Published: January 4, 2026
"Your Majesty."
I bowed at the waist and looked straight at Your Majesty.
"What is it?"
"I just remembered some unfinished work at the Ministry of Justice. I would like to ask for permission to leave."
"......"
Your Majesty furrowed his brows, tilting his head to look at me.
This is as far as it goes.
Like with anything, being too pushy is not good.
This applies here as well.
Your Majesty called for Oscar, the Prince Minister of Finance.
If I stayed here any longer, I might inadvertently encroach upon Oscar's domain.
Things like this should be kept in moderation—no, they must be kept in moderation.
So, before Oscar arrives, I reported to Your Majesty with a suitable pretext to request my dismissal.
After staring at me for a while, Your Majesty let out a faint sigh and said,
"Wise, Noah is."
It seems he saw right through everything.
But, as expected of the emperor, he didn’t press further and returned to his original expression.
"You are dismissed."
"Thank you very much."
I gave a final one-knee bow and exited Your Majesty’s study.
After leaving the study, I began walking outside.
I spotted a eunuch nearby and beckoned him over. He came towards me.
As he approached, I recognized him.
"Seaz, huh?"
"Yes, sir."
Every time I come to the palace, I run into Seaz, a low-ranking eunuch.
"I'm returning to the estate. Prepare my carriage."
"It's already waiting outside."
"Efficient."
"Thank you."
"Seems like things are noisy over there. Did something happen?"
"What are you talking about?"
Seaz answered in a high-pitched voice.
Eunuchs usually have their genitals removed during childhood before entering the palace, so most of them never grow facial hair or experience voice changes.
According to doctors, after a man becomes an adult, some secretion in the body that should be produced no longer is, which causes this.
By the way, in the past, choirboys belonging to the church were castrated similarly to preserve their boyish voices, but now, except for eunuchs employed by the royal family, the imperial law prohibits removing genitals.
"We’re cleaning up after what Your Highness just did."
"Me?"
"Apparently, the ground melted into a doughnut shape, and everyone is puzzled about how such a thing could happen. Among us, various rumors have been spreading."
"I see."
"Everyone who saw it is stunned by the power of Your Highness. Some even tried digging up the soil after it melted and fell into the hole. The hole is so deep that those who fell broke their legs."
"Careless—here."
I took a leather pouch from my pocket and tossed it to Seaz.
As usual, it contained 100 riyens as a reward.
"For medical expenses and your trouble."
"Thank you! Everyone says, ‘Even though His Highness is young, he is kind to those below him.’"
"Flattery is best kept moderate."
"No, no, it’s the truth. It’s said Your Highness will be marrying soon. Many are already hoping to serve you, with the competition ratio over 100."
"Is that so?"
Not only the palace but also the prince’s residence can request eunuchs.
Eunuchs are castrated to prevent mistakes with noble wives or concubines.
It’s essential to preserve the purity of the emperor’s bloodline, but even prince-class nobles take this seriously and often have eunuchs in their estates after marriage.
"Looks like the number will keep increasing. Among Your Majesty’s children, it seems you’re the most popular."
"I see. By the way, what’s that in your pocket?"
I shifted the topic away from a politically sensitive matter and pointed near Seaz’s pocket.
"Oh, this?"
Seaz took out a transparent box from his pocket.
Inside were two rhinoceros beetles.
"I brought these for His Highness the Sixteenth Prince. He likes to have rhinoceros beetles battle each other."
"I see."
The Sixteenth Prince—my younger brother—is just three years old this year.
Since he’s still young, he lives in the palace instead of having a separate residence outside.
Though he receives fairly strict education as a prince, many children ask eunuchs for harmless toys like this.
I heard that the Fourth Prince—Brother Henry—also liked such things.