I Became the Master of the Empress - Chapter 280



284

The petition work of Theodora starts in the morning.

Normally, I wouldn’t have any reason to attend, but she requested my presence.

Each department has its secretaries, so if there’s something to direct, they could handle it without calling me.

Anyway.

– Your Majesty! I am the mine lord of Epirus. This time, the mine has collapsed…

– Your Majesty! I am the blacksmith of the Duchy of Allen. Due to the damages from the war…

– Your Majesty! This child has lost their parents to a band of thieves…

Petitioners come forth with various stories.

Each has a deep and heavy tale, and Theodora handles them with logic and clarity, without hesitation.

Is there really a need for me to be here?

There’s so much work to do; I don’t understand why I have to witness this.

At that moment.

Two women are forcibly dragged out by men in their thirties.

Huh? That woman?

One is a beauty with black hair, and the other, a blonde beauty— the problem is, the blonde is someone I know.

Lysandra?

She is definitely the woman who sold me adult products at the shop called the Witch’s Store last time.

“I am honored to meet Your Imperial Majesty for the first time. We are the vigilante group of Roman. Recently, these witches have been selling items that corrupt morals and blaspheme the gods, so we have come to apprehend them ourselves.”

Theodora coldly gazes at me and speaks to the vigilantes.

“If what you say is true, that is a matter for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I find it hard to believe your words.”

At her words, the vigilantes flinched and replied.

“T-This witch has sold lewd items and encouraged acts of self-pleasure with magical tools. This is against the will of the gods.”

“What exactly are these lewd items?”

At the Emperor’s words, the vigilantes’ faces turned red.

Well… it’s not something one would want to show to the Emperor, especially a female Emperor.

“Can you not see? If you have no evidence, remember that you may be the ones guilty of false accusations and obstruction of justice.”

The man who seems to be the most senior among the vigilantes sighed.

“Ugh… I understand. I am deeply sorry that I must show this to Your Imperial Majesty. Please bring forth the evidence.”

At the senior’s words, the Golden Knights overturned a large leather pouch and spilled its contents onto the floor.

– Clang, clang.

– Clatter.

What falls to the floor are a dozen assorted dildos, various whips, and adult items resembling handcuffs.

Among them, one dildo vibrates, trembling on the floor.

– Goodness! What a world we live in!

-There is no doubt that she is a witch.

-How did a store like that get approved for business?

-She’s so annoying.

-She’s going to be incredibly embarrassed.

The women who were brought in line with their words bowed their heads, their faces pale.

The senior officer alone trembled with rage, holding a two-sided dildo and speaking to us.

“This person who creates and sells tools for self-stimulation and s*xual activities, and who sells tools used during self-stimulation, is clearly going against the will of God. Therefore, I demand that you cancel their business license and give them a fitting punishment.”

Looking at the fallen dildo and whip, she replied with an expressionless face.

“Ah, oh? They have committed an extremely serious crime, but how did they get their business license, and why didn’t the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrest them? I’m curious.”

“That’s… the business license is processed according to the law. Currently, our empire has a policy of separation of church and state, even if it’s immoral, but it’s not illegal. Therefore, it’s allowed. If it’s deemed necessary to shut down the business because it harms public morals or public order, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will handle it.”

The Ministry of Finance official’s words made Theodora nod her head.

“So, why didn’t the Ministry of Internal Affairs shut down the store?”

Her words made the Ministry of Finance official look uncomfortable.

“The power to shut down a business is not within the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ discretion. To shut down a business, the consent of the Ministry of Finance is required, and recently, the plaintiff requested permission to shut down the witch’s shop in advance, but it was rejected.”

His words made Theodora look at me with a fierce gaze.

-Clink.

“Does the emperor have anything to say?”

It felt like he was saying, “You’re a bad person, you’re a bad person, you’re a bad person” with a gaze that seemed to pierce through my body.

“Yes, the store is a legitimate business that pays taxes honestly. I didn’t see any big problems, so I didn’t reject the forced shutdown.”

I don’t understand why they’re saying it’s okay for a s*x shop to operate.

-Oh my god, the emperor is a pervert.

-No! How can a saint talk like that…

-The Bible clearly says not to follow your fleshly desires…

-Oh my god…

Everyone looked at me with shocked expressions, as if they didn’t believe I would say such a thing.

“Uh, I’m sorry, but Your Majesty. The store sells items that promote same-s*x relationships and self-stimulation. Is that not a big problem?”

I came from a country where pornography and s*x toys are legal.

So, it’s no big deal.

“According to the principle of separation of church and state, even if it’s considered taboo by religion, it’s not allowed to intervene in politics. As long as they have a legitimate license and pay taxes, what’s the problem? It’s not drugs, so if you don’t need it, you can just not buy it.”

“No matter how much you claim to separate church and state, I cannot accept such a chaotic establishment as a citizen of the Empire. What do you think the Lord would think upon seeing that? It is surely a divine command that such a shop must be eradicated.”

I was taken aback by his words, which suggested that it was difficult to accept something due to divine command.

One of my titles is Saint.

“First of all… do you dare to think you know God better than a Saint?”

He shook his head.

“No.”

“Then why do you bring up the scriptures in front of me?”

“That’s because… the scriptures say not to pursue physical pleasures…”

“The contents of the scriptures are the divine will that cannot be upheld by everyone. It cannot be forced upon anyone to pursue them. We cannot infringe upon the freedom of the citizens mentioned by the first Emperor.”

“B-but…”

The senior’s attempt to speak was interrupted by Theodora.

“Regardless, the petitioner wishes for the shop to be closed and for the owner to face severe punishment… Does the Duke agree to the closure of the shop?”

I shook my head at her expressionless face.

“I cannot agree.”

Theodora nodded.

“I inform the petitioner that the current defendants have not violated imperial law, and therefore, it is difficult to impose punishment at this time.”

With that, Theodora’s petition work came to an end.

Once there was no one around, she spoke to me quietly.

“You bought that magical tool over there, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

She looked at me with anxious eyes.

“But are you really not going to close it down? If the vigilante group dislikes it that much, then many people must also dislike it, right?”

“Just because the majority claims something doesn’t mean it’s right. How about we go visit that shop while we’re at it?”

Her face turned pale as she spoke.

“Are you out of your mind?! No way. I can’t go even if I die. If the Emperor sees me loitering around there, I’ll really be remembered as the lecherous Emperor.”

She shook her head as if she absolutely could not tolerate that.

“Can’t I just wear a ring?”

“No! This time, the knights will be in disguise and follow us. How can you do that?!”

Seeing her adamantly refuse, it seemed difficult to go together.

“By the way, you shouldn’t be frequenting such places. It’s a no-go for the time being.”

Ah…

***

I came home after work.

– Creak.

Huh? What is that smell?

A pleasant aroma wafts through the house.

“Ah, Mr. Müller, you’re here?”

Sena, dressed casually and wearing an apron, stepped out into the living room.

“Yes, but Sister Sena… what’s with that?”

At my words, she gently flushed.

“Well, Mr. Müller, I heard you’d be coming home early today, so I was preparing dinner for us.”

A nun? Cooking?

Isn’t she the woman in the world who can’t cook at all?

If there’s a reason, it’s that they spend their entire lives studying, researching, and praying over the scriptures.

Moreover, given their status, I thought they usually have a cook at the convent.

Swallowing hard at the sight of Sena’s bright smile, I wondered.

Can… can I eat this?

As I nervously made my way to the kitchen…

I was taken aback by the sight of food that looked surprisingly decent, and I couldn’t help but voice my thoughts.

“Huh? It looks fine!”

“Yes?”

Sena frowned, as if questioning what I meant.

“What do you mean by ‘fine’?”

Seeing the usually gentle Sena frown, I suddenly realized I had made a mistake.

“Uh… that is.”

At my words, Sena began to smile softly.

“Ha… ha… I’m just joking. I know the rumors that nuns can’t cook. Still, I asked the head chef for a few lessons.”

Is it just my imagination, or does there seem to be a shadow behind her smile?

“I see.”

I washed my hands and sat down at the table.

“Thank you for the meal.”

I took a spoonful of the soup and put it in my mouth.

Huh? This is strange.

It’s definitely cream chowder soup.

Why is it so sweet?

It should have a creamy taste and the unique chewy flavor of clams.

But why is it so sweet?

It feels like sugar is rolling around in my mouth, as if it’s been poured in.

Is… is this food from hell?

“How does it taste? Is it to your liking?”

“Um… well… it’s really delicious…”

As expected, the nun’s food is not fit for eating.