“Catherine, what do you think about the status of men in this world?”
Rosalind poured a fresh glass of wine, asking the question as if it were casual.
Lady Catherine took the wine bottle from Rosalind in silent agreement, the gesture marking the completion of their alliance.
She also picked up a wine glass and poured herself a drink, hesitating as she replied.
“From both a subjective and objective perspective, there’s really no such thing as a man’s status.”
Unless there was a difference in class—say, a noble-born man who would indeed be more esteemed than commoners—but that’s a class difference, not a gender one. So it holds no real reference value.
If you narrow it down to the same class, men are always at the very bottom, without exception.
How low is it?
So low that among both nobles and commoners, the tradition of “Shared Husband” is prevalent.
The so-called “Shared Husband” is exactly as it sounds.
A single man may be owned by several different women.
As for the nobles, their games are even more extravagant—husband swapping, threesomes, foursomes, and so on.
Don’t think that men profit from such things; remember, only those in the dominant position reap the most benefit.
Not all noblewomen are beauties; in fact, those who love these games the most are often women without Extraordinary Talent.
It’s easy to imagine that it’s not a pleasant experience at all. If you run into some twisted nobles, the suffering involved is simply unimaginable.
After all, being at the mercy of others is never a good feeling.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Catherine herself had a husband, but she’d barely spoken a few words to him and was naturally not familiar with the deeper aspects.
Leaving all that aside, when you look at the ruling class, it’s entirely composed of women with outstanding Extraordinary Talent.
Even among lower-ranking nobles like Barons and Viscounts, men are nearly nonexistent.
And if they exist, they’re nominal only—without their own lands or soldiers.
“That’s right. In this place, men have no status whatsoever.”
Rosalind nodded slightly.
“That’s why the resistance Little Roman will face in the future will be immeasurable. Even being crowned Holy Child, if not for my unreasonable elder sister’s methods, yesterday would not have gone so smoothly.”
“However, if things go according to my sister’s plan, after a few years—when Little Roman commands the Saint Key Knight Order and penetrates deep into the Heretic Tribunal, plus with the support of Princess Milis—the possibility of him becoming Pope isn’t so small.”
Thinking of this, Rosalind couldn’t help but sigh.
In original history, a man never even held the title of Viscount or higher.
If nothing goes wrong, Roman’s future could see him leap straight to being the most powerful man on the Yanglight Continent.
And also the most noble man in the continent’s history.
This is the benefit of power and strength.
Besides Sylvia, who else would dare defy the world and do such things?
At the same time, this is the benefit of beauty and charm.
Other than Roman, there will never be another boy who could earn such devotion and support.
“Milis will support Roman?”
“Tut tut… Madam, as his mother, do you understand her character less than I do?”
Rosalind chuckled.
“To her, once she has enough power, so-called authority is just icing on the cake. In fact, to her, becoming Pope is more of a restraint, hindering her from reaching a higher Transcendent Level.”
“So, if someone else qualifies to replace her as Pope, and that person is her man, isn’t that the best of both worlds?”
Lady Catherine nodded, acknowledging Rosalind’s reasoning.
Yet her curiosity remained strong as she studied Rosalind, wondering what kind of plan could make Roman into a Pope with real authority like Sylvia.
“First, what I’m about to say—you need to prepare yourself, put away your petty possessiveness, and don’t say anything foolish.”
Rosalind’s warning made Lady Catherine feel uneasy.
But at this point, she could only listen to what Rosalind had to say.
“First, Roman’s Extraordinary Talent and future potential—his strength alone is not an issue. What truly affects his achievements is his own personality.”
This was certainly true.
Thinking of Roman’s gentle, obedient demeanor and the soft way he spoke, it was hard to imagine him as the future Pope commanding the faith of the continent.
“That child is like a kitten with dragon fangs—still a harmless housecat, lacking any aggression. The so-called Source Saint Mark thus isn’t as useful as it could be.”
Rosalind spread her hands in helplessness.
“What we need to do is let that child gain more ‘substantial’ chips; otherwise, everything else is just talk.”
Thinking of Roman’s nature, Lady Catherine couldn’t help but shake her head.
As a husband, Roman was flawless—truly a peerless, perfect little darling.
Whether it was looks, personality, or body…
Lady Catherine thought of this, unconsciously lifting a strand of hair from her forehead, her charming eyes betraying endless reminiscence.
For women, quality far outweighs quantity in such matters; a single pleasant experience can ease years of loneliness.
Having been lonely for more than twenty years, after just one time with Roman, it felt as though she’d filled the void accumulated over all those years in one go.
She gently bit her lip.
The more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t help but press her thighs together, unconsciously rubbing them.
Just look at how blissful Luo Xiya was after getting Roman.
After exchanging their first times, it was as if they’d opened some forbidden door, entwining every night until dawn.
Teasing during the day, and wild under the sheets at night.
During that period, Luo Xiya’s mood and complexion were so inexplicably good, and her Spiritual Level and Transcendent Level advanced by leaps and bounds.
That’s why Lady Catherine worried so much about Roman’s personality.
Such a ‘powerful’ Roman was willing to submit in bed, so to expect him to become someone like Sylvia in the future was pure fantasy.
“This matter is, perhaps, the most difficult thing in the world. But for Roman, if he’s willing, it can also be very simple.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Lady Catherine listened intently.
Suppressing her inner restlessness, Rosalind spoke to the woman before her, laying out her bold, outrageous idea.
“Madam, I need you to guide Roman to let go of those tedious moral restraints.”
“And then, to make him take down my dear elder sister~”