PLQYM | Chapter 60

Lucian instinctively glanced around, a chill running down his spine. It felt as if an inexplicable curse born from deep resentment had brushed against him.

Could it be… Your Majesty…?

“Lucian.”

But his thoughts were abruptly interrupted. He turned toward the voice calling him. The person he had been waiting for was walking toward him.

“…!”

Lucian unconsciously held his breath.

They say even a faint resemblance can startle.

The approaching man’s hair color sent Lucian’s heart sinking.

The light brown hair, shimmering under the sunlight, momentarily appeared golden. It wasn’t the same shade at all, yet that fleeting gleam immediately reminded him of someone.

But that person’s hair wasn’t murky like this. His was the radiant color of the sun itself.

‘Ridiculous. Thinking of Your Majesty while looking at someone else?’

A dry laugh escaped him. Lucian quickly masked his thoughts, bowing respectfully as the man came closer.

“Prince Joachim.”

Joachim waved a hand, brushing off the formal greeting.

“No need for such tedious formality.”

He smiled warmly, his expression kind.

“I don’t think I’m late, am I?”

“No, Your Highness. You’re right on time.”

“Your letter surprised me. At first, I thought it must’ve been sent to me by mistake. I never expected you to ask for something like this.”

“If it’s too much of an imposition, you can refuse me now.”

“Oh no, not at all. How could I pass up a chance to inconvenience Heraith?”

Joachim’s response earned a faint, bitter smile from Lucian. Perhaps because they were friends, the two men bore a strange resemblance in certain ways—especially their shared penchant for taking delight in each other’s misfortunes.

‘What troublesome personalities.’

Lucian hadn’t wanted to involve Joachim if he could help it.

But to escape Heraith’s grasp and find a truly safe haven, there was no one better than Prince Joachim.

“For you to leave Heraith… He must be raising hell. Ah, it’s such a shame I can’t see his face right now.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. I’m doing this because it amuses me. I’ll make sure I don’t disappoint your expectations.”

“…I’m counting on you, then.”

“Hmm, but what’s bothering you?”

“Pardon?”

Lucian blinked, not understanding Joachim’s sudden question.

The prince reached out and brushed a finger over Lucian’s furrowed brow.

Caught off guard by the unexpected touch, Lucian stared at him in stunned silence, prompting Joachim to laugh heartily.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you make that face.”

“…That was uncalled for.”

Unable to swat away a royal’s hand, Lucian took a step back, his expression visibly annoyed.

Joachim smirked crookedly, clearly displeased by the reaction, though he quickly erased the expression and replaced it with his usual leisurely smile.

“Uncalled for? That was just my way of showing affection.”

“…”

Joachim’s playful tone earned a sharp glare from Lucian, which only made the prince laugh louder.

“Ah, now I see why Heraith keeps bothering you.”

“…If you’re going to spend time joking, I might need to explore other options. By now, Your Majesty must have realized and might already be on his way here.”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

Joachim brushed off Lucian’s words nonchalantly, but his actions suddenly became brisk. With a wave of his hand, several knights and two riderless horses emerged from nearby hiding spots.

“Do you want to travel by horse or by carriage?”

It was ridiculous to even ask when there wasn’t a carriage in sight, but Lucian answered dutifully.

“…By horse.”

“I thought so. This one’s fast and strong, so it should get you to Antien in no time.”

“Thank you.”

Joachim patted Lucian’s shoulder and led him toward one of the horses.

‘Huh?’

Something felt off.

Starting from where Joachim’s hand had touched his shoulder, a wave of unease crept through Lucian’s body.

‘What is this?’

He’d had physical contact with Heraith plenty of times before—not just kisses, but far more intimate touches. Yet he’d never felt this kind of discomfort, even before realizing his feelings for the Emperor.

In fact, the problem had always been his overreaction to Heraith’s seemingly meaningless touches.

While lost in thought, Lucian noticed someone whispering something into Joachim’s ear.

“Is that so?”

Joachim’s face stiffened briefly. He quickly handed the reins to Lucian and spoke.

“We’d better move quickly, Lucian. It seems the man behind all this chaos is already on his way.”

Lucian’s expression hardened. A swirl of complex emotions flashed across his face.

“How about it? If you go back now, I’ll let you. Heraith might forgive this as a momentary lapse.”

“No. I’ll continue to Your Highness’s country. Your Majesty won’t know I’ve sought your refuge yet.”

“Heraith won’t manage without you.”

“He’s more than capable of managing without me.”

“Are you so sure?”

Joachim smirked, his expression enigmatic, as he mounted his horse.

“For now, let’s just focus on getting far away from here. We can’t leave any traces for Heraith to follow.”

“…Understood.”

Lucian mounted his horse as well, realizing there was no other choice. The faster they left, the better.

As Lucian skillfully mounted and calmed the horse, Joachim swallowed a chuckle.

‘Even their aides are ridiculously competent.’

Despite being the Emperor’s aide, a position traditionally more intellectual, Lucian’s horsemanship rivaled that of a seasoned knight.

“It’s good to ride alongside you. Let’s work well together.”

Joachim grinned before spurring his horse forward.

Their group galloped toward a narrow mountain path, with the knights erasing their tracks as they went. The route diverged from the one Princess Eloine had taken earlier, veering toward the forest.

Heraith arrived in Coam less than thirty minutes later. He stopped at the very spot Lucian had stood just moments before.

“…”

Dismounting, Heraith’s gaze fell to the ground.

The area was a chaotic mix of carriage tracks and hoofprints.

After a long silence, he crouched down, brushing his fingers over the dry earth.

With no rain to soften the ground, the faint traces offered little concrete evidence. The shallow marks made it difficult to determine how long it had been since anyone had been there.

Eloine had traveled by carriage, which explained the abundance of hoofprints from her entourage.

But…

‘There are far too many hoofprints for just a royal procession.’

Most of the tracks led toward the mountains.

Coam wasn’t just a border town of Pranas; it was also the meeting point of the Great Empire of Pranas, Antien, and Alosa.

If Lucian had parted ways with Eloine here, determining his next destination would be crucial.

Logically, he would’ve gone to Alosa with the princess.

But crossing into Antien was equally plausible.

Heraith’s instincts screamed that the trail leading to Alosa was correct. Yet something about it felt… wrong.

He remounted his horse, now fully rested, and turned toward Antien.

“When in doubt, trust your instincts.”

With that, he spurred his horse into a gallop toward the forested mountain paths, following his gut.

Lucian, I’ll find you—no matter where you are.

About half a day’s ride into Antien, nestled in a tranquil forest, was Joachim’s villa.

The building stood proudly with its white limestone walls and red-tiled roof, exuding an understated grandeur.

When Joachim dismounted at the villa, a steward hurriedly approached him, bowing deeply.

“…What’s the matter?”

“P-Prince Joachim! W-We have… a guest.”

The steward’s unusual stammering made Joachim raise an eyebrow.

“Speak clearly. How else am I supposed to understand you?”

“A g-guest has arrived, Your Highness.”

“A guest?”

Joachim repeated, his tone a mix of surprise and mild annoyance.

At that moment, a familiar voice interrupted him.

“‘Guest’—what an extravagant word for it.”

Joachim let out a short sigh as he turned toward the source of the voice.

Striding confidently into the villa was none other than the Emperor of Pranas, Heraith.

“Heraith.”

Joachim spread his arms, forcing a strained smile, but Heraith ignored the gesture entirely.

“Where is he?”

The Emperor’s voice was colder than ice.