowned, looked around, and spoke.

“No matter how frustrating it is… What are you going to do if something happens to you for no reason?”

I grinned and said to Agrippa, who spoke the last words quietly.

“So I called you too, just in case, right? Now, drink it!”

Let me pour the wine into a wine glass and hand it to you.

“Whoa… I can’t believe this is my brother-in-law… Really…”

I say that with a smile.

“What do you think? This reminds me of the good old days, right?”

When I was attending the Grand Duchy Military Academy. I smile because I remember frequenting Agrippa and his tavern.

At that time, we spoke informally to each other.

Later, Agrippa speaks respectfully to me due to the difference in status, but at this moment, it feels like we have gone back to the old days.

Well… Since I am the Archduke, it is only natural that my personal identity will be exposed if I use a stiff honorific.

-Gulp…Gulp.

Agripa, who took the wine I gave him and drank it, said in surprise.

“But what is wine? “Is it really delicious?”

I smile at those words.

“Right? “I was surprised when I drank it too?”

I’ve wanted to come here for a long time because I heard about this restaurant a few times from my escort.

“That’s it…”

He cut the calzone and handed it to Agrippa, who was trying to nag him, and spoke to him.

“Try this. It’s really delicious.”

Agripa took a bite of the food I handed him with a fork.

“Huh? “This is a whole new world of cheese?”

I smile and say that.

“What do you think? “It’s a good thing you came out, right?”

Agripa sighs and says at my words.

“I’ll really look at you just this once.”

After finishing the meal, I go out and walk around the city center.

“Agripa.”

“Why?”

Agripa answers bluntly.

Have I become a little emotional when I see people around me smiling happily?

“We really had a hard time, right?”

“Well… I really work overtime every day, so it’s only natural.”

A brief peace achieved between me and Agrippa.

A man drinking and discussing after finishing his day’s work, and children and their parents eating together in harmony.

Men and women of my age who are passionate about the songs of the bard.

I speak as I see this precious peace.

“You worked hard. Really.”

-Pisik.

Actually, I couldn’t say it… But it was really hard.

And it was scary.

Will what I do be wrong? I was afraid that many people would die because of my mistake.

The moment I tried to kill Valorant, the day I left to meet Ioanes.

I was afraid of what would happen to me and the people I love if I failed.

A moment when I was surrounded by the shadow of death.

I fell into despair and was so overcome by the fear of death that I almost couldn’t stand up.

My weak body and soul.

Because the weight of responsibility was heavier.

Overcame despair and death.

But will my followers die because of me?

That was the thing I was most afraid of.

For that, thank you. Agrippa and Mary followed me.

“Thanks to you. “I wouldn’t have come this far without you.”

Thank you.

Agripa relieves me of my work, and even if I do something wrong, I have Agrippa there.

I believe it will go as planned.

I hoped that the worst outcome would not come from my choice.

At that moment, Agrippa taps my shoulder and says,

“Then please give me a break. Aren’t you being too harsh on your conscience?”

-Sigh.

“Hey, I work similarly to you, right? “I can’t rest, so how can you rest?”

In fact, my superiors say that I work all night and overtime every day, but I absolutely cannot allow Agrippa, let alone anyone else, to rest.

The more he suffers, the more capable this empire will prosper.

But Agrippa doesn’t seem to think so and sighs deeply.

“Really… it’s too much.”

“Tsk tsk… Oh, that’s right. When is your engagement party?”

Agripa is planning to go to the Grand Duchy for an engagement ceremony with Mary.

Of course, we plan to hold an engagement ceremony and subdue the nobles who have turned against the emperor.

“Maybe next month?”

I nod my head at those words.

“Is it later than you think?”

At my words, Agrippa frowns and says something like shooting.

“Isn’t it because there are so many things that so-and-so ordered?”

“hahahaha… So-and-so was at fault.”

As I laughed and passed it off, Agrippa sighed.

“Phew…What am I talking to you about?”

And…

“But you and Theodora don’t get along well?”

Agripa’s unexpected words.

“Uh… It’s not good, though. “It’s not as bad as it was the first time, right?”

Is it because I actually see it often? We even joked around with each other a little bit.

“Then it’s a good thing… There was a strange rumor among the servants.”

“Rumors?”

When I asked a question back…

“Theodora was simple-minded.”

“Huh?”

I am embarrassed by these unexpected words.

“You always sleep in the office?, Theodora sleeps in the room? “If it’s not simple, what is it?”

“Uh… That’s true, but…”

Actually, there are two main reasons why I don’t sleep in the master bedroom.

The first is because I can sleep right away when I get tired from work, and the other is…

When I see the beautiful Theodora, I am afraid that I might cross a line.

Actually… I know what a scary woman she is.

When I look at her beautiful face, there are times when my heart starts pounding without me even realizing it.

“Don’t insult Theodora for no reason, but go to her room and sleep if possible.”

I sigh involuntarily at Agrippa’s words, which do not even know my heart.

“Phew… Well… Is it a big insult not to sleep together after getting married?”

Agrippa nodded his head as if my words were obvious.

“Of course. Do you like it when someone calls you really ugly? “You know how much people whisper behind your back if you say you don’t sleep together, especially in aristocratic society, right?”

“Yes, but…”

“So, starting from today, if possible, let’s sleep together, and don’t get criticized for being rude to Theodora.”

Well… I already tried to create a fake image of Theodora as being in love with her. If you get it right, people will think it’s strange.

Is this a self-inflicted disaster?

With that thought in mind, I looked at the moon.

The moon looks big today.

Is it because of my mood?