PLQYM | Chapter 8

A strange rumor started circulating in the Imperial Palace.

“Did you hear? That rumor.”

“What rumor?”

“You know, about His Majesty’s…”

“Ohhh, that aide. Looks really young, doesn’t he?”

“He is, but apparently, his work ethic is something else.”

“I heard Sir Belden tried to mess with him last time and ended up paying for it.”

“Oh, the way you say things is so misleading.”

“What’s misleading? You mean, the ‘messing with him’ part? Well, looking at that pure face, it’s understandable that people get… ideas.”

“…”

“Does His Majesty choose his aides based on their looks?”

“With His Majesty’s own appearance, do you think just anyone would meet his standards? And would he hire someone for something trivial like that?”

“True enough.”

“Anyway, it seems like he’s been able to hold his own beside His Majesty for a while now. How long has it been?”

“A while? It’s been almost three months already.”

“Already? Looks like this one’s going to last.”

“Wanna bet on how long he’ll stick around?”

“Maybe this one’s different.”

“Are we betting or what?”

“Fine. I’ll…”

And so the rumor spread from person to person.

The Emperor had taken a personal aide.

And that aide… was there to bear the Emperor’s temper in everyone’s place.

“Luce! Aren’t you coming faster? Are you crawling over here?”

The Emperor’s booming voice echoed all the way to the outer chamber, making Lucian double his pace. A voice that should have been discreet in the inner chamber was loud enough to fill the palace halls.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t the sound from the palace chambers echoing too far? Soon, even the conversations from the audience hall might be heard outside.’

Without realizing the particular volume of the Emperor’s voice, Lucian dashed off, resolving to have a serious talk about reinforcing soundproofing within the palace.

By the time he reached the inner chamber, the Emperor was still in the middle of changing.

“What were you doing that you’re only getting here now? I sent for you ages ago.”

“It’s been exactly 3 minutes and 45 seconds. For reference, it takes about 5 minutes to walk from your study to here, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor raised an eyebrow in response.

He stared at Lucian intently for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.

“You timed it?”

“Yes, for efficiency.”

“Efficiency, huh.”

“…”

Yes, efficiency. Or rather, it was Lucian’s desperate attempt to leave no chance for the Emperor to nitpick at him.

As promised, Heraith called for Lucian frequently. Initially, he’d pretended to adjust the time Lucian had to be by his side, as the young aide had requested some time to mentally prepare himself. But pretending was all it was. The Emperor relentlessly summoned Lucian, almost as soon as he turned his back.

Of course, many of the calls were for important matters, but just as often, they were trivial—like right now.

“What do you think of this?”

Heraith held up a bright yellow shirt, showing it to Lucian.

“…Are you asking me that sincerely?”

What he really wanted to say was, Did you call me over so urgently just to ask about that? But something even more absurd caught Lucian’s attention.

The shirt in Heraith’s hands was a glaring shade of yellow.

“Yes, this one.”

…A blonde man in a yellow shirt?

Surely that color should look tacky and make him look washed out. But why did it look so good on him?

Whoever said a good face is the key to fashion must have been thinking of this exact moment.

Heraith’s handsome face didn’t just carry the yellow shirt well; if anything, it made the shirt shine even brighter.

“Since Your Majesty is wearing it, it is truly…”

“You mean it looks good, right? Of course, with this face and body, anything would look good.”

“…”

Then why did you even ask?

Ugh, if only he wouldn’t make such comments.

Lucian clicked his tongue inwardly.

It seemed that one of Heraith’s special talents was to ruin the mood by adding an unnecessary comment at just the wrong moment.

“What, it’s not pretty?”

“…Did you just say pretty?”

Is “pretty” even a word to use here? But…

Soft, silky hair that seemed like it’d slip right through your fingers.

Hazel eyes with an intriguing hue.

Long lashes framing those eyes tenderly.

A sharp nose above coolly shaped lips.

He was undoubtedly handsome, yet somehow… pretty. Actually, beautiful might be a more fitting word.

“Your Majesty, you’re not so much pretty as you are… beautiful.”

Lucian wasn’t the only one startled by the words that slipped out; Heraith, too, looked briefly taken aback.

Sigh, what’s wrong with me these days?

Although he sighed internally, thanks to the past few months of working together, Lucian managed to keep a straight face.

“Hmph, bold of you.”

And for some reason, Heraith seemed to be quite pleased by the comment. He let out a sly smile, out of Lucian’s sight, and turned around.

“Well, make sure to keep up today. Don’t get distracted by anything else.”

“…I haven’t heard anything about any visitors today.”

“Oh, it’s a last-minute visit. But that guy always pops up like this.”

Whoever it was, Heraith didn’t seem pleased about it, as he grumbled sincerely.

Lucian found it curious to see the Emperor reacting this way; he’d never seen it before.

And the “don’t get distracted” bit?

What on earth is happening?

Though Lucian tilted his head in confusion, Heraith didn’t offer any explanation. Instead, he just gave him a playful tap on the head, as if amused by the curiosity evident on his aide’s face.

The Emperor led Lucian to the “Room of Spring.”

The Room of Spring was reserved for close friends of the Emperor when they visited Pranas. Though it wasn’t particularly large, it was delicately decorated with floral motifs, giving it a cozy and warm atmosphere—true to its name.

When the two arrived, a man was already seated comfortably, waiting. Even at a glance, the man exuded an aura of noble birth. Different from the Emperor, but he carried a similarly refined and imposing presence.

When the Emperor entered with Lucian in tow, the man rose from his seat.

“Heraith!”

“Yoachim.”

The two greeted each other warmly.

“Man, how long has it been since you last visited?”

“Let’s see… It’s been over three years, hasn’t it?”

“Already? That long?”

The two continued to exchange updates on each other’s lives for a while.

“By the way…”

It was only after the palace maid had set down refreshments and left that the atmosphere between them started to shift.

“What brings you here, Yoachim?”

“You must’ve already guessed.”

At Heraith’s question, Yoachim crossed his arms, a smirk on his face.

Though he was smiling, his gaze had grown colder than before.

“Oh, how would I know your intentions?”

“Oh, really?”

The two bantered smoothly, neither one an easy target.

At least, that’s what it looked like to Lucian.

The man known as Yoachim had a different shade of blond hair than the Emperor. Well, if Heraith’s hair was a bright, clear gold, Yoachim’s was a light brown that appeared almost blond in the right light.

With near-blond hair and green eyes.

And the name, Yoachim…

Could he be Yoachim Teron Antien, the prince of Antien?!

Standing by the door and listening in, Lucian held his breath. Yoachim was the younger brother of the King of Antien, and, with the king lacking an heir, the next in line to inherit the throne.

“Our ambassador handled matters so masterfully that my brother was rather shocked and insisted I come personally to check things out.”

“Ah.”

Heraith nodded, as if he’d just remembered.

“A very conscientious individual, concerned for the Empire’s future.”

“Haha, I thought so myself.”

Though Yoachim laughed pleasantly, he didn’t let up.

“Even someone like me, who doesn’t care much for this sort of thing, thought it seemed a bit disadvantageous for us. Besides, my dear friend His Majesty has quite the knack for taking people by surprise, so I had no choice but to visit out of concern for my brother.”

“Were you two such close brothers?”

Heraith leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a lazy expression.

With one leg crossed over the other and his head tilted to the side, he looked ready to get under his friend’s skin.

But it seemed Yoachim was used to it, as he was unfazed by Heraith’s demeanor.

After all, he’d probably been fooled by that handsome face more than once.

“Since I’m here, I might as well stay a while to see if this treaty needs to be as it is—using that as an excuse to hang around and enjoy myself.”

“Aha.”

Heraith grinned, straightening up.

“Well, feel free to stay as long as you want, investigate whatever you need.”

“Oh, so there’s nothing to hide?”

“Of course not. The ambassador with full authority from your king and I came to the most efficient arrangement for both parties’ benefit.”

“My brother seems to disagree.”

“It’s not your king’s thoughts, but yours, isn’t it, Yoachim? You’ve always been rather… ambitious.”

“Me? Come on, you know I hate these sorts of things. I’ll just pretend to inspect and enjoy my time here.”

“…”

Heraith shrugged in response.

“Feel free to look around and enjoy, Your Highness.”

“Oh, I will. Speaking of which…”

He flashed a smile.

“I’d like someone to show me around.”

“Someone to show you around?”

For the first time, Heraith’s brow twitched.

Yoachim’s face was smirking, and it gave Heraith an uncomfortable feeling.

“Yes, someone who can help me find my way around or entertain me while I’m here.”

“…”

It wasn’t unreasonable. He’d intended to assign an attendant to Yoachim at the right time, to serve as both a guide and a discreet watchdog.

But the prince didn’t seem to want just any attendant.

He smiled knowingly at Heraith’s slight frown.

“That’s why, I’d like him.”

He pointed to a spot in the Room of Spring.

Huh? Me?

He was pointing directly at Lucian, who was standing there with an expression that attempted to hide his shock.