I Became the Master of the Empress

32 – Episode 32.

After giving Theodora the cabinet agenda documents to memorize.

Today too, Theodora is looking at documents in one corner of the office with a frown on her face.

-Flutter!

She may be in a bad mood, but the sound of turning pages can be heard loudly.

Soon the sound of sighing is heard again.

“Haa…”

“Why? Is there anything else you don’t understand?”

Theodora nodded slightly at my words.

“What is it?”

Saying that, she goes to her side and reads the part she was reading.

“Oh, this?”

What she is seeing is the current Ministry of Military Affairs proposal to ban spices.

Currently, spices here are sold very expensively.

Because spices are not produced in the Empire, the Eastern Trade Route imports large quantities of spices, and although it is a relatively small amount, the United Kingdom supplies a large amount of spices that are difficult to ignore.

So, due to the import of spices, a significant amount of gold and silver is leaked overseas.

But the problem here is the eastern trade route.

When spices are purchased from the East, a huge amount of gold and silver goes into the Babylonian Empire, which has been in competition with the empire for a long time.

The Ministry of Military Affairs is taking issue with this.

“How much gold is being lost that you think spices should be banned?”

She was born into the royal family.

No matter how expensive the spices are, you won’t even notice it because you are a class that can eat them freely.

“Just wait a moment.”

I sit at my desk and rummage through the drawers, looking for the document I received last time.

“It’s here.”

I say this while showing data that calculates the items the empire imports each year.

“If you look here, the amount the empire imports each year is more than 10 million gold.”

Theodora makes a foolish face as if she can’t guess the number I’m talking about.

“But… The empire is running fine, right?”

That is correct.

We also sell a lot of food products such as wheat, wine, dried fruits, and iron to the Babylonian Empire.

War weapons and scrolls are especially popular.

The hot desert cannot ignore the water-related scrolls that most people purchase in Babylon for farming.

But does she really know and say this?

I’m curious so I’m asking.

“That’s not wrong, but do you know why?”

Theodora frowns at my words, ponders, and then opens her mouth.

“I understand that we also export a lot to Babylon.”

I think I have a vague understanding of this part, so I think I can skip it, so I return to the topic.

“Correct answer. We also export a lot to Babylon. “Then, have you seen where this agenda was posted?”

She nodded her head at my words.

“Ministry of Military Affairs.”

“That’s right, the current Babylonian Empire has actively pursued an expansion policy and has successfully expanded to the east and north.”

In other words, we got the abundant rivers in the east and the ice caps in the north that we had longed for, and we became stronger.

And he often provokes the eastern part of the empire.

“So, the military department does not like Babylon, but they are more worried because gold keeps flowing into Babylon from the private sector.”

In other words, it is natural that Babylon does not like the situation in which the weapons and scrolls needed for war are purchased from the empire using the gold and silver flowing from the empire to expand its power in the surrounding area.

Does he dislike something about what I said, or does he not want to admit what I said?

“Hmph! I don’t understand why the Military Department, which protects the empire, is scolding me for such a small amount of money.”

I say that as if I were dumbfounded.

“It’s a small amount of money… It’s a huge amount of money?”

In fact, it is an amount that far exceeds the annual imperial budget.

“No, right? Considering our outstanding civilization and technology, and the wheat grown in fertile soil…”

While listening to Theodora, I cut off the conversation because it was a waste of time.

“Do you know that Theodora’s 10 million gold is more than the amount allocated to the imperial family for a year?”

“Uh… Um… Well… Still…”

To her words… She rolled her eyes around to refute something.

This place basically uses gold and silver to make currency.

If you calculate that the amount of gold in 1 gold is 3.7G, it is about 37 tons.

Whoa… I didn’t think I would know it well from the beginning.

In the first place, the former emperor wanted Theodora and Joey to marry great nobles and live normally, so it is natural that he did not know much about this.

Yes, you just have to learn it one by one.

Theodora speaks in a weak voice.

She’s like a girl who doesn’t want to lose her happiness.

“So… Then let spices be banned…?”

I shake my head at those words.

“No? “If we ban it for no reason, the side effects will be big, right?”

Anyway, nothing that the Military Affairs Department is worried about will happen.

Soon that place will face a great disaster.

And if spices are suddenly banned, it is obvious that nobles, free cities, and people of the empire will all dislike it.

Not only that, but people working in related industries may become unemployed overnight.

There is only damage and no real benefit.

There is no need or reason to do it.

“But if you reject it too blatantly, the Ministry of Military Affairs will also be offended. “Refer to what I wrote next to it and tell it at the cabinet meeting.”

When I said that and was about to go back to my seat.

-Knock knock…

[His Majesty the Emperor and the Grand Duke have come to eat.]

“Ask them to come in.”

As I said that, her maid came in, pulling a shiny metal cart, and Theodora said with a tired look on her face.

“Do you… Eat here too?”

I nod my head at those words.

“Yes, it’s comfortable once you get used to it.”

If you actually go to a restaurant to eat, it takes quite a bit of time to move around because the imperial palace is so large.

So this is how I am coping now.

While I was saying that, the maid placed a plate of sandwiches in front of me and Theodora.

And then he lowers his head and pulls the cart out.

“Is this…?”

There are foods similar to sandwiches here, but there are no modern sandwiches.

It’s a culture here to eat anything on bread, but it was a bit of a shock that there were no sandwiches with vegetables, ham, and cheese on white bread.

“It’s called a sandwich. Try it. It’s easy to eat.”

As he said that, he finished reading the paper while holding a sandwich in one hand.

“Ha… Why do I… Have to do this?”

Of course, ignoring Theodora’s complaints.

Theodora did not stop sighing until late at night.

“Haa…”

“Haaam~”

Theodora is yawning and stretching, feeling sleepy.

She looks at me and asks.

“But what are you looking at?”

“Academy Paper.”

Let me talk while flipping through papers on interesting topics.

It is a currency that can replace gold and silver…

“Aren’t you sleepy?”

At those words, I put down my thesis for a moment and speak.

“I’m sleepy, but I have to do what I have to do.”

She says, making a strange expression upon my words.

“I’m sleepy so I’m going to go to bed.”

She was trying to get up from her seat like that.

“Wait a minute.”

When I called her out, she gave me a ‘why’ look on her face and said,

“Why?”

“Shall we talk for a moment?”

Theodora nods her head obediently with her sleepy expression.

“Good.”

– Shake it off.

I get up and sit on the sofa.

“Don’t you want to get back the power that was taken from me?”

He stiffens his expression slightly at my words and nods his head weakly.

“Isn’t it obvious? What you’re doing is exceeding your authority.”

Yes! It should come out like that.

I smile and think to myself at her words.

“Really? “What would you like to do if you got your power back from me?”

Did you not expect what I said?

“Yes?”

She continues to speak to Theodora, who questions blankly.

“So, when you get your power back, what will you do for the empire first?”

“That… That… For the people of the empire…”

Is it because it is a sudden question?

“What policy will you implement for the people of the empire?”

I tell her that she is worried about something about my words.

“You don’t mean to say that you will implement policies for the poor and powerless in a routine way, right?”

-Finch.

“Is that… strange?”

“No, it’s not strange. But what are you going to do?”

She flinched slightly, then frowned and opened her mouth.

“I… I’m not sure… yet.”

Thank goodness. I would have been disappointed if you spewed out such strange nonsense.

It seems like she is starting to understand her current situation a little bit.

That’s why she speaks as if her devil is whispering to her.

“If you grant me a favor, I can give you back a little bit.”

Hearing my words, Theodora looked at me with her red eyes shining…

-Gulp.

Say.

“What… Is that?”

Is it because my mood seems unusual? The sound of passing the needle seems to be unusually loud.

“No big deal, just find a policy that will help the empire’s finances. “Then I’ll give you some authority back.”

I actually plan to do so.

I am living such a tiring life that I am so consumed by my work that it feels amazing to be alive every day.

Thanks to you, now, if I find a talented person who can relieve me of my work, I desperately want to hire them, no matter how evil they are.

Well… If I actually do that, the Pope won’t leave me alone.

Anyway, Theodora is the emperor, so she’ll probably work harder, right?

Let’s speak with a serious expression while hiding my sinister intentions.

“That offer… I will accept it. “Is that all you have to say?”

Looking at her speaking with a solemn expression, I feel that she has overcome everything.

Good… Good! One more slave is created like this.

I feel so good that I feel like crying, but I try to hide it.

“Yes.”

With her spirited expression on her face, she speaks grimly.

“Then I’ll go to bed, because it looks like I’ll be busy starting tomorrow morning.”

“Wait a minute, Theodora!”

I hurriedly called Theodora, who was about to leave the room while saying that.

“Why again?”

I say to her while waving the cabinet agenda document.

“I have to take this with me. Ah! And if possible, I will read it all by tomorrow morning and briefly take a test tomorrow to see if I understand the background or flow.”

At my words, Theodora’s solemn expression from a moment ago disappeared and she took the agenda documents for the cabinet meeting with her frowning face.

-Squeak… Bang!

The door seems to be closed wider than usual, but well… I’m satisfied because there might be one more slave.

Imperial Slave No. 0 B.

Agripa, the first slave of the empire.

Theodora, Slave No. 2 Of the Empire.

How impressive is this line-up?

And later I think that even if I get out of there, this empire will last as long as those slaves live.

And I… I get to spend the rest of my life in peace in the New World.

At that time, I will sleep in all day and live a lazy life.

Not like now.

“Haa…”

With such a sigh and hope for the future, I continue to struggle in the sea of theses today.