episode_0033

The morning after the holiday.

Theodora’s official duties begin today.

Morning task of handling various petitions sent directly to the emperor within the empire.

I discussed with Theodora how to handle the petition in advance yesterday, so I hope there won’t be too much of a problem.

-His Majesty the Emperor enters.

Everyone gathered in the throne room looks at the door of the throne room.

-Kwaik!, Boom!

The large door opens and Theodora, wearing a fancy dress and a purple fur cloak, enters.

Is it because of dark circles?

She, whose makeup appears to be a little heavier than usual, enters with a light purple carpet.

And soon.

He sits on the throne and speaks in a voice full of majesty.

“Petitioner, please come in.”

At those words, a wealthy-looking man from the city stands in front of the throne and kneels on one knee.

“I meet Your Majesty, Emperor of the Supreme Empire.”

Theodora says that.

“Okay, tell me what you are pleading for.”

At those words, the wealthy-looking man stands up, looks at Theodora, and speaks.

“Unfortunately, Roman’s security is currently unstable and additional guards are needed.”

Theodora nods and says those words.

“The Grand Duke, listen.”

I bow my head in respect to Theodora’s words and speak.

“Yes. Please tell me.”

“Relieve citizens’ anxiety by organizing 500 new guards into the security force.”

“I will follow your orders.”

In this way, we hit the specific number yesterday.

“Oh, Your Majesty the Benevolent Emperor.”

The petition begins with the man retreating.

“Your Majesty!, Flour prices are currently skyrocketing, special measures are being taken…”

“I will bring flour from home.”

Currently, Ezib has been handed over to Ioanes, but I think that if Ioanes wants to secretly take control of Epirus and Ezip, he will obediently hand over the flour.

So Theodora obediently dealt with me as she had said.

And before we know it, the last petitioner appears.

A woman who appears to be quite old, around 50 years old.

She cries and kneels before Theodora.

“Your Majesty! My son has been falsely accused! Please! Please save me!”

He feels puzzled when he sees his old mother speaking to the emperor without showing respect.

But regardless of my doubts, Theodora answers calmly.

“No! Isn’t he a vicious man who brutally killed his wife?”

Theodora’s words remind me of the contents of the petition we saw a few days ago.

A recently married man was executed for brutally murdering his wife.

However, the man’s mother petitioned, claiming that her son was innocent.

I also looked through the trial records, and the circumstances, witnesses, and evidence prove that the man is the culprit.

But rather, I felt uncomfortable in such a neat situation.

The witness was the son of the lord where the couple resided, right?

Therefore, it was decided to put this case on hold and conduct a new investigation…

“The emperor must always have a merciful heart, but he has no mercy to show to those who are vicious.”

Theodora began to act alone.

this…

“Your Majesty! My son is not that kind of kid. How good were you two? This is the lord’s son’s plot.”

At those words, Theodora shakes her head and speaks rather coldly.

“This is a decision made by a sacred court. Numerous witnesses and circumstances point to him as the culprit, but are you now insulting them and the imperial court?”

“Your Majesty!, Really!, They…”

“Shut up! If you say anything that mocks the empire in front of me anymore, you too will be judged by the law.”

Theodora, looking at me, speaks.

“Grand Duke!, have that woman’s son executed immediately!”

As I look at Theodora who is just starting to leave, I mentally organize my thoughts.

Those in power… small choices create big results.

The results may be good, but they may not be.

so that. Even the smallest things must be thought through and dealt with.

Of course, there are times when you miss the right time due to indecisiveness just thinking about it, so you have to make a bold decision depending on the situation.

But now is not the time for drastic decisions.

“Grand Duke?, Why is there no answer?”

Ignore Theodora’s words and organize my thoughts.

Once someone is killed… they cannot be brought back to life.

So make up your mind and say it.

“I will exercise my right to veto.”

-Ji… Did the Archduke exercise his veto right now?

-Why all of a sudden?

The place becomes noisy.

The behavior that Theodora and I have shown so far is a play to show that we are not on bad terms within the empire.

It’s like a play that is planned and performed in advance because it depends on Theodora’s prestige as well as mine.

-thud!

“Archduke?!, now… Are you saying that you are exercising your veto right now?, because of that damn criminal?”

Theodora slams the throne and speaks harshly, but I speak without paying any heed.

“Yes, that’s right. Once someone is killed, it cannot be brought back to life. I plan to order the Ministry of Justice to conduct a reinvestigation ex officio.”

Theodora smiles coldly.

“So? What if he is the criminal? Is the Archduke now willing to waste the empire’s precious administrative power on an insignificant prisoner?”

-Pisik.

“Yes, it will be a waste. If I can save an innocent person by spending so much money, I will always do it.”

“Great Duke!”

Angry red eyes scan my body.

-shaking…

Theodora shakes her hands in anger.

Ugh… That’s why I’ll do as I said before. You’re making things complicated for no reason.

You’ll probably be embarrassed.

Because her husband, who was a servant, had blatantly refused her orders.

-Grand Duke! Show respect to His Majesty the Emperor!

-That’s right, no matter how much you are the state secretary of this country, you are also a subject of the emperor.

-Tsk, tsk, they come from a lowly Mu family.

I take a look at the people who are mocking me.

-I flinch…

Those poor people who just shiver under my cold gaze.

You are a powerless subject and you don’t even have the courage to make eye contact with me.

I turn my gaze from those who cannot make eye contact with me to Theodora.

She is clearly glaring at me.

I continue to speak in an attempt to save her face.

“As a subject, I cannot turn His Majesty the Emperor into a murderer. Therefore, I will exercise the right of veto granted to me directly by His Majesty.”

“How dare you… How dare you!”

She probably thought she could control me with the authority of the emperor, but she has no intention of doing so.

“Are there any officials affiliated with the Ministry of Justice?”

A man comes forward after hearing my words.

“Tea… did you find it?”

“I will give orders from now on.”

“Ha… please tell me.”

“From now on, I will conduct a retrial myself. Issue an order in my name summoning all those involved to Roman and transfer all evidence to the Archdiocese.”

“Yes!”

Then he turns around and speaks leisurely to Theodora.

“The last petition is now over.”

“Grand Duke, I would like to ask you one thing.”

Theodora, trembling and trying to calm down her anger, continues.

“What if… what if your thoughts are wrong? How will you pay for wasting the precious administrative power of the empire then?”

I stand up and say that.

“Then, let me ask you the opposite question. On the other hand, if the man is innocent… Would your Majesty be able to bring that man back to life?”

“…”

“If I conduct a new investigation and the criminal’s guilt is clear, I can correct the mistake at that time, but if I handled it according to Your Majesty’s wishes and were found not guilty later… Would Your Majesty be able to correct the mistake?”

“Hmph, it can’t be like that, right? The judges of the empire are not fools and do not sentence anyone to death.”

Eyes full of firm faith.

Does she think that the empire she has always believed in is always right?

I don’t know in the past when the emperor’s authority was high, but not now.

Collapsed central government.

Local powerful people are taking advantage of this opportunity to expand their power.

The more I get to know her, the more she has a secretly cute side to her.

I laugh at that action.

“There are no absolutes in this world. I’m busy so I’ll leave.”

Saying that, he comes out of the throne room.

***

Afterwards, I eat a quick sandwich in my office and then prepare for the cabinet meeting in the afternoon.

This time, the Cabinet meeting will issue instructions to reform the tax system.

We plan to simply reform the tax system and instruct the government to create related reference materials.

The direction I want to take will be met with strong opposition from nobles, so I have to move in secret.

Since the authority of the ministers who attend the Cabinet meeting is enormous, it is difficult to easily estimate how much money has been spent on the forces that want to borrow their power.

Only later will it be revealed what the tax reform will be like.

It would be easier to hide it for now.

-Hwang… Your Majesty the Emperor?!

-Get out of my way!

-thud!

-Quick!

“Hey!, you bastard!”

Theodora comes into my room huffing and puffing.

I was taken aback by that sight and hurriedly spoke to the guards.

“Da… Close the door right now, what are they doing?”

It would be a disgrace if it became known that the emperor opened the door without any culture, ignoring the guards, so let’s give instructions hastily.

“Yes!”

-Kwaik!, Boom!

I sigh when I see the door hastily closed.

“Why?, again? Why are you doing that?”

As I spoke in a weak voice, Theodora clenched her hands into fists and spoke trembling.

“Do you feel relieved having to humiliate me like that?”

“So, just as I promised yesterday…”

“I am the emperor! I’m not your puppet, but why do I have to do what you tell me?”

I say that with a frown.

“If you don’t do as you’re told, you’ll make a mistake, right?”

“Mistake?, Killing that damn killer was a mistake?!”

Theodora yells and I feel like my forehead is shaking.

I couldn’t sleep already… but it was so noisy…

“Speak quietly, my head is pounding.”

“That’s it!, I withdraw from what I did earlier.”

I shake my head at those words.

And he says, glaring at her with cold eyes full of anger.

“No, I’m not withdrawing.”

I stand up and come closer to Theodora.

“It’s not a scarecrow?”

Let me speak in a calm voice…

-I flinch.

I grab her slightly trembling chin and make eye contact.

“Ugh…”

“What do you know about this empire? Do you think you would rule it well if I gave you power right now? It would be nice if the empire didn’t collapse.”

To be honest, I don’t think she will be able to resolve this complicated situation these days.

Even though she has the authority of emperor, she is not wise enough to defeat her cunning subjects.

I don’t have the power to subdue Ioanes with harsh words.

“Tsk!, shut up you trash.”

Theodora spitting in my face.

When I raise the other hand, she closes her eyes tightly.

Did you think I was going to hit you?

Thinking like that, I wipe away the spit she spit with my other hand.

– Sigh.

And looking at her, he says it’s pathetic.

“If the emperor is ignorant and incompetent, wouldn’t it be good for the world to become a scarecrow?”

“Shut up! Shut up!”

I let go of her, who was glaring at me with her eyes wide open.

“Stop losing your strength, anyway, I keep what I said once. I will not revoke the veto. I will personally retry that man.”

If he is innocent… in the end, it will be the Empire and ‘I’ who kill him.

I kill evil people, but I feel no remorse.

I don’t want to kill innocent people by making them criminals.

“And, if I’m wrong, I’ll apologize to you publicly.”

An apology from the Archduke who currently holds all power.

If that’s the case, it might restore some of the prestige I’ve lost to her.

Well, I didn’t want to step on her prestige in the first place.

This is unavoidable.

“Really… Is that really true?”

I nod my head as I see her calming down a little.

“But, what will you do if the man is innocent?”

Theodora rolls her eyes at my words.

She is thinking deeply about something.

“I promised you a public apology, and even though you are a woman, if you are the master of the empire, then you must do the right thing.”

“From now on, I won’t care whether you use the veto or not.”

It’s a bit surprising to see that she looks bigger than expected.

“Really? Then, let’s wrap this up and re-read what I got wrong on yesterday’s test.”

I look at Theodora, who is sitting on the sofa and re-watching what I said wrong, and then focus on my own work.