2025-07-11, 10:30 PM
Nose Prince started his day as usual, grabbing breakfast on the go after a shower and, like every morning, almost too late to catch the bus to work. A quick sprint around the corner, which the bus turned at the same time as him, and he just made it. Panting, arms on his knees, he hung his head with his eyes closed to catch his breath. A small commotion diagonally behind him startled him. The bus had stopped somewhat abruptly at the next stop, causing a young man who had been holding on tight to read to lose his balance and step on a corpulent woman's foot. The woman was loudly indignant at this carelessness and made the blond young man blush with shame, as he was more than uncomfortable with the sudden attention of the other passengers.
Nose Prince lowered his head again and continued on to his final stop, where he got off and walked into his office. Along the way, he greeted several colleagues, quickly fetched a cup of coffee from the staff kitchen, and disappeared into his office. The sight of his large desk, which he had recently had made for him by one of his suppliers, still took his breath away. The highly polished, dark wood, its matching leather desk pad, the cream-colored telephone, and the white documents offered a stylish appearance with which he was more than satisfied. Overall, he could only thank his suppliers for this beautiful, large office. The view from the floor-to-ceiling and wall-wide window on the top floor of the tall building over the city, with the meandering river, was an incredible sight, especially in the evening with the sunset. More than once, after a hard day's work, he had settled into his office with a glass of wine and enjoyed the view.
He walked around his desk, sat down, and reached for his mail. A ritual he performed every morning. He had barely opened the first letter when a cheerful hello jolted him out of his thoughts. He didn't have to think whose voice it was; he'd known it since school, and when he lifted his gaze from the mail, he saw the radiant, curl-framed face of his best friend, Kate. She had a contagious smile, eliciting a cheerful good morning from him as well.
"So, here too?" said Kate. "Sure, what do you think? On time as always," replied Nose Prince with a mischievous smile. Of course, he knew that she knew he'd almost missed the bus again. "When are you finally going to buy a car? Your suppliers would certainly be happy to get a job and put something nice together for you." "I know, but somehow I find taking the bus more pleasant – and my commute isn't that far." Nose Prince looked at his girlfriend with open eyes. They'd been having this discussion for a long time, but he was slowly getting used to the idea; she'd been teasing him for years about how he still preferred taking the bus to buying a car.
"What's up, why are you here so early today?" Nose Prince asked expectantly. Kate's grin widened and she came around his desk. Slowly, she ran her finger over the dark wood. "I don't know, I just felt like it." Nose Prince laughed. "You don't just feel like it, come on, come on, tell me what's going on." They knew this game and both enjoyed it. As close as they were to each other, there were no secrets between them. Kate knew that too, sitting on the edge of his desk and looking Nose Prince intently in the eyes. "Oh no, not again," he laughed, and he shook his head in disbelief. Kate bit her lower lip and blushed slightly. "Yes," she replied. She lowered her gaze. Quietly, she began, "I really did it, I bought it." Nose Prince stared at his girlfriend in disbelief. "You're not serious?!" "Yes, it was so cheap and I couldn't pass it by." Now Nose Prince slapped his hand against his legs with laughter and couldn't calm down for a while. They had been talking about the tapestry for so long, but until now it had been virtually unaffordable. Apparently, Kate had finally managed to get her price out of a salesperson. "Was it very expensive?" Nose Prince asked, frowning, once he had calmed down. "It's okay," said Kate. "Come with me, it's already hanging in my office." Astonished again, Nose Prince let Kate take his hand and lead him into Kate's office. It was incredible. There, already hanging, was the new carpet in all its glory. Cautiously, Nose Prince approached and reached out for it. The sparkle of the colors in the sunlight was fantastic; he had rarely seen anything like it. He gently stroked the brightly patterned fabric and felt the soft yet sturdy material. Completely overwhelmed, he looked back at Kate, who was just as fascinated by the tapestry. "This is unbelievable, you're really crazy." "I know, but this time it just had to be done." They hugged each other briefly, and Nose Prince took another look at the tapestry, still shaking his head in disbelief, as he left his girlfriend's office. In his office, he sat back down at his desk and dealt with his mail. The rest of the day passed without major incidents. He was already used to the countless phone calls with customers and suppliers. He made his usual rounds through production and sales to check that everything was in order. He even stopped by the mail department every now and then, asking about the current status and was very pleased with his employees. As a boss, he was very popular and well-liked. He always had an open ear for his employees and tried to help wherever he could. After most of them had left the office, he went back to Kate, whom he had seen far too rarely today.
"Hey, are you still here?" he greeted her. "Of course, you know me. A workaholic like you are. Who needs a private life anyway?" she grinned at him cheekily. "Well, it's not all that easy when you've been here so long - things aren't going to work out with you and the men," he replied just as cheekily. "Since there's no other man here, how about dinner tonight? Maybe that'll improve our chances?" "Sure, I'm in," said Nose Prince. "I'll just quickly get my bag and then we can go, are you ready?" Kate nodded, and with that they set off.
Chapter
2
-
The New in the Business
The evening with Kate had been a delightful one. They both loved their Italian restaurant on the corner, as they affectionately called it. Kate had discovered it by chance a few years ago and immediately urged Nose Prince to accompany her there, as the pasta was absolutely amazing. A persuasion that Nose Prince hasn't regretted to this day. Yesterday's meal had also been a delight, and the fine bottle of red wine, professionally recommended by their favorite waiter, rounded off the evening perfectly.
Now Nose Prince was lying in his bed again, trying to wake up, rolling from one side to the other. Today would be an exciting day, because his new assistant would be starting his first day at work. He hadn't seen him yet, as the HR department had advertised and filled the position for him. Up until now, he had always been able to rely on his department's selection, and so his assistant would be a perfect match for the position. He had hesitated for a long time, but since business was going well, he could no longer do otherwise. He needed support in his daily work. But what would it be like to work so closely with a colleague? This question simply wouldn't leave his mind. Since he still couldn't find an answer, he got up and let the cool water from his shower rush over him. As the water flowed down the drain, so did his thoughts.
As always, he arrived back at his office almost too late. He was just sitting down at his desk when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," he called. "Good afternoon, Mr. Nose Prince. We're from the shipping company delivering the furniture for your new assistant's office."
Nose Prince looked at the man in surprise. Something like this had never happened to him before. "Isn't Gustav, our caretaker, here?" Nose Prince asked, somewhat confused, since he didn't usually take care of the office furniture. As the boss, he had absolutely nothing to do with it, and anyway, why was the man standing in his office right now and not being looked after by his secretary?
"Unfortunately, I don't know, but apparently no one else is here." Nose Prince got up from his desk, walked around the man still standing in his doorway, and glanced into the adjoining room. Sure enough, no one was there. That was odd. Scratching his head, Nose Prince returned to his phone and pressed the speed-dial button for the janitor's number. After several unsuccessful rings, he hung up.
"Well, sir, then I'll have to ask you to move the furniture into the office next to mine. I'll accompany you briefly and show you where the furniture can be placed."
The shipping employee followed Nose Prince into the new office. Curiously, he looked around the empty room and briefly admired the breathtaking view from the window. The office was very similar to Nose Prince's, only about half the size, but more than sufficient for his assistant. Meanwhile, Nose Prince had a spontaneous idea.
"Arrange the furniture exactly as it is in my office, as far as possible. I think my new assistant will like it then," said Nose Prince, completely fascinated by his idea. The employee nodded and immediately disappeared to get the furniture with his colleague; after all, they had already lost enough time due to the apparent lack of organization in this house.
Nose Prince turned around and made his way back to his office. He was still surprised that none of his employees had passed him. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the young man staring at him uncertainly from his secretary's desk.
Nose Prince walked straight through his still-open office door into his office. On the threshold, he remembered that he hadn't even greeted Kate this morning. He turned on his heel and, completely astonished, ran into the young man who had followed him uninvited and was now standing in front of him. This collision caught Nose Prince so off guard that he stared into his counterpart's eyes, perplexed. The latter, however, was also startled and stared back, just as confused. Slowly, the surprise faded, and the young man regained his composure.
"Excuse me," he said, his cheeks slightly flushed. Nose Prince was still staring at the young man. "I'm looking for Mr. Nose Prince. Is that you?" Nose Prince shook his head briefly to clear his mind, which again irritated the young man.
"Could you possibly tell me where I can find him?" was the next thing Nose Prince heard. Finally, he, too, found his voice again and said, "Um, here. I'm Mr. Nose Prince."
Now the young man looked incredulous, but then a radiant smile appeared on his face.
"Very good, then I've found you. I'm your new assistant and I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Noel, Noel Meister."
Nose Prince lowered his head again and continued on to his final stop, where he got off and walked into his office. Along the way, he greeted several colleagues, quickly fetched a cup of coffee from the staff kitchen, and disappeared into his office. The sight of his large desk, which he had recently had made for him by one of his suppliers, still took his breath away. The highly polished, dark wood, its matching leather desk pad, the cream-colored telephone, and the white documents offered a stylish appearance with which he was more than satisfied. Overall, he could only thank his suppliers for this beautiful, large office. The view from the floor-to-ceiling and wall-wide window on the top floor of the tall building over the city, with the meandering river, was an incredible sight, especially in the evening with the sunset. More than once, after a hard day's work, he had settled into his office with a glass of wine and enjoyed the view.
He walked around his desk, sat down, and reached for his mail. A ritual he performed every morning. He had barely opened the first letter when a cheerful hello jolted him out of his thoughts. He didn't have to think whose voice it was; he'd known it since school, and when he lifted his gaze from the mail, he saw the radiant, curl-framed face of his best friend, Kate. She had a contagious smile, eliciting a cheerful good morning from him as well.
"So, here too?" said Kate. "Sure, what do you think? On time as always," replied Nose Prince with a mischievous smile. Of course, he knew that she knew he'd almost missed the bus again. "When are you finally going to buy a car? Your suppliers would certainly be happy to get a job and put something nice together for you." "I know, but somehow I find taking the bus more pleasant – and my commute isn't that far." Nose Prince looked at his girlfriend with open eyes. They'd been having this discussion for a long time, but he was slowly getting used to the idea; she'd been teasing him for years about how he still preferred taking the bus to buying a car.
"What's up, why are you here so early today?" Nose Prince asked expectantly. Kate's grin widened and she came around his desk. Slowly, she ran her finger over the dark wood. "I don't know, I just felt like it." Nose Prince laughed. "You don't just feel like it, come on, come on, tell me what's going on." They knew this game and both enjoyed it. As close as they were to each other, there were no secrets between them. Kate knew that too, sitting on the edge of his desk and looking Nose Prince intently in the eyes. "Oh no, not again," he laughed, and he shook his head in disbelief. Kate bit her lower lip and blushed slightly. "Yes," she replied. She lowered her gaze. Quietly, she began, "I really did it, I bought it." Nose Prince stared at his girlfriend in disbelief. "You're not serious?!" "Yes, it was so cheap and I couldn't pass it by." Now Nose Prince slapped his hand against his legs with laughter and couldn't calm down for a while. They had been talking about the tapestry for so long, but until now it had been virtually unaffordable. Apparently, Kate had finally managed to get her price out of a salesperson. "Was it very expensive?" Nose Prince asked, frowning, once he had calmed down. "It's okay," said Kate. "Come with me, it's already hanging in my office." Astonished again, Nose Prince let Kate take his hand and lead him into Kate's office. It was incredible. There, already hanging, was the new carpet in all its glory. Cautiously, Nose Prince approached and reached out for it. The sparkle of the colors in the sunlight was fantastic; he had rarely seen anything like it. He gently stroked the brightly patterned fabric and felt the soft yet sturdy material. Completely overwhelmed, he looked back at Kate, who was just as fascinated by the tapestry. "This is unbelievable, you're really crazy." "I know, but this time it just had to be done." They hugged each other briefly, and Nose Prince took another look at the tapestry, still shaking his head in disbelief, as he left his girlfriend's office. In his office, he sat back down at his desk and dealt with his mail. The rest of the day passed without major incidents. He was already used to the countless phone calls with customers and suppliers. He made his usual rounds through production and sales to check that everything was in order. He even stopped by the mail department every now and then, asking about the current status and was very pleased with his employees. As a boss, he was very popular and well-liked. He always had an open ear for his employees and tried to help wherever he could. After most of them had left the office, he went back to Kate, whom he had seen far too rarely today.
"Hey, are you still here?" he greeted her. "Of course, you know me. A workaholic like you are. Who needs a private life anyway?" she grinned at him cheekily. "Well, it's not all that easy when you've been here so long - things aren't going to work out with you and the men," he replied just as cheekily. "Since there's no other man here, how about dinner tonight? Maybe that'll improve our chances?" "Sure, I'm in," said Nose Prince. "I'll just quickly get my bag and then we can go, are you ready?" Kate nodded, and with that they set off.
Chapter
2
-
The New in the Business
The evening with Kate had been a delightful one. They both loved their Italian restaurant on the corner, as they affectionately called it. Kate had discovered it by chance a few years ago and immediately urged Nose Prince to accompany her there, as the pasta was absolutely amazing. A persuasion that Nose Prince hasn't regretted to this day. Yesterday's meal had also been a delight, and the fine bottle of red wine, professionally recommended by their favorite waiter, rounded off the evening perfectly.
Now Nose Prince was lying in his bed again, trying to wake up, rolling from one side to the other. Today would be an exciting day, because his new assistant would be starting his first day at work. He hadn't seen him yet, as the HR department had advertised and filled the position for him. Up until now, he had always been able to rely on his department's selection, and so his assistant would be a perfect match for the position. He had hesitated for a long time, but since business was going well, he could no longer do otherwise. He needed support in his daily work. But what would it be like to work so closely with a colleague? This question simply wouldn't leave his mind. Since he still couldn't find an answer, he got up and let the cool water from his shower rush over him. As the water flowed down the drain, so did his thoughts.
As always, he arrived back at his office almost too late. He was just sitting down at his desk when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," he called. "Good afternoon, Mr. Nose Prince. We're from the shipping company delivering the furniture for your new assistant's office."
Nose Prince looked at the man in surprise. Something like this had never happened to him before. "Isn't Gustav, our caretaker, here?" Nose Prince asked, somewhat confused, since he didn't usually take care of the office furniture. As the boss, he had absolutely nothing to do with it, and anyway, why was the man standing in his office right now and not being looked after by his secretary?
"Unfortunately, I don't know, but apparently no one else is here." Nose Prince got up from his desk, walked around the man still standing in his doorway, and glanced into the adjoining room. Sure enough, no one was there. That was odd. Scratching his head, Nose Prince returned to his phone and pressed the speed-dial button for the janitor's number. After several unsuccessful rings, he hung up.
"Well, sir, then I'll have to ask you to move the furniture into the office next to mine. I'll accompany you briefly and show you where the furniture can be placed."
The shipping employee followed Nose Prince into the new office. Curiously, he looked around the empty room and briefly admired the breathtaking view from the window. The office was very similar to Nose Prince's, only about half the size, but more than sufficient for his assistant. Meanwhile, Nose Prince had a spontaneous idea.
"Arrange the furniture exactly as it is in my office, as far as possible. I think my new assistant will like it then," said Nose Prince, completely fascinated by his idea. The employee nodded and immediately disappeared to get the furniture with his colleague; after all, they had already lost enough time due to the apparent lack of organization in this house.
Nose Prince turned around and made his way back to his office. He was still surprised that none of his employees had passed him. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the young man staring at him uncertainly from his secretary's desk.
Nose Prince walked straight through his still-open office door into his office. On the threshold, he remembered that he hadn't even greeted Kate this morning. He turned on his heel and, completely astonished, ran into the young man who had followed him uninvited and was now standing in front of him. This collision caught Nose Prince so off guard that he stared into his counterpart's eyes, perplexed. The latter, however, was also startled and stared back, just as confused. Slowly, the surprise faded, and the young man regained his composure.
"Excuse me," he said, his cheeks slightly flushed. Nose Prince was still staring at the young man. "I'm looking for Mr. Nose Prince. Is that you?" Nose Prince shook his head briefly to clear his mind, which again irritated the young man.
"Could you possibly tell me where I can find him?" was the next thing Nose Prince heard. Finally, he, too, found his voice again and said, "Um, here. I'm Mr. Nose Prince."
Now the young man looked incredulous, but then a radiant smile appeared on his face.
"Very good, then I've found you. I'm your new assistant and I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Noel, Noel Meister."