kijin ko

In charge of the Department of Treasury and Taxation (Finances). Wears a mask all the time and always has his hair loose. He has many different kinds of masks, most or all of which are given to him by Reishin. Though he changes them all the time, he's never seen without one.

His masks also have a button that opens the part that covers his mouth and nose, allowing him to drink or eat in public. Many find him mysterious, eccentric, and strange. He's a bit strict and is quite a slave driver, but also has a nice side since he's seen comforting Shūrei during the thunderstorm. He already knew that Shūrei was a girl when she started working for him but he found her helpful so he stayed quiet about it and he knew that she was Reishin's niece.

Very few people know his actual name, (凤珠, Hōju?). He often gets into meaningless, friendly arguments with Reishin. He and Reishin have a very friendly relationship.

People assumed that he wears a mask because he's ugly. In fact however, he wears a mask because he's so beautiful that everyone falls in love with him, even men. Another benefit of the mask is that it muffles the true sound of his voice, which is as silky and beautiful as his hair, and just as likely to captivate one should they hear it.

When he took the imperial examinations, candidates and officials in the same examination hall were so besotted with him that they did not do their duty. All the candidates, aside from himself, Reishin and Yūshun, failed to pass, while 30 officials were sacked. This incident caused his exam year to be referred to as "The Nightmare Exam".

He started wearing a mask when the woman he loved rejected his marriage proposal by saying, "I can't stand beside someone with a face like yours." In the end, the woman married Reishin. He started wearing masks on their wedding night and continues to do so with permission from the administration so that a repeat of "The Nightmare Exam" does not occur while he is in office.