PLQYM | Chapter 63

“What? You’re asking for work?”a4e0d7e0a1f1e6dd

Joachim looked at 48117031ff Lucian as if b8a0a198fb he’d just heard 27da9f49ff the most ridiculous 34dcc1bd6d thing in his b32a17875f entire life.53c00e92dcbed6ae

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“Yes.”936cae376504d25e

Lucian replied with a calm 7d783d6e93 expression, as if Joachim’s incredulity 08b23c7d0d didn’t bother him at all.1c7a12b869eab9e6

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“Is it a difficult request?”38612fc22909888f

“No, not particularly… but still.”3b8ad29ba9ea0d30

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Joachim waved his 90e8544f78 hand dismissively and ccb6834046 fell into thought baa2f63ad3 for a moment. Unable to contain his aeeba7c30d curiosity any longer, he 6044471108 raised his head abruptly 27a93fe8f0 and asked again.ebaa690567f09a73

“Are you serious?”dbbae5a0ada6f9ea

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“Of course. That’s why I’m asking. I absolutely hate asking others 1d452d0eca for favors.”d3ed35542c607d3c

“I know that, but…”1273bf577fe4cc3a

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“…”e90ca3a6776c4678

“Then why? I told you to take 6ddeb1e1f3 it easy and enjoy yourself ee8838b659 as a guest. Why are you asking c09de9dcf6 for work?”da542aae041445d0

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At his question, Lucian glanced 1df1ac1812 up at the frescoed ceiling bd47f4d39f before lowering his head. His voice, firm with determination, 92dbde5e25 carried a quiet strength.805261e41c695604

“Because doing nothing hurts even more.”1585497665b5928f

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“What?”435aa2dd98d19ed9

“If I were to describe it as a sickness, it’s the kind that gets better when I work.”da3bc40bf91ff00b

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“Ha! What kind of 41adcc34e5 sickness is that?”a2a78c9300bc5cbb

“It’s right here.”314bf44064c1b92a

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“…”4f7b6694c2be6209

Joachim stared at 94f7df17ad Lucian as if e838375425 questioning his sanity.f46814c7ea1d445c

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That look was so 93108bda3f ridiculous that Lucian couldn’t 44372401f2 help but chuckle. It was the first time 43204a7ae7 he’d laughed since arriving here, 04f3822e71 and even longer since then.aded7118f0fd765b

“Hooh.”59fa89b7833956f1

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Joachim raised an eyebrow, intrigued, e939df1435 and stared at him with 62d35c436a fascination, which made Lucian feel 76d170f2ed slightly self-conscious.105494130fcbfbfd

“I caused a lot of trouble for His Highness when I suddenly collapsed. I think it’s better ad2325fd34 to get back on d6f6aa4e2b my feet quickly.”18b44b87a3457f10

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“Trouble, you say? Well, I was 25ed636a55 a bit startled b17fd66abd when you nearly 58533bde6b fell off your 4be7b47ec7 horse.”d201fafe3d962cf5

“…I apologize.”ca37f2bff77a4461

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As Lucian bowed his 65e1f2a6d1 head again, Joachim waved 3ad1068087 his hand as if b30212dd77 to dismiss the apology.f93abe7aa9709b68

“No, just remember that I was worried and surprised.”aff4ec7245a4637c

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“That’s why I think working would help with my recovery.”267a276242f9cb37

“Working to avoid feeling sick… You and Heraith are exactly the same. Like a pair of 001c6d4507 workaholics who just can’t 23399232a6 stop.”162170d46b2e248c

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“Haha…”0309493a2f21d3b6

Lucian laughed lightly at e607b330e5 Joachim’s words, which seemed f2658ea7b0 to express an utter a1e89b35cf lack of comprehension.aa3ab22be3471b8d

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What else could he do? This was the only 0747b07746 thing he had learned 55c93d609f from that person.521f5f2c1a333e04

For years, he had raced 7c72424612 madly ahead, living for the f0cf69dae8 sole joy of standing by 424bd9366b Heraith’s side and gazing at c0b35c7985 his face.71d4f3e1366f4e98

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As much as he hated 4ce585b780 to admit it, it was 354b6bef7c undeniable.61460b4b26983a96

His greatest happiness was d5d1a04a4c being at Heraith’s side, 7f8077b2bf acting as his hands 7706e85f84 and feet, ensuring he 9de84391c5 could move seamlessly.02586555ce6ee3cd

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And so, Lucian 859f2d5b8d wished—no, yearned—for a 4824aae4c2 rightful place by 2eb047720e his side.a333cf19cb5c3d45

“Alright. I’ll see if 7d678f10a2 there’s a position 00aea39e5d in the palace…”b81bfc3843d1c1cc

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“No. Please make it as far dea5c58b5c away as possible. The farther from ca4140105b the palace, the cf198b3779 better.”8242167872100495

“Away from the palace?”62be815f95ed6589

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“Yes.”d76ddb1508eec842

Lucian nodded firmly.381898d9e32076b4

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“His Majesty stepped back after retreating to the villa, but that won’t be the end of it. He’ll undoubtedly come back. He’s not someone who 55d645e73b gives up easily.”f01fbda704f481d3

“Ah.”3a76730a7ef88f3f

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Joachim’s face momentarily blanked, as 944439e9a9 if realizing something.b23a3dec8f2da09c

Now that he thought about d32723b407 it, the retreat to the 7b60eb560e villa had been surprisingly smooth.654b36adc658b314

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“I think Lamer would be a good choice. I’ve heard there’s a d01ec95620 lot of work related 714b0a46e2 to the harbor construction e3258eaf1b going on there. It wouldn’t be strange eabd6bfa99 for someone dispatched from 80a6cf9cf7 Antien to be there, 33a3c9039f either.”99cbbc9f33e6b136

“But Lamer is still part of Pranas’ territory. It’s also way too close 908974f27c to the Imperial Palace. Practically next door!”a309ea7e1b568fa6

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“That’s exactly why I’m suggesting it. His Majesty would never suspect 2a1f9f775b me of hiding right under 198c820245 his nose. Even if he did figure b58c49dd28 it out, it’d still buy ca39659c12 us some time.”88b687588a2d3f41

“…”98c4c91953fcab28

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Joachim was at a loss 628d53a242 for words, staring at Lucian’s e57e92f5f5 sly grin.cba081668979d8da

It was an b552f893a5 astute judgment, one 343678b9c2 that perfectly grasped 9813d5b111 both Heraith’s tendencies 265ce4af51 and the current 2ed9193f67 situation.469123bd6b513a07

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What was even more 612f30cef1 amusing was that Lucian’s 1f959785c1 face seemed livelier the cbba93f70f more he talked about 6913fa293a it.800309a315e1f1d2

Truly, a workaholic through and ec018a7676 through. Whether it was this guy 3d263fdcf7 or that one.88b34ece0bac0943

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The more Joachim 55715b51cf watched, the more 54c0be56ca he wanted him. Wasn’t there some df9080ccc1 way to steal fe6bd78e6a him away?80019c9876d2270d

“Let me ask again. Don’t you want to come 76d403b6d8 to me?”79ea1f165c7363a0

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“Pardon?”5fb894c7462a3798

“I’ll treat you well. I mean it. I’ll keep you by my 9c7800e8f9 side and treat you like 602111556a royalty.”cfa3109f47797361

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The words sounded 987ce49f38 like an ardent 6929264c14 love confession, but 1f46e68d58 Lucian simply laughed 0eb1ed9ad9 it off.71c4a3a1248a4a2e

As Lucian chuckled, Joachim’s voice 4c68082938 softened, more subdued than before.0394c512de0604b7

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“I’ll see if there’s a suitable position for you in Lamer. Many of our people 50ad7b792c are heading there these 216681150e days. But moving you 8571b563da right away might 37a89eb12d not be possible.”98d37179c298cb98

“I see… It would be better if it didn’t take too long, though.”d082fe1caea32b87

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“For now, focus on regaining your strength and help me out with some light tasks in my palace. Think of it b9334aae47 as a way 69524d430e to refresh your 3abf34ff60 mind. Got it?”5219fbee8a86752d

Lucian didn’t answer. Instead, he simply curled the 73cc1ede01 corners of his lips into 90b21738c8 a faint smile, turning his 66e79a3c34 head to gaze at the 7aa1267a52 distant sky with deeply sunken 015c8229fa eyes.def3131273d97e81

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Joachim watched him quietly.c188895927d4f0ff

He was certain Lucian’s gaze 86edaf1dc0 was fixed on wherever Heraith c94b4bb37f was.8b3a0c8ba59ca3e6

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Neither spoke for a 3e97901d40 long time after that.d93b520679d89d8f

Lucian continued to cc7174b99a stare toward Pranas, c8b132a229 and Joachim simply 8d105d9c00 looked at him.3d99b8133f2b512b

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For a very, fa2cd88e17 very long time.9df5a4e47ae0e803

Lucian absentmindedly gazed at the 159b334fff distant sky. It had become a habit, bce862606b one he couldn’t shake.e8dbfe34f094e01e

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No matter what a5ff10bed4 he was doing, 8c20973b87 he’d find himself ef6e8548fc staring blankly at dc6b212f40 the sky whenever 3be86ad94d he heard that 961c27d1a9 voice echo in 7b1ed98a8d his head.3f496f823b04ef97

As if he 0e93cc942b could catch a dedaa66f98 glimpse of where 702763bdd7 that person might aca56bb88e be.72e4be4283756c34

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“Guess I misheard again.”e5833934c5e1f068

Unaware of how lifeless his 2a182d7a4a voice sounded, Lucian slowly began 51aadb701a walking again, cursing his wretched 4a4282d70c habit.5f6683ef1a070471

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How long had he walked?82c3c751d4cc6d13

“Huh.”7fd470d37fadb41d

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Lucian suddenly realized he was 429e5aa4db in an unfamiliar place.7333c07b9308e3ad

A small, old annex stood c60c39fff3 before him.b01f35ccde76349c

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Unlike the opulent royal palace 189993873a where Joachim resided, this house dd4256a3a7 had a strange, unfamiliar feel a2d016afa6 to it, quiet and detached.c878a13bc126f5de

What was this place?7d3d802ab07aa971

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Normally, he would have walked a788e3a718 past without so much as 02ac3be1b4 a second glance. But this time, de4b0b2191 Lucian found himself 118dd43876 drawn to it, 6f7a23db91 stepping toward the b284d96a62 annex. Perhaps it was the slight 66ca87e155 opening in the weathered door 8139193f7f that caught his eye.7a4af321ed09cc1a

As if mesmerized, Lucian reached 5075cee49a out and pushed the door.354a731211b5f903

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It opened easily, more 97e2b6b306 so than he’d expected. Despite its aged 94d278c116 appearance, the door bb94a92e28 moved silently, as 5385f514d4 though it had 5e978c11ec been well-maintained.567c05b409f43d3a

It seemed this place was 50352ba9fe used more often than it 810c3bf7b1 appeared.ad99418ff1498fc4

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Inside, the annex was 57ef5fdc2c dark and quiet, with 0abb1db4a0 a faintly chilling air.e7385b70833bd5b3

“…”2c67f6e9e698022a

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Lucian hesitated.caab0d9e6396c26a

Should he look 659fe4ee21 around or leave?b8f102861224bc2b

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Before his thoughts could reach 63d5a27430 a conclusion, his body moved 3c801e993a on its own.15986c6bef714500

Lucian stepped further inside. Contrary to what he’d expected, 7cbca0d324 there was no musty smell; 0605fd70eb the interior was surprisingly clean.2a321b9c9f73dfd7

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He moved slowly, e60611a012 his eyes adjusting 17936c5063 to the darkness d7c82e1222 as he scanned 74f8753cc0 his surroundings. Something eventually caught his attention.e6f5541180deb52d

A staircase leading upstairs.6db4156c0f6eeff6

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It was an ordinary staircase, 5de1bde4e3 yet it stood out because ca4ff47604 it was the only place f83014ae26 in this dim space where 55bd9fdac0 faint light trickled down.66123fe44812841e

“The whole lower floor is dark, but there’s light upstairs?”fbbf3359043175fd

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An annex that e84992265a stood in stark 612cdbe512 contrast to the aa6cdf04a1 grandeur of the b27d90e86c royal palace.b3516c34898e17c8

An interior intentionally 8a98159421 made to look 43c68c038a old and unused.5485bf7fa7e6e6e7

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And yet, a d7e3fdffa1 faint light emanated f3cc4370f1 from upstairs.8de81a0c7c0bdd2f

“It’s practically calling me to come up. How suspicious.”8c36d9b05ad440da

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Lucian’s lips curled into e704f3a750 a graceful smile. His ice-blue eyes, which had 69f9cf42e5 long been dull, sparkled with 5338f1ccd0 curiosity for the first time d4ff5c04e0 in ages.3f576cb295827fe5

“If I’m invited, I should go, right?”fd4de0462ffd1922

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It was as if the 6dbfb1c01f curiosity he had suppressed for 276cff57a5 so long had been reignited. Lucian placed one foot 31acb8417c on the stairs and c831d239d6 began climbing.b5044a6381953c64

But before he could take 66200f714b another step, someone grabbed his 343c863b7f shoulder.50cd46c0ce2e399b

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Ack!043b8c8955ff53ad

A soundless scream 4dd222699f escaped his lips, 46901e5f25 more like a d802d3f27c sharp intake of 335dcd3886 breath.255d587b7faf30f4

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“Lucian?”c7415aaa48fc2eb2

A low, familiar 07c55ba6bb voice drifted into 08e3922b72 his ears.17df03c0c480575e

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When he turned, he found 106aa68b9a Joachim standing there.e33682f1e4b16200

“Your Highness Joachim.”3e22796172cfa564

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“What brings you here?”b23ee4cb906a9671

Joachim’s expression and tone aab31d6b65 were as gentle as cfbe897189 ever, yet Lucian felt 5dab6ea717 a chill run down 37226e686d his spine. Something about Joachim’s smile seemed 43b9f82ac4 off, almost unnatural.2dc2a36a2c76954c

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It was the 9a22466a33 kind of smile 55723ca568 that wasn’t a 4a6b5acc40 smile.5a306027edd3d2cc

“I was out for a walk when I came across this unfamiliar place. The door was open, 91af21b4f6 so I came in.”c53cbbdcb5aec447

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Lucian spoke as fd4e2b4470 if it were d30948ec1c no big deal, 0fa1b35b47 casually glancing around bfc0c49101 as he continued.aabcdd11499a17d2

“I thought it was an old, abandoned place, but it’s surprisingly well-kept. Almost as if 8c74a8149b someone lives here.”8f36d205fdfb9be4

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“…The people working in my palace are quite competent. They don’t neglect even e22bbfa719 the smallest details.”bb4c288f6162d25c

“That seems to be the case, Your Highness.”40c092f531ec4dc0

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Lucian smiled faintly, mirroring Joachim’s 69a28f7410 demeanor.b680e86cb01ec0e7

One thing he 721abbb90e had learned well acaade3bde under Heraith was 69c2ac60fb this:623b760538188fe3

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Pretend not to know even f1b8dd07a2 when you do.6da6e74f43bdcf52

Act as if you 3814cc2594 haven’t seen, even when afda951e13 you have.f681831dc2738892

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Smile naturally, no matter what.c862f8d54c0059eb

And in doing so, never d88ecc02e1 reveal your true feelings.b150064bfa3eff07

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Ouch.1c67d7cccc115ea4

The moment Heraith’s face crossed f763bad99d his mind, Lucian felt a 4181901642 sharp ache deep in his cb4bc20265 chest.0d964f4d4d29e3d0

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He’d endured it for so 02fe98a2e3 long, but what had it d14ffaebf2 really brought him?fb6bc2f59165404f

Perhaps it would be better 2350ac26c9 not to see him again.294bff7600535a18

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Maybe then, his feelings be8c4bf4e3 would settle eventually.d4d498d43cae67e5