"It is just the two of us. There is no need for unnecessary formalities."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Oscar stood up.
His eyes looked slightly different than they had just moments ago. Since I could see his status, I understood that the shift in his eye color reflected a deepening of his loyalty.
Knowing that, I continued without hesitation.
"For the time being, I will continue to treat you with special consideration. Just as before, I will handle you with kid gloves."
"Naturally, that would be for the best. Then I, too, shall act as I always have—"
"No, I need you to change your behavior a little, Oscar."
I cut him off, and a look of mild curiosity crossed his face.
"Change it in what way?"
"Act even more excessively deferential than you have until now."
"...I see."
Oscar pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"You mean I should make it appear as though I am pouring all my energy into covering my tracks because I am plotting some reaction against Your Majesty."
"Exactly. It must look as if your dissatisfaction with me is steadily mounting, yet you are desperately trying to conceal it. That ought to make them take the bait."
"Brilliant, Your Majesty. Still, I doubt there is anyone of that caliber in those circles right now who warrants such elaborate caution."
"I merely wish to be thorough. A subtle performance like this can only be pulled off once."
"That is true."
"That will be the broad strategy. I leave the rest entirely to you."
"Understood."
"You have a blank check. Do as you see fit."
"Are you certain? It might be better if Your Majesty directed the details."
"There are many practical matters where you surpass me."
"..."
Oscar's eyes widened in surprise.
"With someone of your caliber, it is far better to give you the broad outline and let you improvise the rest."
"...Incredible, Your Majesty. I finally understand why the late Emperor yielded the throne to you rather than me. If it were me, I would insist on meddling in everything."
"I am the same way. I am constantly tempted to poke my nose in."
"In your case, Your Majesty, once you set the guideposts, you entrust the paving of the road to others. In my case, I cannot rest easy unless I have a say in every single matter."
"That is a flaw born of your competence. Is it that you fundamentally do not trust your subordinates?"
"Perhaps. While managing a single province is one thing, for a single human being to grasp an entire nation is..."
Oscar offered a self-deprecating chuckle.
The fact that he could smile like that was proof enough that there was no longer any wariness between us.
"At any rate, I leave it all in your hands."
"Yes, Sire."
☆
After parting ways with Oscar and leaving the estate, I returned to the detached palace—my former Thirteenth Imperial Prince Mansion.
Under the cover of dusk, I slipped past the gatekeepers unnoticed and made my way inside.
Having returned to my own residence, I did not head to my bedchamber.
Instead, I went straight to the archives.
Stepping inside, I lit a lantern kept near the entrance and used its light to survey the room.
I was searching for a book.
Recalling my conversation with Father, I wandered through the stacks.
Father and I had spoken about resources.
The plan I discussed with Father, and later with Oscar, was centered on wringing out the portions hoarded by those with vested interests from existing wealth.
On the other hand, Father's original approach had been to expand the nation's resources from the ground up.
Neither method was inherently right nor wrong, nor was there any rule stating one must choose only one over the other.
As long as they did not conflict, I believed one could—and should—pursue both.
With that in mind, I remembered an account I had read recently in a history book regarding an emperor who specialized in such expansion.
I had returned here to study it in greater detail so I could use it as a reference.
"Hmm..."
I pulled a few promising volumes from the shelves, leafing through them to inspect their contents.
None of them were the right one.
Lately, I had been reading so voraciously that I couldn't remember which exact volume held the account.
Just as I was wondering what to do—
"W-Who's there?!"
"Hm?...Oh, it's just you, Gigi."
Hearing a voice from the entrance, I raised the lantern and looked toward the speaker.
Standing there was the maid, Gigi.
When she first came to the mansion, she had been a mere child, but now she was a striking, fully grown young woman.
"It is I."
I said simply.
"M-Master—I mean, Your Majesty?!"
"Indeed."
"Y-You've returned?"
"Yeah. It's strictly confidential, so keep it to yourself."
"Y-Yes! I won't tell a soul!"
Though she had grown into a remarkable beauty, Gigi stiffened with the same clumsy, overly rigid posture she had always had when answering my orders.
Suppressing a chuckle, I picked up the next book and opened it.
I flipped through the pages, skimmed a section, and returned it to the shelf.
"Not this one either..."
"Are you looking for something?"
"Yeah, there's a book I need... Do you think you'd know which one it is?"
"I'm sorry, I can't read."
"I see."
I gave a small nod.
It was hardly unusual; most who entered service as maids were illiterate.
Unlike other imperial princes, I never forbade reading, writing, or study, so some servants eventually learned, but Gigi never had.
Since it was nothing out of the ordinary, I didn't hold it against her.
"U-Um..."
"Hm?"
"Do you know... when you read it?"
"When I read it?"
Tilting my head, my hand paused mid-reach for the next book as I turned back to her.
"Yes. If you know that, I might be able to find it for you."
"What do you mean?"
"For example—this one and this one were books Your Majesty read the day before you went out, and from here to here were from two days before that. You didn't read in here the day before that, and three days before, it was this one, this one, and this one."
"...That is how you remember them?"
"Yes!"
I was genuinely surprised.
Closing my eyes, I tried to recall.
When had I read that book—?
"I read it at night....It was a moonless new moon, right after I received the harvest report, so just before winter."
Playing a game of mental association, I gradually narrowed down the timeframe until I pinned it down to two possible dates.
When I gave her those two days:
"Please wait just a moment—this one, this one, and this one—these six books!"
Dashing busily around the archives, Gigi pulled out exactly six volumes from various shelves.
I took them and began leafing through.
The moment I opened the third book—
"This is it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, reading the preface brought it all back. If I recall, the passage was around here... Found it."
"Thank goodness! You found it."
"You..."
Still holding the open book, I looked at Gigi.
She blinked back at me with a bewildered expression.
"You remembered remarkably well. You have my praise."
"—! Thank you very much, Your Majesty!"
"That will be all for tonight. I'm just going to finish reading this, so go get some sleep. Remember, my presence here is secret."
"Understood! Good night, Your Majesty!"
Gigi bowed briskly and hurried out of the archives, her footsteps pattering away.
Watching her go, I muttered softly to myself:
"To think such a treasure... was hiding so close at hand."
☆
The following morning, I paid a visit to Audrey.
An empress's mornings start early. Surrounded by attendants, she is meticulously prepared until she embodies the very image of the "Empress."
Calculating the time that process required, I appeared before Audrey the moment her attendants withdrew and left her alone.
"I have been waiting for you, Your Majesty."
Inside her private chambers, Audrey showed no surprise, welcoming me as if my arrival had been long anticipated.
"Did you expect me to come?"
"No. It is simply that I keep myself prepared so that I may receive you whenever you might grace me with your presence."
"That must be exhausting."
"It is only natural for the Empress. Your Majesty carries a far heavier burden, so I could never complain of fatigue over something so minor."
"I see. I came today for a specific reason. I intend to take one of the maids into my service; I came to let you know."
"A maid... is it?"
"Yes."
"..."
Audrey wore a visibly troubled expression.
"Even if you speak of taking someone, they all belong to Your Majesty. There is no need to seek my permission."
"Formally speaking, the maids in the inner palace belong to the Empress. The girl's name is Gigi. May I take her?"
"...Your Majesty is truly extraordinary."
"Hm?"
"Though you have called me the master of the inner palace and the mother of the nation on numerous occasions, you truly meant every word, didn't you?"
"I would not have said it otherwise."
"Please, take her. By all means, grant that child the honor of being needed by Your Majesty."
"You have my thanks."
Audrey conducted herself with impeccable imperial dignity.
After a brief pause, I spoke.
"What I am about to say is merely me talking to myself."
"..."
"I will be making a move soon. Tell Thunder Imperial Prince to be careful—"
Audrey did not let me finish.
Stepping forward smoothly, she pressed her index finger against my lips, silencing the words.
"Audrey?"
"I know Your Majesty is simply being considerate, believing it acceptable for me to send a quiet warning to my maiden family."
"Yes. Rest assured, it is merely pillow talk that falls outside the law."
"Your Majesty."
"Hm?"
"Do you know my name?"
"It's Audrey, isn't it?"
"That is correct."
Audrey nodded, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
"I am Audrey, simply Audrey. Having undergone the Rite of Name Removal, I am the Empress Audrey, who no longer possesses a maiden family."
"..."
"I shall never meddle in affairs of state. Please, act entirely as your heart decrees."
"I apologize. It seems I underestimated you."
"Not at all, Your Majesty."
"As before, I leave the entire inner palace in your capable hands."
"Yes."
"I will take Gigi."
"Yes."
"I will visit again tonight."
"...Yes."
Audrey was a remarkably wise woman.
She understood every nuance of my words, effortlessly navigating the boundaries between the public and the private.
This treasure of mine was far greater than I had ever imagined, and a quiet sense of satisfaction swelled within me.