PLQYM | Chapter 58

The Emperor’s face was f4a9def1c4 harder than ever, a 90774ab38e mask of unyielding fury.5b91b45cdb39e165

‘Utterly pathetic.’39efc466bfa49581

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Eloine, who inwardly scoffed 197a3eb1f3 at the Great Emperor 6ded97fdff of Pranas, continued her 235d7bb3da preparations unfazed. At her e9dde7a299 slight nod, 92e5f7cae7 Eric, her 0cbce05061 ever-attentive aide, 03db046939 stepped forward. When she fd26ab0bd6 extended her d9195b3ff9 hand, he 11a98418c0 carefully slipped efca2def05 travel gloves 81e40b0410 onto her 4c1328bfb6 pale fingers.3275765511693c2c

Only after checking her ce92531cd6 reflection in the mirror fe43b994d7 did Eloine turn to 0fa4af0036 Heraith.fbf99850df528a99

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“Why would His f7915cf4a4 Majesty be searching 7658525b29 for his aide b2517fbfaf with me? Wasn’t he your e3d1340a4a cherished pet, always be10bbb2cf kept by your 2cc130a76d side?”8ecf0d7433cd1b63

Her words d8aca452a4 made Heraith’s 7fc44dde06 expression grow b60d32d925 even colder.9759139430a33c9b

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A flash fccbfb9cb0 of rage 4afa4d9cf5 burned behind 34a7ac510e his eyes, c857245b94 but Eloine 26e0dfa837 didn’t flinch. If anything, her fb8e9a2e63 lips curved in 1217c46a39 a smirk, as 82b2c645c4 though entertained by 0ef10d7b34 his reaction.06bb664b03dea3dc

“You’re demanding I c7e84f6cbc hand over your a7fe1afffd aide, who you c473e6fa03 claimed was ill 285c732b50 and in seclusion? Truly absurd.”6388c172afb7744e

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“…Luce mentioned Alosa.”461d10aa94a1953a

“And how does 8a166ea5cd that justify barging 46dfea83fa in here to d0d479a060 find him? Are you so easily 3d3cbee067 swayed by a mere 8df54bb06c mention?”f4bc039a907d0046

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“He doesn’t lie. If he said 619dcf47a9 something, it must c41001a66e be connected to b70b3966f0 you.”6c1ec5f6ca1577f1

“That’s all it takes df0d3ef02a for you to assume d0fa06d66f he’s here?”b973816b25490a1d

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At his 27cb4e748c words, Eloine e34967f7d2 let out 0dbfcd2d60 a sharp 0875f0b0f3 laugh—a blatant b95acf4479 sound of f8c613538a mockery. With a d8f687ee17 gesture, her 93499d4c0b maid approached 058a2dd64d to place 233abe2616 a hat 4c680dda2f atop her 38a43a7a28 head. Eloine gave an approving fe5e13ead8 nod at her reflection 66dde1d5e0 before speaking again.d4c98c37ad61479e

“You’re far too naive, b216b59691 Your Majesty. If simply mentioning 076eedbab4 someone brought them 7332a8f70b here, then how 36ce2ea73f many people in cc20d2cddc your palace would f366f2ddff he avoid or d3dc3a25b8 refuse to name?”07391d524410741a

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“…”31fe3d67329fe3bc

“Perhaps he did 085b44c2e4 it on purpose fe11d9dc6b to throw you 1eff3a7e4b off. Then again, 972ba3ff50 that’s not fb1f51069d like him. But if he did…”c8c857f2a423508f

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Eloine stepped 5597d5235b closer to 1c4df3210e Heraith, her c3fb044c8f brilliant smile 3f5355a303 as dazzling eaa7523d54 as it 8e1fee4b1f was taunting. Despite the Emperor’s 0cd87dcc6b towering presence, she 8cccab5082 didn’t falter.6a4da92573f149e3

“Could it be he’s e376835d3c trying to escape, Your 4349aa2c15 Majesty? Oh…!”5ab802e8edddd63b

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Feigning realization, she gasped fe5b8d1a44 softly.0d9d961d751ae103

“Did you, by ed24b7e41f any chance, do 5d1fb24731 something unforgivable to 755803d2c3 him?”6db09830258c817a

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“…!”22ba592770774c6a

Heraith’s face twisted. The composed c57f3f9c6f facade he be415dbc61 usually wore 3efd25819d was gone, d6e1fee226 replaced by 837670141b clear agitation. Seeing this, Eloine raised 0406c47176 her chin and turned 7e00e971c9 away.70522fbf047c3c99

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“Eric.”9dd5d09dbd7a154c

At her call, her 461a9e5bd0 aide stepped forward and c20cb95cd3 offered his hand. Eloine placed her 36a35072b3 hand in his, 9124a73bc9 and they started 804faeb1c2 to leave.799d2cb3bfac4f61

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“I should go 7bee6fe7cc before His Majesty f1664d505e makes any more 7588334f1a baseless accusations.”bdd83c48d62501cf

With a small bow, ceff231577 she added, “Let’s meet 5463f88a48 again, Your Majesty. Hopefully, you’ll be ed8d4f1df2 more rational next e5b66c969c time.”009cee127caf6318

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Without waiting for his 17e434c58e response, she turned and 844f2ac333 walked away.6ae942f0ce51524c

Heraith stood motionless, b3c44bb191 his face as 48932a9669 rigid as stone. Though she feared ec8a522d03 he might throw db9ffa9a43 a tantrum and 51ab771cb8 stop her, he b3fa13c5f6 didn’t.baa4f5cecea45d7a

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‘Good. At least 28f275c890 he’s letting 5d16351ea1 me go.’fe7ed5a00457fc67

Suppressing a sigh of 77e8b877c7 relief, Eloine brushed past fe6a599dec him. But what ba55ae62fd came next 2317d28606 was something d0d8d2cc4c she hadn’t 2038996ae3 anticipated.2d680a9ab9bc8114

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Just as Eric 169e41478d moved to follow 9cbde1ef9f her, Heraith seized 7b40bf9b5f his wrist.22d7db85983aaf8c

“What are you 4ddddc3989 doing?!”6567e3ff326e2dd4

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Eloine’s sharp 1607320cc7 voice rang 35d7f2087d out. Yet, surprisingly, 6464a59b9f Eric remained de7e035e34 calm, his c9e938ab6c expression neutral.5c3ebd0481b42932

Heraith scrutinized a784c9cf3f the man 0e6e18312d closely. Bright golden b6efe2c48d hair, piercing 4cde584ed9 blue eyes—a 334f26dba5 rather plain 21f9506821 face overall. He was a stranger. Compared to Lucian, this 04d37d0d9b man had coarser features. So why 81e3068e1b had Heraith 28cd7b97ca instinctively grabbed 6ceb62c7d7 him?b8586aca4cde8fb0

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“Your Majesty, f637ed1c81 this is 87f1041221 outrageous!” Eloine’s 534563fe8d indignation was 85edb3f8a1 palpable. “First, you insult 9b48e2d262 me, and now 1bbb11e74e you accost my 67e506c590 people?”275ef47f973a83b5

Heraith, still distracted 4660498c3c by the peculiar ca240bec44 urge that had 6e3b34c9ab driven him to 8a10255832 act, hesitated.3d02d87cc602676d

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“This matter 8764f98804 will not 202123c9ba go unaddressed. I will cd89dbc8b8 formally lodge 5eaaf51d5a a complaint 6bfc0bb979 with Pranas!”44e9ce5f283b68be

“I’m fine, Your Highness,” 38f851b017 Eric interjected, his calm e92499d892 voice cutting through the 0e9089f626 tension.65c3cfb4677c0c4d

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‘Ah…’f55799d936f390f5

At the sound of 6cb6e0bfe3 the man’s voice, Heraith c539cc44fb swallowed his frustration. It wasn’t c938715a4c Lucian’s voice—it 6975dee7b2 was rougher ceb0885d53 and deeper. That alone was enough 808831e8aa to confirm it wasn’t c47ac0be8a him.a382a9226ad5b3d4

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Heraith let go of 9b44731ee5 Eric’s wrist, suddenly weary. Eric stepped back bb7ddce9d1 and bowed deeply.2d4b3690af1b8cef

“If I’ve 92910bb477 done something 8b9730c296 to offend, 4e791ab826 please forgive 86043c6491 me, Your 2f086483de Majesty.”57719af37762803b

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His flawless demeanor a37a9bf439 only brought Lucian a7e9bc509c more vividly to 7b8d5f7a26 Heraith’s mind. But no matter cb721f159d how closely he 57583d0aab looked, there was 143009a76c no resemblance.35e65d2133d10d28

Glancing at the 21ec5f6fb5 ring on his b4cc1a6d8a own hand, Heraith 3ddc5653c2 checked for any 2397dcab70 trace of magic 95da3ca0dd but found none.86d4f91833a4c0e9

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‘Maybe it was 9255988824 just a coincidence.’277e404c8a6ba6e5

Though, on closer inspection, 13e702aa20 there wasn’t even enough c70d421149 resemblance to call it cbcecfe3f2 that.54cd71539035f2a2

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“I apologize 2adc59b00e for my 43394dc7ff rudeness, Princess.”5e11bd74361a3f0d

At his subdued 9ae4cf7a95 apology, Eloine frowned cc76563b12 before relaxing her e324149d64 expression.ac95fa2279212a5b

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“…I’ll let 7186ebfdd1 it slide 79954579ca this time. Whatever the issue is, a5e283de85 I hope you won’t cdbc227839 involve Alosa in your 7d1b6d54c1 imperial drama.”a0baef7978f2514f

With that, b37556f70c she turned 64d74f137e and departed.d44b53d1275dd913

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Eloine and her 87632c62fc entourage disappeared from ce0dbc6a4a view, leaving Heraith 8af6560ed6 standing alone, staring bbf14336a6 at their retreating ee0118408a figures with a 46cf0eb4ee hardened face.ed54e7a11410a140

And so, Princess 9de5e3556c Eloine of Alosa 364c8c1045 and her retinue 57f28270e2 officially left the af552fc7c9 Imperial Palace.7f287b4c58f7528c

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Despite Heraith’s 0711420972 lingering suspicions, 7f195b939b Lucian was d0c298cd8c nowhere to f9a73cdb89 be found. The royal carriage carried 85a983c56a only Eloine, her maid, 1e4474e5b8 and her aide, Eric, 4277b87a7b as it left the 5dc4bb64f8 palace gates.cb14ec41a0301050

Once the 905527cb40 carriage was 021b45e536 far from f7294fb94e the Imperial becd0d45cb Palace:cb39aab97a91514a

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“Phew, I thought 1b3081f9be I was going 972ad7bee5 to die back 67938c422b there.”e977234f1879b0ca

Eric, who e8af5347c9 had been 6ce32ce5a8 so composed 46bf53eb65 before the 21e32a6c1d Emperor, slumped 620f2b35a9 in his 8398c19c1b seat as 7d3df5d4ee the tension 30a5a7b12a left his 9b809a603e body. Though his behavior 6eb6a514a9 might have been 8d733cb31f improper, Eloine merely 8ada687582 laughed, her smile eb0251f169 radiant.467b2506798d93eb

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“Why the panic now? You handled yourself perfectly 9ec8fa1461 earlier.”801d48fe961d7154

“That was 42cd0e5721 pure survival 02a3aefc3e instinct! One wrong c766c26512 move, and 1e94247539 I’d have 099072fe7e been dead 0a0667b69f on the db09e34d4f spot. If not for ff4344e00f Lucian’s coaching, I cca99c75b6 wouldn’t have lasted 3585622737 a second in 5754b11d71 front of the e641ef949e Emperor. Never again, I swear.”f25409db86c006ee

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As Eric grumbled, Eloine 29bede60aa chuckled softly.7fc9d5cca1a4827e

“Well, for someone with 8d592bdb29 such a fragile heart, 7ca4bb49c5 you did exceptionally well a1b337f1d6 today. Flawless, even. Don’t you agree, Lucian?”da323732ec715415

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Her gaze shifted to e79197848a the quiet maid seated c30705fab3 nearby. At her words, the 2241ee8b36 maid lifted her head, dff8aa4790 revealing striking ice-blue eyes.8518146988fcb0c1

For a moment, the 5bcc770ddf maid’s face flickered, like 63d6a0fb3b an image distorted by 0777d1edd9 water. Then, like a 2b9c8a1f32 spell breaking, the add9b5e34c figure changed. Where the maid once 48b1a45d2e sat, a man wearing fc7b3ac3df the same attire as 6d55adedf4 Eric now appeared.2c13523ca1eb8960

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Lucian. The very man 0cc42080d3 the Emperor had 8fa5413286 been so desperate ac28072268 to find.60cce8f31bd7e7e2

Eloine smiled as 17c5162afe she studied him.e2cfa4ede856dc28

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“Hmm. A shame you didn’t 998ac28c21 stay in that disguise 61fc15e04d longer—it suited you.”cf71923aa13c77ef

“A clumsy disguise 3859cd406b would’ve been seen 1f751a2472 through immediately. This was the better 8a9fbf7f90 choice.”2a6851b01d37c55b

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“True, the Emperor is ec76093900 frighteningly perceptive.”73baa90b5a347736

If Eric 48d52912db hadn’t spent 5b16bed84d hours training 44e0d6485c under Lucian’s 7871f2fb45 meticulous instruction, f819261e4d he never 609c7b2c76 could have a9b6a66092 fooled Heraith. Though Eric 02bbd47636 had complained be720e959d about the 960e85163e ordeal, Eloine 4901b01e2a couldn’t have b920ab7aab been more 2e9f43d217 satisfied with 45a9b8f6cf the results.d1e6eaaa03292f9b

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“That artifact 8c9a49668d is remarkable,” 5d01696322 Eloine mused. “To change appearances so 7238c31748 seamlessly. I always f8bbb0b24e knew you 3df622d111 were handsome, f72cc6152b but you’d b766800a17 make quite 3b13614bd0 a stunning ed80e82d3a woman too.”a60725679173b280

“It’s thanks ebc2ad7860 to the 82da7cb967 Tower Master’s a3b7597771 expertise. The effect doesn’t last ef3eb9ac7b long, though.”353489cd7ee0ba76

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Lucian paused mid-sentence, 418441db1d suddenly lost in d42a96184a thought. With a sigh, 46bfff1470 he chuckled dryly.ac5a533e66cda164

“What’s on your mind?”41dd004f20274df7

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“Just that 62a6904731 I’m ridiculous. Even while f3ac176309 talking with 84feb1b6ef you, I bc963277c4 was wondering b03b5919be if this be344aae00 artifact could d1bf3c26c3 be mass-produced cabcfc1272 ethically and b27d09439f sold.”a6e848881e31174f

“Oh my.”42256389f76684fc

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Eloine laughed, her tone 22fd997782 light.4df41bee4947ae41

“You’re just like 25f101ceb2 your Emperor—an incurable beb6aac8e4 workaholic. Honestly, you 5f5c0d7d8e two suit c1a6030e38 each other 37a04b1636 so well.”5e0c08a8dbcab0ac

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“Please don’t say 4d76d1dd8a such horrifying things.”8a309c474379e08b

Lucian’s wry smile didn’t c988fd2155 mask the bitterness in 1b4cece47d his voice. Workaholic, huh? He couldn’t db24b78293 deny it. He had long ab7acdab5a since adapted his 5e0b73926e pace and habits 4ab8c7ed99 to match Heraith’s.25e0cdbf75e508ee

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But what did 9246d79887 it matter now? He would 29f348a1d5 never return 4dc135c9d1 to that 58f2d35037 man’s side.1eb2e34ff0d17b44

Lucian gazed out the 6252667152 window as unfamiliar scenery 529b540396 passed by. Soon, everything he 350819d038 saw would be 6cd50c264f entirely new.79aa95528f7bd3cf

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Somehow, it felt like 1a423d19fd a reflection of his fb665012f4 relationship with the Emperor—something f816e1edcb that had grown distant, 36c428dc87 familiar yet irretrievably foreign.36466d7d428224be

The bitterness lingered, sharp 75a35e5ee4 and aching.3576101ebb7eabae

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