Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 70

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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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Episode 70
“Lina, could you spare me a moment?”
Kyle called me in, and I found myself assigned to a sudden business trip.
“It’s nothing major—the field team in Diegis requested we send someone capable of Ancient Language Interpretation.”
“Ah.”
‘That doesn’t sound so simple.’
“We’re fortunate to have such a versatile newcomer on staff.”
“That’s true, but……”
Kyle smiled ruefully, insisting the task was straightforward and the timeline generous—I should think of it as a vacation. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to agree at once.
‘Ten days, though.’
For us, barely a month into dating, ten days felt like an eternity.
‘I don’t want to go.’
I was gauging whether I could refuse when Kyle added something, as if he’d suddenly remembered.
“Since it involves dark magic, I’m a bit uneasy sending you alone. I’m thinking of assigning a knight to accompany you.”
Kyle’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, seeming quite proud of his consideration.
“I thought it best to send someone you’re already acquainted with, so I’m thinking of Lord Everett. Would that be acceptable?”
“Yes, that would be fine.”
‘I’d love that!’
I did my best to hide just how pleased I felt as I answered.
Still, my emotions leaked through—my voice rose almost against my will.
I gave a light, awkward cough as if my throat bothered me, and Kyle, noticing, smiled with satisfaction.
“Excellent. For the mission details, check the contents of the document envelope.”
He gestured for me to read it right then, so I pulled out the papers and looked them over.
“The departure date is today?”
“Yes. There’s someone who can’t spare even a moment.”
Kyle drew out his words with a peculiar smile.
It was the same mischievous expression he’d shown me once before when plotting some prank.
‘He said it was simple, but it seems rather urgent after all.’
“I’d appreciate it if you could leave right away. No need to pack anything. During a covert mission, we source supplies as needed and dispose of them afterward—that’s protocol.”
Then, as though he’d never been casual at all, his expression turned serious as he ushered me forward.
“Understood.”
Just to be safe, I read through the few documents once more, committing them to memory, then bid Kyle farewell and departed.
The papers Kyle gave me included a map to the meeting point.
‘I really do feel like a secret operative now.’
It was close enough to the real thing, but only now did it hit me.
When I arrived at the Costume Room—the meeting point—Everett was already there, waiting for me.
I’d intended to greet him warmly, but remembering we were on a mission, I lowered my voice instead.
“Lord Everett, hello.”
Everett returned my greeting with a faint smile.
His manner seemed stiff, more rigid than usual, as if he were nervous.
‘So Everett gets tense during assignments too.’
Seeing my usually reliable anchor wound so tight made me tense as well.
My expression sobered in turn.
After cautiously checking that we were alone, I stepped closer to him and whispered.
“I was told this would be a simple task, but it’s actually extremely difficult, isn’t it?”
Taking on a mission with Everett was like a first couples’ trip—just the thought thrilled me—but if it were truly dangerous, that worried me too.
I still wanted to show him only my best side, and getting too serious about work might make me irritable. That was the real concern.
When I exaggerated my sad expression, Everett flinched, then burst into laughter with eyes crinkled.
“No, it really is simple.”
His tone was light, his smile bright as a full-bloomed flower.
‘Is he practicing his pretty-boy charm on me?’
If so, it’s working perfectly.
My discomfort about the sudden mission and Everett’s unusually guarded demeanor evaporated entirely.
“I was worried, you know.”
As my tension dissolved and I smiled back, Everett suddenly remembered something and pointed to one corner of the Costume Room.
A box containing the items needed for the mission sat there.
“Let’s start by changing into the prepared costumes.”
His phrasing sounded slightly awkward, but I, still under the lingering spell of his charm, didn’t notice.
“Yes, I’ll change over there.”
Behind the screen, I found clothing befitting a moderately wealthy commoner woman.
There was a Disguise Magical Tool to alter my hair and eye color, along with a false Identification Badge for camouflage.
It was supposed to change my hair and eyes to the most common combination in the Empire—brown hair and brown eyes—but due to the limits of Disguise Magic, I ended up with dusty brown hair and deep tan eyes instead.
After checking myself in the mirror and stepping out from behind the screen, Everett too had used the Disguise Magical Tool.
He greeted me with dark blonde hair and bright green eyes.
We stared at each other’s transformed appearances for a long while.
‘What is this? He’s still handsome. Actually, he seems to shine even brighter these days—has my infatuation gotten worse?’
Then, almost simultaneously, we both glanced away and started talking about nothing at all.
Thankfully, it was nothing that made no sense.
“You must have done missions like this many times before, Lord Everett?”
“The Ancient Transfer Magic Circle can’t be used once the sun sets, so we should hurry.”
Our words overlapped at the same moment, but soon, unusually, Everett spoke at length while I listened.
“I’ve done it a few times.”
Listening to Everett’s explanation as an experienced operative, we made our way toward the Capital Outskirts, where the Ancient Transfer Magic Circle was installed.
Mostly, he assured me there were several safety mechanisms in place to minimize risk.
‘The disguise and fake Identification Badge are all part of that.’
As I listened intently to his explanation, I asked a question.
“Did you see your Identification Badge?”
The Ancient Transfer Magic Circles scattered throughout the Empire were strictly controlled so only those with verified identities could use them.
Thorough Identification Badge checks were standard, and suspicious individuals could face detention if they tried to pass through, so we needed to align our stories beforehand.
‘If I mess up my story and get detained, how humiliating that would be.’
I worked to draw up my inner reserves of acting ability and began immersing myself in my assigned role.
“My Identification Badge says Melina. There’s no surname.”
“Mine doesn’t have a surname either. The name is Edmund.”
Perhaps to minimize my mistakes on this first mission, Everett and I had both been given aliases that echoed the beginning and end of our real names.
“That’ll be easy to remember. What about age? I’m staying at twenty-two.”
Everett shut his eyes tight, then opened them and answered in a small voice.
“Twenty-three.”
Though he’d aged down by seven years, Everett’s face was difficult to pin down in years, so it didn’t seem odd.
Still, seeing him embarrassed about the age reduction, I didn’t add anything more.
“Since we’re a young man and woman in our early twenties traveling together, shall we say we’re a newlywed couple visiting our hometown?”
After establishing our aliases, came the question of our relationship.
I laughed innocently, careful not to let my keen interest show.
Everett visibly flinched but didn’t back away.
We couldn’t say we were siblings or friends, after all.
‘And with the newlywed concept, naturally……’
“I’ll call you Ed. You can call me Lina.”
When I tried out “Ed” for the first time, Everett’s face flushed crimson as if it might burst.
While we’d been formal enough not to drop honorifics so far, his reaction to a false pet name seemed excessive.
Anyone watching would think it was a real one.
‘What if I get so immersed I call him “honey” and he really does burst?’
Just imagining it, my own heart felt ready to explode.
‘This won’t do.’
I cleanly abandoned the idea of calling him “honey.”
My heart pounding so frequently seemed too unhealthy. I decided I’d have to start running every morning after this trip.
‘The heart is a muscle too, so maybe training it would help.’
Walking while entertaining such silly thoughts to bring the flush back to normal, I suddenly saw the Ancient Transfer Magic Circle ahead.
‘So many people.’
Being the only viable means of revolutionary travel savings, the line was long even now, as the sun began to set.
I searched with my eyes for the end of the queue.
Meanwhile, Everett, looking dazed as if his attention were elsewhere, kept walking forward.
Left to himself, he’d walk straight through to Diegis.
“Ed! Where are you going?”
Fearing Everett might consciously process the false nickname, I linked my arm through his and called him to a stop.
Only when caught by me did Everett’s gaze turn toward the source of the sound.
Our eyes met in the air.
Now aware of me, Everett spoke my name.
“Lina.”
The name I’d heard all my life suddenly felt unfamiliar.

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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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