PLQYM | Chapter 29

“Thank you for earlier, Sir Nils.”

Lucian, seated with his plate of food, thanked Nils sincerely. Thanks to him, what could have been an incredibly unpleasant situation had been wrapped up neatly.

“Helping? What do you mean?”

Of course, the man himself didn’t seem to think he had done anything helpful.

Nils blinked innocently, clearly puzzled, and Lucian couldn’t help but laugh.

‘He really is a person who doesn’t think much.’

Still, that trait of his had been incredibly helpful to Lucian, to the point where it even seemed admirable.

“About when you brought up ‘favor’ earlier. You helped me out then.”

“Oh, that.”

Understanding dawned on Nils’s face as he nodded in realization.

“Well, I didn’t say it to help you. And I wasn’t wrong, was I?”

“…”

“Sir Lucian, you’re talented, which is why you’re favored.”

Ugh, there it was again—favor.

Even knowing the words were said without malice, hearing “favor” brought up so openly, especially when it was unwanted, was still grating. There was something about the casual tone that felt… off.

If the Emperor had said something like that, Lucian would have known it was a deliberate provocation and snapped back without hesitation. But coming from Nils, it only left him feeling awkward.

“It’s amazing, really. You handle so much more work than I do, Sir Lucian. That’s why you can assist His Majesty so closely. Honestly, no one else could do it. I mean, how do you manage all that work…?”

Nils’s awe was evident as he shook his head in disbelief.

Hearing this, Lucian couldn’t help but feel odd. It almost sounded like even others were acknowledging that his workload was excessive.

“Yes, I suppose there’s a lot of work…”

True, there was plenty of it. But how could he describe the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment he felt when he completed it? Especially when the Emperor, despite his efforts to hide it, would gaze at him with admiration.

‘…I’m such a masochist.’

Lucian let out a bitter chuckle, followed by a sigh.

Just as he was beginning to feel melancholic—

“Luce?”

A low voice near his ear made his heart drop.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

Nils Bowman shot to his feet in shock, and Lucian scrambled to follow suit.

“Stay seated. You’re eating.”

Heraith gently pressed Lucian’s shoulder, urging him back down. He then gestured to the others around them to sit as well.

At his signal, the other diners hesitantly returned to their seats.

Only then did Heraith remove his hand from Lucian’s shoulder and take the seat beside him.

As if appearing out of nowhere, an attendant arrived to serve the Emperor. Nils suddenly jumped up again.

“I’ve finished my meal already, so may I take my leave, Your Majesty?”

Sure enough, the plates in front of him were completely clean. Ignoring Lucian’s surprised expression, Nils bowed to the Emperor and quickly left, as if lingering would bring disaster.

‘So he does have a sense of timing sometimes.’

As the attendants swiftly cleared the table and stepped back, Heraith turned to Lucian and asked,

“How’s the food?”

Well, my appetite vanished the moment you showed up. I can’t taste a thing.

…is what Lucian wanted to say, but even he couldn’t bring himself to utter such words.

And to be fair, the food was delicious.

“It’s good.”

At Lucian’s response, a smile spread across Heraith’s face.

“Right? I went to great lengths to recruit them.”

“…What?”

“Boswell Border Count’s chef.”

“…Excuse me?”

“The one who cooked this. They were so stubborn I had to raise their salary and offer hefty bonuses to bring them here.”

Why was the Emperor suddenly talking about the new chef?

Lucian frowned slightly, looking at Heraith. The Emperor, for some reason, was watching him with an awkward smile that seemed tinged with… anticipation?

‘Does he want me to praise him? No way.’

The idea was so absurd Lucian chuckled.

Heraith interrupted his thoughts with another question.

“So? Your thoughts?”

“Oh… It’s delicious.”

“That’s all?”

What else do you expect? That’s plenty of praise.

Lucian, unsure what more to say, stared blankly at the Emperor. A small crease formed on Heraith’s forehead.

“And? No other comments?”

“The chef is very skilled.”

“…”

The crease deepened. In turn, Lucian’s own frown grew more pronounced.

“Your Majesty.”

“What?”

“Why are you doing this? People say not to disturb even dogs when they’re eating.”

“Dogs? What nonsense. And I’m not disturbing you; I’m just asking questions.”

“…”

Silence hung over the table.

Lucian’s frown deepened further as Heraith, still smiling awkwardly, exuded a faintly ominous air.

‘What is he planning?’

Lucian suddenly realized something.

Though the Emperor was smiling, he wasn’t truly smiling.

‘Could it be… is this for real?!’

Lucian’s instincts screamed at him. Annoying the Emperor now would lead to a serious headache.

‘But come on, he’s not a child.’

He didn’t think Heraith was the type to seek praise for something so trivial. But then again, “not likely” and “impossible” were two very different things when it came to the Emperor.

Weighing his options, Lucian forced a smile and responded.

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s exceptional consideration, everyone in the palace can now enjoy delightful meals. It is an honor beyond measure.”

He bowed slightly.

“Hmm…”

Heraith leaned back, the crease on his brow smoothing out slightly. Though he didn’t look entirely satisfied, he let it slide.

“Such a bore.”

“…Then why did you even do this in the first place? For no reason…”

“You’re a picky eater, aren’t you?”

“…Pardon?”

Lucian blinked, baffled.

“Or not? The Count of Astro mentioned you don’t eat much.”

“….”

What the hell has my father been saying?!

Lucian’s jaw dropped in disbelief as his face flushed slightly.

Heraith’s eyes sparkled at the fleeting blush, though Lucian, grinding his teeth in frustration at his father, failed to notice.

“In his eyes, everyone probably looks like they don’t eat enough. If he sees you, Your Majesty, he’ll likely have something to say to you too.”

“To me?”

“….”

Heraith smirked crookedly.

Oh, right. He’s the Emperor.

Watching Lucian’s increasingly contorted expression, Heraith chuckled softly.

“I arranged all this for you.”

“….”

“So eat plenty, Luce. A good meal helps you work better. I didn’t know what you’d like, so I had them prepare everything. Eat whatever you want.”

…Ha. Of course. There it was.

Lucian sighed quietly and glanced around.

He couldn’t deny it.

A beautifully constructed hall, softly playing music, and a wide array of dishes to choose from.

In the vicinity of the palace, nowhere else offered such high-quality meals. Lunch used to be a rushed affair, but now?

Even if the sentiment wasn’t genuine, being told “I did this for you” by the Emperor… Well, it was enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.

Not that anyone would believe such nonsense, of course.

Lucian cleared his throat and spoke.

“Please don’t waste unnecessary funds, Your Majesty.”

“It’s not wasted. I paid for this out of my own pocket. It’s a hobby.”

“A… hobby?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Heraith smiled warmly at Lucian.

“Anyway. What’s wrong with me spending my money to treat my aide to good food?”

What’s gotten into him today?

“If you don’t like it, I can always scrap it. Think of it as a little indulgence.”

“…No, it’s wonderful.”

Fine. I’ll give him a bit of praise.

Lucian looked at Heraith and said,

“The Dinner Hall has been incredibly well-received. The quality and taste of the food provide much-needed relief for those burdened by heavy workloads. In terms of productivity, it’s been a great success. Your Majesty’s decision was truly remarkable.”

“Quite eloquent.”

Heraith’s lips curled into a faint, painted smile.

He didn’t seem displeased by Lucian’s words.

“If you had allocated funds for it, everyone would have agreed. But to use your personal finances to hire a chef and build a hall—what a splendid investment.”

“And?”

“…Thank you again for the Dinner Hall.”

Lucian bowed his head.

“That’s it?”

“….”

Heraith tilted his head, as if expecting more.

“Hmm. It’s lacking. Shouldn’t you personally express more gratitude to me?”

“Your Majesty.”

This was ridiculous.

Forcing a smile, Lucian suggested,

“Perhaps we should return to the office? This isn’t the most private place for a conversation.”

The last thing he needed was for rumors to spread about whatever nonsense was going on here.

“Alright.”

Heraith finally relented, his face lighting up with satisfaction.

“Let’s take a look at your new quarters. Might as well see how you’ve settled in.”

His radiant smile clearly showed he’d finally gotten what he wanted.