The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 104

104. Can You Handle It?

January 1, 2022

“Wow, your creativity is amazing.”

“Your stamina is even more impressive.”

He placed his hand on the towel loosely wrapped around his waist.

“It’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“Time to receive praise.”

He whispered, gently kissing me.

“It’s night…….”

“Wait, I haven’t showered yet.”

I was about to say I wasn’t ready to give him praise yet when,

“That’s why I suggested we shower together. Why waste time like this on a night that’s not even long?”

He flicked my nose with his finger, looking displeased.

“Your Majesty… how about we spend tonight a little differently?”

“Like trying something new? I’m always open to new challenges.”

His eyes suddenly sparkled.

***

“I’m definitely losing my spark.”

Catherine muttered, staring at herself in the mirror with a bored expression.

“It’s all because of the Empress. If it weren’t for that bitch, I’d be back with Linell…”

Catherine’s voice trailed off mid-rant. Back with what? Catherine let out a self-deprecating laugh. Even without the Empress, would Linell even glance her way? He hadn’t shown her even a small smile since she became a concubine. She had been so confident that she could tempt him if she became a concubine and shake him up a little. What a foolish thought. It wasn’t that his heart had changed because she had an affair with Count Ethan Bennett. He was a man who had no interest in her from the start. Okay, let’s say there was no affection.

“If I hadn’t fooled around with the Count, I would have married him as planned…”

Without any major upsets, Catherine would have risen to the position of Empress. She picked up a brush on the vanity and brushed her purple hair, then asked another question.

“If I had been the Empress, would he have smiled at me so affectionately?”

Throwing jokes that didn’t suit his deep voice at all. Looking at her with eyes that couldn’t get enough of touching her, not caring about the gazes of many people. She recalled the look and smile Linell had shown Zelda.

“No.”

Catherine shook her head and threw the hairbrush at the mirror. Facing the truth that was unfavorable to her was annoying, but it was wise to quickly acknowledge what was and prepare an alternative.

“It’s not over yet. I may not be the Empress, but I can be treated better than the Empress.”

Linell has a strong sense of responsibility. He’s not one to hold grudges, and he’s not petty in the slightest. He even overlooked her affair. That’s why Catherine couldn’t completely let go of Linell. He was terribly unlucky and arrogant, but he was definitely a man worth coveting. Linell was a man who was equally cold to all women, so she thought he would be the same to the Empress from the Shatoanil Kingdom. But for some reason, he showed a different attitude towards the Empress. Most noble young ladies whispered that he was being nice to the Empress outwardly because he had a political marriage with an allied country. But Catherine knew that Linell’s eyes for the Empress were genuine. Because his eyes were always cold, even a little bit of affection made his gaze noticeably different.

“I don’t need love. If only I could conceive a prince, a child!”

Catherine bit her lower lip. It was only possible if she had the chance to sleep with him even just once. If she was given such an opportunity, she could just use another man to carry a child in her womb, even if it wasn’t the Emperor’s bloodline.

“Then… my child could become the Emperor. No, I must make it happen.”

Since she had given up on love, she had to have power.

“It would be best if the Empress disappeared in an accident during the hunting competition…”

Catherine gave a bitter smile and got up from the vanity chair. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked to the bed. Tonight, she felt particularly lonely.

“Ethan was so… passionate in bed.”

If Count Ethan hadn’t spent all day hammering blades in the smithy, she might be the Countess Bennett now, instead of a concubine who couldn’t even get the Emperor’s attention. Catherine had been thinking about Count Ethan more often lately. Especially at night. Suddenly feeling hot, she went for a night walk.

***

“Can’t this one still talk today?”

Moya asked, poking Rams’ cheeks, who was only moving his lips in Rosie’s arms.

“He needs to grow more.”

“Human babies are so insignificant? I could understand humans when I was still in the egg.”

“Be quiet. You’re bothering Rams.”

Rosie frowned, pushing Moya’s finger away.

“Hmph, anyone would think he’s your baby, Rosie?”

Moya scoffed, lying down with her head on Ao’s back, who was sitting on his stomach, and gave Rams Ao’s tail to hold.

“He’s not my child, but he’s so pretty. How can a boy be so pretty?”

“Because his mom is pretty.”

Moya said, giving Rams Ao’s tail to hold. Rosie pretended not to hear Moya and immediately changed the subject.

“We almost got caught by Her Majesty today because of you, but you hid well.”

“I thought our master was shocked because of him, so I thought it would be better to get caught next time. So, I hid under the bed, Moya~”.

Moya patted her shoulder and replied.

“Good job. She might have fainted if she had seen you too.”

“To be pushed back by a kid who can’t even talk and just blinks! I could have been caught by Master first, I’m so upset, so upset.”

Moya pouted, glaring at Rams.

“But… the more I look at him, the more he looks like Princess Resilia.”

Rosie moved her head in several directions, looking at Rams’ face, and Moya seriously asked, saying that wasn’t the problem right now.

“What if Norton or Burton doesn’t come looking for him?”

“Miyaong. (Then let’s raise him.)”

“You grow up first.”

Moya scoffed, looking at Ao, who was struggling with his tail in Rams’ hand.

“You don’t really mean to raise him with me, do you?”

Rosie’s cheeks turned red at Moya’s casual remark. Moya asked her with a worried look.

“What’s wrong, Rosie? Does it make you angry just thinking about it?”

“Huh? What?”

Rosie was lost in thought and was startled by Moya’s words, asking back.

“If you really don’t like it, give him to me, I’ll throw him away somewhere else.”

Moya said, reaching out her hands, and Rams burst into tears.

“Ugh, he can’t even talk, but he’s so loud!”

Moya covered her ears with both hands and flew to the bed, covering herself with the blanket. Knock, knock-. Then Misha opened the bedroom door and came in.

“Rosie, Melanie is asking to see you now. What should we do?”

“What? Why is Melanie coming so suddenly at this hour?”

Rosie hurriedly wrapped Rams in a blanket because of Melanie, who had come without warning. Moya put the blanket over her head and poked her head out.

“Oong? My friend came?”

She was secretly happy about Melanie’s visit.

“Tell her I’m sick and can’t meet her right now.”

“Should I say you have a bad cold?”

“That would be good. Misha, no matter what happens, don’t let Melanie into the bedroom, okay?”

Rosie held Rams in her arms and hurriedly opened the dressing room door.

“Yes, I understand. Stay in the dressing room, I’ll tell you when Melanie leaves.”

Misha said reliably and left the bedroom again, and Rosie also went into the dressing room and closed the door.

“She knows too much, so she’s dangerous, Moya~”.

Moya stared at the bedroom door that Misha had left through and muttered to herself before covering herself with the blanket again.

***

“I want to go to the training grounds.”

“You said you wanted to spend tonight in a new way, so why the training grounds? We can’t go there.”

He refused firmly. His reaction was expected, but the reason for refusing was far from what I had expected.

“There are two spectators there tonight. Even if we go into the warehouse, they’ll hear everything, right?”

What? What is this man imagining right now? His face was flushed.

“We’re the spectators tonight!”

The two of them should still be dueling.

“What? So Commander Macrum and Prince Norton were like that…? Really?!”

Linell’s eyes widened.

“…Excuse me?”

I also widened my eyes at his words. How could he take it that way? Wait, should I just say yes and ask to go to the training grounds? As my internal conflict began, Linell asked seriously.

“Did you perhaps become fond of each other after a few sword fights? Deeply…?”

Even though he said that, his expression still seemed to be asking, ‘Surely not?’ Oh well, I don’t know.

“Um… how about we go and ask them directly? I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, so I don’t know for sure.”

I’m sorry to Prince Norton and Commander Macrum, but this was the only way to stimulate Linell’s curiosity and get him to head to the training grounds.

“What is this guy? Did his tastes change after losing his eyesight?”

He muttered in shock, saying that Commander Macrum wouldn’t do that.

“Prince Norton’s lack of masculinity might have felt pretty to Commander Macrum.”

Linell’s lips slightly parted at my words, but he shook his head again.

“No. The Macrum I know would never do that, no matter how much he’s suffering or sad.”

“So, you can see for yourself—no, ask them.”

I slipped the robe to him, urging him on.

“Should I? But… you want me to wear just this?”

Linell asked, receiving the robe.

“It’s not like I’m Robe Man or something.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll tell Stian to bring you new clothes.”

I hit my forehead with my hand and quickly opened the bedroom door and went out. Robe Man appears in the back alleys of the city wearing only a robe and shows off the robe to passing women, right? I almost turned my husband into such a pervert. I received the shirt and pants directly from Stian and returned to the bedroom.

“Change your clothes.”

“Zelda, I’ve been thinking… shouldn’t we just ask tomorrow?”

Oh no, his mind has changed in the meantime.

“Why?”

I became anxious.

“If the two of them are in a deep relationship, it doesn’t matter if we hear it today or tomorrow. It’s already spilled water [an idiom meaning ‘what’s done is done’].”

He sat down on the bed with a look of annoyance.

“But why does your expression suddenly look so bad?”

“Actually… I wanted to see the two of them sword fighting up close.”

I said, showing a disappointed expression.

“What if the two of them are having a love battle instead of a sword fight in the training grounds?”

Linell pulled me by the waist and asked in a laughing voice.

“Surely they wouldn’t be so clueless as to make love in the training grounds?”

“What?”

“No matter how much lust surges, if they have their heads on straight, they can’t do that in the training grounds.”

“…Are you saying that for me to hear?”

He looked up at me crookedly and asked.

“Excuse me?”

“I tried to hug you in the warehouse without any sense before. I had to force myself to get my head back on straight because Macrum came in.”

I thought, ‘Oops,’ but his expression was already very crumpled.

“Th, that’s different.”

It wasn’t really different at all, but I insisted that it was a completely different situation from then.

“You want to see the sword fight that much?”

He got up from the bed again and asked. I nodded my head greatly and jumped up and down, holding his hand.

“Ah, this is such a waste of time. And you should have told me before I showered?”

Linell looked conflicted, so I quickly pulled out a negotiation card.

“Then, let’s shower together after we go to the training grounds!”

Ah, did I need to raise my hand too? I shouted as if I were declaring something.

“Can you handle… it?”

Linell’s pupils trembled as if they were dancing. Well, it won’t be too embarrassing since you can’t see well anyway when there’s steam in the bathroom, right?

“Of course? We’re a married couple.”

I smiled brightly and handed him the clothes again.

“You refused earlier because we weren’t a married couple?”

He twitched one eyebrow and asked, but his expression was very positive.

“Empress, it seems that the Emperor is too lazy to put on his clothes himself.”

Linell lowered his voice and handed me the clothes he was holding as if throwing them.

“Yes! I was going to dress you myself anyway.”

I quickly put the linen shirt over his head, then grabbed both sides of the pants’ waist and looked up at him, bending one knee like a knight.

“Your Majesty, please put your legs in. I will lift them up quickly!”

He awkwardly looked down at me, then grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

“I’ll put on the bottom, so, the pants myself, so get up…”

“No! Please put them in quickly.”

I spread his pants wider and said kindly.

“Get up… haa. The order was given to you, but why is the word ‘get up’ being heard from the wrong place…”

Linell muttered to himself. He was making dry washes [a Korean slang term for suggestive jokes] with a painful face. We need to go to the training grounds quickly, why is he like that?