Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14
* * *
Four days had passed since I met Coni.
It was enough time for the backbiting that had fallen quiet on the strength of the Renkels family name to reignite.
“Such nerve. If it were me, I’d have submitted my resignation and headed home long ago.”
“Right? How does she even show her face at work every day?”
‘If they confine their attacks to me, there’s nothing to fear—that’s the idea, isn’t it?’
“Well, just because she was close to Coni doesn’t mean she necessarily committed crimes with her.”
Even the words meant to defend me amounted to stamping Coni as the culprit.
‘Camelot’s Territory is about a week’s round trip from the Capital using a Teleportation Circle.’
I thought the time for results was drawing near.
I told myself to hold out just a little longer.
‘A week at most from now.’
I bit my lower lip and clenched my fists.
I could let those who merely echoed public opinion pass without consequence.
But those who maliciously led the charge in spreading rumors—I had no intention of letting them off the hook.
‘Especially you three gossiping magpies.’
Once this was over, I’d throw a punch hard enough to rattle teeth.
‘If her front teeth go missing, maybe her mouth will learn to stay shut.’
I honed the blade of vengeance in my heart—very sharp indeed.
Fortunately, the wait was not long.
A week later, rumors reached us that a large number of nobles under Camelot’s command had been arrested.
And the next day, Coni was released.
With words of apology for the false accusation she’d endured.
I spread rumors mixing truth with half-fabrication—that Coni’s detention had been a smokescreen by the higher-ups.
After that, the three gossiping magpies turned around and fled the moment their eyes met mine.
Those who had once curried favor with Donovan began fawning over Coni and me as though we were a new power to cultivate.
‘Just as Coni was released without charge, Donovan was arrested in her place.’
Donovan was too small a fish—he was merely being held in temporary detention at the Imperial Palace—but if Camelot’s guilt were confirmed, then Donovan, a minion of minions, was finished.
‘Unlike Coni, his time in prison won’t be a vacation.’
Enjoy it while you can.
After the trial, he would likely be sent to a place like the mines and sentenced to hard labor.
‘Camelot’s probability of being found guilty is nearly 100%, so the question is just which labor camp he’ll end up in.’
While the Emperor had arrested everyone down to small fry like Donovan, Camelot himself seemed to have somehow managed a tactical retreat, though he could not escape responsibility entirely.
‘It looks like the Duke has decided to admit his guilt and negotiate a reduced sentence.’
Soon came word that under the pretext of Criminal Proceeds Forfeiture, several pristine territories would be confiscated and fines heavy enough to shake the ducal coffers would be imposed.
With tax evasion, bribery, and the creation of slush funds all neatly bundled together, Camelot’s influence was cut in half in an instant.
‘The Duke should be grateful he kept his life.’
The Emperor’s punishment did not end there.
Rumors circulated as established fact that the Emperor’s Faction nobles had dissuaded the Emperor when he attempted to summon Camelot to the great hall and execute him personally.
One of the empire’s three dukes had nearly lost his head without trial.
As a result, not only the Finance Ministry with its several high-ranking mid-level administrators removed, but the entire Imperial Palace was treading on thin ice.
‘Now I’m beginning to feel just how ruthless the Emperor’s hands truly are.’
The Emperor was reliable when he was on your side and chilling when he was not—and it was just as people said.
‘And for now, the Emperor and I are roughly on the same side.’
Thanks to that, Coni and I could walk about with our heads held high.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor.”
Coni opened a Gold Coin Purse he’d received as compensation for his detention for what must have been the twenty-first time, singing the Emperor’s praises.
“You’re that happy about it?”
“Yeah. The more I look at it, the better.”
Coni said gold coin therapy was the best for peace of mind, then shook the purse with a loud jingle, eyes closed in pure bliss.
‘Gold coin therapy, what a thing.’
I laughed quietly to myself.
Coni’s exaggerated boasting about his compensation was half a show for those who’d insulted him.
‘Though the other half really does seem to make him happy.’
Thanks to it, even those who’d once looked down on him as a mere penniless orphan were now trying to win his favor.
‘Wealth speaks louder than words—truly the best.’
I hadn’t found work this pleasant in recent days.
I grinned at Coni with my eyes wide.
After jingling the gold coin purse until his arm grew tired, Coni sat down, then asked as if he’d suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, by the way, what are you doing for the Birthday Festival?”
“The Birthday Festival already?”
Time seemed to have been passing far too quickly of late.
“This is the first Birthday Festival since His Majesty’s return, so they’re throwing a huge celebration.”
Coni, ever plugged into gossip, rattled off the events planned for the festival.
“They’re distributing food to the Slums, and there’s going to be a prayer vigil at the Temple. On top of that, there’s Fireworks and a Masquerade Ball. Supposedly the Fireworks will be the grandest in nearly thirty years. Nobles from provincial territories are pouring in because of the superstition that whoever watches the Fireworks with someone they meet at the Masquerade Ball will fall into true love.”
In this era, magic is employed to create spectacular fireworks.
For the past eight years, with the war on, there’d been a shortage of mages, so Fireworks had been omitted from festivals entirely.
It seemed the court was making an effort to lift the dampened spirits now that the war had ended.
“Even the Fireworks at the victory celebration weren’t all that impressive.”
“Right? But this time, there are over 300 mages deployed just for the Fireworks!”
Coni clenched both fists, saying this was an opportunity not to be missed.
“Want to go see it together?”
I’d also been a little regretful about missing the Fireworks at the victory celebration.
“Sounds good! The Fireworks are on the festival’s last day, so let’s spend the whole day together then.”
“All right.”
Coni and I, playing the part of tax-dodging rogues, huddled together to plan out our festival itinerary.
After we’d perfectly mapped out our play and eating and drinking, Coni disappeared, saying he’d tackle the remaining work.
“I’m going to work super hard from now on. Don’t try to stop me.”
I gave Coni a vague wave.
Like Coni, I too had to work without rest if I wanted to fully enjoy my days off.
During major spending seasons like festivals, the Finance Ministry was always busy.
‘If I hurry, I can skip two of the four festival days.’
But the desire to play drove humans to defy their limits.
* * *
Throwing myself into work like that, the festival began.
My original plans fell through, and I still found myself at work on the festival’s second day.
‘I’ll finish everything by today.’
The one bright spot was that if I worked today, tomorrow I really shouldn’t have to come in.
After working myself into the evening hours, I took a cup of strongly brewed tea and stepped into a small garden behind the building to shake off drowsiness.
Today, the festival’s second day, was when the Masquerade Ball took place, attended by most of the Capital’s nobility.
The vacant Outer Palace was dark, and the lights illuminating the area around the Separate Palace showed brightly even from here.
‘The Emperor and the Saint also met at a Masquerade Ball during a festival like this.’
As I tried to recall roughly when that had been, I made a couple of passes along the path winding between the trees, and my tea ran out.
‘Should I go back inside and brew another cup?’
“Lina.”
At that moment, a dark shadow emerged from between the tree shadows.
Under the dim light of the streetlamp, it was a man in black clothes so dark it was impossible to tell if he was even human.
‘What? An intruder?’
I caught sight of the white mask covering the mystery man’s face and recoiled, my body jerking backward.
The thought that I should turn and run to where people were flashed through my mind, but my legs wouldn’t obey.
“Just a moment.”
The masked figure closed the distance even faster than I could back away.
‘So my end is to witness an assassin who infiltrated the Imperial Palace and be killed as an extra.’
The gap had closed. The masked figure reached out toward me.
Frozen with fear, I was about to scream for the guards when my mouth was covered.
“Shhh, it’s me, Lina.”
The dark shadow hesitated for a moment before adding,
“Everett.”
Only then did the familiar voice reach my ears and register.
As Everett sensed that I’d relaxed somewhat, he whispered,
“If you scream now, I’ll be in real trouble.”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
Everett’s hand slowly withdrew.
With tears welling up, I complained in a low voice.
“You scared me.”
My voice was quiet—I wasn’t screaming—but it was dense with compressed anger.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s enough!”
I answered curtly and wiped away the tears that had gathered, and Everett flinched.
“I didn’t know you’d be this startled.”
Everett reached up to scratch his head sheepishly when his hand brushed against the mask.
“Oh. Because of this?”
Everett belatedly removed the white mask that covered his entire face.
As he did, he brushed back his disheveled hair with a casual hand.
At that very moment, the thick clouds that had been obscuring the moon were blown away by the wind.
Moonlight, nearly at its fullness, shone down upon Everett’s head like a spotlight.
“Is that better?”
The suspiciously dark clothes transformed into a decadent all-black look.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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