Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 155

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

Chapter 155
I glanced toward Ibeta and found her managing beautifully.
“Thank you so much for attending my debutante ball.”
Ibeta was exchanging greetings in turn with the noblewomen her aunt introduced.
From where I stood, I could barely hear her voice.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Saint. I am Melita Isod, the princess of the Duchy of Nar and the wife of the Duke of House of Isod. It seems God Minos has chosen such a lovely person to be His Saint.”
Most of the nobility present were seeing Ibeta in person for the first time.
They greeted her warmly and favorably, struck by her youthful appearance and petite frame.
‘Winning affection is good, but she needs more than just that.’
Ibeta also needed authority as a Saint.
‘Authority is demonstrated through power. And our Ibeta is incredibly strong.’
“Thank you, Melita,” Ibeta said.
She smiled brightly, her eyes widening as if delighted by the duchess’s praise.
“May the goddess’s blessing be upon House of Isod.”
Ibeta invoked a Blessing on the duchess.
Using Holy Power so potent it filled the entire Ball Hall, exactly as we’d planned before the debutante event.
“Oh my.”
“It seems the rumors about the Saint’s Holy Power being strong enough to fill the square are more than mere talk.”
Ibeta’s Holy Power was exceptionally strong even among the Saints and Holy Ones of ages past.
“God Minos has granted me far more strength than I deserve. I’m still clumsy at controlling it,” Ibeta answered humbly as praise poured forth.
Despite her nervous appearance at the entrance, Ibeta was truly made for the stage.
The nobles’ demeanor toward her became markedly more respectful, sensing the obvious favor of God Minos in that power.
‘Cute and strong — that really is the best combination.’
I didn’t need to worry about Ibeta’s side of things.
Judging by the crowd surrounding her, she’d be busy for quite some time.
I accepted the guidance of a Knight dressed as a handmaiden and made my way to the Rest Room where Ed was waiting.
With everyone’s attention fixed on Ibeta and the path to the Rest Room apparently cordoned off, I encountered no one on the way.
I exchanged a silent bow with the Knight who’d taken the trouble to escort me, then opened the Rest Room door.
Ed, knowing I would come, moved toward me the moment he heard the door open.
“Lina….”
Ed greeted me with a smile, then his expression shifted to surprise.
But I was equally startled.
I’d never seen Ed dressed like an emperor before.
Usually, Ed disliked cumbersome things and favored comfortable, minimally decorated clothing.
So the difference was striking, even to someone as familiar with his beauty as I was.
‘He’s too… handsome….’
Noticing my awkwardness, Ed pulled me into his arms.
Then he whispered teasingly.
“Should I have shown you my ball attire beforehand?”
His familiar voice and familiar embrace melted away the awkwardness in an instant.
“If there had been time to show me your ball attire, wouldn’t it have made more sense to arrange a proper meeting?” I asked playfully on behalf of the Knight he’d enlisted in his service.
‘Oh, and there’s also the matter of Helen.’
“And when you returned from Dietar earlier, you left Helen behind. Did you instruct him to praise you to my parents?”
I narrowed my eyes as I asked, and Ed glanced away.
“I got caught. I did tell him.”
Ed made a belated excuse.
“I didn’t.”
“Then why are you avoiding my gaze?”
Even as I gave him a skeptical look, Ed remained composed.
“I simply told him to stay by your side well.”
This time, he didn’t avoid my eyes.
“So Helen chose to do what you wanted because he’s the kind of talented person who understands your wishes?”
But some truths have hidden meanings beneath them.
Ed flinched at my observation.
I sighed dramatically and reprimanded him.
“Don’t do that again. It was embarrassing.”
I was never comfortable ordering around Attendants or Knights the way Ed did so naturally.
And it seemed I never would be.
‘Can I even become an empress like this?’
In nations with weak women’s rights, imperial consorts often held limited authority, but the Regencia Empire was not one of them.
The empress was expected to serve as the emperor’s political partner and shoulder one pillar of imperial governance.
‘I’m someone without charisma or dignity.’
As my serious concerns about whether I could truly become empress began to lengthen, Ed hurried to answer me.
“I understand. I’ll be careful.”
I already knew that as long as Ed was emperor, our love could never belong entirely to us alone.
I also understood that it was better to have the Knights go to some trouble than for Ed to either stay behind in Dietar or appear directly at the ball to meet me.
But demands that went beyond simply relaying messages were certainly excessive. Like having them dress as servants.
“As for Helen and that Knight from earlier….”
Normally, an apology would follow those words.
But the man before me was an emperor.
“Right. What should we do?”
An emperor using Knights to praise himself to his lover’s family or having them dress as handmaidens to arrange dates was decidedly far from the image of a just ruler.
But that wasn’t something Ed needed to apologize for.
An emperor’s apology carried weight equal to the empire itself.
Since I’d ended my thought as a question, Ed rolled his eyes before answering.
“Give them a bonus?”
A very imperial answer.
“That attitude of trying to solve everything with money is… well, not terrible, but….”
Sensing my ambivalence, Ed drove his point home.
“Give them a generous bonus?”
The emperor, known as the richest man on the Continent, would hardly be modest with his generosity, so this was acceptable.
‘It’s more certain than mere words, at least.’
For most workers, monetary compensation is more effective than a heartfelt apology.
I hoped both Knights were the type like me.
“Don’t forget to do it.”
I repeatedly urged him until I extracted the promise.
“Yes.”
Ed nodded readily.
The moment I softened my expression from the deliberately stern look I’d been holding, Ed pulled me close again.
Then, frustrated that he couldn’t kiss me because of the formal makeup, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“You’re so beautiful, Lina.”
His lips brushed my skin with each word.
Receiving such fervent affection made this room feel less like Ibeta’s debutante ball and more like my private chamber at the Separate Palace.
“Ed, can we do this here?” I asked with a laugh.
“Yes. No one can enter here without permission. This space exists for the emperor’s private meetings.”
I’d meant the timing of it, not the location, but Ed proudly showcased the secrecy of this Rest Room instead.
With decidedly impure intentions.
This was the same Ed who had taken my precious two days off entirely and still seemed to want more.
Our bodies pressed together grew gradually warmer, and his lips moved from my hand to my neck.
I felt his breath against my tender skin.
Ed caressed my waist with an almost pleading touch.
My eyes sharpened as I wondered if he’d actually decided to skip Ibeta’s debutante.
“Now? Are you trying to ruin Ibeta’s debutante?”
I recovered my composure in an instant and broke free from his arms with cool resolve.
Ed looked at me with an expression that seemed to ask, ‘Me? The Saint?’, and made a small sulking sound.
“I’ll make my entrance late. After the Saint has received sufficient attention.”
Fortunately, Ed was at least aware that today was important.
I was about to ask ‘How late?’ when Ed silenced me with his lips.
He kissed me lightly to avoid smudging the makeup, then pulled back slightly and whispered.
“I’ll have a quick-handed Attendant brought in. All right?”
He meant that simply touching lips wouldn’t satisfy him.
But already, my lipstick was smeared all over his lips.
“And you’ve already made a mess.”
I usually wore lip gloss with barely any color.
This was my first time meeting him in such elaborate makeup.
“What is this? You’ve already stained it everywhere.”
I rubbed the corner of his mouth with my thumb.
Far from disappearing, the lipstick only spread further, making Ed look even more debauched.
Knowing my own weakness for temptation, I pulled out a Handkerchief to wipe away the seductive look.
With the determination of a seasoned cleaning maid, I brought the Handkerchief to his lips to eradicate the lipstick, and Ed laughed softly.
“You could always wipe it later. I’ll just stain it again anyway.”
Ed grabbed my hand and pulled it down, then kissed me again.
Far more intensely this time.
Somewhere in the chaos, the Handkerchief fell to the floor.

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