Chapter 8

The King of this country has four children. The First Prince, the First Princess, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince. The First Prince, Second Prince, and Princess all have excellent reputations. They are beautiful in appearance. Excellent in their studies. They have a presence in social gatherings, are skilled with words, and are good at capturing people’s hearts. The First Prince is impeccable as the next King, the Second Prince displays talent as an aide, and the Princess is known for possessing both benevolence and intelligence.

The First Prince once had a fiancée. She was the daughter of a powerful noble, a woman who was both intelligent and modest, but she passed away young due to illness. Since then, the seat of the First Prince‘s fiancée has remained vacant. As a result, what happened? Every daughter of a powerful noble began to aim for that seat. Balls, tea parties, ceremonies. Their gazes are always directed toward the First Prince. There are also constant rumors of good matches for the Second Prince and the Princess. Because a connection with the Royal Family is power itself.

In the midst of that—the Third Prince was always standing a step back. His appearance is better than average. However, he lacks the glamour of his older brothers and sister. He speaks little and is reserved in social situations. He avoids conflict and never steps forward. “The safe choice.” “He does no harm, but he leaves no impression.” That was the evaluation of those around him. When people discussed the Third Prince‘s future, the topic was not expectations, but his treatment. Whether he would marry into a powerful noble family or live quietly as a subject of the Royal Family. No one mentioned the throne. No one viewed him as a competitor. His treatment was lukewarm.

When I was first told of my appointment to serve His Highness the Third Prince, honestly speaking—I even felt disappointment. Working there, I understood. In a word, mediocre. To put it poorly, incompetent. To put it nicely… harmless. He didn’t brandish his authority, he didn’t speak of ambition, he just spent his days matter-of-factly. His Highness the Third Prince‘s office was quiet and lacked any stimulation. (…Will I rot away here?) I seriously thought that.

The change came suddenly one day. The first thing I noticed was the speed at which he read documents. It was clearly fast. By my sensation, three times the speed. Moreover, it wasn’t sloppy. He accurately picked up the main points and naturally discarded the unnecessary parts. Documents that used to take more than a day, His Highness finished all of them in the morning. In the morning. I couldn’t believe it. However, when I reread the organized documents, there were no deficiencies. No typos, no leaps in logic, no missing judgments. None at all. “This part has nothing to do with the conclusion.” “Two lines are enough for this report.” His Highness would say that and draw a line. It looked like the hand of an experienced person. Someone who had been nearly killed by paperwork. The next thing that changed was his decision-making. There was no hesitation. “That will fail.” “There is no reason to do it now.” “If we do it, it will be after we arrange the conditions.” The previous Highness would have said, “Let’s wait and see,” or “There is no precedent.” Now it is different. Decision, immediate action. Or, immediate rejection. Those criteria for judgment were somehow un-royal. “Running a job with a labor shortage on sheer spirit is the worst thing to do.” “Projects where responsibility is vague will inevitably crush the worksite.” …He is strangely realistic. What was odd was that his appearance hadn’t changed. His Highness was as gentle as ever, never raising his voice, and the speed at which he drank his beverages was the same. His favorite foods hadn’t changed. His way of speaking was polite and quiet. And yet—only the contents were completely different things.

To add to that, the previous Highness made many excuses. “There is a lot of opposition.” “It might become a problem later.” He was the type to line up reasons not to move first. The current Highness is different. “If we can’t do it, we don’t do it.” “If we do it, I will take responsibility.” And, he always continues like this: “There is no need to push yourself.” It was as if His Highness knew just how much those words saved the worksite. It was almost as if—he was someone who had the experience of breaking from overwork.

One day, His Highness muttered something like this. “Marc. Work is something to finish. It is not something to endure.” Those were not words that should come from the mouth of a royal. But strangely, I could accept them.

I don’t know what changed His Highness the Third Prince. But this person now—judges by numbers and does not leave the locus of responsibility vague. And above all, he has no concept of using people until they break. Just how rare is that? The current me can say this with my chest out. His Highness the Third Prince is a person worth serving. Even if he is not a hero. Even if he is not a King who speaks of ideals.

Recently, consultations regarding transfer requests have been increasing. Though, the requests are not approved. “I want to work under His Highness the Third Prince.” When I ask the reason, they are all generally the same. “There is no discrimination based on status.” “Work finishes normally.” “He lets sick people rest.” For a moment, I wondered if that was a problem. This is the Royal Castle. Originally, it is supposed to be a place where many things are exhausted. But, I immediately denied it. Wrong. This is proof that His Highness’s popularity is rising steadily. Under His Highness, fudging the numbers does not work. The work is not easy, but it is minimal. However, the evaluation is fair. That is why people request it.

Today too, His Highness stands from his seat on time. Watching his back as he leaves, I think. I want to be a shield that protects His Highness.