I Became the Master of the Empress

192 – Episode 196

A little later.

When I brought the order issued by the Grand Duke’s office, I looked into it.

“Hmm…”

I quickly turned over the order written in a familiar handwriting in the pile of documents, and an awkward handwriting caught my eye.

“This one.”

It looks like it’s imitating my handwriting.

I looked at the contents and saw that the Intelligence Agency was asked to certify it, and I clicked my tongue inwardly.

“Tsk tsk… There’s such a guy in the Grand Duke’s office.”

Thinking so, I asked Karl:

“So what happened to this?”

At my words, Karl stroked his beard and answered:

“Well, I don’t handle such trivial matters myself. I’ll ask my secretary.”

As he says that and leaves his seat to go outside, I lose myself in thought.

What could a counterfeiter possibly need certification for?

The Intelligence Service certification is used to transport confidential artifacts.

It’s a certification that’s mainly used for custom-made items ordered from Dwarves or Elves, which can’t be released to the public.

Is there any real use for this?

Just as I’m lost in thought, Karl returns with a woman in her 40s.

“Your Grace, this is my secretary, Hanna.”

Hanna, who looks quite plump, bows her head to me and says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hanna.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I gesture to Karl as I say that.

Karl clears his throat and says, “Ahem… Hanna, what’s the status of this order?”

As Karl hands her the counterfeit order, Hanna frowns and thinks it over.

“This came with Intelligence Service certification, so I forwarded it to the Grand Duke’s office.”

Her words make me frown.

He openly forged it and already took care of it?

It’s a good thing I make a separate note every time I issue an order, or I wouldn’t have known about this at all.

But one question remains…

“What did he need the certification for?”

Hanna answers my question.

“Shall we check the order record once?”

Her words make me curious, so I ask, “Can you track the order history?”

-Nod.

“The certification has a serial number, so if it was used in the Roman territory, we can trace it. That’s because every checkpoint is supposed to make a note of the certification serial number.”

“Oh? You’re better prepared than I thought.”

Hanna nods at my words.

“We have to prevent anyone from misusing it, after all. That’s why we keep the serial combination and certification history as much as possible.”

I smile with satisfaction at her words.

“Good. That should tell us what it was used for. Now all that’s left is to catch the culprit.”

I hand the order to Karl and say, “First, put in a request for handwriting analysis.”

He imitated my handwriting, but there were some awkward parts when I looked at it.

Those parts might be an important clue.

“Oh, and while you’re at it, how’s Amon doing?”

Karl answers my question.

“It seems he’s about to return to Roman.”

“Really?”

Although they had agents from the Intelligence Service following him around the provinces, they hadn’t seen him make contact with any other Demon Worshipers.

“So, we still haven’t found Locust?”

“There haven’t been any reports on him either.”

“Tch… Can’t be helped. Let’s see what Amon does when he gets back.”

Amon had spent the last six months traveling the provinces, rallying protestors.

At first, he traveled mainly through the countryside, but then he started visiting cities, drawing city dwellers to his cause.

Since they were the ones who felt the social injustices most keenly, it was only natural, in a way.

The Empire’s established order was centered on the aristocracy.

In comparison, city dwellers and tenant farmers couldn’t help but feel alienated.

“I’m going to head out now.”

With that, he left the Intelligence Service building.

***

I had finished reading all the books I had picked up in the office.

I let out a sigh as I looked at the last page of the long, long novel, which simply said “To be continued” in bold letters.

“Ugh… Why does it end here?”

It ended with a scene of Deang and Dora fighting each other, and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

“I can’t believe how quickly the time flew by while I was reading.”

I had been reading it whenever I had a spare moment.

Of course, there were some spicy scenes, but I mostly enjoyed the witty banter between the two characters.

“I wish Debian were a little more human, like Deang.”

My husband was too inhuman for his own good.

And that wasn’t all. He was so asexual that I had lost count of how many times I had been humiliated.

“At least he’s been kissing me more lately.”

Unlike before, Debian now allowed us to kiss.

It was a huge improvement, but he seemed so uninterested in that sort of thing that anyone watching us would think he was a precocious young lady and I was a lustful old man.

That’s why… I couldn’t help but feel resentful, as if I was the only one who wanted it.

“Even so, it’s better than nothing.”

Like last night,

when he kissed me.

Come to think of it, when was the first time we kissed naturally?

It was at our wedding ceremony, when Debian, drunk, kissed me first, and we just started kissing naturally.

As I thought about that…

“Should I get him really drunk this time?”

But he never drank to excess unless it was something an adult offered him, so I dismissed the thought.

“But… I wonder who wrote this novel?”

A woman overpowering the man she loves?

That’s so naughty.

To be honest, I think it’s both naughty and cool when a woman overpowers a man with her own strength.

In the novel, Dora is able to manipulate mana, so she’s able to overpower Deang, a man, and climb on top of him, which is the highlight of the first volume.

A woman…able to do it on top.

According to the Bible, women belong to men, and they should be chaste and stay away from sexual desires.

But a woman is on top of a man.

When I first learned that this was possible.

I was greatly shocked.

That’s understandable, because when I received sex education in the past.

I learned that the woman lays down and the man covers her body with his.

However.

This novel is different.

In the novel, Dora harasses Deang every night and squeezes his essence.

Is it because I’ve been reading this kind of novel?

I keep looking at Dora and Deang and imagining me and Debian overlapping.

I imagine myself attacking Debian every night and squeezing him…

-Thump… thump.

It’s an unrealistic fantasy, but my body starts to heat up just thinking about it.

Is that why?

“I wish Volume 2 would come out soon.”

But… where can I get Volume 2?

Who is the author in the first place?

I open the book and look for the title and the author’s name, but it’s nowhere to be found, and I feel a sense of regret.

***

A few days after visiting the Intelligence Service.

-Knock, knock!

At the sound of a knock, I answer while signing documents.

“Who is it?”

-Your Highness, the Minister of Intelligence is here to see you.

At those words, I hand over the documents and say.

“Let him in.”

-Creak.

“Greetings?”

As the door opens, Karl bows his head to me, and I return the greeting.

“Yes, yes. Did the investigation go well?”

“Yes… but… may I speak about this matter?”

As Karl speaks in an awkward voice, I smile and ask.

“Why? Is the criminal so powerful that even the Minister of Intelligence is afraid?”

My joke doesn’t seem to amuse him, and his stiff expression doesn’t relax.

“Let’s talk over a cup of coffee first.”

So I offer him a seat…

and a maid brings in coffee.

As silence falls between us.

“So who is the culprit?”

In an instant, a potential suspect flashes through my mind.

Theodora must be the culprit.

As someone with the title of Emperor, it would be nothing for her to capture and threaten a single person from the Grand Duchy.

That’s probably why Karl would be hesitant to speak.

If the Emperor is the culprit, it’s not forgery of official documents.

How could they punish her when the nominal head of the administrative branch is exercising her authority?

Besides, even if they could forcibly indict her, it’s obvious that she’d be released due to the Emperor’s privilege.

I don’t like such a show, and it’s obvious that it would only backfire.

“I know why you’re hesitating. If the Emperor forged official documents, the punishment…”

“That… It was revealed to be Secretary Lucius.”

An entirely unexpected figure flies out of Karl’s mouth.

“Huh? Lucius?”

Forgery of official documents is a grave crime.

A starting sentence of several decades in prison is basic.

Knowing that well, I can’t understand why Lucius would do something like that.

“Is that true?”

Karl nods slightly at my words.

“The ax you trust cuts your ankle.”

Karl looks at me strangely at my words.

“An ax is an ax. What’s a trusted ax?”

I sigh as I watch him fail to understand the Korean proverb.

“There’s a saying like that. Are there any guards outside?!”

I shout loudly outside.

-Creak!

“Did you call?”

The guard opens the door and enters respectfully.

“Arrest Secretary Lucius immediately. The charge is forgery of official documents.”

“Yes!”

I can hear the guards leaving the office.

“Grand Duke… Are you alright?”

I nod at Karl’s words.

“Well… I thought a day like this might come.”

I had decided from the beginning who I could trust.

Agrippa, who values loyalty in the original work, and Mary, who is strong and reliable despite being a woman.

I don’t trust anyone else.

“Hehehe… You’re bolder than I thought.”

“Well, anyone can betray you.”

Of course, it’s a problem that arose sooner than I thought.

Fortunately, it’s fortunate. If a traitor had appeared when the civil war broke out, it would have been more difficult.

When I was thinking about that.

“But what will you do with Secretary Lucius? Will you release him soon?”

I shake my head at his words.

“No? You’ll process him according to the law?”

I am the one who governs the Empire.

If I let go of a person who committed a crime just because he is close to me, who will take the law seriously?

The law must be equal for all.

Even the Emperor only has the authority stated in the law and cannot exercise any other authority.

Of course… the Emperor’s privileges are so fraudulent that there is almost nothing he cannot do beyond his authority.

“I… are you really going to do that? He followed His Highness the Grand Duke quite a bit, though?”

I speak as if I am dumbfounded at his words.

“If he had really followed me, he wouldn’t have forged official documents. Besides, this matter is important. It is also necessary to warn those who will work in the Grand Duke’s Palace in the future.”

“That… but still…”

As Karl tries to say something, I raise my hand and stop him.

“I know what you’re going to say. But it can’t be helped.”

Saying so, I head to my desk to finish my work.