The royal palace employs a tutor dedicated to giving
its young princes an exhaustive education to groom them for the throne.
This position is bestowed only on the best and brightest
educators, specially chosen from within the kingdom.
They are known as the royal tutor.
The Royal Tutor Arrives
Herr Heine Wittgenstein:
I, King of Granzreich, wish to offer you the position of royal tutor.
Happily, I was blessed with one princess and five princes.
My talented firstborn son is next in line for the throne.
However, I cannot overlook the possibility that something may happen to him.
Therefore, I would like to install you as his younger brothers' royal tutor,
to groom them for the throne.
In my view, they are still unfit for kingship.
To prevent their teachers' abilities from causing inequality in their progress,
I want you alone to oversee their education. Give them equal attention.
If the four of them mature into worthy candidates, then at that time...
Boring day after boring day...
I sure would like a more exciting post.
You fool!
We owe this peace to His Majesty, the King Granzreich himself,
and we're entrusted with guarding the gates for him. Hold your head high!
Also, today's a special day. We're to welcome someone summoned by His Majesty.
Oh, yeah!
Erm, this fellow who'll be coming is...
The royal tutor!
At last, I've arrived at the residence of the Granzreich royal family.
Weisburg Palace.
Starting today,
I will live here in their service as the royal tutor,
for the sake of my own personal goals.
This is my first step.
Stop right there!
Stopped at the first step.
That's as far as you go, boy.
Boy? Whom do you mean?
You, boy. You can't just venture inside the palace without permission.
It is not without permission.
I have a summons from the king here.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I am the new royal tutor, Heine—
I know! You must be the royal tutor's son.
Papa's companion, are you?
Oh, that's all?
Once your papa arrives, you can go in together.
Hmph
I cannot say I expected to be stopped at the entrance.
What's going on here?
Oh, my word! There you are,
Professor Heine.
Huh?
Queen Mother.
Let's leave the stuffy greetings for later.
Shall we? I'll show you the way.
I would be greatly obliged.
"Professor Heine"?
I-It couldn't be...
Allow me to introduce myself.
As of today, I am the royal tutor,
Heine Wittgenstein.
By the way...
Despite my appearance, I am a full-grown man.
We're terribly sorry!
I'm sorry, my dear.
I should have told them. How rude.
Please pay it no mind.
I am already accustomed to being mistaken for a child.
But I was greatly surprised to receive a letter from His Majesty himself.
For me to be summoned to the royal palace when I am no noble,
merely an ordinary commoner...
Oh, don't say such a thing. The king told me you are an exceptionally talented teacher.
He has specially recognized your ability, has he not?
Specially...
Oh, Professor! Please, please take good care of the princes.
Actually, their royal tutors all resign so quickly.
Why they would do such a thing is a mystery to me.
If you'll forgive me for asking, could there be a problem with the princes themselves?
N-Never! They're all very good boys.
Perhaps they were so good that those tutors had nothing to teach them.
I can't think of any other explanation.
Not the blind love of a parent, but of a grandparent.
I've an inkling that a problem has been foisted upon me.
Well, so be it. All that matters to me is that I fulfill this duty.
Whatever their natures may be, as a professional educator,
I will give the princes a rigorous education.
The princes are waiting inside here.
Please take good care of them, Professor Heine.
I am honored to meet you, Your Highnesses.
My name is Heine Wittgenstein.
As of today, I am Your Highnesses'
royal tutor.
The honor is ours, Professor Heine.
How beautiful.
Perfect princes, as though they stepped out of a painting.
We're so happy to have you here, Professor...
Is that what you thought I'd say?
Let me set the record straight.
Father's orders or not, you're just a tutor. A commoner.
I am the fourth prince of the Kingdom of Granzreich, Leonhard von Granzreich...
and you will never order me around.
Got it?
Beautiful on the outside, but he reveals his inner arrogance once he opens his mouth.
A pride as tall as Everest.
The Everest-Proud Prince.
Now that you understand, you may take your things and—
Professor!
Gotcha!
Hey, are you an adult for real?
You're so little! How tall are you exactly?
Come on, tell me.
Damn it, Licht! You interrupted me.
That's not fair, Leo. I wanna talk to the little professor, too.
You've called me "little." Twice.
I'm Licht von Granzr...
Saying my full name takes too long. I'm Licht.
Feel free to just call me Lichie.
"Lichie"?
Yay!
This would be the fifth prince.
So lighthearted, you wouldn't think him royalty.
The Playboy Prince.
Professor... Don't tell me you're dizzied by my dashing looks?
Oh, boy. I'm so seductive, they should lock me up.
Seductive, my foot. Obscene is the word you're looking for.
That smarts!
Excuse my younger brother's outburst.
As his older brother and the third prince of the Kingdom of Granzreich, Bruno,
I sincerely apologize.
Incidentally, I've read through some materials about you.
For some reason, your personal history was completely omitted.
Where in the world did you go to university?
Nowhere.
Pardon?
I never went to university.
You don't say.
A very polite boy, but his gaze just turned very cold.
The Browbeating Brainiac Prince.
This is the second prince, Kai.
Kai, aren't you going to greet the royal tutor?
He glared at me.
The Glaring Prince.
While it was a bit concerning, I've now greeted all four princes.
Let us strike while the iron is hot. I will now be interviewing you.
Interviewing us?
I do have some information about Your Highnesses already.
What do you mean, information?
Your reputations in the city, newspaper clippings,
the marks you've earned at school, and so on.
Ooh, what do they say about me?
Do the ladies call me the pretty prince?
I'd like to conduct interviews with each of you to help me plan your lessons.
That won't be necessary.
I despise tutors more than anything!
I don't accept you, got it?
You'll run away like the rest of them soon enough, anyway.
Agreed.
I do not require a so-called royal tutor who has never even studied at university.
Oh, really? Then I'm against you, too.
Not that I care either way.
I see.
So this is the reason why so many royal tutors ran away.
Merely for bearing the title of "tutor," they were shunned and rejected,
completely and utterly.
I see where Your Highnesses stand on this matter.
Now, who will be first?
Were you listening to me?
I assure you I was.
You do not wish to accept me as your royal tutor.
"Stupid insect. Screw you. Go die." Was it?
I didn't go that far.
It is time for a lesson.
I will not run.
Fulfilling my duties as the royal tutor is my only concern.
Your Highnesses' moods change nothing.
It is not my job to win you over.
You refuse to leave, come what may?
Too bad. If we boycott your lessons, Father will have to listen to us.
The four of us will join forces and drive you out of the position of royal tutor.
Uh-oh! Is that the time?
Sorry, Leo. There's a guest waiting in my room.
Huh?
Little Professor,
if you want to interview me, come by after my guest leaves.
This is our special time, so don't interrupt.
Tschüss!
Licht... That little idiot...
Another woman, I'm sure. How indecent for a royal.
W-Well, I was never counting on his help.
My dear brother Bruno, let's drive out that cocky tutor together!
I do not have time to deal with you.
Yeah!
Nevertheless, you are a royal tutor sent by Father.
I suppose I can humor one interview.
Come to my room when the clock strikes noon.
If you are even a second late, you can forget about the interview.
Understood.
N-No way. Bruno?
Get... lo... get... lo...
Kai...?
Get... lo...
"Get lost"?
Abandoned by all of your brothers? You poor thing, Prince Leonhard.
Shut up! Don't call me that.
Do not despair. Join me for an interview. You are not alone.
I told you, I don't want to!
I don't need a stupid royal tutor, period.
Yes, yes. Understood.
Let us relocate to Your Highness's room.
No!
The fourth prince, Leonhard. Fifteen years old.
His reputation as the most beautiful boy on the western continent
earned him the name "The White Lily of Granzreich."
He never boasts of his appearance, and is humble and kind to all.
Or so my research would lead me to believe.
What are you looking at?
Do you have something to say to me?
The real thing is a terribly Everest-proud prince.
Don't get the wrong idea.
I let you into my room, but I don't accept you as the royal tutor.
I assure you, I am well aware.
The purpose of this interview is to learn more about the prince's temperament.
My other goal is to measure his academic ability with a competency test.
I doubt he will obediently take the test...
Perhaps I'll ask him to after a brief chat.
Your Highness.
You have found me unpleasant since you first saw me, yes?
Obviously!
I told you. I hate teachers.
I've done nothing to you, yet you reject me so strongly.
Is there a specific reason—
Silence!
For me, the very fact that you are a tutor makes you despicable.
Teachers... Ooh, teachers...
I hate them as much as I hate carrots and bell peppers!
I've suddenly been added to the vegetable food group.
Your Highness, do you dislike carrots and bell peppers?
S-So what if I do?
Your Highness is surprisingly childish.
How dare you! I'm fifteen. I'm a magnificent adult!
I can't spoil my appetite for dinner,
so every evening I hold back from eating sachertorte, my favorite.
How do you like that? Very adult, yes?
That is magnificent.
For a child.
Sachertorte... sachertorte... I want some...
You love sachertorte that much, do you?
But why do you dislike teachers that much?
That's none of your business.
Unless I understand, I cannot do better.
As the royal tutor, I would like to build trust with—
Teachers can't be trusted!
No teacher has ever truly paid attention to me.
They're always too busy paying attention to Father's mood.
Aha. He's burdened by complex emotions that come with his princely station.
And most of all...
I hate studying.
Teachers force me to study. Therefore, they're my enemy.
Or it's not complex emotions, after all.
Well, what kinds of lessons have you had with the previous royal tutors?
I've been running from them.
That is too blunt.
Sometimes at a full-speed sprint.
P-Prince Leonhard!
Royal Tutor
Other times on horseback.
Royal Tutor
Prince Leonhard!
It gave me skill and stamina.
These are the trophies my physical prowess won for me.
Athletics are the only thing in his head.
Hmph. So? Terrified by my talents?
You could say so, in more than one way.
To think he hates studying to this extent...
If I ask him to take my test, will he run outright?
Your Highness, occasionally you must feel in the mood to study...
Or not.
Studying—
Is something you hate, indeed.
What?
Oh, nothing.
To tell the truth, I have a pop quiz—
You can keep up with my sprint? Not bad.
I'd like you to take this test.
Don't worry. It only covers basic problems in language and mathematics.
No way, no how! I can't believe you were hiding a test.
I knew teachers couldn't be trusted. Out of my way!
No need to throw a tantrum.
Damn it. You leave me no choice.
You dropped something.
Hey! Give it here!
Step, step, step, step, step.
Roll, roll, roll.
A diary?
Today's regret...
When the maid brought my melange,
I couldn't say "thank you" again.
I'm hopeless. A lost cause.
I don't deserve to live.
An intensely negative diary.
Today's regret...
I ruined the book Bruno lent me.
I want to die.
This is a reflective diary, then?
Come out here, you coward!
Prince Leonhard.
You keep a reflective diary?
No, that's...
Right, that's my brother's diary! My baby brother Licht must have left it in my room.
I see. I will return it to him, then.
Give it back.
Will you take your test?
I told you I won't.
"Today's regret...
I picked the bell peppers out of my dinner. Oh, how awful I am."
Stop it!
"Today's regret...
I ran away from my lessons yet again. Why do I always..."
Fine! I won't run. I'll take your test!
I promise! So cut it out, you sadist teacher!
I'm not made of time, you know. Why should I take this stupid test?
As a prince, I order you to tell me the answer to number one.
If I told you the answers, it would not be a test.
I hate your guts.
Once he begins, he tackles it seriously, at least.
I'm not good at socializing.
I tend to run away from my lessons and things I dislike,
but I want to fix that part of me bit by bit.
I want to become a magnificent person like Bruno one day.
One wouldn't imagine the Everest-proud prince to have a sensitive side.
Perhaps he's merely a scared child, deep down.
His overblown pride is a front to hide his frailty.
You cannot grow if you always fear being hurt and run away from reality, Your Highness.
Here. Happy now?
Thank you. I have indeed received your answer sheet.
I will see you in the reception hall at four o'clock.
As if I'd go.
His Majesty the King instructed me to give equal attention to all four of Your Highnesses.
I will only begin my lessons if I am able to gather you all together.
I don't need a royal tutor, got it? Get out!
Is that so?
Huh? He actually left? Huh?
I mean, I didn't want him to stick around, but it ticks me off that he left so quickly...
Gah! He's making a fool of me!
If that's how it's going to be, maybe I'll complain to Father, Heine!
I thought that if anyone ever read my diary, they'd laugh at me.
Stupid sadist teacher thinks he can read my private thoughts. Good riddance!
So he's back? Well, it's already too late.
I guess I can humor him this once.
Come in.
Pardon me.
Here is what Your Highness requested.
Huh? I didn't ask for anything.
Huh? But... I was instructed to serve this to Your Highness.
"Thank you for your hard work."
I-I guess I don't have to tell Father.
But I won't put up with him again.
Sachertorte is so yummy...
I'll only baby you today, Your Highness.
Now, the next prince is...
Heine Wittgenstein.
You have nothing to teach me.
Carrots, bell peppers... Those aren't fit for human consumption!
What if you tried alternating between bites of a food you like and one you don't?
That's it! If I ate it with sachertorte...
Next time, "The Prince Interviews."
Next Time: The Prince Interviews
So? How's it taste?
Still terrible...