I Became the Master of the Empress - Chapter 267



267 – Episode 271

The Duke Wilhelm’s Visit to the Imperial Palace.

As I headed to the reception room, a man in his mid-fifties greeted me with the formalities of the palace.

“I am honored to meet Your Majesty.”

The man spoke with his eyes cast down.

I took a seat opposite him.

“Indeed. It’s a pleasure.”

As I said this, I scrutinized him.

Wilhelm, adorned with a splendid brooch on dark silk.

I addressed him directly.

“I believe you are aware of the situation, so let’s get to the point.”

If I could have quelled the armed uprising by killing Wilhelm, I would have done so long ago.

But this rebellion cannot be silenced by the death of a single Wilhelm.

The aristocrats have united in their fury against Deviant.

“…Very well.”

“I have heard that the nobles are plotting against you. Is that not so?”

Wilhelm was unable to respond to my question.

Well, he couldn’t very well affirm it.

“Are you choosing not to speak?”

“I am unaware of such matters.”

Seeing Wilhelm feign ignorance drew a sigh from me.

“Ha, very well. I’m not here to kill you right now; rather, I called you to issue a warning.”

At the word “warning,” he flinched.

“If an armed uprising occurs, or if harm comes to you… you will not survive.”

*

“If an armed uprising occurs, or if harm comes to you… you will not survive.”

I felt little weight in the Emperor’s words.

Since planning the armed uprising, I had never once expected to survive.

Thus, my heart remained calm and serene.

“I do not understand what you mean, but my life belongs entirely to the Empire and to Your Majesty. Since the moment I ascended to the title of Duke, I have had no fear of losing my life.”

Nobles must understand duty and honor.

A true noble must be prepared to die when the time comes.

Thus, I do not yield to the emperor’s oppression.

But the emperor gazed at me coldly with red eyes.

“Do you truly think that only you will die?”

“My comrades are all nobles. They too are ready to die in service of the empire.”

– Snicker.

The empress smiled faintly and mocked me.

“I am the empire. Your loyalty is misguided. Moreover, you dare to speak of the empire in front of me so arrogantly.”

“The empire does not belong to the emperor; it is not for one emperor alone.”

At my words, she gave a sardonic smile.

“Are you referring to me?”

“It is the duty of a vassal to inform their lord when they are on the wrong path.”

“Ah, so you claim that the aristocrats dream of armed rebellion because I am not on the right path? Speak clearly, even if your mouth is crooked. You are… simply unwilling to lose your own power. It has nothing to do with the empire or with me.”

With her words, silence fell between us.

“Then why did you call me?”

“Did I not say? I called you to warn you.”

“What warning do you speak of?”

“Your situation is dire. Yet you cling to life for a handful of power, which is pitiable and pathetic… I called you to inform you of what will happen when you fail. Follow me.”

I followed the empress out of the reception room.

“Where are you going?”

The empress did not answer.

As I followed her through the palace garden, I saw stairs leading downwards.

This is… the imperial prison, as rumored?

It is infamous for holding criminals related to the royal family.

Could it be that they intend to arrest me?

“Ha ha, are you afraid that I will arrest you? But there is no need to worry. You must deliver my message to the disloyal.”

As I entered the prison following the empress, the torches sparsely placed along the long corridor illuminated the darkness.

If the armed rebellion fails, you will be punished for treason.

The duty of a noble will become even heavier.

Throughout the long history of the Empire, there have been hundreds of rebellions.

It is not that we do not look for precedents when we rise in revolt.

Is it to remind us of that?

But all of us are people who have put our lives on the line.

We do not fear such things.

“First, all members of the families associated with this rebellion will be executed. Also, everyone who has any connections with them will be included.”

What?

“Second, all noble titles will be stripped, and the remaining property will be confiscated by the state.”

“Members… all of them?”

She nodded at my words.

“You are those who act for your families. Are you not beings who would do anything for your lineage, generation after generation? The best punishment that befits you is to kill every member of your family.”

“That is going too far, Your Majesty! Such collective punishment belongs to uncivilized nations like the Babylonian Empire…”

At that moment.

-Guah!

From afar, a scream was heard.

-Kill me! I’d rather be killed! You goddamn dog of a deity!

-Slap! Slap!

The sound of something slicing through the air rang sharply.

-Ugh!

-Tell me! Tell me where the demon worshippers are!

The horrific sounds of torture echoed from the palace prison.

The emperor, with a beautifully radiant smile.

She spoke as if finding the current situation amusing, chuckling softly.

“Whether collateral or direct, all families related to the rebellion, including friends, will be punished.”

Truly… truly a madwoman. This woman is certainly insane.

She spoke with her eyes gleaming sharply.

“Of course, I won’t let you die easily.”

The woman smiled at me with her red eyes.

The empress’s steps halted before the massive prison door.

A large iron door.

It looked as thick as a castle gate.

– Knock, knock.

As she knocked on the door…

– Creak.

The door opened, revealing the inside of the prison.

There, various prisoners were being tortured.

A man with fingers bent in the wrong direction and a woman with her lower body twisted the wrong way.

An old man with dozens of needles stuck in his hands.

A dwarf with his back skin flayed from being whipped.

A boy without limbs.

They all bled and writhed in pain, crying out for death.

– Kill me!

– I… I will never trust demons again! Please let me live!

– aaah! Stop! Stop it!

“How dare you attempt to harm my husband, my dear husband? Did you think I would simply let you all be? If you touch my husband and tears flow from my eyes… your entire clan will weep blood… no, you will wish to weep blood,”

The empress spoke those horrific words in a captivating voice.

Her appearance was that of a tyrant… nothing less.

A scene of brutal torture.

Red blood and filth flowed across the floor, and amidst the cruel and horrific torture, regardless of age or gender, the empress’s red eyes burned with madness and fury.

“Even if you scream that it would be better to die, begging for death while that filthy breath clings to you… I will torture you, mutilate you, heal you, and toy with you,”

With a gaze filled with madness and a subtle smile, she was a monster.

Is this… the true nature of the hidden emperor?

The emperor is a tyrant.

One who cares nothing for human life…

A chilling woman smiling in the midst of violence.

She made a grim expression.

“Until everyone is dead.”

And then she spoke again, with a serious expression and tone.

“My mind is made up. Since you have made your decision, I too will declare my resolve as emperor. However, if you remain loyal to me as you are now… I will grant you what you desire.”

—

What do we… desire?

“I am the Emperor. The Empire needs you. So… I will protect the nobles.”

At that moment, a woman approached.

“Your Majesty, you have arrived?”

She knelt and offered her greetings to the Empress.

“Ah, Alice. As I mentioned, inform Duke Wilhelm about this torture chamber. I must be busy now, so I will take my leave, Duke Wilhelm. I hope you make the right choice. For the sake of your family.”

The Empress moved on, indifferent.

*

Wilhelm left the palace in a carriage.

“Ugh!”

From noble mtl dot com

He was emptying his stomach.

The royal torture…

The sight of losing humanity and becoming a plaything for psychopaths was nothing short of a horrific nightmare for him.

If he failed, he would end up there.

He wasn’t a fool; he was well aware that if the operation failed, he would face torture.

Thus, he steeled his heart, but… witnessing that gruesome scene brought forth many thoughts.

A torturer searing skin with a branding iron.

The technician who enjoyed mutilating and tormenting the human body sprinkled potions on them to ensure they wouldn’t die after the torture ended.

Smiling at the words of the demon-worshippers who begged to be killed…

– No, if you die, my enjoyment disappears, doesn’t it?

The woman named Alice, beaming with a bright smile.

She pulled out the entrails of the demon-worshippers and showed them to her fellow worshippers.

– See this? This little one is the small intestine, and the thick one is the large intestine. How about that? It’s not every day you get to see your own organs while alive, is it?

– Wow?! You must have smoked a lot! Your lungs are stained black all over!

Thus, they critiqued human organs.

Absolutely… absolutely, my children must not fall into their hands.

For that reason, Wilhelm decided to inform only his main family, branch families, and close nobles about this fact.