"Sister! I heard you were bedridden with an illness!"
Seeing Rain ushered into the reception room, I was more astonished than I had been in quite a while.
First Imperial Princess Rain was roughly the same age as my mother.
She was an imperial princess known for practicing the martial arts despite being a woman, as well as for her bold, hearty personality.
Because I had recently received reports that she was suffering from a severe illness, her appearance came as quite a shock.
After all, the Rain standing before me was brimming with energy, looking not in the least like a sick person.
"I can't just be lying around in bed at a time like this."
"Huh?"
"Thank you, Noah. I came to thank you."
"To thank me?"
I tilted my head, wondering what this could be about.
"I heard about what you did for Arlene."
"Ah."
"And so, just a moment ago, I threw out every last woman that useless husband of mine was keeping."
"Useless husband... Ah."
Now I finally understood the situation.
Rain's husband, Alan.
As the husband of an imperial princess, he was, in a sense, doing the most standard thing expected of him.
Unless something extraordinary occurred, the husband of an imperial princess was treated essentially as a subject.
Furthermore, because she was an imperial princess, there was little pressure to produce an heir.
The general attitude was that if there wasn't one, it couldn't be helped.
Consequently, an overwhelming number of such husbands kept concubines instead of being with the imperial princesses.
This practice was semi-officially recognized.
Rather than directing indecent desires toward an imperial princess, it was deemed better to relieve them with other women.
As quasi-royalty with the status of an imperial princess's husband, they held a respectable position, making it only natural to have a concubine or two.
For the men as well, maintaining their pride was far easier by dealing with concubines they could control rather than an imperial princess who outranked them no matter what.
A man like Angus, who asked to spend his life together with Arlene, was exceedingly rare.
"You have my thanks, Noah. Thanks to you, I can openly fight those thieving vixens now."
"I see."
I let out a soft chuckle.
Just because it was the norm didn't mean the imperial princesses felt no jealousy.
It was considered unsightly to show jealousy toward a subject, so whether openly—or rather, doing it behind closed doors was deemed even more disgraceful—they simply hadn't been able to do anything about it.
With permission granted for that "jealousy," Rain had sprung into action immediately.
What I had done for Arlene and her husband seemed to have helped Rain, even if the circumstances differed slightly.
"That's all well and good, Sister, but don't push yourself too hard. I've read the court physician's reports. Your illness is—"
"Oh, I'm cured of that."
"What?"
"The moment I kicked those thieving vixens out, my body felt unbelievably light."
"...I see."
They say illness starts in the mind.
And there are also ailments born from the heart.
I didn't know which applied to Rain, but it seemed she truly had been cured by that act alone.
"Thank you so much, Noah."
"You're welcome. So, Sister, what will you do now?"
"Now?"
"I mean, after driving out the concubines."
"Well, that is..."
Hm?
What was with this reaction?
Rain, who was well up in years, blushed and began fidgeting bashfully.
"Sister?"
"He... remembered the words he told me on the night of our wedding."
"Ah."
I was curious about what those words were.
A shared memory between the two—and likely a conversation from their wedding night.
I decided it was best not to pry too deeply.
"So... now that those thieving vixens are gone, I thought maybe I could forgive him."
"I see. Then best of luck, Sister. If there is anything I can do, just say the word."
"Yes. Thank you, Noah."
☆
There is a phrase: unintended consequences.
Noah's series of actions was a prime example of this.
Until then, imperial princesses of the Empire had possessed significantly shorter lifespans compared to imperial princes.
Throughout several hundred years of history, barely two had ever lived past the age of sixty.
However, starting from this policy of Noah's, the lifespans of the Empire's imperial princesses lengthened dramatically.
While not immediately understood at the time, future generations revealed that being freed from the corrupt customs binding them had greatly increased their life expectancy.
When speaking of Noah I, it became a modest yet undeniable achievement recorded in history.
☆
The next day, in the study.
I summoned Henry and Oscar.
We conducted state affairs in our usual manner, with me seated and Henry and Oscar standing across the desk.
"And so, Oscar, I want you to revise the budget regarding married imperial princesses. It may not be a large sum relative to the annual budget, but it will demonstrate that I am serious about this."
"Your Majesty, regarding that matter, shouldn't we proceed with a bit more caution?"
"Hm?"
I stared straight at Oscar as he raised his objection.
"This is a custom that has persisted throughout the Empire for hundreds of years. Abruptly abolishing it seems questionable. Would it not suffice to treat Arlene's case as a special exception?"
"I see."
What Oscar said was sound logic.
When old customs like these were dismantled so abruptly, they were met with fierce backlash.
Even as Emperor, one could not simply do whatever one pleased.
That was especially true for long-standing traditions.
Tampering with custom was, in a sense, a challenge against past emperors.
The resistance and pushback could sometimes be far stronger than anticipated.
However...
"I have already decided. There will be no changes."
"Can you really not reconsider?"
"..."
"Oscar."
Henry, who had been silently watching the proceedings unfold until now and had been called in to discuss the next matter, finally spoke up.
"What is it, Brother?"
"There has been movement in Tulbaif."
"Right now, we are discussing the imperial princesses—"
"'We can see the Empire's Emperor is sincere in marrying them off, going so far as to reduce the imperial princesses' privileges.' Voices of that nature have begun to emerge from within Tulbaif."
"—! Your Majesty... Could it be you did this for..."
"Indeed."
I gave a deep nod.
The moment I heard Angus's direct appeal, I had envisioned this exact scenario in my mind.
The privileges of a married imperial princess were not limited strictly to the Empire's borders.
Rather, their true effect showed when marrying into another nation.
Naturally, a married imperial princess was both a hostage and a guest.
Slighting her was practically equivalent to declaring hostility against the Empire.
Therefore, an imperial princess was treated with that same level of distinction in the household she married into.
And I had stripped that away.
"Was this your aim from the very beginning?"
"..."
I offered a gentle smile.
Without answering directly, I stood up and looked out the window behind me.
"It would be nice if they remain quiet and well-behaved."
Those words were the continuation of my thoughts from when I decided to marry off the three imperial princesses in a political union.
"As expected of Your Majesty. By going this far, Tulbaif will surely be moved to tears and submit to us."
"Even so, we cannot let our guard down. Maintain vigilance without fail."
"Yes, Sire."
Henry bowed deeply.
I fixed my gaze steadily on Oscar.
Our eyes met, and we stared at each other for a brief moment.
"Understood," Oscar said, consenting to the budget revision.
Henry and Oscar then exited the room together.
"Haaa..."
"That didn't go smoothly, did it?"
Don, who entered just as they left, spoke.
"Hm?"
"His Highness did not accept Your Majesty's intentions, did he?"
"...You caught on quickly."
"You are truly magnificent, Your Majesty."
Despite Don's praise, I let out another sigh.
A budget revision was a purely administrative matter that could have been handled by merely issuing a single document to the relevant department through the Fourth Prime Minister. Yet, I had gone out of my way to summon Oscar, the Imperial Prince Minister of Internal Affairs, to speak with him directly.
It was to send him a message:
I will lay my hands on anything for the sake of my reign.
Following my father's example, I had been constructing an intelligence network.
Not only Huwawa's Box, but I was also utilizing individuals who operated further within the shadows.
And from various corners, reports had come in that Oscar was making unsettling moves—or rather, harbored treacherous intentions.
If you stand in my way, even if you are an imperial prince...
I had sent such a message, but Oscar had not accepted it.
He noticed it, yet deliberately chose not to heed it.
Would I have to deal with him someday? No, I could only pray that such a day would never come.