Episode 5.

I finished before Shun and went to rest at our house in the residential area of the castle, a kind of colony of brick huts without plaster, all on reddish earth, in quite deplorable conditions, and clustered at the extreme northeast of the castle, within the perimeter walls. 

To enter, we have to exit through the secondary entrance and re-enter the castle. It was ridiculous that there was no internal path directly connecting to the palace or at least to the adjacent military secondary zone near that entrance.

However, there was no such path for two reasons. First: it would pass through the large castle garden behind the palace and the adjacent buildings, stretching from the eastern wall to the western wall, so vast that it resembled a forest; something that would tarnish the clean image of that space full of flowers and trees. And second: we are treated as mere pawns; nobody would care about a simple worker whose job is to serve the castle and the royal family residing within it. It is us who must ensure that their majesties are as comfortable as possible.

The rich disdain the poor, living with the best luxuries and the greatest possible comfort, attended to by many of us who have to work to survive and live as best we can with our own hands. That's how it was.

It truly was an exhausting day. I arrived home very tired. I just wanted to go to rest to be able to wake up early, as we do every day. However, as soon as I put the key in the doorknob, Mr. Roig, the chef's sidekick at the palace, appeared behind me. He was a man of just under 40, short and a bit chubby, whose hair had abandoned his forehead, although his distinctive spiral mustache compensated for it a bit.

Mr. Roig: 『 Oh, young Maximo, it's good to see you 』

Max: 『 Do you need something, Mr. Roig? 』

Mr. Roig: 『 Yes, I need to ask you for a favor 』

It turned out they needed help in the palace kitchen since some of the waitstaff had fallen ill, and on that day, commemorating the aforementioned evening, it was essential for them to the be present. So he begged me to help by taking one of the positions since he couldn't find anyone else who could do it.

The truth is I was thinking of declining the offer, but seeing him plead with his back completely bent at a 90° angle and his head down made me consider how bad he would feel if I did. So, I had no choice but to reluctantly accept. My rest would have to wait.

He gave me a rather ordinary waiter's uniform, with the same monotonous black and white colors. I changed into it and headed straight to the kitchen, located in the east wing of the palace, on the ground floor. As soon as I arrived outside the kitchen, two carts full of vegetables and meat were parked right next to it, surrounded by several chefs and waiters hurriedly unloading the cargo.

Mr. Roig: 『 Young Maximo! Over here! 』

Mr. Roig called me over one of those carts to help unload the food. Zucchinis, broad beans, peppers, various spices, and cleanly cut parts of pork and beef, everything was so fresh and the high quality of each item was evident. It was incredible how much food there was. With all of that, perhaps a quarter of the entire capital could be fed and easily all the castle workers too. Undoubtedly, something big was being commemorated inside.

With all those people in a hurry, the unloading didn't take as long as I thought. The ingredients immediately entered that long room full of cutting tables, ovens, griddles and people working. All were carefully washed and then passed to the hands of the chefs to slice, grind, cook, and combine into various dishes.

Finally, the last vegetable came out of the cart I was helping with. I stepped down, leaning against the side of the wheel, took a lateral leap. I was about to enter the bustling place to start my task when suddenly...

Shun: 『 Max! 』

Shun arrived in a hurry, looking for me. Worry invaded his sweaty and panting face; his exhalation symbolized he had been searching for me everywhere until he found me.

Max: 『 What do you want? If you haven't finished your part yet, don't think I'm going to...』

Shun: 『 It's not that! Listen, I need to get into the palace. 』

He wasn't joking with what he said; he spoke in a serious tone, asking me to help him get into the palace to find Lidia. He said it was very urgent for him, or else it would be too late. I sensed that something bad would happen if I let him do it, but sincerely, that wasn't my problem. If he really wanted to see Lidia, he could do it without my help, or that's what I thought.

Max: 『 If you want to talk to her so badly, why don't you enter through her window like you always do? 』

Shun: 『 It's nailed shut. Besides, she's no longer in her room. 』

It turns out he had already tried, and that's why he was a bit tired. If she wasn't there, it's most likely that she was already in the grand dining hall, where all the food was heading shortly. Shun was still catching his breath, having taken a complete lap around the bastion, in addition to climbing a tower of about 8 meters. Gradually, he regained his breath while continuing to insist that I help him. He uttered some fragmented words like "reconciliation" or "commitment" amid more breaths that didn't allow me to hear him clearly. I asked him to calm down and stop talking like that, or he would drive me mad. Finally, he took a breath, adjusted his posture, and this time, he delivered a well-structured sentence that I could understand.

Shun: 『 The kings... Lidia's parents... want to marry her off. 』

Max: 『 ... Ah, I see..., that explains it. 』

Shun: 『 Max, listen! If Lidia gets married, she'll end up confined for the rest of her life in the hands of some idiot who undoubtedly seeks to abuse of her and takes her to another wretched castle. 』

Max: 『 ... Uh-huh, and? 』

Shun: 『 What do you mean, "and?"! Didn't you hear me?! If we let that happen− 』

Max: 『 If we let that happen, everything will stay the same. We hardly see her because we have very different obligations, and especially because we are a nuisance to her. Did you forget? We were forbidden from having any kind of contact with her a long time ago, but you didn't care and ended up dragging her towards us. That caused her teachers to be much stricter with her, and they took away all her free time. I'm sure that's why they nailed the window, because they knew you would try to intervene and do something foolish to stop the event. 』

Shun: 『 ... 』

Max: 『 Look, no matter how hard you try, Lidia can never be with the both of us, far less with you. She is a princess destined to rule this or any other nation alongside someone of her own class. We are nothing more than simple servants who have nothing to do with her... I'm sorry, Shun, but that's how it is. Many times, things won't turn out the way you want. 』

Perhaps with a simple "it's over," he would have understood. Shun was no fool, he had a super memory and an incredible analytical ability that helped him solve any kind of puzzle or problem, even with just a few clues. That's how he deduced the true purpose of the event. I can say with certainty that there is no other mind as brilliant in the kingdom as his.

That's why this time he didn't argue with me because he knew I was right. I know how much he hates it when I tell him these kinds of things, but someone has to open his eyes and bring him back to the real world. Many times, he has been guided more by sentimentality and dreams than by logic. Perhaps he doesn't see it that way, but it's my way to protecting him, to prevent him from blindly navigating through life and making a colossal mistake that could hurt him. Even if it weighs on him, I don't plan on letting him go on like this, venturing into this cruel world alone.

The frustration and anger within Shun were evident in his clenched fists and his lowered gaze, acknowledging my words. The reality was that we should never have met Lidia, we're simple commoners who tarnished her image. And yet, after so many scoldings and punishments, so many attempts to separate him from her... Why this need to want to be together?

Shun: 『 ... It's true that I don't want to be apart from her, and it's also true that this is very selfish of me, wanting her to stay with us... Nevertheless, I won't leave her alone... Her whole life has been pressured to look proper and polite in front of a bunch of aristocrats who see her as a mere doll they can play with at any moment. She's always so tense with that and her lessons, and she spends her time locked up in that damn palace. And they want her to be queen without even giving her the chance to leave here and get to know her kingdom?... I know I'm nobody to speak for her... But I don't want her to suffer anymore. I won't let her continue slowly sinking into loneliness. I want to see that smile again. I want her to be truly happy!... Max, we're the only ones she has... Please, I beg you. 』

I was truly weak, letting myself be convinced by those words full of determination. No matter how adverse or demanding the situation is, he always finds a way to overcome and achieve his goal. I think it was thanks to that determination that he managed to form a strong bond with Lidia, a nexus that ties them together.

Max: "『 ... *Sigh*... What's the plan? 』

Shun: 『 Max! 』

Max: 『 Tell me before I change my mind. You've already come up with one, haven't you? 』

Shun: 『 Mm-hmm, of course. This is the plan... 』