"—Now then."
Turning back toward the girl, I began anew.
"While it was unintentional that my identity was revealed, what is your name?"
"It's Noufe."
"An uncommon name. And your surname?"
"Don't have one. I'm an orphan. I just call myself Sailing when I need one, though."
"Noufe Sailing, is it?"
I gave a small nod and inquired further.
"How much education have you received?"
"I've never had any proper schooling."
"Oh? That is quite hard to believe. Even if one were born naturally gifted with wisdom, it would not surprise me, but yours is clearly accompanied by actual knowledge. It is not merely a matter of natural genius."
"..."
"If you cannot say, that is fine; I will not fault you for it. It is out of pure curiosity."
Noufe looked slightly surprised and stared intently at me.
Her expression showed she was trying to gauge my true intentions.
After a moment, she slightly lowered her gaze and opened her mouth.
"...As a study attendant."
"A study attendant?"
"Until last year, I worked as a maid in a merchant's household, but midway through, I started accompanying the young master to attend his studies."
"Haha, I see."
I chuckled pleasantly.
Both Cindy and Maya looked puzzled as to why I reacted that way, and Cindy simply asked straight out.
"What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"
"You and Maya studied of your own accord, so it is understandable that you wouldn't grasp it. When someone is born into a decent household yet despises studying, it is not uncommon to push everything onto a study attendant like this child. At the lightest end, they have them ghostwrite various things, and at worst, they frequently make them do every last bit of their schoolwork."
"What!?"
"To think such a thing occurs..."
Both Cindy and Maya wore expressions of shock and disbelief.
Both of them were clever and had clear goals of their own, so studying was never a hardship to them; thus, such an idea had likely never crossed their minds.
However, it was certainly a reality.
Even among the imperial family—though it was rare nowadays—back during the system before the Restoration where 'no one did anything except the Crown Prince,' such practices were commonplace.
Because of that, everyone besides the Crown Prince grew up to be complete fools, and there was a period in history when the nation's power steadily deteriorated.
Putting that aside, however—I see.
I fixed my gaze on Noufe.
"In other words, you practically received the entire education intended for that merchant's son yourself, did you not?"
"I guess that's how it turned out."
"I see. That also explains why your manner of speech is like that."
"Ah—"
"Pay it no mind. I have no intention of reprimanding you for that either."
Noufe was startled for a moment and almost turned pale, but I raised a hand to assure her it was fine.
By this point, my interest in her far outweighed anything else.
I saw no need to make a fuss over empty formalities.
"You said 'until last year,' meaning you are no longer doing it now?"
"They found out I was doing all his schoolwork, so they cast me out last year."
"They pinned the blame on you, then."
"Yeah. They said I was putting bad ideas in his head and kicked me out."
"What a waste. Or rather, perhaps I should say it is fortunate for me."
Murmuring that, I nodded inwardly.
I accepted it as a story that wasn't particularly uncommon, but Cindy and Maya—especially Cindy—openly displayed a displeasure bordering on anger.
Even so, since I, their master, was speaking with Noufe, they could not very well assert their own feelings—so I could clearly see both of them holding it tightly in check.
Glancing sideways at the two of them, I asked Noufe further.
"Is that also how you learned about me?"
"Yeah, various rumors, heroic tales, and stuff."
"I see... That clears things up."
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" Cindy asked.
I decided to explain it to her.
"Her wisdom and knowledge are in such severe imbalance with her etiquette and speech. Since a moment ago, she has appeared restless, giving off an aura of wanting to do something but not quite knowing what she ought to do."
"Indeed... She was fidgeting, so I was on guard, but since there was no ill intent, I did find it curious."
"So that was it! As expected of Your Majesty!"
Maya wore an understanding look, while Cindy praised me.
Unlike Cindy, Maya, who possessed some knowledge of martial arts, seemed to have taken it upon herself to act as my personal bodyguard.
"If she was merely standing in for a merchant's child's studies, she naturally wouldn't know anything of formal etiquette or proper speech."
"I'm sorry."
"It is fine. I did not lure you out to be shown empty formalities."
I waved my hand lightly, bringing that topic to a close for now.
Once more, I asked Noufe.
"Let us get to the main subject... Why did you do such a thing?"
"Um... to vent some steam?"
"—!?"
Noufe had shown hesitation, and what ultimately came out of her mouth was 'to vent some steam.'
At those words, Cindy and Maya bristled with indignation.
They looked ready to pounce or loudly denounce her at any moment.
"I wish to hear her out to the end."
"Y-Yes."
"As you command..."
Stopped by me, the two of them stepped back with clear reluctance.
While I could not stop their anger from leaking out, I put it aside for the moment.
"What do you mean by venting steam?"
"Everyone was pushed to their limits."
In Noufe's eyes, there was a look of deep distress unfitting for her age.
"The earthquake struck, and because the water supply wasn't working, the area burned by the fire spread. That alone was infuriating enough, but the merchants in this town took it as their chance to jack up the price of food."
"I see. So the people of the town were on the verge of exploding."
"Yeah."
Noufe nodded firmly.
Understanding the true meaning behind 'venting steam,' the anger in Cindy and Maya subsided.
"The merchant's young master I used to study with was a big crybaby. But once he cried, he'd be totally fine right after. That's when I realized—even when unpleasant things happen, if people let it out little by little, their anger and sadness won't grow huge or keep piling up."
"I see. You are correct."
While nodding, I asked Noufe.
"However, that is not all, is it?"
"Huh?"
"Generally speaking, the common people do not explode to such an extent when dealing strictly with merchants. As long as the authorities are not involved, it usually stays within moderate bounds. What you targeted were merchants; even if those merchants raised prices during a disaster, while the residents would certainly be furious, it would rarely escalate to taking action."
"Ah, you didn't know about that."
"About what?"
"The family home of the magistrate here happens to be the biggest rice wholesaler in this area."
"...Oh?"
For a moment, it clicked.
And my voice dropped into a tone so low that even I could notice it.
I shifted my gaze away from Noufe and looked at Maya.
Maya lowered her head.
"My sincerest apologies. I had not investigated that far."
"It is fine. The ultimate responsibility for appointing local magistrates lies with me as the Emperor."
I told Maya not to worry about it.
Even though I hadn't appointed him directly—no, that was no excuse.
"I still have a long way to go before I match Father," I muttered aloud without thinking.
If it were Father—who undoubtedly maintained an intelligence network spread like a spider's web across the Empire—it was easy to imagine he would have had full grasp of such details.
Keeping that matter tucked away in my mind as an issue to address, I questioned Noufe further.
"In short, the current magistrate is guilty of misgovernance on top of his family reaping exorbitant profits, is that it?"
"Yeah."
"I see. No wonder you went to such pains to let them vent their steam."
Noufe nodded.
I turned toward Maya.
"Maya."
"Yes, Sire!"
"Detain that man. Place him under strict surveillance, and under no circumstances let him die."
"By your command. Under what pretext?"
"The matter with the water supply is more than enough to cover it. Go."
"Ha!"
With a grim expression, Maya dashed outside.
Noufe looked at me, completely dumbfounded.
"What is the matter?"
"N-No, it's just... that magistrate who acted so arrogant got dealt with in just a single word... I was thinking how amazing that is. Ah, but... if you're going to charge him with a crime, what about evidence and stuff?"
"As I just said, the water supply matter is more than enough to cover it. The water supply is imperial national policy, and neglecting it constitutes dereliction of duty as a magistrate. He will likely make excuses claiming it was broken by the earthquake, but testimony that the water supply had not been functioning on a daily basis—"
"I think everyone will testify to that!"
Noufe cut in over my words.
From this reaction alone, I could tell she, too, harbored many grievances regarding the water supply.
"The water supply is national policy. If malicious intent is recognized in its negligence, the maximum penalty is—"
"Execution by waist chop!"
Noufe declared with enough vigor to lean forward.
She wore an innocent expression.
"You know it well, indeed. You truly are well-versed in the law, aren't you?"
"Ah... yeah, I... studied."
"Is that so... Heheh."
"?"
"What is the matter, Your Majesty?" Cindy inquired.
"No, I merely thought I caught a glimpse of something fitting her age. And I felt a strange sense of déjà vu."
"...Ah."
Cindy seemed to recall something.
"What is it?"
"Well... um..."
"Speak."
"I was just thinking that when I was first granted an audience with Your Majesty, to those around you, you must have appeared just like this—a clever child."
"I see, heheh."
An observation unique to Cindy.
The first time I met Cindy was when I was six years old.
Bringing up that time was something only Cindy could do.
I looked at Noufe once more.
Looking somewhat intimidated as if she didn't quite understand the situation, she was warily watching my demeanor.
A child brimming with talent, is she?
"Perhaps you carry memories of a past life."
"Huh? Um..."
I said it jokingly, but it didn't seem to click with Noufe.
"It was just a jest," I said, putting an end to the thought.
Reflecting on it once more, I began to understand the girl named Noufe.
Since she had practically received the education meant for a merchant's household tied to a magistrate, her knowledge regarding the law was likely beyond reproach.
However, the fact that she could mention execution by waist chop so casually probably meant she had never actually witnessed one.
Execution by waist chop was considered a harsher punishment than decapitation because of the prolonged suffering and its visual cruelty.
Decapitation, needless to say, was over the moment the head fell.
It was an instant death, and one could say there was practically no pain.
However, execution by waist chop did not result in instant death.
The torso was sliced cleanly in two, and the cause of death was almost always blood loss.
In most cases, it could take anywhere from ten to several tens of minutes to die of massive hemorrhaging.
During that time, writhing in agony was one of its distinguishing characteristics.
When carried out as a public example, it inflicted a far greater shock upon the onlookers than decapitation ever could.
As the Imperial Prince Minister of Justice, I had handed down a fair number of executions by waist chop and attended their implementation.
Though I had grown accustomed to it, it was never something to speak of lightly.
I judged that a young girl like Noufe could speak of it so flippantly precisely because she did not know what the actual scene looked like, and I found it somewhat amusing to glimpse a side of the brilliant girl that was truly appropriate for her age.
"Um..."
"Hm?"
"Why is the water supply so important?"
"Fumu."
"Ah, I mean, I know it's important, but I was wondering why it's so important that an amazing person like a magistrate would get executed by waist chop over it."
"Were you not taught that?"
"Only that it's important."
"I see."
I nodded.
It made sense.
"It has been clearly proven that with many epidemics, simply washing the surroundings of a sick person and the surroundings of those who came in contact with them thoroughly with water can significantly prevent the spread."
"Is that true!?"
"It is not absolute, but it can visibly suppress it. I have had various tests conducted, and depending on the case, strong alcohol yields even greater effects. However, that is far too costly, so maintaining the water supply is the more practical measure."
"I had no idea..."
"If it holds the effect of suppressing epidemics to a certain extent—"
Pausing for a breath, I looked at Cindy before continuing.
"—then even if witnessing capital punishment hardens the hearts of the people, securing clean water through the deterrent power of capital punishment will save far more lives. That is my judgment. In truth... I almost wish there were a punishment beyond the waist chop."
"Hardens... beyond..."
Noufe murmured with a serious face.
She was the one who had proposed keeping children away during the uchikowashi, and she had just explained her reason: that it was bad for a child's mind—in other words, bad for their upbringing.
That was why she reacted to my words.
I had spoken quite roundaboutly, yet she picked up on it.
I slightly adjusted my evaluation of Noufe.
Clever children often tended to become overly rigid, prone to believing their own way of thinking was absolute.
It was a stubbornness unique to children, distinct from the stubbornness of adults.
While that was a common occurrence, Noufe did not seem to possess that flaw.
At the very least, she could pause and reconsider her thoughts.
In a good sense, she had a flexible mind.
Appraising the treasure before my eyes, I, too, revised my thoughts a little.
"Cindy, an imperial decree to the Ministry of Justice in the imperial capital. I leave the fine wording to you."
"Yes."
Cindy stood up and headed toward a desk in the corner of the room.
A set of writing tools lay on the desk; Cindy took hold of them, preparing herself to write as my scribe.
"This is preliminary preparation for a legal revision. In public executions, especially in the case of capital punishment, forbid the viewing by children. Have them draft it along those lines."
"Understood."
"—!"
While Cindy composedly set her brush to paper, Noufe stared at me in astonishment.
To that Noufe, I said:
"For children, gauging their parents' expressions and learning of it indirectly ought to be enough."
"Yes..."
"Now then, shall we talk about you?"
"Y-Yes!"
Noufe clenched both hands tightly over her lap, her entire body stiffening with tension.
"Ah, this is not about punishment—though perhaps we should settle that first."
"Huh?"
"The charge is inciting a crowd, but there is room for extenuating circumstances in your motive. A punishment of ten lashes would be appropriate; however, taking into account your physical factors due to your youth, I simultaneously sentence you to a stay of execution until you reach the age of twenty."
"Uh, umm..."
"Splendid, Your Majesty."
In contrast to the bewildered Noufe, Cindy immediately paused her brush to praise me.
"W-What does that mean?"
Still confused, Noufe looked back and forth between Cindy and me.
"Before you turn twenty, the late Emperor's 100th birthday will take place, at which time I plan to grant a general amnesty to criminals other than those guilty of treason. A minor offense on the level of ten lashes will be pardoned at that timing."
"Which means... I'm inno, cent?"
Gauging my expression, she murmured while running her mind at high speed.
Innocence and an amnesty were different, but as an outcome, they amounted to the same thing. There was no need to deliberately point that out.
"You would not be mistaken in thinking so."
Treating that matter as settled, I questioned Noufe once more.
"Let me ask you again. What are you doing now? What is your daily livelihood?"
"Huh? Ah, well, I grow various things on a small plot of land outside the town, and that's how..."
"Fumu. And why were you able to advise everyone? Why did they listen to you?"
"That's... um..."
Noufe hesitated.
Once again, she showed behavior that seemed to gauge my expression.
"It is out of curiosity. Not to interrogate you."
"Ah, okay. You see, I'm close with Lady Rain—Mr. Waite's wife. She's someone who always buys the vegetables I grow, and I arranged for Lady Rain to speak to her husband."
"I see. That Waite fellow is the man who actually took the lead in the uchikowashi, correct?"
"Ah, yes!"
"So even a man of leadership caliber who can unite a multitude of people is vulnerable to pillow talk, is he?"
I understood.
There was a man serving as leader, and that man's wife was close with Noufe.
Noufe whispered the method to the wife, and the wife planted it in the man's ear.
Once the trick was revealed, it was hardly surprising.
Throughout all ages and places, such relationships between men and women were common.
Even someone of the highest standing—an emperor—was often weak to a single word from a favored consort.
And it was not uncommon for women, by their maternal nature, to be soft toward children.
"You emphasized the point about not letting children see it, did you not?"
"Yeah."
Noufe nodded.
Wanting to give the magistrate's family and the merchants a taste of their own medicine, yet knowing it was bad to show it to children.
If a child like Noufe brought up such a point, it was utterly understandable that someone who was a wife and mother would empathize and accept it.
"What crops are you growing?"
"Right now, only rice."
"Only rice? In that case, you would only have work for about half the year."
"No. I found a way to harvest twice a year, so even with just rice, I'm pretty busy—"
"What!?"
Startled by Noufe's words, I stood up with enough force to nearly knock my chair over.