Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 183

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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 183
The plague that spread through the Northern Region was first discovered in the nation of Rubness about ten years ago, with a rodent called a Finkler serving as the vector.
However, these Finklers could only survive in tropical, arid climates, making them a species that wouldn’t be found anywhere but the desert nation of Rubness.
Blue Hawk discovered several Finkler carcasses near the small village where the plague first broke out in the Northern Region, their bodies still bearing the Red Rash symptoms seen in human patients.
It was evidence of artificial intervention in the plague affecting the Northern Region.
We announced this fact at the right moment.
Of course, we left out any mention of the Temple’s involvement.
Since we had no definitive proof that the Temple had manipulated the False Saint’s prophecies, we refused to attack them directly and give them grounds for a counteroffensive.
Yet it was the Nobility Faction and the Temple who had lost tremendous credibility in the wake of these successive events.
Even without us explicitly naming the culprits, suspicion turned their way naturally.
A considerable number of mid-ranking officials from the Nobility Faction—though not the central houses—had been wiped out.
As the people turned away from them, the families that had barely escaped execution began to lie low, and the Nobility Faction’s influence weakened considerably.
The Nobility Faction attempted to mimic the Imperial court by sending relief funds to the Northern and Southern Regions to curry favor with the populace.
‘It was only enough to make a show, so it didn’t help much.’
Even so, their situation was better than the Temple’s.
The Temple too, ordered to conduct self-purification as a religious institution even after its successive misdeeds came to light, faced an equally poor atmosphere.
To appease the Empire’s anger, the Temple needed to offer something substantial as well.
‘But right now, the Temple’s circumstances are too tight for them to offer anything.’
The Temple maintained a stubborn silence.
The False Saint’s prayer gatherings had ceased at some point.
Yet the two factions had long been bound together in the minds of the Empire’s people, so they seemed to be getting by, buried somewhat in the Nobility Faction’s efforts.
On the surface, it appeared both forces had grown quiet, lying low.
But it was merely a ploy to escape immediate difficulty.
Priests and holy knights began to be dispatched to the Western Region.
The Nobility Faction began moving their forces to the Western Region’s borders.
They were preparing for full-scale civil war.
Through reports from Blue Hawk operatives dispatched to the Western Region, Ed learned of the situation and increased the Imperial Forces he had stationed near the west.
Sealing off the Western Region entirely.
He had entered into full confrontation with the Rebel Forces led by Duke Camelot.
At the same time, an elite unit and sorcerers dispatched by the Magic Tower secretly headed toward Diegis.
They were tasked with locating and rescuing the lower-ranking priests gathered in a place where they were under Brainwashing Magic.
It was presumed that black sorcerers allied with the Temple had also been deployed to the Rebel Forces, so the timing aimed for when surveillance personnel would be reduced.
The Lord of Peram, who bordered Diegis directly, provided passage, making the infiltration smooth.
The Imperial Forces garrisoned near the Western Region served the dual purpose of misdirection while the infiltrating unit made its way back from Diegis.
Fortunately, the deception worked beautifully.
The Western Region had many mines and little farmland.
Now the stored grain reserves were nearly depleted, with harvest approaching.
As a result, Ed’s reason for sealing off the Western Region and waiting appeared naturally to be for cutting off supplies.
Before winter, they would need to purchase grain from the Southern Region or foreign nations, but with routes to other areas blocked, the resentment of the Western Region’s population was reported to be immense.
‘The Nobility Faction, fearing a coup from their own Fief population, are draining their private coffers to provide grain, but they must be reaching their limits.’
When Ed stationed the Imperial Forces, he had already issued an Amnesty Edict promising no punishment for those who surrendered.
In just three days, white flags began appearing on the gates of territories near where the Imperial Forces were garrisoned, one by one.
At that moment, word came from the soldiers infiltrating Diegis that they had found the black sorcerers’ hiding place.
According to Priest Udap, the number of victims appeared to be in the hundreds—fortunate news, in its way.
Out of caution, they had avoided armed conflict with the black sorcerers so far, but it didn’t seem the operation would fail.
If things continued as planned, the civil war could be concluded with almost no loss of life, exactly as desired.
Ed planned an early offensive to accelerate the war’s end.
* * *
I couldn’t hide my worried expression as I watched Ed dress in his Ceremonial Armor for the ceremonial departure.
“Do you really have to go?”
I knew I should let him go with composure, but no matter how I tried to reassure myself, I couldn’t stomach the situation.
Aside from my own reluctance to send a lover to war, I couldn’t shake the thought: ‘The Imperial Forces would win overwhelmingly even without Ed.’
Ed smiled and kissed my pouting lip.
“I’ll be back soon.”
There wasn’t a trace of tension in him.
It seemed closer to a resolve to quickly dispatch a tiresome but necessary task.
Because of that, I did feel somewhat reassured.
“Soon? When exactly?”
As I complained without reason, Ed laughed and widened his eyes soothingly.
“As fast as possible. I’ll be back within a week.”
Leading an army, it would take just over a week just to reach the Western Region.
I grumbled at Ed for promising an impossible timeframe.
“Even if you left and came right back, it still wouldn’t work.”
At my sullen tone, Ed considered for a moment before adding:
“Should I not go?”
If I genuinely told him not to go, he wouldn’t.
But now that I’d set the stage, I found myself hesitating instead.
‘Ed going is indeed the path with the least sacrifice.’
The people’s hearts had turned away because of the Temple’s and the Nobility Faction’s misdeeds.
Precisely because of that, we needed to make clear that we were different from them.
For instance, Ed leading troops directly, in contrast to Duke Camelot, who was protected in the rear.
Once I’d talked myself into it, Ed smiled beautifully and—I don’t know when he’d prepared it—offered me a Pendant Necklace with my portrait inside, asking me to put it on him.
“When I come back, let’s really get engaged.”
I went rigid without accepting the necklace.
‘Why is this person setting up flags like this!’
A look of resentment reached Ed.
Ed, who had been waiting for me to fasten the necklace with his head slightly bowed, looked at me with puzzled eyes.
“What?”
“It’s nothing.”
If I say it out loud, it’ll only jinx things.
With a displeased expression, I fastened the Pendant Necklace around Ed’s neck.
Ed gently gripped the pendant, then released it and handed me a small Wooden Box.
“What is this?”
As I took it and asked, Ed gestured for me to open it.
I opened it as instructed, and there…….
“Isn’t this the Imperial Seal?”
Inside was something I’d only ever seen in history books.
“Right.”
Ed nodded readily.
Then he handed me a document.
“What is this?”
“A Marriage Certificate.”
“What do you mean, suddenly?”
I tried to take it to check, but unlike the Imperial Seal he’d handed over so easily, he gripped the Marriage Certificate tightly and wouldn’t let go.
I had no choice but to examine it with my eyes alone.
It was already completed, with only my signature remaining as the bride.
“I’m getting married without even a proposal?”
As I asked what this was about, Ed shook his head firmly.
“Absolutely not. This is temporary. I’m leaving it in case something happens while I’m gone. You must not sign it. Or rather, if there’s a need to use it, then you do, but I won’t create such a situation.”
Ed’s denial was emphatic.
Currently, Ed was the only member of the imperial family in the Empire.
That meant there was no one to serve as imperial regent while Ed was away from the Capital.
The imperial authority was quite strong, and he wouldn’t be gone for long, so the probability of something happening was lower even than the Nobility Faction’s chances of successful rebellion.
Yet Ed seemed worried about me staying in the Capital.
He’d prepared such an elaborate contingency because of it.
If I signed this Marriage Certificate, I would officially become Ed’s spouse.
Then I would gain the legitimate authority to serve as regent for Emperor Ed.
‘If that’s the case, he just shouldn’t go.’
I shook my head to clear away the stray thought.
Then I carefully took the document from Ed.
“Ed, didn’t you say earlier you’d be back within a week?”
I drew out my words for effect, raising only one corner of my mouth in a smile.
“Yeah, hopefully.”
Ed sensed something ominous and eyed me cautiously.
I turned my eyes to the ceiling, searching for an appropriate level of threat.
“If you’re later than a week…….”
Thinking I shouldn’t overstimulate a lover with Separation Anxiety, I couldn’t come up with a particular idea.
“Well, I’ll also go out and play without you for just as long.”
I thought that was reasonable, but Ed’s golden eyes flashed like lightning.

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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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