PLQYM | Chapter 1

“I’m quitting.”

“What?”

While leaning back against his chair, the man momentarily faltered from his relaxed posture. Though even that small shift seemed almost too graceful to be an accident.

Heraith looked at his aide in disbelief, almost questioning his own ears.

What did he just say?

Aware that the Emperor had froze and was staring daggers at him, the aide calmly repeated himself, “I’ll be resigning as of today.”

“…”

“I’ve already chosen a successor, completed the transition, and made sure everything is prepared so they can start from tomorrow. I’ve also given instructions to the other aides.”

“Lus, what did you just…”

“I’ve informed the head maid to take over the duty of waking you up every morning. From now on, it will be the head maid of the Imperial Palace, not me, who will handle that responsibility.”

“Lus, hold on. Am I hearing…wrong?”

“The chamberlain will be taking care of your cuffs, jewelry, and other personal clothing matters. This, too, has been passed on completely. And–”

“Enough!”

While he had ignored the Emperor’s interjections and continued on with his prepared speech, Lucian finally stopped when a roar erupted from the Emperor’s lips.

Silence stretched between them.

Lucian, who would usually react keenly to even the smallest expression on Heraith’s countenance, now acted as if he were a different person. Ignoring the Emperor’s intense gaze, Lucian calmly closed the document in his hand with a sharp snap.

With a composed face, showing not even a hint of tension, he looked at Heraith and continued, “All the necessary transitions are complete. Once you finalize this today, Your Majesty, my work will be done as well.”

“Lus!”

“Please sign here.”

Unmoved, cold, and formal, Lucian extended the file toward the Emperor.

Inside was his resignation letter.

The letter confirmed that Lucian’s words were not a joke.

“What are you doing right now?! Are you kidding me?”

Unable to contain his frustration, the Emperor chucked the file that Lucian had handed him on the floor. It spun, slid, and came to a stop at Lucian’s feet.

Lucian looked down at it for a moment, then bent down to pick it up and brush off the dust. Then, he calmly took out his resignation letter and tossed the empty file back onto the floor.

…Was it just Heraith’s imagination?

He felt as if the sound of the file hitting the marble floor echoed like the fall of a sword—loud and final.

Lucian ignored the file and focused solely on the Emperor before taking a step forward.

Step by step.

The sound of Lucian’s footsteps, heading toward his superior, seemed unusually loud.

When he finally stood before Heraith, he opened his mouth slowly. “Please make sure to include my severance with my last paycheck on the next payday. Surely, the great Empire of Pranas wouldn’t delay or withhold wages, would it?”

Faced with an unexpected force from his aide, Heraith found himself at a loss for words. He quickly composed himself and responded, “…Lus, let’s not go too far. If you stop now, I’ll overlook this as just a small outburst.”

“Does this look like a joke to you, Your Majesty?” Lucian responded with a faint smile.

Heraith was momentarily taken aback by the smile, his gaze captured by its unexpected charm. He realized, somewhat surprised, that Lucian was actually quite good-looking. He had always thought of him as neat and proper, but who knew he could smile like this?

With a soft expression, the aide pressed the resignation letter firmly against the Emperor’s chest with a noticeable thump, hard enough that Heraith instinctively took it.

“Since you’ve accepted it, I’ll take that as your approval of my resignation.” Lucian smiled again, a bit more brightly this time, and took a step back, bowing deeply. “Thank you for everything. I hope we never cross paths again.”

And with that, he turned and walked away.

“…Hey, Luce!”

Dumbfounded, the Emperor stood still before belatedly realizing the gravity of the situation. He jumped to his feet and called out to Lucian.

Lucian, who had just reached for the door handle, turned halfway back and looked at the Emperor with an unwavering gaze. For the first time, his usually calm blue eyes burned with an intense emotion. “It’s Lucian. Could you at least get my name right this last time?”

“Is that really what’s important…?”

“Actually, do you even know my full name?”

“…”

Heraith’s movements stopped; his mouth dropped slightly open, unable to respond.

Lucian smiled again, even more dazzlingly than before. “I thought as much, Heraith Yorun Kellenhan, Your Majesty.”

Reciting the Emperor’s full name with an air of satisfaction, Lucian turned ahead and walked out without looking back.

**

Lucian Astro, known by his nickname, Luce.

The legendary aide of the Emperor, famous for being a thorough workaholic with a rough personality, whose own work addiction surpassed even that of his demanding boss. He had always handled every task to absolute perfection.

Today, however, that same aide boldly tossed in his resignation and walked away from the Emperor’s presence.

“This–This is what really makes quitting worth it.”

With a lighthearted hum, Lucian murmured to himself, his voice unusually cheerful on this bright day.