I Became the Master of the Empress

303

Leon III’s eyes grew wide with surprise at the sudden news of his sister’s death.

“What? Pulvia… what happened?”

“Well…”

The servant delivering the news remembered how close Leon III and Pulvia had been, and knowing how deeply the king would be affected, he hesitated to continue.

“Ah… Pulvia… Pulviaaa!”

Leon III’s expression was vacant, as if he were in a daze.

His shoulders trembled, and a look of despair crossed his face before it turned red with anger.

“Tell the entire army to prepare for war at once! I will personally crush the Duchy of Francesco!”

The furious king began preparations for war.

***

Tiberius and Eurydice.

They are a couple who married after a romance.

Having been married for over ten years now, they are still a rare couple whose love seems to overflow.

On a night when everyone was asleep, Tiberius held Eurydice tightly.

As he blew warm air into her ear, Eurydice’s body shivered lightly.

“Hmph… what’s this about?”

Knowing full well why he was doing it, Tiberius spoke as he watched her playfully push him away.

“Shall we start thinking about giving Joy a little sibling?”

“Really? How could we do that in front of the kids?”

Both were still in their thirties, but Drusus and Antony were already in their mid-teens.

Being in their late teens, they knew how babies were made, making Eurydice feel quite embarrassed.

“What does it matter? We don’t have to worry about the kids, do we? It’s not like we’re cheating; we’re a married couple.”

“Y-yeah, but still…”

While Tiberius felt confident as a man, Eurydice worried that if she were to become pregnant, it would be embarrassing for their children.

“Hehe, if you don’t come willingly…”

– Knock, knock.

Knocking on the emperor and empress’s chamber late at night is quite rare.

“Who is it?”

Tiberius, who had been looking forward to a pleasant evening.

He couldn’t help but let his voice turn sharp, as he could not view whatever was interrupting him favorably.

“Your Majesty! It’s an urgent report from the local governor dispatched to the Grand Duchy.”

“An urgent report?”

‘Why are there so many urgent reports lately?’

But since it was urgent, he thought he had no choice but to get out of bed and replied.

“Come in.”

As the emperor’s secretary opened the door and knelt down, holding the letter respectfully, Tiberius opened it.

– Squeak.

A shocking report right from the first line.

“What… what kind of madman is this?”

Tiberius was horrified by the news of Fulvia’s death.

Not just that she had died of an illness, but that she had been killed by Valoran’s violence was even more shocking.

“That crazy b*stard. I knew Valoran was insane, but I never thought he was this insane.”

The local governor dispatched to prevent the execution of Deviant.

When he visited the Grand Duchy to meet Valoran.

He had clearly expressed his willingness to go to war with the Empire if Deviant were to die in the United Kingdom.

That alone was shocking.

Tiberius’s mind became tangled with the fact that Fulvia had died that very night.

“What?”

Eurydice, who had been persistently courted by Valoran.

She could not help but be shocked by the news of the death of Valoran’s wife, the Grand Duchess.

If she had married him, it might have been her who was dead.

“Does this mean war is unavoidable?”

Separately, Tiberius, who anticipated that the United Kingdom would declare war on the Grand Duchy and the Empire due to Fulvia’s death, hurriedly donned his robe and said to Eurydice.

“Dear, I’m sorry, but I’ll be late tonight, so you should go to bed first.”

He too needed to prepare for the situation and the impending war.

Meanwhile, Valoran is having a busy time.

If a war breaks out between the United Kingdom and the Empire, it’s obvious that the first target of the United Kingdom will be the Grand Duchy.

War is his long game, but the Grand Duchy, being geographically close to the allied nations that the United Kingdom has absorbed, needs a way to navigate this situation.

Thus, he walked towards a tavern in Wyn to make contact with the demon worshippers.

An old, shabby tavern.

Inside, several vagrants are gulping down rum.

A server, noticing Valoran in his expensive attire, approached him, scanning him from head to toe, and said,

“You seem like a distinguished gentleman. What brings you here?”

“I’m looking for Amon.”

“Amon, you say? Very well. Please take a seat wherever you like, and I’ll fetch Amon for you. But what would you like to drink?”

At the server’s words, Valoran made a disdainful expression.

“Only cheap rum, I presume.”

The server shrugged awkwardly and replied,

“We just acquired some premium dark rum. It’s because some people complained that we only had cheap drinks.”

“Still just rum. Whatever. Bring that.”

A moment later, Amon appeared, holding a bottle filled with a dark liquid.

“My lord, what brings you here?”

The demon worshipper Amon.

It was largely thanks to Valoran that he was able to establish this tavern in Wyn.

Amon, who seeks to resurrect the Demon King, and Valoran, who wishes to fulfill his ambitions with that power.

If caught, his neck would be on the line, but without taking such risks, he cannot gain the continent.

“A problem has arisen.”

At those words, Amon nodded brightly and poured the drink.

“I see. My lord, first, please have a drink. This is an incredibly expensive rum. They say it’s been aged in oak barrels for thirty years. I’ve been eager to taste it, but I couldn’t because you, a distinguished guest, hadn’t come by.”

– Pong.

With familiar movements, Amon poured the rum into a glass.

As he filled Valoran’s glass with the dark liquid, Valoran accepted it with an uncomfortable expression.

“A toast.”

– Cheers.

As their glasses clinked, Amon downed his drink in one go.

“Cough! The alcohol content is similar, but the aroma is quite luxurious.”

Amon praised it, but Balorang spoke as if it were nothing special.

“It’s just cheap rum. That’s not what’s important right now.”

At Balorang’s words, Amon looked puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

“Pulvia is dead, and the United Kingdom is using that as an excuse to target the Grand Duchy. If this war breaks out, I will face punishment.”

It doesn’t make sense for the lord of a nation, a Grand Duke, to fear a murder charge, but if that murder leads to war, the situation changes slightly.

He would have to bear the responsibility for igniting a war by killing his wife.

In whatever form that may take.

“That… is a serious matter.”

And that responsibility could only disrupt their plans.

Amon’s expression hardened as he realized this.

“How did this happen?”

“My wife is dead. That damned woman kept interfering with my plans.”

At those words, Amon wore a look of sympathy.

“Oh dear… Well, it’s already happened, so there’s nothing we can do about it. So what can we do?”

In response to Amon’s question, Balorang said,

“I’ve heard that you’re involved in various businesses in the New World.”

Since the two had already shared quite a bit of information, Amon nodded readily, opening up.

“Yes, the New World hasn’t been touched by the Papacy. It’s quite a good place.”

A vast land with immense resources, the New World.

With the money earned there, the United Kingdom has grown to rival the Empire, so it’s only natural.

“Cause some unrest there.”

“Oh? That’s a bold move.”

However, Amon’s expression was not very favorable.

“I know you don’t like it. But it’s something that must be done for the greater good. Just like I am now.”

If Balorang were to crumble now, their plans would fall apart.

He would bribe the nobles of the Babylon Empire to instigate a border clash in a few years.

Of course, the main objective is not to start a war but to attack the Nicaea border, prompting a call to arms from the Empire.

So, when Balorang decided to head to Roman to offer his assistance…

—

At that time, I was planning a scheme to create a coffin to kill the Emperor and resurrect the Demon King.

If Valoran disappears here, it will be another wasted effort.

“The New World is a very important region for us. Creating unrest there to bind the hands of the United Kingdom isn’t a bad idea, but… I’m not pleased that our main source of income is being wrecked.”

“If we can just prevent the war, I can negotiate with the United Kingdom and the Emperor. I’ve heard that the United Kingdom is preparing for war.”

“That… doesn’t leave us much time.”

The New World is quite far away.

Even if I were to incite a rebellion right now, it’s clear that we would be immediately suppressed since we have nothing prepared.

‘Damn it, I told you to hit it just right!’

Amon knows Valoran’s fiery temperament.

Right now, he’s compliant and coming to me because he’s in a tight spot, but Amon knows well that he’s usually the type to sneer with an arrogant attitude.

“Well… for now, causing unrest in the New World is difficult… How about we create an incident in the United Kingdom instead?”

Valoran asked back with a puzzled expression.

“An incident?”

“Yes. We have a few nobles in the United Kingdom that we’ve brought under our influence. While it’s difficult to exert significant power in the central political arena, quite a few nobles have been benefiting from our funds.”

The New World, a realm intertwined with the United Kingdom and the Grand Duchy, is home to demon-worshipping smugglers.

They are selling goods banned from export in the United Kingdom to the Empire through the Grand Duchy.

Platinum, for instance, or spices.

Normally, spices would require customs duties, but these demon-worshippers bring them to the Empire without paying a single tax to the United Kingdom, making a profit slightly less than the customs duties.

They’ve earned quite a bit of money and, in turn, have brought more local nobles under their influence to sell even more banned goods to the Empire.

“If we leak the list of nobles we’ve brought under our influence, the United Kingdom will have to pause their war preparations.”

A scandal involving nobles colluding with the continent’s public demon-worshippers would be quite significant.

“But it’s clear that we would suffer a considerable financial blow as well… So, please transfer the trading rights held by the Grand Duchy to us.”

“Trading rights, you say?”

The trading rights of the United Kingdom, granted under the condition that the lives of Fulvia and her sons would not be harmed.

That right brings immense revenue to the Grand Duchy.

‘Damn it… It’s a bit disappointing, but it’s better than going under right now.’

Though it’s a great loss for Valoran, he reluctantly agrees.

“Fine. I accept that proposal.”