Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 146

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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 146
The High Priest regained his composure before long.
Though his expression still looked fierce, he forced a smile much like his usual one before commanding the Intermediate Priest.
“Bring Cardinal Dietrich here. At once!”
“Yes, understood!”
The Intermediate Priest rushed away as if thrilled to escape this place, practically tumbling over himself.
The High Priest’s face twisted as he watched that pathetic display.
The Temple had far too few competent men.
He even had to keep someone as dim-witted and cowardly as that one around simply because his greed made him easy to exploit.
‘He said they searched the merchant ships heading to Schmitz from the start.’
The High Priest narrowed his eyes and sank into thought.
The timing was too precise to be mere coincidence.
Since the Emperor’s return, the Temple had been restraining its dealings.
This particular deal had been hastily arranged to address a financial crisis.
Yet that boy Emperor had seized the harbor and searched the ships bound for Schmitz as if he’d been waiting for exactly this moment.
‘Is there a traitor within the Temple?’
The High Priest mentally reviewed everyone who knew of this deal.
But no one stood out as a likely suspect.
‘If someone were careless enough to be caught this easily, they’d never have dared betray our God and align themselves with the Emperor.’
The High Priest was resolved not to tolerate betrayal.
The Great Work they had long dreamed of was now entering its final stages.
This was a time to tread carefully, one step at a time.
‘There’s no help for it. I’ll have to accept the loss and let this pass quietly.’
The price would be steep, but there was no other choice.
While the High Priest pondered what sacrifice would be expendable yet satisfying to the boy Emperor, the door to the Prayer Chamber opened and Cardinal Dietrich hurried inside, breathless.
“I understand you were looking for me.”
Cardinal Dietrich, who resembled a mangy old rat, spoke in a low voice that belied his appearance.
The way he crouched low and watched for the High Priest’s reaction suggested he feared the anger would fall upon him.
It seemed the Intermediate Priest had explained the general situation as he summoned him.
Cardinal Dietrich was the one ultimately responsible for this deal.
Though the deal had failed and he would have to pay a price, the High Priest had no intention of discarding him just yet.
The High Priest smiled benevolently.
Cardinal Dietrich, who had been anxiously studying his expression, awkwardly smiled back.
‘Pathetic.’
The High Priest suppressed the familiar surge of irritation and proceeded directly to business.
“We’ll have to hand over Harkan.”
It was the sacrifice the High Priest had carefully chosen to throw to the boy Emperor.
“Harkan?”
Cardinal Dietrich started in surprise and asked back, genuinely taken aback.
Harkan was a priest under Dietrich’s command.
“Yes.”
The High Priest affirmed once more, his tone reluctant.
Even for him, Harkan was a piece too valuable to simply discard.
His family, the House of Count Harkan, wielded considerable influence in the Western Region.
Considering that a substantial portion of the Temple’s income derived from the west, Harkan himself had considerable utility simply by existing.
“Will Count Harkan simply let it go?”
Cardinal Dietrich, who had fallen silent for a moment, asked with concern.
“He’ll have to. Surely his own life matters more than his son’s.”
Count Harkan had been receiving assistance with the Temple’s dealings through his son the priest, and sharing the profits in return.
He was implicated as well.
“And the same holds true for you, Cardinal. Your own life is more important than anything else.”
The High Priest’s gaze turned sharp and menacing toward Dietrich.
“Cutting down anyone higher than Harkan would be too great a loss to the Temple.”
Cardinal Dietrich, startled, bowed deeply.
Once the High Priest confirmed that Dietrich understood the message, he spoke in an icy tone.
“It appears information about this deal has leaked. Find that leak and take responsibility for it.”
Cardinal Dietrich, who knew what happened to traitors in the High Priest’s view, went pale and stammered excuses.
“They are all faithful and trustworthy men. There couldn’t possibly be a traitor among them…….”
Seeing that he was trembling at the prospect of sharing the blame, the High Priest put on a gentle voice and asked.
“Then, Cardinal, how do you suppose the Emperor learned of this deal?”
Cardinal Dietrich’s eyes darted wildly, unable to think of anything beyond an internal traitor.
Then, as if something occurred to him, he hesitantly opened his mouth.
“Could it be that the Saint’s ability is Foresight?”
The High Priest, about to scold him for spouting nonsense, paused as a thought crossed his mind.
“The Emperor’s luck certainly has improved drastically since his return.”
Ever since, everything the Temple had planned had been thwarted by the Emperor.
There had been more than one occasion when they felt his next moves were read with uncanny precision by the Emperor and his attendants.
Until now, they hadn’t suffered such a significant blow, so he’d merely thought the boy Emperor was reasonably clever. But as matters reached this point, it did feel distinctly suspicious.
The High Priest, eyes narrowed in contemplation, finally spoke after a long pause.
“Throughout history, there have been saints and holy ones who possessed the ability of Foresight, but none of them possessed Holy Power.”
Knowing the future was a power far too great to be given to a mere human.
This was why saints and holy ones with Foresight as their ability had many limitations.
They possessed little to no other abilities besides Foresight, nor did they know the entirety of the future.
Typically, they could only see incomplete fragments of the future, either through dreams or sudden revelation.
“That’s true. This Saint, however, was born with unusually strong Holy Power.”
“She released Holy Power enough to fill the entire plaza, they say. Holy Power of that magnitude cannot coexist with the ability of Foresight. Even if the Saint is beloved by God, the human body has its limits.”
After deep deliberation, the High Priest concluded that the Saint did not possess Foresight.
“Whether there was a traitor or some other reason, find the cause that allowed the Emperor to sabotage this deal.”
The High Priest’s eyes flashed with cruelty.
Whoever had interfered with their Great Work would have to pay the price.
* * *
I hoped Edgar wasn’t pushing himself too hard to secure evidence.
“Even if the Temple claims ignorance and the Blue Hawk can’t find a clear connection, we have the fact that they failed to prevent the disappearance of countless people from the Poor House.”
On mere grounds of negligent management, we couldn’t impose severe punishment.
But if this matter becomes public, the Temple’s already waning credibility with the Empire’s people will shrink further.
Deprived of public support, the Temple will resort to increasingly reckless acts, and eventually an opportunity will come.
“Let’s be glad we’ve gained something unexpected from this.”
When I offered encouragement, Edgar smiled faintly.
“For a lucky break, the haul is quite good.”
The carriage, which had continued running even as we talked, came to a stop in front of the Separate Palace as naturally as could be.
I only then noticed the carriage had stopped, and as I looked around, realization struck me.
‘Oh. I have nowhere to go home to now.’
One day of rash action had such fierce consequences.
‘I’ve lived there ever since graduating from the Academy.’
I stepped out of the carriage, nostalgic memories catching up with me belatedly.
I pretended not to notice Edgar trying to follow me out and pulled the carriage door half-shut.
It was a childish bit of mischief.
Edgar froze in an awkward half-standing position.
I widened my eyes innocently and asked.
“Why are you getting out, Edgar?”
“Huh?”
Edgar’s expression said plainly, ‘Are you seriously telling me to go?’
Like a mischievous child teasing someone I liked, I laughed and opened the carriage door again.
Fortunately, no one was around.
“Have some tea with me.”
At this flirtation, steeped in the long history of the Regentia Empire, Edgar’s expression melted and he nodded.

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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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