PLQYM | Chapter 13

Before long, an odd rumor began circulating through the Imperial Palace.

They said the new Emperor’s personal aide had an uncanny knack for persuasion.

Specifically, the rumor claimed that, for some reason, the Emperor—who had been unusually sensitive as of late—would readily heed his aide’s words.

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“I’m telling you, that aide has a way of perfectly calming down His Majesty.”

“Really? Is that true?”

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The person spreading the rumor nodded in satisfaction at the astonished reaction of his listener. “You know Count Street? The one who messed up the road construction, forcing them to redo it within a year and wasting the national treasury? That Count.”

“Ah, the one who barely got pardoned by giving up half of his assets?”

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“Yeah, that man. Apparently, the other day, Count Street left His Majesty’s office in tears, but the aide managed to handle it all.”

“Oh, really?” The man leaned in, completely drawn into the story. “He looked pretty young.”

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“Yeah, I heard he’s not that old. Supposedly the youngest among the aides.”

“Then…could it be that His Majesty has… other intentions…?”

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“Oh, come on!” The man laughed, but there was still a hint of doubt in his expression. “Either way, thanks to him, it’s gotten easier for us. They say if there’s something hard to discuss with His Majesty, you can go through that aide.”

“Also, since he’s still young and doesn’t know much, they say he’s not that hard to deal with. It’s not that he’s particularly nice, but he seems to go along with requests fairly easily. If Chief Aide Yuli were around, nothing would get through.”

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“Hmm, not bad. Then, if there’s something tricky to tell His Majesty, I suppose we can just ask that aide.”

“I should try it myself.”

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The men chuckled, their laughter echoing through the corridor.

“Oh, so that’s the rumor going around?” Heraith scoffed at the head attendant’s words. “Is everyone here blind? What are they even looking at?”

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Granted, he had given them a reason to think so—partly out of sheer mischief toward Lucian.

He had suspected that approving the documents Lucian brought him last time would cause a stir. After all, once word got out that he was willing to listen to someone’s request, it was only a matter of time before people flocked to him, eyes shining with hope.

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He had anticipated that much.

What he hadn’t expected was how quickly people would start taking advantage of Lucian.

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“Ha, they think Luce is easy, huh?”

But he hadn’t expected such foolish remarks to spread this fast.

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Lucian was not the easy type, not by any measure. If anything, he was someone who knew how to use his slender, innocent appearance to his advantage. He listened to others without a hint of complaint but never backed down when it came to the Emperor. They probably didn’t realize that he had a far stronger heart than it appeared.

But did he go around boasting? Hardly.

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Lucian knew exactly where to draw the line. He’d mapped out the boundary that would upset the Emperor, and he never crossed it. He stopped just short of it—just close enough to be tolerable.

“A guy like that? No way he’s easy to handle.”

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Anyone who thought they could treat Lucian carelessly would certainly end up regretting it.

“As you know, Sir Lucian is quite beautiful. Maybe people just let their guard down when they look at his face.”

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“What? Who’s beautiful?” Heraith snorted reflexively, but he soon fell into thought.

He wouldn’t exactly call Lucian beautiful—but there was something about him that drew attention.

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Especially those ice-blue eyes, sharp and unrelenting, refusing to let go once they had you.

That deep, piercing gaze—what would it look like if that icy stare burned with passion?

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The mere thought of it stirred something inside Heraith, a heat curling in his chest, making him grit his teeth in frustration.

“I should replace all those ministers.”

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“Y–Your Majesty!”

The head attendant’s eyes widened at Heraith’s sudden outburst. But wisely, he didn’t say anything further, regaining his calm.

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“Why am I trying to lead the Empire with such unobservant fools? I should just get rid of them all.”

Heraith, looking displeased, lowered his gaze, fixing his stare on a single spot.

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Sure, he had given them a reason to look down on Lucian—but that didn’t mean he liked it. The thought of others underestimating him still didn’t sit well.

It wasn’t about whether Lucian could handle it or not.

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After all, if anyone was going to make things difficult for Lucian, it should be him—the one who owned him.

“Head Attendant.” After a long pause, Heraith finally spoke.

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“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Keep an eye on things for now. Report back to me in detail on anyone who dares to act foolishly.”

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“Yes, I’ll carry out your commands.” The head attendant bowed deeply and withdrew.

“Hmph. Of all people, they think they can mess with Luce?” Completely unaware of the fierce possessiveness in his voice, Heraith stood there, lost in thought.

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The palace affairs started to run more smoothly again—at least, that was how Lucian felt. Though he wasn’t particularly happy about the increasing stack of documents piling up in front of him. Once the rumor spread that any documents sent to the aides’ office would go through the proper channels, the ministers seemed to walk a little lighter.

“I’ll leave this with you. Please tell His Majesty we did our best.”

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“Ah, yes.”

“Thank you for your efforts, Sir Lucian.”

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Lucian watched blankly as the minister gave a polite bow and left in haste. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but gradually, documents started piling up on his desk instead of the other aides’.

“Wow, Sir Lucian, you’re quite popular.” Niels’ admiration sounded almost mocking.

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After finishing his morning work, Lucian leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. ‘Is he mocking me?’

Looking at the stack of papers on his desk, Lucian muttered in disbelief, “What about this is enviable?”

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He’d been working nonstop all morning, yet there was still a mountain left. Ever since handling Count Street’s situation, he had the distinct feeling more and more things were being passed onto him.

Surely, they were not all trying to freeload off a single act of kindness, right?

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Since starting in the palace, Lucian had learned all too well that good intentions rarely received goodwill in return. Somehow, he had a strong feeling that this time would be no different.

“Why are people like this?” He groaned. At this rate, he’d probably end up losing his temper.

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Lucian rose with a resigned sigh. He’d planned to finish work there for the day. He wanted to do more, but it simply wasn’t possible.

Soon enough, he’ll…

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“Luce, it’s time!”

Lucian’s thoughts were abruptly cut off.

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No sooner had he thought of him than the door swung open, and in walked the man himself—Joachim, the prince of Antien.

“It’s time for our afternoon date!” He strode in with an expensive-looking bouquet in one hand and his arms wide open, making his way confidently toward Lucian.

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“Your Highness Joachim.” Unlike the others who gaped in shock, Lucian stood and bowed politely.

“Here, a gift.” With a grin, Joachim handed him the bouquet. The brightly colored flowers emitted a strong fragrance.

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“…Thank you.”

“Pranas doesn’t have many Antien flowers, so it was tough to find these.”

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Awkwardly accepting the flowers, Lucian examined them. They did look different from the usual kinds, their colors more vibrant and intense. It seemed Joachim had indeed gone out of his way to find Antien flowers.

“I ordered only the most expensive ones. Do you like them?” Joachim asked with a gleaming smile.

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“Ah, yes… they’re beautiful.”

“Then why do you look like that?”

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“Like what?”

When he looked up, Joachim’s face was right in front of him. The other man’s green eyes were fixed on Lucian, studying his reaction.

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“Oh, well, it’s just… I’ve never received flowers before, so I was taken aback,” Lucian answered honestly. With someone like Joachim, any other response might just backfire.

“Oh, so in Pranas, they don’t give flowers to their dates?”

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“It’s not that, but it’s rare to give flowers to men.”

“What does gender have to do with it? It’s only natural to give something beautiful to someone beautiful.”

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“….”

This time, Lucian didn’t reply, simply staring at him.

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With that smooth, effortless smile of his, Joachim was the definition of a natural flirt.

“Now then, let’s get going.”

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“With this?”

“What’s the problem? Or do you want to leave it behind?”

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“I just think it’s a bit big to carry around…”

“Ah, then…” Joachim glanced around. Everyone in the aides’ office had paused to watch, their mouths agape as they gawked at the two.

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Scanning the room, Joachim finally nodded in Niels’ direction. “You there.”

“Y–Yes, Your Highness!”

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With a small gesture, Joachim called Niels over, who jumped to his feet. “Take care of this and make sure it’s placed nicely on Luce’s desk.”

“Ah, yes, sir. Certainly.”

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Joachim handed the bouquet to Niels, who blinked in confusion. Then he turned back to Lucian with that same radiant smile. “Now, let’s go on our date.” He extended his hand with a warm smile.