I’d been reading papers on issues and discussing them with the relevant people to further my understanding of our country’s situation. I’d learned a lot of basics from Gilbert, but it was still far from enough.
Information was key—accurate information in particular. I couldn’t make any decisions without the knowledge to back it up. Making a decision knowing nothing or with inaccurate information was no different than gambling.
No, there are smart gamblers who play out strategies based on the available information, so that comparison’s not quite fair to them.
Anyway, I needed to build a solid foundation of accurate information. I did not want to become that one superior who signed documents and pretended to know things. An incompetent queen could kill both her subordinates and her country as a whole.
“There is still much to be done—reorganizing the education system, implementing welfare programs, advancing medical care, protecting and nurturing mages, promoting domestic development, and fostering economic growth… The list goes on. While it may be difficult to work on all of them right now, we must at least sow the seeds for them. And at the moment, creating the fertile environment for it is our top priority.”
“There’s something bothering me, Your Majesty. May I?”
“What is it?”
“You speak as if you’ve seen those policies established in real life.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Gilbert’s astute observation. “What makes you think that?”
“I’ve had my doubts ever since we began discussing the reforms. I know this sounds absurd, but it feels as if you already know what the end result looks like, and you’re trying to align it with our kingdom’s customs.”
“Unfortunately, I have no idea how the finished product looks.”
In my past life, I lived in a country with a high standard of education, but I wasn’t able to use that to my advantage. I only knew surface-level information. I wished I had studied more rather than sitting idly by and accepting everything that was handed to me. I should have asked more questions, taken an interest in my surroundings.
It was too late to regret it now, though. Even if I knew all about it, not everything that worked in Japan would work in this kingdom, especially since Japanese law and administration was far from perfect. It was incomplete, so it was constantly tweaked to reflect the changing times. If I implemented that system in a country from a different time period and culture, it wouldn’t work well.
That country—no, that world—was most certainly more developed than this one. I had a duty to incorporate all that I could and contribute to the kingdom’s development. That was the purpose of my life after the death of my parents. That was why I needed to learn more about this country and delve into even the tiniest details.
My thirst for knowledge had resulted in this mountain of papers I wanted to read.
“I need all the assistance I can get from you and your students. I have high expectations for you,” I told him.
“It seems you have skillfully diverted the conversation. But since you’ve offered such praise, I have no choice but to give my utmost.”
Hearing Gilbert’s response, my smile widened.
After discussing matters further with Gilbert in the office, I walked down the hallway, intending to return to my room. Despite it being only a very short distance, I was flanked by royal guards. Considering my position, it was understandable, but being “on” even when I had no more to give was incredibly draining.
“Ahh… I’m exhausted.”
Once I entered my room, all my tension seeped away, like someone had unbound me. Alicia was the only one around. Thanks to that, I could fully unwind, no longer worrying about proper etiquette.
“The bath is ready for you,” Alicia said. “Would you like to hop in?”
“You know me so well, Alicia. Yes, right away.”
Alicia swiftly helped me out of my dress and put me in a thin bathrobe.
Fortunately, a bathroom was attached to my bedchamber. With how close it was, I could take a bath whenever I felt tired. And thanks to the servants’ magic, the large tub was already filled with warm water. It would’ve been a big hassle to do it manually—they would’ve needed to carry the water to a cauldron, boil it, and then carry it back to the bathtub. Though I didn’t boil water when I lived in the tower, I knew how difficult it was from watching Alicia haul the water in for me.
I eased myself into the bath and stretched out. Baths were such a balm for exhaustion.
“Allow me,” Alicia said. She undid my loosely tied hair, then washed it with the feather-light touch of someone handling a fragile artifact. “How does it feel?”
“Fantastic.”
“You’ve been returning quite late recently. Please take care of yourself.”
“Ha ha, thank you. My work’s been taking up a lot more time since there’s so much I don’t know. Eventually, I’ll start coming back earlier.”
“May I take your word for it?”
“Of course.”
Though “eventually” was still a long ways away, I meant it. I smiled at her to assuage her worries. Once I got out of the bath, I changed into my nightgown and gulped down an iced tea from Alicia.
“Ahh, that hits the spot.”
I sure do sound like an old man, I thought. I probably looked like I was drinking an ice-cold beer. I returned the empty glass to Alicia as those thoughts lingered in my mind.
“By the way, Your Majesty, Tommy started growing pelches.”
“He did? I don’t recall seeing any pelche trees in the garden, though…”
“Oh, not in the garden. Just on his own land.”
“First polums, now pelches? Huh, he must have a sweet tooth.”
Though Tommy claimed that being a gardener was just a cover for gathering information, he appeared to genuinely enjoy the job.
“Seems like it. Tommy can be surprisingly meticulous. I’m glad for that—it means I can make fruit tarts that are just right! I’ll be sure to acquire some pelches for you once they ripen, Your Majesty.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Oh, right, if you do get some pelches from Tommy, make sure to share some of the desserts you make with him. I’d like to express my gratitude, and your delicious cake would be a great gift.”
Since he had mentioned wanting to try her dessert many times, this would be a great chance.
“Understood, Your Majesty! By the way, remember the show tent I mentioned before? At first, they were only supposed to be here until the coronation, but now they’re going to stay permanently in the capital!”
“Wow, that’s great news. It sounded so fun from the way you described it. It must’ve had rave reviews.”
“Yes! The lines were apparently very long—some people couldn’t even get in. Ah, and another thing! A new café opened as well. Rumor has it that they built it near the show tent because of its popularity. I don’t know how true that is, but I’ll be investigating what types of dessert they have! If they’re tasty, I’ll recreate them when I bake for you, Your Majesty.”
I returned Alicia’s cheerful smile with my own. The world she described was so gentle. It always warmed my heart.
“I’m looking forward to it, Alicia. Also, what is the show tent called?”
“Um, I think it’s called Étoile.”
“Étoile, huh? Thank you.”
We continued chatting away, with no particular topic in mind. As we did, memories of living in the tower flooded back—it was terribly nostalgic. I treasured the memories during my confinement. I’m sure a normal person would consider their life over if they were confined… It proved that good and bad were highly subjective concepts that depended on the individual.
Alicia and I chatted late into the night, and then she left so I could rest. With her gone, the room felt so much bigger. It made sense; this was the monarch’s bedchamber. I had moved into the room after my coronation. All the previous monarchs had occupied this room, including my father. Yet none of the furnishings from his time still lingered—save for the fireplace built into the wall. Everything else had been replaced during renovations before I ascended the throne.
Initially, I thought, It’s such a pain to replace all the furniture, so wouldn’t it better if I don’t move in? But after assuming the throne, I understood just how important this room was for the kingdom’s ruler. There were three secret passages, all locked by magic, making them impenetrable. Only the Sacred Swords could open them. One tunnel served as an escape route, while the other two led to hidden rooms.
When I first learned about the passages, I felt only scorn: Really, what is the point of these things? These days, however, I was using them myself. I couldn’t speak badly of the previous rulers for doing the same.
Incidentally, the hidden room—the one I didn’t use—was a treasury. Inside were confidential documents and hidden assets reserved for emergencies. If I ever encountered financial hardship that I couldn’t overcome during reform, I’d help myself to that secret stash.
The secret doors would be exposed if anyone were to enter my bedchamber. To prevent this, I instructed the nearby royal guard using Heart Realm: “Don’t let anyone enter this room.”
I then proceeded down a dark tunnel and arrived at the other hidden room. Summoning the Sacred Swords, I opened the door. The room inside was rather ordinary. It was fully furnished—I was certain one could live a normal, everyday life here. I walked over to the bed in the center of the room. As I sat down on the chair beside it, I caressed the hand of the sleeping man in the bed. When I felt his faint warmth, tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
“I hope you’re having a nice dream,” I said. Curling up, I buried my face into an empty spot on the bed. I closed my eyes, and memories of the day I first met him came flooding back.