Since We Shared a Room
Ever since I started making an effort to sleep in our bridal chamber...
"Seriously! If you're going to be like this, just sleep in your office!"
Thud!
"Whoa!"
The pillow Theodora threw scored a direct hit on my light ball.
"S-Safe... Thank goodness it didn't break."
I was genuinely relieved that the light ball—my closest companion in the Imperial Palace after Agrippa—remained intact.
"Aren't you taking this too far?! It's bad enough you worked me to the bone until this late hour. Shouldn't you at least let me get some sleep?!"
I offered a sheepish smile at her outburst.
"Well... the documents needed for tomorrow's state council meeting..."
She glared at me, her crimson eyes burning with pure irritation.
"No! The empire won't collapse if you hand them in a day late! Just let me sleep!"
I let out a soft sigh and clapped my hands twice.
"Fine, fine. I get it..."
Clap, clap!
"Ugh..."
Yielding to Theodora's exasperated sigh and formidable presence, I quietly lay down on the sofa.
It had been a week since we started sharing a room. Yet, we had done nothing but work, without a single shred of physical contact.
I needed to get some sleep, but my mind was already racing, anticipating the fierce debate over the establishment of the new Information Department at tomorrow's state council meeting.
To be honest, crushing them with sheer authority was always an option, but it wasn't necessary right now. On the contrary, healthy criticism would be helpful.
It would help me realize things I might have overlooked and serve as a foundation for refinement.
In truth, I had only kept the Information Department as a concept for a long time. Until it was actually implemented, it was hard to know what areas needed further reinforcement. Thus, I planned to use this opportunity to patch up any deficiencies.
As I was lost in these thoughts, Theodora's voice drifted softly through the darkness.
"Are you... asleep?"
"No. Why?"
At my reply, she sat up slightly and spoke.
"Because of you... I'm wide awake now."
Feeling a pang of guilt, I stammered, "S-Sorry."
I usually slept less than four hours a day, but Theodora was someone who needed a lot of sleep. Lately, she had been getting only about six hours a night, and seeing her look so exhausted made my heart ache a little... just a tiny bit.
Clap, clap!
As Theodora clapped her hands, the room lit up brightly.
As I sat up in the sudden light, Theodora looked at me and spoke.
"Sigh... Do you want to go for a walk instead?"
"Shall we?"
Since I wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon anyway, I threw on a light coat and left the room with her.
Passing the guards who saluted us, we stepped out into the Imperial Palace gardens.
It was a night with a beautiful crescent moon. Looking at the patches of green grass now replaced by a desolate mix of brown and white frost, I could feel that winter was fast approaching.
Whoosh—
As a cold wind swept between us, Theodora shivered slightly and spoke.
"It's a bit cold."
"Winter is just around the corner."
Soon, it would snow. And once winter passed and spring arrived... the war would begin.
While I was lost in thought—
Poke.
I was snapped back to reality by a gentle touch on my cheek.
"What are you thinking about?"
I chuckled. "Nothing."
At my reply, Theodora smiled softly and said, "Liar. You're thinking about work again, aren't you?"
She wasn't wrong.
I chuckled again. "Yeah. The Information Department proposal is on the agenda for tomorrow's state council meeting."
Shivering slightly from the cold, Theodora asked, "Honestly, I don't understand. It requires an astronomical amount of money. Is it really that necessary?"
I nodded at her question. "It's unavoidable. It's an absolutely essential department."
Theodora shook her head. "If you say you'll do it, I suppose there's no stopping you. But I still don't see why we need such an institution."
In this world, the concept of a centralized intelligence agency did not exist. That was why Theodora and the other cabinet ministers couldn't fully grasp it. So, the logic I used to persuade them was...
"Think about it carefully. What was the reason Valorang succeeded in his rebellion?"
At my words, Theodora frowned, as if telling me not to bring up that topic. "I don't want to hear about that."
"Theodora, I've told you time and again, a ruler must always think rationally. I know it's an unpleasant subject, but..."
Theodora scowled, then let out a sigh and opened her mouth. "Sigh... Fine."
"To put it another way, Valorang succeeded because his treasonous plans were never exposed. How else could Roman have fallen when it is protected by those triple-layered walls?"
In reality, if the Emperor had known even a day in advance, Valorang's plan would have failed. If so, Theodora wouldn't have had to marry me, and the Emperor and Crown Prince wouldn't have died.
"That's how crucial information and the conspiracies of hostile forces are."
Theodora fell into deep thought before speaking. "But hostile forces aren't fools. They won't go around talking about their plans, so how could we possibly know?"
"No, if someone is preparing a rebellion like Valorang did, they will inevitably leave traces. For example, purchasing an abnormally large amount of siege equipment."
Perfect information security doesn't exist. Traces will always be left behind, and finding those traces is the job of the Information Department.
Well... it wasn't just for preventing civil wars. It also included gathering intelligence on hostile nations and factions trying to cause internal chaos.
In other words, the Information Department would provide the clues needed to catch the Demon Worshippers lurking insidiously in the shadows.
"Think about it. If we ever go to war with the Allied Kingdom or the Babylon Empire in the future, it will be incredibly helpful."
Although I hoped it wouldn't happen, if war did break out, we could leak counter-intelligence to disadvantage the enemy. Or we could spread dangerous ideologies to fan the flames of a civil war within their borders.
I emphasized the importance of establishing an intelligence agency that covered both the interior and exterior of the empire, but Theodora spoke with disbelief.
"But if information is really that powerful, why don't other kingdoms or empires have such departments?"
Impressed by her sharp insight, I replied, "That's because no one has thought of it yet."
Amused by my words, Theodora smiled and said, "Then are you a genius who thought of something no one else in the world could?"
I shook my head at her words. "Not at all. In fact, information has been used countless times in war, diplomacy, and court intrigues. I'm just saying we should handle it more professionally."
Indeed, military education already included training regarding spies. Knowing the enemy's troop types, deployment, and tactics could turn the tide of war in our favor. It was a standard subject at the military academy. Even in diplomacy, simply knowing that someone was preparing for war would give us the upper hand in negotiations.
"Hmm... Is that so?"
But Theodora still didn't seem to fully grasp it. Well, it was only natural. Right now, I was only explaining the basic administrative aspects. She was bound to be unfamiliar with such high-level concepts.
"Yes, absolutely."
At my words, Theodora smiled brightly. "If you say so, then it must be true."
Huh? I felt a wave of confusion at her suddenly softened tone. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
She looked at me as if wondering why I was asking. "No?"
"Something is definitely strange. Be honest with me. Are you plotting something weird?"
At my question, her cheeks flushed slightly. "Well... you see..."
Seeing that she had something on her mind, I prompted her. "Is there something you want to say?"
She nodded slightly. Walking beside me, she hesitated before whispering, "Thank you..."
Puzzled, I asked, "Huh? For what?"
Her face flushed deeper, and she lowered her head. "Well... I heard from Mother."
From my mother-in-law? What on earth did she tell her?
"She said the reason you don't do... that with me... is because you're worried I'll get hurt?"
Ah... oh no... She is definitely misunderstanding something.
"Well... um..."
How should I explain this? Should I tell her that I'm terrified of the consequences of doing that? No, that's too blunt. Think! Think of a way to escape this situation! I screamed internally, desperately racking my brain to find a way out of this unexpected predicament, but no answer came.
"Thank you for being so considerate."
Since I couldn't find the words to speak, she drew her own conclusions and spoke for herself. Should I just... stay quiet? Trying to say anything now might only make things more awkward. This kind of atmosphere felt incredibly unfamiliar.
"..."
"..."
It wasn't just me; she seemed to feel it too. An awkward silence hung heavily between us.
"I... I should head back first... It's cold."
As Theodora turned to leave in a hurry, I grabbed her wrist. I slipped off my coat and draped it over her shoulders. "At least wear this on your way back."
In that moment, our eyes met—my gaze locking with her crimson eyes.
"Thank you..."
Her face completely flushed, she nodded quickly and hurried away.
Was it really that cold?
I walked a bit longer before heading toward my office. If I worked in our room, I'd probably get scolded again.