The Morning After the Holiday
The morning after the holiday. Today marked the beginning of Theodora’s official duties. Her morning schedule consisted of addressing various petitions submitted directly to the Emperor of the Empire. Since I had gone over how to handle these petitions with her yesterday, I only hoped everything would go smoothly.
"Her Imperial Majesty enters!"
Everyone gathered in the audience chamber turned their gaze toward the grand doors.
With a heavy creak and a resounding thud, the massive doors swung open. Theodora stepped inside, wearing a magnificent gown and a purple fur cloak. Perhaps it was to hide the dark circles under her eyes, but her makeup seemed slightly heavier than usual. She stepped gracefully across the purple carpet, ascended the dais, and took her seat upon the throne.
"Let the petitioner step forward," she commanded, her voice ringing with imperial dignity.
At her words, a wealthy-looking man from the city stepped forward and knelt on one knee before the throne.
"I pay my respects to the supreme Emperor of the Empire."
Theodora gave a slight nod. "Speak. What is the nature of your petition?"
The wealthy man stood up, looking up at Theodora. "Your Majesty, the public security in Roman has grown unstable of late. We are in desperate need of additional guards."
Theodora nodded slowly. "Let the Grand Duke step forward."
At her call, I bowed my head respectfully. "Yes, Your Majesty. Speak your command."
"Draft five hundred new recruits into the city guard to ease the anxieties of our citizens."
"Your will shall be done."
This was exactly how we had rehearsed it yesterday, down to the specific numbers.
"Oh, praise be to the benevolent Emperor! Thank you, Your Majesty!"
With the wealthy man bowing his way out, the rest of the petitions proceeded in rapid succession.
"Your Majesty! The price of flour is skyrocketing! We need extraordinary measures..."
"We shall requisition grain from Egypt."
Although Egypt was currently under Yohanes's control, I knew that since he secretly wanted to consolidate his grip on both Epirus and Egypt, he would quietly hand over the flour to avoid raising suspicions. Theodora handled the matter smoothly, sticking perfectly to the script we had agreed upon.
Before long, the final petitioner was called. She was an elderly woman, appearing to be in her fifties. She fell to her knees before Theodora, weeping bitterly.
"Your Majesty! My son has been falsely accused! Please! I beg of you, save his life!"
I felt a pang of doubt watching the desperate mother cry out without even observing proper court etiquette. But regardless of my misgivings, Theodora replied coldly.
"I cannot. Is your son not a vicious criminal who brutally murdered his own wife?"
Her words brought back the details of a petition we had reviewed together a few days ago. A newlywed man had been sentenced to death for the brutal murder of his wife. His mother had petitioned the crown, claiming her son's innocence. I had skimmed through the trial records out of curiosity; the circumstantial evidence, the witnesses, and the physical proof all pointed cleanly to the husband. Yet, it was precisely because the case was so flawlessly wrapped up that I felt a lingering sense of unease. Wasn't the key witness the son of the local lord where the couple lived? That was why I had intended to put the execution on hold and order a reinvestigation...
"Though a sovereign must always strive to be merciful, there is no mercy to be spared for the wicked."
Theodora was going off-script, acting entirely on her own. Damn it...
"Your Majesty! My son is not that kind of person! He and his wife loved each other dearly! This is a conspiracy by the lord's son!"
Theodora shook her head, her tone growing even colder. "This is a verdict handed down by a sacred court of law. Countless witnesses and overwhelming evidence point to his guilt. Are you insulting them, and by extension, the judiciary of the Empire?"
"Your Majesty! I swear it is the truth! They—"
"Silence! If you utter another word mocking the Empire in my presence, you too shall face the judgment of the law."
Theodora then turned her gaze toward me. "Grand Duke! See to it that this woman's son is executed immediately!"
Watching Theodora completely run amok, I quickly organized my thoughts. For those in power, a single minor decision could yield massive consequences. The outcome might be favorable, or it might be disastrous. That was why even the most trivial matters required careful deliberation. Of course, overthinking could lead to indecisiveness and missed opportunities, meaning one had to make bold decisions when the situation called for it. But this was not one of those times.
"Grand Duke? Why do you not answer?"
Ignoring her prompt, I finalized my decision. Once a person is dead... they can never be brought back.
Having made up my mind, I spoke clearly. "I am exercising my Veto Power."
"Did... did the Grand Duke just exercise his veto?"
"Why so suddenly?"
The audience chamber erupted into a flurry of whispers. Up until now, the display Theodora and I had put on was a carefully choreographed performance to show the Empire that we were on good terms. Both of our reputations were on the line, which was why we had rehearsed this play beforehand.
Thud!
"Grand Duke!" Theodora slammed her hand against the armrest of the throne, her voice trembling with rage. "Are you... are you saying you are exercising your veto now? Over a heinous criminal who committed such an atrocious act?"
Unfazed by her outburst, I replied calmly, "Yes, Your Majesty. Once a life is taken, it cannot be restored. I intend to use my authority to order the Ministry of Justice to conduct a thorough reinvestigation."
Theodora let out a cold, mocking laugh. "And if he is indeed the culprit? Is the Grand Duke truly willing to waste the Empire's precious administrative resources on a mere prisoner?"
I smirked. "Yes, I will waste them. If wasting those resources means we can save even a single innocent soul, I will gladly do so anytime."
"Grand Duke!"
Her crimson eyes, burning with fury, glared down at me.
Theodora's hands trembled with sheer rage. Sigh... This is why she should have stuck to the script we agreed on. She just had to go and complicate things. She was likely mortified. After all, her subject—and her husband—had just openly defied her command in front of the entire court.
"Grand Duke! Show proper respect to His Imperial Majesty!"
"Indeed! No matter if you are the Prince Consort, you are still a subject of the Emperor!"
"Tsk, tsk. What else can you expect from a lowly military family?"
I swept my gaze across the nobles whispering their mockery.
They flinched.
Pathetic cowards. They shivered under my cold gaze, lacking even the courage to meet my eyes, yet they dared to wag their tongues. I turned my attention away from those spineless nobles and looked back at Theodora, who was glaring at me with intense hostility. Attempting to salvage whatever was left of her dignity, I spoke again.
"As your loyal subject, I cannot allow Your Majesty to become a murderer. Therefore, I shall exercise the veto power that Your Majesty graciously bestowed upon me."
"How dare you... How dare you!"
She seemed to believe she could control me using her imperial authority, but I had absolutely no intention of letting her do so.
"Is there an official from the Ministry of Justice present?" I called out.
At my words, a man stepped forward, trembling. "Y-Yes, Your Grace? Did you call for me?"
"I am issuing an order."
"P-Please, speak your command."
"I will personally oversee the retrial of this case. Issue a summons under my name to bring all involved parties to Roman immediately, and transfer all evidence to the Grand Duke's Office."
"Y-Yes, right away!"
I turned back to Theodora and spoke with easy composure. "The final petition has concluded, Your Majesty."
"Grand Duke, let me ask you one thing."
Theodora was visibly shaking, struggling to suppress her mounting rage as she continued, "What if... what if you are wrong? How do you intend to pay for wasting the precious administrative resources of the Empire?"
I stepped forward and countered, "Then let me ask you in return: if the man is indeed innocent, can Your Majesty bring him back to life?"
"..."
"If I investigate and his guilt is proven beyond a doubt, we can carry out the sentence then. But if we proceed according to your wishes and he is later found innocent... how will Your Majesty correct that mistake?"
"Hmph. How could that be? The Empire's judges are not fools; they do not hand down death sentences to just anyone."
Her eyes were filled with unwavering conviction. Did she truly believe the Empire she had known since childhood was always just? Perhaps that was true back when the Emperor's authority was absolute, but not anymore. The central government had collapsed, and local lords were eagerly seizing the opportunity to expand their own power. Still, the more I got to know her, the more I found her naive idealism almost endearing.
I let out a soft chuckle. "Nothing in this world is absolute, Your Majesty. Now, if you will excuse me, I have urgent matters to attend to."
With that, I turned and walked out of the audience chamber.
Back in my office, I grabbed a quick sandwich while preparing for the afternoon cabinet meeting. During this session, I planned to issue directives for a major tax reform. I intended to order the preparation of reference materials for a streamlined restructuring of the tax system. Because the direction I wanted to take would face fierce opposition from the nobility, I had to move in absolute secrecy. The ministers attending the cabinet meeting wielded immense power, and it was impossible to tell how much bribe money they had accepted from factions wishing to exploit that influence. Though the details of the tax reform would eventually be made public, keeping it under wraps for now was the wisest course of action.
"Y-Your Imperial Majesty?!"
"Out of my way!"
Thud!
Slam!
"You absolute bastard!"
Theodora burst into my office, practically fuming. Taken aback by her sudden intrusion, I quickly barked at the guards outside, "C-Close the door immediately! What are you all doing?"
If word got out that the Empress had thrown a tantrum, shoved past the guards, and slammed open my door like a commoner, it would be an absolute embarrassment.
"Yes, Your Grace!"
Click, thud.
As the heavy doors shut tight, I let out a long, weary sigh.
"What is it now? What's wrong?"
My exhausted tone only seemed to fuel her rage. Theodora clenched her fists, her entire body trembling. "Did you really have to humiliate me like that in front of everyone? Did it make you feel good?"
"If you had just stuck to what we agreed on yesterday—"
"I am the Emperor! I am not your puppet! Why should I have to do everything exactly as you dictate?"
I frowned. "Because if you don't, you'll make mistakes."
"A mistake?! You call executing that godforsaken murderer a mistake?!"
Her screeching voice made my temples throb. I was already running on barely any sleep, and the noise was unbearable.
"Keep your voice down. My head is pounding."
"I don't care! Withdraw your veto right now!"
I shook my head slowly, meeting her furious glare with a cold, unyielding gaze. "No. I will not withdraw it."
I rose from my chair and stepped closer to her.
"Not a puppet, you say?" I murmured, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous register.
She flinched slightly.
I reached out, firmly grasping her trembling chin, forcing her to look me dead in the eye.
"Ugh..."
"What do you actually know about this Empire? If I handed full authority over to you right this second, do you honestly believe you could rule? It would be a miracle if the Empire didn't collapse within a week."
To be perfectly frank, the current Theodora was nowhere near capable of navigating this tangled web of politics. Even with the absolute authority of the throne, she lacked the cunning to outmaneuver her treacherous ministers. In plain terms, she didn't even possess the strength to suppress someone like Yohanes.
Ptu! "Shut up, you piece of trash."
Theodora spat directly in my face. When I raised my other hand, she instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. Did she think I was going to strike her?
Amused by her reaction, I simply used my hand to wipe the spit from my cheek.
Swipe.
I looked down at her, my expression filled with pity. "An ignorant and incompetent sovereign is far better off as a puppet. It's safer for the world that way."
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
I finally let go of her chin, leaving her to glare at me with wide, furious eyes.
"Save your energy. Once I make a decision, I stick to it. I will not withdraw the veto, and I will personally oversee that man's retrial."
If he truly was innocent, then executing him would make both the Empire and me murderers. I felt no remorse in executing the wicked, but I refused to let an innocent soul be framed and put to death.
"And if it turns out I was wrong, I will issue a public apology to you."
A public apology from the Grand Duke, who currently held all practical power in the Empire. That would go a long way toward restoring the imperial prestige I had just trampled upon. Honestly, I hadn't wanted to damage her reputation in the first place. This was simply a necessary measure.
"Are you... are you serious?"
Her tone softened slightly, and I nodded in response.
"But what if the man is indeed innocent? What will you do then?"
At my question, Theodora's eyes darted around as she fell into deep thought.
"I have promised you a public apology," I pressed. "Even if you are a woman, if you claim to be the master of this Empire, you must wager something fitting."
"Fine. If he is innocent, I will never question your use of the veto power again, no matter what you use it on."
Her surprisingly generous offer caught me off guard.
"Is that so? Then let's leave it at that. Go sit down and review the questions you got wrong on yesterday's test."
At my command, Theodora quietly walked over to the sofa and began reviewing her mistakes. I watched her for a moment before turning back to focus on my own work.