Graduate Student's DNA: Friday, Five Days Before the Social Season
“...Let's make today a good one too!”
It was a pleasant Friday morning that started with me pumping myself up.
My usual Friday schedule was pretty straightforward. Mornings were for personal study—reading books I'd borrowed from the library or diving into ancient Imperial language texts. Afternoons meant getting dragged off by Arthur for workouts.
But today, right from the morning, Arthur's attendant came rushing to my quarters with a message.
“Your Highness. His Highness the Second Prince has urgent business that came up and won't be able to join you for afternoon training. He said he's truly sorry to miss exercising together but hopes you'll train on your own if possible.”
“Oh, really? Got it. Thanks for relaying the message.”
For the mighty Arthur to prioritize something over working out? Whatever it was, it must have been pretty serious.
Anyway, with this rare free time on my hands, I pondered what to do for a moment before closing the Imperial language book I was reading and stretching my arms high.
'Guess I'll go for a run on my own.'
The biggest gap I felt when training with the Second Prince was basic stamina. He could run for two hours without breaking a sweat, while I was huffing and puffing after just a short distance. I figured building up my endurance on solo days would make joint sessions easier.
Thinking back to my past life, even with my not-so-sturdy body, I'd hit top marks in running by the time I was discharged from service. Stamina training wasn't impossible if you put your mind to it. Compared to my sickly past-life body that wheezed at every opportunity, Ian Harper's robust frame in this life made it seem far less daunting.
“Amber—oh, right, she's off duty today. So I can head out alone?”
I changed into light workout clothes and left my quarters. On the way, I grabbed a passing guard and asked if it was okay to go exercise. He said to have a good trip, so it seemed fine.
'Worst case, someone will tail me anyway.'
And so I headed to the riverside park that cut through the capital, the same one I'd run with the Second Prince last time. After a light stretch to warm up, as I jogged along the river walk, I suddenly realized how empty my back felt.
'...No one's following?'
Back when I first arrived in the Empire, the moment I stepped a foot outside the palace, Amber and the Imperial Intelligence shadows would stick to me like glue. But now, there wasn't a single subtle gaze or footstep tracking my presence.
I wondered if I just wasn't noticing, but in this wide-open area, there were no signs of people at all. If anyone was there, they had to be way off in the distance. Guessing at the reason, maybe it was thanks to getting close with the Imperial family? It was tiring at times, but it seemed I'd earned some trust as a “safe” hostage. Loosened surveillance was encouraging progress for a hostage.
'Still, no room for complacency. The leash is longer, not gone. Gotta watch my step. Can't let the fake prince thing slip, so stay cautious...'
Basking in the cool river breeze, I shook off stray thoughts and ran steadily for about two hours. By the end, I was drenched in sweat from head to toe.
Back at the palace quarters, I showered off with refreshing cold water, scarfed down a hearty late lunch, and then...
“...I'm bored.”
Nothing to do.
Lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, I soon sat up.
'Once social season ends, I'll be slaving away in the Crown Prince's office like a dog... Better than fumbling blindly on day one—maybe I should head over early, check out the handover materials?'
With my past-life grad student mindset kicking in, I threw on some clothes and headed straight for the central administrative wing of the palace, where the Crown Prince's office was.
As I approached the corridor near the Crown Prince's office, even from outside the firmly shut doors, the intense heat of frantic work seeped through.
“Has the final guest list for the main social hall not come in yet?! It's due to His Majesty in 30 minutes!!”
“Southern territory nobles screening isn't done! The Sterling Kingdom collaborators list keeps getting revised...!”
“Sterling barely has any nobles! Just push it through fast! His Highness is inside right now...!”
Typewriter clacks, frenzied page-flipping, desperate shouts from bureaucrats all tangled together. And amid the din, Maximilian Crown Prince's irritable voice leaked intermittently from the inner office.
“How many times have I said to follow the format? Why doesn't the Magic Department—from minister to clerk—stick to it! Listen while I'm being nice! Shred it and rewrite from scratch!!”
“Final list not here yet!? Give me 5 minutes to review before I read and submit to His Majesty! Hurry up!”
I swallowed dryly and cautiously opened the door to the Crown Prince's office.
Creeeak—.
And the moment I stepped in.
“...”
The noise filling that massive office halted all at once, like someone hit pause.
Bureaucrats clutching document stacks mid-stride, secretaries hammering typewriters, clerks stamping ink—everyone froze and turned to me at the door.
“...”
“...?”
“...Ah, hello. I'm Ian Sterling, starting here soon...”
With the outer office suddenly dead silent, Maximilian sensed something off and flung open the inner office door.
“Why'd it go quiet like the dead all of a sudd—...”
Grimacing irritably, he spotted me awkwardly standing by the door and blinked.
“...Ian Sterling?”
“Ah, Your Highness. Good day.”
“I distinctly said you could start after social season. Why are you here already?”
Maximilian pushed up his glasses, asking with clear bewilderment.
“My schedule cleared up today with some time to spare. If I jump in right after social season, it'll take time to adjust and might disrupt your work... So I thought I'd come early, check out my office, and skim the handover materials.”
“...”
At my words, Maximilian seemed speechless for a beat, making a strange uh-uh noise. His purple eyes trembled faintly, then he whipped around, dashed back into his inner office. Less than 10 seconds later, he burst out again, encyclopedia-thick stack of documents tucked under his arm, and thunk—dumped the heavy pile into my chest.
“What is this?”
“Basic training materials for new Crown Prince's office bureaucrats. Excellent textbook summarizing the Empire's administrative, economic, and military frameworks.”
“...And this thickness is the summary?”
“The Empire's so vast—think it'd fit neatly? Settle into your adjacent office, look around, read at your leisure. Then, once done, jot down a simple one-page impression of the Imperial administration and submit it to me. I hear you know your administration.”
I could see Maximilian's lips twitching, fighting a grin that kept trying to rise.
“No need to turn it in today, of course. I'm not that harsh a boss. Just before your official first day after social season. Generous, right?”
“Yes, well... I'll start reading now.”
“Good. Head on in when you're ready.”
I readjusted the hefty stack in my arms, nodded, and headed to my dedicated office that Maximilian had granted me days ago.
After Ian Sterling entered the room, Maximilian stared at the closed office door, stroking his chin.
“...I gave him time off, yet he comes to work early. Does he actually want to work?”
He tilted his head, but couldn't hold back a lip twitch and slipped back into his room. The outer office bureaucrats, who had watched the whole thing holding their breath...
“...Is he nuts? That desperate for work?”
“Leave him be—he'll regret it soon. Rest while you can, idiot.”
“Eh, who knows~ Let's just do our jobs. If we don't finish, overtime again tonight.”
Pitying Ian Sterling for willingly stepping into hell, they resumed their work.