Published: January 4, 2026
After parting ways with Cindy, I rode the horse she had prepared and hurried back to the Imperial Capital once again.
The horse Cindy provided was of very high quality. Not only was it fast and enduring, but it also responded perfectly to the reins—meaning it reacted appropriately to human commands without fail.
Just by riding it, it was obvious that it had been carefully selected and rigorously trained by skilled hands.
Riding that horse, I took a short break during an exchange with Cindy along the way, but I arrived back at the Imperial Capital almost exactly on schedule and in a state where I had conserved a great deal of stamina.
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Nighttime, the Empress's bedroom.
I returned to the detached palace in the Imperial Capital, formerly Prince Thirteen’s Residence, and used a distraction technique to sneak into Audrey’s room.
Audrey was sitting quietly at her desk, reading.
I deactivated the presence distraction and deliberately made footsteps as I stood before her.
The night lighting illuminated only my feet, leaving my upper body shrouded in darkness.
“...Who’s there?”
Audrey flinched slightly and tensed up.
But she hardly seemed unsettled, slowly lifting her face as she asked who it was.
“You’re not fazed,” I remarked.
“Your Majesty.”
Recognizing my voice, Audrey stood up with a smile as radiant and delicate as a blooming flower—like a young girl.
“When did you return?”
“Just now. Keep my return a secret for the time being.”
I said this, placing my index finger to my lips in the classic gesture.
At that single gesture, Audrey’s girlish smile faded, replaced by the solemn expression of an empress.
“Has something happened?”
“That’s what I want to ask. Has anything unusual occurred in the Imperial Capital?”
To avoid bias, I asked without specifying anything.
Audrey looked thoughtful.
“Nothing unusual... but my brother has been investigating who will be the examiner for this year’s knight selection.”
“Hmm, perhaps someone from his household wants to push a candidate through?”
“Yes.”
Audrey said so while lightly brushing the chair she had just been sitting on with her sleeve.
Though it didn’t make much difference to its cleanliness, serving the royal family’s married members is the duty of the main wife, even as emperor and empress. So Audrey formally ‘cleaned’ the chair for me to sit.
I sat down, took Audrey’s hand, and gestured for her to sit in the other chair nearby.
Audrey gave a look that seemed to say, “That’s not proper,” but I returned a look meaning, “It’s just the two of us, so it’s fine.”
After a brief hesitation, Audrey obeyed and sat down.
Both seated, we continued our conversation at eye level.
“Have you heard how many candidates there are?”
“I haven’t asked directly, but one was entrusted through my brother’s household, and another through a contact.”
“That’s typical.”
“Yes.”
Audrey simply nodded and said no more.
She’s intelligent and knows that offering more opinion than I require could easily become interference in state affairs.
History is full of cases where interference through the harem, especially the empress’s route, has caused mismanagement.
She knows this well and keeps to her proper role.
“The examiner this year is Oscar. Tell them that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. But after they find out it’s Oscar, track what actions they take.”
“So I should report the outcome directly to Your Majesty?”
“No. If all they do is the usual, like sending bribes to Oscar, then don’t report it. Just pretend you didn’t see anything.”
“...Your Majesty is amazing.”
“Hmm?”
I looked at Audrey again.
She was filled with admiration.
“And strict. If anyone tries to sway things with bribes, they’ll never meet Your Majesty’s standards again, right?”
“If a person has talent, they’ll rise to the surface somewhere.”
“…! That’s why you don’t want me to report, isn’t it?”
I smiled softly.
I’m human too. If I heard details—names especially—I might view them through a biased lens.