episode_0183

When the day’s meeting is over and you leave the conference room.

“Your Majesty, I have something to tell you.”

When Savinelli calls me in a low voice, I turn my head.

“I have something to report about an incident that recently occurred in Roman.”

“What do you mean?”

Since he rarely talks to me after a meeting, I am curious.

Savinelli looked around at my words, confirmed that no one was around, and spoke quietly.

“There was an explosion at an inn in Roman not long ago. Did you know?”

According to a report from the Cabinet meeting not long ago, I heard that an adventurer accidentally set off a fireball scroll and a major accident occurred.

“Yes, I heard you. They say the adventurer managed the scroll carelessly?”

He looks around and says what I said, as if it wasn’t Savinelli.

“No. I was walking nearby at the time of the incident… I saw it that day. A dark purple explosion.”

Purple explosion… Isn’t that a characteristic of demon energy?

“What…? Ji… what does that mean now?”

“Shhh… This is not unusual. I thought the Ministry of Intelligence or the Archduke would know about this, but… it’s strange. They would have been fully aware of the contents.”

Savinelli has an unusual expression.

“It appears that nothing was reported during the Cabinet meeting.”

His expression is filled with despair.

“Your Majesty… I guess the Archduke…”

“Shut that mouth!”

I can vaguely sense what Savinelli wants to say.

I feel angry at his words, thinking that he is intentionally hiding the activities of the demon worshipper.

“He is definitely not that kind of person. If you do something stupid like that again… then no matter how you are, you shouldn’t think that it will end easily.”

Saying that, I turn around.

“Your Majesty…”

He can’t do that, can he?

Although he has different views from me and is obsessed with power, he has a strong sense of responsibility.

He is a demon worshiper who wants to resurrect the demon king. Nonsense.

When I was about to leave the conference hall on foot.

“Your Majesty, I beg your pardon, but I would like to ask you whether you have had marital relations with the Archduke.”

At those rude words, I turn and glare at Savinelli.

“Dare! Are you mocking me now?!”

Savinelli lowers his head and speaks at my words.

“No. But, as you know, if the Demon King’s coffin is completed, wouldn’t an imperial woman be needed? I heard that the purer you are, the stronger the devil becomes. So, I guess…”

I get angry at his rude words and slap him in the face.

-match!

“Shut up!”

Savinelli’s head turned.

He says, caressing his cheek.

“The Archduke is a man who cannot be trusted.”

“Even though I am trying to overthrow him, I am not unaware of his loyalty. If you tie him up with an ugly demon worshiper one more time, I won’t let him.”

So I shake off my anger and leave.

***

So he ignores Savinelli and heads to meet the imperialist members.

“Your Majesty! It is such a great honor for you to visit me like this.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Louis’ mansion where the imperial faction mainly gathers.

Not long ago, I hinted that I knew that he had tried to poison me.

As my mother said, I sent them a few letters as proof, and I guess I gave up any further resistance. Or maybe he’s just looking for an opportunity, but for now, I feel satisfied that he’s faithfully following what I’m told.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, how are you so kind? I’m so jealous.”

When Lewis’s wife looks at me and says she’s jealous, I reply by saying thank you.

“Your wife is pretty enough.”

At my words, Lewis’s wife gently spreads a fan and covers her mouth.

“You are saying such kind words to me as I get older, so I don’t know what to do.”

Mrs. Lewis, who I heard was in her 40s.

She tried to cover it up with makeup, but it couldn’t hide her dark wrinkles.

You are similar in age to my mother… I really think she never ages.

I didn’t know it when I was young, but as I got older, it was a big mystery to me how beautiful my mother was and how she didn’t age.

“Your Majesty! Everyone is waiting inside. Please go quickly.”

I follow Lewis as he says that and head to the banquet hall.

The imperial faction members and their wives gathered there welcome me.

-I am grateful to Your Majesty the Emperor for visiting us here.

I tell them I am grateful.

“You invited me to come here, so I think I should express my gratitude.”

“No. your majesty! Please come here quickly.”

They lead me to the head of the table.

“Haha! This time, it was decided that the Minister of Justice would be Count Savinelli, right? I heard that the Grand Duchy is recommending Savinelli to the National Assembly as Minister Anthony’s successor and is starting a review.”

Then the servant pours wine into my glass.

“It’s no big deal.”

It’s actually no big deal.

I just wonder what on earth he is thinking.

As Savinelli said, it is certain that there is an evil plan…

I don’t know what that is.

“Haha! Now it feels like the empire is standing on its feet. Yes! How can the monarch of a country rule an empire except by force?”

“That’s right, from what I heard, the Ryan family has been fighting for generations. But that doesn’t mean he’s good at fighting. Aren’t they a servile family that suffered a crushing defeat and surrendered to the great Emperor Trajan long ago?”

I understand that the 50-year-old bald man who insults the Devian family is a councilor from a small county.

Since the empire was established… it has grown by subjugating countless peoples and countries.

Don’t you remember that not only the Ryan family… you, even your master’s family, surrendered?

To be honest, I’m not very happy with the insults to Debian and the Ryan family, so I’m holding back for a bit.

Savor the wine, listening with one ear and pouring from the other.

“Hehe, but since the Minister of Justice was taken away, the next position should be taken away by the Minister of Military Affairs or the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

“Both Gaston and Marcus are still correcting, so it won’t be easy.”

“Haha! This is the time to hire an assassin to eliminate Gaston or Marcus!”

I almost spewed wine at the words spoken by the 50-year-old bald man who offended me.

-Cough! Cough!

I frown at that idiot’s words of getting rid of a decent minister.

Both Gaston and Marcus are ministers chosen by Debian.

I don’t know if that’s why, but neither of them have any problems handling their work.

When I give an order to control it, it just tells Debian to give the order.

“Hehe! your majesty! Are you happy that the two ministers are thinking about dying?”

I get annoyed seeing that bald guy keep talking nonsense without even knowing how I feel.

“Haha! I’d rather sneak up on the Archduke. I recently went to the night market and saw the Great Duke a few times. They’re probably going around keeping it a secret, but if you target them then, you could easily kill them.”

Devian leaves the imperial palace once a week in the evening.

“Oh?! Really? Without an escort?”

“Is that so? How surprised I was when I saw this. Plus, there are pretty young girls with black hair.”

A young girl with black hair?

At those words, anger rises to the top of my head for a moment, but I try to hold it in.

“When is that time?”

I speak in a dignified voice, but my hands are shaking.

“When was that time… I saw a pretty girl with black hair once during an opera performance by Biz, and the second time was before Princess Mary’s wedding. I had black hair back then, but I was a little different from the girls back then. The first girl seemed like a very pretty high-class prostitute, but the second girl seemed like a cute girl. And I saw it at the night market last month. Even though I was alone at the time.”

uh? Biz’s performance… did you go see it with me?

I knew that the black-haired girl was me, and…

You went out with Joey once before Mary’s wedding, right?

Are you just saying that I look like a high-class prostitute? Are you crazy?

For a moment, I almost cursed, but I tried to control my anger.

“Hehe… I can’t believe I’m starting a new life outside the imperial palace. He pretends to be fine on the outside and is no different from a lecher! your majesty! A person like that should not be left alive!”

The congressman’s wives responded and spoke to those words.

“Oh my… You’re showing off your side… You’re no better than a tyrant.”

“I think it’s worse than the rumors I heard.”

You… what do you know?

When the eunuch-like Debian hears something like that, he gets so angry that his head explodes.

I would have been satisfied if he had revealed his side to me, but it would drive me crazy to talk to him like that, who is no better than a wreck.

“Hehe, it’s actually not that bad. If your Majesty and the Grand Duke have a child, then you can go and kill the Grand Duke who is wandering around the night market.”

“Haha! Is that a trick? Then everything will be solved.”

“That’s right. At that time, there will be no problem even if the Archduke dies.”

I ask because I feel uneasy as I watch people having conversations that are difficult for me to understand.

“What does that mean?”

A bald man in his 50s comes forward and speaks to me.

“The reason why you cannot assassinate the Archduke now is because if he dies, you will not be able to control the Archduchy soldiers who occupied Roman. They only listen to the Archduke’s orders. Now, we can say that the next heir is Princess Mary.”

I know that. But I understand what you mean when you say that if Devian and I have a child, I can kill him…

no way…

These bastards!

When you find out what they are talking about, it becomes unbearable.

“Hehe! If Her Majesty and the Grand Duke have a child, when the Grand Duke dies, that child will be the future grand duke. At that time, wouldn’t it be possible for His Majesty to kill the Archduke and give orders to the Archduchy’s soldiers as regent of the Archduchy?

When my face turned red with anger…

A congressman in his 50s nods with a bright smile.

“Of course, with someone who is not as good as a dog…”

I can’t stand it any longer and I hit the table with my hand.

-widely!

“Your Majesty?”

“Are you trying to make fun of me and the empire?! Are there guards outside?!”

-bang!

-I follow orders! Everyone, don’t move!

At my words, the door to the banquet hall opens and heavily armed soldiers enter.

I tell them, pointing to a bald man in his 50s.

“The author despised Jim! Punish the author according to the law!”

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty?!”

When I give an order, the guards nod and say.

-I accept Your Majesty’s orders!

“Save… Save me… Ugh!”

The bald head begins to be hit by the guards with a long spear.

Soon, a soldier binds him with a rope inside his armor and drags him outside.

“I tell you, never again… do not despise me, my children, and my descendants… then you and your master will all be consumed by the dew of the execution.”

Saying that, he leaves the banquet hall.