The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 98

98. Even if It’s Presumptuous, I End Up Touching

“Miyaong? (Why is she so surprised? Did Rosie’s mom come looking for her?)”

Aoshi approached Rosie, who had fallen to the floor. He picked up the hem of her dress that was on her leg with his mouth, and then gently put it back down.

“She doesn’t have a mom. She died when I was 290 years old.”

Moiya quickly scurried under the bed and whispered to Aoshi. Rosie stared blankly out the terrace door and muttered.

“That, that man must be crazy… He, he really loves me…”

The person who knocked on the terrace door was none other than Prince Norton. She started crawling clumsily, her legs too weak to stand up right away. Rosie barely made it to the terrace door on her knees, grabbed the doorknob, and pulled herself up. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and then opened the terrace door. As soon as the terrace door opened, Prince Norton strode into the bedroom.

“Why, why are you doing this? I just opened the door, who said you could come in?”

“I’m sorry, it’s urgent.”

“Look, Prince Norton. I understand your feelings, but if you act so recklessly, it’ll really put me in a difficult position!”

“I’m sorry, but I’m in an even more difficult situation, so please understand.”

“How can I understand someone who visits through the terrace when there’s a perfectly good door? Well, I guess your mind isn’t normal to begin with.”

Rosie’s words weren’t really registering with Prince Norton right now.

“What’s that?”

Only then did Rosie notice that Prince Norton was holding something. It didn’t look like a bouquet of flowers.

“Ah, this is…”

As Prince Norton spoke with difficulty, Rosie quickly waved her hands.

“I won’t accept it, I won’t accept it.”

“Excuse me?”

“His Majesty wasn’t angry today, but he didn’t say he’d just let our problem slide, did he? So I can’t accept gifts or anything.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s not a gift…”

Prince Norton replied in a troubled voice.

“If it’s not a gift, then what is it?”

Rosie stared intently at the black cloth that Prince Norton was holding so preciously.

“Your Majesty, I’ll be shameless and say this. Please, please grant me this request, and I will forever…”

“No, listen! We can’t see each other forever! I’m a concubine, and you’re a prince! Do you really not understand why we can’t be together?”

Prince Norton didn’t have the *yoyu* [leeway/composure] to correct Rosie’s misunderstanding.

“It’s a child.”

“…Yes?”

“This isn’t a gift, it’s my child.”

Prince Norton said, looking down at the black cloth he was holding.

‘Did the prince go a little crazy from the ordeal?’

Rosie doubted the prince’s mental state. She had witnessed a similar scene at her family’s, the Adelheid family, when she was young. A maid named Darlene, who was pregnant, was giving birth, but the fetus in her womb was strangled by the umbilical cord and died. After that, the maid went crazy from the shock and carried a pillow around for a while, saying it was her child. Prince Norton’s appearance now seemed very similar to that maid who had briefly gone crazy. Rosie frowned and looked up at Prince Norton’s face.

“Even if it’s hard, you can’t lose your mind, Prince… How many fingers do you see?”

She shook three fingers in front of Prince Norton’s eyes and asked.

“I will speak to Her Majesty the Empress separately. She will understand my situation.”

Prince Norton continued, mentioning Zelda.

“Your Majesty, I’ll take him back when the hunting competition starts, so just until then…”

Rosie was wondering how far she should humor Prince Norton’s nonsense.

“Ooooong…”

A strange sound came from inside the black cloth. What was that sound just now? At first, she thought it was Moiya or Aoshi making the sound, but the mumbling was coming from very close by. Prince Norton wouldn’t be babbling, would he? Rosie stared at the black cloth. Along with the babbling sound she had just heard, the black cloth twitched again. She looked at Prince Norton with surprised eyes. Her eyes were asking what was inside. Prince Norton carefully unwrapped the black cloth with a very nervous expression.

“Heoooook! It’s really, a baby!”

Rosie covered her mouth with both hands. It was a situation that was hard to believe even when seeing it.

“Whose, whose child is it?”

“It’s my child.”

“…Yeeeees?!”

“It’s a long story to tell.”

“It seems like you’ll have to, even if it’s long?”

Rosie said, staring at Rams, who was blinking his big eyes. Even in this absurd situation, Rosie couldn’t help but smile at Rams’ chubby cheeks and smiling face.

“The child’s safety is in danger right now. I can’t keep him with me right now due to circumstances… and there’s no one I can trust to leave him with… Please take care of him for a while, I’m shamelessly asking! He’s a poor thing.”

To say he was pitiful, the child’s cute face was a blessing in itself. Rosie’s *gomin* [worry/concern] didn’t last long. She glared at Prince Norton but took the child into her arms.

“Thank you, thank you so much. Rosie, Your Majesty!”

“It’s not because of you that I’m taking care of him. I don’t know what’s going on, but because you said the child is in danger, so…”

“I will never forget this favor.”

“Translate the ancient language book of the Southern Continent.”

Rosie said in a firm tone.

“Yes?”

“Please do it, there should be something coming if there’s something going. Don’t you think?”

Rosie said curtly, then looked down at Rams and added.

“Of course, you have to tell me about this situation later, too.”

“Is that really all you need?”

Prince Norton asked as if that wasn’t a big deal.

“I’ll think about other things…”

“Yes, think about other things besides the ancient language translation, I’ll do anything I can to help.”

“Keep your promise. Otherwise, I’ll spill everything about the child! Oorrr, peek-a-boo?”

Like he’d really do that. Rosie threatened Prince Norton, and when Rams started to whine, she repeatedly said ‘Oorrr, peek-a-boo’ to soothe Rams. The prince felt deeply grateful for her two-faced attitude and stared at her holding Rams for a while. *** The next day, I got into a carriage with Linell to go to the *byulgung* [detached palace/villa] to have tea time with Prince Kalvin and his wife from the Patsha Empire of the Southern Continent. I actually had an aversion to Prince Kalvin. He assassinated his half-brother, the 1st Prince, and took his sister-in-law, Jasper, as his wife, right? I thought he was a model that showed how far a human being full of lust for power could go. Basically, it’s best to avoid people who are blinded by power as much as possible. But they were honored guests who visited the Rafion Empire, and I was the Empress here, so I had a duty to put aside my personal feelings and treat them as guests. In the carriage heading to the *byulgung*, Linell said something interesting.

“Some say that the reason Prince Kalvin killed the 1st Prince wasn’t because he was greedy for the throne, but for another reason.”

“Not just because he was crazy about power?”

I looked out the carriage window and asked in a sarcastic tone.

“Yeah, there was something he was even more crazy about than power.”

“What is it?”

“His sister-in-law, and now his wife, Princess Jasper.”

“No way, he did that because of the princess?”

“Because he had to get rid of the 1st Prince to have her by his side. Well, of course, he would have been greedy for the throne too. Kalvin was more suitable to be emperor than the 1st Prince, who was gentle in every way.”

“Still… to fall in love with his sister-in-law and kill his brother.”

“Zelda, I didn’t say they fell in love.”

Linell chuckled and replied.

“Then what? Prince Kalvin was just unilaterally in love?”

“Well, I don’t know. If you’re curious, ask them directly later.”

“I don’t want to risk my life for one question.”

I said, touching my neck with my hand.

“But you know. Even if you don’t ask, you’ll get a feel for it as you talk, right? Whether the two are in love with each other or not.”

“Hmm… I don’t know? Anyway, Princess Jasper must have had feelings too, so she became Prince Kalvin’s wife. Otherwise, would she have accepted her husband’s killer as her husband?”

Saying that, it was really *makjang* [a melodramatic/scandalous situation].

“Really? I think differently…”

Linell’s tone was playful, but his eyes looked somehow serious.

“What do you mean? Do you think Princess Jasper has other intentions?”

“Well, something like that.”

He smiled with an unreadable smile and kept his words to himself. What, making me curious. When I pouted, he reached out and grabbed my ankle and put it on his thigh.

“What… what are you doing now?”

“I’m afraid your legs will hurt.”

“I’m just sitting still in the carriage?”

“Stop complaining. I just want to touch my wife’s legs, okay?”

He slapped my calf with his hand.

“Then I’ll be rude to the other side too.”

I voluntarily put the other leg on his thigh.

“…The end of *mueomham* [disrespect/rudeness].”

Linell grumbled that all the humiliating moments in his imperial life were due to me, but he *yeolsimhi* [diligently/enthusiastically] massaged my legs.

“Even if it’s *mueomham*, I can’t help but touch you, so I’ll forgive you.”

Ah, refreshing. His massage skills were quite excellent. However, the problem was that his touch was gradually *ollaogo* [coming up] my leg. ***

The tea time took place at an outdoor table in the backyard of the *byulgung*. The weather was unusually clear, so I felt refreshed. And the meeting with Prince Kalvin and his wife was not as awkward as I thought. In particular, Prince Kalvin’s consideration for Princess Jasper was quite impressive. He asked how she was feeling, how much tea she was drinking, why she wasn’t touching the cake, and so on. I thought he was a heartless person, but he showed a pure love in love. However, the things Prince Kalvin had done could not be justified. My gaze was constantly directed at Princess Jasper. She accepted Prince Kalvin’s affection with a kind tone and expression. ‘No matter how I look at it, it seems like the two are in love with each other?’ That was my impression. I occasionally glanced at Linell and watched his expression. His blue eyes, looking at the prince and princess, had a subtle light as if he was seeing something I couldn’t see. Of course, it could be that I love his eyes so much that they seem more special.

“Ahahaha.”

“Hohoho.”

Meaningless laughter accounts for half of the conversation at tea times for royalty and nobles. Today was no exception. Just when I was getting tired of even smiling, the servants brought out the second tea. I looked down at the teacup and tilted my head. It was vanilla coffee that Princess Resilia had given as a gift.

“Try it. This is vanilla coffee I received as a gift from Princess Resilia of the Shattonil Kingdom.”

‘Why this coffee specifically? Did Linell like it?’

But listening to him, it didn’t seem to be because of the taste.

“As you can see, it is characterized by rich foam that does not sink easily. The taste is, well, not much different from other vanilla coffee.”

Prince Kalvin and his wife took a sip of vanilla coffee while listening to Linell’s explanation.

“Haha, it’s also good to look at.”

Prince Kalvin replied to him, looking at his wife with foam all over her upper lip. She smiled and wiped the vanilla foam on her brother-in-law’s, no, her husband’s lips with a handkerchief.

“Oh, Stian, did you deliver the gift to Princess Resilia earlier?”

Linell put down his coffee cup and asked the chief servant who was standing far away.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I told her it was in return for the vanilla coffee.”

“Good work.”

He nodded to Stian and glanced at me.

“Does the princess know that we came here?”

I lowered my voice and asked him. Linell nodded briefly. For some reason, he seemed to have deliberately leaked information to Princess Resilia. She’s not a princess who would stay still knowing that fact…

“I think it’s time for her to show up.”

Linell whispered so that only I could hear, then glanced at the back gate of the *byulgung*. A few minutes later, as he predicted, Princess Resilia walked this way with clumsy acting.

“Oh my, what a coincidence? Your Majesty!”