Inside Cindy's private residence in Larak, the provincial capital of Enlil Province.
Even after the veil of night fell, the mansion stood in a corner of a bustling downtown district where the clamor never ceased.
Enlil Province had only recently been devastated by a massive earthquake.
However, through the governance of the Emperor—or rather, Noah I, who had demoted himself to descend upon them in person—Enlil Province was being reconstructed at a speed that left everyone wide-eyed in disbelief.
Disaster recovery naturally brought large-scale civil engineering projects.
And large-scale civil engineering projects meant daily wages paid out to laborers and workers.
When such laborers acquired what amounted to temporary windfalls, the general rule of thumb was that over seventy percent of them immediately squandered it.
In the provincial capital of Larak, which was recovering at an exceptionally rapid pace even within Enlil Province, the entertainment district bustled at night with laborers spending their hard-earned cash.
As a result, a certain decay in public morals and order began to show, but Noah maintained only the barest minimum of enforcement, almost entirely turning a blind eye to what transpired in the pleasure quarters.
When he was fourteen years old, traveling through the provinces before taking up residence in his fief of Almeria, he had told Audrey—his accompanying legal wife, later Empress:
"Unless something extreme happens, it's better to leave money in the private sector and let it circulate. Especially on this kind of entertainment. The more money circulates—particularly among the common folk on the fringes—the more children will ultimately be born."
"There are many ways to make a nation strong and prosperous, but most of them can be solved simply by increasing the population."
Noah, who had poured immense funds into the reconstruction of Enlil Province—even selling off the late Emperor's "villa" to the private sector to do so—had devised numerous policies to ensure the flow of capital never halted, but instead circulated with greater speed.
And so, the city bustled with vitality.
Right beside that vibrant quarter, Cindy, wishing to stay close to the pulse of commerce, had established her private residence here in Enlil Province.
Inside that very residence, within her private quarters...
Cindy sat facing one of her male subordinates.
After handing Cindy a single sheet of paper, the man immediately dropped to his knees in a prostrate bow, pressing his forehead flat against the floor.
Cindy naturally knitted her brows, but upon scanning the contents of the paper, her eyes widened in shock.
"I-Is this true?!"
"I am deeply sorry! It was my oversight."
The man answered Cindy's question with his forehead still pressed to the floor.
"Regarding the seed enterprise Lady Cindy received from His Majesty... Raig Grud, who was entrusted with the preliminary arrangements in the imperial capital, abused his position to accept bribes... He is my nephew."
"Raise your head. You had no part in this, did you?"
Without lifting his face, the man continued frantically:
"I swear it upon my life! However, I was the one who recommended him; I cannot escape responsibility."
"Enough. Raise your head."
"...Yes, ma'am."
The man lifted his face.
His expression was etched with profound remorse.
Believing he had found a worthy master, the man had introduced his nephew to her and secured him employment.
Yet that nephew had trampled all over his uncle's goodwill and his master's trust, soiling his hands with corruption.
To make matters worse, that corruption involved a new venture his master had been entrusted with by the reigning Emperor himself.
Under normal circumstances, this was far beyond anything a simple prostration could atone for, yet groveling was the only thing the man could do right now.
Cindy looked straight at him.
"I'll ask you once more. You were not involved, correct?"
"I was not."
"Understood."
"If you give the word right now... we can ensure he vanishes into the dark..."
"Stop that... sigh."
Cindy let out a heavy sigh.
It was a deep, weary breath, as though expelling every last bit of air from her lungs.
"This report arrived by courier horse, yes?"
"Yes. A record would remain if it were transmitted through communications."
"Then dispatch another courier horse immediately. Secure his person, and above all, do not let him die."
"Is that wise? What he has done warrants ten thousand deaths, yet..."
"If he dies, we won't be able to clear our names at all. Detain him, and whatever happens, keep him alive. Hurry!"
"Understood!"
The man slammed his head onto the floor once more before scrambling up and bolting from the room.
Watching his departure, Cindy murmured:
"...Now then."
☆
As the midnight hour drew near, I sat in my office as usual, processing documents by the soft glow of the lantern.
Reconstruction advancing at breakneck speed was never something that could simply be left to its own devices.
The further the recovery progressed, the more detailed instructions, approvals, and decisions were required.
Believing it vital to carefully handle these matters myself for the time being, I remained hard at work late into the night.
Following a knock at the door, Zoe appeared.
"Master. Lady Cindy is here to see you."
"Send her in," I answered without looking up.
From the sound of footsteps, Zoe stepped out, replaced by another set entering the room.
Cindy, most likely.
As was my custom, I left her waiting until I finished handling the document in front of me.
I had found myself doing this more frequently ever since becoming Emperor.
I always made visitors wait until I reached a natural stopping point.
Cindy, having served me for a long time, understood this well and remained silent.
After a short while, having wrapped up the paperwork, I raised my head.
Cindy was there, though not in her usual attire.
Her arms were bound behind her back, and she knelt quietly before my desk, having lowered herself without making a sound.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"I offer my deepest apologies."
With her hands still tied behind her back, Cindy bowed low and pressed her forehead to the floor.
"Explain."
"Yes, Sire. Regarding the seed merchant enterprise I undertook from Lord Noah... I had primarily entrusted my merchant firm in the imperial capital with carrying out the work, but it appears the man in charge was accepting bribes."
"..."
"I will ensure the culprit is immediately detained and handed over to the Ministry of Justice in the imperial capital. At the same time, as the supervisor bearing ultimate responsibility, I have come to turn myself in."
"Hmm."
I stood up, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of Cindy.
Cindy remained motionless, her head pressed low.
"Raise your head."
"...Yes, Sire."
Cindy looked up.
Her face was resolute.
Behind the words 'turn myself in,' it looked very much as though she were prepared to add:
'I will atone with my life.'
A soft chuckle escaped me.
Cindy gave me a puzzled look.
"'Raise your head.'"
"Huh?"
Cindy started, taken aback by words that didn't match my usual tone.
"'You had no part in this, did you?'"
"—What?!"
"'I swear it upon my life. However, I was the one who recommended him; I cannot escape responsibility'—'Enough. Raise your head'—was that how it went? Heh, doesn't that sound remarkably similar to our exchange just now?"
I chuckled again.
It was genuinely amusing.
And that wasn't the only reason it entertained me.
A sudden memory had surfaced.
Was it when I was twelve? When I exposed First Imperial Prince Gilbert's illegal slave merchant operation, I remembered handcuffing myself and 'turning myself in' to Gilbert to avoid an outright war.
Now, Cindy had done the exact same thing with me.
There was no need to bring up Gilbert to her, but the parallel brought a wry smile to my face.
Cindy, on the other hand, was utterly dumbfounded that I knew the exact words of their private conversation.
"H-How could you possibly know that...?"
"Information is a weapon."
"—!"
Cindy gasped.
Looking at her, I saw a reflection of my younger self.
'Information is a weapon. You would do well to make a habit of constantly honing it.'
I remembered what my father had done to me, and the words he had spoken.
"You should strive to hone yours even further."
"Incredible... For your information to possess such quality and speed... Wait, further?"
"Indeed. Further."
"B-But what of my crime...?"
"Well, as the supervisor who appointed him, you are certainly culpable. However, in light of you turning yourself in, I can grant you a reprieve."
"...!"
"I will be taking the perpetrator's head, however. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Sire!"
☆
After Cindy took her leave, Zoe entered the room in her place.
As I gazed out the window into the night, Zoe bowed deeply toward me.
"That was magnificent, Master."
"Anne Locke's intelligence network. The late Emperor used it against me countless times, but standing on this side of it... I must admit, it's quite fascinating."
"Indeed! Master truly is extraordinary."
Turning my head, I glanced at Zoe over my shoulder.
Her face shone with genuine, heartfelt admiration.
It was neither flattery nor empty praise.
It was pure awe from the bottom of her heart.
Did I wear an expression like that when looking at the late Emperor back then, too? With that sudden realization spanning decades, the corners of my mouth softened into a faint smile.