Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 27

...MISS DIAZ.

COULD IT BE THAT...

...THAT MEETING WITH ME IS...

...BOTHERSOME TO YOU?

TH-THAT'S

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

IT'S NOT THAT IT'S BOTHER- SOME,

I JUST MEANT YOU SHOULDN'T OVERWORK YOURSELF SINCE WE CAN MEET ANYTIME.

SINCE WE WORK IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE,

IT WOULDN'T BE HARD TO MAKE PLANS...

HONESTLY,

I ONLY SAID THAT BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU, SIR ROJAS.

...THERE'S NO WAY I'D EVER FIND YOU BOTHERSOME.

I ALWAYS FEEL ENERGIZED WHENEVER I SEE YOU.

I FEEL THE SAME WAY. SO DON'T WORRY.

...REALLY?

YOU STILL NEED TO MAKE SURE TO REST WHENEVER YOU HAVE THE TIME.

Make sure you eat well, too.

I UNDERSTAND. I PROMISE.

SHALL WE HEAD IN NOW?

WE'VE ARRIVED AT THE PLACE I MENTIONED.

THIS IS... THE IMPERIAL PALACE'S ROSE GARDEN.

ISN'T IT TOO LATE TO GO INSIDE?

THE VISITING HOURS FOR THE PUBLIC ARE OVER, BUT...

...ACTUALLY, YOU CAN ENTER ANYTIME FROM INSIDE THE IMPERIAL PALACE.

IT'S JUST THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT.

YOU SAID YOU LIKED BEAUTIFUL PLACES, DIDN'T YOU?

I HOPE THIS SCENERY THAT I LOVE-

IS TO YOUR LIKING AS WELL.

...GOODNESS.

IT'S INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL...

IT FEELS LIKE I'M DREAMING.

I HAD NO IDEA THE ROSE GARDEN WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE...

I'M GLAD THAT YOU LIKE IT.

COMING AT THIS HOUR IS EVEN BETTER.

SINCE THERE ARE NO VISITORS, WE CAN TAKE OUR TIME WALKING AROUND AND ADMIRING IT.

RIGHT. IF ANYTHING, IT BECOMES A BETTER PLACE IN THE EVENING.

THE COLORS OF THE PETALS BECOME MORE VIVID AS THE SUN SETS.

YOU MUST HAVE COME HERE OFTEN.

DO YOU LIKE ROSES?

...ROSES, HUH?

...EDWIN,

LOOK OVER THERE.

THE BEAUTIFUL ROSES ARE IN FULL BLOOM.

THEY'RE REALLY

BEAUTIFUL, AREN'T THEY?

...YEAH.

I LIKE THEM.

I... SEE.

YOU...

...LIKE...

!!

I-I MEAN,

THE ROSES...!

...Y-YES?!

THE ROSES...?!

THEY'RE VERY BEAUTIFUL.

OF COURSE. THE SCENT IS NICE,

AND THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT COLORS....

...IT'S GETTING LATE, SO SHOULD WE HURRY BACK?

THE SUN WILL SET SOON.

LET'S DO THAT...

...SILLY ME.

SIR ROJAS SAID THAT WITHOUT THINKING MUCH OF IT.

...BUT JUST FROM HEARING THE WORDS "I LIKE,"

MY HEART FLUTTERED BEFORE I EVEN REALIZED IT...

...UM, MISS DIAZ.

YES?

THE THING IS...

...NEVER MIND.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO ANOTHER PLACE NEXT TIME.

...WHAT? HOW ANTICLIMACTIC.

YES, I'D LOVE THAT.

—THE NEXT DAY,

IMPERIAL PALACE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

...THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME FOR ME, TOO.

WHO KNEW THE COMMUTE TO WORK COULD BE THIS EXCITING--?!!

IT MUST BE THANKS TO YESTERDAY'S DATE, RIGHT?

THE IMPERIAL PALACE USED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A WORKPLACE TO ME....

OVERTIME!

BOSS!

A TERRIBLE

BUT THANKS TO SIR ROJAS, I MADE SOME GOOD MEMORIES YESTERDAY.

I GUESS WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET UP AT THE IMPERIAL PALACE WHENEVER WE HAVE TIME FROM NOW ON.

WHICH MEANS GOOD MEMORIES WILL JUST KEEP PILING UP...

Like a real office couple~

IF THAT'S THE CASE, THERE'S NO NEED TO RETIRE EARLY.

MAKING THE IMPERIAL PALACE MY LIFELONG WORKPLACE WOULDN'T BE SO BAD AFTER ALL!

GOOD MORNING--!!

-SO

A SWORD FIGHT BROKE OUT?

S-SWORD FIGHT...

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Diaz, good morning.

AH, RINA.

AT THE STATE COUNCIL MEETING HIS MAJESTY ATTENDED YESTERDAY,

IT SEEMS THE TOPIC OF HIS MAJESTY'S MARRIAGE CAME UP.

TURNS OUT THE RUMORS ABOUT A STATE MARRIAGE WITH THE CROWN PRINCESS OF BELLOT WEREN'T TRUE AFTER ALL.

AND THE MOMENT THE NOBLES ASKED WHO HE WAS PLANNING TO TAKE AS EMPRESS,

HIS MAJESTY DREW HIS SWORD AND TOLD THEM TO SHUT UP IMMEDIATELY!

I HEARD IT WAS ABSOLUTE CHAOS. HIS MAJESTY WENT ON A RAMPAGE AND THREATENED TO CUT OFF THEIR HEADS.

I HEARD THERE WERE EVEN NOBLES WHO WERE CARRIED OUT AS SOON AS THE MEETING ENDED.

AND THAT THEY HAD A TERRIBLE TIME CLEANING UP ALL THE BLOOD THAT HAD BEEN SHED....

LIFELONG WORKPLACE

...RIGHT, I HAD FORGOTTEN.

THE MASTER OF THIS IMPERIAL PALACE,

IS A TYRANT SECOND TO NONE...!

RIGHT, SIMILAR THINGS OFTEN HAPPENED IN THE ORIGINAL STORY. To think I forgot about this..

AS IF AN EMPEROR WHO IS RUTHLESS EVEN TO HIS CLOSE AIDES,

WOULD EVER LET THE NOBLES' DISRESPECT SLIDE.

...NO, DID IT ONLY END WITH THAT MUCH BECAUSE THEY WERE NOBLES?

THE EMPEROR WAS ALWAYS STRICTER WITH HIS CLOSE AIDES.

EVEN IN THE ORIGINAL STORY, THERE'S A PART WHERE HE SENTENCED HIS OWN AIDE TO A HORRIFIC EXECUTION

FOR MAKING A MISTAKE.

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A SUBORDINATE WHO HAD BEEN LOYAL TO THE EMPEROR FOR A LONG TIME—

...WAIT A SECOND.

WHO WAS THAT AIDE WHO GOT PUNISHED AGAIN?

DID HIS NAME APPEAR IN THE ORIGINAL STORY?

...NO WAY.

WHAT IF THAT AIDE,

IS SIR ROJAS...?!!