Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 23

SIR ROJAS, THERE'S ONE THING

I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE.

A PROPOSAL?

...WHAT KIND OF PROPOSAL IS IT?

YOU'VE ALWAYS PUT THE THINGS I LIKE FIRST UNTIL NOW, HAVEN'T YOU?

THE FESTIVAL,

THEN THE RESTAURANT,

AND NOW THIS EXHIBITION WAS THE SAME.

SO NEXT TIME,

LET'S DO SOMETHING YOU LIKE FIRST, SIR ROJAS.

UNTIL I LEARN WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES YOUR EYES SPARKLE.

AND AFTER THAT,

AND THE TIME AFTER THAT AS WELL--

TOGETHER, FROM NOW ON!

...OF COURSE.

SUPREME COURT

SO NEXT TIME, LET'S DO SOMETHING YOU LIKE FIRST, SIR ROJAS.

UNTIL I LEARN WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES YOUR EYES SPARKLE-

TOGETHER, FROM NOW ON!

WHAT SHOULD I DO...?! ONCE I STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT, I COULDN'T CALM DOWN AT ALL...!!!

Master.. Please spare me..

...IT'S MY FIRST TIME FEELING SUCH AN EMOTION.

WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS?

THIS FEELING LIKE FEATHERS ARE FILLING UP RIGHT BELOW MY THROAT...

...I CAN'T FOCUS ON WORK AT ALL.

I'M COMING IN, YOUR MAJESTY.

I HAVE SOMETHING TO REPO-

...WHAT'S THIS?

HIS CONDITION IS SO DIFFERENT FROM USUAL...?

USUAL EDWIN.

AH, YESTERDAY...

IS IT BECAUSE HE WENT ON A DATE WITH MISS DIAZ?

...THEN THAT'S EVEN WORSE.

IF I GET CAUGHT AT THE WRONG TIME, I'LL HAVE TO LISTEN TO THAT STORY ALL DAY LONG.

MISS DIAZ

MISS DIAZ IS

MISS DIAZ

MISS DIAZ...

LET'S QUICKLY BEAT HIM TO THE PUNCH.

YOUR MAJESTY.

IT'S ABOUT THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT...

SHE IS EXPRESSING HER INTENTION REGARDING A STATE MARRIAGE ONCE AGAIN.

A STATE MARRIAGE WITH BELLOT... IS A DECENT OPTION FROM THE EMPIRE'S PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.

NOT ONLY CAN WE SOLIDIFY OUR CONTROL OVER BELLOT,

BUT IT WILL ALSO OPEN UP THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP.

THE PROBLEM IS THE PARTNER...

WHO IS BELLOT PUTTING FORWARD?

THERE HAS BEEN MENTION OF THE THIRD PRINCE, THE CROWN PRINCESS'S MATERNAL YOUNGER BROTHER.

A PRINCE WON'T DO. HIS SUCCESSION RIGHT IS TOO LOW AND HE'S TOO YOUNG.

PLUS, WE DON'T HAVE AN APPROPRIATE PARTNER ON OUR SIDE EITHER.

THEN AS EXPECTED, THE CROWN PRINCESS HERSELF..?

I WILL GIVE YOU AN ANSWER SOON, SO TELL THEM TO WAIT FOR NOW.

UNDERSTOOD.

...A STATE MARRIAGE, HUH.

A STATE MARRIAGE?

BETWEEN THE BELLOT ROYAL FAMILY AND THE REGENCIA EMPIRE?

YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!

I THOUGHT THE REASON THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT HAS BEEN STAYING IN THE EMPIRE ALL THIS TIME

WAS BECAUSE OF THE REPARATIONS AGREEMENT,

BUT IT TURNS OUT IT WAS ACTUALLY BECAUSE OF A STATE MARRIAGE!

HIS MAJESTY IS TWENTY-THREE THIS YEAR, RIGHT?

IT HAPPENS TO BE JUST THE RIGHT AGE FOR MARRIAGE.

IT'S A SITUATION WHERE IT WOULDN'T BE STRANGE AT ALL FOR THE TOPIC TO COME UP.

THEY MIGHT EVEN BECOME THE COUPLE OF THE CENTURY.

THE CROWN PRINCESS ISN'T A BAD PARTNER AT ALL.

IT COULD BE THE START OF A FANTASTIC ROMANCE, TURNING FROM ENEMIES OF A DEFEATED COUNTRY INTO LOVERS...

EVEN SO, THE EMPEROR IS DESTINED TO MARRY THE SAINTESS.

THE EVENT WHERE THE TWO MEET IN THE ORIGINAL STORY IS STILL A LONG WAY OFF...

...HUH?

COME TO THINK OF IT,

IS THERE ANY GUARANTEE THAT THIS WORLD WILL FLOW EXACTLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL STORY?

IF AN EVENT THAT WASN'T IN THE ORIGINAL STORY OCCURS,

AND A STATE MARRIAGE ACTUALLY HAPPENS,

BECAUSE HE FAILED TO MEET THE FEMALE LEAD AND COULDN'T REFORM...

THEN, ISN'T IT POSSIBLE THAT THE EMPEROR WILL JUST CONTINUE TO LIVE AS A TYRANT...?

AND THE ORIGINAL STORY'S DESCRIPTION OF THE EMPEROR DURING HIS DAYS AS A TYRANT WAS...

"A PRESENCE THAT BROUGHT A BLOODBATH TO THE IMPERIAL PALACE ALMOST EVERY DAY"...

AS EXPECTED, A STATE MARRIAGE CANNOT HAPPEN!

I DON'T WANT TO BECOME A VICTIM OF THAT BLOODBATH--!!

THE ORIGINAL FEMALE LEAD NEEDS TO APPEAR QUICKLY

AND COMPLETELY DRAIN THE POISON OUT OF THE TIME-BOMB-LIKE EMPEROR!!

...LOOK AT ME.

THE TOXICITY HAS COMPLETELY DRAINED OUT.

...TO THINK I'D COME TO ENJOY THESE REFRESH- MENTS MYSELF.

IF IT WERE THE PAST ME, I WOULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED IT...

MMM~~~!

So delicious~

...NOW I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE NICE TO COME BACK HERE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

It's Really Delicious! It's No Wonder Everyone Is Standing In Line Waiting.

I'M GLAD IT SUITS YOUR TASTE, MISS DIAZ.

If it's not enough, I'll give you mine too.

BUT SIR ROJAS,

TODAY IS THE DAY WE AGREED TO DO WHAT YOU LIKE.

YET WE CAME TO A TEA ROOM...

ARE YOU SURE YOU REALLY WANTED TO COME HERE?

YOU'VE BARELY EVEN TOUCHED THE DESSERT.

...I HEARD THIS PLACE IS VERY POPULAR AMONG YOUNG LADIES LATELY.

SO I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE IT, MISS DIAZ.

I CERTAINLY LIKE IT, BUT...

IT ONLY HAS MEANING IF YOU ENJOY IT TOGETHER WITH ME.

SEEING YOU ENJOY YOURSELF IS A JOYFUL THING FOR ME.

UM...

SAYING THOSE KINDS OF WORDS WITH THAT KIND OF FACE IS JUST TOO UNFAIR, ISN'T IT...?!

MISS DIAZ?

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT SO DEEPLY?

AH, AH...!

I CAN ABSOLUTELY NEVER TELL HIM THAT I WAS STARING BLANKLY BECAUSE HE'S SO HANDSOME...!

C-COME TO THINK OF IT, SIR ROJAS!

HOW DID YOU SPEND THIS PAST WEEK?

THIS PAST WEEK...

...NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED.

PARDON? BUT...

SURELY AT LEAST ONE MINOR THING MUST HAVE HAPPENED.

HMM...

...NOT REALLY?

HOW ABOUT YOU?

HOW DID YOU SPEND THIS PAST WEEK?

NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED TO ME EITHER.

...?!

I-IS THAT SO?

USUALLY, YOU WOULD TELL ME ALL SORTS OF STORIES.

LIKE STORIES ABOUT YOUR OFFICE OR YOUR FRIEND CONNIE...

I TOLD YOU, NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED.

DO YOU THINK I'D HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE TIME?

...BE IT LIKE LAST TIME AT THE RESTAURANT, OR DURING THE EXHIBITION.

WHENEVER I ASK HOW YOU'VE BEEN, YOU ALWAYS JUST SAY NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED.

I THINK IT WOULD BE FUN IF YOU TOLD ME THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF, SIR ROJAS.

DO YOU REALLY NOT HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO ME?

OR IS...

...TALKING WITH ME NOT FUN?

—ABSO— LUTELY!

ABSOLUTELY NOT, MISS DIAZ!

I JUST, I MEAN...

WELL...

Ahem

...NO, I'M SORRY.

COME TO THINK OF IT, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A DAY WHERE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENS.

Then, Will You Tell Me About It Now?

ALL RIGHT. IT'S NOT ANYTHING GRAND,

BUT IF IT'S ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK...

THE SECOND ROUND OF REPARATIONS ADJUSTMENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH BELLOT TOOK PLACE, BUT IT BROKE DOWN.

TH-THIS WASN'T THE KIND OF CONVERSATION I WAS HOPING FOR, THOUGH?!

I-ISN'T THAT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE?!

WHAT IF SOMEONE HEARS YOU...!

AH, IT'S FINE.

EVERYONE WORKING IN THE INNER PALACE ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT IT.

IT'S NO SECRET.

IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN IT'S A RELIEF, BUT...!

I just want to live a long, and peaceful life.

RIGHT, WHILE I'M AT IT...

I SHOULD ASK ABOUT "THAT RUMOR" TOO.

SIR ROJAS, IS THAT TRUE AS WELL?

I HEARD THAT TALK OF A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL IS GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE EMPIRE AND THE KINGDOM OF BELLOT.

SIR ROJAS, YOU'RE HIS MAJESTY'S AIDE, SO YOU MUST'VE SEEN FROM UP CLOSE, RIGHT?

HOW WAS IT?

DID HIS MAJESTY...

...SEEM TO HAVE FEELINGS FOR THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT?