12 Secret Identity Manhwa: Hidden Royals, Double Lives, and Disguises
Secret identity manhwa can make the same conversation funny, dangerous, or unexpectedly intimate depending on who knows the truth. These 12 picks cover undercover work, concealed royalty, anonymous artists, hidden pasts, and a supernatural secret. Choose whether you want the revelation to threaten a life, complicate a career, or simply make the romance deliciously awkward.
The picks follow the updated directory and current title reviews, checked October 21, 2026. Reveals beyond the premise are left unspoken. English release status is used where the catalog distinguishes it from the original, and the individual title pages carry fuller ratings and warnings.
Quick picks
- For layered palace mystery: Secret Lady makes a disguise essential to investigating a dangerous conspiracy.
- For a finished high-stakes fantasy: Mystic Prince ties concealed identity to succession and survival.
- For a lighter royal misunderstanding: Unbeknownst to Me, I Am Secretly Dating the Emperor lets you know more than the heroine.
- For a short undercover binge: Cloth and Dagger finishes its spy-romance story in 51 episodes.
- For an anonymous creative life: Secret Playlist makes privacy and artistic recognition part of the romance.
Secret identity manhwa at a glance
| Manhwa | Best for | Status | Rating | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Secret Lady | Ghosts and palace conspiracy | Hiatus | R15 | Tapas |
 Mystic Prince | High-stakes royal identity | Completed | R15 | WEBTOON |
 Unbeknownst to Me, I Am Secretly Dating the Emperor | Concealed emperor comedy | Ongoing | All Ages | KakaoPage |
 Garden of May | A gardener with a hidden past | Ongoing | R15 | Manta Comics |
 A Good Day to Be a Dog | A secret supernatural curse | Completed | All Ages | WEBTOON |
 The Mighty Maid Prefers Her Peace | A hero hiding in a maid job | Ongoing | R15 | Tapas |
 My First Kiss With the Evil Butler | A butler with dangerous motives | Completed | R15 | Tapas |
 Cloth and Dagger | A completed undercover thriller | Completed | R15 | Tappytoon |
 The Princess Maid | An anonymous fallen princess | Ongoing | R15 | Tapas |
 Secret Playlist | An online singer double life | Completed | All Ages | WEBTOON |
| Undercover Empress | An elaborate royal disguise | Ongoing | R15 | Manta |
 Your Smile is a Trap | Appearance and ordinary school life | Hiatus | All Ages | WEBTOON |
Secrets that change who can hold power
Secret Lady
Tropes: Hidden Identity | Secret Identity | Undercover | Court Intrigue
Status: Hiatus | Length: 124+ chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on Tapas
Rosentine can see ghosts in an empire where that gift could get her killed. Disguising herself as a wandering sorcerer lets her investigate a threat to the royal family, but approaching Prince Charteris means negotiating protection without making herself fully known.
Why I recommend it: The disguise changes what she can do, not just what the prince calls her. Rosentine must make useful knowledge credible while protecting the life attached to it, giving her quiet intelligence a practical role in the conspiracy. I would start here for identity concealment that matters to both political access and developing trust.
The art and pacing: BANANA's period-inspired artwork uses ghostly imagery, glances, and historical echoes as information. The slow romance benefits from that visual restraint, although following the court history casually can leave important connections feeling obscure.
Heads-up: The catalog lists a hiatus, and the mystery asks for close attention. Choose it for layered supernatural intrigue and understated yearning, rather than a quick reveal followed by uncomplicated romance.
Mystic Prince
Tropes: Secret Identity | Hidden Power | Court Intrigue | Royalty
Status: Completed | Length: 116 Chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on WEBTOON
Twenty supernatural princes face dangerous trials to succeed an immortal emperor. Jeok-yeon Ryu enters that competition carrying an identity secret that could turn the court itself into a threat, making every alliance more consequential than it first appears.
Why I recommend it: The hidden identity is bound to who is permitted to hold power. Jeok-yeon's guarded behavior makes sense inside a contest where being understood could be dangerous, and the competing loyalties give affection a difficult political context. I would pick this when you want a secret to reshape an entire social position rather than only complicate courtship.
The art and pacing: Painterly visual storytelling makes the emotional atmosphere inseparable from the succession struggle. The completed run rewards careful reading, but the early opacity and large cast mean it is better approached with patience than as a simple royal competition.
Heads-up: Abuse, exploitation, and loss make this emotionally punishing. It is the serious, high-stakes end of this guide; readers seeking a playful disguise romance should start elsewhere.
Unbeknownst to Me, I Am Secretly Dating the Emperor
Tropes: Hidden Identity | Royalty | Reincarnation | Reincarnated as a Character
Status: Ongoing | Length: 49+ chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: All Ages | Read on KakaoPage
Lina wants to live quietly as a minor palace worker after reincarnating inside a romance novel. Dating a charming man she assumes is an ordinary soldier or aide seems compatible with that plan, except the man is actually the emperor.
Why I recommend it: The pleasure is being ahead of the heroine. Lina evaluates the relationship using practical expectations while the audience can see how badly those expectations fit his rank. I would choose this for dramatic irony and a smitten male lead, especially when concealed status sounds funnier than another threatening conspiracy.
The art and pacing: BABARA's striking visuals give the royal fantasy considerable appeal, while familiar palace encounters gain energy from what Lina does not know. The concealment works best as a comic premise you agree to enjoy rather than a puzzle whose every missed clue must withstand scrutiny.
Heads-up: Sustaining the misunderstanding requires suspension of disbelief. The story is ongoing, so choose it for low-angst anticipation and everyday misunderstandings rather than a completed identity-reveal payoff.
The person behind the everyday job
Garden of May
Tropes: Escaping Debt | Fake Dating | Contract Relationship | Secret Identity
Status: Ongoing | Length: 27+ chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on Manta Comics
Vanessa needs to escape an arranged marriage imposed after family debt leaves her vulnerable. Manufacturing a scandal with an apparently ordinary gardener seems like a manageable gamble until Theodore's concealed past makes the fake courtship harder to control.
Why I recommend it: Her plan depends on an identity she thinks she understands. That gives the secrecy a direct relationship to her strategy: the supposedly safe choice may carry consequences she cannot price into the bargain. I would recommend this for a heroine actively using society's gossip while discovering that her partner has hidden depths of his own.
The art and pacing: Lush historical artwork and the garden setting make stolen glances feel charged. The slow romance keeps genuine desire close to the manufactured scandal, although prolonged misunderstandings can delay the clarity readers may want from the partnership.
Heads-up: Deception, jealousy, possessiveness, and unequal power make this a volatile choice. The ongoing melodrama is better suited to dangerous romantic tension than readers expecting the gardener premise to guarantee gentleness.
The Mighty Maid Prefers Her Peace
Tropes: Hidden Power | Secret Identity | Master & Servant | Forced Proximity
Status: Ongoing | Length: 23+ chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on Tapas
A hero who once saved the world under her brother's identity wakes broke and takes a maid's job. Unfortunately, the manor offers assassination attempts and suspicious people rather than the quiet paycheck she hoped would define her next life.
Why I recommend it: Her secret past creates a funny mismatch between the job she wants and the work she is capable of doing. Ordinary housekeeping becomes a stage for skills that belong in a much more dramatic story. I would watch this for the contrast between wanting to clock out and being unable to stop noticing dangers everyone else might miss.
The pacing: Workplace frustration shares space with combat and conspiracy. The appeal currently comes more from the heroine's cynical competence than a rapidly advancing romantic relationship, so the unusual premise needs room to unfold.
Heads-up: This is an early ongoing pick, with 23-plus chapters in the catalog. Expect chaotic employment and gradual romance, not evidence that the title's promised peace has already arrived or that the larger mystery has paid off.
My First Kiss With the Evil Butler
Tropes: Master & Servant | Secret Identity | Hidden Motives | Forced Proximity
Status: Completed | Length: 80 Chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on Tapas
Isla tries to avoid an unwanted arranged marriage by preparing for a noble kissing game. Practicing with her trusted butler Jade makes the plan more intimate, then more dangerous as his concealed motives complicate the role she thought he occupied.
Why I recommend it: The attraction depends on familiarity becoming uncertain. Someone already inside Isla's everyday life turns out to have intentions she cannot safely assume, making the practice-romance premise carry more tension than simple embarrassment. I would choose this for readers who enjoy discovering that the apparently subordinate partner may hold very different kinds of leverage.
The pacing: The completed 80-chapter run keeps the emotionally charged setup manageable. Melodrama and shifting power supply the momentum, so its secrecy serves romantic volatility rather than the methodical evidence-gathering of an undercover thriller.
Heads-up: Jade is a calculating, morally grey choice with possessive undertones and a revenge agenda. Choose the dangerous chemistry deliberately; a trusted household position should not be mistaken for a promise of a reassuring partner.
The Princess Maid
Tropes: Fallen House | Master & Servant | Secret Identity | Royal Romance
Status: Ongoing | Length: 60+ chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on Tapas
After conquest destroys her royal household, Siana survives by becoming a palace maid. Anonymous work offers a kind of peace her earlier life lacked, until Crown Prince Rashid's growing attention threatens the distance she wants from her old status.
Why I recommend it: The interesting inversion is that losing public recognition can feel like relief. Siana is not simply waiting for someone to restore a prestigious title; her quieter role has value because being a princess never protected her. I would choose this for readers interested in anonymity as a possible freedom rather than a disguise that must immediately be discarded.
The art and pacing: Crisp artwork and witty workplace interactions give the palace setting energy. The romance develops gradually, using the contrast between her former identity and current position to sustain tension instead of rushing toward recognition.
Heads-up: Abuse, conquest, executions, and the conqueror's power over Siana make the premise unequal. This ongoing palace romance offers emotional friction, not an uncomplicated fantasy that becoming a servant makes her surroundings safe.
Undercover work and double performances
Cloth and Dagger
Tropes: Undercover | Secret Identity | Forbidden Love | Protective ML
Status: Completed | Length: 51 Episodes | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on Tappytoon
Secret agent Sijun enters Russia disguised as a priest to investigate a mafia organization. An unexpected connection with Anna threatens that cover while drawing attention to memories he has buried, linking the operation to a more personal mystery.
Why I recommend it: This is the clearest undercover-mission option in the selection. The false identity enables the investigation but limits what an attachment can safely become, so the romance and thriller pressures reinforce each other. I would choose it if you want secrecy to create practical danger rather than only postpone an awkward confession.
The pacing: At 51 completed episodes, the story keeps the operation moving. The missing-memory thread gives the relationship a purpose inside the mystery, while the short length limits how long the leads can circle the same uncertainty.
Heads-up: Organized crime, violence, and dangerous false pretenses shape the relationship. Some espionage turns are melodramatic, but this is a stronger match for a tight spy-romance binge than readers wanting the action to remain background decoration.
Undercover Empress
Tropes: Secret Identity | Undercover | Contract Marriage | Strong Female Lead
Status: Ongoing | Length: 24+ chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: R15 | Read on Manta
Estella earns her living as a knight while pretending to be a fictional twin brother. A paid agreement to become empress adds another layer of performance, requiring her to survive palace threats while maintaining a disguise inside an already complicated disguise.
Why I recommend it: The heroine treats royal grandeur as employment with compensation and inconveniences. Her sword skills make that practical attitude credible, since she can handle danger rather than only hope the prince will notice it in time. I would pick this for comic role-playing and an arranged partnership with more mutual provocation than ceremonial elegance.
The pacing: The elaborate identity problem generates exaggerated misunderstandings, while the political marriage gives the banter a continuing reason to matter. The surrounding intrigue is less distinctive than Estella's approach to the job, so character chemistry is the main reason to stay.
Heads-up: The prince's early behavior can be pushy. The catalog follows the ongoing English release, even though the original is complete; do not mistake original-language completion for a finished English binge.
Private lives behind a familiar face
A Good Day to Be a Dog
Tropes: Cursed Bond | Office Romance | Forced Proximity | Secret Identity
Status: Completed | Length: 92 Chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: All Ages | Read on WEBTOON
Hana's first kiss activates a family curse that turns her into a dog each night. Breaking it requires another kiss from the same coworker while she is transformed, which becomes a serious problem because Seon is terrified of dogs.
Why I recommend it: The concealed identity makes an ordinary colleague encounter a very different kind of risk. Hana cannot simply explain the situation away, while Seon's fear gives the cute supernatural premise an emotional obstacle that deserves care. I would choose this for secrecy that gradually becomes a story about understanding another person's vulnerability.
The art and pacing: Funny dog scenes provide plenty of warmth, but the completed romance develops steadily instead of depending only on the transformation joke. The later material asks more of the characters as shame, trauma, and an older grievance complicate the apparent comedy.
Heads-up: The backstory becomes considerably darker than the opening. This is a warm finished option, provided you are comfortable with a supernatural manipulator disrupting what initially looks like low-stakes adult romance.
Secret Playlist
Tropes: Secret Identity | Forced Proximity | Secret Relationship | ML Falls First
Status: Completed | Length: 112 Chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: All Ages | Read on WEBTOON
Hanju keeps her university life separate from her anonymous identity as online cover artist PLII. When an idol wants to collaborate with PLII and also encounters Hanju through classwork, the two versions of her life become increasingly difficult to separate.
Why I recommend it: Anonymity protects something meaningful: the freedom to make music without being reduced to expectations. That gives Hanju a reason to maintain the secret beyond stretching a romantic misunderstanding. I would choose this for creative ambition and a relationship developing through shared work, with the reveal tied to how she wants to be seen.
The art and pacing: Polished artwork suits the idol setting, while the completed story provides both romantic and creative growth. The middle repeats near-reveals, though, so enjoying the music and campus proximity matters more than simply waiting for Levi to connect the clues.
Heads-up: Idol life is selective glamour rather than an exhaustive industry portrait. Levi's interest can pressure Hanju's boundaries, making this a useful reminder that affectionate pursuit does not automatically make secrecy hers to surrender.
Your Smile is a Trap
Tropes: Slow Burn | Secret Identity | Secret Crush | Green Flag ML
Status: Hiatus | Length: 148+ chapters | Moonlight Toons content rating: All Ages | Read on WEBTOON
Former idol trainee Kiyu wants an ordinary school life, hiding his striking appearance behind glasses and awkward behavior. His intimidating-looking seatmate Lily also finds herself judged by appearances, giving both leads reasons to misunderstand what the other is trying to hide.
Why I recommend it: This is the softer end of identity concealment. Kiyu's disguise is about controlling attention, while Lily's reputation illustrates how little recognition and understanding have in common. I would recommend it for two people gradually noticing kindness beneath the social impressions everyone else accepts too quickly.
The art and pacing: Expressive faces make the first-love awkwardness affectionate rather than mean. Small acts of attention provide the progress, and supporting characters gain room beyond serving as obstacles to the couple. That warmth is the reward if you enjoy watching familiarity accumulate.
Heads-up: Misunderstandings repeat and major milestones take time. The English series is on hiatus, so start for the generous school atmosphere and gentle connection, not a quick completed reveal of everything Kiyu keeps private.
What kind of reveal do you want?
Choose Secret Lady for a mystery that rewards concentration, Cloth and Dagger for a completed mission, or Secret Playlist for identity tied to creative freedom. Unbeknownst to Me, I Am Secretly Dating the Emperor is the lighter choice if being ahead of the heroine is the fun.
For related dynamics, browse hidden identity, undercover, and slow burn. Secrecy is not automatically deception with cruel intent: look at what a character is protecting, who carries the risk, and whether revealing the truth remains their choice.
FAQ
Which secret identity manhwa are completed? Mystic Prince, A Good Day to Be a Dog, Secret Playlist, Cloth and Dagger, and My First Kiss With the Evil Butler are completed in the current catalog.
Which pick has a hidden emperor? Unbeknownst to Me, I Am Secretly Dating the Emperor makes the heroine's mistaken understanding of her partner's rank its central comic premise.
Which pick has an undercover male lead? Cloth and Dagger follows an agent using a priest disguise during a mafia investigation. The false role creates practical danger for both the mission and the romance.
Which secret identity story is lighter? Unbeknownst to Me, I Am Secretly Dating the Emperor favors low-angst royal comedy, while Your Smile is a Trap offers gentle school romance. Both are unfinished in English, with the latter on hiatus.
Is a secret identity always a false name? No. A concealed profession, rank, supernatural condition, or public persona can change how a relationship works. The useful question is whether not knowing that part of someone meaningfully changes the choices other characters make.
