episode_0039

Let’s leave the office and head to the Empress Dowager’s residence…

“Huh? Brother-in-law?”

I run into Joey coming out of the imperial quarters.

“Sister-in-law? Where are you going?”

He laughs and says at my words.

“I’m going to go for a walk. Would you like to go with your brother-in-law?”

“Haha. No, I came to see my mother-in-law.”

He smiles brightly as if he understands what I mean.

“Ah~ If you’re mom, stay in your room.”

With those words, I carefully ask Joy.

“Well… do you know what your mother-in-law is trying to say?”

At my words, Joey looks around and speaks cautiously.

“Not long ago, my mother heard from the maids…”

-gulp.

I feel worried when I see Joy approaching and talking with an unusual expression.

“Well… my mother heard that my brother-in-law was making my sister work all night long.”

I couldn’t refute that statement.

First of all, it’s not a simple answer… but it’s true that they make you study and work all night long.

“Ha…, as expected…”

I began to recognize Agrippa when he mentioned it yesterday.

Living in the imperial palace is not as easy as you think.

“I think that’s why he asked to see you today.”

I nod my head at those words.

“Well, from the mother-in-law’s perspective, she said her daughter works overtime all night. You must be worried.”

At my words, Joey looks left and right and speaks carefully.

“But… Are you really being simple-minded?”

What is there to be simple about? Are they just a couple?

I haven’t even had the first night, so is there any reason to be humbled?

According to the law here, a marriage that does not take place on the first night is legally invalid. If you ask the Pope right now to invalidate it since the first night was not held, he will declare it invalid after a simple inspection.

In other words, is this a strange relationship where they are officially a couple but not legally a couple?

I want to say this, but I can’t, so I shake my head with an embarrassed smile.

“No, I am Theodora… I love her.”

Joy nods her head with an expression that agrees with what I said.

“I knew it!, I told my mom a lot about how much my brother-in-law likes my sister.”

“Huh?”

How much do I like it? You don’t like it in the first place?

I don’t really understand what Joey is saying.

“Anyway, I’ll leave now! Fighting, brother-in-law!”

I see my sister-in-law, who is cheering me on by clenching her fists, running down the corridor with a blush on her face.

“Cute…”

With that in mind, I arrived at my mother-in-law’s residence.

“The Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Grand Duke have arrived.”

[Come on in.]

The voice coming from inside sounds a little scary today.

-Quick!

I see the door open and I go into the room.

“Are you here? You arrived earlier than expected.”

I bow lightly as I look at her.

“Yes, I was worried that my mother-in-law might be waiting, so I finished it quickly.”

“You are talking nonsense. I know all too well that you are busy. Come and sit down.”

With those words, I sit across from my mother-in-law.

“I heard you like coffee?”

My mother-in-law gently lifted the porcelain kettle with a blue picture on it…

He pours himself a cup and hands it to me.

“My family likes tea more than coffee, so I’m not sure if it will suit your taste.”

I smile and answer my mother-in-law’s words.

“I like anything my mother-in-law gives me.”

“Is that so? That would be nice, but…”

I take a sip of the coffee my mother-in-law gives me.

“The reason I called you here is no different. I heard a rumor that you don’t sleep with my daughter.”

I knew it…

After meeting my sister-in-law, I tell her the answer I somehow managed to come up with.

“What would you do by hiding it from your mother-in-law? That’s right.”

My mother-in-law frowns slightly at my words.

“Didn’t you say you love my daughter? But why are you insulting me like that?”

“I love you. That’s why I want to be considerate of her.”

This short sentence has several meanings.

Did you read my thoughts a little?

“I think I know a little bit about what you want to say. But that’s insulting to the child.”

I respond by nodding my head weakly.

“That’s right. I may be insulting her. But… I’m afraid that if I, who hates her so much, forcefully take her… it might leave a huge scar on the woman I love.”

Love is shit.

To be honest, it is dizzying to think of the ambitious Theodora’s revenge.

But if I told this to my mother-in-law, I was sure she would get angry, so I tried my best to hide it…

My mother-in-law sighs.

“Whoa… You don’t know women very well.”

“You don’t know women very well?”

My mother-in-law gently closes her eyes and speaks.

“It was an unusual love marriage between His Majesty and the Emperor.”

When you say that, it seems like you are drawing on the past.

“He had a dream. The dream is to bring peace and prosperity to the people of the empire.”

Is it a reminiscence of the past?

“It was beautiful. Could it be because he had such a dream? In my eyes, he was a man who shined brightly.”

I take a sip of coffee while listening to my mother-in-law.

“I admired him. Looking at her brilliant and shining person, I also did my best as a mother of the nation.”

What do you want to say? Are you saying that I should also be a good couple with her?

-Whoop…

Enjoying the scent of hot coffee, I wait for my mother-in-law’s next words.

“The way my child looks at you now is similar to my eyes then.”

– Push!

“Cough!, Cough!”

I spit out my coffee without realizing it because of the unexpected words.

“Excuse me… Mother-in-law.”

No… I can’t believe I made such a mistake.

No matter how absurd I heard my mother-in-law say, I never would have thought that an adult would make such a rude gesture while speaking.

“Kwikkk… Are you human too?, didn’t you know I would say something like this?”

My mother-in-law did not reprimand me, but instead smiled as if it was fun. I also speak a little relaxed.

“Mother-in-law. You’re being overly pretentious. Theodora, what kind of person is she? Would you think of me like that?”

She is now hunkered down, biding her time and learning from me.

He is learning everything he has to learn from me and waiting for me to shake up.

Just stay quiet for that time.

But my mother-in-law shakes her head and says that she doesn’t think so.

“No. Terra likes you. She’s my daughter, so I know it well.”

Phew… not really.

I know the original story.

My mother-in-law does not know how cruel she is in the story where I was not present.

However, it is also difficult to say that the adult’s words were wrong, so he smiles insincerely.

“Then I’m glad…”

But did my mother-in-law see what was inside me?

“You. You don’t believe me? Lately, whenever I enjoy refreshments with Terra, she always talks about you. I can tell you how hard you lead the empire and how wise and amazing you are.

No way?

Theodora praises me like that? It’s not easy to believe.

So, I take a moment to think about what to say in my head.

My mother-in-law also spoke out what was inside her. It wouldn’t be polite for me not to bring it up.

That’s how I make up my mind and reveal my inner thoughts.

“Honestly, I can’t believe it. She has the qualities of a queen.”

The king cannot allow anyone to stand above him.

Because that is the way of defeat.

In the novel, she cannot tolerate disobedience to herself.

Although he gave up his pride and entered the warrior’s harem to achieve his goal.

It’s strictly for his own purposes.

She uses her body for her own purposes.

I am scared of her.

That’s why… I won’t give you an excuse.

That there will be a child between me and her.

Because it creates a situation where she can kill me.

“Hehe… Why are you so afraid of that child? In my eyes, she is an infinitely pretty and lovely child.”

It’s definitely beautiful.

While living in two worlds, Earth and here, I have never seen a woman as beautiful as Theodora.

Pure white skin, brilliant and luscious gray hair, ruby red eyes, a beautiful face and a body that arouses men’s lust.

All of that is beautiful.

If I fall for her beauty… I will see my death, so I will struggle to endure it.

However, I don’t think it would mean much to tell her mother and mother-in-law how cruel she is, so I just play around with it.

“Beautiful and lovely. But… I don’t want to do anything that would make her frown.”

“That’s what they say, but I heard they make you work all night?”

I was momentarily speechless at my mother-in-law’s words.

In fact, it is a secret that yesterday as well, he forced me to study imperial administration all night long and told me to find something that could improve the empire’s finances.

They trick him into studying by telling him that he can serve as emperor only if he can pass the imperial administrative examination to become a civil servant of the empire.

At first, Theodora was determined not to do it, but…

-His name is emperor. Don’t you need to know how the empire’s administrative data is created and what the indicators mean?

I can’t refute these words, and in the end, my conscience is pricked because I am helping with my work during the day and learning public administration step by step at night.

However, my mother-in-law seems to have no intention of pursuing this further and changes the subject to something else.

“Hehe… I heard it from my daughter. I heard that you and Terra haven’t had the first night yet. Is that true?”

Is it because they are mother and daughter?

He nods, amazed that a father and son can say things that are difficult to say to each other.

“That’s enough consideration. Everyone knows that it is difficult for men to control their sexual desires. If you do that much, that’s enough. Or do you have no intention of giving me Terra’s child?”

Those words make me blush.

Now… my mother-in-law… I gave her a grandchild… but I ended up leaving this world by poisoning myself.

I cannot yet inform my unborn child that I have given up the inheritance of the Grand Duchy.

The variables that that fact creates are too complex.

To put it bluntly… those with disloyal thoughts within the Grand Duchy may target Mary.

It is a truth that should not be revealed until Agrippa has established himself as a sire in the Grand Duchy, as it could lead to an attempt on Agrippa’s life.

“Hey, why is your face like that? My complexion is not good.”

I laugh awkwardly at those words.

“Haha… That’s… probably because I stayed up all night recently.”

“Oops… Then, go to your room early today and rest with Terra.”

My mother-in-law says dangerous things with a sad expression on my face.

“Yes?… Uh…”

I roll my eyes and worry about how to escape this situation.

-Tarang.

Before I could say anything, my mother-in-law rang the bell on the table.

Within…

The door opens and an elderly looking maid comes in.

“Did you call me? Empress Dowager Mama.”

“Yes. Today, my son-in-law said he was going to his room to rest for the first time in a while. Go and see for yourself whether there is anything lacking.”

Uh… if I do this… I can’t run away…

I sigh inwardly as I am taken to the bedroom that my mother-in-law had personally prepared.

I looked at my mother-in-law smiling brightly as she saw the head maid leave.

It’s hard to say that I can’t do it now.

“As expected. I have a good son-in-law. It’s the same.”

“Haha… Is that so?”

I just let out that embarrassing smile.