Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 94

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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 94
Kyle, who had heard Derek’s words from outside the office, hurried in and carefully shut the door behind him.
Kyle positioned himself with his back against the office’s only entrance and visually confirmed who was inside.
“Nathan, Lucy, Sophia, and Derek.”
The names were listed in exactly the order Derek had called them out.
‘So you heard everything.’ Cold sweat seemed to trickle down Derek’s spine at the thought.
Derek’s eyes flicked toward the window.
But Derek had no talent for athletics, and since they were on the fourth floor, he quickly abandoned any notion of escape.
Kyle watched Derek with an amused smile before speaking.
“I believe I overheard you saying, ‘Will you forget that I know His Majesty and Lina are lovers?’ Is that correct?”
Kyle’s gaze moved methodically from one person to the next.
“You’ve stumbled upon something you shouldn’t have known.”
His green eyes glinted ominously.
“Would you mind if I wiped your memories for you?”
Kyle made the suggestion in a pleasant tone.
Kyle, who headed the Information Guild and served as commander of the Blue Hawk—the Emperor’s direct intelligence division—was also a fairly skilled practitioner of Psychic Magic.
Of all his abilities, Memory Distortion Magic was his specialty.
At the mention of having the Emperor’s and Lina’s relationship erased from their memories, all four people vigorously waved their hands in protest.
“No, please. We’re fine.”
“I know nothing.”
“We were just discussing this morning’s newspaper.”
“That’s right.”
Kyle watched with a smile as the four of them silently swore they would never speak of or even think about the matter again.
The success rate of Psychic Magic was notoriously abysmal.
Since the spell involved touching the mind directly, a single mistake often left victims in a vegetative state.
Even within the Blue Hawk, where Kyle served as commander and practiced Psychic Magic, they typically relied on the Truth Serum that Azela had developed.
Kyle only personally intervened when dealing with individuals for whom side effects were irrelevant.
The offer to erase their memories directly was less an actual threat and more a heavily implied warning.
Kyle, who had no real intention of using Psychic Magic on valued subordinates, nodded once he saw the four of them had fortified their resolve.
The faint chill in his green eyes warmed noticeably.
The tension among the four eased slightly.
But Kyle was an exceedingly cautious man.
He pressed his advantage all the way to the end.
“Knowledge of the Emperor and Lina’s romance is confined to five people in this room—and the two of them.”
The four felt somewhat wronged.
‘Why us? We never wanted to stumble into such rare knowledge!’
But having just sworn not to even think about the Emperor and Lina’s relationship, they kept their complaints to themselves.
It was very sensible of them.
After confirming that the four were listening intently despite their silence, Kyle drove the point home.
“So if rumors spread, His Majesty will be visiting you four in order.”
The four were even more desperate than they had been when Kyle mentioned Psychic Magic.
It was effective intimidation.
* * *
Ibeta was adapting well to life in the Imperial Palace thanks to various arrangements—read as “the Emperor’s,” interpreted as “Kyle’s.”
I occasionally stopped by the Separate Palace where Ibeta stayed, partly for conversation and partly to check on how she was doing.
Today was one of those days.
“Ibeta, how have you been?”
As I greeted Ibeta, who had come to meet me, Bess appeared moments later and pouted her lips.
“What about me? Why didn’t you ask how I’ve been?”
“I was about to greet you next.”
As I coaxed the pouting Bess, Ibeta laughed silently.
Though only a few months her senior, she doted on Bess like an older sister.
‘Ibeta’s affection for Bess is adorable too.’
With two younger siblings at home, I found them both equally endearing.
“Rather than stand out here, shall we go inside?”
While I enjoyed watching Bess and Ibeta banter this way from the doorway, it was growing hot.
“Yes!”
Both answered at once.
Bess and Ibeta linked arms with me on either side.
“How about we eat cookies in the garden today?”
“Let’s do it! The Separate Palace garden has a gazebo that keeps it nice and cool. And the head chef here makes excellent chocolate chip cookies.”
With me between them, Bess and Ibeta had already agreed on today’s destination and were heading toward the Separate Palace garden.
Once we settled in the garden, the attendants brought out chilled tea and cookies.
Unaccustomed to being served, we waited for the servants to withdraw before speaking.
“Ibeta, how are your lessons treating you?”
A temple that hadn’t properly provided for the children’s food and clothing would hardly have invested in their education.
Ibeta had picked up reading by observing sacred texts and shop signs, but her skills were crude.
She had never received any formal instruction in etiquette, history, or foreign languages.
In the original work, the noble ladies who disliked Ibeta would often criticize her manners.
But Ibeta simply hadn’t been given the opportunity to learn.
Once the Emperor had carefully selected private tutors for her and Ibeta began her studies, she learned everything rapidly.
By the middle of the original work, she had become more knowledgeable than most noble ladies and even began correcting their etiquette.
‘This time too, Ibeta will be able to do it.’
The first thing Ibeta had started after settling into life at the Imperial Palace was learning to write.
Bess was her teacher.
The choice was half to accommodate Ibeta’s shyness and half to encourage friendship between the two.
‘Bess makes occasional slips in speech, but that doesn’t mean she can’t write.’
In fact, her writing was better than her speech.
The reports Bess wrote were surprisingly readable.
‘She says she didn’t learn it from family,’
but it seemed Bess and Ibeta were managing the Imperial Language lessons without major incident.
“Yes, it’s going well! I’ll write you a letter next time!”
Ibeta, who had been eating cookies, smiled brightly and shyly requested to be pen pals.
She seemed to be gaining confidence in her writing.
“A letter from Ibeta? I’ll be sure to reply.”
As I accepted Ibeta’s pen pal request, Bess asked urgently.
“If I write a letter, will you reply to me too?”
“Of course.”
“You need to write me longer replies.”
Bess, who had grown up as the youngest in the Blue Hawk with a significant age gap between her and everyone else, harbored a touch of jealousy.
But her words only masked the reality that if I wrote long letters to Bess alone, she would immediately demand I write equally long ones for Ibeta.
Even jealous Bess was adorable.
“All right then—Bess, you write letters to Ibeta.”
“I will! I’ll write ten pages!”
Bess declared her determination, ready to showcase the beginning-middle-end structure she had honed through report writing.
Teaching Ibeta to write had greatly improved Bess’s own thinking and expression.
It was an unexpected benefit.
I took satisfaction in the fact that Bess and I could communicate now, even without Nathan’s transcendent translation abilities.
As we were polishing off the cookies, Ibeta suddenly spoke up as if remembering something.
“Starting next week, I’m going to have more lessons.”
“Already?”
I asked, wondering if someone was placing pressure on her, but Ibeta seemed to take it as a compliment.
Ibeta smiled brightly, looking pleased.
“Yes, for now just etiquette and ancient languages.”
Etiquette was essential when dealing with nobles, and since precious texts were mostly written in ancient languages, the priorities seemed naturally ordered that way.
Progress was rapid.
‘And Ibeta wants to do this anyway.’
I showered Ibeta with praise until her ears turned red.
“But have you decided who will teach you ancient languages?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll teach you. Though I’ll need to get permission from above first.”
“That would be wonderful!”
Ibeta answered with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.
“And has your etiquette instructor been decided?”
If not, I had been considering quietly recommending a certain countess who had taught Ibeta etiquette in the original work to Kyle.
But the position had already been filled.
“Yes! My etiquette instructor stopped by the Separate Palace briefly yesterday to introduce herself.”
“Who is it?”
Kyle would surely have chosen well, but I asked out of concern for Ibeta’s shyness.
Ibeta answered in a bright voice, clearly pleased with her instructor’s first impression.
“Countess Renkelus.”
Renkelus? My aunt?

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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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