I Became the Master of the Empress

24 – Episode 24

Thus, the wedding ceremony ended.

-♪~♬

And the banquet began.

Theodora and I sat together to watch the jester’s performance.

A pudgy man, as if a pig, unsheathes a wooden sword…

“hehehe~ I will claim the beauty of the empire! I am Francesco, the Grand Duke! Come hither! You wench!”

And then… a dwarf woman shouts.

“No way! If I have to marry a pig-like fat man like you! I’d rather bite my tongue and die~!”

“hehehe~ You wench! Spread your legs! Spread them!”

“Kyaa~! What are you up to, fat pig? Who do you think you are looking at? Is there no one? Is there no handsome man to come rescue me?”

The dwarf lady seeks help from those around.

“Hurry~! Can’t you take off your clothes?!”

At that time, a skinny man appeared, holding a wooden sword, and quietly approached the pig from the back and hit the back of the head…

-Thwack!

He brings it down.

“hahahaha! Now that I’ve slain the father, I am the Grand Duke! Step-mother… No! The Court Lady is mine now!”

At that, the female dwarf turns her face with a blank expression, voicing,

“Oh my, such a lecher!”

“hehehehe, why don’t you come over here? Are you my step-mother or my wife?”

At his antics, the female dwarf dramatically heaves a sigh.

“Oh, I despise pigs and idiots alike! Is there no gallant knight to save me?”

Her pitiful glance scanned the audience, causing them to erupt into laughter.

-hahahahaha!

-This show is really funny!

Typically, a clown’s performance is indicative of how the citizens view their ruler.

Tackling sensitive topics humorously, the jesters express dissatisfaction towards the rulers, while the seemingly magnanimous emperors, who desired to appear benevolent, would laugh openly, refraining from punishment and graciously letting it pass. It’s a conventional practice.

Hence, they dared to bring such devious content into their performance.

And that particular show was carefully devised by the clowns to be an attack on me.

Aimed at demeaning my dignity.

Well… I also have a moral obligation.

With a grandiose reason of knowing the future, I had bullied the princess into marriage and seized the capital.

Hence, such criticism was only to be expected.

So, I wasn’t really offended. It’s a virtue to watch a clown’s show and laugh it off, after all.

Could it be because I lived in an era where it’s normal for the US President to be lambasted in the media?

Even though the intent was a bit impure, I can let it slide.

Thinking that, I discreetly glance at the woman beside me, donned in a wedding dress.

I, for one, can laugh it off when I see such a thing…, but as another party involved, it might have caused Theodore to be traumatized…

Worried that it might have hurt Theodore’s feelings, I sneak a glance at her…

There she was, trembling with a feeling of humiliation.

Looking at her now, she seemed set to burst at any moment.

Sigh… I should just take the hit.

Rather than being seen as a pitiful man by Chom Saeng, wouldn’t it be better for Theodore’s future?

As these thoughts settled, I acted accordingly.

“Enough! Can’t you stop?!”

Pretending to be consumed by rage, I shake my hand dramatically as I perform.

“Balorang are devil-worshippers, and I killed him to save this empire! And how dare you insult me and the royal family?! What are the guards doing?! Why are these clowns not being driven out?!”

Upon my angry remarks, the guards begin to chase out the clowns from the entertainment area.

“W…wait, your Highness, the clowns’ performance is merely a satirical one… maybe we wouldn’t need to…”

Pedro, the steward, stammers with sweat dripping down his brow at my side, but I direct a glare at him and say,

“So, are you proposing to pay the price for defaming my honor?”

At my words, he avoids my gaze fearfully.

“Your Highness!, Your Highness, we are not guilty! It was the Marquis Pedro who told us to perform. We are innocent.”

“P…please spare us! All we did was follow instructions.”

The clowns, who have already been neatly arrested, grovel and plead to the steward.

I saw this coming.

The Marquis Pedro probably instigated this incident to make fun of me.

Perhaps they believed I wouldn’t lay a finger on the clowns.

“So, you’re saying this performance wasn’t held willingly?”

I said, turning to stare at Pedro as a clown nodded vehemently at my words.

“Pedro, what exactly is going on?”

At my inquiry, Pedro stammered with a fearful expression.

“I-I don’t know. They’re accusing me just to save their own skins.”

“I’ll have plenty of time to hear what you have to say in the dungeon. Let the clowns go, and arrest this fool!”

The guards obeyed, releasing the clowns and seizing the warden.

“Please, mercy! Sir, have mercy!”

I sat back down watching the desperate warden, Pedro, being dragged away.

“Damn, always ruining the mood.”

As a gust swept across the festival, I looked at the host. As if to urge him to proceed…

“Well… then, we will now proceed with the flower of the festival, the midnight celebration.”

-Whoo!

-Midnight celebration!, Midnight celebration!

Amidst the cheers, I sighed faintly.

“Sigh…”

We are still in the Middle Ages.

That’s why there’s such primitive tradition left here.

One of them is the “Cho-Ya-Shik” (First Night Ritual).

In literal interpretation, it is a ceremony of the first night in front of everyone. It’s quite shocking that they really used to perform this in the midst of all the guests in the past.

Nowadays it has been replaced by the groom removing the bride’s panties under her wedding dress, but it is said that once upon a time, it was a given for the aristocracy to perform their first night in front of as many nobles as possible.

The reason for this bizarre ritual is, in fact, that marriage to the nobility symbolizes the beginning of a new alliance.

The ceremony serves to emphasize the fact that the alliance has been joined by blood, so that one cannot just dismiss their family should one side of the alliance become stronger.

As long as there are witnesses to a woman’s loss of her purity, an annulment is impossible, so whether you like it or not, you must live together without being able to dismiss each other.

Well… I remember something similar, where dozens of male and female nobles would flock to see a childbirth.

Did they do such weird things because someone might switch the baby?

I don’t understand and feel a strong disgust for this filthy and barbaric custom, but if you don’t perform the first night ceremony, they won’t consider you properly married…

So, it must be done…

At the MC’s words, Theodora’s face turns red.

“Now! Let’s see if the star of today, His Excellency the Grand Duke, will be a true man and bring it down with his mouth, or use his hands~!”

-Mouth!, Mouth!

-The Ryan family always did it with the mouth!

-Bro! You know you have to do it with your mouth, right? Or do you have to use the bottom?!

As the host lifts the mood, the servers move the table in front of Theodora.

Even Octavia and Mary cheer for him to bring it down with his mouth.

Sigh… I really don’t want to do this.

I don’t understand why they cheer so much for these barbaric traditions.

Strangely enough, in this place, if you’re a man, you’re expected to pull down a woman’s panties with your teeth.

Perhaps understandable if we were a couple about to be married out of mutual affection.

Regrettably… that’s not the nature of our relationship.

Thus, I have no desire to humiliate her in such a manner.

I rise from my place, kneel before Theodora.

The moment my gaze meets hers, Theodora’s face flushes crimson.

I sense bitterness in her scrutinizing stare.

She is… terribly embarrassed, it seems.

After all, she has to reveal her most private self to someone she despises.

The situation– having to be exposed in such a way to the adversary who politically ostracized her– would be exceedingly mortifying for her.

Still… it’s not like I have a choice in the matter.

I should just get over with it quickly and not hesitate.

Thinking so, I lean over into her skirt.

Delicate curves, fair calves rise to the sight of her beautiful, man-teasing thighs, and above that…

It’s as if… we were sprinting at full speed.

Phew… Calm down…, she’s suffering because of me, don’t get too excited…

I try to cool down my racing heart by continuously thinking about her pitiful situation.

*Sigh.*

I’m not a pervert, let’s finish this quickly.

As my mind finally settles, I grab hold of her panties and turn my head.

And then…

*Zip!*

She doesn’t show it, but for some reason, the sound of her skin and panties rubbing against each other seems unusually loud.

In no time… as I hastily strip all the way down to her legs, I quickly step away from the spot and show the panties to the guests.

*Swoosh!*

“Hey! Debbie! If you’re from the Ryan family, you should’ve swallowed it!”

As the mocking guests tease me, I give them a charming smile and glance at Theodora.

But seeing her shaking her head and nervously shrugging her shoulders makes me nervous.

***

And so, after the wedding reception…

I walk hand in hand with her to the honeymoon suite.

The knights, nobles, and priests following behind us.

As we reach the grand room in no time…

*Click!*

The door opens.

In a dark room, a single candle illuminates the space softly.

And I enter with her.

-Thud!

The sun sets.

Only then do I let go of her hand.

The gentle light of the candle passes between us.

Let’s hurry.

-Clap! Clap!

As I clap, a light ball illuminates the room like LED lights, shining brightly in all directions.

“Huh…?”

Startled, Theodora turns her back and retrieves a leather bag from under the sofa.

“W-what are you doing?”

Suddenly, a large leather bag appears in our honeymoon suite, and I casually reply to her, stuttering like a bumbling fool, that it’s nothing important.

“There are some documents that need to be reviewed by tomorrow, and you’re tired because of the wedding, right? Go wash up and rest for a bit.”

It’s a bit early for her to go to bed right now.

So, I’ll make the most of this time and review the tasks at hand.

Tomorrow… is the Empire Tournament, so I won’t have time to look at the documents. I need to handle as many as possible.

There was an emperor who saw the documents at the Empire Tournament before, and he received a lot of criticism at that time…

The Empire Tournament is a competition hosted by the emperor.

Therefore, the emperor cannot be absent.

But why would the emperor go there to work?

There was an incident where I was mocked by an imperial citizen who loves tournaments passionately and greatly respects knights, saying that I am not manly enough. So, no matter who I am, I don’t have any intention of working there.

So… if I can’t work for two days, today and tomorrow…

I will probably have to push myself and do it tomorrow night, so that’s why I’m trying to do it now.

“…”

Without even responding to my words, Theodore, who quietly heads towards the bathroom, glances at me and continues wrestling with documents.