I Became the Master of the Empress - Chapter 292



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Since Roden died, Octavia’s behavior has been unusual.

She stares blankly into space with hollow eyes, no longer as bright as before.

Though she is young, the news of not being able to see her little brother has hit her hard.

She may not fully understand death, but she knows how sad and frightening it is to think she will never see him again.

Noticing her daughter’s strange behavior, Fulvia does everything she can to lift Octavia’s spirits.

They go on picnics together, take trips to the city to see performances, but Octavia still seems gloomy.

In truth, Fulvia is struggling just as much.

Her beloved son, whom she bore with pain, has died again.

Her heart feels as if it is being torn into a thousand pieces, but Fulvia cannot remain still.

She still has her beautiful daughter, Octavia.

“Via? Wasn’t the performance fun?”

At Fulvia’s words, Octavia merely shook her head weakly.

‘She must be heartbroken…’

Octavia, who has become more withdrawn and silent due to her sense of loss, is a far cry from the lively child she was just a few months ago.

‘How can I comfort Octavia’s wounds?’

Seeing her daughter, who was once so bright, now filled with gloom, Pulvia cared for her with utmost devotion.

As she watched Octavia gradually regain some vitality, Pulvia felt a sense of relief.

Then one day.

Octavia asked Pulvia.

“Mom, is Roden… dead?”

Since Octavia was still too young to fully grasp the concept of death, Pulvia only said that Roden had “left.”

She thought that when Octavia was old enough to understand death, she would learn about Roden’s passing, but for now, Octavia was far too young to comprehend it.

Thus, Pulvia felt a wave of confusion.

“Um… that is.”

‘How should I explain this?’

As Pulvia struggled to find the right words, Octavia hugged her tightly.

“Mom, is Roden… dead? If someone dies, do we never get to see them again? Hic… did… did Dad kill him?”

At Octavia’s words, Pulvia felt the ground crumble beneath her.

“That…”

Her daughter, who seemed to know everything.

Pulvia clutched her chaotic thoughts, lost in contemplation about how to respond.

With tears welling in her eyes, Octavia didn’t understand why Roden was gone.

Why the kind and lovely Roden had left her and her mother for a “better place,” or why, despite being said to be in a good place, he was buried in the cold, dark earth.

So, Octavia asked the maids around her.

Where had her little brother gone, and what had happened?

After hearing the details of the incident, Pulvia began to understand, even as she repeatedly questioned the servants about what had transpired.

The concept of death, and that her little brother had been killed by their father.

In a way, Roden was like Octavia’s first friend.

Roden hadn’t gone anywhere.

He was simply buried in the cold, lonely ground.

Pulvia held the sobbing Octavia tightly.

“Why did Roden… sniff… have to die?”

Pulvia, too, did not know exactly why Roden had died.

—

Only Valoran could guess that he was putting the heir through a murderous trial.

“Mom doesn’t know either…”

Pulvia, shedding tears as she watched the pitiful Octavia weep.

She had suffered greatly as well.

While she could endure violence and abuse, the pain of losing a child was far too great.

Pulvia embraced Octavia, soothing her.

“Mom, I love you… Please don’t die, stay with me for a long time…”

The child spoke with reddened eyes.

At those words, Pulvia nodded.

***

Time passed, and Pulvia became pregnant again.

It was only natural, given that Valoran, who had lusted after Pulvia like a beast, had killed Roden.

Of course, Pulvia found the situation utterly dire, but Valoran was not the kind of person to think about such things.

Thus, Pulvia hoped her child would be a daughter.

After all, Valoran was busy killing off sons.

Wouldn’t a daughter have a better chance of living long, like Octavia?

Now six years old, Octavia felt joy at the news of a sibling, but soon spoke with a determined expression.

“This time, I will protect them. I will keep my little sibling safe!”

Time passed, and the baby was born.

Contrary to her fervent wish, the child was a son.

He had black hair, a blend of her and Valoran’s features.

Pulvia named the child Devian and fell into deep thought.

How could she protect this child?

How could she keep her offspring safe from that monstrous Valoran? Pulvia pondered this every day.

‘I must seek help from my family.’

Since coming here, Pulvia had been living a tearful life.

She harbored a fierce resolve to do anything for this child.

She could not afford to lose another.

Pulvia, neglecting postpartum care, called for Alfred.

“Congratulations.”

As soon as Alfred saw Pulvia, he sent his congratulations on the birth of her child.

She nodded her head, accepting his gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“But what brings you here?”

Alfred found it strange that Pulvia was seeking him out.

He knew that the violence from Valoran had decreased compared to before.

There was a directive from the homeland to protect Pulvia with all the authority of the ambassador if the violence she faced became excessive, so he was keeping a close watch on her every move.

“I want to protect my son, Debian, who was just born.”

Alfred, aware of what Pulvia meant, glanced around and opened his mouth.

“I understand that the homeland is currently deliberating on that issue. If you could wait a little longer, I should be able to bring you good news.”

The United Kingdom had unofficially requested Emperor Tiberius of the Empire to oust Valoran.

Of course, he thought it wouldn’t be easy to achieve with mere words, so he was considering offering a substantial sum of money, which could potentially lead to the Duke stepping down and Debian being inaugurated as the new Duke.

In that case, the regent would be Pulvia, but still.

Regardless, Pulvia brightened at Alfred’s words.

“Is that really true?”

At Pulvia’s surprised question, Alfred nodded with a bright smile.

“Don’t worry. His Majesty the King is quite determined this time. We should be able to send you good news soon.”

Pulvia’s father, Leon II, harbored a deep hatred for Valoran.

If he were here, he would likely drink it down in one gulp.

He had abused his late-born daughter and had killed two of his grandchildren.

Though it was a necessary relationship, he couldn’t help but imagine burning the Duchy dozens, if not hundreds, of times out of personal emotion.

Alfred’s words filled Pulvia with great hope.

***

Emperor Tiberius of the Empire felt puzzled by the visit from the ambassador of the United Kingdom.

‘What could this be about?’

The United Kingdom was a maritime kingdom that had gained independence from the Empire several hundred years ago.

However, a century ago, they discovered the New World and began to leverage the immense economic benefits from there to pressure the Empire.

In other words, it likely wasn’t for a good reason.

‘I want to avoid war.’

Tiberius was building many ships to head toward the New World, which held vast potential.

The war with the Union Kingdom, which boasts a formidable naval power, would yield no benefits.

A conflict between the Union Kingdom, possessing the strongest navy, and the Empire, with the mightiest army, would bring no good to either side.

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”

Tiberius responds to the ambassador’s greeting with a smile.

“Yes, it has been a while. How have you been?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s boundless grace, I have been well.”

With that, the two engaged in lively conversation.

As they exchanged stories about the Crown Prince’s recent academic achievements and the second son beginning to speak, the ambassador’s expression turned cautious.

“Your Majesty, haven’t we and the Empire been at odds, causing much discord? Our King has sent 20 tons of gold as a gift to the Empire and has instructed me to deliver this letter.”

Tiberius took the ornate envelope in hand.

He carefully broke the seal and began to read its contents.

As he read the letter, seemingly without concern, a look of shock spread across Tiberius’s face.

A request for the expulsion of Valoran.

The request to expel Valoran, who was undoubtedly the son-in-law of the Union Kingdom and the leader of the anti-imperial faction within the Empire, was something Tiberius had never imagined.

‘No? Aren’t they father-in-law and son-in-law? But to ask for an expulsion?’

Tiberius recalled the incident from a few years ago when the first and second sons of the Grand Duke had died.

According to imperial law, the Emperor had dispatched officials directly to the Grand Duchy, and the court had acquitted him after review.

Though the court had strong suspicions, they could not punish him due to a lack of evidence, yet Tiberius instinctively felt that Valoran was responsible for the deaths of the two sons.

If it weren’t the case, they wouldn’t be asking for the expulsion of a son-in-law directly.

“Hmmm…”

Tiberius tapped a complex calculator in his mind.

Valoran was necessary for Tiberius.

He played a role in curbing the rampant actions of the pro-imperial faction that supported the current Emperor.

If Valoran were to be expelled, the forces that had maintained a healthy political system by keeping the Emperor in check for a long time might disband.

The reason emperors had historically left the anti-imperial faction alone was to prevent power from stagnating and rotting.

However, aside from the role of the anti-imperial faction, Tiberius harbored a slight grudge against Valoran.

Back when he was the Crown Prince.

Tiberius had been secretly dating Eurydice, who was rumored to be the most beautiful in the Empire.

One day, Valoran saw the beautiful Eurydice and fell in love, making his advances.

—

But of course, Eurydice, who was secretly dating the crown prince, politely declined, yet he persistently pursued her.

It was to the point that Eurydice, tired of Valoran, spoke to Crown Prince Tiberius, and only after he threatened Valoran did Valoran’s relentless courtship finally cease.

‘But I can’t handle things out of personal animosity.’

Tiberius said as he placed the letter on the table.

“I’ll think about it for a few days and let you know the outcome.”

The ambassador nodded as if it were only natural.

“I look forward to good news.”