A Small Reward and Rumors of Neglect

Starting with Mirine, every single witness confessed one by one that they had been threatened by Leopard. Honestly... as if a Lie-Detecting Crystal actually existed. The crystal I brought to court did nothing but glow. But to commoners who knew nothing of magic, the combined authority of the Empress and the Grand Duke was a terrifying force that left them no choice but to be deceived. After all, a single word from either me or Theodora could mean their deaths. Of course, Leopard was too educated on the principles of magic to fall for such a cheap trick, which was why he had protested so vehemently before being dragged out.

"So, none of you actually saw Hans commit the crime?"

The villagers in the witness stand nodded in unison. I had played the hand I prepared, but it hadn't yielded a clean, definitive resolution. Hmm... I didn't expect this. All circumstantial evidence pointed to Leopard as the true culprit. However, none of the witnesses present had actually seen Leopard murder Milina. Furthermore, neither a motive nor concrete evidence for why Leopard would kill Milina had been established.

Well, even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if the true culprit wasn't caught today, he would be soon. Now that I had brought all of this to light, there was no way the Imperial Court, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs would sit idle. They would feel immense pressure knowing that I had personally intervened and taken an interest in this case. They wouldn't dare protect a mere low-ranking baron's family anymore. So, I could probably just check the final trial results later, right?

"Therefore, I declare the defendant, Hans, innocent of all charges. Furthermore, I command the Imperial Court, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs: ensure Hans receives proper compensation, and apprehend the true culprit of this crime to see justice served!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! With that final gavel strike, I rose and left the courtroom.

With the trial concluded, my official duties for the day were finally over. There was something I desperately wanted to do today. Call it a small reward for enduring a grueling schedule and an exhausting daily routine. With a light heart, I turned to head back to my office, when...

"You..."

Theodora was standing beside me, wearing a peculiar expression. She looked a bit annoyed, yet deeply curious. She opened her mouth to speak. "That artifact that can detect lies... is it real?"

I answered her with absolute confidence. "No, it was a lie."

"Ha! I knew it." She shook her head, but then let out a soft chuckle. "Deceiving the citizens of the Empire with such a bluff. How wicked of you."

I shrugged. "Well, it couldn't be helped. It would have been nearly impossible to uncover the truth otherwise."

A well-crafted lie. To break it, I had to construct a lie of my own, and through it, the truth was finally revealed.

"Well, in any case, that man wasn't the culprit."

I stretched my arms with a groan. "Ugh, exactly. I knew something was off when there were so many witnesses."

Thinking about it now, having that many witnesses to the circumstances and the actual act of a murder was highly unnatural. For so many people to have witnessed a crime scene that should have been kept secret... Hans would have to be an absolute fool for that to happen. It would have been far more convincing if she had been killed in her bedroom in the dead of night.

Theodora nodded in agreement. "Sigh... still, I didn't realize the nobility of the Empire was this corrupt."

"Not all of them are," I replied. "And honestly, we still don't know why Leopard did what he did."

But at the very least, Hans's innocence had been proven.

"By the way... are you going somewhere today?"

I nodded at Theodora's question. "Yes. I'm going to give myself a reward."

Her face filled with curiosity. "What kind of reward could possibly make a workaholic like you take a break?"

"That's..." I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should tell her. "A secret."

Theodora looked slightly miffed at my answer. "Hmph, it's not like I was particularly curious anyway."

Watching her stomp away with loud, exaggerated footsteps, a smile crept onto my face. Our relationship is definitely better than before.

With that pleasant thought, I walked back to my office with light steps.

Creeeeak. I opened the wardrobe and pulled out a small box I had hidden inside beforehand.

Magnificent Roman. This was the grand night market, held here once every two weeks.

"Hiyah!"

I sipped a cup of coffee, watching the peaceful scene: children playing games at street stalls, and a little girl riding piggyback on her father's shoulders.

"No! I'm telling you, that's wrong! The only reason the Empire is struggling right now is because of that incompetent Grand Duke!"

"Oh, come on, man! Don't you know the Grand Duke is doing everything he can to keep this Empire running?"

"What effort? It's hard enough just to put food on the table right now!"

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Listening to these snippets of conversation allowed me to gauge public opinion...

"Sir? Here is the calzone and wine you ordered."

"Ah, thank you."

I looked at the half-moon-shaped bread in front of me and sliced into it with a knife. A plump, folded bread stuffed to the brim with soft, mild mozzarella, rich tomato sauce, smoked ham, and mushrooms. It tasted somewhat similar to pizza, making it one of my personal favorites, but since it was primarily a commoner's food, it was hard to come by in the Imperial Palace. Hehe... it's for these small moments of happiness that I go on these incognito trips.

The clothes I was wearing and my hairstyle were completely different from my usual look. No one here would ever suspect that I was the Grand Duke. After all, there were no photographs in this world, and none of these people had ever seen my face up close. Ever since my meeting with Yohanes at the cafe, I had realized that slipping out in disguise whenever the night market opened was a brilliant idea. It was a multi-purpose trip: I got to eat delicious food, gauge how the citizens viewed me, and observe their daily lives. Therefore, I was absolutely not out here just to play.

"Mmm~ this is incredibly delicious!"

I felt a profound sense of gratitude for being able to eat comfortably in public, free from the rigid dining etiquette of the Imperial Palace. Gulp, gulp. "Ahhh~ the wine is fantastic too!"

At that moment... a familiar melody drifted through the air.

Ugh... The bard was undoubtedly talented, but... I absolutely detested that song. The reason? It was a song I had personally sponsored to make popular throughout the Empire... Shuddering at the sheer cringe of it, I did my best to tune it out. I picked up another slice of calzone with one hand and took a bite. Chew, chew.

This was what living was all about. Forgetting the complex web of politics and the weight of the world, just freely eating and drinking in this very moment. Watching the citizens of the Empire, their faces bright with smiles—perhaps as a result of my hard work—washed away my stress. This was the small reward I gave to myself.

"Deviang! Are you seriously out here?"

A familiar voice called out. "Oh? Agrippa, you're here?"

As I greeted him brightly, Agrippa let out a heavy sigh and sat down across from me. He scowled, scanning our surroundings before whispering, "I know you must feel suffocated, but... what if something happens to you out here? What were you thinking?"

I grinned at his quiet scolding. "That's why I called you along, just in case. Here, have a drink!" I poured wine into a glass and slid it over to him.

"Sigh... I can't believe this guy is going to be my brother-in-law... Seriously..."

I smiled warmly. "What's wrong with it? It brings back old memories, doesn't it?"

A nostalgic smile touched my lips as I recalled our days at the Grand Duchy's Military Academy, when Agrippa and I used to frequent taverns together. Back then, we spoke to each other casually as equals. Later, due to the gap in our social status, Agrippa had started using formal language with me, but in this moment, it felt like we had slipped back into the past. Well... if he addressed me as 'Your Grace' or used stiff honorifics here, it would immediately blow my cover, so it was only natural.

Gulp, gulp.

Agrippa took a drink of the wine I offered and widened his eyes in surprise. "Wait, what is this wine? It's actually amazing."

I smirked. "Right? I was shocked when I first tasted it, too."

One of my escort knights had mentioned this place a few times, and I had been wanting to visit ever since.

"That's beside the point..."

As Agrippa prepared to nag me again, I cut a piece of the calzone and slid it onto his plate. "Try this. It's seriously good."

Agrippa took a bite with his fork. "Oh? This cheese is on a whole different level."

I laughed at his reaction. "See? Aren't you glad you came out?"

Agrippa let out another sigh. "Fine, I'll let it slide just this once."

After finishing our meal, we left the stall and strolled through the city center.

"Agrippa."

"What?" he replied curtly.

Perhaps seeing the happily smiling people around us had made me a bit sentimental. "We've really been through a lot, haven't we?"

"Well... considering we work overtime literally every single day, of course we have."

This brief peace was something Agrippa and I had built together. Middle-aged men drinking and debating after a hard day's work, parents sharing a warm meal with their young children, and young men and women my age cheering for the bard's songs. Looking at this precious peace, I murmured, "You've worked hard. Truly."

Agrippa let out a quiet chuckle.

In truth, though I had never spoken of it... it had been incredibly difficult. And I had been terrified. I was terrified that my plans would go awry, and that countless people would die because of my mistakes. The moment I set out to kill Valorang, the day I left to meet Yohanes—I had been haunted by the fear of what would happen to me and the people I loved if I failed. Every single moment had been a dance with the shadow of death. There were times when despair and the crushing fear of death almost kept me from standing back up. My body and soul were weak. Yet, because the weight of responsibility was heavier, I overcame the despair and the fear of death. But my greatest fear of all was that the people who followed me would lose their lives because of me. That was why I was so deeply grateful to Agrippa and Mary for standing by my side.

"It's all thanks to you. I would never have made it this far without you."

I meant it. Agrippa shouldered so much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of my burden, and I knew that even if something happened to me, as long as Agrippa was around, things would still proceed as they did in the original novel. I only hoped that my choices wouldn't lead to the worst possible outcome.

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At that moment, Agrippa clapped me on the shoulder. "If you're so grateful, then please, for the love of God, let me rest. Don't you think you're working me a bit too hard? Where is your conscience?"

I grinned. "Hey, I work just as much as you do. If I can't rest, there's no way you're getting a break either."

In all honesty, when the boss himself was pulling all-nighters and working overtime every single day, there was no way I could tolerate anyone else slacking off—especially not Agrippa. The harder a capable man like him worked, the more this Empire would prosper. But Agrippa clearly didn't share my vision, letting out a deep, weary sigh. "You are truly... heartless."

"Haha... Oh, right. When is your engagement ceremony?"

Agrippa was scheduled to head back to the Grand Duchy for his engagement to Mary. Of course, the trip would serve a dual purpose: celebrating the engagement and subjugating the rebellious nobles of the Anti-Emperor Faction who had turned their backs on us.

"Probably next month," Agrippa replied.

I nodded. "Later than I thought."

Agrippa scowled and shot back, "And whose fault do you think that is? Someone piled a mountain of work on my desk."

"Haha... Well, whoever that 'someone' is, they're definitely in the wrong."

As I laughed it off, Agrippa sighed in exasperation. "Sigh... why do I even bother talking to you?"

Then...

"By the way, are things not going well between you and Theodora?" Agrippa asked out of nowhere.

"Uh... I wouldn't say they're bad. At least, it's not as terrible as it was at first."

Perhaps because we saw each other so often now, we had actually reached a point where we could share light jokes.

"Well, that's a relief... but there's a strange rumor circulating among the servants."

"A rumor?" I asked, puzzled.

"They're saying Theodora has been neglected."

"What?"

I was utterly taken aback by the unexpected news.

"You sleep in your office every single night, while Theodora sleeps alone in the bedchamber, right? If that's not neglect, what is?"

"Well... that is true, but..."

In truth, there were two main reasons why I avoided sleeping in the master bedroom. First, sleeping in my office allowed me to crash immediately whenever I grew exhausted from work. Second... I was terrified that if I looked at the breathtakingly beautiful Theodora, I might lose control and cross the line. I knew exactly how terrifying of a woman she could be, but looking at her gorgeous face still made my heart flutter against my will.

"Stop insulting Theodora and just go sleep in the bedroom like a normal husband."

Agrippa, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil, spoke bluntly, making me sigh. "Sigh... Is... is not sleeping together after marriage really that big of an insult?"

Agrippa nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course it is. Would you like it if someone called you incredibly ugly to your face? You know how much people whisper behind your back in high society if a married couple doesn't share a bed."

"I suppose so, but..."

"So start sleeping in the same room from tonight. Don't let Theodora get ridiculed for being a neglected wife."

He had a point... I had gone to such lengths to cultivate the public image of a husband deeply in love with his Empress. If rumors of her neglect spread, people would definitely find it suspicious. Was this a disaster of my own making...?

Lost in thought, I looked up at the sky. The moon seemed exceptionally large tonight. Was it just my imagination?