Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 8

...IS TODAY ANOTHER COINCIDENTAL ENCOUNTER?

WELL. IT IS CERTAINLY STRANGE.

I NEVER IMAGINED SHE WOULD COME HERE ON HER OWN TWO FEET.

...EVEN BRINGING THE VERY INFORMATION WE NEEDED THE MOST RIGHT NOW.

YOU'RE SURE YOU INVESTIGATED PROPERLY?

I DID MY BEST.

HER MOTHER IS THE SECOND DAUGHTER OF THE COUNT RENGELS FAMILY, AND HER FATHER IS A COMMONER FROM AN ORPHANAGE.

HER FATHER WAS LATER APPOINTED AS A FULL PROFESSOR AT THE ACADEMY

AND RECEIVED THE TITLE OF BARONET... BUT IT WAS CLOSER TO A TITLE IN NAME ONLY.

IN REALITY, IT'S SAFE TO CONSIDER THEM WEALTHY COMMONERS RATHER THAN NOBLES.

MISS CAROLINA HAS ALSO BEEN WORKING AT THE IMPERIAL PALACE EVER SINCE SHE GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY,

AND THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC GAPS IN HER RESUME.

...WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT CAROLINA DIAZ IS CAMELOT'S INFORMANT?

PARDON? NO WAY!

YOUR MAJESTY KNOWS THIS AS WELL.

COUNT RENGELS AND THE CAMELOT FAMILY ARE FAMOUS ENEMIES.

MISS DIAZ IS COUNT RENGELS' NIECE,

SO THERE'S NO WAY SHE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT.

THEY SAY COUNT RENGELS AND THE DIAZ FAMILY CUT TIES DUE TO A MORGANATIC MARRIAGE*,

BUT THAT'S JUST A NOMINAL REASON ANYWAY.

*a Term Referring To Marrying A Spouse Of A Lower Social Status.

BECAUSE THE CURRENT COUNT RENGELS AND THE DIAZ FAMILY HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

FURTHERMORE, SINCE COUNT RENGELS HAS NO HEIR,

THERE IS A HIGH POSSIBILITY THAT MISS DIAZ WILL INHERIT THE COUNT TITLE NEXT.

IN SUCH A SITUATION, THERE IS NO REASON FOR HER TO GO OUT OF HER WAY TO JOIN HANDS WITH CAMELOT.

CERTAINLY, THERE ARE TOO MANY SLOPPY PARTS FOR IT TO BE PLANNED.

THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL ENCOUNTERS THAT ARE HARD TO SEE AS INTENTIONAL.

...WHAT HAPPENED BACK THEN WAS PROBABLY JUST A SIMPLE FAVOR, TOO.

BECAUSE THE FACT THAT MY LATE YOUNGER SISTER'S FAVORITE FLOWER WAS THE FREESIA,

...THERE'S NO WAY ANYONE COULD KNOW.

...BUT I CAN'T JUST CONCLUDE THAT ALL THIS IS A SIMPLE COINCIDENCE, EITHER.

KYLE.

I WILL ALSO GO TO THE MEETING IN A WEEK.

PARDON?

I WILL SEE IT WITH MY OWN EYES...

AND INTERROGATE HER MYSELF.

ONE WEEK LATER-

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK~!

MAN, I FEEL SO ALIVE WITHOUT DONOVAN CONSTANTLY NAGGING.

LATELY, WE HAVE BEEN LEAVING RIGHT ON TIME.

I'D HAVE NO OTHER WISHES IF THAT BASTARD DONOVAN NEVER CAME BACK FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

HONESTLY, I WISH THE SAME THING.

BUT THEN YOU'D FEEL BAD FOR THE PERSON WHO ENDS UP HAVING A CRIMINAL FOR A FRIEND~.

WHAT WAS CONSTANCE EVEN THINKING DOING THAT?

I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE ANDREW AND SIR DONOVAN SLIPPED HER SOME CASH.

HOW STUPID. YOU DON'T JUST DABBLE IN CRIME BECAUSE OF THAT.

SHE'LL BE ROTTING IN JAIL FOR A LONG TIME AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE.

...LET THEM BABBLE ALL THEY WANT.

CONNIE WILL BE BACK SOON.

TODAY, AT THE MEETING WITH THE INFORMATION GUILD...

I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO GET A DEFINITIVE ANSWER.

OH.

WELCOME, MISS DIAZ.

YOU’RE HERE EARLY?

AH, YES. WORK FINISHED A BIT EARLY...

...THERE ARE CUSTOMERS IN THE CAFE TODAY.

DO PEOPLE REALLY COME HERE TO DRINK COFFEE?

Seriously?

MISS DIAZ, PLEASE COME THIS WAY.

WE STILL HAVE CUSTOMERS TODAY,

AND IT LOOKS LIKE OUR TALK WILL BE LONG...

LET'S WAIT INSIDE.

GASP?!

JUST GO STRAIGHT DOWN.

SO SUSPICIOUS... TO THINK THERE WAS A SPACE LIKE THIS...

See You Later~

I'm Going Alone, Huh...

NO, I GUESS IT'S A GIVEN SINCE IT'S AN INFORMATION GUILD...?

I JUST HOPE THERE'S NOT A KIDNAPPER OR SOMEONE WAITING FOR ME...

...!

...DON'T TELL ME,

THAT FAMILIAR SILHOUETTE IS...

HELLO.

WE'VE MET BEFORE, HAVEN'T WE?

...I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE ENERGY TO BE SURPRISED ANYMORE.

I WONDERED WHY HE LOOKED SO APPALLED EVERY TIME WE RAN INTO EACH OTHER.

SO THIS PERSON WAS AFFILIATED WITH THE INFORMATION GUILD TOO.

...EXCUSE ME.

IS CONNIE DOING WELL?

...THAT'S UNEXPECTED.

PARDON?

WHAT IS... YOU MEAN?

I THOUGHT IF YOU MET ME,

THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU ASKED.

WHY I'M HERE, THAT IS.

I THOUGHT YOU KNEW MY IDENTITY AND WERE FOLLOWING ME ON PURPOSE.

WAS I WRONG?

... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

IN MY MEMORY,

YOU WERE MOSTLY THE ONE APPEARING WHERE I WAS?

IS THAT SO.

DOES HE HAVE AN INFLATED EGO, OR WHAT?

...YEAH, WELL.

HE DOES HAVE A FACE HANDSOME ENOUGH THAT

IT WOULDN'T BE STRANGE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF DELUSION, BUT...

ARE YOU HOT, PERHAPS?

YOUR CHEEKS ARE RED.

IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU!!

SNAP OUT OF IT, CAROLINA!

YOU CAN'T FALL FOR A HONEY TRAP LIKE THIS!

IT MUST BE A TRICK TO LEAD THE DEAL IN HIS FAVOR...!

WHO WOULD FALL FOR THAT?!

I'M NOT THAT MUCH OF A PUSHOVER!

CLANK

THE LAST CUSTOMERS HAVE LEFT.

WE'VE CLOSED THE CAFE DOORS EARLY,

SO THERE'S NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE CONVERSATION LEAKING.

GOOD, MISS DIAZ.

THEN NOW...

SHALL WE TALK BUSINESS.