The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 8

8. Just Like Last Night

“No. I simply came to see if Her Majesty the Empress had a peaceful first night.”

Grand Duke Martins shrugged as he replied. *Just* to ask that, he requested an audience?

“Peaceful. So far.”

“Rather, it seems Her Majesty the Empress has something she wishes to ask *of* me?”

Grand Duke Martins glanced at the audience chamber door once, then leaned slightly towards me. It was true. There was a question that hadn’t left my mind all last night.

“Is the Royal Knights *still* searching for Princess Resilia? How is it going?”

“How do you… *wish* it to be going?”

Grand Duke Martins quirked one corner of his mouth and asked slyly. I swallowed hard at Martins’ unexpected question. I had asked about the princess’s whereabouts so casually, but when faced with Martins’ counter-question, I was at a loss for words. Of course, the words ‘I hope they find the princess quickly’ should have come out immediately. Until yesterday, I was the one who wanted to get out of the position of proxy empress as soon as possible. Yes, that’s what I wanted, but why now…….

“It seems Her Majesty has already grown fond of the position?”

At Martins’ joking remark, my inner alter ego blushed as if it had been waiting for it. I remained silent, afraid that any attempt to retort would only make my face redder.

“I will make sure not to convey this to Prince Tesler.”

Grand Duke Martins said as if he were doing me a great favor. He looked down at my hands, which *I* kept fidgeting with, and chuckled. His expression was subtly irritating.

“Being surrounded by people from the Rafion Imperial Family, it’s only now that I’m with someone from the Shatou Neil Kingdom that I feel at ease.”

The Grand Duke changed the subject.

“I’m sorry to pour cold water on your feeling of ease, but I’m no longer a person of the Shatou Neil Kingdom. I am now a citizen of the Rafion Empire and an Empress.”

Even if I am just a proxy empress who will have to give up her position soon. At my joking words, the muscles in Grand Duke Martins’ face twitched subtly.

“Why didn’t I know before that Her Majesty was such a good speaker?”

“Because there was no opportunity. On the way to the Rafion Empire, didn’t you mainly try to communicate with me through eye contact? Ah, *was* that look right now, perhaps?”

“That’s……”

Just as Grand Duke Martins was about to object to my words, Sharon re-entered the audience chamber. It felt as if she had been listening to the conversation outside and came in at the perfect moment to shut the Grand Duke up. If Sharon had deliberately timed her entrance for me, I would want to promote her from attendant to my personal lady-in-waiting—it was such perfect timing.

“His Majesty the Emperor has asked the Chief Secretary what Her Majesty the Empress is doing now.”

Sharon carefully conveyed the message as she placed milk tea in front of me and Grand Duke Martins in turn.

“Really?”

How unexpected… I didn’t think Emperor Linelle would be curious about my whereabouts.

“Yes! He also ordered that the meal be prepared with the Empress’s favorite foods.”

Did he order it after looking at the document containing information about me? Before the state wedding, a document was prepared containing information about my tastes, favorite and disliked foods, allergies, health status, menstrual cycle, etc. I, as the person in question, had personally reviewed the document for confirmation before it was finally passed on to the Emperor’s secretary. I wrote in the last box of the document in my mind, ‘In fact, I am just a proxy empress.’

“It seems His Majesty is being very considerate!”

Sharon said, rejoicing on my behalf.

“How thoughtful.”

I gave Sharon a short smile. I could feel Grand Duke Martins’ gaze observing me. I took a sip of the milk tea, then looked at the Grand Duke and slowly opened my mouth.

“Grand Duke. You never even looked at my face when I was a Countess’s daughter, but now that I’m an Empress, you’re examining it in great detail?”

Grand Duke Martins couldn’t hide his momentary embarrassment, and I caught him with that expression on his face.

“I apologize. I have committed a rudeness.”

He put down the teacup he was holding and apologized to me.

“No, you should look at the other person’s face when you’re talking. That’s the proper etiquette. Isn’t it, Grand Duke Martins?”

My words were full of barbs. During the few days on the way to the Rafion Empire, Grand Duke Martins would lower his gaze to the floor instead of making eye contact with me even when he had something to tell me. I wasn’t particularly hurt, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being ignored. But, now that I had become the Empress overnight, Grand Duke Martins’ gaze, which was suddenly staring at my face, felt somehow pretentious. Although I would soon return to being a mere Countess’s daughter, as long as I was in the position of Empress, I spoke without hesitation, befitting my position. Perfect Empress acting. That was my given mission, after all. Contrary to my expectations, Grand Duke Martins, who I thought would show an unpleasant expression, burst into hearty laughter. Unlike when his mouth was tightly shut, his sharp impression looked quite gentle when he smiled broadly. He was about the same age as me, and I couldn’t help but think how nice it would have been if he had treated me with such a human and smiling face from the beginning. It was a moment to feel the terrifying power of authority.

“As Her Majesty knows, the Lohain Grand Ducal Family has amassed wealth through trade with various countries. I will be responsible for that trade in the future.”

What is he suddenly talking about? He’s not trying to sell me something, is he?

“I’m not buying.”

“……Yes?”

“I’m kidding. So?”

“Ah, yes. After seeing you today, I realized that I am still far from being the talent to take over the family business.”

Grand Duke Martins picked up his teacup again and said, quite seriously putting himself down.

“What made you suddenly think that?”

When I asked indifferently, he continued as if he had been waiting for it.

“I just realized that my ability to judge people is poor.”

“What does that mean?”

Is he saying that my assessment was wrong? I couldn’t understand Grand Duke Martins’ words, but I didn’t want to press him for an explanation.

“No. Prince Tesler was very worried about whether you would be able to fulfill the role of Empress well, but I must tell him that there is no need to worry at all.”

Yes, while you’re delivering the news to the Prince, please deliver some *엿 [Korean taffy, often used sarcastically to tell someone to ‘eat this’] as well*. I listened to the Grand Duke’s words quietly, then turned to Sharon.

“Sharon, how much time is left until luncheon?”

“There is not much time left if you want to look around the Empress Palace before luncheon.”

Sharon glanced at Grand Duke Martins and said to me.

“Ah, I will excuse myself now. Your Majesty, today’s conversation was more enjoyable than I expected. I will visit you often in the future.”

Grand Duke Martins got up from the sofa with a sense of propriety and greeted me. I glared at the back of the annoying Grand Duke Martins as he walked towards the audience chamber door and asked.

“How long do you plan to stay here in the Imperial Palace, Grand Duke?”

“As long as Her Majesty is in that position, I will always… be by your side.”

Grand Duke Martins grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned to look at me as he answered. When I nodded in response, he smiled and gave a light bow before leaving the audience chamber. Grand Duke Martins’ last smile felt very unpleasant, as if I had stepped on something dirty. *** Before going to the main palace, I looked around the Empress Palace with Sharon. The scale of the Empress Palace was quite large. There was not enough time to look around the entire Empress Palace by luncheon time. So today, I was focusing on looking around the main rooms that I would be using in the Empress Palace.

“It is time for you to go to the main palace now, Your Majesty.”

Sharon, who had been explaining the interior of the Empress Palace in detail, turned around and checked her pocket watch as she reached the central staircase on the second floor.

“Is it that time already?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The garden path connecting the Empress Palace and the main palace is especially beautiful, so your journey to the main palace will always be enjoyable.”

“Really? I’m looking forward to it.”

‘You’re not looking forward to your first meal with the Emperor, are you?’

My inner alter ego suddenly asked me. I pretended not to hear the alter ego’s question and moved towards the main palace with Sharon’s guidance. In fact, I was also feeling a little nervous. ***

“Her Majesty the Empress enters!”

The banquet hall doors opened in response to Chief Secretary Stian’s cry. As I entered, the figure of Emperor Linelle sitting at the end of the long table was the first thing that caught my eye. A different kind of pressure than when I saw him in the bedroom weighed down on my shoulders. No matter how I looked at him, he didn’t feel like the man who had shared a bed with me yesterday. The Emperor’s cold gaze and sharp nose, and his luscious lips that seemed to widen for some reason as the distance between us grew closer.

‘It was warm, I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t help it, wasn’t the Empress a virgin? We are husband and wife now.’

His words that had permeated my skin last night began to echo in my ears like a round song, without any order. As I walked to where Emperor Linelle was sitting, the sound of my heels filled the large and magnificent banquet hall. Thanks to that, there was no risk of him hearing my rapidly beating heart.

“I… greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

As I was greeting him, a group of sparkling women caught my eye in my right field of vision. I hadn’t noticed them while walking up to him. The women were standing in a row against the wall. I’ve had enough lunch for today. The moment I confirmed their identities, my appetite dropped. Not just lunch, but even my dinner appetite disappeared out of the banquet hall.

“We greet Her Majesty the Empress!”

The four women exchanged smiles with each other when their eyes met mine, then erased their expressions and paid their respects to me.

“I see you here again.”

They were the noble young ladies who had trespassed into the Empress’s bedroom this morning, claiming to be my personal ladies-in-waiting. I didn’t know how to take this situation, so I tilted my head slightly and looked at Emperor Linelle with a look that required an explanation.

“Come and sit.”

Emperor Linelle commanded instead of explaining. With a chillingly expressionless face, he gestured with his chin to the seat diagonally next to me.

I took the seat with an awkward feeling, guided by the attendant. Just as I was about to ask again what those young ladies who had become my ladies-in-waiting were doing here as a group, he made the first move.

“I heard you looked around the Empress Palace? How was it? Did you like it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The palace was very splendid. It seems it will be even more wonderful if you put a little more work into it in the future.”

“Does that mean you like splendid things? It sounds like there’s another meaning in my ears?”

Emperor Linelle was quite quick-witted compared to his indifferent tone. I had said it with a slight sarcasm, but he understood it. He got it right away. Things that are only splendid get boring quickly. People and things that are too dazzling will eventually turn away.

“No. If I add more affection to the Empress Palace, the atmosphere that is only splendid will change in class. For example, a warm atmosphere will be added….”

“Is that affection something only the Empress can give?”

“Of course not. Will Your Majesty also come to give affection sometimes?”

“……”

Ah, my mouth is the problem. As I was answering the Emperor’s words without thinking, my words felt like I was flirting. His neat eyebrows, which hadn’t moved at all, went up and down sharply. Emperor Linelle drank the wine that had just been poured into his glass in one gulp. Feeling embarrassed, I habitually raised my hand to my right face, where the burn scar was. Whenever something went wrong or I felt embarrassed, I would unconsciously touch my burn scar.

“Your Majesty, please pretend you didn’t hear what I just said….”

I said, forcing a smile to smooth over the awkward atmosphere.

“I go often.”

Emperor Linelle put down his wine glass and replied. His deep and heavy voice, saying ‘I go often,’ echoed like a reverberation in the banquet hall. Perhaps because of his serious bass tone, the words sounded sincere, ridiculously. Some of the young ladies who had been twitching their lips to laugh at my previous remarks had their mouths gaping open one after another at the Emperor’s answer.

“Empress, why do you have that expression? Was it just something you said?”

“Ah, no. I was just a little surprised that Your Majesty, who is so busy, would say that.”

I didn’t want to show that I was flustered, so I picked up the wine glass in front of me and naturally quenched my thirst. Ugh. I forgot that I couldn’t drink alcohol and drank too much wine.

“No matter how busy I am, I have to sleep. Just like last night.”

“Ke, keek, last night…?”

The wine that was going down my throat was surprised by Emperor Linelle’s words and flowed back up.