Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 16

SO, I-

I ASKED AROUND AND GOT SOME IN- FORMATION ON SIR EVERETT ROJAS.

INFORMATION ?!

...WAIT, NO,

I'M NOT EVEN IN ANY SORT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH SIR ROJAS YET.

WHAT IF HE FINDS OUT AND MISUNDER- STANDS?

DON'T WORRY! I ASKED REALLY NATURALLY.

I HAPPENED TO BE DISCUSSING THE BUDGET WITH SOMEONE FROM THE IMPERIAL KNIGHTS.

I ONLY ASKED IF THERE WAS A KNIGHT AMONG HIS MAJESTY'S CLOSE AIDES,

BUT HE GOT ALL EXCITED AND SPILLED EVERYTHING.

ANYWAY, HERE'S THE INFORMATION I FOUND OUT.

EVERETT ROJAS.

THEY SAY HE'S A KNIGHT OF IMMENSE SKILL

WHO ASSISTED HIS MAJESTY DURING THE EIGHT-YEAR WAR.

I HE- ARD HE'S STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE ON MORE THAN TWENTY ENEMIES ALONE.

TRUE, HE TOOK DOWN ALL THOSE THUGS WE RAN INTO AT ONCE.

HE'S ORI- GINALLY A SERF FROM THE EASTERN REGION, NOT OF NOBLE BIRTH,

BUT HE WAS GRANT- ED KNIGHTHOOD FOR HIS MERITS IN THE WAR.

I HEARD HE'S EVEN SCHEDULED TO BE BESTOWED A FIEF SOON?

HOW- EVER, THERE IS JU~ST ONE THING.

SOMETHING THAT SLIGHTLY CATCHES ME OFF GUARD...

THEY SAY HE'S THIRTY YEARS OLD.

...REALLY?

THEN THAT MAKES HIM... EIGHT YEARS OLDER THAN ME?

22 YEARS OLD

BUT THEY SAY HE LOOKS RATHER YOUNG FOR HIS AGE. HE'S BEEN IN THE MILITARY A LONG TIME,

SO THERE WON'T BE ANY HIDDEN PAST THAT OTHERS DON'T KNOW ABOUT.

PLUS, HE'S NEVER CAUSED ANY TROUBLE WITH WOMEN,

AND PEOPLE SAY HE HAS A CALM AND SERIOUS PERSONALITY...

SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY DECENT PERSON TO ME, DOESN'T IT?

BEING A CLOSE AIDE TO THE EMPEROR MEANS HIS FUTURE IS BRIGHT, TOO.

GO OUT THERE AND DO YOUR BEST!

Don't for- get to throw the bouquet to me when you get married~!

Gotta Work So I Can Afford A Wedding Gift~!

...I DEFINI- TELY NEED TO HIDE FROM HER NEXT TIME WE MEET.

Connie's Fussing Is Terrifying...

...BUT THIRTY YEARS OLD.

SIR ROJAS IS MUCH OLDER THAN I EXPECTED.

HE DIDN'T LOOK IT JUST FROM HIS APP- EARANCE.

...WELL, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M MARRYING HIM RIGHT NOW ANYWAY.

I SHOULD- N'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ALREADY, RIGHT...?

...UM, YOUR MAJESTY.

THIS MIGHT BE RUDE OF ME TO ASK, BUT...

HAS SOME MAJOR PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE THAT I DON’T KNOW ABOUT?

I NEVER SAW YOU LOOK THIS SERIOUS EVEN DURING THE WAR, YOUR MA- ‘JESTY.

COULD IT BE A PROBLEM REGARDING THE SURVIVAL OF THE GUILD?

SHOULD I LOOK INTO THE SAFEHOUSE WE SET UP AB- ROAD?

NO... IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S JUST-

I'VE ARRANGED TO MEET WITH MISS DIAZ ONCE MORE.

AGAIN?! DOES THAT MEAN IT'S A REAL DATE THIS TIME?!!

NO, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.

WE DECIDED TO HAVE DINNER TOGETHER...

PEOPLE USUALLY CALL THAT A DATE!!!

ANYWAY, THAT'S A HUGE RELIEF.

MISS DIAZ MUST HAVE GOTTEN A GOOD IMPRESSION OF YOU, YOUR MAJESTY.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT?

...WELL.

THE GRAY HOOD I WORE YESTERDAY, AND THE NEW BLACK LEATHER HOOD I JUST BOUGHT.

I'M AGONIZING OVER WHICH OF THE TWO I SHOULD WEAR.

WHICH COLOR DO WOMEN PREFER?

SERIOUSLY, YOUR MAJESTY! IS THE COLOR THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW?

I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE HAVING DINNER TOGETHER?!

THE MERE FACT THAT HER PARTNER IS WEARING A DINGY DARK ROBE TO SUCH AN OCCASION IS A DISGRACE TO A LADY!!!!!!!

BUT IT CAN'T BE HELPED.

I AL- WAYS HAVE TO HIDE MY IDENTITY WHEN I GO OUT- SIDE.

ABOUT THAT!

HAVEN'T YOU BEEN ON THE BATTLEFIELD FOR 8 YEARS, YOUR MAJESTY?

SO THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE NOW ARE EXTREME- LY RARE.

IT WOULD BE HIGH-RANKING NOBLES ATTENDING THE STATE COUNCIL AT MOST,

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF RUNNING INTO THEM WHILE MEETING WITH MISS DIAZ?

ABOVE ALL-

HOW WAS IT LAST TIME?

DID MISS DIAZ SEEM TO LIKE IT WHEN YOU CAME DRESSED UP, YOUR MAJESTY?

I THINK IT HAS ITS OWN MEANING.

...IT SEEMED THAT WAY.

THEN IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO AGONIZE OVER?!

PLEASE, JUST WEAR SOME PROPER CLOTHES.

YOUR FACE IS THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE GOING FOR YOU, YOUR MAJESTY...!!

HMM...

NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT,

THAT MAKES SENSE. I SHALL VISIT THE IMPERIAL DRESS- ING ROOM.

THANK GOODNESS...

I SAVED A MAN.

HIS MAJES- TY IS TRULY DENSE WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE THIS.

Was It Really That Bad...?

WELL, HE WENT TO THE BATTLE- FIELD AS SOON AS HE TURNED SIXTEEN...

HE PROBABLY NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THINGS LIKE THIS.

WHICH MEANS, THIS ENCOUNTER BETWEEN MISS DIAZ AND HIS MAJESTY RIGHT NOW

COULD PER- HAPS EVEN LEAD TO MARRIAGE.

LOVE MARRIAGES IN THE IMPERIAL FAMILY ARE RARE,

BUT WITH IM- PERIAL AUTHORITY BEING AS STRONG AS IT IS NOW, THERE'S NO NEED TO FORCE A POLITICAL MARRIAGE.

MISS DIAZ'S STATUS WON'T BE A MAJOR ISSUE, EITHER.

HER MATER- NAL FAMILY, THE COUNT RENGELS,

ARE MODERATES, AND IT'S A FAMILY WITH A LONG HISTORY.

IF ONLY MISS DIAZ CAN INHERIT THE COUNT TITLE,

MAYBE IT REALLY COULD...

KYLE, AND ONE MORE THING.

YES?

ABOUT THE DINNER WITH MISS DIAZ.

SEEING HER LAST TIME, MISS DIAZ SEEMED TO LIKE CHICKEN SKEWERS.

SO I'M THINKING ABOUT HOW IT WOULD BE TO HAVE AN OUTDOOR BARBECUE.

WE COULD PREPARE A WHOLE ROASTED PIG

AS THE MAIN DISH, ALONG WITH SIDE DISHES TO ACCOMPANY IT.

BUT MISS DIAZ DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AS BIG AN EATER AS I THOUGHT,

SO IF SHE FINDS IT BURDENSOME...

YOUR MAJESTY, PLEASE JUST STAY STILL.

I WILL JUST MAKE ALL THE RESERVATIONS FOR YOU.

PLEASE, DON’T DO ANYTHING.

...WHAT MARRIAGE.

I NEED TO WORK HARD JUST TO MAKE SURE HIS MAJESTY DOES- N’T GET DUMPED BY MISS DIAZ...

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO

THE DAY OF THE DATE.

MMM...

I CAME OUT WAY TOO EARLY COMPARED TO THE MEETING TIME.

I COULDN'T HELP IT.

I WAS SO NERVOUS I COULDN'T JUST STAY AT HOME...

I DRESSED UP A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL, BUT

IS IT TOO MUCH...?

SINCE SIR ROJAS ALWAYS WEARS DARK ROBES,

IT MIGHT BE EMBARRASSING IF IT'S TOO OBVIOUS I DRESSED UP NEXT TO HIM...

STILL, IT'S AN OCCASION WHERE WE'RE GOING TO EAT, SO

LET'S DO THIS!

THIS MUCH SHOULD BE FINE.

SHOULD I SIT IN A CAFE AND WAIT FOR A BIT...

SIR ROJAS...?

M-MISS DIAZ!

IT'S STILL EARLY,

I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO ARRIVE-