# WebtoonLib — Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor #12 ## Series - title: Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor - slug: unbeknownst-to-me-i-m-secretly-dating-the-emperor-hr359apd ## Chapter - number: 12 - chapter_key: 12-8stfg4 - release_date: 2026-10-30 ### Summary The masked man, fleeing from the young lady who ruined his outfit at the masked ball, climbs out the window and asks Carolina Diaz for help. Carolina convinces the guards with an excuse about a pass to get him out of the palace. On the way, they talk about the birthday festival, overtime work, and the emperor. Grateful, the man offers to accompany her at the festival tomorrow, and they decide to meet at 6 o'clock at Kyle's cafe. - summary_language: en - summary_source: chapter_translation - summary_verification: verified ### Key events - Carolina first refuses due to plans with friend, then says plan canceled and accepts 6 o'clock meeting at Kyle's cafe. - A masked nobleman who escaped the ball through window is chased and asks for help. - Carolina persuades guard with overtime and night market excuses and obtains passage. - A woman apologizes to a young lord for ruining his clothes and invites him to rest lounge, he refuses and leaves. - Carolina and Mr. Rojas discuss emperor, overtime, and agree to meet at festival tomorrow. - At palace gate Carolina passes ID check but her companion without pass is stopped by gate rule. - Carolina Diaz agrees to help the fleeing nobleman exit the imperial palace. - Masked ball explained as annual birthday festival event where hierarchy disappears once masks are worn. ## Spoiler - level: auto ### Safe teaser The masked man, fleeing from the young lady who ruined his outfit at the masked ball, climbs out the window and asks Carolina Diaz for help. ### Spoiler summary The masked man, fleeing from the young lady who ruined his outfit at the masked ball, climbs out the window and asks Carolina Diaz for help. Carolina convinces the guards with an excuse about a pass to get him out of the palace. On the way, they talk about the birthday festival, overtime work, and the emperor. Grateful, the man offers to accompany her at the festival tomorrow, and they decide to meet at 6 o'clock at Kyle's cafe. ## Status - data_status: complete - summary_status: editorial ## Transcript - transcript_source: community - transcript_language: en - transcript_bubbles: 150 ### Content OH MY! I'M SORRY, YOUNG MASTER. WHAT SHOULD I DO? I'VE RUINED YOUR CLOTHES. I WOULD LIKE TO PREPARE SOME CLOTHES FOR YOU TO CHANGE INTO AS AN APOLOGY... WOULD YOU MIND COMING WITH ME TO THE LOUNGE OVER THERE? ...I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THE MASQUERADE BALL, ONE OF THE ANNUAL EVENTS OF THE BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL. LIKE ANY OTHER BALL, IT'S A SOCIAL EVENT WHERE NOBLES GATHER, BUT IF THERE'S ONE DIFFERENCE... THE MOMENT YOU PUT ON A MASK INSIDE THIS ALL HIERARCHIES, INCLUDING TITLES AND ORIGINS, DISAPPEAR. THEREFORE, IT IS AN UNWRITTEN RULE NOT TO ASK EVEN IF YOU GUESS THE OTHER PERSON'S IDENTITY, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN MINGLE WITHOUT FORMALITY, AND Other Than That~ I Don't Know... TAKING ISSUE LATER WITH WHAT WAS DISCUSSED HERE IS ALSO CONSIDERED A GREAT DISCOURTESY IN NOBLE SOCIETY. THIS WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO OFFER MORE CANDID ADVICE TO THE EMPEROR OR TO ARRANGE MEETINGS FOR NOBLES WHO HAD NO CONTACT, ...AS YOU CAN SEE, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE ONLY YOUNG LADIES TRYING TO WOO ME SOMEHOW USING THIS OPPORTU- NITY. SINCE YOU CAN'T EVEN HIDE THE COLOR OF YOUR EYES EVEN IF YOU WEAR A MASK. THIS IS WHY I WAS GOING TO LEAVE IT TO > TODAY, BUT... YOUR MAJESTY. FORGIVE MY PRE- SUMPTION, BUT... NOW THAT THE LONG WAR IS OVER, I WOULD LIKE TO GO SEE MY PARENTS IN MY HOMETOWN, AT LEAST DURING THE BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL. COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME PERMISSION? I COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO REFUSE... NO, IT'S FINE. I WILL TAKE CARE OF THE CLOTHES MYSELF. WELL THEN, I MUST BE GOING– ...THIS JUST WON'T DO. I HAVE TO CATCH HIS MAJESTY... I HAVE TO TALK TO HIM SOMEHOW... YOUR MAJESTY~! LET'S RUN AWAY...!!! ...SO, YOU ATTENDED THE MASQUERADE BALL AND SECRETLY SNUCK OUT? AND THEN YOU GOT CAUGHT AND ARE BEING CHASED? ...YES. I CAME OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW, SO I MUST HAVE LOOKED SUSPICIOUS TO ANYONE. I Have Nothing To Say Since You Brought That Upon Yourself... SEEING HOW HE ATTENDED THE BALL, HE REALLY IS A NOBLE. BUT, WHY DID YOU EVEN ATTEND IF YOU HATE IT ENOUGH TO RUN AWAY? WELL... I HAVE MY REASONS. AFTER ALL, T'S MY BIRTHDAY. LET'S JUST SAY I COULDN'T POSSIBLY SKIP IT... ANYWAY... MISS DIAZ, COULD YOU PERHAPS TAKE ME OUTSIDE WITH YOU? I DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS PASS RIGHT NOW. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD ACCOM- PANY ME ON YOUR WAY OUT... I'M BUSY AS IT IS, DO I REALLY HAVE TO? *CALCULATING OFFICE WORKER PERSONA ACTIVATED WHAT, THIS GUY ACTUALLY HAS A HUMAN SIDE TO HIM TOO. ALRIGHT. I JUST NEED TO HELP YOU GET OUT OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE, RIGHT? FOLLOW ME. ...! THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS DIAZ. I WILL DEFINITELY REPAY YOU FOR THIS LATER. OH, IT'S FINE. I WANTED TO PROPERLY THANK YOU FOR SAVING CONNIE ANYWAY. HELLO. YOU’RE WORKING HARD THIS LATE. I’M ON MY WAY OFF WORK. HERE IS MY ACCESS PASS. THE IDENTITY OF CAROLINA DIAZ FROM THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE HAS BEEN VERIFIED. YOUR COMPANION, PLEASE SHOW YOUR ACCESS PASS AS WELL. AH, MY COLLEAGUE... LEFT HIS ACCESS PASS BEHIND, SO HE ACCOMPANIED ME WHEN COMING TO WORK TOO. WE CAME IN THROUGH THE MAIN GATE IN THE MORNING. THEN YOU CANNOT PASS THROUGH HERE. YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE, SO YOU SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF THE ACCESS REGULATIONS. IF YOU HAVE A COMPANION WITHOUT AN ACCESS PASS, YOU MUST LEAVE THROUGH THE SAME GATE YOU ENTERED. I'M SORRY, BUT PLEASE USE THE MAIN GATE. WHAT? CAN’T YOU LET IT SLIDE JUST THIS ONCE? HONESTLY, WE WANTED TO GO TO THE FESTIVAL NIGHT MARKET SO BADLY, WE’VE BEEN WORKING OVERTIME THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR DAYS... WE BARELY FINISHED OUR WORK TODAY, SO WE’RE TRYING TO GO EVEN IF IT’S LATE... BUT WE HAVE TO GO A LONG WAY AROUND TO GET TO THE MAIN GATE, AND IN THE MEANTIME, THE FOOD STALLS WILL BE COMPLETELY SOLD OUT... IF WE LEAVE THROUGH THIS GATE, WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE MARKET, THERE MIGHT AT LEAST BE SOME DISCOUNTED FOOD LEFT... WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO HOME WITH EMPTY STO- MACHS...! IF IT REALLY CAN'T BE HELPED... A-ALRIGHT. I GOT IT! IT'S ONLY THIS ONE TIME, SO PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES NEXT TIME. Wow, thank you! ...IMPRESSIVE. I DIDN'T EXPECT TO GET OUT THIS EASILY. I'VE BEEN WOR- KING AT THE IMPE- RIAL PALACE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. IF YOU LOOK PITIFUL ENOUGH, IT ACTUALLY MAKES PEOPLE WANT TO COMFORT YOU! Ah... I Was Going To Get Off Work, Go To The Festival, And Eat Malatang, Chicken Skewers, And Tanghulu, Ahhh... UGH, WHY DOES MY HEART ACHE LIKE IT'S BEEN CUT OUT? THE BASIS OF PER- SUASION IS FORMING A CONSENSUS. HO... I SEE. ...COME TO THINK OF IT, MISS DIAZ IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE. WERE YOU REALLY STAYING THIS LATE BECAUSE OF WORK? AH, YES. IT'S TRUE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK. THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE IS PRECISELY HTHE PLACE THAT GETS INSANELY BUSY INSTEAD OF RESTING DURING THE FESTIVAL PERIOD. I WONDER HOW MANY HUNDREDS OF BUDGET EXECUTION FORMS I REVIEWED TODAY... ...YOU MUST RESENT THE EMPEROR. PARDON? NO WAY. I HAVE NEVER ONCE HARBORDED SUCH A THOUGHT. THIS FESTIVAL IS BEING HELD BECAUSE HIS MAJESTY WAS BORN, AND EVERYONE CAN RELAX AND ENJOY TODAY BECAUSE HIS MAJESTY PROTECTED THIS COUNTRY. SO I'M THANKFUL, NOT RESENTFUL. ...IS THAT SO. THIS IS A PERFECT ANSWER, RIGHT? How Dare İ Complai̇n İn Front Of Aclose Ai̇de Of The Emperor!! ...BUT THIS IS THE TRUTH. IF THE EMPEROR HADN'T WON THE WAR, THERE WOULDN'T BE THIS KIND OF PEACE. HE MAY BE SCARY, BUT HE'S SOMEONE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR. ...THEN, DOES MISS DIAZ HAVE NO INTENTION OF ENJOYING THIS FESTIVAL? NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE. I REALLY WANT TO SEE THE FIREWORKS TOMOR- ROW, AT LEAST. THE REASON I WORKED LATE TODAY WAS ACTUALLY BE- CAUSE OF THAT. ...THEN PERHAPS, IF YOU DON'T MIND- TOMORROW AT THE FESTIVAL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO WITH ME? W-WITH YOU, SIR ROJAS? WHY SUDDENLY...? AHEM, WELL, HOW SHOULD I SAY IT... SEEING MISS DIAZ WORKING LATE EVEN DURING THE FESTIVAL PERIOD GIVES ME A SLIGHT FEELING OF INDEBTEDNESS, PERHAPS... OR MAYBE I SHOULD SAY I FEEL SORRY. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WANTED TO ESCORT YOU. A FEELING OF INDEBTED- NESS...? DOES HE THINK I'M WORKING OVERTIME BECAUSE OF THE DUKE OF CAMELOT BUSINESS? IT'S TRUE THAT WORK HAS BEEN CRAZY BUSY LATELY. BUT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE SOMETHING HE SHOULD BE THIS SORRY ABOUT...? AND HERE I THOUGHT HE WAS ASKING ME OUT ON A DATE. U-UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OFFER. BUT I HAVE PRIOR PLANS WITH A FRIEND I WORK WITH TOMOR- ROW. AH... I SEE. PRIOR PLANS... YOU HAD PRIOR PLANS... ...NO! COME TO THINK OF IT, I THINK THE PLANS GOT CANCELED. I've Been Working So Much Overtime I Forgot~ IS THAT TRUE...? W...WHAT DID I JUST DO? THEN LET'S MEET AT KYLE'S CAFE TOMORROW AROUND 6 PM, WILL THAT BE ALRIGHT? HAHAHA, YES... THE MOMENT I SAW THAT FACE, I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF... I'M SORRY, CONNIE---!!! AT THAT TIME, CONNIE What Should I Wear Tomorrow~? ## See also - [WebtoonLib — Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor #12](/series/unbeknownst-to-me-i-m-secretly-dating-the-emperor-hr359apd/chapter-12-8stfg4) - for_series_detail: /llms-series/unbeknownst-to-me-i-m-secretly-dating-the-emperor-hr359apd ## Usage AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.