"As of today, you are to go to the palace. Pack your things immediately."

Those were the words the soldiers said as they stormed into the estate and pinned me to the floor. The palace, all of a sudden? They spoke of embezzling relief grain and forging royal edicts. As an uneducated beast of a man, I couldn't understand a word of it. All I could manage to grasp was that I was going to the palace.

The palace people were all kind. Half of it was likely curiosity, as boys were a rare sight there. Having spent my life being beaten by the Master and having tea water thrown at me by the Mistress, I simply enjoyed being looked after by the women.

Chopping wood or running long distances to fetch medicinal herbs was easy work. I was told to be careful since the medicine was for His Highness the Crown Prince. Is he ill? Why would such a precious person be sick? When I asked, they said he took it as a precaution to protect his jade-like health. ...Wow. It was a completely different world from mine, where I'd just dig up arrowroot and eat it even when burning up with fever.

The Crown Prince must be someone who requires a lot of care. Today, I was handed a hoe and told to level the soil by the pond where he often passes. One hour, two hours. As time passed, sweat poured down like rain. When I lifted my head to catch my breath, I saw a Princess I had never seen before tilting a teacup in a distant pavilion.

"...It's, it's the Crown Prince."

A fellow passing by whispered and hurriedly pulled my arm. ...Not a Princess, but the Crown Prince? That person is a man? Staring at that unbelievable face and that small, delicate frame, I completely forgot to press my head against the ground.