The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 77

77. The Empress is Dead

Without further ado, I cut to the chase and lowered my head. I wouldn’t have been able to say anything even if Linelle had strangled me right then and there. The detailed explanation… if I manage to keep my head, I can give it later. I could feel his gaze fixed on me. I wanted to look up, but I didn’t have the courage to see his face, wounded by my betrayal. I had deceived him. It wasn’t my intention, but I couldn’t deny that I had been deceiving him. But I had failed in my role as the surrogate empress long ago, because I had fallen in love with him… I was more afraid of the betrayal he would feel from me than of my identity being exposed. If I were the only one who loved him, he wouldn’t be hurt even if my existence were revealed. That was the crux of the problem. My heart felt like it was shrinking with guilt. Fear had erected a barrier around me, making it impossible to move. Linelle was also silent for a long time, probably due to the shock. I closed my eyes tightly and said again,

“I’m not the Empress, I’m…”

“I know.”

His voice was right there, unlike before. And at that answer, my head, which had been deeply bowed, automatically lifted. He knows? He knows?! When my eyes met Linelle’s, he opened his mouth again as if he had been waiting.

“Yes, you are not the Empress.”

“Since when… did you know?”

It felt like my body was crushed under a huge rock, and I couldn’t breathe properly. All I could do now was stare at his face.

“Since you were caught by me.”

“…Pardon?”

What on earth is he talking about?

“You’re a rabbit.”

“!”

Linelle’s words short-circuited my brain again.

“What… did you say?”

He must have thought I was asking him to repeat himself because I couldn’t hear him.

“Not the Empress, but a rab-bit.”

He said it again, pronouncing each syllable clearly. My legs gave way. I leaned back against the mahogany desk and slumped down slightly. As the tension eased in a strange way, a subtle sense of relief began to mix with the emptiness in my heart. I lost track of where to even begin correcting him.

“Zelda.”

At Linelle’s serious voice again, I replied in a weak voice.

“Yes…”

“If you have time, come here and hug me.”

He said to me, opening his arms. I couldn’t figure out what he meant at all. When I continued to stand there blankly, he put strength into his arms again and said,

“I’ll hug away everything you’re worried about right now, so come here.”

As he said that, it felt like everything would be alright if I hugged him now. Linelle’s eyes were telling me that. Now is the time to hug him without saying anything. If we put our hearts together, all our worries will disappear.

“There won’t be another chance like this, you know? Time’s running out. It’s getting narrower and narrower.”

He began to narrow his arms, which had been open to either side. It was as if his heart would close if his arms narrowed. Linelle was good at making people impatient.

“Now! Rabbit, jump!”

He shouted, and I ran. I barely squeezed through Linelle’s narrowing arms and safely into his embrace. I hugged his waist tightly. He gently patted my back and said calmly,

“I told you, you don’t have to overdo it.”

When I looked up at him, he wiped the sweat from my forehead and made me lean my head against his chest again.

“Besides, you must be tired since you’ve been sweating today? Me too… So let’s talk again when we’re both more comfortable.”

I thought I should say something to him, but I chose to remain silent because I thought I would only say strange things now. And I just nodded quietly.

“I’m so glad you’re mine. If you were another man’s woman, I think I would have waged a war to bring you to my side… Would you believe me if I said I had thought about that?”

I thought his words were a joke.

“Am I like a wyvern [a mythical winged creature, similar to a dragon]?”

I almost burst out laughing at his absurd hypothesis.

“More than a wyvern.”

“How touching…”

“You know what? There’s nothing that seems as insincere as just saying you’re touched.”

He frowned and said as if scolding me.

“Then how do I convey it?”

“Think about it.”

He said that and bit his lower lip slightly at the same time. Without hesitation, I raised my toes towards his lips. Linelle lowered his head and parted my lips first, barging in. I had to step back as he showered me with kisses and walked towards the mahogany desk. I was about to fall backwards, so I unknowingly put my feet on top of his.

“How bold? Daring to step on the Emperor’s feet.”

His voice leaked out between his slightly parted lips. Unlike his accusatory tone, his breath was mixed with laughter. I voluntarily sat on the mahogany desk. Then he put my legs on the desk and looked down at me. Unlike his calm touch, his eyes were already filled with desire. The sound of his and my sloppy kisses echoed loudly in the quiet library. My reason had already flown away and stuck somewhere on the bookshelf. Linelle’s instincts seemed to exist solely for me. He carefully laid me down, placing his hand on the back of my head so that my head wouldn’t hit the desk. He stopped kissing me mercilessly.

“Hmm, wait a minute.”

He took his lips away with difficulty, took a breath as if trying to calm his excitement, and said,

“I really can’t do it here… I’m sorry.”

“I’m okay.”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

He sighed deeply, glanced back, and stroked my face again.

“I wonder if it’s okay for only me to be this warm. I feel so sorry… so I can’t do it here…”

He lowered his gaze and muttered. It didn’t feel like he was talking to me. But he wouldn’t be talking to anyone else, would he? There are only him and me in this library.

“What do you mean?”

“Words you can’t understand right now.”

Linelle replied with a slight smile, but his eyes looked sad. His words were shrouded in fog. I wanted to ask him in detail, but I didn’t. If Linelle also had something to confess to me, I wanted to give him time, just as he had given me.

“Let’s go up to the bedroom.”

“I guess we should.”

Linelle lifted the mahogany desk and put it back in its place. I was moved along with the desk without even having a chance to get off the desk.

“You’re not going to leave me here, are you?”

I got off the desk and grabbed his waist, complaining for no reason.

“I was going to come and get you tomorrow, but you’re pretty, so I’ll have to take you.”

When I pouted and laughed, he added one more word with a serious face.

“Maybe it’s because the library lights are dim that you look pretty.”

“Maybe so.”

I couldn’t laugh anymore because it was a pretty credible statement. I linked my arm with his and was about to turn towards the library door when my body suddenly floated in the air.

“Uh…? What are you doing?”

He slung me over his shoulder.

“I’m out hunting, so I have to take my prey. That way, everyone won’t look down on me, right?”

“Wh-what are you doing!”

“Be quiet.”

He patted my butt with his hand and opened the library door.

“The proper way to carry the captured prey is on your shoulder. That’s how you look cool.”

“What will the servants say when they see us! Put me down, hurry.”

“You’re barefoot right now.”

He stroked the area around my ankles with his hand and replied.

“Oh my god, where is there a floor as clean as this? I’ll just walk, okay?”

“If you’re embarrassed, just pretend to be asleep.”

Linelle said firmly and patted my butt again.

“I suddenly ran out of the bedroom, but who would believe me if I showed up asleep on His Majesty’s shoulder?”

“You’re right, now that I hear it. Then pretend to be dead.”

“…Yes, that’s more realistic.”

I couldn’t get through to him. I was quiet, thinking, ‘Oh well, whatever.’ His chuckling laughter continued as he climbed the stairs. As we went up to the bedroom floor, I heard the servants chattering here and there as expected. I closed my eyes tightly and lay limply on his shoulder, really pretending to be dead.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

Sharon, your voice is too loud. Sharon’s horrified voice echoed through the bedroom floor.

“Shh, the Empress is dead.”

“Y-Yes? H-How did this happen!”

Sharon, who was powerless, matched the Emperor’s ridiculous joke and asked.

“She couldn’t overcome her embarrassment and just…”

The servants’ laughter leaked out here and there at Linelle’s sorrowful voice. I really wanted to faint because I was so embarrassed.

“I’m going to bring the Empress back to life tonight, so everyone stop laughing! If you don’t want to really die at the Empress’s hands tomorrow morning.”

His threat silenced the laughter in an instant.

“We are sorry, Your Majesty!”

“Please forgive us, Your Majesty!”

“I just remembered something funny that happened during the day and laughed!”

Are these people serious…? Are they all trying to make me die of shame? Linelle shouted to the servants, ‘It’s going to be a night of miracles!’ and opened the bedroom door. Clang. I heard the bedroom door close, but I was still limp on his shoulder.

“Zelda, it’s just the two of us now, can you put some strength in your body? I think the Emperor’s shoulder is going to fall off.”

Slap-. He hit my butt and immediately said, “Oh, that must have hurt,” and patted my butt with a gentle touch. I blushed as if I had been slapped on the cheek and struggled with my legs.

“Okay, I’ll let you go, so stop resisting.”

He scared me as if he was going to throw me on the bed, but in the end, he carefully put me down as if he were handling a baby. I roughly swept my hair back, which had been messed up from being hung upside down, and glared at him.

“How strangely will the servants think of me…? Pfft, what are you doing?”

“Because you broke me.”

Linelle was standing there like a person whose shoulder had fallen out, with one shoulder drooping as if he had lost his soul. When I burst out laughing, he moved his drooping arm back and forth like a pendulum and eventually laughed himself. Only after the laughter subsided did he come up to the bed and sit facing me. Linelle held out his hands to me. When I saw him looking at me with such loving eyes, I felt playful. I gently placed my feet on his outstretched palms and smiled shyly. I had done it expecting him to be very embarrassed, but unexpectedly, he grabbed my feet and shook them as if shaking hands. It was a strange situation where the person who played the prank with great determination was more embarrassed. The sight of my feet being held in his hands was very ridiculous. The sin of daring to put my feet in the Emperor’s hands was returned with humiliation. He clapped my feet together as if clapping his hands. The sound of clapping feet echoed through the bedroom. This is true shame.

“You’re really weird.”

He muttered with a profound expression.

“…Yes, it’s not a normal pose.”

“Not the pose.”

Is there anything weirder than my current pose?

“I’m talking about my wife.”

He spoke as if he were talking about me to someone else. I asked as if agreeing with him.

“What about Your Majesty’s wife?”

“I don’t hate her even if she does such rude things to me, the Emperor.”

“Isn’t it because your wife is too pretty?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Linelle said firmly. He’s about to get angry if I insist one more time.

“…Ah, yes.”

“Until now, and in the future, my wife will be the only creature who can put her feet on my hands so nonchalantly.”

He stared at my face and mumbled with his plump, sexy lips as if he had more to say. Is he going to tell me he loves me? I expected it, but,

“Congratulations.”

Clap clap clap-. He shouted, clapping my feet enthusiastically. Because of that, I lost my balance and fell backwards. Although my pose was ridiculous, I wanted to pretend to be haughty, but I failed. I started laughing like crazy, like a woman with a screw loose. Even though this is not the time to just laugh like this. Or am I really crazy? I renewed my determination and sat up again. But it was just when Linelle was about to lean his upper body towards me.

“Why are you getting up? You’re embarrassing someone who was about to lie down.”

I pushed his shoulder back so that he would sit properly again. I had something to say to him.

“Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“…Ah.”

The words I was about to say crawled back into my throat at his honest and quick answer.

“I don’t trust you completely yet, but I’m sure I love you.”

He said confidently, crossing his arms in front of him.

“Then do you trust my love?”

“It’s far from enough compared to mine, but I trust that.”

“That’s enough then. Just trust that. But how do you know if my love is lacking or not?”

“My love is at an untouchable level. So your love must be far behind mine. I guarantee it.”

“You underestimate my love too much.”

“Prove it if you feel wronged.”

Linelle lay down on the bed and provoked me. I reached out to the bedside table next to the bed to turn off the light.

“Coward.”

Linelle muttered in a low voice, pressing down on his Adam’s apple. I paused my hand that was heading for the light at his teasing tone.

“Yes? What did you say?”

“Do you have to turn off the light? It’s dark enough now. I think it’s okay to leave one on.”

“Still, it’s a bit…”

It’s embarrassing. I hesitated and tried to turn off the light again.

“Because I want to see you.”

He said, grabbing my wrist as if stroking it.

“…What?”

“Your eyes, your expression when we share love. Let’s leave just one on. Huh?”

Linelle said pleadingly.

“Then just turn it on today… Ugh.”

As soon as my permission was given, Linelle, who had been lying down and looking up at me, instantly took over me.

His shining face cast a shadow over my face. I blurted out a word that I had been sharpening in my heart.

“Love me.”

The desire for me reflected in his eyes poured down on me. Linelle whispered in a painful voice, gently holding my lower lip.

“You’re driving me crazy, really…”