The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]

For some, it would arrive with fanfare and fireworks.

For others, it would arrive when least expected. After a subtle look. A bright smile. Or after sharing the softest of giggles.

But for one little guide, once known as defective, it hit him in the most ironic of places.

The Medical Bay.

Once a great source of anxiety, fear, and distress, it was now filled with a shine that Luca never expected to see.

A place that had once made his heart race from dread now made it race for a completely different reason.

He was shaken to the core, not by equipment, not by needles, not by memories of what was once past, but simply by looking at a face.

That face.

The soft beeping of monitors barely reached him against the pounding of his own heart. The antiseptic scent, always a reminder of impending discomfort, was nothing compared to the scent that surrounded him now.

All because of him.

Radiant.

Tender.

Sincere.

And that face was looking at a once defective boy who now felt anything but.

And in that moment, Luca felt full. Complete. And so utterly loved.

So loved that what were mere seconds stretched into hours as Luca turned to face him fully. His heart was still racing, but this time it wasn’t out of fear. It was because he couldn’t take his eyes off Xavier. Couldn’t wait to share his love with him.

Enchanted, Luca lifted his hands to Xavier’s face, tracing the warmth of his skin before pulling him close, lips meeting with trembling certainty.

He forgot entirely about the world, about the people, about the tearful eyes fixed on them. For Luca, time stopped. And for Xavier, whose azure eyes widened, uncharacteristically vulnerable before curving into a smile, the kiss felt like a miracle he hadn’t dared to expect.

His miracle.

His love.

And it was monumental.

It could have been in the grandest of places or in the smallest of boxes, but those two would not have cared either way.

Only now, how could Luca ever shelve away this memory?

And of the same mind was the Empress, who had sworn in her heart to keep silent. Yet unable to contain herself, the Emperor of Solaris found his arm lovingly sacrificed to her not-so-delicate taps of joy.

Teary-eyed for the beautiful future of Solaris, and silently thankful his prayer had worked as he dodged the Empress’s taps, the operative could only count himself lucky that his death would not be the one commemorating this scene.

And it was a scene to behold.

From the prince who had dared to walk an uncertain path, to the once unreachable heir who was finally ready to receive. From relatives who felt a sense of peace they had never believed they would have, to an operative who saw hope rising in the hands of such rulers.

It was a moment of joy.

A time for change.

And maybe the time for a certain chipmunk to realize just where they were and who was with them.

Xavier finally let him breathe. Their lips parted, but their foreheads stayed close, breaths mingling as if neither could come down from the dizzying high of that kiss. Their eyes were half-lidded, caught in a haze that belonged only to them.

At least, until Luca’s lashes fluttered to the side.

And he saw her.

One extremely excited Empress.

Three relatively embarrassed men.

And one floating criminal.

”!!!”

Luca’s entire face bloomed scarlet as the realization struck. He had just kissed Xavier—kissed him—while the entire room watched.

He nearly toppled off Xavier’s lap, only saved because the prince’s arms tightened protectively around him.

The little chipmunk practically poofed on the spot. This was it. This was the end. I would never live this down. Ever.

Being in love was hard.

Because how did people control themselves once they knew?

Well, who knows? Because the people around them really weren’t exactly the greatest examples when it came to that kind of control.

Thankfully, Xavier, the ever dependable prince, understood that his little wife was about two seconds away from digging a hole in the floor and hiding in it. So he simply wrapped Luca’s wiggling body tighter into his arms and decided to face his parents instead.

There were so many things to be said and so little time.

And with that mischievous smile still playing at his lips, he looked every inch the Crown Prince of everyone’s dreams. If he had declared he would take the throne that very moment, his parents probably would have agreed without question.

But alas, instead of that, he gave a soft sigh.

”Mother, Father, I must apologize,” he said, his voice calm but steady. ”I should have informed you sooner about the biggest change in my life. But please know that I did not act on a whim. I considered a lot of different things before getting to this point.”

The Emperor and Empress blinked at him in surprise, but Xavier continued, every word sounding deliberate and thoughtful.

”I know I’ve kept too many secrets, but I ask for more time. I promise I will explain and settle things properly. But at the same time, it would be impossible to deny how enlightening this meeting has been.”

The Emperor and Empress exchanged a look, their hands finding each other and holding tight. They saw their son in a light they hadn’t dared to imagine. He wasn’t just the Crown Prince fit to rule. He was a son who, for once, seemed to be living for something other than duty. And that thought brought them a relief so sharp it ached.

”In fact,” Xavier added, his tone gentling, ”I’ve come to realize how many things I have to rectify because of all the secrets I’ve had to keep. Even Luca ended up married to me before he learned about my true identity.”

Silence.

Everyone in the room froze and turned to look at Luca, who was peeking timidly from where he was tucked against Xavier’s chest, his ears flushed red.

Such a thing had never happened in the history of the Empire. Most heirs had to check, confirm, and triple confirm that their partners were ready to accept such a burden before marriage.

The fact that Luca had been blindsided like this was enough to make history tutors roll in their graves.

Luca’s brows furrowed as he realized something was off. It had gone very, very quiet. He peeked again nervously.

And that was when Xavier spoke again.

”I will settle as many things as I can first,” he said firmly. ”Because I don’t want to drag Luca into the mud like that, not when it was something he hadn’t even been aware of from the beginning.”

”Also, while it may sound unusual, more than having to serve the Empire in the capacity of a ruler, right now, we are more effective as is. Both in terms of security and in terms of making contributions, our current positions are better right now.”

The Emperor and Empress sat straighter. Hearing their son speak with such composure and deliberation was proof that a crown and palace did not make a leader. Sometimes, even in uniform and in the most unlikely of meeting rooms, true decisiveness could shine through.

”While we haven’t been in direct cooperation with the Imperial Palace,” Xavier continued, ”we have been working with Uncle and the military whenever possible.”

Marshal Julian gave the faintest nod, confirming the truth in Xavier’s words, though the operative looked like he might faint from trying to process it all.

”Frankly, there are so many things to explain that may sound like fantasy to everyone, but right now, operating on this scale is more manageable for us.”

Luca, who only moments earlier had been ready to melt into Xavier’s lap from embarrassment, found his awe rising with every word.

He watched as Xavier calmly outlined risks, industries, and possible changes, while saying that this was exactly why they had ended up here at the Registration Office in the first place.

The prince looked over to Marshal Julian, who felt like everything was about to boil over, because even now, they had yet to deal with the day’s pressing issue, which seemed to be courtesy of these youngsters.

At first, Xavier had been ready to cover for Luca, shielding him from exposure. While this was family and people he knew, his promise to Luca was to only share things that Luca himself was comfortable sharing.

But to his surprise, he felt a small tug at his uniform.

Looking down, he found golden eyes peeking up at him, Luca’s cheeks pink but his expression firm. A signal. Permission.

Xavier blinked, momentarily thrown, before the realization sank in. Luca was telling him it was all right.

There was a wordless conversation, and whatever words Xavier had prepared to tell them about were thrown away.

But maybe he should have at least given the old-timers a warning, because who would have been prepared for words like, ”The mecha upstairs isn’t exactly just an SS-grade mecha.”