episode_0172

In front of the dungeon gate of the imperial palace.

There I stand with a scroll in my hand.

“Huh?! Your Majesty… Your Majesty!”

I say this to the guard who quickly kneels down after seeing me.

“It has been said that Count Savinelli is here. Where is he?”

“That… That prisoner is inside. I will take care of you.”

He says this while looking at the guard who hastily holds up the torch.

“You probably didn’t hurt him, right?”

I don’t think Debian is going to catch talented people and treat them harshly, but I’m saying this just in case.

“Yes net! Well… of course I can’t do that, right? Not long ago, His Highness the Grand Duke also came and went to see if His Excellency the Count was in any inconvenience. Come here. Your Majesty.”

He takes the lead and guides me.

By the way… Debian also came to see Savinelli.

As expected… they tried to hire Savinelli.

However, I’m curious as I haven’t seen Savinelli even once, so I’m trying my luck.

“Okay, what did the two of you talk about?”

“That… that…”

The guard answers in an embarrassed voice.

“It feels like the Grand Duke is urging you to work under him, but His Excellency refuses.”

Savinelli refused?

Of course, if I had accepted, I would have seen him a few times at the Archduchy, but I never saw Savinelli.

“Do you happen to know why it seemed like he was refusing?”

“Uh… That’s… From what I heard from afar, he said that His Highness didn’t need him.”

I nod my head at those words.

“I see…”

Let me mutter like that…

A woman appears from the darkness.

“Huh? Santini. He…”

A woman who looks at me and thinks.

For some reason, when I think I’ve seen her a while ago, she hastily covers her face.

Why? Why do you think you saw it?

“Haha… Your Majesty, are you surprised? She is my wife whom I recently captured… or rather married. Come on and say hello. Ellis.”

At the guard’s words, a woman named Ellis speaks with a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Cheer… Nice to meet you. I… my name is Ellis.”

I ask because I am puzzled that the guard brought his wife to the dungeon.

“But, bringing your wife to a hideous dungeon… Besides, this place must have been off-limits to outsiders for security reasons?”

The guard smiles at my words and says:

“Ellis got a job here. Even though he looks delicate on the outside, his fighting skills are outstanding.”

After hearing those words, I glance at the woman named Ellis a few times…

“Have we seen this somewhere before?”

As the woman named Ellis slightly trembled at my words, the guard stepped forward and spoke.

“At the last victory ceremony. I worked as a temporary maid at the imperial palace. You probably saw it then.”

The guard hugs Ellis and says:

“I told you to guard it from below. Can’t you stand it this long?”

As I see the woman named Ellis hesitating and not being able to speak at the guard’s words, someone comes to mind and I feel irritated.

“Hurry and lead the way.”

The guard nods his head with a sly smile at my words.

“Are you sure?”

Soon, the guard gives directions again.

He points to the bars with his finger.

“There is Count Savinelli. I will be here so you can talk to me.”

I nod my head at those words and go to the cage he pointed to.

The foul odor, as if I hadn’t washed in dozens of days, makes me frown.

I wonder if the man lying on the blanket felt loved.

– Rustling.

He stands up, looks at me, and bows his head to show respect.

“Are you here? Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Did you know in advance that I was coming?

“Did you think the luggage would come?”

Savinelli shakes his head.

“No. Would I, a lowly person, know the thoughts of His Majesty, like Ha Hae? I was just wondering if it was possible.”

I frown a little at those words.

“That’s strange, why did you think that way?”

“That’s it… Isn’t it to take back the empire?”

I nod as I look at Savinelli, who responds to my words with a sly smile.

“That’s right, the current empire is the emperor, but he has no real power.”

Savinelli nods at what I say.

“That’s why I thought you would come visit me. From what I heard, I heard that they absorbed the Imperial faction that was almost ruined. Isn’t it true?”

I nod my head at those words.

“That’s right. Rumors spread faster than I thought. I heard such stories even though I was in prison.”

“Information is important, and I learned it from everyone.”

I say this out of frustration as I see Savinelli talking in circles.

“Really? What does that have to do with how you knew I would come here?”

“There is a correlation. I will absorb the imperial faction and kick out the archduke when the opportunity arises. Aren’t you here because you need talented people to do that?”

I feel a little bad when I see Savinelli accurately predicting my thoughts.

It’s a little different from Debian, but similar.

If it feels like Debian is worrying about something and forcing the other party to make a choice by considering various variables…

What can I say, I feel like I know Savinelli right away.

Are these…geniuses?

I answer, feeling that something is innately different from me, and my confidence as an emperor is slightly diminished.

“Ha… Yes, you are right. So will you be on my side?”

Savinelli smiles brightly at my words.

“The price of my loyalty is high. What can your Majesty do for me?”

“I have nothing now except the name of emperor. What do you want from me?”

At my words, Savinelli falls into thought with wide eyes.

“I don’t have anything either. County of Lazio… That’s all I have.”

“Then what can I give you?”

“Please do not doubt my words and loyalty, that is all I ask.”

Don’t doubt your loyalty…

Sabinelli was a loyalist who tried to revive Nicaea in any way possible even after Ioanes died and Nicaea fell before it surrendered.

Will he really follow me like he did Ioannes?

“I think I know what you’re thinking. His Highness Ioannes believed in me even though I had nothing and helped me find the rightful land.”

Savinelli looks sad, as if recalling past memories.

This is a story I learned while researching Savinelli.

Although he is the eldest son of the former Count of Lazio and the rightful heir as determined by law, the previous Count of Lazio wanted to inherit the title to his youngest son through his remarriage.

However, I heard that it was difficult for Savinelli to inherit the inheritance if he were alive, so he entrusted it to Ioannes of Nicaea to avoid the witchcraft of his stepmother and the previous Count of Lazio, who were trying to kill him.

Then he caught his eye and became the Count of Lazio.

“But I haven’t done much for my lord. There were many people who were better than me, but they always listened to me first.”

I nod my head at those words.

“Ioanes always praised you and favored you, right?”

Savinelli nods his head at my words.

“That’s right. I will serve Your Majesty just as I wish. So please don’t doubt me. It’s all for your majesty and the empire.”

I nod my head at those words.

“I understand. I will trust you just as Ioanes trusted you.”

“Yes, I accept your Majesty’s orders.”

I feel puzzled as I watch Savinelli obediently accept my offer of employment.

“From what I heard, the Archduke first made an offer to hire you. But why do you follow me when I have nothing?”

Savinelli gently closes his eyes at my words.

“I think it’s a personal revenge.”

Revenge… Revenge…

‘Do you want to take Debian’s life?’ With that in mind, I say this as if warning you in advance.

“I’ll tell you in advance, but Jim has no intention of killing him. I just want to make him lose his job.”

Savinelli responds to my words with a smile.

“That’s good too. I just want to see that arrogant guy fall to the ground. I also have no desire to take his life. Aren’t you the only husband of His Majesty? I also have no intention of killing him for the sake of the empire.”

I nod my head and say that.

“Jim will trust you. Prison guard, release Savinelli.”

A guard from far away approaches me with a puzzled expression.

“That… Your Majesty… I am truly sorry, but release is not possible without permission from the Ministry of Justice…”

With that said, I handed him the scroll I was holding in my hand.

“Jim used his pardon power, and this is an order issued by the Ministry of Justice.”

I heard that it usually takes a while to use the pardon…

When I instructed the Ministry of Justice to use the pardon power, they wrote an order as if they had been preparing it.

Perhaps… I think Debian may have prepared the procedure in advance.

The jailer says after looking through the scroll he received.

“Yes. I will release Count Savinelli right now.”

-Challang, challang.

A guard holding a bundle of keys in his sleeve opens the prison door with the key.