Keep Your Friends Close
A few days after our visit to the auction house, early in the morning, I boarded a carriage and set off for the harbor of Roman.
The reason for heading to the harbor at such an ungodly hour was to receive a highly distinguished guest. Some time ago, I had accused Savinelli, Yohanes's vassal, of being the mastermind behind the attempted assassination of the Emperor.
I had pushed hard, even threatening to break our alliance if they did not hand him over. However, Yohanes had adamantly defended him, insisting Savinelli was not the type of man to commit such a deed, leading to an endless standoff. Ultimately, after prolonged negotiations, Yohanes and I reached a compromise—Savinelli would be dispatched to Roman as the Grand Duchy's ambassador.
Savinelli, who had served as Yohanes's chief strategist within the Emperor's Faction. For now, I decided to secure his custody as a hostage. Since he was representing Yohanes, I couldn't harm him recklessly, but separating Yohanes from the remarkably capable Savinelli was a satisfying first step.
After all, once I unified the land, Savinelli would eventually become an excellent slave... no, a talented asset to lead the Empire. I preferred this outcome over execution.
Come to think of it, wasn't there a saying? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. It sounded like a famous line from some movie I watched in my past life, but right now, I was putting it into practice.
Soon, I felt the carriage grind to a halt.
"Your Grace, we have arrived at the harbor," a soldier announced from outside.
"Has Count Savinelli arrived?" I asked.
"We are told his ship has not yet docked, Your Grace."
Hearing that, I stepped down from the carriage. I watched the porters working busily and the carriages rushing back and forth through the harbor in the early morning light. It's a bit cold. Feeling the chilly breeze of early spring, I fell into thought.
Savinelli... I hope he is as remarkable as the rumors suggest. Though he wasn't originally a count of the Nicaea Kingdom, he was the son of the Count of Lazio, who had long been active in the Emperor's Faction. It hadn't been long since he ascended to the title of count himself with Yohanes's backing. Word had it that he was exceptionally wise for someone in his thirties, possessing sharp wit and extraordinary foresight.
As I stood there, anticipating our meeting, a soldier approached.
"Your Grace, Count Savinelli's ship is entering the harbor."
At his words, I looked out toward the sea. A vessel was passing through the majestic underwater walls, making its way into the harbor. The flag of the Nicaea Kingdom fluttered atop its mast. He's finally here. It was a bit later than expected, but unavoidable.
As the ship docked, I gave a nod to the soldiers. They immediately began rolling out a purple carpet toward the gangplank. Normally, high-ranking figures like kings or grand dukes were entitled to a red carpet. However, the purple carpet was a privilege reserved exclusively for the Emperor.
Well, in ancient times, purple dye was so prohibitively expensive that it became known as the imperial color, and it remained one of the primary colors representing the Emperor to this day. The honor guard formed their ranks, waiting for Savinelli to disembark. As a young man appeared on the deck, the commander of the honor guard bellowed:
"We extend our warmest welcome to Count Savinelli, the personal representative of His Majesty King Yohanes of the Nicaea Kingdom!"
The ceremonial music swelled. Savinelli began to descend the gangplank.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am Savinelli, Count of Lazio. Thank you for such a grand welcome, Your Grace."
Watching Savinelli bow politely to me, I offered a warm smile.
"Thank you for making such a long journey."
Savinelli smiled back.
"Not at all. It is my absolute honor to be here to foster a strong relationship with the Grand Duchy."
After exchanging pleasantries, I guided him toward the imperial carriage.
"I appreciate your kind words. I, too, hope we can build a fruitful relationship."
"I share that hope, Your Grace."
With that, Savinelli boarded the carriage, and we set off toward the Imperial Palace.
It had been a while since I sat down to enjoy tea and sweets with my daughters.
"Sister, I heard my brother-in-law goes on undercover inspections once every two weeks," Joy said, her eyes sparkling. "Can't the three of us go together next time?"
"I don't know," Theodora replied. "Should I ask him if the three of us can go together next time?"
At Theodora's words, Joy brightened up instantly.
"Really? Yay! I can't even remember the last time you and I went out into Roman together!"
Listening to them, a recent, deeply embarrassing memory flashed through my mind. Ah... I must have been out of my mind. To indulge in such wild delusions... I felt too ashamed to even look my son-in-law in the eye.
Suspecting an affair between Joy and my son-in-law... Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die.
"Mother, why don't you come with us too?" Joy asked.
I quickly waved my hand in dismissal.
"Oh, no, I'm quite alright."
Ugh... the shame. What if my son-in-law thinks I'm some kind of lunatic? I had slapped his cheek back then, yet he had been the one to reassure me, saying it was fine. His sheer grace only made me want to vanish from the face of the earth even more.
"Oh, right! Sister, how is... you know, the effect of the Unicorn's Horn?" Joy chimed in.
I had slapped my polite, diligent son-in-law without even hearing him out...
"How can you... You aren't even married yet, why are you asking about such things?" Theodora retorted, her face flushing with annoyance.
Theodora snapped back with a look of pure irritation, but their bickering barely registered in my ears. How could the effect be anything but... terrifyingly potent? Ah... what if my son-in-law thinks I'm a senile old woman?
"Well, yeah, but I'm curious!" Joy whined. "I'm not an adult yet, and I'm not married... A man who took the Unicorn's Horn on his wedding night... Ooh... is it really that amazing?"
Here I was, dying of embarrassment because of Joy, yet she was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. Sigh... she's my daughter, but she is far too precocious. Just as I was about to open my mouth to scold her, an unexpected remark made me freeze.
"I wouldn't know. I'm still a virgin," Theodora said flatly.
"What?!" Joy gasped.
"Theo... Theodora, is that true?!" I stammered, my eyes widening.
Both Joy and I stared at her, our faces painted with absolute shock.
"Sister, that makes no sense..." Joy stammered. "He drank the Unicorn's Horn!"
It truly made no sense. Having personally experienced the sheer potency of the Unicorn's Horn, I couldn't comprehend my daughter's words. How much had I suffered in my youth due to its brutally effective power? I had fainted multiple times from my late husband's relentless demands... On the nights he consumed the Unicorn's Horn, I lost count of how many times I had passed out.
Remembering those exhausting nights, I found Theodora's confession utterly baffling. He took the Unicorn's Horn and still hadn't spent his wedding night with her? Suddenly, the bizarre plot of Joy's fanfiction flashed through my mind. Could it be... is my son-in-law truly a sodomite? Or is he impotent? Otherwise... how on earth could he leave Theodora untouched after consuming the Unicorn's Horn I gave him?
"Y-you... you still haven't spent your wedding night with him?" I asked, my voice trembling.
At my question, Theodora gave a shy, subtle nod.
"Then... what about my... grandchildren?" I whimpered.
At my pitiful question, Theodora's face flushed red, and she replied with an awkward expression.
"G-grandchildren... Mother, we haven't even shared a bed yet..."
Joy tilted her head in confusion.
"But... didn't my brother-in-law love the Unicorn's Horn? He even got a massive nosebleed from staying up all night, didn't he?"
It was true. After trying the Unicorn's Horn once, my son-in-law had repeatedly requested more of it every single morning, and I had gladly supplied it. Theodora let out a sigh, looking thoroughly exasperated.
"Well... he said that taking it makes it incredibly easy to pull all-nighters at work..."
What? That precious, priceless medicine? He used it for overtime work?!
He had burned through a sacred aphrodisiac—given to him specifically to help produce grandchildren—just to pull all-nighters at his desk. Here I was, practically dying to hold a grandchild, and my son-in-law was ignoring his marital duties to do paperwork?! He used a legendary stamina booster for administrative labor?! Was he completely insane?!
Tremble, tremble...
My body shook with pure, unadulterated rage. What was wrong with my daughter?! Why hadn't they spent their first night together yet? Other men would crawl through glass just to hold her hand! This was an insult to my daughter, and an insult to me! A fire blazed in my chest.
Slam! I slammed both hands onto the tea table and roared.
"I'll wring that boy's neck!"
I resolved to drag my son-in-law by his collar and throw him into Theodora's bed myself, even if I had to break his bones to do it. But as I rose from my seat...
"Mother, please calm yourself. I have a plan of my own."
I flinched at the chilling, icy tone in Theodora's voice.
"Tonight will not pass quietly."
She was smiling brightly, but there was something deeply unsettling, even dangerous, about her expression. I asked in a trembling voice:
"Theo... Theodora? You don't mean... you aren't planning to unleash your... peculiar tastes on him, are you?"
Theodora smirked.
"My tastes... Well, perhaps you are right, Mother. I certainly can't leave a man who is so perfectly to my liking untouched, can I?"
A cold shiver ran down my spine. D-don't tell me... you're going to tie him up, whip him, and pour hot candle wax all over him... is that what you're planning?!
"Whoa! So you're going to pounce on him, Sister?" Joy gasped, covering her mouth.
Theodora shook her head.
"No. Deviang is far too strong for me to simply overpower him."
Ah, so because he's too strong, she's going to tie him up first?
Terrifying. She was my own daughter, but her bizarre, twisted tastes absolutely terrified me. But... if it works... Yes, perhaps my son-in-law was simply too innocent and inexperienced to know any better. These two needed a catalyst. Even if that catalyst involved a flurry of whips and chains... it couldn't be helped. As the matriarch of the family and the Imperial House, a child between them was absolutely vital for the future of the Empire.
And... I wanted to meet my adorable future grandchildren, Ian and Rene, as soon as possible. My son-in-law might end up a little bruised and battered, but... well, if he had just done his duty and bedded Theodora in the first place, none of this would have happened.
"Then what are you going to do?" Joy asked eagerly.
Theodora merely offered a serene, mysterious smile.
"Fufu... you aren't an adult yet, Joy. Ask me again after you grow up."
Theodora's smile made my heart skip a beat in sheer terror. To think my precious, adorable grandchildren would be conceived through my daughter's sadomasochistic tendencies... How horrifying, how utterly scandalous! Yet, if I did nothing, I feared I would never get to see Ian and Rene at all. To think those sweet, lovely children might be conceived through sheer violence... Oh, dear husband, the world is truly a terrifying place.
"Hmph! That's not fair! I'll be an adult after my birthday next year anyway..." Joy pouted.
"But you aren't an adult right now, are you?" Theodora replied smoothly.
Watching Theodora speak with such calm composure, I prayed with all my heart that my future grandchildren would not inherit their mother's peculiar tastes. If they grew up to have the same bizarre preferences as Theodora... Just the thought of it made my head spin.