Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 32

SO BEGINS ANOTHER TEDIOUS DAY...

MY GOAL IS TO FINISH EVERYTHING QUICKLY AND LEAVE RIGHT ON TIME...

YOU'RE HERE, LINA?

HELLO, CONNIE.

BUT... DID SOMETHING HAPPEN, BY ANY CHANCE?

The atmosphere is a bit chaotic.

Ah..

WELL, ACTUALLY, THE IMPERIAL PALACE INSPECTION TEAM...

...BARGED INTO ARNOLD'S OFFICE.

THE OTHER DAY DONOVAN WAS DRAGGED AWAY AND DISMISSED,

AND IT HASN'T BEEN LONG SINCE ARNOLD BECAME THE MANAGER.

BUT SINCE THE INSPECTION TEAM HAS VISITED AGAIN,

EVERYONE IS TERRIFIED.

WONDERING IF SOMEONE ELSE'S HEAD IS GOING TO ROLL THIS TIME.

...WHAT IS GOING ON ALL OF A SUDDEN?

COULD THERE STILL BE LINGERING ISSUES RELATED TO DUKE CAMELOT?

THIS IS TRULY TOO MUCH!!!

TO SUDDENLY NOTIFY US OF SUCH A MAJOR DECISION!

YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT WE ARE SHORT-HANDED EVERY SINGLE DAY!

PLEASE RECONSIDER!

...THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

ALL OF THESE DIRECTIVES...

...HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE EMPEROR.

TH-THE EM—?!

WE WILL CONDUCT INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS WITH THE PERSONNEL LISTED.

I ASK THAT YOU RELAY THIS INFORMATION TO EACH INDIVIDUAL BY THE END OF THE DAY.

What is going on? And what is this list?

OF ALL PEOPLE, TAKING SUCH COMPETENT INDIVIDUALS...

AH, OUR EYES MET.

WHY IS SHE STARING AT ME SO INTENTLY...?

...???? WHAT WAS THAT?

IS SHE LACKING MAGNESIUM...?

A DEPARTMENTAL TRANSFER?

YES, I KNOW IT'S SUDDEN, BUT...

I WAS ONLY NOTIFIED THIS MORNING AS WELL.

IT SEEMS THE IMPERIAL PALACE HAS BEEN SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED SINCE HIS MAJESTY RETURNED.

SINCE THERE'S NO TIME TO HIRE AND TRAIN NEW PEOPLE,

I HEAR THEY REQUESTED PERSONNEL TO BE DRAFTED FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS...

I DID TRY PLEADING THAT WE'RE ALSO SHORT-HANDED, BUT...

THIS IS HOW IT ENDED UP. I'M SORRY...

UM, ARNOLD.

THAT TALL WOMAN WHO CAME TO THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT EARLIER.

Yes...?

IS SHE THE HEAD OF THE INSPECTION TEAM, BY ANY CHANCE?

ABOUT THAT, LET'S SEE...

YES, SHE IS.

HER NAME IS LUCY HAYNES, FROM THE 5TH INSPECTION DIVISION.

...I KNEW IT.

THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE TEMPORARY DISPATCH.

THAT WOMAN FROM EARLIER--

What was that...? Is she lacking magnesium?

SHE CLEARLY MOUTHED THE WORD "SEYMOUR."

SEY•MO.UR.

BECAUSE SEYMOUR IS KYLUS'S SURNAME.

I trust you've roughly figured it out by now, Miss Diaz~

LINA, WILL YOU REALLY BE ALRIGHT?

YES, WELL.... IF THEY'RE THAT BUSY, WE HAVE TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT.

IF IT WEREN'T FOR BLUE HAWK, I WOULD HAVE HANDED IN MY RESIGNATION IMMEDIATELY.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?! THANK YOU!

THEN, TAKE THIS.

THE INSPECTION TEAM ASKED ME TO PASS IT ON TO YOU.

IT SEEMS THEY WILL BE CONDUCTING A SIMPLE INTERVIEW.

THE LOCATION AND DATE SHOULD BE WRITTEN ON IT.

...FINALLY...

I AM OFFICIALLY JOINING BLUE HAWK.

NOW I HAVE UNDENIABLY BECOME A PART OF THE EMPEROR'S SECRET UNIT, BUT...

WELL, IT SHOULD BE FINE AS LONG AS I DO NOT MEET THE EMPEROR IN PERSON, RIGHT?

LINA...!

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU'RE ALSO BEING DISPATCHED?

HOW CAN THEY HANDLE THINGS IN SUCH A RIDICULOUS MANNER?!!

SHOULDN'T WE PROPERLY COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS?!

They should've told us about this much earlier!

AH, ABOUT THAT....

ACTUALLY, I WAS SECRETLY SCOUTED. I VOLUNTEERED TO GO TO THE INSPECTION DIVISION.

So please keep it a secret from everyone else.

WHAT, SO THAT WAS IT~?

YES, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY.

WHAT A RELIEF, I WAS...

PLANNING TO FILE A HUNDRED COMPLAINTS A DAY IF YOU WERE BEING FORCED TO GO!

AN EXPERT COMPLAINER FORGED BY EXPERIENCE

TH-THERE'S NO NEED TO GO THAT FAR!

ANYWAY, LINA, THIS REMAINING WEEK WILL BE TOUGH FOR YOU.

WHY?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHY? YOU HAVE TO FINISH ALL OF THAT AND HAND OVER YOUR DUTIES BY NEXT WEEK.

Oh?

I didn't think that far ahead..!

I BARELY FINISHED IT ALL...

LET ALONE JOINING BLUE HAWK, I ALMOST DIED OF OVERWORK AGAIN...

STILL-

IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, I'LL TRULY BECOME AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF BLUE HAWK.

FRIDAY EVENING, 6 PM.

LET'S MEET IN FRONT OF THE STATUE IN THE INNER PALACE COURTYARD.

...I STILL HAVE SOME TIME LEFT, BUT AM I GOING THE RIGHT WAY?

IT'S MY FIRST TIME IN THE INNER PALACE, SO THE PATHS ARE CONFUSING.

THE INNER PALACE IS CERTAINLY MUCH LARGER AND MORE GLAMOROUS THAN THE OUTER PALACE.

I CAN EVEN SEE THE EMPEROR'S PALACE AT A GLANCE...

...EVERETT?

MY GOODNESS, TO MEET HIM HERE AGAIN...

ARE WE TRULY DESTINED FOR EACH OTHER?

I SHOULD SURPRISE HIM!

-EXCUSE ME.

SIR ROJA-?

HUH...?

...THIS ISN'T...

EVERETT...?