I Became the Master of the Empress

5 – Episode 5

I sit in my room, reading the report.

News of the Imperial Faction hastily gathering their army.

The worrisome aspect is the scale of the military forces, which is far from trivial.

“Phew… The neutral faction has turned to the Imperial side…”

It was something that already happened in the original. I expected it to be so.

Fortunately, the capital of the empire is protected by triple walls and a wide river. Moreover, a large naval wall built on that river makes it difficult for enemies to land by boat. Breaking through the thick triple walls is nearly impossible, no matter how numerous the forces may be.

Perhaps this place is safe.

“But…”

I want to avoid shedding blood as much as possible.

To hide in the darkness, fight against the demon-worshipping cultists who want to resurrect the demon lord, and, if necessary, fight against the resurrected demon lord and his subordinates…

Unnecessary sacrifices must be prevented as much as possible.

-“The members of the Grand Council have arrived.”

In response to the voice of the guards outside, I reply.

“Hurry and bring them in.”

-Creak.

With a cheerful sound, three men enter my room.

Charles, the representative of the Republic of Lwanda.

Phomphaius, a member of the Roman capital.

Alexander, the representative of the Kingdom of Nikea to the east.

All three are highly respected members of the council and faithful followers of the former emperor.

Like serpents, they are wise individuals, so I speak cautiously.

“Welcome.”

As I motioned for the three legislators to take a seat in front of my desk, they settled down with cautious expressions.

“Ahem… I heard there was a rumor yesterday.”

Chairman Charles started.

Here, I have to tread carefully with my words, delicately balancing between Valoran and the Empire.

Otherwise… negotiations with the Imperial Faction will fall through.

No matter how secure this side may be, there must be some minimum conditions to be met for negotiations to take place.

Among them… the minimum condition for the other party is that Valoran should not be involved in the rebellion committed by Valoran.

“Rumor… It’s difficult to call Valoran’s death a rumor when he was such a treacherous figure.”

I say it a bit excessively.

“Is that so? I don’t understand why Valoran Duke is considered treacherous.”

Chairman Charles looks at me with doubt.

First and foremost, because they need to negotiate with the Imperial Faction to which they belong…

“First, he killed the former Emperor, violated the laws of the Empire, and mocked it. He also persecuted the nobles in order to plunder the Empire.”

And after carefully choosing my words, I utter the most important part.

“And he conspired with the cultists of the Demon Lord and attempted to summon the Demon Lord to this land.”

“That… What is that?!”

“Sir… Chairman, are you telling the truth right now?”

In response to the intense reactions from the legislators, I tilt my head.

The contents in front of us are common knowledge if one lives in the Empire.

However, the fact that they were attempting to summon the Demon King… is a story known only to me and Agrippa.

“Here, take a look at this.”

I hand them a piece of paper with mysterious symbols written on it, along with a decryption table.

“What… is this?”

I say to the legislators as they look at what I’ve handed them.

“It’s a letter, evidence of a pact made with the demon worshippers, and there should also be a mark on Valoran’s body that the demon worshippers use to identify themselves. You can check it once we’re done.”

As they pause reading and look at me, Formpheus gazes at me.

“So… Duke, what will you do in this situation? Will you return to the Duchy of Francesco?”

Formpheus, a commoner who gained great recognition in the war and became a legislator with the support of the citizens of Viren.

He comes from a humble background and values honor more than life itself.

That’s why… he probably speaks so straightforwardly without fear of death.

“No, if I withdraw from here now… the Imperial Faction will surely not stay quiet.”

Duke Valoran used despicable tactics to defame Roman and execute the Emperor.

No matter how much I killed Valoran…

It is obvious that the Empire will be hostile towards me and the Duchy.

And… in order to eliminate the demon worshippers scattered throughout the Empire… it is advantageous to control the Empire, so I have no intention of returning to the Duchy.

But perhaps Formpheus interpreted my thoughts differently, as he nods with a tight-lipped expression and says,

“So, you mean that after Duke Valoran, who trampled upon the Empire, is killed, Count Devian will continue to defame us. Well, this was a waste of time.”

I shrug my shoulders in response to his words.

“I am not a fool. I am well aware that the Empire and the royal family would spare no means to eliminate me and the Grand Duchy. I have a duty to protect the safety of those who believe in and follow me.”

But it seems as though Pompeius is not listening to me.

“Yes, yes, I understand. You must be busy. I’ll take my leave.”

And with that, he leaves.

Well… I expected this to some extent.

Proud Pompeius always speaks his mind bluntly.

He is not deeply involved in politics.

Those deeply involved in politics would never express their true feelings bluntly.

They would hide their true intentions like a snake, making the other party feel anxious and gaining as much as possible.

The reason Pompeius, who has such a secretive nature and is distant from politics, was called here is…

To make them think that I am a political novice and…

“Ahem… Gongja, what about this?”

Senator Alexander smiles broadly and continues.

“If you marry into the royal family, wouldn’t that dispel any doubts?”

This is to lure in this political veteran.

I raise an expression that seems to be tempted by his words and say, “If you say the royal family…”

Senator Alexander nods his head.

“Princess Joy is famous for her beauty and kindness… and isn’t she well-known as the beloved younger sister of the next Empress, Princess Theodora?”

Ugh… I didn’t want Joy.

Princess Joy is ranked second in the imperial succession, and unlike Theodora, she is a gentle and kind-hearted princess.

If I were to marry her, I wouldn’t want to make my beloved younger sister a widow, and perhaps she wouldn’t try to kill me either.

No… considering Theodora’s personality, she would definitely try to kill me.

She would try to kill me in a way that doesn’t reveal her true identity.

Maybe she would even attempt poisoning.

-Sigh.

Well, first of all, I have to refuse.

“Is there such a good way? Representative Alexander, could you possibly mediate with the royal family?”

“hahahahaha! That’s great! I will convey the Grand Duke’s intentions to the Empress.”

With an uneasy expression, I nod my head and say.

“But I can’t feel relieved with Princess Joy. The world is so dangerous, you know.”

Certainly, Joy is kind and beautiful.

Moreover, I personally hope that she can live happily.

Replacing Theodora, who successfully fled in the original work, and living a life tormented by Valoran, she eventually becomes a sacrifice to the Demon King.

That’s why… I don’t want to be dragged into this confusing political fight.

Furthermore, now that Theodora has the powerful legitimacy of the empire’s crown princess, I must keep hold of Theodora.

However, Charles Chairman, who seems to know my intentions, looks at me with a troubled expression and says.

“W-Well then…?”

“I wish there was something… safer.”

In response to my words, Chairman Charles and Representative Alexander stiffen their faces and speak.

“Perhaps…”

“Do you happen to be thinking about Princess Hwang Tae-nyeo?”

In response to those words, I smile brightly and say,

“Yes, I’ve admired her for a long time.”

I’ve only seen her face twice in my entire life.

And the second time, she was already my prospective stepmother.

“That… that’s absurd! Your Highness, isn’t this too much?”

I reply to Chairman Charles, his words filled with anger, as if asking what the problem is.

“What are you saying?”

“Stop playing innocent! Are you not planning to marry Princess Hwang and seize the empire?”

“No, I am not. We’re just getting married; I have no ambitions for the throne.”

At that moment…

Senator Alexander starts whispering something in Chairman Charles’ ear.

“Ahem… We’ll talk for a moment and be right back.”

*Squeak!*

With that, the two of them momentarily leave the room.

So… what are they thinking?

Will they go in the direction Balloran imagined?

What choice will they make…

If it’s not the direction I want, things will get tangled.

Time… I need to buy time.

I have to make it seem like I have no ambition towards the imperial faction, like a naive young idol, so they will ignore me and give me time.

But by then, their power will be slowly dying like a frog in a gradually boiling pot.

How much time has passed?

I’m considering troop deployment in case of a showdown with the imperial faction.

*Squeak!*

Senator Alexander and Chairman Charles enter.

“Ahem… Your Grace, we believe your suspicion is reasonable, so we will arrange a marriage with the Empress Mother on your behalf.”

Is it going too smoothly according to my plan?

Are they just corrupt politicians who value their own lives?

At that moment,

Chairman Charles speaks with a glint in his eyes.

“However, Your Grace must marry Princess Theodora as your consort.”

Consort…

In simple terms, it means I have to change my surname, Ryan, to the imperial family’s surname, Augustus.

The reason being…

“This is to ensure that the offspring of Princess Theodora and Your Grace can become the next emperor with ease.”

It’s a well-anticipated situation as the imperial law states that only the Augustus family can become the emperor.

Well… to be honest, this kind of situation was first anticipated by Valoran.

I also know the contents from the original novel…

Right now, Valoran plans to use the scheme he devised to commit treason and seize the empire.

“That’s ridiculous. I saved the empire from the hands of wicked demons. How dare you ask someone like me to do such things as women do?”

In reality, when a man and a woman marry here, the woman’s surname changes to the man’s surname.

The only exception is in the case of a marriage for the purpose of inheriting the family, like a political marriage.

But the truth is that because men are inferior to women, they cannot pass on their surname to their descendants.

That’s why here, you have to stand up against injustice.

Don’t smile. Even if things go as I think, don’t smile.

So, I diligently remind myself not to smile, and I unleash all my anger.

“Do you view me as a mere puppet? Do you find the great Lyon family amusing?”

The two people show no reaction to my words.

Perhaps they thought that if they heard me say such things, I would get angry and call off the marriage with Theodora.

Fortunately, seeing things go as I expected, I continue.

“And it sounds like it means that the Francesco Grand Duchy will be taken over by the Augustus family!”

Naturally, the two nod their heads at my words, and Charles steps forward to speak.

“We have never disrespected the Lyon family. However, if a woman ascends to the throne, it is a strict law of the empire that the spouse must naturally give up their surname.”

“Yes. Not even the emperor can be above the laws of the empire.”

They anticipate two possible scenarios.

First, if I obediently change my surname to Augustus as per their demand.

The child born between me and Theodora will bear the name of Augustus.

And… after our child is born, the next emperor will gain both the Duchy of Francesco and the Empire.

In that case, Theodora might be satisfied.

It may be difficult at the moment, but once the child is born and I am gone, the young heir could rule the Duchy of Francesco through regency, and the next emperor will gain vast territories.

But they do not know. I promised to pass the Duchy to Mary’s child after my death. That’s why I am making this proposal.

The second option is…

If I cannot bear this situation and simply give up my marriage with Theodora.

This wouldn’t be bad for them either.

Ultimately, without a legitimate reason to station troops in Rome, I have no choice but to peacefully lead the forces down.

Even if I don’t go down peacefully, in the end, I have no choice but to watch the imperial faction trample the Duchy of Francesco.

If I lose the source of my power, the Duchy, it will be difficult to manage the empire in the future, so I must prevent it at all costs.

If I withdraw from Rome to save the Duchy…

Then I will stabilize the political situation around the authority of the emperor and the imperial council.

In other words… if I step back, things will go as they wish.

Well… realistically, it would be best for me to make a deal with them for safety.

Unfortunately, I have no intention of doing so.

-Pisic.

When I used to read the Three Kingdoms, I thought Cao Cao was a truly despicable character…

A turbulent figure who laid the foundation for the unification of the Three Kingdoms by oppressing Emperor Xian.

I don’t particularly like the character, but now, in this moment, I have become just like him.

Life is truly something I don’t understand at all, and I feel a bit bitter about it.

I’m the only one who knows that the demon worshippers are planning to resurrect the demon king.

And to stop them, the authority of the emperor is necessary.

That’s why I can’t step back.

The choice I have to make is…

“Hah, that’s an absurd statement that can’t be acknowledged. How about this instead? I know there’s a law stating that only those from the Augustus lineage can become the emperor according to imperial law.”

Charles nods as if it’s obvious at my words.

“Yes, Your Grace… Unfortunately, to marry the imperial princess, Your Grace, you must…”

Interrupting Charles, who is trying to say something, I speak.

“Then, let’s establish the Augustus-Lyon lineage by merging the names of our Lyon family and the Augustus family. From now on, our descendants will belong to that lineage.”

At my words…

Both of them speak as if what I said is unbelievable.

“Seriously, Your Grace seems not to understand because of his age. It’s a strict law that has been upheld in our empire for two thousand years.”

“Yes, it’s not something that can be changed overnight…”

Cutting off their words quickly, I continue.

“There’s no need to follow a wrong law. And whether it’s a wrong law or not… that will be judged by the Supreme Court.”

When creating laws, there are times when they conflict with other laws.

The right to repeal and judge a wrong law to resolve such contradictions.

Only the Supreme Court has that right.

And…

Balarang would not know that they had subverted the Chief Justice to remedy this situation.

“Duke, you seem to be ignorant of worldly affairs. Do you think the Chief Justices will buy into your argument?”

I smile and nod at those words.

“Well, you’ll see when the time comes, won’t you?”

“Ugh… Duke! Before the verdict is announced in the Supreme Court, the Imperial faction will surround Rome. It will be irreversible then.”

Do they think I’m a fool?

-Snicker.

“I’ll handle that on my own.”

-Smart!

Someone knocks on the door.

“Duke, Agrippa Kyung has arrived,” they say.

“Bring him in.”

-Creak!

After Agrippa enters my room, I speak to Charles and Alexander.

“Then, let’s stop here for today. I’ll contact you soon with good news.”

Acknowledging my words, they nod and leave.

Agrippa, confirming their departure, opens his mouth.

“Your Grace, we have collected the bodies of the late Emperor and the nobles.”

His words make my mouth taste bitter.

“Alright…, then let’s prepare the funeral according to the Empire’s ceremonial laws…”

The Emperor has debts…

I feel a lot of guilt over his death.

“Yes. Let’s do it that way.”

And so, I relay the tasks to Agripa and officially begin today’s administrative work.