Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 25

...SO WHAT YOUR MAJESTY IS SAYING IS...

INSTEAD OF REDUCING BELLOT'S WAR REPARATIONS BY MORE THAN HALF,

AND SETTING THE REPAYMENT PERIOD INDEFINITELY...

YOU ARE DEMANDING THE CROWN OF BELLOT BE PRESENTED TO THE EMPIRE?

YES. IT'S A PROPOSAL WHERE YOU WOULDN'T LOSE OUT EITHER, RIGHT?

AFTERALL, IT'S NOT REALISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

...IF WHAT YOUR MAJESTY WANTS IS A FORM OF COMPENSATION,

WE WILL COMPENSATE FOR IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

I FIND THAT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT.

HAVEN'T YOU REPEATEDLY ASKED FOR THE REPARATIONS TO BE REDUCED UNTIL NOW?

IS THERE A BETTER COUNTERMEASURE THAN THIS AT PRESENT?

THE CROWN IS NOT A SIMPLE ORNAMENT.

AUTHORITY, HISTORY, SOVEREIGNTY, TRADITION.

THE SYMBOL OF THE NATION ITSELF THAT ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING.

DOES THIS MEAN THAT IF THEY LACK WEALTH, THEY WILL TRAMPLE ON OUR HONOR

AND MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF IT...!

WELL, DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH.

SINCE I PLAN TO RETURN THE CROWN AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME ANYWAY.

FOR EXAMPLE-

DURING THE CROWN PRINCESS'S CORONATION CEREMONY.

THE CROWN PRINCESS IS A WOMAN WITH A REFINED POLITICAL SENSE, WHICH IS RARE FOR A BELLOTIAN.

EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS THE LOWEST-RANKING PRINCESS BEFORE THE WAR,

SHE QUICKLY READ THE SIGNS OF DEFEAT, PERSUADED THE MINISTERS TO PROCEED WITH NEGOTIATIONS, AND SO ON...

BECAUSE SHE'S SOMEONE WHO EARNED HER CURRENT AUTHORITY SOLELY THROUGH HER RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS,

SHE SHOULD FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MEANING BEHIND MY WORDS.

...I WILL ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL POSITIVELY.

HOWEVER, COULD YOU PLEASE WAIT

UNTIL THE DAY I SEND A MESSAGE BACK TO MY HOME COUNTRY AND RECEIVE HIS MAJESTY THE KING'S APPROVAL?

I'LL DO THAT.

ALSO, ALONG WITH THAT-

I WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH CONCRETE DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE STATE MARRIAGE,

AND CONVEY THEM TO MY HOME COUNTRY.

WELCOMING AN IMPERIAL PRINCE CONSORT...

...IS AN UNPRECEDENTED EVENT FOR BELLOT AS WELL.

I WAS ACTUALLY PLANNING TO DISCUSS THAT TODAY ANYWAY.

THIS IS...?

THESE ARE THE PROFILES OF THE CANDIDATES FOR PRINCE CONSORT.

EVEN IF IT'S A POLITICAL MARRIAGE, WE CANNOT IGNORE THE CROWN PRINCESS'S INTENTIONS.

...THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

IS THERE ANYONE WHO CATCHES YOUR EYE?

TH-THAT'S NOT IT.

IT'S JUST...

Mutter..

...I SEE THERE IS SOMEONE WITH BLACK HAIR.

...HOW IS IT?

IT'S A MASTERPIECE MADE BY ROASTING THE COFFEE BEANS FOR THE OPTIMAL AMOUNT OF TIME,

AND EVEN GETTING THE EXACT AMOUNT OF WATER RIGHT...!

...MY GOODNESS, THIS-

IT'S DELICIOUS!

IT DOESN'T EVEN TASTE BURNT AND IT'S REALLY CLEAN.

Really?!

Yes!

WHEN YOU SUDDENLY ASKED ME TO TASTE-TEST YOUR COFFEE,

AND EVEN SENT THAT MESSAGE THROUGH THE IMPERIAL PALACE MAIL, I WAS QUITE SURPRISED BUT...

To Miss Diaz. How are you? It's nothing else, but regarding a new menu item, I have an earnest favor..(omitted)

IT CERTAINLY TASTES INCOMPARABLY BETTER THAN BEFORE.

YOU SHOULD GET A LOT MORE CUSTOMERS FROM NOW ON.

THAT'S A RELIEF. JUST AS YOU ADVISED BEFORE,

I CONTACTED A FAMOUS CAFE IN THE CAPITAL AND GOT THEIR BEANS.

THEN FROM NOW ON, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT DIFFERENTIATES YOU FROM OTHER CAFES.

YOU NEED TO CREATE A REASON WHY PEOPLE MUST COME HERE EVEN IF THE BEANS ARE THE SAME.

SHOWING THEM THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE COFFEE FIRSTHAND,

OR LETTING THEM SMELL THE AROMA OF THE BEANS BEFORE CHOOSING A MENU ITEM...

A premium strategy, I guess?

PAYING ATTENTION TO A SIGNATURE MENU ITEM OR THE INTERIOR IS ANOTHER METHOD.

AND ALSO-

...AS EXPECTED,

IT SEEMS MY EYE FOR PEOPLE WASN'T WRONG.

MISS DIAZ, BY ANY CHANCE, DO YOU HAVE ANY INTENTION OF...

...CONTINUING TO HELP ME BY MY SIDE LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE?

...OPERATING THE CAFE?

I think that would be a bit difficult...

THAT WOULD BE NICE TOO,

BUT THIS IS ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.

TO GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT-

AS THE GUILD MASTER OF BLUE HAWK, AN INFORMATION GUILD DIRECTLY UNDER THE IMPERIAL FAMILY,

I WOULD LIKE TO OFFICIALLY OFFER YOU A POSITION TO JOIN US, MISS DIAZ.

A-AN OFFER TO JOIN?!

BLUE HAWK WANTS ME?

BUT I'M JUST AN ORDINARY IMPERIAL PALACE OFFICIAL...!

THAT'S NOT TRUE. YOU ARE MY SAVIOR, MISS DIAZ.

BESIDES, ACCORDING TO WHAT HIS MAJ- SIR ROJAS TOLD ME,

I HEARD YOU RECENTLY GAVE SOME EXCELLENT ADVICE REGARDING THE REPARATIONS ISSUE WITH BELLOT AS WELL.

TH-THAT'S...

SIR ROJAS JUST LISTENED CAREFULLY TO MY OPINION, THAT'S ALL.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE MODEST.

BECAUSE I HAVE FELT IT EVER SINCE THE INCIDENT WITH DUKE CAMELOT THE OTHER DAY.

THAT YOU, MISS DIAZ, ARE A TALENT WHO EXCELS IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.

...AND TO CLARIFY THIS BEFOREHAND FOR THE SAKE OF MUTUAL TRUST,

THE CURRENT STATE OF BLUE HAWK IS A BIT OF AN EMERGENCY.

EVER SINCE HIS MAJESTY RETURNED FROM THE WAR, OUR WORKLOAD HAS INCREASED SEVERAL TIMES OVER...

JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I HAVEN'T SLEPT FOR MORE THAN THREE HOURS STRAIGHT RECENTLY.

I SUPPOSE IT'S A RELIEF THAT I DON'T LACK COFFEE TO DRINK.

Since I happen to be running a cafe.

I can feel it... The familiar aura of an exhausted office worker...

SO THEIR WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED...

WELL, ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL STORY, THE MEMBERS OF BLUE HAWK ARE IN THEIR BUSIEST PERIOD RIGHT NOW.

FOR THE EMPEROR, WHO ASCENDED TO THE THRONE AT THE AGE OF FIFTEEN,

THERE WERE STILL COUNTLESS ENEMIES REMAINING, EXCLUDING THE LATE EMPEROR'S FACTION.

NOBLES WHO THOUGHT THE YOUNG EMPEROR WAS A PUSHOVER AND TRIED TO CONTROL HIM,

AND CORRUPT OFFICIALS WHO COLLUDED WITH ENEMY NATIONS DURING THE WAR TO LINE THEIR OWN POCKETS.

AND THE ONES WHO PLAYED THE MOST ACTIVE ROLE IN THE PROCESS OF ROOTING THEM OUT...

...WERE NONE OTHER THAN THE EMPEROR'S INTELLIGENCE NETWORK, BLUE HAWK.

...WHICH MEANS, AS EXPECTED...

THIS ISN'T A PLACE FOR AN EXTRA WITHOUT EVEN A NUMBER TAG LIKE ME TO GET INVOLVED IN.

AND MY DREAM IS TO LIVE A LONG, THIN, PEACEFUL LIFE.

I HAVE NO INTENTION OF TAKING ON SUCH A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY.

I SHOULD DEFINITELY REFUSE.

...UM, MISS DIAZ.

THIS IS AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT I BROUGHT JUST IN CASE.

WOULD YOU PLEASE READ IT OVER ONCE?

IT'S THE CONTRACT THAT NEW MEMBERS SIGN,

AND YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS THE BASIC SALARY TYPICALLY PAID.

B-BASIC SALARY? THIS MUCH?

IT'S MORE THAN FOUR TIMES THE MONTHLY SALARY I RECEIVE RIGHT NOW...?!

ON TOP OF THAT, OVERTIME OR NIGHT SHIFT ALLOWANCES

ARE NATURALLY PAID SEPARATELY.

FOR REFERENCE, THE WORK I'D LIKE TO ENTRUST TO YOU, MISS DIAZ,

IS NOT ANYTHING THAT DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.

BASICALLY, IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO YOUR DUTIES AT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

ALSO, MEMBERS HAVE A SEPARATE COVER POSITION,

AND THE COMPENSATION FOR THAT POSITION IS PAID SEPARATELY AGAIN. Just like how I'm a cafe owner.

IN MISS DIAZ'S CASE, SINCE YOU ARE ALREADY WORKING IN THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT...

THE BASIC SALARY AND VARIOUS ALLOWANCES FROM BLUE HAWK WOULD BE ADDED TO YOUR TREASURY DEPARTMENT SALARY.

TH-THAT MUCH?!!

GASP...!

...BY WHEN SHOULD I GIVE YOU AN ANSWER?

IT'S DIFFICULT TO DECIDE RIGHT AWAY.

OF COURSE, I WILL GIVE YOU PLENTY OF TIME TO THINK.

SO PLEASE CONSIDER IT POSITIVELY.

...IT'S TOO MUCH MONEY TO REFUSE, SO I WAS TEMPTED FOR A MOMENT THERE.

THAT MAKES SENSE, SINCE BLUE HAWK IS SO CLOSELY INTERTWINED WITH THE ORIGINAL STORY.

ESPECIALLY IF THE FEMALE LEAD APPEARS AS SCHEDULED AT NEXT YEAR'S NEW YEAR'S FESTIVAL,

FROM THEN ON, THE IMPERIAL PALACE WILL BE COMPLETELY SWEPT UP IN A STORM...

AND BLUE HAWK IS PRACTICALLY THE EYE OF THAT STORM.

AND ALTHOUGH THEY SAY THE EMPEROR IS QUIET FOR NOW,

ONE NEVER KNOWS WHEN OR HOW THAT TYRANT MIGHT SUDDENLY TURN....

WHO KNOWS EVEN RIGHT NOW?

HE MIGHT BE GOING CRAZY AND SWINGING HIS SWORD AROUND-

SPOUT THAT NONSENSE ONE MORE TIME.

HOW DARE YOU, RIGHT NOW-

WHOSE NAME DID YOU JUST BRING UP?