The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 23

23. Bare Body

2021.03.24.

“I… I am…”

“Ha, hahaha! Is the phrase ‘your wife’ so awkward that you’re hesitating?”

He spoke with a slightly disappointed tone. *Whew*, what a surprise.

“It’s because you suddenly asked who I am and what my identity is.”

“Wouldn’t it have been simpler to just say it directly? Or perhaps I was too pushy with my question.”

Fortunately, he attributed my hesitation to his sudden question.

“But why did you suddenly ask that?”

“Seeing you order the servants around for things I need gave me a strange feeling.”

“Did I perhaps give a wrong instruction?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Ah, there *is* one wrong instruction.”

“What is it?”

“Wine. A glass of wine would have been better than warm lemon tea, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah, I’ll go tell them again.”

As I turned towards the bedroom door, he grabbed my wrist.

“I’m the only one allowed to bother the servants in the Lapion Imperial Family. It’s fine, just lie down.”

I smiled slightly at his words and got into the bed he wanted. The inside of the blanket felt like entering an ice cave. So refreshing.

“It’s warming up after all. I wonder if it would warm up faster if I held you in my arms?”

He felt the opposite of me and stroked my hair.

“Come here.”

He slipped one arm under my neck and patted his chest roughly.

I brought my face close to his chest. My heart was pounding, and my shoulders were tense.

“You were chattering away so well, why are you so quiet again?”

“Chattering?”

I was instantly provoked by his words again and raised my head to ask.

“No, was it babbling?”

“It was probably muttering, right?”

I replied nonchalantly, and he laughed.

“Heh, you only react when I tease you like this.”

I was had. Seeing his pleased expression, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Then, his gaze turned strangely seductive, and my laughter disappeared. It seemed to contain affection… It must be my imagination. I hope it’s my imagination. It will be easier to leave him that way.

“Do you enjoy teasing me?”

“Very much. When you give me such a sulky reaction, I feel more accomplished than winning a war.”

I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, and he shrugged and laughed. His chest muscles also moved along with it.

“Now that I have something more fun than war, wars might decrease in the future, Zelda, as long as you’re by my side.”

Linell’s words made my heart sting. Even though I knew it was a joke, my conscience occasionally pricked at me.

“If I disappear, then…”

“I’ll have to go back to being a war maniac, what else can I do? That’s how I’ll have to raise the heat in my body.”

He answered my question, which wasn’t even a question, with unnecessary seriousness. Could it be true? Maybe. But he will soon welcome four beautiful concubines. And when he sees the dazzling beauty of Princess Resilia, he will have no choice but to fall in love. There will be many things in his life to raise his heat besides me. Then naturally, his interest in me will fade.

“Don’t drift away from me.”

“…”

Linell spoke to me quietly, almost like he had entered my mind, as a warning. I carefully raised my head and looked up at his handsome face. Unlike his solemn voice, he smiled brightly when our eyes met. Has anyone ever smiled at me so brightly before? Even Prince Tesler, who used to ramble about cherishing me the most, never smiled without expecting something in return. Why is this man…

“If you want peace in the continent, it’s best not to stray from my side.”

He put on a serious expression again and put strength into his voice.

“There will be many times when we’re apart because of the concubines, right? It’s not my fault, so please don’t associate it with war later.”

I could make such a retort because he had his eyes closed and was smiling while embracing my shoulder.

“Ah, I forgot. As you said, there will be days when we’re apart because of them.”

He replied with a voice that was starting to fall asleep.

“Don’t fight with the concubines.”

Linell said as if giving an order. He seemed to be already falling asleep, but he showed a clear intention to convey those words accurately. I felt slightly hurt by his commanding tone. Even if they are concubines, they are the Emperor’s women, so I shouldn’t treat them carelessly, right? I pressed my lips tightly and simply nodded in his arms.

“You are the Empress, my wife. You are different from them…”

“…Yes.”

I answered softly. A smile naturally formed on my face.

“It’s warm, so I’m getting sleepy. Zelda, you’re not glaring at me right now, are you?”

Linell asked me with his eyes closed.

“No, I’m not.”

“Good. Originally, what’s mine doesn’t need to be fought over… So the Empress and the concubines and I…”

Linell’s words trailed off, and his hand that was embracing my shoulder fell limply onto the pillow. Only then did I look at his sleeping face without reservation. He’s not even holding my hand tonight? …Wait, am I feeling disappointed right now? I shook my head and timidly hugged his waist with both hands. So that he could sleep more warmly and soundly. That was all. Really.

***

It’s morning. I opened my eyes feeling someone touching my hair. Linell was awake before me. But unlike usual when I woke up alone, today he was next to me. He replaced his morning greeting with a smile. The thought of him staring intently at my face from such a close distance made me feel a little embarrassed. I wiggled my head and butt, pulling back to create distance between us. Then a groan escaped his lips.

“Hnggh, I’m alive now.”

“…Yes?”

“Zelda, I thought my arm was going to die from being numb.”

Linell slowly folded his arm that was stretched out on the pillow, making all sorts of faces.

“Are you alright?”

I gently placed my hands on his firm forearm, like a cat raising its paws, and asked.

“Ugh… Don’t touch me.”

He shuddered, looking disgusted. It was funny to see someone who would instantly chop off other people’s arms, legs, and even heads on the battlefield complaining about a numb arm.

“You should have woken me up sooner.”

“You don’t think I tried to wake you up?”

“Surely, you woke me up, but I kept sleeping?”

“I thought you were dead. I couldn’t wake you up no matter how much I talked to you.”

“You should have shaken me awake.”

“Do you think I only tried shaking you? Check your arm. There should be several blue bruises.”

Even though I knew Linell was joking, I couldn’t help but examine my arm here and there. Perhaps because I had been soaking in the tub for a long time last night, my skin was only fairer, and there was no trace of him pinching me anywhere. He carefully started talking, ‘You know.’

“I really slept warmly and soundly, how about you?”

“I also slept coolly and soundly.”

“Just you wait. In the middle of summer, you’ll be begging me to let you sleep alone without me.”

He said as if he was proud that his hypothermia curse was advantageous in the summer.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“Ah, and I told them to bring breakfast here. Is that okay?”

“To the bedroom?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Sharon or the head maid Stian must have come into the bedroom while I was asleep. I felt a little embarrassed that I was sleeping so deeply without knowing someone had come into the bedroom. And I would have been sleeping in Linell’s arms. I slowly got up. When I tried to drink water, the glass was on the side table where Linell was lying.

“Where are you going?”

He asked with a disappointed tone, looking at me getting out of bed.

“I’m going to get some water.”

As I walked around the bedpost towards where he was lying, he chuckled.

“You could have just asked me.”

“It’s okay. I have to change my clothes anyway.”

I was answering him when my gaze naturally went down to the marble floor. In that instant, my face, which had been smiling, froze. I couldn’t move, with only a few steps left to the side table where the water glass was.

Linell looked at my frozen state. Then, he put his arms behind his head and glanced down at the floor before opening his mouth.

“Ah, sleeping like that, it felt like my legs were being compressed, so it was uncomfortable.”

On the marble floor, the towel he had been wearing around his waist yesterday was lying sprawled out. Linell’s pajamas from the main palace had arrived after he fell asleep, so I didn’t wake him up on purpose and let him sleep like that.

“Th, then right now…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence and pointed to the blanket he was covering.

“What, you want me to lift the blanket?”

Linell casually lifted the blanket he was covering.

He glanced inside the blanket himself and continued speaking in an extremely calm voice.

“It’s a little difficult right now.”

“…Are you perhaps right now?”

“That’s right, I’m naked.”

“Since when have you been naked?”

“Since someone hugged me too tightly in their sleep?”

I didn’t know at all. I didn’t even feel it. The fact that he was naked. I feel a little wronged… No, no. What am I thinking right now? I quickly shook my head to shake off the strange thoughts. Linell stared at me with a strange look and then said.

“Don’t worry.”

“About… what?”

“I’m not going to eat breakfast in this state.”

“!”

He stretched out his long arm and handed me the water glass on the side table.

“Here, drink. You came all this way for this, right?”

I took the water glass he handed me with a smile and drank it all in one gulp. I don’t know if I did a one-shot because I was thirsty or if I felt like I would be thirsty if I didn’t do a one-shot.

***

“Finally, I’m entering the Imperial Palace.”

Catherine Callios stood in front of the large full-length mirror in her room. It was the day to fit the wedding dress she would wear at the upcoming wedding with the Emperor. It was annoying to have the ceremony with the other concubines all at once, but Catherine didn’t care much. The important thing was that she would be Linell’s woman again.

“Yes, it doesn’t matter.”

After all, the three concubines are just her accessories. Traditionally, cream-colored dresses are worn at the Lapion Imperial Family’s concubine ceremonies. Only the Empress can wear a pure white wedding dress. But Catherine didn’t care about that either.

“I just need to be more beautiful.”

Catherine had a confident expression as she thought of the cream-colored wedding dress she had commissioned from the best designer in the Lapion Empire. Among the concubines this time, only Catherine was able to rise to the position of First Concubine. Originally, the position of First Concubine was traditionally held only by concubines who gave birth to a prince, but from the previous emperor, it was changed to a position that could also be attained due to the Emperor’s favor or political reasons. Catherine was able to become the First Concubine thanks to the power of her father, Duke Ete Callios. It was also a benefit that arose because Emperor Linell had taken a woman from another country, not from Lapion, as his Empress. Catherine herself did not think that she had received a benefit at all. Seeing Zelda from the Shattonil Kingdom on the day of Emperor Linell’s wedding, her desire for the position of Empress grew even more.

‘That insignificant woman is going to be the Empress?’

Seeing Zelda that day, Catherine was convinced that she could easily seduce Linell if she just became a concubine without putting in much effort. He would fall for her with just her seductive gestures.

“The Empress’s position was originally mine.”

So I have to take it back. Catherine made that decision. The designer brought the dress to wear for the ceremony. She put on a corset with the help of her maids before trying on the wedding dress.

“My waist needs to be more slender! Do you understand? You stupid things!”

At her irritated command, three maids clung to her and began to tighten the corset. Catherine gritted her teeth and grabbed the bedpost, shouting at her maids.

“Tighten it more! More, more, more!”