Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 174

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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 174
My staying at Renkelth Count’s Estate fell through due to security concerns.
The estate did possess a well-trained order of knights comparable to any noble house.
Yet they were not enough to allay Ed’s worries, which extended even to the possibility of civil war with the Nobility Faction.
In fact, when I asked if I could stay at the estate, Ed turned it around by suggesting that my parents and younger siblings spend some time at the Imperial Palace instead.
‘My parents felt uncomfortable imposing, so it ended with simply dispatching escort knights.’
Even that was only possible because Renkelth Count’s Estate possessed a certain degree of military force of its own, and Rangeldien, where the Academy was located, was something akin to neutral territory.
Though I regretted not spending time with my parents in the capital, now that my relationship with Ed had been revealed, I needed to be careful.
Besides, there was still more to investigate regarding the Temple-Spread Plague.
Before departing for Rangeldien, I sent a letter promising to spend time together, which eased my disappointment somewhat.
‘Mother also needs time with Aunt and the previous Renkelth Count.’
Instead, I devoted myself to researching the Temple-Spread Plague.
It was not contagious, and since the Temple could not infinitely produce patients, no additional cases were appearing.
Treatment of the patients proceeded slowly but steadily.
As a result, those who had been researching cures shifted their focus to investigating what exactly this disease was.
The Ancient Language Fairy Tale Book I had discovered became the first subject of investigation.
Inquiry began into what era and kingdom had produced it, and whether there were any hidden hints within the text.
‘They were also examining the common ground among all patients, from the Former Crown Prince who was the first to those afflicted more recently.’
However, compared to the former, the latter was making sluggish progress.
The backgrounds of the plague’s victims were utterly chaotic.
From the Former Crown Prince, a healthy young man, to the elderly poor taking refuge at Ibeta’s Relief Foundation.
There was no point of contact whatsoever.
‘What method on earth did the Temple use?’
Racking my brains almost as much as I had when pondering a cure, I learned that the Former Crown Prince had a habit of keeping a diary, and I thought I might find a clue there, so I decided to visit the Old Grand Duke’s Residence.
There was a method of having it brought to the Imperial Palace like the Medical Records had been, but I wanted a change of scenery.
Ed came along, naturally.
The escort knights followed from a distance where they were out of sight, and we wore simple clothes to appear like commoners.
It felt just like a date from the days when I was “Everett Rohas.”
I called out to Ed playfully.
“Excuse me, Captain Rohas.”
Using the old title I hadn’t employed in quite some time.
Ed, riding ahead of me, visibly startled.
The reaction was endearing given that it was meant purely as jest, so I called out to him again.
“Captain Everett Rohas?”
Ed slowed his horse’s pace and glanced at me.
“What did I do wrong?”
“Nothing, I was just calling you.”
I laughed as I said “just.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ed realized I was teasing him.
But it was a name with too many sore spots, so he couldn’t bring himself to respond with genuine indignation.
“……My last name changed recently. To Libeynus, the royal house of Bellot. I’m Everett Libeynus now.”
After deliberating, that was the best he could come up with.
It was plainly an awkward answer, and Ed’s eye twitched visibly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I repeated his words back to him and laughed louder.
Ed flushed, then followed suit with his own laughter, obviously redirecting the conversation this way and that.
My mood lifted from the small jest, and I gladly fell in with his intentions.
We rode along a quiet woodland path, talking and laughing without pause.
The Old Grand Duke’s Residence, now a villa of the Imperial Palace, had been given as a gift for an ailing son, and it boasted a tranquil and elegant landscape.
The serene scenery, which I hadn’t seen in ages, made it feel like a date despite the fact that I was going there for work.
The Old Grand Duke’s Residence buildings grew closer and closer.
Seeing our destination now within reach, I asked Ed a question.
“Come to think of it, it must be a long time for you to be coming here too?”
“It is, rather.”
Ed gazed at the Grand Duke’s Residence and smiled hazily.
Seeing his face as he traced through nostalgic memories, I deliberately asked in a bright voice.
“What kind of child were you when you were little, Ed? Was I wrong to assume you might have been a troublemaker?”
Hoping that Ed would recall only fond memories from his childhood.
Fortunately, my intention landed well.
Ed rolled his eyes in thought before answering.
“I don’t think I was?”
“What were you like then?”
I asked with an exaggerated look of skepticism, as though I didn’t believe him in the slightest.
Truthfully, I was curious about Ed’s past as well.
As I coaxed him with keen interest, Ed gave his own assessment.
“Nothing much. I was just an ordinary child.”
Given my experience observing the twins from an early age—mischief-makers who could rival anyone—I knew to be wary of children who claimed nothing much had happened.
I asked with a wry smile.
“Did you also climb a tree and cry because you couldn’t get down, or jump into the lake wanting to walk on water or something like that?”
Even calling to mind only the more universal misadventures of the impossibly difficult-to-raise twins, examples came tumbling out.
Ed then grew serious and drew a line between himself and the troublemakers.
“I got down fine on my own.”
“So you did climb trees then.”
Ed deflected the point.
I had known he had an unpretentious disposition, but it was surprising that the Grand Duke’s son had climbed trees.
“Your parents didn’t scold you?”
In our household, the twins insisted on climbing higher branches and both broke their legs in the attempt, after which Mother had all the tall trees in the garden cut down entirely.
The twins would surely have tried again, saying the competition was still undecided.
Being sternly reprimanded by an enraged Mother was inevitable.
After that, the twins even tied their splinted legs together for a while, joking that they could be each other’s legs now.
As I unfurled the history of the twins’ mishaps in place of my own dignified past, Ed laughed aloud before answering.
“By the time I was old enough to really climb trees, my younger sibling was born, so everyone was busy. I never even got hurt.”
Unlike when he had brought up his younger sibling with a bitter edge before, Ed’s face now wore a faint smile.
I looked at Ed and smiled back.
In the meantime, we had arrived at the Old Grand Duke’s Residence.
The main gate stood wide open, as if welcoming the master returning after a long absence.
Ed dismounted first and offered me his hand while explaining.
“There are usually servants to manage the place, but I gave them leave.”
He wanted it to be just the two of us, quietly.
“They must have been disappointed. Isn’t this the first time in eight years?”
I spoke as I accepted Ed’s help and descended from the horse.
“They seemed pleased.”
“Ah.”
Just as I was slipping into a sentimental mood, Ed added a clarification.
“And it hasn’t been eight years. I stopped by right after we arrived in the capital once the war ended.”
The mood that had been drying up became slightly moist again.
If it had only been a few months, granting leave made sense.
“I see.”
Since we were here anyway, I decided to enjoy the date with Ed at my leisure.
I took Ed’s hand and walked through the well-maintained garden, asking him a question.
“Do things Ed used when he was little still remain here?”
“They do.”
I was already brimming with anticipation at the thought of seeing clothes baby Ed had worn or toys he had used.
‘Could that be here too? It must be, right?’
I asked, full of excitement.
“Then what about a portrait from when you were little?”
This time it took a bit longer for the answer to come.
“……That should be here too.”
“Let’s go look at it right away.”
My steps quickened with excitement.
Apparently reluctant about revealing his childhood portrait, Ed followed behind me slowly, complaining.
“Shouldn’t I get to see your childhood portrait too then? For fairness?”
“All right. If I go to Rangeldien, I’ll show you.”
As I made the promise without much thought, Ed’s complaint dissolved entirely.
We entered the records storage room and carefully gathered the diary before heading straight to the room Ed had used in childhood.
We toured a dressing room with clothes from his infancy neatly arranged, and a toy room where even a small wooden sword worn smooth by his hands remained just as it had been.
After viewing a good while of these charming keepsakes, we arrived at the portrait room—which would be the grand finale of our exploration of the Grand Duke’s Residence.
“Wow, he’s really cute.”
A portrait of young Ed, looking like a baby angel from a painting, greeted us from the entrance.

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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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