Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 28

...HE'S NOT THERE...

ANYWHERE.

AT THE START OF THE ORIGINAL STORY,

THE CHARACTER NAMED EVERETT ROJAS DOESN'T EXIST.

COULD IT BE THAT HE REALLY GOT ON THE EMPEROR'S BAD SIDE...

AND ENDED UP EXECUTED...?!

THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS NOVEL

STARTS WITH THE REGRESSION SCENE OF THE FEMALE LEAD, IVETTA.

BEFORE HER REGRESSION, IVETTA WAS A LOW-RANKING PRIESTESS FROM A POORHOUSE,

WHO WAS THOROUGHLY EXPLOITED BY THE HIGH PRIEST SEARCHING FOR A LEGENDARY HOLY RELIC,

ONLY TO MEET HER DEMISE.

IN HER FINAL MOMENTS, IVETTA PRAYED TO THE GOD MINOS...

MAY DIVINE PROTECTION REACH THOSE WHO WERE SACRIFICED,

AND MAY THE HIGH PRIEST PAY THE PRICE FOR HIS SINS...

AND THUS SHE REGRESSED TO THE PAST TO LIVE HER SECOND LIFE—

THE PROBLEM IS THAT "EVERETT ROJAS" IS NEVER MENTIONED IN THAT ENTIRE PROCESS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE FIRST OR SECOND TIMELINE OF THE ORIGINAL STORY,

BUT WHAT'S CERTAIN IS THAT HE NEVER APPEARED AT ANY POINT.

IT REALLY IS STRANGE...

THERE'S NO WAY AN AIDE AS CLOSE TO THE EMPEROR AS KYLUS...

...WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE HIS NAME APPEAR IN THE ORIGINAL STORY.

BESIDES, HE'S A CRAZY TYRANT EMPEROR

WHO DREW HIS SWORD JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE BROUGHT UP MARRIAGE.

How dare you propose marriage to me? You're dead.

Oh lord

EVERETT ROJAS

EVEN IF HE DIDN'T NECESSARILY MAKE A MISTAKE,

WORKING UNDER THE EMPEROR MEANS CONSTANTLY FACING THE LOOMING THREAT OF DEATH...

NO! LET'S NOT THINK SUCH OMINOUS THOUGHTS.

HE COULD HAVE JUST BEEN REASSIGNED, OR RECEIVED AN ESTATE AND RETIRED TO THE COUNTRYSIDE!

INSTEAD OF JUST WORRYING LIKE THIS,

LET'S THINK OF A WAY TO SAVE SIR ROJAS.

UNTIL NOW, I'VE TRIED MY BEST TO AVOID

INTERFERING WITH THE FLOW OF THE ORIGINAL STORY, BUT NOW...

SIR ROJAS'S LIFE IS ON THE LINE.

AND,

SPEAKING FROM MY EXPERIENCE AS A READER OF COUNTLESS ROMANCE FANTASY NOVELS—

THE MORE YOU OBSESS OVER THE ORIGINAL PLOT AND WORRY ABOUT THINGS CHANGING,

THE MORE THE FUTURE TENDS TO GET TWISTED ANYWAY!

GOOD WORK TODAY~.

HAAH...

...TRYING TO WORK AFTER NOT GETTING PROPER SLEEP AT NIGHT,

I'M SO EXHAUSTED I COULD DIE...

AS A RESULT OF STAYING UP ALL NIGHT FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS ORGANIZING INFORMATION FROM THE ORIGINAL STORY,

Lina's Notes

FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT MOST OF THE POSSIBLE SCENARIOS THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.

THE CONCLUSION IS TO LET THE INCIDENT WHERE THE AIDE IS PUNISHED HAPPEN,

BUT TO FOCUS ON LOWERING THE SEVERITY OF THE PUNISHMENT.

BECAUSE EVEN IF I DECIDED TO INTERFERE WITH THE ORIGINAL STORY, IT'S DANGEROUS TO DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE FUTURE.

This should be for the best...

ABOVE ALL, SINCE THE CURRENT TIMELINE IS BEFORE THE ORIGINAL STORY EVEN STARTS,

THE INFORMATION I HAVE IS TOO LACKING TO JUST RELY ON WHAT I KNOW.

LET'S GATHER A BIT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE TAKING ACTION IN EARNEST.

SINCE I'M SUPPOSED TO MEET SIR ROJAS SOON—

....!

...SIR ROJAS?

HELLO, MISS DIAZ. WE MEET AGAIN.

...GOODNESS.

IS THIS THE FORMAL UNIFORM OF THE IMPERIAL KNIGHTS?

It's clothes you don't usually wear.

AH, THERE WAS A SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT EVENT TODAY...

I MEANT TO CHANGE BEFORE COMING, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME.

AS EXPECTED...

I CAN'T LET A HANDSOME MAN LIKE HIM VANISH LIKE DEW AT THE EXECUTION GROUNDS!

?

I HAVE TO SAVE HIM NO MATTER WHAT...!!

TO DO THAT, I NEED TO DIG UP AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE FROM SIR ROJAS TODAY.

OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, GIVE HIM A WARNING.

SO, SIR ROJAS.

DID YOU COME STRAIGHT FROM WORK?

WHAT KIND OF EVENT WAS IT?

AH, ABOUT THAT.

IT WAS NOT—

I TOLD YOU, NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED.

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

-NOTHING.

THE GRAND PRAYER ASSEMBLY WAS BEING HELD...

SO I STOPPED BY THE OLD TEMPLE SITE.

...THE OLD TEMPLE?

ISN'T THE GRAND PRAYER ASSEMBLY ORIGINALLY HELD AT THE GRAND TEMPLE?

THAT'S RIGHT. BUT THIS TIME, THE HIGH PRIEST

BROUGHT UP SOME STUFFY OLD TRADITION.

HE TOLD US TO WALK ALL THE WAY TO THE OLD TEMPLE AND TRANSFER THE SACRED FLAME TO COMMEMORATE THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN.

...WALK? A DISTANCE THAT TAKES EIGHT HOURS ROUND TRIP?

TELL ME ABOUT IT.

TO GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO DIG UP AN OBSOLETE TRADITION—

SIR ROJAS.

...BY ANY CHANCE,

YOU DIDN’T SLACK OFF, DID YOU?

...IT’S NOTHING LIKE THAT. I FINISHED EVERYTHING I HAD TO DO BEFORE COMING.

REALLY?

YES, REALLY.

...IF THAT’S THE CASE, THEN THAT’S A RELIEF.

...MISS DIAZ’S REACTION IS STRANGE TODAY.

FROM HER TONE THAT SEEMS TO SUSPECT ME...

YOU DIDN’T SLACK OFF, DID YOU?

TO HER EXPRESSION THAT SEEMS ODDLY COLD.

AND UNLIKE USUAL...

SHE ISN’T EVEN HOLDING MY HAND.

UM, MISS DIAZ.

...I HAD BUSINESS AT THE IMPERIAL PALACE, SO I HURRIED BACK.

*BUSINESS: DATE WITH LINA

I THOROUGHLY FINISHED EVERYTHING I HAD TO DO, SO DON'T WORRY.

*LEFT EVERETT ROJAS AS A SUBSTITUTE

THE SCHEDULE FOR THE GRAND PRAYER ASSEMBLY WASN'T ORIGINALLY TODAY ANYWAY.

THE TEMPLE CHANGED THE DATE ON THEIR OWN AND EVEN FORCED THE SACRED FLAME RITUAL ON US,

SO THERE WAS NO NEED FOR OUR SIDE TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR DEMANDS.

SO IT'S NOT STRANGE THAT I CAME BACK A LITTLE EARLY.

YOU SEE?

...I UNDERSTAND, SIR ROJAS.

THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING IT IN DETAIL.

I WAS JUST WORRIED...

...THAT YOU MIGHT BE LYING TO ME, SIR ROJAS.

...LYING?

ASIDE FROM MATTERS CONCERNING MY IDENTITY,

I'VE NEVER ONCE DECEIVED MISS DIAZ...

WHY WOULD SHE SUDDENLY THINK THAT?

...NO WAY!

DID SHE NOTICE THAT I'M NOT EVERETT ROJAS?!

...HE SAID HE WASN'T SLACKING OFF,

UNBEKNOWSTTO ME İ'M SECRETLY DATİNG THE EMPEROR!

NOW I KNOW

BUT I'M STILL UNEASY.

HE SAID HE CAME BACK BECAUSE HE HAD BUSINESS AT THE IMPERIAL PALACE,

YET HE CAME TO SEE ME WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TIME TO CHANGE HIS CLOTHES?

COULD IT BE THAT HE'S UNABLE TO DO HIS JOB PROPERLY BECAUSE OF ME...?!

WHAT IF SIR ROJAS GETS SLACK BECAUSE OF ME AND MAKES A MISTAKE?

I'M TRYING TO PREVENT THAT KIND OF THING FROM HAPPENING!

...IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE REVEALED EVENTUALLY.

I SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THE MISUNDERSTANDING SOONER.

BUT IN ORDER TO PROPERLY PROVE MY IDENTITY,

I ULTIMATELY HAVE TO REVEAL THE FACT THAT I'M THE EMPEROR...

IF I TELL HER THE TRUTH EVEN NOW, WILL MISS DIAZ BE SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED?

IF I SPEAK HONESTLY EVEN NOW, WILL SIR ROJAS THINK I'M NAGGING?

... NO.

MISS DIAZ MIGHT JUST BE WAITING FOR ME TO REVEAL MY IDENTITY MYSELF.

AND SHE MIGHT EVEN FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE STATUS OF AN EMPEROR THAN A KNIGHT.

I REALLY NEED TO TELL HIM.

I SHOULD ASK IF HE'S RECEIVED ANY IMPORTANT MISSIONS FROM THE EMPEROR RECENTLY,

AND WARN HIM THAT HE ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT FAIL.

...RIGHT,

I NEED TO SAY IT NOW!

MISS DIAZ—

SIR ROJAS!

Ah

PL-PLEASE GO AHEAD!

NO, I'LL LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY FIRST, MISS DIAZ.

...IF THAT'S THE CASE.

WELL...

IT'S NOTHING MAJOR.

BUT, BY ANY CHANCE, HAVE YOU HAD ANY HARD TIMES LATELY,

OR IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFICULT GOING ON?

ANYTHING DIFFICULT?

I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE...

LIKE HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR GIVING YOU A HARD TIME.