Unbeknownst to Me, I’m Secretly Dating the Emperor — Chapter 9

THEN NOW...

SHALL WE TALK BUSINESS?

...HEH.

THE MORE I WATCH HER, THE MORE INTERESTING SHE BECOMES.

JUST MOMENTS AGO, SHE COULDN'T HIDE HIS EXPRESSIONS AT ALL,

BUT THE INSTANT THE CONVERSATION TURNED TO WORK, SHE BECAME PERFECTLY COMPOSED AGAIN.

THOUGH RIGHT UP UNTIL SHE ASKED WHETHER I'D BEEN FOLLOWING HER,

IS THAT SO?

SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS CURSING ME IN HER HEAD.

...I HOPE THE EXPRESSION SHE'S SHOWING IS GENUINE,

AND THAT SHE'S SOMEONE WHO HIDES NOTHING.

SINCE THIS CONVERSATION MAY TAKE SOME TIME, WE SHOULD ORDER DRINKS.

I'LL HAVE WHISKEY. WOULD FRUIT WINE BE ALRIGHT FOR YOU?

F-FRUIT WINE?

UM, I'M NOT VERY GOOD WITH ALCOHOL...

THEN COFFEE?

NO. ANYTHING BUT COFFEE SHOULD BE FINE.

IN THAT CASE, I'D STILL RECOMMEND THE FRUIT WINE.

No need to consider the owner's coffee-making skills, after all.

The Owner's Skills Are Exactly That Bad.

WAIT, HE RECOMMENDED THAT KNOWING HOW TERRIBLE THIS CAFÉ'S COFFEE TASTES?

...ANYWAY, TO GET TO THE MAIN POINT,

I'LL START WITH WHAT YOU'RE PROBABLY MOST CURIOUS ABOUT.

YOUR FRIEND CONNIE IS DOING WELL.

SHE HASN'T SUFFERED ANY UNFAIR TREATMENT DURING THE INVESTIGATION.

HOWEVER, IT'LL BE DIFFICULT FOR HER TO BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY.

...THAT'S A BIT UPSETTING TO HEAR.

WASN’T OUR AGREEMENT THAT IF I PROVIDED EVIDENCE AGAINST DUKE CAMELOT,

YOU’D RELEASE CONNIE?

...YES, BUT EVEN WITH YOUR EVIDENCE,

WE CAN’T ARREST DUKE CAMELOT IMMEDIATELY.

WE NEED TO SECURE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE,

AND WE ALSO NEED TO VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE DOCUMENTS.

THE INSPECTION UNIT IS INVESTIGATING DAY AND NIGHT,

SO RESULTS SHOULD COME SOON.

THEN YOUR FRIEND WILL ALSO BE PROVEN INNOCENT AND RELEASED.

... THE INSPECTION UNIT REALLY HAS IT ROUGH TOO.

The Hardships Of Working Adults...

...ANYWAY, IT'LL JUST TAKE MORE TIME,

BUT CONNIE WILL DEFINITELY BE RELEASED, RIGHT?

PLEASE PROMISE ME THAT MUCH.

I PROMISE, OF COURSE...

ASSUMING YOUR DOCUMENTS ARE GENUINE.

I KNOW IT MAY FEEL FRUSTRATING,

BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE MUST HANDLE MATTERS CAREFULLY.

OUR GUILD'S HONOR IS AT STAKE AS WELL...

...SERIOUSLY.

YOU REALLY DON'T TRUST PEOPLE AT ALL, DO YOU?

...HM?

...W-WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW?

DID I SAY SOMETHING WRONG...?

S-SORRY. I THINK I'M DRUNK.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO SOUND RUDE...

NO, I LIKE SEEING THIS HONEST SIDE OF YOU.

IT'S ALRIGHT, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

...THAT BEING SAID, MISS DIAZ.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU'RE HIDING FROM ME-

COULD YOU TELL ME HONESTLY NOW?

I-I...

ACTUALLY,

EVER SINCE BEFORE I CAME HERE, I KEPT...

?!

THINKING THAT YOU WERE

INCREDIBLY HANDSOME.

WHA...!

HUH?!

MISS DIAZ, WHAT'S WRONG ALL OF A SUDDEN?!

ARE YOU FEELING SICK?!

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, MISS DIAZ!

CAROLINA DIAZ!!

KYLE!! ARE YOU OUTSIDE?!

CALL A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY!

MISS DIAZ SUDDENLY...!

...IT'S NOTHING SERIOUS.

YOU SAID SHE DRANK FRUIT WINE MADE WITH YELLOWBERRIES, CORRECT?

RARELY, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SHOW AN OVERABSORPTION REACTION TO YELLOWBERRY INGREDIENTS.

THERE'S NO TOXICITY OR SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS,

SO SHE SHOULD WAKE UP SOON.

...NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS OUR MISTAKE.

WE DELIBERATELY GAVE MISS DIAZ THAT ALCOHOL TO PROBE HER.

WE ONLY INTENDED TO MAKE USE OF YELLOWBERRIES' CALMING EFFECTS...

WE NEVER EXPECTED MISS DIAZ TO ACTUALLY COLLAPSE.

NORMALLY, THE INGREDIENTS ARE COMPLETELY HARMLESS.

AZELLA, JUST IN CASE,

PERHAPS WE SHOULD BRING A FEW EMERGENCY MEDICINES FROM YOUR LABORATORY.

LET'S GO TOGETHER. I ACTUALLY MADE SOME RECENTLY.

...PHEW.

I LET MY IMPATIENCE LEAD TO A MISTAKE.

ONCE SHE WAKES UP, I'LL NEED TO APOLOGIZE PROPERLY

AT LEAST IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE SHE'S HIDING ANYTHING FROM ME...

ACTUALLY..

EVER SINCE BEFORE I CAME HERE, I KEPT...

THINKING THAT YOU WERE

INCREDIBLY HANDSOME.

...TO THINK I'D HEAR SUCH A CONFESSION.

MM...

ARE YOU AWAKE, MISS DIAZ?

...UGH, WHO...

Y-YOU!

WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!

DON'T TELL ME YOU POISONED ME?!

YOU TRIED TO KILL ME AND FAILED, DIDN'T YOU?!

AM I GOING TO DIE EVEN MORE PAINFULLY NOW?!!

...IT SEEMS THE EFFECTS HAVEN'T COMPLETELY WORN OFF YET. HER REACTION IS BAFFLING, THOUGH ADMITTEDLY QUITE IRRITATING.

...I'M SORRY, MISS DIAZ.

THE REASON YOU COLLAPSED WAS BECAUSE OF THE ALCOHOL WE PREPARED.

THAT WINE CONTAINS INGREDIENTS THAT RELAX THE DRINKER

AND MAKE THEM MORE HONEST THAN USUAL.

...BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT I WAS HIDING SOMETHING,

AND WANTED TO MAKE ME CONFESS?

YES.

BUT I REALIZED THAT YOU AREN'T HIDING ANYTHING.

I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR DECEIVING YOU.

ONCE AGAIN, I'M SORRY.

...FINE. DECEIVING ME REALLY WAS AWFUL, BUT...

I'LL LET IT GO BECAUSE OF THE "SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE INFORMATION GUILD."

BUT SINCE YOU FAILED TO HANDLE THINGS "CAREFULLY"...

MAKE SURE YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONNIE'S SITUATION.

...I PROMISE.

THEN I'LL BE HEADING HOME NOW.

I WANT TO GO HOME AND REST A LITTLE.

DO THAT.

WHY... ARE YOU STILL STANDING THERE?

BECAUSE I'M GOING TO ESCORT YOU HOME, MISS DIAZ.

I CAN'T VERY WELL SEND YOU HOME ALONE LATE AT NIGHT

AFTER YOU COLLAPSED BECAUSE OF ME.

WOULD THAT MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE?

...NO, IT WOULDN'T...