Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 19

...THANK YOU FOR GRANTING ME AN AUDIENCE AT THIS LATE HOUR, YOUR MAJESTY.

FIONY, CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT, GREETS YOUR MAJESTY.

THANKS TO YOUR MAJESTY'S GRACE, WHICH IS AS VAST AS THE SEA,

PEACE WILL FOREVER FLOURISH WITHIN THE EMPIRE, AND...

I AM TIRED.

I DOUBT YOU CAME MERELY TO EXCHANGE GREETINGS, SO GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.

UNDERSTOOD. TODAY, I HAVE COME TO REQUEST

THAT THE ENORMOUS WAR REPARATIONS

YOU PREVIOUSLY ORDERED BE REDUCED.

AFTER THE WAR, BELLOT'S FARMLAND HAS BEEN DEVASTATED, AND OUR ECONOMY IS IN RUINS.

YOU MUST KNOW THAT THE CURRENT REPARATIONS ARE FAR BEYOND WHAT WE CAN BEAR.

SO IF YOU WOULD SHOW EVEN A LITTLE GENEROSITY,

OUR KINGDOM WOULD HAVE HOPE OF RISING AGAIN.

HOPE OF RISING AGAIN?

WHAT NONSENSE.

WHICH KINGDOM LED THE ALLIANCE THAT WAGED WAR FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS?

WAS IT NOT BELLOT?

YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT THE EMPIRE ACCEPTED YOUR SURRENDER.

YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO DARE PROPOSE NEGOTIATIONS OVER REPARATIONS.

...OF COURSE, THAT IS A FAIR POINT. HOWEVER,

AS THE RULER OF A KINGDOM,

I CANNOT JUSTIFY SQUEEZING SURVIVAL OUT OF STARVING CITIZENS, CAN I?

...HOW ABSURD.

THEY WERE THE ONES WHO CAME CHARGING IN TO INVADE THE EMPIRE,

AND NOW THEY DO NOT EVEN WANT TO PAY THE PRICE?

IF I REFUSE, I WONDER WHAT EXCUSE THEY WILL USE TO BECOME A HEADACHE AGAIN...

WE WILL DISCUSS IT AT THE STATE COUNCIL.

YOU MAY WITHDRAW NOW.

THANK YOU.

I SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER IT FAVORABLY.

...EVEN THOUGH THE WAR IS OVER, THE BURDENS NEVER END.

...AT LEAST WHEN I WAS WITH MISS DIAZ,

I DID NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS.

...COME TO THINK OF IT, MISS DIAZ

SAID SHE WAS GOING BACK TO HER HOMETOWN.

I WONDER IF SHE ARRIVED SAFELY.

PHEW, AFTER SUCH A LONG CARRIAGE RIDE, MY WHOLE BODY ACHES.

STILL...

IT HAS BEEN SO LONG, MY HOMETOWN HOUSEN~!!

AH, SHE IS FINALLY HERE!

LİNA!

ANIKA?!

YOU CAME HOME? WHAT ABOUT THE ACADEMY?

TODAY IS FOUNDER'S DAY, SO WE HAVE THE DAY OFF!

THAT IS WHY I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU ALL MORNING, RINA~!

I MISSED YOU, LİNA!~!

ME TOO, ANIKA~! HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WELL?

SHE PROBABLY HASN'T BEEN DOING WELL.

SHE ENDED UP IN A DIFFERENT CLASS FROM NATHAN AT THE ACADEMY.

EMMETT & JAYDEN, RINA'S YOUNGER TWIN BROTHERS

YOU KNOW, ANIKA'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND.

BUT HE LOOKED PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT IT.

HE SEEMED THRILLED TO BE AWAY FROM ANIKA.

APPARENTLY, HE SAID IT WAS A HUGE RELIEF THAT HE CAME TO THE KNIGHT FACULTY.

WHAT WILL ANIKA DO IF NATHAN GETS A GIRLFRIEND~?

STOP LYING, YOU STUPID BROTHERS!!!!!!!!!!

YOU TWO ARE IN THE MAGIC FACULTY, SO YOU NEVER EVEN SEE NATHAN!!!

DON'T SAY BAD THINGS ABOUT NATHAN!!! YOU GOBLIN BOOGERS! YOU ORC MOLAR PLAQUE!!!!

HUH? SHE DID NOT FALL FOR IT?

HURRY, LET'S RUN!

YOU BE THE GOBLIN BOOGER!! I WILL BE THE ORC PLAQUE~!

THERE IS STILL NEVER A QUIET DAY HERE...

WOULD YOU LIKE ANOTHER GLASS, RINA?

AH,

I'M FINE, MOM, DAD.

WHY NOT HAVE ANOTHER GLASS?

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE WE ALL HAD SUCH A COZY DINNER TOGETHER?

I'm so happy~

YOU SHOULD STOP DRINKING. THIS IS ALREADY YOUR THIRD GLASS.

WHY? THREE GLASSES IS JUST RIGHT~

ARE YOU WORRIED I WILL GET DRUNK AND MAKE A SCENE?

NO, THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT. I AM JUST CONCERNED.

WHAT WERE YOU TWO LIKE WHEN YOU WERE DATING?

WHEN WE WERE DATING? WHY ASK THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN?

I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

WHETHER YOU ALWAYS GOT ALONG, OR FOUGHT SOMETIMES...

WELL, IT WOULD BE A LIE TO SAY WE NEVER FOUGHT.

BUT IN GENERAL, WERE THEY NOT MOSTLY GOOD MOMENTS?

THAT MUST BE WHY WE OVERCOME SO MANY DIFFICULTIES,

AND WHY OUR FAMILY IS HERE NOW.

...BUT SEEING YOU SUDDENLY ASK SOMETHING LIKE THAT,

RINA, COULD IT BE...

ARE YOU SEEING SOMEONE~?

WHO IS HE?! WHAT KIND OF PERSON IS HE FOR YOU TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ALREADY?!

ARE YOU SEEING HIM SERIOUSLY?

W-WELL...!

...WE'RE NOT OFFICIALLY TOGETHER YET.

BUT I THINK HE IS A GOOD PERSON.

HE SEEMS BLUNT, BUT HE IS KIND,

AND HE DOES NOT SPEAK MUCH, BUT HE IS CONSIDERATE...

MOST OF ALL, BEING WITH HIM IS FUN.

BUT HE IS 8 YEARS OLDER THAN ME,

AND ALTHOUGH HE RECEIVED A KNIGHTHOOD, I HEARD HE WAS BORN A SERF IN THE EAST.

“Born a serf” = with the status of a slave, as a peasant bound to the land

I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU TWO WOULD THINK...

...ISN'T THAT OBVIOUS?

IF YOU LIKE HIM, THAT IS ENOUGH.

YOUR FATHER AND I WERE LIKE THAT TOO.

OUR FAMILIES STRONGLY OPPOSED US BECAUSE OF STATUS DIFFERENCES,

BUT THOSE RESTRICTIONS COULD NOT OVERCOME OUR FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER.

IF YOUR HEART IS DRAWN TO HIM, THEN MEET HIM PROPERLY FIRST.

AND IF, IN TIME, YOU BECOME CERTAIN THAT HE IS THE ONE...

INTRODUCE HIM TO US TOO.

OF COURSE! IF HE SEEMS LIKE A STRANGE MAN, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY OBJECT...!

...I WILL.

THANK YOU, MOM, DAD.

...RIGHT.

THE AGE DIFFERENCE, STATUS,

AND THINGS LIKE THAT... I SHOULD NOT WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THEM.

I JUST NEED TO FACE HIM HONESTLY.

BESIDES...

MISS DIAZ.

I AM SORRY I AM LATE.

DID YOU WAIT LONG?

HIS LOOKS ARE NOT SOMETHING I CAN GIVE UP OVER THOSE KINDS OF PROBLEMS...!

IT TOOK SOME TIME TO FINISH UP WORK.

IF I MADE YOU WAIT, I APOLOGIZE ONCE MORE.

NOT AT ALL. I JUST ARRIVED TOO.

THEN...

SHALL WE GO IN?

YES.

LET'S GO TOGETHER.