Published: January 4, 2026
Byron’s subordinates, as well as my maid, all left the room along with the box filled with gold coins.
After they exited, it was just Byron and me left.
We faced each other again.
Byron cleared his throat—and his expression changed.
He now wore a serious face, different from before.
“Your Highness... I have a request.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“It’s about Cindy.”
“Is something wrong with her?”
And what was with that expression on Byron’s face?
I had never seen him look like that before. What could it mean?
“I’ve been thinking about her marriage prospects.”
“I see. If I recall, Cindy is turning…”
“Nineteen this year.”
“Right, that’s correct.”
When we first met, she was ten years old.
She’s four years older than me—so it’s been nearly ten years since we met.
“She’s getting to an age where it’s considered late to marry. She’s grown up smart, which is good, but because of that, suitable matches are scarce…”
Byron let out a wry smile and sighed.
Cindy is the daughter he discovered and adopted.
It’s good that she grew up intelligent, but as a foster father, he feels conflicted about her being left behind for marriage.
“Indeed, it’s not good for her reputation to still be unmarried at nearly twenty.”
“Yes. So... I was hoping Your Highness could introduce her to someone.”
“To me? …I see.”
I understood the situation completely.
It’s not unusual for a lord to arrange marriages for their subordinates; in fact, it’s quite normal.
Cindy is intelligent and hardworking, and I had overlooked the fact that if she remained unmarried, it would affect my own reputation.
Byron is my subordinate, so Cindy is effectively part of my household.
In other words, I am like a father figure to Cindy.
It’s a problem for me as well if my “daughter” is considered to have gone past her prime for marriage.
“But... hmm.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a difficult matter. Cindy’s talents are precious. She’s among the most capable of those who serve me. It feels like a waste to simply give her away to another man.”
“Then I’ll work to build up her reputation... Thank you.”
If Cindy’s strengths were domestic, I would have made her a concubine.
It’s similar to keeping eunuchs in the mansion—wives and concubines are basically not allowed to go outside or have contact with other men.
It would be too wasteful to lock up the talent that is Cindy inside the house.
“I’ll carefully consider who to match her with. Someday, I want her to become a governor and be entrusted with part of a fief. She needs a man who’s up to the task.”
“Ehh!”
Byron suddenly exclaimed, his eyes wide.
“What’s the matter? So surprised?”
“Governor? A female governor would be unprecedented…”
“It’s unprecedented, but not forbidden. It just hasn’t happened before.”
The emperor and royal family’s wives and concubines are guarded by eunuchs by Imperial Household Ministry rules to keep other men away.
In contrast, the absence of women in high-ranking official positions is just a vague convention.
If it’s just a vague reason, there’s no reason to obey or cling to it.
“People are treasures. After all, women make up half the population. If you only gather talent from men, you miss nearly half of it. It’s a waste to pretend not to see that.”
“As expected of you—I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“In any case, leave Cindy’s matter to me.”
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
☆
The next day, sometime after noon, a eunuch suddenly came and summoned me to the palace.
Upon arriving at the palace, I was granted an audience with Your Majesty in the study.
After what happened before, all the eunuchs in the study were replaced with ones who have been thoroughly castrated.
In that study, I knelt on one knee and bowed my head.
“I have come at Your Majesty’s summons. How may I be of service today?”
“Well done, Noah. Raise your head. Before discussing this at morning assembly, I wanted to hear your opinion.”
“Yes... What is it regarding?”