Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 205

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

Side Story 7
“I came to report something, but His Majesty left in a hurry.”
I spoke deliberately, lowering my voice.
But Ed only heard that I belonged to the Ministry of General Affairs and didn’t even spare me a glance, simply sitting down as he was.
I was treated like I didn’t exist.
I rolled my eyes to study Ed’s cold expression, then quietly left his office.
Considering Ed’s sharp hearing, I waited until I was far enough from the office before deactivating the Recognition-Blocking Artifact.
I hid the artifact briefly in my Dress Room at the Emperor’s Palace, then headed straight back to the office.
I walked in deliberately stealthy steps and opened the door carefully, but the moment it swung open, Ed’s gaze fixed on me.
The cold expression from moments before had thawed, and Ed welcomed me with a smile.
“Where did you go?”
“Oh, right.”
Caught off guard by the sudden shift in temperature, I answered awkwardly, and Ed immediately rose from his seat and approached me.
As if asking what I was standing around for.
With barely enough space for a fist between us, Ed pulled me into an embrace as though it were the most natural thing in the world, burying his face in my shoulder.
‘He’s been gone for two hours since he left for the meeting.’
Anyone watching would think we hadn’t seen each other for two days—I thought as much while wrapping my arms around him and patting his broad back.
Then I felt a playfulness I’d thought had subsided beginning to bubble up again.
“By the way, when I came in just now, I saw some woman leaving your office. Who was that?”
I asked brazenly, and Ed answered without much concern.
“Someone from the Ministry of General Affairs named Esther, I think.”
He said it as if he’d barely paid attention.
“You remember her name, though?”
I narrowed my eyes as if mustering some petty jealousy.
This was the same Ed who couldn’t even remember Everett Rohas’s age despite spending years with him.
What’s more, Ed didn’t even realize he was misremembering.
When I feigned displeasure, Ed—looking thoroughly flustered—brought his hand to the back of his head.
“Huh? No, that’s not it…”
Delighted that my teasing was working, I pressed on playfully.
“She was really pretty, though?”
Calling myself pretty felt slightly embarrassing, but I was willing to endure a little shame for the sake of fun.
“Was she?”
Ed tilted his head with a vague look, as though he remembered nothing at all.
Then, as if he’d been studying some modern romance manual lately, he spoke with almost reflexive speed:
“You’re prettier.”
I sensed something instinctively off about it, though he must have mistaken it for my huffiness alarm going off.
Ed was too busy reading my reaction.
I swallowed back my laughter.
‘But we’re the same person.’
It seemed like returning the Recognition-Blocking Artifact to Ed would take a bit longer than planned.
‘This is fun.’
* * *
I began preparing something more elaborate and calculated for my prank.
‘The Training Ground would work best, I think.’
The office, the bedroom, and the Training Ground were where Ed spent most of his day.
Of those, the office and bedroom were shared spaces.
The Training Ground was practically the only part of Ed’s world I knew little about.
‘He’s been avoiding exercise ever since the Golem hunt.’
To avoid suspicion while moving around the Training Ground, I enlisted Helen’s help.
I borrowed a Knight Order maid’s uniform from someone with a build similar to mine and gave the knights advance notice as well.
Fortunately, whether they wanted to poke fun at their commander or wanted to impress me, they all agreed to cooperate.
I sent Ed off from bed as he left for morning training.
Speaking in a languid voice, as if I were too tired to lift a finger.
“Have a good day.”
Starting as an act, my voice grew genuinely drowsy, but Ed showed no sign of regret.
“Mm-hmm.”
With a flushed, gleaming face, he lingered, kissing various parts of my face before finally leaving.
He seemed reluctant to go, since I—who would normally still be sleeping—was awake.
I accepted half of his neediness before pushing him away, telling him to hurry off to training.
“Go train hard and come back quickly!”
When I deliberately patted my own waist to show him, Ed chuckled.
“I think physical training is something Lina needs more.”
Ed ran his fingers through my disheveled hair like a comb as he spoke.
He seemed intent on either rolling around in bed with me or, failing that, at least getting me to exercise with him.
Had I no special plans today, I might have gone along just to get out of bed early, but not today.
“I don’t want to.”
I collapsed back onto the bed as if completely exhausted, hugging his pillow and closing my eyes.
There came a small chuckling sound, and one side of the mattress dipped under Ed’s weight.
“Then I’m not going either.”
Ed playfully echoed my tone and pulled me—pillow and all—into his arms.
His hand gradually crept toward my thigh.
That was a genuine red flag.
I swatted the back of his hand repeatedly, fending him off.
“If you keep that up, I’m going to sleep in the Separate Palace.”
I grumbled that I’d lock the door tight and even wear earplugs, and only then did Ed’s hand finally withdraw.
He was faking his sulkiness, but there was no falling for that expression.
I kept a firm look and pressed the issue further.
“I’m eating breakfast alone too.”
I was about to threaten that I’d eat lunch and dinner alone as well if he didn’t go, but Ed conceded gracefully.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Ed finally left for morning training.
With my eyes open, I’d been jolted fully awake by the chain of events that had unfolded.
With the help of the Emperor’s Palace attendants, I changed into the maid’s uniform of the Knight Order.
The moment I put on the Recognition-Blocking Artifact necklace, the attendants burst into giggles.
“It’s really amazing.”
“Right? If we hadn’t kept watching you, we wouldn’t have recognized you.”
“Really? How do I look to you?”
The attendants paused to consider, then answered one by one.
“Well, if we concentrate, you have brown hair, brown eyes, an ordinary build, and sort of a blurry impression overall.”
“Hmm? I see your eyes as a mix of green and brown.”
“I guess there’s some variation depending on what each person thinks of as ordinary.”
In any case, I looked like someone you could point out to dozens of people if you went around asking “Have you seen anyone who looks like this?”
After confirming a few more details with the attendants, I headed toward the Training Ground.
Since I’d already told them to let through anyone in a maid’s uniform this morning, it was easy to get close to Ed.
I watched Ed’s training while clutching the cold water bottle and the towel I’d brought as a pretext to approach him.
‘Wow, impressive.’
I’d watched Ed’s morning training a few times before, but this was the first time I’d seen him so focused.
On days when I usually accompanied him to morning training, he’d end quickly and we’d use training as an excuse for a date instead.
The way he wielded the deliberately weighted sword with ease, striking and thrusting, was like watching a Sword Dance.
Ed’s muscles were aesthetically perfect, but watching him train now, I could see they were functionally perfect too.
I forgot the purpose I’d come here for and lost myself in watching him.
Then I realized I’d been staring too intently—I felt the weight of nearby gazes.
Among them was Ed’s gaze.
His look, which had turned my way for just a brief moment as if something bothered him, soon turned away.
But surprisingly, the knights watching Ed’s training began to whisper in shock.
“Why isn’t His Majesty angry?”
“Is that maid one of the Empress’s closest attendants?”
Various theories were exchanged.
Some were sharp enough to make me wince, while others served as a gauge for how Ed typically behaves in the Training Ground.
‘This is why prodigies are a problem.’
I muttered internally, pretending not to pay attention to what the knights were saying.
After standing and watching Ed’s training for quite a while, he gestured for me to come over.
‘Thirsty, I suppose?’
I hurried over to Ed and handed him the towel and water.
Ed took the water and drank, wiped his still-flushed face with the towel somewhat hastily, then kissed my cheek.
“Eek!”
Gasps of surprise erupted from all around.

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