Late Night Paperwork and Unexpected Guests
Late at night. Long after all the clerks had gone home. I was signing documents.
"Seriously... getting sick just multiplies the work."
Reports, approvals, proposals, judicial rulings... Just as I was about to sigh at the endless mountain of paperwork, there was a knock.
Knock, knock!
"Who is it?"
"Her Imperial Majesty the Empress has arrived."
The news of Theodora's late-night visit sent my mind racing. She had never come to my office this late before... Could it be? The thought that she had personally come to carry out her "pregnancy assassination" sent a shiver down my spine.
"Your Grace?"
When I didn't answer, the guard called out again, prompting me to respond.
"Ah... my apologies. Tell Her Majesty she may enter."
Before the words could fully leave my mouth, Theodora flung the door open and marched in.
"What on earth... are you doing?"
Her eyebrows were furrowed in deep irritation as she glared at me. I raised my hands in a placating gesture.
"Whoa, whoa... calm down. I'm just catching up on some backlogged work, obviously. But what brings you here?"
Theodora crossed her arms, her gaze burning into me.
"What brings me here? You're still recovering, yet you haven't come back even though it's this late! I was worried, so of course I came! Do you actually have a brain in that head of yours, or not?"
"Well... about that..."
Step, step!
Stomping over to my side with a furious expression, she grabbed the hand in which I held my fountain pen.
"Did it never cross your mind that working this late would make me worry?!"
With a sharp tug, she tried to pull me up.
"Stop this instant and get up."
She grunted, straining to pull my hand... but there was no way I, a grown man, would lose to her in a test of strength.
"Sigh... I have way too much backlogged work. Cut me some slack, please."
Honestly, I didn't have time to play tug-of-war with Theodora. I had managed to finish the most urgent matters, but the remaining tasks were still a literal mountain.
"You still need to take care of your health! Get up, right now!"
She pulled with enough force to turn her face red, but I remained anchored to my chair, completely unmoved. She's in the way, I should just move her aside. With that thought, I gave her a gentle pull instead—
"Huh...?"
Flop!
She tumbled straight into my arms. A faint scent of rosemary brushed past, tickling my nose.
Adjusting her awkward posture as she clung to me, I settled her firmly onto my lap.
"I'll go to sleep as soon as I finish this one document. So calm down."
With that, I pulled my chair closer to the desk with a soft creak and went back to reviewing the papers.
"Ugh..."
I felt her squirming in my lap, but I forced myself to focus on the documents before me. Most of the business proposals were utterly absurd. Word of the Empire's massive investment fund had clearly spread, drawing out every charlatan and opportunist under the sun. Separating the wheat from the chaff was no easy task.
Fortunately, the proposal currently in my hands was highly promising. It detailed a technology to maximize the efficiency of magic stones by storing mana in crystals instead of the stones themselves, thereby improving capacity, preservation, and storage stability. If this worked, the distribution of magic stones would become significantly easier.
Rustle...
Yes, this is good. Theoretically, there don't seem to be any flaws. Magic stones naturally lose their mana over time once mined. If this technology could be commercialized, it would solve a vast majority of the shelf-life and quality issues plaguing the magic stone market.
"Um... excuse me..."
Heh. It would require a substantial amount of upfront capital, but in the long run, it would undoubtedly be a massive boon for any future mana-based industries.
"Hey..."
I decided I would hand this over to Maximilian to double-check the theoretical aspects.
Scritch!
I signed the document with my fountain pen.
"Excuse me?"
Theodora, still nestled in my lap, looked up at me with a pout, her red eyes narrowed.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Do you really care about nothing but work?"
"Of course not. Why would you think that?"
I had no idea what was going through her head. Who on earth only thinks about work?
"Then... why are we holding each other like this, completely alone, and yet you aren't paying any attention to me?"
She poked my chest with her index finger, her expression shifting into a mischievous pout.
"Do you really love me? Do you like me more, or do you like working more?"
Why was she painting me as some kind of workaholic pervert? Her question was absurd. In truth, I didn't particularly like her either. She was like a magnificent, colorful spider harboring a deadly venom. If anything, she was someone I wanted to avoid.
"Of course I love you. How could I possibly prefer working over being with you? I'm only doing this because I have to."
Responsibility. It was purely out of a sense of duty. Of course, I didn't actually love her.
At my words, a light blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Ugh... Just like this morning, how do you say such embarrassing things with a straight face?"
Is it really that embarrassing? Perhaps it was precisely because I didn't love her that I could say it so easily. Maintaining a good relationship with her was, after all, politically advantageous for me.
"I don't know. Maybe it's because you're so lovely that the words just slip out naturally?"
Her pale face flushed a deep crimson, and she shook her head vigorously.
"That's cheating! Don't say things like that! It's cheating."
I had no idea what was supposedly "cheating." Worried she might slip off my lap as she squirmed, I wrapped my arm securely around her waist.
"Ah!"
Theodora let out a sharp gasp and froze.
"Careful, or you'll fall. Stay still."
Seeing her bury her face in my chest and fall silent, I opened the next proposal.
Rustle...
A comfortable silence settled between us, and I felt a wave of gratitude for being able to work in peace.
"But... do you actually understand all of that?"
What I was looking at now was a proposal to use magic to make cement cure faster.
"Yeah. But it's too absurd, so I'm not going to invest in it."
The proposal suggested engraving complex magic formulas onto a copper plate, wrapping it in an iron sheet, and rubbing it against cement walls. The magic formulas would heat the copper and iron plates, creating a device that quickly dried the cement.
This was a hard pass. While the magic formulas and mechanics were complex, the ultimate cost would be astronomical. Furthermore, there was no mention of whether artificially dried cement would retain its structural integrity. Secondly, curing an entire large building quickly would consume far too many expensive magic stones. I decided to reject it.
"You know magic formulas too?"
I shook my head.
"I don't really know how to write them, but I can decipher them a bit."
"That's incredible..."
At her praise, I replied casually, "Thanks for the compliment."
I continued reviewing the documents. How much time had passed? Theodora leaned her head against my chest...
Soft breathing...
Was she asleep? I checked the clock; it was already 4:00 AM. I decided it was time for me to get some sleep as well.
Gently scooping up the sleeping Theodora in a classic bridal carry, I made my way to our bridal chamber.
The guard, seeing her asleep in my arms, whispered, "Oh? Your Grace... are you heading in for the night?"
"Yes, I'll be turning in now."
After bidding the guard goodnight, I carried her inside and carefully laid her down on the bed. Sleeping in a dress must be uncomfortable, I thought, but changing her clothes myself felt inappropriate, so I simply pulled the duvet up to her neck.
"Yawn... I should get some sleep too."
I lay down on the sofa.
It was the dead of night.
"Phew... today is finally over."
Tomorrow was Sunday, our once-a-week day off. If I ever rise to a high enough position, I'm going to pass a law making a two-day weekend mandatory.
With that thought, I climbed into the carriage heading home. I stared coldly at the extravagant carriage the Grand Duke had lent us, supposedly as a gesture of consideration for our commute. Honestly, I couldn't tell if this was a favor or a silent command to work until we didn't even have the strength to walk home.
Just then, Müller and Maximilian called out to me.
"Hey, Lucius! What is this?! This is completely different from what you promised!"
"Yeah! What about the banquets? The noble ladies? We're just being ground to dust every single day! This is a scam!"
Feeling a bit guilty, I scratched the back of my neck.
"Haha... sorry. But if we hadn't hired more people, I would've literally died of overwork."
Müller scowled.
"Unbelievable! I'm going to kill that guy today!"
I sighed, looking at him with exhausted, resigned eyes.
"Well, whether I get beaten to death or die of overwork, it's all the same."
"Müller, calm down!" Maximilian held him back.
I let out a deep sigh. "Ugh, I'm exhausted. Now that the Grand Duke is awake, things should get a bit better, right?"
"Who cares!" Müller snapped, clearly irritated.
I shook my head. "Hey, as long as the workload decreases, it's a win, right?"
Müller crossed his arms and groaned. "Seriously, when I think about the fact that I'm working here because of you... sigh..."
Watching Müller let out a sigh that could shake the earth, I said, "But still, the pay is great, right? You have tons of authority, and everyone looks up to you and tries to get on your good side. Isn't that true?"
Müller's face flushed red as he yelled, "Oh, brilliant! Well said! What's the point of a high salary if I'm too busy to even spend it?! Tons of authority? Yeah, because that's the only way to clear this mountain of work! And what?! What was that about banquets and networking? Bullshit! Who has time for banquets, you lunatic?!"
I chuckled at his long tirade. "Haha! Okay, I definitely crossed the line with that promise. Sorry!"
Despite my apology, Müller just snorted and fell silent. A quiet hush filled the carriage.
"But... do you think the Grand Duke is interested in Princess Ea?" Maximilian asked.
Müller replied in a voice dripping with annoyance, "Interested? Please. As far as I can tell, that man is married to the Empire and his paperwork. Why else do you think there are rumors circulating the Imperial Palace that Empress Theodora is still a virgin?"
The phrase "married to the Empire" was so absurdly accurate that I couldn't help but laugh.
"Haha! Who on earth marries a country?"
"Pfft, exactly!"
As Maximilian and I laughed, Müller grumbled, "If he isn't, there's no explaining why he doesn't sleep with his gorgeous wife and instead rushes straight to the Grand Ducal Department to work the moment he wakes up. Honestly, anyone would think he's the Emperor."
I nodded in agreement. "True... he does seem to work excessively hard."
Maximilian hesitated before asking, "But Her Majesty clearly has feelings for the Grand Duke, right?"
"Of course she does. Have you not seen the way she speaks to him or looks at him? Dripping with absolute adoration."
"Then... why doesn't the Grand Duke sleep with her? Isn't the issue of an heir incredibly important?"
It was indeed crucial. If there was no heir, the succession would follow the inheritance laws, meaning the next in line would be Princess Joy or her children. But ascending the throne with such weak legitimacy would inevitably leave the monarch at the mercy of the nobility. If things went south, it could trigger a civil war.
"Who knows. Maybe he likes men," Müller muttered indifferently.
"No way..."
"Or maybe he lacks confidence in bed."
Seeing Maximilian's shocked expression, I chimed in. "Hmm... rather than that, it feels more like he's actively avoiding Her Majesty. He seems uncomfortable around her."
"Why? If she were ugly, I'd understand, but she's honestly incomparably more beautiful than someone like Princess Ea."
That comment clearly struck a nerve with Müller, who immediately retorted, "What are you talking about? Princess Ea is way prettier!"
Müller had once confessed to Princess Ea back at the Academy and got rejected. It seemed he still hadn't let go of his lingering feelings.
As I was thinking that, Müller smirked. "Ah, I get why that annoying bastard is avoiding the Empress."
"Why?"
Intrigued, I waited for his explanation.
"It's that thing. You know how they say stallions won't approach an exceptionally beautiful mare, so breeders have to smear mud on her?"
I recalled hearing something similar before—a rumor that when breeding racehorses, stallions would sometimes get intimidated by an overly beautiful mare and refuse to approach her.
"Is that actually true?"
"Who knows? But maybe it's something like that. The guy is secretly timid, so even though his wife is gorgeous, he knows his place and doesn't dare lay a finger on her."
Müller's tone was unusually aggressive, so I spoke up cautiously. "Uh... Müller, it's fine to talk like this when it's just us, but you know better than to say this in the Imperial Palace, right?"
Speaking so lightly of the Grand Duke in the palace was a one-way ticket to the guillotine.
"Do I look like a kid? Besides, what's wrong with complaining about a boss who ruthlessly overworks you after clocking out? Who's going to care?"
Maximilian and I nodded.
"Still, if you get caught, it's execution... probably," Maximilian muttered.
Müller shrugged. "Then I just won't get caught. Why are you so paranoid?"
Before we knew it, the carriage pulled up in front of my house. I got ready to step out.
"I'm heading in. Rest up, everyone, and see you the day after tomorrow."
With that, I stepped down from the carriage.
A letter from Roman.
Yohanes stared at the letter that had arrived early in the morning, lost in thought. Hmm... has something happened?
He recalled that after the recent failed assassination attempt on the Empress, upon hearing that Debian had been gravely wounded, he had ordered Alexander to clarify that they had no involvement in the matter.
'Yet he insisted we could use this chance to publicly announce the engagement between Princess Joy and my son.'
Although Alexander had failed to secure any major concessions from Debian, Yohanes still placed a fair amount of trust in him. After all, his rise to the head of the Emperor's Faction and the Nicaea Kingdom's ascent to the vice-chairmanship of the Imperial Diet were largely thanks to Alexander's diplomatic prowess.
Rip!
With that in mind, he tore open the letter without much concern. But as he scanned past the initial pleasantries and reached the core of the message, his face contorted. And then—
Slam!
"That absolute bastard! Is there a guard outside?!"
At Yohanes's furious shout, the door creaked open, and a soldier quickly answered.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Did you call?!"
Yohanes barked out his orders. "Right now! Summon the official in charge of Epirus and Savinelli! Immediately!"
"Yes, Sire! Right away!"
Watching the soldier retreat, Yohanes sank back into his chair, his mind racing. Damn it... How did he find out we intervened in the anti-Emperor faction's civil war?
He was certain Debian would use this leverage to make some outrageous demands, and the thought irritated him to no end. The official who had managed Epirus so poorly that their secret accounts were exposed deserved severe punishment.
That bastard Debian won't let this slide easily... I need to find a way to salvage this situation.
To resolve the crisis, Yohanes had summoned Savinelli first thing in the morning.
"Did you summon me, Your Majesty?"
At Savinelli's entrance, Yohanes handed him the letter. "They found out we intervened in the anti-Emperor faction's civil war."
Savinelli carefully read the letter, doing his best to mask his alarm. "If they caught wind of this... they will surely seek retaliation."
"Undoubtedly..."
Savinelli closed his eyes, falling into deep thought. Yohanes waited in silence. Soon, Savinelli opened his eyes, his thoughts organized.
"First of all, the Grand Duke does not intend to start an immediate conflict with us over this."
Slightly relieved, Yohanes replied, "I agree on that point. But I'm anxious because I have no idea what he will demand of us."
Savinelli nodded. "I suspect he might propose exchanging a substantial sum of money for tax reform."
Yohanes looked intrigued. "Tax reform, you say?"
Savinelli elaborated, "Yes. The Grand Duke has long despised the way nobles levy taxes indiscriminately. The Treasury has recently been drafting a tax reform bill. While most nobles will oppose it, it will likely pass the Diet."
Yohanes pondered this. "Hmm... Do you believe it will pass because the anti-Emperor faction has been restored?"
Savinelli nodded. "The anti-Emperor faction alone cannot pass it, but this reform is bound to receive support from neutral factions and municipal representatives. If they focus on winning them over, the bill's passage is inevitable."
Yohanes sighed. "That may be true... but wouldn't it be better to use this issue as a rallying cry to maintain unity among the nobility?"
Savinelli shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. Once this bill passes, the funds of the minor and mid-tier nobles will dry up. We can use that opportunity to bring them to heel and bolster our strength for the Emperor's Faction's internal struggles."
"Hmm..."
The more Yohanes listened, the more plausible the strategy sounded. He recalled that during the last war, he had been granted the authority to wage war without needing parliamentary approval. After weighing the complex political landscape, Yohanes nodded. "Indeed, that is not a bad approach."
"Your Grace, Princess Ea has arrived."
At Lucius's announcement, Theodora, who was sitting beside me, perked up her ears.
"Who are you meeting?"
I nodded. "Princess Ea. She submitted an investment proposal, so I called her in for a meeting."
Hearing this, she set down the judicial ruling she had been reading. "I'm coming too."
"Huh? Why you?"
Theodora rolled her eyes slightly. "Well... because I need to learn how to handle state affairs too?"
She ended her sentence with a rising intonation, making it sound like a question. I nodded. "Sure, I don't see why not."
With that, we walked toward the drawing room together.
"But dear... are you really meeting her just for work?"
I looked at her, dumbfounded. "Of course it's for work. What else would it be? Did you think I was going to have an affair?"
She shook her head quickly. "No, I didn't mean that... cough... but I heard Princess Ea is exceptionally beautiful."
When I had briefly seen her in my dream before... well, she was certainly beautiful. But that had nothing to do with me.
"I've heard the rumors too."
Theodora narrowed her eyes, her voice dripping with suspicion. "So you called her here to verify those rumors?"
"I told you, no. It's strictly business."
She didn't seem inclined to drop her suspicions easily. Sensing that if I didn't ease her mind now, she might actually do something to harm Princess Ea, I offered a smooth excuse.
"When the most beautiful woman in the Empire is already my wife, how could I possibly look at anyone else?"
"Ugh... seriously... I told you to stop saying things like that..."
Watching Theodora blush at my casual remark, I fell into thought. With acting skills like that, she'd probably excel at diplomacy. Maybe I should pit her against Alexander later?
But then I remembered the secret deal involving her territory and Joy's engagement. If she found out about that... No, I couldn't involve her until Yohanes was dealt with.
Soon, we arrived at the drawing room, where a blonde woman sat gracefully on the sofa.
"Ah... Your Grace. It is an honor to meet you. I am Ea de Savoia of the Kingdom of Sardinia."
She was a stunning beauty, her intelligent emerald eyes perfectly complementing her long blonde hair. She was exactly the woman I had seen in my dream. Wait... so that wasn't a dream, but reality?
As my mind grew tangled in thought, Theodora stepped forward first.
"Ahem... We are Theodora Augusta."
"I greet Her Imperial Majesty."
Apparently not expecting the Empress to attend, Ea quickly stood up, holding the hem of her Academy uniform skirt as she curtsied. I spoke next.
"I am Debian Lion, the Grand Duke of Francesco."
As I addressed her formally, I felt Theodora's sharp glare pierce my side. Good grief...
Strictly speaking, in terms of aristocratic hierarchy, a kingdom ranks higher than a grand duchy. Although her kingdom was weaker than our grand duchy in terms of raw national power, she was still a princess. Under imperial law, she was my equal, so addressing her with proper honorifics was basic etiquette. I couldn't understand why Theodora was giving me such a look.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
Once we were seated, Theodora spoke to Ea. "So, how is King Carlo faring these days?"
Theodora spoke of the King of Sardinia—a man far older than her—as if he were a mere servant. While she technically outranked him as Empress, speaking so dismissively of a man old enough to be her father was not a pleasant sight.
"Haha... My royal father is doing well."
Theodora nodded. "Was it about ten years ago? King Carlo visited this very palace back then."
Wait... hold on. Isn't bringing that up crossing the line?
Years ago, the Kingdom of Sardinia had waged war against the Empire with the backing of the Allied Kingdom. Sardinia had declared war, claiming a county on the border as their territory. But that was during the late Emperor's reign, and Sardinia had been utterly crushed, losing territory and being forced to sign a humiliating treaty.
To bring that up now... was she insane? Watching her display such blatant hostility toward Ea upon their very first meeting, I let out a sigh and spoke.
"Your Majesty."
"What is it?" she asked, her voice and expression perfectly regal.
I spoke firmly. "Get out."
She froze like a stone statue, clearly not expecting me to say such a thing in front of Ea.
"H-how... how could you say that to me?"
Looking at her devastated expression, as if her entire world had collapsed, I sighed. "No, how could you say such things to someone you're meeting for the first time?"
Theodora pouted. I continued, "I won't force you to leave, but please, just don't interfere. I'm begging you..."
Theodora gave a small nod.
"Is it a promise?"
She nodded again, promising to remain quiet. Watching this, Ea spoke up.
"You two seem to have a very close relationship."
I replied with an apologetic tone, "My wife was incredibly rude. Please accept my apologies."
Ea looked between Theodora and me. "Not at all. In fact, I am surprised to see that your relationship is much better than the rumors suggested."
Good grief. It seemed Ea had a bit of a sharp tongue herself, subtly referencing the rumors of our forced marriage. Or perhaps I was just overthinking it. In any case, she was the petitioner here, seeking investment from the Empire to develop technology that would ultimately benefit the Kingdom of Sardinia. She probably didn't mean any harm.
I offered a wry smile. "Thank you for the kind words. The reason I asked to meet you today, Princess Ea, is because I had a few questions after reviewing your proposal."
Ea nodded. "I see. Did you call me here because it bothers you that a princess of Sardinia is seeking investment funds from the Empire?"
I nodded. "Half right, half wrong. First of all, as I reviewed your proposal, I noticed that the verifiable theories were completely omitted."
Ea nodded in agreement. "Yes. Since these are the results of my own experiments and research, I believe that is only natural."
"That is a fair point, but from an investor's perspective, it is difficult to commit funds without any verifiable papers or theories. Furthermore, isn't it true that the data from your experiments and research were easily obtained because of your participation in a development project funded by the Empire?"
Ea's brow furrowed deeply. "You make it sound as though my research achievements are solely thanks to the Empire."
I nodded. "The development project you are currently participating in is funded on a scale unprecedented in the long history of the Empire. If you used that as a reference for your research, it is only right that you share your findings with the Empire."
Ea bit her lower lip. "I will admit that I partially achieved these results through the Empire's development project. But isn't it also true that the Empire itself failed to discover those results?"
I let out a cold chuckle. At my reaction, Theodora's face lit up with an expectant look.
Why are you looking so excited?