I Became the Master of the Empress

61 – Episode 61

After the opera ended.

Theodora speaks in a heartfelt tone.

“Don’t you think the main soprano is really pretty?”

I nod my head at those words.

I don’t know anything about art, but in the culture here, it is said that nobles should have a deep understanding of art to be cultured.

“Plus, the story was unique and really good. “In particular, the way he rejects the main tenor’s heartbreaking love is so beautiful.”

Red-haired soprano.

I’m sure you’ve probably heard a lot of people say that it’s beautiful when you look at it objectively, but…

Theodora next to me is said to be the most beautiful in the empire.

She grabs my arm, which was chatting next to me, and pulls it towards me.

“Huh…?”

And soon, a carriage passed by where she was.

“It’s good to feel good, but take care of yourself.”

She nods her head slightly at my words and says as she holds on to my arm.

“It’s natural for couples to link arms, right?”

As she says, all the couples around us are linking their arms.

As if everything was salty.

“Maybe so?”

We linked arms and enjoyed Roman’s night a little more.

I ask this question as I watch my family playing around.

“How about actually seeing the night market?”

“It’s so colorful and fun.”

I think to myself as I see Theodora smiling brightly and looking happy at my words.

It was a good thing we came out together today.

***

Just like that, the two of us returned to the imperial palace.

When I return…

I climbed over the wall first and brought Theodora with me, having secretly packed her ladder from Gardner’s warehouse in advance so as not to be noticed by the guards.

From Noble mtl dot com

When traveling with Agrippa, both of them have the ability to climb over the walls of the imperial palace, but Theodora does not.

Of course, the servants were scared when they saw me and Theodora wearing shabby clothes in the imperial palace, but there was nothing they could do.

Sometimes you need to rest like this. With that in mind, I say to Theodora:

“Shall we have a drink today?”

At my words, Theodora blushes slightly and nods her head slightly.

Why do my cheeks blush? I just want to get drunk.

I just want to get drunk due to the pressure and stress I feel recently.

When I asked the servant in the imperial palace to bring me some suitable wine and brandy, the servant immediately came back with two bottles of alcohol.

Theodora ordered wine from a certain region, and I…

“Brandy… Isn’t it too strong?”

He frowns when he sees the brandy I ordered.

“Leave it alone. “I want to drink some today.”

I don’t usually drink to excess, but today I want to get a little drunk.

“Now, this is a local wine from La Muët.”

Show the label on the bottle to Theodora.

-Bong!

The servant opens the wine in a familiar manner and pours it for Theodora.

Then he takes out a gorgeous crystal bottle filled with golden liquid and shows me the label.

I don’t usually like brandy, so I don’t know much about it, but I thought it would be just right, so when she nodded, she skillfully opened the bottle and filled my glass.

“Ta-da!”

I put my glass on top of the wine glass that Theodora holds out.

-Ting~

Clear glass clashes against each other and the sound resonates in the glass.

And as she pours the brandy into her mouth, she enjoys the hot sensation coming from her esophagus.

Jinhang Oak tree scent and alcohol scent.

And enjoy the faint taste of fruit.

As I was about to pour another drink, Theodora sat across from me and gently grabbed the bottle and spoke.

“Drink it slowly… It’s very strong.”

“I want to drink a little today.”

If not today, when will I relieve my frustration?

Did you know my sincerity? Theodora asks worriedly.

“What’s going on with you these days?”

I shake my head and say those words.

“No… I just want to get drunk.”

I think the guilt will go away a little when I get drunk.

At least now I want to be free from this heavy guilt.

“Then I will follow you.”

She says that and pours alcohol into my glass.

I think as I watch Theodora filling her glass.

“hahahaha… It’s quite luxurious.”

I had no idea that such a beautiful emperor would enjoy the luxury of personally pouring me a drink.

-Small…

I never thought that I, who was an ordinary person in my previous life, would have this great luxury.

I think so, but my mouth is sour so I pour the alcohol into my mouth.

“Are you sure you’re okay? “I heard it’s over 40 degrees Celsius…”

Theodora, looking at the label on the bottle, opens her eyes wide and shouts.

“7… 70 Degrees? Are you really okay?”

I wave my hand and say those words.

“It’s okay, but it tastes better than I thought.”

It’s really delicious.

Is it because I feel hazy… Or is it because I’m drunk?

When she naturally tried to hold the bottle, Theodora shook her head, hugging the bottle tightly in her arms as if she couldn’t do it.

“Drink slowly! And then you die!”

I shake my head and say those words.

“There’s no way you could die from something like this, right? “It’s okay, so give me more.”

Theodora sighs at my words.

“Ugh… So you’re just going to have one more drink?”

I nodded lightly at those words and slowly poured it out, and I quickly poured it into my mouth.

Brandy’s unique strong alcoholic scent.

At first I felt repulsed because it was too thick, but now what can I say?

Should I say it feels a bit sweet?

My head gradually feels heavy.

“You… Are you really okay?”

Theodora looks at me with worried eyes.

I feel a strange experience, as if time around me has stopped.

Could it be because he was drunk? My mind goes blank.

And…

In an unknown deep sorrow…

“Huh? “Are you crying?”

I feel embarrassed by the tears flowing without my knowledge.

I quickly wipe my eyes at Theodora’s words.

“No, I’m not crying.”

At my words, Theodora grabs my face and makes eye contact with hers.

“What’s really going on with you? Is that so?”

At those words, I escape from Theodora’s hand and speak hurriedly.

“No… Nothing.”

As he says that, he pours the liquor from the bottle on the table into a glass.

Like that, the number of glasses I poured became two, and before I knew it, it had become three.

Suddenly. When three glasses soon became four, she grabbed my arm with her trembling hand.

And…

Hugs me.

“Why is it so difficult?”

I speak in a weak voice.

“It’s just… Everything is difficult.”

Is it because I’m drunk?

It was obvious that she was targeting my weaknesses, but without realizing it, I showed myself to be weak.

We should stop now.

I try to somehow suppress my broken heart and calm my tears, but once the tears start flowing, they don’t easily stop, so I close my eyes.

Ah… Really… It’s the main strategy.

Calm your mind to stop crying.

How much time has passed?

As soon as I feel my body calming down, I open my eyes.

Theodora looks at me with a vague expression.

The red eyes that were usually arrogant and cold feel different at this moment.

Are you a little drunk?

“Are you okay?”

I nod my head at those words.

-Pisik.

War.

I was definitely the one who started the war.

The subject of driving innocent people who live hard every day into the whirlpool of war.

I can’t believe you’re dragging your feet.

I can’t believe that the anti-emperor nobles who swore allegiance started a war under the pretext of violating the contract they had sworn to our family for generations.

But… How many people died because of it?

Those who have been taken out as the pillar of the family.

I uprooted their beloved father and the reliable pillar that protected them.

And what’s even more terrible is… More and more people will be selected in the future.

-Pat… Pat…

Her hand patting my back.

But now, at this moment, the touch is not that bad.

“The people who died in the war… Their families… They all… Will blame me, right?”

I can feel Theodora shaking at my self-deprecating tone.

“No. “It’s not like that.”

I interrupt Theodora’s words and say,

“No, the people who died because of me and my family will all wish for my death? “He is a crazy archduke who killed his father and his family by sending them to war…”

He continues calmly in a self-mocking voice.

“Maybe everyone wants me dead. “Ioanes, the people of the empire… and you too.”

I die, and Theodora completely reigns as emperor.

I am sure that more than half of this empire wants that.

“No, absolutely not.”

I firmly cut off Theodora, who was shaking her head as if saying no, and gave a firm answer.

“No. I know.”

This woman who pretends to care about me now may end up wanting to kill me.

But why?

If I’m going to die, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to die in her arms.

Because she is so damn beautiful.

Her beauty is so dangerous that sometimes I forget that she wants to take my life.

It would be a noble thing to die in her arms.

And somehow, at this moment, I am not afraid of death.

No, I feel comfortable.

It might be better to die and rest in peace rather than struggling to live each day.

Theodora comforts me, whether she knows my heart or not.

“They know how much you have done for the empire…”

He says, cutting her off.

“No. Are you okay. “It’s okay if everyone thinks that way.”

She flinched at my words.

“I didn’t start this to be recognized by others anyway, right?”

In the original work, Valorant dies and Devian dies as well.

The easiest way to change the ending is to escape to the United Kingdom.

If I had run away to the United Kingdom without worrying about Octavia, Mary, or Agrippa, I probably wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.

Anyway, Valorant is only interested in my death.

If I run away to the United Kingdom on my own, he will think there is nothing he can do.

I’ll be busy trying to sort out Valorant, who succeeded in his treason, so the only way I can do it is to send an assassin.

Even if I had moved to the New World and lived peacefully with the personal property my mother gave me, it would have been less difficult than it is now.

And if I also give up my inheritance rights, Valorant won’t bother to assassinate me in the New World.

Whether the devil or the warrior fight among themselves or not…

If I had just left it alone, I wouldn’t have had a hard time.

“Debian…”

But I couldn’t do that.

My lovely family and friends.

And because more people were going to die, we did not choose the easy path.

-One day, become a grand duke and rule mercifully.

-Take warm care of the vulnerable people.

Mother.

Why did you make me carry such a big burden?

I guess the pressure that had been building up throughout my life exploded.

Valorant’s abuse since childhood.

The first time I was imprisoned in a watchtower.

In order to survive, I studied and trained all night long at the military academy.

The sadness I have been receiving so far is bound to explode.

I was slowly coming back to my senses and realized how despicable my actions were.

Theodora hugging me.

Her arms… Are so warm.

It feels so warm that it melts away my sadness.

-Pat… Pat…

From Noble mtl dot com

Theodora removes me from her embrace and looks down at me with her sad eyes.

“It must have been very difficult. “You pretend to be strong in front of others… But your heart is so soft.”

She felt deep shame at those words and she escaped from her embrace.

“Hmm… I behaved indecently. “I need to stop drinking today.”

I can’t believe I behave like this.

And that too in front of a woman who is taking advantage of my shortcomings.

“I’ll wash first.”

I avoid Theodora, who is trying to say something to me, and head to her bathroom.