Richard Mayerhaus had never been a handsome man. Compared to the eloquent, charismatic Lionel, the Secretary of State, who exuded leadership, Richard possessed a face more suited to working in the shadows.
His twenty years of success in civil service attested to this. Richard Mayerhaus worked diligently, faithfully, and efficiently, completing every task assigned to him. From the lowest rank of a third-class clerk, he climbed his way up to Assistant to the Secretary of State—effectively the Secretary of State's deputy, a position second only to one person in The Federated Provinces, yet above millions.
However, even as Richard Mayerhaus reached the pinnacle of the bureaucracy, no one ever imagined he would someday step into the spotlight.
He was considered loyal, dependable, but nothing more than a tool meant to serve.
