End of Stage

"Are you not leaving yet, mother? Am I not clear enough?" Nero doesn't even bother to hide her true self after she regains her power and watches her mother's influence crumble.

Nero greatly underestimates her authority as emperor and overestimates her mother, which makes her think that it would take a long time for her to defeat her mother, while in truth, it doesn't require much effort to do so.

Thanks to history books that say Nero Claudius's reign was full of rebellion and terrible civil wars in the Year of the Four Emperors to come, which subconsciously made her think that everyone was betraying her mentality, which made her underestimate herself.

After adjusting her mentality, she took the role as Emperor seriously and took a no-nonsense approach.

The previous plan was thrown out of the window by her after she saw the Senate's performance that didn't find fault with her. 

It's understandable; after all, she never makes a mistake. 

For absence in the court part, who among Emperors of Rome was never absent? 

Even Trajan, known as Trajan the Goat, the greatest of Roman Emperors, was absent for one year, grinding in German before he really took his duty as Emperor in Rome. 

None of the present faults him for that.

That was the same for her. 

After all, she did not laze around for two years but built her own faction and grinding before she took her role as Emperor. If not for her mother suddenly making enemies out of people left and right, she would still focus on her grinding. 

After all, if she did not take action to put down her mother, it's not impossible for the Senate to launch a coup. 

Because of her book and her attitude, the Senate didn't do so, because she had already told them bluntly that she was not in one camp with her mother, even in a hostile position at that.

It's not common anyway in Rome for relatives when it comes to power to fight each other, even her uncle eventually falling out with her mother because of power. 

Of course, if the Senate insists on launching a coup d'état, she doesn't mind showing them who has the biggest fist in Rome.

"What do you mean by this book, Nero? Are you spreading our affair to the masses? Have you no shame about it?" Agrippina gathered her courage under the intimidating gaze of Praetor Guards surrounding Nero and pointed out the book in her hand at her daughter. 

She knew she was finished because of Nero's book; no one would listen to her anymore, even everyone would see her as a lunatic who need not be paid attention to because of it. 

If not for her status as Emperor's mother, they would have already thrown her out in prison rather than keep her in the same room with them.

Even her allies and factions prefer to stay away from her, fearing being implicated by her. 

She was vaguely aware when the book was spread; her daughter was no longer the daughter she knew. 

That's why she urgently needed real power and offended people left and right. 

Only with real power was she confident to make her daughter obediently become her puppet and empty her power.

Moreover, she could see that her daughter's popularity couldn't last that long after her wealth was emptied. 

How could she pay the wage of the garrison of Rome, maintain their stability, or keep generous if she had no money in her hand?

Unfortunately, she miscalculated. 

She can wait for Nero to fall herself, but others can't, especially after seeing Agrippina's threat and growing power. 

Even she wanted to low-key wait for Nero to fall herself; it still didn't work because the more popularity Nero gained toward people and the military, the easier Nero could take off her power. 

That's why, despite knowing the risk, Agrippina still offended people left and right. 

Even if she failed, at least she resisted, not passively waiting to be disposed of by her daughter.

Although her daughter's move was subtle, it didn't go unnoticed by her or the Senate. 

But what could they do? 

If she didn't act, her daughter would grow more powerful. 

If the Senate didn't act, they could only passively be stripped away from their power by Agrippina and replaced by her faction.

She couldn't help but dread her daughter's forbearance and complex scheme. 

How could a 17-year-old girl do this? 

Even Nero was 19 years old now, but when she formed this scheme, it was when she was 17 years old, especially since she grew up under her. 

She never taught her such a complex scheme. 

How did she do it? 

She didn't understand and was confused.

"Do you want to kick her from here, Caesar?" Burrus interjected in annoyance when he saw Agrippina lack respect toward the Emperor and glared at her as he readied to pick up his sword to put this woman in her place.

"Just leave her alone, Burrus. I have a plan for her in the future." Nero shook her head and ignored her mother's accusation as she rose up from her throne. 

Before she goes, she didn't forget to tease her mockingly.

"You have no power here, mother." 

"The throne is mine, Rome is mine, and there is nothing you can do to take it." 

"Your boytoy, they will die. Painfully." 

"Unfortunately, you can't see that."

Her expression sank when she heard Nero's last word. 

Now she understands why Nero suddenly targeted Vindex and humiliated him in the throne room. 

Did she know that he was a chess piece that she placed in Gaul? 

How did she know? 

She never told anyone about it. 

Unless Locusta betrayed her...

No... 

It's impossible... 

Locusta wouldn't betray her... 

Especially after she saw Nero night with Claudia, it's impossible for Locusta to forgive Nero for that. 

But the fact was present in front of her, even if she didn't believe, she had to believe.

She didn't know what her daughter would do in the future as she becomes more unpredictable and difficult to guess her next course of action. 

Agrippina didn't realize the meaning of her daughter was she would die before they did.

'Unfortunately, you can't see that.' that word was so obvious that Nero wanted her death before Vindex and any other of her allies did, but she was too immersed in Locusta's betrayal to take those words seriously.