Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 144

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

Chapter 144
* * *
Edwin returned to the Imperial Palace and headed straight for his office.
From the Palace to Lanheldin, from Lanheldin to Dietar.
And then back from Dietar to the Palace.
He had ridden without rest the entire journey, yet his eyes gleamed with fierce intensity.
Edwin summoned Kyle, who had arrived first.
Though his appearance was haggard, Kyle couldn’t hide his delight and began his report in a voice brighter than usual.
“Orders to search for smuggling operations have been issued to all major border regions of the Empire, including Langken. The messengers should reach the remaining areas by today.”
Believing Lina had departed for the Western Continent, he had mobilized every available resource and was in a state of urgency, yet even accounting for that, the progress was rapid.
One could see how hard Kyle had worked in such a short time.
But Edwin merely acknowledged Kyle’s efforts.
Edwin remembered clearly how Kyle had informed Lina about the Border Closure.
“What resistance have we faced regarding the closure?”
Without any praise, merely signaling him to continue reporting, Kyle’s answer flowed seamlessly.
“According to the reports sent from Langken, where news arrived fastest: the Border Closure came so abruptly that everyone was keeping their heads down trying to understand what was happening. But once word spread of a major smuggling operation being reported, and searches began in succession, they became too preoccupied with spiriting away their contraband to lodge any protests.”
Those who protested most vocally would be the first targets of investigation, so they likely reasoned that pretending to cooperate while seeking an escape route was the better strategy.
It was wiser than pointless resistance.
Yet that didn’t mean their strategy would succeed.
“We won’t be letting them smuggle anything out, will we?”
At Edwin’s question, Kyle twisted his lips into a smile.
“How could we let them? We’re doing everything we can to seize this opportunity.”
Smuggling was a serious felony under Imperial law with severe penalties.
Depending on the items and scale involved, key conspirators could face capital punishment.
Yet despite these harsh penalties, large-scale smuggling had flourished throughout the Empire for decades.
During the previous emperor’s reign—a man interested only in indulgence—smuggling had begun in earnest to build black funds for the nobles, and it had only grown in scale since.
Since Edwin had ascended to the throne, as if the nobles were burning their final flame, the situation had actually grown more severe.
Even smuggling with enemy nations during wartime—they had caught only the cases they’d uncovered, which numbered in the dozens.
Food produced by the Empire fattened the enemy’s soldiers, and goods made by Imperial citizens became the enemy’s military supplies.
They chose to sell to enemy nations at inflated prices rather than to the Imperial Army for mere token compensation alongside official confiscation.
During war with other nations, internal divisions couldn’t be tolerated, so they had only punished the minor players the nobles sacrificed, but the smuggling operations of the noble faction were also among the matters Edwin had long been grinding his teeth over.
Kyle, who managed logistics support and intimately knew the details, was equally furious about it.
“Further investigation will be necessary, but particularly with how well-timed we cast our net in Langken, it seems we’ll reap quite a harvest.”
Kyle smiled with wicked satisfaction.
Edwin, too, needed to make things loud enough to bury the truth of the Border Closure as Lina wished, and he nodded with equal satisfaction.
“Root them out thoroughly. Those caught won’t have anywhere to hide anymore.”
Edwin intended to clean up this affair thoroughly, now that he’d begun it.
“Without exception, handle it according to Imperial law, and have the executions of the ringleaders completed within the week.”
But only when Lina wasn’t watching.
* * *
After seeing Ed off, my parents treated me as if nothing had happened.
As if that meeting with Ed had never occurred at all.
Even the Twins and Anika were quietly cautious, as if they’d been firmly warned.
Setting Anika aside, the fact that the Twins were quiet meant Mother was taking this matter very seriously indeed.
‘It would’ve been easier if they’d just teased me.’
I’d expected the Twins would, dodging Mother’s gaze, poke fun at me with ridiculous expressions, but they didn’t.
They’d been warned so firmly that they wouldn’t even meet my eyes and kept their mouths firmly shut.
‘There’s still plenty of time.’
For now, it was more important to enjoy the vacation I’d already been given with my family.
Thanks to the implicit agreement reached, the vacation remained peaceful and pleasant throughout.
The only exception was when Helen appeared early the morning after Ed left, clutching an enormous bouquet of flowers.
I’d forgotten to mention to my family that Helen would be joining us, so a minor fuss erupted, but it settled quickly.
Helen had good social skills and was naturally warm.
Seeing my family’s bewilderment, Helen swiftly assessed the situation, identified the family’s decision-maker at a glance, and promptly thrust the bouquet into Mother’s hands.
“Hello, madam. I’m Helen Daud. Would you kindly forgive my early morning visit?”
Helen smiled gently and bowed in the formal manner of knights, pressing a kiss to Mother’s hand.
Though deliberately exaggerated and playful in appearance, it was effective in dissolving the awkward tension.
Though Mother had been deliberately ignoring Ed’s existence, Helen—sent by Ed—seemed to have left quite a favorable impression.
After hearing the explanation that she’d come as a bodyguard, Mother allowed Helen to stay with the family throughout the vacation.
Helen began approaching my family members in turn.
The first to be conquered were the Twins.
Upon learning their field of study, Helen immediately launched into vivid accounts of her Monster Subjugation experiences.
The Twins listened intently, even adding enthusiastic interjections.
“Once the Imperial Army, pressed by the combined forces of the Kingdom Allied Forces, went to Nezcov to rendezvous with reinforcements. It happened to be during a Monster Wave, so we encountered a Goblin Colony.”
Even Anika, who ordinarily disliked hearing monster stories from her brothers, pretended indifference while hovering nearby—such was the magnetism of Helen’s storytelling.
“With heavy casualties and night falling, I thought we were done for, but even injured, His Majesty…….”
But the story gradually shifted into tales of Ed’s heroic deeds.
‘So Helen had another purpose for coming besides bodyguard duty.’
Inwardly, I cheered Helen on.
And Helen executed her mission remarkably well.
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
“So he fought fifty goblins alone!”
The Twins’ eyes sparkled with admiration.
‘Those two are already won over.’
Ed’s heroic tales, packaged as monster stories, continued right up until lunch.
In just a few hours, Helen had secured the position of “visiting daughter’s friend” and naturally joined us for the meal.
Of course, Helen remained faithful to her mission even during lunch.
When Anika complained that the fruit wasn’t as sweet as usual,
“The Southern Region received heavy rains recently. Excessive rain reduces the sugar content of fruit. In fact, His Majesty just sent relief supplies to the Southern Region for Flood Damage…….”
She’d respond accordingly.
Helen conversed with our family so naturally that you wouldn’t believe this was our first meeting.
When things threatened to become excessive, she also showed masterful discretion—pausing mention of Ed and skillfully redirecting the conversation.
Of course, Mother had noticed at some point that Helen was basically launching into nothing but praise of Ed from beginning to end, yet she didn’t stop her.
She simply listened without apparent reaction.
Yet the subtle darkness that had shadowed her expression since yesterday was gradually, ever so slightly, lifting.
‘The rumors about the Emperor were so terrible…….’
At Helen’s words that he was a far better person than the reports suggested, her iron wall seemed to have lowered about a centimeter.
‘Helen, just a little more effort.’
Whether my silent encouragement reached her or not, our eyes suddenly met.
I raised my thumb out of my family’s sight.
Helen smiled with an expression difficult to explain.
If forced to describe it, it resembled the smile of a subordinate who sees their boss approving of the flattery they’d been laying on.
The smile contained roughly three spoonfuls of satisfaction that her compliments were working, four spoonfuls of ambition to keep climbing even while flattering her superior, and finally one spoonful of life’s exhaustion.
‘You really are working hard.’
I resolved to subtly tell Ed about Helen’s accomplishments.
‘But where have I seen that expression before?’
The smile was slightly different in composition, but the grain felt similar to something I’d seen very recently up close.
‘The Blue Hawk members have been smiling at me like that lately, haven’t they?’
The moment I identified the source of the déjà vu, a chill ran down my spine.
This was instinct and intuition.
‘Wait, did they all know?’
Suddenly, I didn’t want to go to the Imperial Palace…….

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