I Became the Master of the Empress

74 – Episode 74

Quite a large conference room.

Here, under the chairmanship of the Pieta Chamber of Commerce, investment companies and investors who were unable to fulfill the Grand Duchy bond call option contract were gathered.

The reason is that if they went bankrupt, the empire’s economy would suffer a huge blow, so an information session was held to present an alternative to them.

The reason why I participated in the information session of Pieta Company, which officially has nothing to do with me…

It is said that I proposed a technology investment fund management project to Pieta Company, and Pieta Company accepted the proposal and invited me.

-Why did the Grand Duke come here?

-I heard that the Pieta Company invited the Archduke.

-For what reason… Didn’t the Pieta Company make a secret pact with the Archduke?

-Shhh… There you are. If you say something like that carelessly, you’ll be in big trouble. Personally, I doubt that Pieta Company made such huge profits… But isn’t the person involved next to them?

I can hear everything. You guys.

When I think like that.

Carl, the current owner of Pieta Company, goes up to the stage.

[Thank you all for your hard work coming from far away. We are gathered here today to mediate our call option contract. First of all, we would like to thank His Highness Archduke Debian for providing us with this investment opportunity.]

Read the speech I wrote that begins like this.

[Everyone probably knows that many of the call options our company purchased at high premiums have defaulted, resulting in huge losses.]

What a loss… On the contrary, it was a huge gain.

I felt really scared about the madness of capitalism.

There are obviously more bond contracts floating around than the bonds I have issued…

How crazy is this situation?

Thanks to you, I made a lot of money.

I am in trouble because I earn too much.

Not just a few large investment companies, but the majority of investment companies are at risk of going bankrupt.

[However, I think it would be wrong to say that I am unaware of your difficult situation, so I prepared this event.]

And then he takes a large piece of paper and sticks it on the wall and says.

[Currently, the empire is said to be creating a technology investment fund. So, we have decided to sell your bonds resulting from your failure to fulfill the contract to Empire and put the money into an investment fund.]

-What… What’s going on?

-The Empire is buying our bonds?

The place becomes noisy.

-How on earth is this going?

– Instead of talking in circles in a frustrating way, try to talk about it honestly.

[It is literally. The Empire sold the debts you incurred to the Pieta Company to the Empire, but the benevolent Grand Duke presented you with a generous offer.]

-A generous offer…?

[You guys have decided to forgive 1/15th of the debt. However, this is on the condition that you must invest in a technology investment fund.]

-That… Does that make sense?

I think that if we reduce their debt by 1/15, they will survive quite a bit.

Well… If it fails, I plan to take over and run it under a different name.

It makes no sense to just throw away the infrastructure and talent they have built.

In addition, in order to prevent the financial vacuum created by the collapse of investment companies, the collapse must be prevented first.

-What is that investment fund?

-Please explain in detail!

I don’t know how many nights I stayed up to come up with a fantasy fund.

There is no concept of fund here yet.

The atmosphere in the hall becomes noisy and filled with joy.

[Hmm… I’ll explain that from now on.]

And then Carol explains the paper stuck on the wall.

[In this way, you put 3% of your net profits into an investment fund every year, and this money is managed by the empire to invest in technology development. And we receive 6% interest from companies that have been invested for 10 years and share the profits with you.]

At those words, the hall becomes quiet.

It seems like each person is calculating in their head what the benefit is.

Even if the company they invested in fails, it will be difficult for them to reject it right away.

I see that my company has gone bankrupt. Are you even considering companies you invested in in the distant future?

I would rather think about accounting fraud to reduce 3% of net profit.

Because accounting fraud is common here.

[Of course, I will give you an investment certificate and allow you to buy and sell the investment certificate. Also, the empire promised to put your debt into an investment fund, so it will be quite large.]

-Clap! Clap!

Suddenly, applause erupts and people stand up one by one.

-Glory to the Empire! Glory to the Empire!

-Oh~ Merciful Grand Duke…

-May there be long peace for the Empire!

Seeing them starting to praise me, I try to hide my prickly feelings and smile and wave my hands.

Seeing them so moved makes my conscience prick.

I am the main culprit of market manipulation.

As I am in a situation where the victims are praising the perpetrators, I myself feel deep disgust.

Well… My conscience hurts, but the reaction at the scene is not bad.

***

A few days passed like that.

Waiting for an old friend at a port on the Tiber River.

A ship approaching the port after passing the magnificent underwater wall.

As the colorful mast with the lion on it began to come into view, the guard next to me spoke.

“Grand Duke. “Commander Agrippa’s ship has arrived.”

I nod my head at those words.

As the ship docked at the port, a handsome blonde man got off the ship and greeted me.

“Your Majesty the Grand Duke, how have you been?”

“Thanks to you, I had a good time.”

We look at each other and smile like that.

“Now, let’s quickly go to the imperial palace. “I have prepared a dinner for you.”

I cannot stand still in the success of myself and my dear friend Agrippa.

As soon as the war was over, they decided to invite Agrippa to the imperial palace for a dinner.

Well… I was going to call Mary too, but she decided to stay in the Grand Duchy in case there were any unsavory moves.

“hahahaha…, Don’t you think I know that you’re trying to pass on the affairs of the empire to me?”

I nod brightly at those words.

“Of course.”

As we board the carriage, we talk about recent events.

“Okay. “How did you feel about going to war for the first time?”

Agripa closes his eyes for a moment at my words.

“It was more miserable than I thought.”

I wait for him in silence as I feel like I’m reminiscing about something.

Soon, he opens his eyes slightly and says.

“Whether it’s an ally or an enemy… I don’t think it’s a good idea to see someone dying.”

“Okay…”

I have never been to a battlefield myself, but I somehow think so.

For a moment, silence flows between us.

“They will blame me, right?”

Agripa, lost in thought for a moment after hearing my words, speaks.

“Maybe so.”

Yes… I guess so.

“How can it be that the Grand Duke is not a pilgrim? “Are you heartbroken over something like that?”

Agripa, seeing my listless appearance, begins to groan.

“It is wrong for the person who leads the Grand Duchy of France on a small scale and the empire on behalf of the Emperor to be so sad because only a few people have died. War is not a good thing, but if you don’t slit the rotten and festering parts, your whole body will get sick. “Don’t you know that we must boldly fight war when necessary?”

I know too.

“I know… But…”

From Noble mtl dot com

He firmly turns his head left and right in response to my words.

“Of course, there were sacrifices. This is for the sake of everyone who survived, so don’t take it too seriously. Rather, I am worried that the path you are aiming for may be shaken due to fear of war.”

“Phew… Right. Because it’s something that can’t be undone now. Don’t worry. “It hurts, but there’s no other way, right?”

I have already ascended to the top of the game of power.

Defeat here means death.

Not only does it end with my death, but everyone I love falls into humiliation and despair.

Agripa nods at my words and smiles slightly.

“That’s right. “We have come too far to give up now.”

Afterwards, a banquet for Agrippa is held at the imperial palace.

Agripa is astonished when he sees Theodora, Lucius, and Joey.

“Hwa… The princess is also… No… No, are you in the Grand Study Department?”

Joy only smiles sheepishly at Agrippa’s words.

“hehehe… I just happened to…”

Ah… I didn’t tell you that I was arrested for writing a BL novel.

I couldn’t bear to tell Joy that I was using BL water with Agrippa as the subject matter, so I didn’t say anything.

“I can’t believe Her Majesty the Princess thinks so much about the country. “It is a blessing from the Empire.”

Indeed… Was it the empire’s blessing that the princess was captured for writing a BL novel?

I don’t want to receive blessings like this.

The more Agrippa, unaware of the situation, smiles brightly, the more his and Theodora’s expressions change to despair. Agrippa is puzzled.

But we decide to hide this from Agrippa for the sake of Joey’s image.

The act of writing a BL novel here…

A serious crime of which there is nothing to say even if one is imprisoned and tortured in the Vatican’s dungeon.

No matter how much she is the princess, if she is known to be writing such a homos*xual novel, will she be able to get married?

Unlike in modern times, homos*xuality is no different from a crime here.

Well… That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist at all.

In fact, there are several nobles suspected of being homos*xual, but they were not arrested due to the power of the family.

If you were an ordinary citizen of the empire, you would be tortured and then burned at the stake.

“hehehe… Sister! “I am the blessing of the empire.”

But the thoughtless sister-in-law laughs brightly at Agrippa’s words.

She is my mother-in-law’s daughter, so she is pretty.

Joy has a delicate and lovely face that makes those who look at her face feel the desire to protect and protect them.

Looking at her and her Theodora, she keenly feels that her face is not everything when looking at a woman.

I can’t believe you like BL with a face like that.

“Yes… It is truly a blessing from the empire.”

Theodora, looking at Joy with her cold eyes, responds coldly, but Joy pays him no mind and speaks with a bright smile.

“Your Majesty~ Are you glad to have a younger brother like you?”

At those words, Theodora frowned and grabbed Joey’s cheeks…

“Ugh! Ah… it hurts!”

Theodora presses her sister’s cheeks as hard as she can and says,

“Yes, such a sweetheart to Jim! Little brother! “It’s so nice to have it!”

“Ugh! Bo… Don’t pinch me!”