Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 24

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.

HOW WAS IT?

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, SIR ROJAS...

DID HIS MAJESTY SEEM TO HAVE FEELINGS FOR THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT?

PLEASE...

PLEASE TELL ME IT ISN'T TRUE...!

IF A STATE MARRIAGE HAPPENS LIKE THIS,

UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL STORY WHERE HE MET THE SAINTESS,

THE EMPEROR'S TEMPERAMENT WILL NEVER CHANGE.

AS LONG AS THAT TYRANT EMPEROR IS AROUND-

THE IMPERIAL PALACE COULD TURN INTO A BLOODBATH AT ANY MOMENT!!

PLEASE, JUST GUARANTEE MY PEACEFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT~!!

...ARE YOU ASKING...

...IF THE EMPEROR SEEMS INTERESTED IN THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT?

WHO ON EARTH IS SPREADING SUCH ABSURD NONSENSE?!

IT IS TRUE THAT THERE IS TALK OF A STATE MARRIAGE,

BUT IT WILL INVOLVE SELECTING A SUITABLE CANDIDATE FROM OUR SIDE TO SEND OVER AS HER PRINCE CONSORT.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE STORY GOT TWISTED,

BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THE EMPEROR WILL MARRY THE CROWN PRINCESS...!

SO...

...PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND.

THEN...

THE TALK OF A STATE MARRIAGE IS TRUE, BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS MAJESTY?

...! R-RIGHT.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE EVEN A SINGLE OUNCE OF INTEREST

IN THE CROWN PRINCESS WHATSOEVER~!!

SO IT REALLY WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING.

I UNDERSTAND THAT PERFECTLY WELL NOW, BUT...

WHY IS HE GETTING SO ANGRY LIKE IT'S HIS OWN BUSINESS?

(Who the hell was it..)

Is it out of loyalty to his superior...?

WELL, WHATEVER THE CASE,

I'M JUST GLAD THE EMPEROR ISN'T GETTING MARRIED.

MAY THIS PEACE LAST FOR A LONG, LONG TIME...!

I'm feeling great! Should we order one more cake?

Huh? S-Sure.

I FIGURED AS MUCH, BUT...

IT SEEMS YOU'VE ALSO BEEN

SUFFERING FROM HEADACHES LATELY BECAUSE OF THE KINGDOM OF BELLOT, SIR ROJAS.

IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE REPARATIONS ISSUE COULD BE SETTLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ORIGINALLY, WE INTENDED TO HAVE THIS AGREEMENT COMPLETELY FINALIZED

BY THE END OF THIS WEEK AT THE LATEST.

BUT WITH THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT CONSTANTLY NITPICKING AND BEING A NUISANCE,

OF COURSE WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BREAK DOWN-

W-WAIT A MOMENT!!!

WHAT'S WRONG?

SIR ROJAS! YOU CAN'T SPEAK ABOUT THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT LIKE THAT!!

EVEN IF SHE'S ROYALTY FROM AN ENEMY NATION, YOU MUST MAINTAIN YOUR MANNERS.

WHAT IF SOMEONE HEARS YOU AND MAKES AN ISSUE OUT OF IT!

AH...

RIGHT, OF COURSE.

SO, HER HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCESS...

SIR ROJAS REALLY...

DOES HAVE THE INSTINCT OF A SEASONED KNIGHT.

WELL, TRUTHFULLY...

I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S DIFFICULT FOR HER HIGHNESS TO ACCEPT THE AGREEMENT.

IF THEY WERE TO PAY THE ORIGINALLY DEMANDED AMOUNT IN FULL,

I HEARD IT COULD LEAD TO A SITUATION WHERE HALF THE POPULATION OF BELLOT STARVES TO DEATH.

BUT FROM THE EMPIRE'S PERSPECTIVE, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE WE CAN JUST LET SLIDE.

THAT MAKES SENSE,

SINCE BELLOT WAS THE CENTRAL PILLAR OF THE ALLIED KINGDOM FORCES THAT STARTED THE WAR.

IF WE WERE TO SHOW BELLOT SOME HALF-HEARTED LENIENCY,

THERE'S A HIGH RISK THAT THE EMPIRE WOULD BE LOOKED DOWN UPON BY NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.

...IT'S QUITE A DILEMMA.

WE NEED TO FIRMLY ESTABLISH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH BELLOT,

BUT THEIR ROYAL FAMILY IS ALREADY DEAD BROKE, SO THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN REALLY SQUEEZE OUT OF THEM.

THE ONLY REMAINING ASSET THEY HAVE IS PROBABLY JUST THE KING'S CROWN.

Even that falls short of the reparations, though.

...THEN,

WHY DON'T YOU DEMAND THAT CROWN?

...WHAT?

OF COURSE, I DON'T MEAN WE SHOULD ACTUALLY REPLACE THE REPARATIONS WITH IT,

BUT AS A KIND OF SYMBOLIC GESTURE.

A CROWN HOLDS THE VALUE OF BEING A NATION'S SYMBOL, DOESN'T IT?

THE BELLOT SIDE WON'T WANT TO HAND IT OVER WILLINGLY,

BUT SINCE THEY HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO AVOID THE REPARATIONS ANYWAY,

IT SHOULDN'T BE TOO DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN IT.

AND THE EMPIRE CAN HOLD ONTO THE CONFISCATED CROWN,

AND THEN RETURN IT LATER UNDER SOME SUITABLE PRETEXT.

...AND WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE EMPIRE GAIN FROM DOING THAT?

THE UPPER HAND.

BY TAKING THEIR HONOR INSTEAD OF THEIR MONEY, WE DEMONSTRATE OUR STRONG WILL AND POWER,

WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWING THE EMPIRE'S BROAD GENEROSITY.

SO THAT ABSOLUTELY NO ONE CAN LOOK DOWN ON THE EMPIRE.

...THAT'S ACTUALLY A BRILLIANT IDEA.

IT WOULD ALSO CERTAINLY KNOCK THOSE BELLOT POLITICIANS WHO ARE JUST STANDING BY...

...IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY DOWN A PEG.

OHO...

THAT'S A TRULY EXCELLENT IDEA, ISN'T IT?

AS LONG AS BELLOT DOESN'T PUT UP A MASSIVE RESISTANCE,

IT IS LIKELY THE BEST ALTERNATIVE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

YES. IF THE CROWN PRINCESS HAS ANY SENSE, SHE'LL AGREE TO IT QUICKLY.

THAT DRAGGING THIS OUT INTO A LONG WAR OF ATTRITION WON'T BENEFIT EITHER SIDE...

IS SOMETHING SHE SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE.

I AGREE AS WELL, BUT IT IS A BIT SURPRISING.

WHAT IS?

IT SEEMS LIKE A RATHER MODERATE STRATEGY, QUITE UNLIKE YOUR MAJESTY'S USUAL APPROACH.

I WAS HONESTLY WORRIED THAT YOU MIGHT RAID THE BELLOT ROYAL PALACE SOON

AND LOOT ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THEY HAD.

OPEN THE DOOR!!

WELL, I CAN'T BLAME YOU.

SINCE THIS WASN'T MY IDEA.

IT WAS MISS DIAZ'S IDEA.

...!

...IT'S SURPRISING ALL OVER AGAIN.

I MEAN MISS DIAZ'S OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE.

IN FACT, THIS ISN'T EVEN THE FIRST TIME, IS IT?

THERE WAS THE INCIDENT WITH DUKE CAMELOT LAST TIME, TOO.

SHE POSSESSES DEEP KNOWLEDGE IN VARIOUS FIELDS, AND ON TOP OF THAT,

SHE'S ALREADY FAMOUS WITHIN THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT FOR BEING HIGHLY COMPETENT AT HER JOB.

I HEARD SHE EVEN PASSED THE RECRUITMENT EXAM AT THE TOP OF HER CLASS?

THAT'S NOT ALL. SHE ALSO GRADUATED AT THE TOP OF HER CLASS FROM THE ACADEMY'S PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S INCREDIBLE~ SHE'S A TALENT WHO COULD EASILY RISE TO A MUCH HIGHER POSITION,

RATHER THAN SITTING IN A QUIET POST LIKE THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

SO WHAT I WANT TO SAY RIGHT NOW IS-

I WISH BLUE HAWK HAD JUST ONE TALENT LIKE HER!!

THEN MY WORKLOAD WOULD DECREASE AND MY LIFE WOULD BE A BIT MORE LIVABLE!!

CAN'T YOU JUST RECRUIT MORE PERSONNEL?

THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!!

YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT IT ISN'T SOMETHING JUST ANYONE CAN JOIN.

COMPETENCE IS A GIVEN, BUT THEIR IDENTITY MUST ALSO BE ABSOLUTELY SPOTLESS.

THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD EASILY FIND SOMEONE LIKE TH-

...YOUR MAJESTY.

YOU'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, HAVEN'T YOU?

THAT IF I FOUND AN OUTSTANDING TALENT WHO MET MY STANDARDS,

I COULD SCOUT THEM BY OFFERING A TOP-TIER SALARY AND BENEFITS.

I DID SAY THAT.

HMM....

MISS CAROLINA DIAZ?

A LETTER HAS ARRIVED FOR YOU, MISS DIAZ.

OH MY, THANK YOU.

...FROM THE INTERNAL IMPERIAL PALACE MAIL?

I'VE NEVER RECEIVED ONE OF THESE BEFORE...

Who sent it?

COULD IT POSSIBLY BE FROM SIR ROJAS~?

!

THIS IS...

IT'S FROM KYLE, ISN'T IT?