Unbeknownst to Me, I'm Secretly Dating the Emperor

‘Could it be something like post-traumatic stress from the battlefield?’

Edwin bit his lower lip lightly, as if he had unintentionally made a slip of the tongue.

“Have you had many sleepless nights?”

I asked, trying to turn it into a lighthearted joke.

‘Talking around it will only make things more awkward.’

And usually, people with those kinds of eyes weren’t bad people.

Fortunately, Edwin’s face relaxed a bit.

“I can’t deny that.”

The heavy atmosphere lightened a little.

“Maybe you were a ruthless criminal who escaped prison and got recruited by His Majesty after proving your skills?”

I exaggerated my guesses in a playful tone to completely change the mood.

“Or perhaps your hobby is stealing candy from children?”

The more I talked, the sillier my guesses became.

“You have a vivid imagination.”

At some point, Edwin was listening to my endless nonsensical speculations like a king enchanted by Scheherazade.

“At least I’m not as bad as you think.”

By the time we reached the alley in front of my house, he was smiling more comfortably.

‘Good job, me.’

I felt a small sense of accomplishment as I said goodbye to Edwin.

“We’re almost there.”

“Here?”

Edwin looked puzzled, seeing no residential buildings around.

“Of course not here, but I can’t tell an outsider where a lady lives.”

‘Even if my identity has already been exposed.’

“There’s no one around, but I hope your home isn’t far from here.”

Edwin voiced a short concern.

I just smiled and slowly turned away.

I could feel Edwin’s gaze following me for a moment, but then I heard his footsteps retreating.

“Hey.”

I couldn’t resist the impulse and called out again.

Edwin paused.

“I’m too curious, probably because the antidote hasn’t fully worn off.”

Edwin turned to face me, and we stood about ten paces apart.

“Everett, you’re a knight, right?”

It was almost a certainty rather than a question.

‘With those muscles, he couldn’t be anything but a knight.’

“You must have fought alongside His Majesty.”

Under the dim moonlight, Edwin, who stood still like a statue, flinched slightly.

I hurriedly explained my reasoning.

“I don’t think you would call yourself a scribe after twisting my wrist so quickly.”

The thought made me feel indignant.

“Oh, right. I didn’t even go to the temple.”

I brushed off the unnecessary comment, not wanting to focus on it.

“Anyway, if you’ve experienced sleepless nights on the battlefield…”

I took a deep breath and continued.

“Then I probably slept comfortably because of you. Thank you.”

I bowed politely, my gratitude genuine.

The current emperor was quite popular despite brutally eliminating his enemies upon ascension.

‘I don’t remember much as I was young.’

To be precise, I didn’t understand the adult affairs as a child.

The previous emperor’s reign was so harsh that the current one was a relief.

The previous emperor ascended the throne because the crown prince, the current emperor’s father, fell gravely ill and had to give up the throne.

‘The previous emperor lived a life far from the throne, enjoying a hedonistic lifestyle.’

He never became a competent emperor, even after taking the throne.

‘He was known to be extremely incompetent.’

Despite being the continent’s most powerful empire, it quickly declined under an incompetent ruler.

Other countries, aiming to become the new hegemon, continuously invaded.

But the previous emperor, seduced by sycophants, neglected state affairs.

The empire’s territory shrank, and its people’s lives worsened daily.

Even our noble family, living safely near the capital, felt the impact.

The empire, barely surviving on its past glory, faced a major crisis then.

Neighboring kingdoms formed an alliance and declared war.

Even then, the previous emperor, confident in an easy victory, indulged in luxury.

The current emperor executed the previous emperor and his sycophants and fought a long war immediately after his coronation.

Without his decisive actions, the empire would have been torn apart.

If Everett Roxas was the emperor’s close aide, he must have spent a long time on the battlefield.

‘And the more sleepless nights he had, the more comfortable the citizens’ lives became.’

“You flatter me.”

Everett spoke in a tone that sounded both shy and proud.

“I’m not flattering you.”

I mumbled towards Everett’s back as he walked away.

‘Is he embarrassed?’

I shrugged lightly and headed home.

 

* * *

 

The next day, as soon as I arrived at work, a knight called me over.

“Miss Carolina Diaz. Please come this way.”

“Yes.”

As I approached, the knight leaned in close, ensuring no one else could hear.

“There’s an order to confirm Constance’s safety in the imperial prison.”

Hearing this good news, my face brightened up quickly, and the knight reminded me to keep quiet.

“We’re to move discreetly. They said you’re aware of the situation, so no need for further explanation.”

The knight looked at me, confirming I understood the situation.

“I understand.”

I lowered my voice to match his.

‘They said they wouldn’t release her until the investigation in the Duke of Camelot’s territory was complete.’

It seemed unfair, but it was still a relief.

The knight, hearing my response, quickly added.

“We’ve said we need her cooperation to cross-verify testimonies, so act accordingly.”

“Yes, yes!”

I put on a suitably tense expression.

“Then, let’s go, Miss Carolina Diaz.”

The knight, ensuring I was ready, spoke loudly enough for others to hear.

I followed him with a slightly melancholic look, staring at the ground for a few seconds before moving.

I could hear whispers behind me.

It was the trio trying to suck up to Andrew again.

When Andrew was taken away, they acted like their own family was taken, but they perked up as soon as rumors of his release started spreading.

“Is it Carolina Diaz’s turn now?”

“Probably. Donovan and Andrew are out, but Constance isn’t. Why else would they take Carolina Diaz?”

“So, Constance must have named an accomplice.”

“Yeah, it was too big a case for Constance alone.”

Their voices were clear, as if they wanted me to hear.

They seemed to think I was silently accepting the situation out of guilt.

‘Or they’re just thrilled at my misfortune.’

The three were five years my senior at the academy but had repeated years and barely graduated.

Failing the imperial civil service exam, they joined the imperial service around the same time I did, resenting me for it.

‘It’s not my fault they’re stupid.’

If it weren’t for the need to keep the investigation of the Duke of Camelot secret, I would have dealt with them already.

‘Just wait until this is over. Kyle and Everett.’

I kept walking, pretending not to hear them.

‘I’ll demand compensation for the damage to our reputations.’

Once rumors started in a workplace, they were hard to stop.

‘Corrections to false rumors often just circulate around the victim and then fade away.’

If left unchecked, the rumors would solidify into a belief that Constance and I were the real culprits of the Western incident.

‘Focus on the important things now. Getting Constance out safely comes first.’

I mentally noted the need to clear our names.

But the trio was oblivious.

Their excitement grew, and they crossed a line.

“Maybe someone higher up is involved?”

“Could be. They say the Renkels and the Camelots don’t get along.”

The trio’s gossip finally reached my mother’s family.

Mentioning the influential Renkel family made the observing staff scatter like cockroaches exposed to light.