I Became the Master of the Empress

26 – Episode 26

(Point of view: Theodora)

After the wedding ceremony…

The reception began.

And soon, the clown’s performance started.

It’s an amusing performance that I’ve seen a few times since I was a child.

I quietly hope that it will help me forget this gloomy feeling…

But the chubby clown with a comically big mouth raises his sword and shouts.

“hehehe~ I will conquer the Empire’s beauty! I am Francesco’s Duke! Come here, you wench!”

“No way! If I were to marry a fat pig like you, all hairy and messy! I’d rather bite my tongue and die~!”

Seeing that scene…

Memories of that day come flooding back.

-What are the executioners doing? Hurry up! Execute those demon bastards!

-Don’t do it! I said don’t do it! They promised to spare us! They promised to spare our families!

That day when I desperately pleaded to Ballyang.

-Swish!

The day I lost my father and brothers.

The situation back then wasn’t so absurd.

Instead, it was painfully cold, chilling to the bone, facing the death of my beloved family.

-Splat!

“hahahaha! Now that I’ve taken care of Dad, I am the new ruler! Mother… no! I claim the title of Hwangtae-nim!”

“Oh my~ How lecherous!”

“hehehe, why don’t you come over here? My stepmother, or should I say, my wife!”

“Ugh, I dislike both pigs and idiots! Is there no knight to rescue me?”

-hahahahaha!

-This performance is truly hilarious!

Don’t mock it like that! What do you know? Wasn’t that situation ridiculous?

What were you doing while I watched my family die?

Laughing and gossiping about it? Pledging eternal loyalty to the emperor?

When our father endured severe hardships,

What did you do?

Even now, is there no one who can stop me from being sold to Debutant?

But are you guys laughing at that?

Anger and sorrow hold me captive, making my hands tremble.

Trash children.

Father, why did you believe in such scoundrels and treat them so well?

Those noble and imperial citizens.

They couldn’t even lift their heads in fear of Valoran’s sword.

Silently, they only mourned as they watched Father disappear into the mist of the gallows, no one trying to stop it.

But dare… dare to insult that incident like this?

Just as I was about to let out a curse due to the boiling rage in my head.

“Enough! Can’t you stop?!”

Debutant steps forward and shouts.

“Valoran was a worshipper of demons, and I killed him to save this empire! But dare you insult me and insult our household?! What are the guards doing?! Not suppressing those fools?!”

“Um… Excuse me, Your Highness, but the performances of the jesters are educational in nature… We shouldn’t punish them…”

Pedro, the steward I had seen since I was young, tries to calm Debutant’s anger, but…

Debutant coldly glares at Pedro and says.

“Then, will you pay the price for tarnishing my honor?”

Seeing Pedro unable to say anything and avoiding his eyes, for the first time, I feel slightly… just a little bit… satisfied with Debutant’s actions.

“Your Highness! Your Highness, we are innocent! Pedro Master said we could have this performance… We are innocent.”

“Please… save me! I did everything as I was told.”

Upon seeing that sight, the clowns began pleading loudly.

What…? So you’re saying Pedro told the clowns to do this?

The clowns’ performance is originally a play that criticizes those in power and makes them reconsider…

But this is an act that insults the royal family.

Pedro… Is it really you…?

I can’t believe it.

Loyal Pedro, who should have created the performance with the clowns themselves, instead had them do the performance he wanted.

“So, does that mean this performance wasn’t something you all did voluntarily?”

“Pedro’s creation, what on earth happened?”

“I don’t know, they are sacrificing themselves to save their own lives.”

But Devian says with no hesitation.

“I will listen to your words slowly in prison. Release the guard clowns and arrest this foolish steward!”

It’s as if Devian’s words are suggesting that the clowns’ words are true.

“Please, save me! Your Highness! Please save me!”

Watching Pedro being dragged away by the guards, with both arms held tightly, Devian vents his dissatisfaction.

“Tsk, the atmosphere has been ruined.”

“Well… then, let’s proceed with the flower of the Feast of Fire.”

Finally… it has arrived.

Such a shameful and dreadful moment has come.

“All right! Let’s see whether today’s protagonist, His Highness the Duke, will speak like a true man or act with his hands!”

– Speak!, speak!

– The Lion family always speaks verbally!

– Oppa! Do you know if you should speak with your mouth or with your hands below?!

As the host’s words come to an end… the participants clear the table in front of me with expressionless faces.

And…

Devian, kneeling in front of me.

At that moment, our eyes meet.

Within them, sadness…, and apology.

No… why are you looking at me with those eyes?

Aren’t you the usurper who wants to take over the empire?

So, you insult me like this?

Later, when a child is born… are you going to kill me and rule the empire as you please?

When I tremble at his hypocritical actions, Devian, who has somehow crawled into my skirt, is felt.

I hate it… it’s too dreadful.

His breath on my legs makes every hair on my body stand on end.

Even if a venomous snake entered my skirt, it would be less repulsive than this.

I feel something grabbing my underwear.

Rather… in this moment… if I were to die…

Could I escape this humiliation?

Shameful and embarrassing.

A place unseen by anyone except the servants since turning twenty, and to reveal it to someone like him.

-Swirl!

Along with the sound of fabric brushing…

A chilly breeze is felt on the lower body.

And as Devian, who stands up hesitantly, lifts my underwear…

-Swish!

-Hey! Devi! If you’re from the Ryan family, you should have brought it down with your mouth!

Suppressing the emotions felt now while hearing the cheers of the guests.

-Shivering…

Really… Today is the worst…

***

-Clap clap!

Devian claps his hands, turning on the spotlight.

“Huh…?”

I know that if I marry him, I’ll have to spend the first night.

It was truly heartbreaking to think about my situation with such a disgusting guy, but I had prepared for it.

However…

To spend the first night in such a bright place… really?

No matter how much I’m supposed to be embraced in his arms…

This is too embarrassing.

I heard that on the first night, only a dim candle is lit.

Does this clueless man not know about that either?

When I think about it, Devion pulls something out from under the sofa.

Upon closer inspection…

A leather bag?

What’s this? Could it be… some strange contraption… a pervert?

Chills start running down my spine.

Shouldn’t I run away now?

But where to?

Where can I escape to?

Somehow, Devion knows about the hidden secret passage in the palace.

And somehow, just as I was about to escape, like a ghost, the soldiers were lurking and dragged me back here.

I… I hate it…

With a fearful heart about what might come out of that bag, I ask.

“W-what… what are you doing?”

“I have some documents that need to be reviewed by tomorrow. Are you tired because of the wedding? Go wash up and lie down for a bit.”

Documents…?

As if confirming his words, he takes out a stack of papers from the bag.

With a slight sigh of relief at that sight… he heads towards the bathroom.

***

Immersing his body in hot water, he soothes the fatigue of the day.

What should I do… if I go out… it’ll happen, right?

Honestly… I’d rather bite my tongue and die than be embraced by him.

Because he’s a villain.

The son of the wicked Valleran, a man with a more sinister reputation than Valleran himself.

Although it would be better to die than give purity to such a man…

He cannot die.

If he does… no one knows what will happen to his mother and Joy.

With the thought that the wicked man might inflict the same pain on Joy, or even worse pain…

Today, I must be embraced by that disgusting man.

“Ugh…”

Sorrow, deep sorrow, makes tears drop one by one.

But soon he composes himself.

Yes… this humiliation is just for a moment.

Someday… that someday… I will make you feel how terrifying my revenge is.

Imagining that moment, drawing that moment, finding solace in his heart.

“Theodora, are you inside?”

I hear the voice of Dévian.

Why is he calling? Is he going to nag me about taking too long to shower?

“…Why?”

“Come out already, I’m going to shower too.”

-Splash…

Fine… I knew it was going to happen.

I just have to return this insult…

No matter how much, I just have to return it a hundredfold.

He says, comforting himself.

“Okay, I got it…”

I reply and finish up, stepping out of the bathroom.

In that moment, I meet eyes with Dévian.

He quickly averts his gaze…

“I’ll shower and come out too.”

He passes by me and heads towards the bathroom.

And so… I wait for him to come out.

Really… Is it happening today?

A marriage with him that sends shivers down my spine just imagining it.

From now on, will I have to live a life where I satisfy his s*xual desires every day…?

I fall into despair.

Today… Is there any way I can’t spend this day somehow?

Thinking so, I hastily get up and clap my hands.

– Clap clap!

The room gradually darkens as the lights disappear.

I lay on the bed, pretending to be asleep…

If I had to do it forcibly… It’s an unavoidable and mischievous act.

But right now, I want to cling to even something like this.

Because I hate being dependent on him to the point of death.