episode_0007

The funeral was almost over, and the Emperor’s coffin was being taken to the underground tomb.

Oh, great Emperor… May you find peace with your ancestors…

After a brief mourning, I stepped out of the tomb.

And then.

“Nice to meet you. Your Grace, the Duke.”

A woman with an anxious expression greeted me from the corner.

A cute woman with red hair and freckles that matched well.

“My name is Ifa. Her Highness, the Crown Princess… wanted to meet you after the funeral…”

She handed me a letter as she spoke.

“She asked for a response…”

Glancing at Ifa, who seemed hesitant, I turned my gaze to the letter.

The seal of the Crown Princess was engraved on the red wax.

After confirming that no one was around, I tore open the seal to read the letter.

[Greetings, Your Grace.

I would like to discuss state affairs and have dinner with you today. Please forgive the intrusion. If you are not too busy, please come.]

Teodora’s letter.

Hmm…

I pondered as I read her neat handwriting.

Well… it’s something we have to meet about eventually.

Looking at Ifa, I said, “Please convey my thanks for the dinner invitation and assure her that I will arrive on time, even if it’s late.”

Ifa nodded in response, “I will deliver the message.”

As Ifa hurriedly left, I looked at the envelope and thought, “I should bring a gift, right…?”

***

“Sigh… There’s no end to the work.”

Reports piled up in front of me.

Troop deployments, urgent petitions from the Duchy, and the movements of the Imperial faction preparing for war…

There was too much to review and consider.

“Phew…”

-Knock, knock!

“Your Grace, may I come in?”

I said wearily in response to the voice coming from outside, “Come in…”

My eyes were a bit sore.

I was rubbing my left eye with my hand when…

-Creak

Agrifa brought a gift for Teodora.

“What’s this…?”

I had asked Agrifa to bring a gift for Teodora.

“It’s famous chocolate from Roman.”

Chocolate…

I heard that they started making chocolate here with cocoa beans from the New Continent.

I’ll have to find time to go out soon…

“Thank you… Sigh…”

-Plop.

I slumped into the chair like a soaked sponge, exhausted.

“It seems like you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

Agrifa seemed concerned, but…

“You too, don’t talk. You have dark circles under your eyes.”

Curly blond hair, intellectual-looking glasses, stylish clothes, and a handsome face.

Agrifa had a handsome appearance that could belong in a romance comic, but dark circles were prominent under his eyes.

“Haha…”

Currently, the only people I could trust were Agrifa and Mary.

Mary was staying in the Duchy to prevent any unpleasant incidents, and Agrifa was trying to figure out a way to handle the situation in the enemy territory with me.

-Sigh.

“Well, I’ll have dinner with the Crown Princess and be back.”

Saying so, I stood up from the chair, and he handed me a gift.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

With the gift in hand, I headed towards the residence where the Crown Princess was staying.

As the sun slowly set, I followed the long and grand corridor.

The massive Imperial Palace.

My current residence was a guest room.

It was quite different from the place where the Imperial family resided.

Hmm… What should I do…?

Should I hand over Epirus and Ezip to the Imperial faction after all?

Despite brainstorming with Agrifa, the conclusion was that we had to prevent the war.

War was an extension of politics.

In other words, politics could prevent war.

“Well… Whether it’s the anti-Imperial faction or the Imperial faction, they are ultimately bound by the empire, so it’s not wrong to say that politics is the answer.”

In the end, the drastic measure that Agrippa and I chose was to give the massive territory held by the emperor for generations to the imperial faction.

The territories in question were Ephirus and Ezeb, both far from ordinary, as they were territories of kingdom-level scale.

Ephirus, a crucial region that accounted for 20% of the empire’s revenue due to its abundant mines and numerous industrial guilds.

Ezeb, a country with the grand city of Roman as the empire’s top grain-producing region, ensuring stable food supply.

With these two regions, the emperor had control over the imperial faction nobles.

“I wonder if there will be strong opposition…?”

Therefore, there would likely be much resistance in negotiating the transfer of such vast lands.

Especially… Theodora would probably oppose it.

After all, it was land owned by the emperor for generations.

But if we could just get through this crisis, I was confident I could reclaim it within a year.

What I needed now was to rebuild the imperial faction and win over the neutral faction…

So, for now, I could afford to bow down.

“How can I quell the opposition…?”

Even if Theodora were to become the emperor, she would have no real power. Right now, I needed to address internal opposition first, didn’t I?

I pondered on ways to quell the internal opposition.

Wait, why is she asking to see me?

As I thought about it, I arrived at the residence where Princess Theodora was staying.

I was greeted by Ipah, who had brought me a letter at the funeral earlier, bowing her head and saying, “Your Grace, Princess Theodora is waiting for you.”

“Understood.”

I nodded in response and followed Ipah as she led me somewhere.

As I followed her, I could hear the beautiful sound of music.

The elegant and graceful sound of a violin getting closer and closer.

When Ipah stopped in front of a certain room and knocked.

– Knock, knock!

“Princess Theodora… Your Grace has arrived.”

The sound of the violin stopped.

“She says you may come in.”

A beautiful voice came from beyond the door.

– Creak!

As Ipah opened the door, I saw a woman in a black dress.

Long gray hair.

A tall and slender woman tidying up a violin.

And then.

– Click!

The woman put the violin in its case…

“Welcome. Your Grace.”

She turned around, and I met the gaze of the beautiful lady with a cold expression.

Long gray hair, slender legs, and a beautiful face.

Theo Dora, with her cold red eyes and lips as red as her eyes, looked at me with a captivating gaze.

She gazed at me with a cold expression.

I lightly bowed and greeted her.

“Thank you for the invitation, Princess Theodora.”

I took out the gift Agrippa had given me and said, “I apologize for only bringing this gift in haste.”

As if to say it wasn’t necessary, she replied, “No, just accepting the invitation is more than enough.”

She said that, but she wore a colder expression than anyone else.

“Thank you for saying so.”

At that moment, Ipah intervened and said, “If you give me the gift, I will deliver it to Princess Theodora later.”

I handed the gift to Ipah.

“Please, have a seat, Your Grace.”

When Theodora invited me to sit at the table, I complied.

As she sat across from me, she spoke in her beautiful voice.

“Thank you for arranging the funeral for the late emperor.”

“No, Emperor… was a great man. I just did what needed to be done.”

I said that absentmindedly, and Theodora stared at me intently.

Her cold red eyes scrutinized me.

It felt uncomfortable.

Knowing how vengeful she could be in the novel, I felt a bit uneasy.

“Yes… Thank you for saying so.”

– Clap, clap!

She said, clapping her hands lightly.

– Creak!

The restaurant’s door opens, and the servants begin to bring out dishes one by one.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have much prepared.”

They start setting the food on our table.

“No, just the fact that you invited me is enough to be grateful for.”

“Is that so?”

I feel a bit puzzled by Theo’s expressionless face as he asks.

But… what’s with this attitude after inviting me?

Her expression and tone seem as if she didn’t want to invite me but did so reluctantly.

Well… I kind of expected it.

I heard that the emperor’s family had a good relationship.

There was no typical succession competition, and even the former crown prince was said to have adored his siblings.

I think Theo might see me as an enemy.

The one who destroyed the harmony in the family, Valeran.

Even if I killed Valeran, I’m still his son.

So, I can understand why she’s reacting this way.

“Please, enjoy your meal. It will get cold.”

She says with a blank expression, holding the utensils.

“Yes, of course.”

And so, the uncomfortable mealtime begins.

Her gaze, glancing at me from time to time, makes me uneasy.

She may think she’s hiding her gaze, but her dazzling eyes make it stand out.

When I’m pondering what to say, Theo speaks up.

“Duke, if I had poisoned the food, how would you react so calmly and eat it?”

At Theo’s sudden remark, I reply calmly.

“Did you poison it?”

At my words, Theo smiles for the first time.

A very cold smile…

“Wouldn’t you not know that?”

She looks around and continues.

“Your family executed the late emperor and the former crown prince. If that’s the extent of the crime, no one would blame me for poisoning you, right?”

-Hmph.

“That might be true. But since you’re not a fool, you wouldn’t concoct such a scheme, right?”

I say with a slightly playful expression.

“What does me not being a fool have to do with whether your food is poisoned or not?”

A smile mixed with playfulness and coldness.

It seems like she’s bringing up such words to threaten me, as if she can poison me.

Perhaps she’s opposing the marriage while subtly threatening me.

But… is she still too young for such things?

Clumsy…

“Whether it matters or not, our soldiers have occupied the capital. The Golden Knights, who protect the emperor, have been expelled from the capital…”

She says that and then opens her mouth as if to ignore her.

That way… she won’t cause any strange actions.

“If I die, my soldiers will riot. Can you handle that chaos?”

The current situation is already chaotic, and if I die?

The nobles and soldiers within the Duchy will surely riot.

In simple terms, they might turn into bandits.

A military and factions without a leader…

The chaos they bring will be unpredictable, but everyone can expect that it will bring a great disturbance to the beautiful city of Roman.

The imperial faction and the soldiers who will soon fight.

Will they leave the princess who killed me alone? I don’t think so.

The princess and the remaining imperial family… they will all die horribly.

Their chaos will turn into clear violence and engulf the imperial palace.

And then… the council will be destroyed.

After that, the valuable items in Roman will be looted and turned into ruins as they flee to the Duchy.

It’s a clear fact that such an event will be called the rape of Roman.

If that happens, the empire will lose the peaceful era that lasted for centuries.

Even if Theo survives as a survivor in such a chaotic situation… can she handle it?

She will probably just be captured by the second Valeran or the second me, only to be humiliated again.

That’s why I calmly stated the harsh reality.

She must know this as well…

“…”

So she must be glaring at me with that angry face.

Ignoring her, I continue to enjoy my meal.