Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 3

...GOOD. NOW, IT'S ALMOST HEALED.

I KNEW THERE WAS NO NEED TO GO TO THE TEMPLE.

IT GOT BETTER WITH JUST ONE OINTMENT THAT COST 1 SILVER.

OF COURSE, IF I'D GONE TO THE TEMPLE, IT WOULD'VE HEALED INSTANTLY...

BUT I CAN'T MAKE HIM SPEND HALF MY YEARLY SALARY OVER ONE LITTLE BRUISE.

THE TEMPLE.

AN ORGANIZATION THAT, BASED ON THE BLESSING OF GODDESS MINOS KNOWN AS “DIVINE POWER,”

TAKES THE LEAD IN VARIOUS RELIEF EFFORTS, INCLUDING HEALING THEINJURED.

HOWEVER, TO PREVENT DIVINE POWER FROM BEING ABUSED FOR MINOR WOUNDS,

THEY CHARGE THE SAME DONATION FEE WHETHER THE INJURY IS LIGHT OR SEVERE,

AND THAT AMOUNT IS OFTEN BEYOND IMAGINATION.

AND YET HE TOLD ME TO VISIT THE TEMPLE...

DOES HE NOT KNOW HOW THE WORLD WORKS?

WELL, WITH A FACE LIKE THAT...

EVEN IF HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW THE WORLD WORKS...

...I GUESS HE CAN BE FORGIVEN.

CONSTANCE!!!

I MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS URGENT, DIDN’T I?!

WHEN EXACTLY ARE YOU PLANNING TO SUBMIT IT?!

OR ARE YOU DYING TO THROW IT ALL AWAY AND WRITE AN APOLOGY REPORT INSTEAD?!

I'M SORRY...

FORGET THE APOLOGY AND BRING ME THE DOCUMENTS!!!

...AND SO IT BEGINS AGAIN TODAY.

ANOTHER EXHAUSTING DAY AS A WORKING ADULT...

...HE'S INSANE.

DONOVAN IS DEFINITELY INSANE.

HE WANTS ME TO ORGANIZE EIGHT YEARS' WORTH OF TAX RECORDS IN ONE DAY?

FOR ALL SEVEN TERRITORIES, NO LESS?

WHY DOESN'T HE JUST HOLD A RITUAL WISHING FOR MY DEATH WHILE HE'S AT IT?!

LINA & CONNIE, WORKING OVERTIME AGAIN TODAY

...DONOVAN HAS BEEN A LITTLE SENSITIVE LATELY.

THAT'S YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR NOT GOING WHEN THE MILITARY CALLED YOU...

CRACK

HE'S USUALLY NOT THAT BAD.

IS HE THAT WORRIED ABOUT HIS MAJESTY'S VICTORY PARADE?

HUH?

OF COURSE HE IS.

HE WAS BRAGGING NOT LONG AGO THAT HE'D BEEN PUT IN CHARGE OF DIRECTING THINGS ON DUKE CAMELOT'S SIDE.

I BET THAT'S WHY HE'S SWEATING BULLETS RIGHT NOW.

DUKE CAMELOT...

HE'S THE LEADER OF THE WESTERN NOBLE FACTION, ISN'T HE?

AS FAR AS I KNOW, HE'S CURRENTLY THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN THE EMPIRE AFTER THE EMPEROR...

...WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE TRIUMPHAL CEREMONY?

WHAAAT?! LINA, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD?!

THERE'S RUMOURS GOING AROUND THE IMPERIAL PALACE!

THEY SAY HIS MAJESTY IS GOING TO ELIMINATE DUKE CAMELOT THE MOMENT HE RETURNS.

AND NOT JUST DUKE CAMELOT.

THEY SAY HE PLANS TO USE THIS CHANCE TO SHAKE THE ENTIRE EMPIRE DOWN.

APPARENTLY, ALL THE NOBLES WHO ONLY FATTENED THEIR OWN BELLIES DURING THE WAR

ARE GOING TO BE COMPLETELY PURGED THIS TIME.

THE WYVERN THAT PLAYED KING WHILE THE DRAGON WAS AWAY FROM ITS NEST IS FINALLY FINISHED.

I'M KIND OF LOOKING FORWARD TO THE UPCOMING SHOW.

...TRUE, THE EMPEROR AT THIS POINT

Well, That's Just What The Rumors Say~

IS DEFINITELY THE KIND OF PERSON CAPABLE OF DOING THAT.

BEFORE MEETING THE FEMALE LEAD,

HE WAS THE TYPICAL TYRANT FROM A ROMANCE FANTASY.

HE TOOK THE THRONE BY PURGING THE FORMER EMPEROR AND THE COLLATERAL IMPERIAL RELATIVES,

AND DURING THE EIGHT-YEAR WAR, HE DRENCHED COUNTLESS COUNTRIES IN A SEA OF BLOOD.

... THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I'M EVEN MORE WORRIED.

WHAT IF SPARKS FLY TOWARD THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE?!

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO MY PEACEFUL LIFE... ?!

PLEASE, LET THIS PASS WITHOUT A HITCH...!!

...LINA, STILL.

I WANT THE VICTORY PARADE TO PASS QUICKLY.

BECAUSE THEN WE'LL FINALLY ESCAPE THIS OVERTIME HELL.

AH...

Sometimes, I Shed Tears...

...UM, CONNIE?

I'M ALMOST DONE,

SO SHOULD I HELP YOU A LITTLE?

REALLY?!

AS EXPECTED, LINA, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I HAVE~

I MAY NOT HAVE PARENTS, WEALTH, OR A TITLE,

BUT AT LEAST I HIT THE JACKPOT WITH ONE TRUE FRIEND!

IF ANYONE ASKED ME WHAT THE GREATEST LUCK OF MY LIFE WAS,

I'D ANSWER THAT IT WAS MEETING CAROLINA AT THE ACADEMY AND BECOMING HER FRIEND!

ENOUGH. JUST HURRY UP AND HAND OVER THE WORK YOU NEED DONE.

THANKS. THEN I'LL JUST ASK YOU TO DO THIS ONE~!

CONNIE, WAIT. WHAT IS THIS?

HM? WHAT?

THESE ARE WESTERN TERRITORY DOCUMENTS.

YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF THE EASTERN TERRITORIES.

I DON'T KNOW. DONOVAN THREW THEM AT ME AND TOLD ME TO DO THEM TOO.

...HE SEPARATED THESE OUT ON PURPOSE?

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

THE WESTERN TERRITORY OFFICER IS ANDREW NOPEN, THAT NOBLE LORD.

DONOVAN PROBABLY DUMPED IT ON AN EASY-TARGET AS ME TO DO HIM A FAVOR.

IT'S NOTHING NEW FOR DONOVAN TO DO.

THANKS TO THAT, I'M THE ONLY ONE DYING HERE. JUST ME...

THE FACT THAT THE PERSON IN CHARGE CHANGED IS DEFINITELY STRANGE...

BUT THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY MAJOR ISSUES.

WELL...

IT'S PROBABLY... FINE... RIGHT?

...FINALLY.

TODAY IS...

MY PRECIOUS

WEEKEND!

GUYS, I’M HERE~!!

HAS EVERYONE BEEN DOING WELL~?!

GRIZEL PARK WEST

MEOW~!!

DO

RE

MI

FA

SOL

MEOW~!!

UGH, WHAT DO I DO?! THEY'RE TOO CUTE...!

THIS IS TRUE WEEKEND HEALING!

IT'S BEEN A WHILE, HASN'T IT? SORRY. I'VE BEEN BUSY LATELY.

YEAH, YEAH. I'LL FEED EVERYONE, SO WAIT JUST A LITTLE.

...FOR A WHILE, I HAD TO WORK EVEN ON WEEKENDS, SO I HAD NO TIME TO REST.

I'M SO HAPPY FINALLY ENJOYING SOME FREE TIME AGAIN.

I STILL NEED TO CATCH UP ON HOUSEWORK AND DO GROCERY SHOPPING SOON, BUT...

I Still Have Plenty Of Time.

MEOW!

FA?!

WHERE ARE YOU GOING IN THE MIDDLE OF EATING-

...!

...EH.

EVERETT ROJAS?!

F-FA, WHAT DID YOU DOOO...?!

OH, NO.

TO ANYONE WATCHING, IT TOTALLY LOOKS LIKE I'M THE OWNER...!

UM,

EXCUSE ME...

...I'M SORRY.

THIS LITTLE ONE IS A STRAY CAT THAT LIVES IN THE PARK.

IT'S STILL YOUNG, SO I THINK IT RAN OVER WITHOUT KNOWING ANY BETTER.

IF IT'S ABOUT THE COST OF YOUR CLOTHES, I'LL PAY—

... WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW?

HE DEFINITELY...

DID HE IGNORE ME ON PURPOSE... ?