PLQYM | Chapter 12

Arriving in front of the Emperor’s office, Lucian froze in place without realizing it. The sight before him was beyond comprehension.

‘What are all these people doing?’

In front of the office, various officials and ministers of the palace stood in a line, their faces grim with seriousness.

What on earth was going on?

It was clear that they were all waiting to get approvals, but…

‘Why are they waiting out here like this?’

The Emperor’s office was divided into two sections: one where his aides worked and another where the Emperor handled his duties. It was no exaggeration to say that all significant matters of the Empire were brought here for approval.

Of course, the Emperor didn’t oversee everything personally. For efficiency, the aides sorted the documents needing approval, separating what the Emperor had to review himself or not. The Chief of Staff would then organize the initial sorting and send tasks to each department, leaving only the truly important matters for the Emperor.

In the Empire of Pranas, the Chief of Staff was incredibly significant and not a position just anyone could assume. However, the Chief of Staff was currently away on a mission, leaving the aides with an increasing load of responsibilities.

‘Even so, things have never been this chaotic before. What’s going on?’

Just then, the office door creaked open, drawing everyone’s attention. The murmuring and whispers quickly died down.

As if the air itself had been suppressed, Lucian could hear someone gulp, the sound filling the silence. The door opened wider, and a man with his head hanging low shuffled out, his steps heavy.

‘Is that…?’

It was Count Street, who had recently been appointed Minister of Construction.

Though not the youngest, he was in his early forties and recognized for his competence in such a crucial role. The Emperor had seemed particularly fond of him.

“You’re back safely, Count!”

“Count Street! Are you alright? Nothing happened, did it?”

“Are you unharmed?”

As though they’d been waiting, people rushed toward him, bombarding him with questions. Amid the clamor, the Count, who had been silently hanging his head, began to tremble, his shoulders shaking subtly.

As if that was the signal, a collective gasp escaped from the crowd.

Thick droplets of water started falling on the floor beneath the Count.

At that, people’s faces turned ghostly pale.

Tears began welling up in the eyes of those around him, and soon, there were even people openly weeping like the Count himself.

‘What on earth is happening here?’

Lucian had no idea how to interpret this bizarre scene. It would be nice if someone could explain why everyone was acting like this.

“Lucian,” someone called his name. It was Nils Bowman, a fellow aide.

“Nils, what’s going on here?”

Throwing a quick glance at the mournful crowd, Nils quickly pulled Lucian inside the office.

After firmly closing the door, he let out a huge sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off his brow.

“What’s going on?” Lucian asked, his voice slightly louder than before.

“His Majesty is in an awful mood.”

“Ah…”

He had been like that lately, but why all of a sudden?

Lucian nodded without thinking, his curiosity piqued. “But what does His Majesty’s mood have to do with those people outside?”

“Well, with the Chief of Staff absent, we’ve been sorting the documents for approval and only bringing urgent matters to His Majesty, haven’t we?”

That was true.

Lucian nodded as Nils continued explaining, “But today, His Majesty suddenly ordered that the person who drafted each document personally come to get it approved.”

“What? In person?”

What kind of absurd order was that? Lucian barely contained his surprise, his face twitching involuntarily.

Thankfully, Nils didn’t seem to notice and continued on, “And so, one by one, they each go in and get thoroughly chewed out.”

“By His Majesty?”

“Yes, by His Majesty.”

“…”

“He’s grilling them with questions on every single detail about the approval items.”

Nils clicked his tongue, saying the stress was almost too much to watch.

Lucian didn’t even know how to respond.

‘If there’s anyone who fits the saying, “If he does something, he’ll see it through to the bitter end,” it’s Emperor Heraith.’

Lucian had experienced this first hand more than once. If the Emperor was handling these ministers the way he’d handled Lucian, or worse, the mental strain on them must have been significant.

“When did this start? When I left, everything seemed fine.”

Nils let out a heavy sigh. “It’s actually been a few days.”

“What?”

“His mood’s been on edge for several days, but today, after you went to meet His Highness the Prince, he’s been even more severe.”

“Ah…” Lucian glanced at the firmly closed door to the Emperor’s office.

It might just be his imagination, but he felt uneasy, as if everyone outside was suffering because of him.

Sigh… He knew it was probably just misplaced sympathy.

Finally, Lucian let out a long sigh and headed towards the door.

“Uh, Lucian? What are you doing?” He heard Nils call from behind, but Lucian didn’t respond. He opened the office door and stepped out.

The murmuring crowd fell silent as all eyes turned to Lucian.

He glanced at them briefly and spoke in a quiet voice, “Are there a lot of proposals that need approval?”

I’m definitely digging my own grave here. Yes, definitely.

With that sinking feeling, Lucian resigned himself to his fate.

* * *

“I’ve returned.” Lucian bowed and announced his arrival to Heraith.

The Emperor, who’d been leaning back in his chair, and was quite absorbed in his own thoughts, suddenly froze. He looked up at Lucian with surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to hear that voice.

“…Why are you here?”

“I finished my external duties and returned, so here I am.”

“Today… You didn’t go?”

“I did. I’m back.”

“…Then why are you here again instead of going home?”

“Nothing more for me to do there, so I came back early. Why linger around when there’s work to be done? Besides, I have unfinished tasks from today.” Lucian calmly met Heraith’s gaze, his tone as composed as ever.

Heraith’s gaze, however, remained cold and sharply observant.

‘Right, with that stare as he pries into every detail, it’s no wonder no one can withstand it.’

The Emperor, who had been scrutinizing Lucian with an unreadable expression, finally stood up.

Lucian watched him approach, finding the newly adjusted eye level slightly unfamiliar.

Heraith stopped just within arm’s reach and stared down at him with an intense gaze. “When are you heading back to meet him tomorrow?”

“His Highness asked me to come early.”

Not that he had any obligation to follow through.

Recalling the events at the palace earlier, Lucian frowned slightly. Even if the other party was a dignitary, it wasn’t necessary to accommodate his whims.

“…”

Heraith waited in silence, as if expecting Lucian to continue.

It was rare for Heraith to show such restraint, but his young aide didn’t seem to notice.

Oblivious, Lucian weighed his options but ultimately found himself most comfortable with his role by Heraith’s side.

‘I hope he tells me I don’t have to go tomorrow.’

Smiling a bit without realizing it, Lucian replied, “I don’t see much purpose in assisting His Highness the Prince. I have my own work to do. I am rather busy myself.”

“…Is that so?”

Was it just him, or did Heraith’s voice sound oddly bright?

Puzzled, Lucian looked up to see that the Emperor’s expression was as stoic as ever.

Well, maybe his mouth or expression had softened a bit.

“By the way, what’s that you’re holding?”

“Oh, this.” Lucian placed the pile he had been carrying onto Heraith’s desk. “These are approval documents.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve done the initial sorting according to priority, as usual.”

“…”

Heraith’s eyebrows twitched, but he remained silent, listening as Lucian continued,“If Sir Yuli were here, he’d have done a more thorough job in three steps, but with our current manpower, this is the best I could do…”

“But why did you bring them?”

“Since Your Majesty rejected them all, I thought I’d bring them back after a quick review. I’m sure you didn’t overlook anything.”

“…”

Lucian looked at Heraith with an innocent expression, as if confirming his own logic.

‘Is he just pretending to be naive, or is he truly unaware of palace life’s subtle nuances?’

Heraith’s lips twitched upward. Playing along for now didn’t seem like a bad idea.

Undoubtedly, he wouldn’t be the only one eager to take advantage of Lucian’s sincerity. How would this young man react when he finally understood?

Heraith chuckled softly as he returned to his seat.

Deciding that indulging his aide’s words for now wouldn’t hurt, he sat back and relaxed. “I’ll give them a look. This time, I’ll reexamine them especially for you, so go ahead and take all the credit.”

“…Pardon?” Lucian tilted his head in confusion at the Emperor’s cryptic words.

Amused by the aide’s innocence, Heraith’s mischievous smile deepened.

‘It’ll be fun if he comes back in tears.’

When that time came, he’d comfort him with, “Didn’t I warn you?”