Accompanying a superior on official business, with a beautiful lady by one's side, was the treatment many ambitious individuals dreamt of — even if one's sole responsibility was to carry bags and run errands. Enjoying the envious glares of others, Lafayette felt nothing but exhaustion in body and mind.
If your superior is an outstanding person in every aspect, accompanying them on business trips, or just being by their side, is an honor. But if they're a jerk, and you happen to neither belong to their ilk nor are inclined to indulge in petty reportings and sycophancy, then every second spent beside them is torment.
Lafayette did not consider himself a jerk and disliked pettiness and brown-nosing. But Captain Puxiniri relished these two activities, much like he enjoyed nitpicking his subordinates' military appearance and posture daily, making accompanying him a grueling task. Simply suppressing his annoyance and displeasure almost caused Lafayette's facial muscles to spasm.
