The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 112

112. A Lonely Night

January 29, 2022

“Yes, we’re changing it from the Patsha Empire to the Tebelo Empire.”

Linelle nodded, speaking decisively. Raphael was skeptical of his decision.

“Your Majesty, the starting and ending points for the Continental Hunting Competition have never been changed before.”

“That’s because there was never a reason to change them.”

“But if Your Majesty changes the destination for the first time in the history of the Hunting Competition, it could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“What kind of misunderstandings?”

“Isn’t this the first Hunting Competition since the war? People might suspect you have ulterior motives for changing the destination.”

“Why would they think that far?”

In truth, Linelle agreed with Raphael’s concerns but outwardly denied it.

“You seem so naive at times. The Tebelo Empire is the closest country to the Wyvern habitat, the Valley of Death, among the southern continent nations.”

Raphael knew it was useless to argue with Linelle’s determined expression. He gave up trying to persuade him, sighed deeply, and asked,

“What if Emperor Adrian of the Tebelo Empire opposes it?”

“I’ll have to butter him up.”

“He won’t be easy to deal with.”

“If all else fails, I’ll just push him off the Valley of Death.”

He folded the paper in half as he replied.

“…Are you joking?”

Raphael asked, laughing with a bewildered expression. But Linelle didn’t answer.

***
Waking up from my nap, I noticed my dress was quite wrinkled. I didn’t mind, but Sharon insisted I change into a new dress from the Empress Palace. After changing, I left the Empress Palace with Linelle.

“Empress, take your time coming.”

He kissed my cheek and quickly turned away. Is he running again? Linelle sprinted from the entrance of the Empress Palace towards the main palace. Chief of Staff Stian and his guards also started running after him.

“If he’s going to do that, he should have come on horseback…”

“He probably didn’t plan on taking a nap.”

Chief Knight Commander Marcrom quietly responded to my mutterings.

“Let’s walk to the main palace slowly.”

“Your Majesty, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to stop by the smithy to check on my sword’s blade before heading to the main palace.”

“The smithy? Let’s go together!”

My voice unintentionally rose, startling Marcrom.

“Your Majesty, you wish to visit the smithy… in person?”

“Yeah, I was planning to go anyway.”

Upon hearing about the smithy, Bonis and Sharon exchanged uneasy glances. It was a natural reaction. Generally, the smithy was perceived as a rough and dangerous place.

“You two can return to the main palace first. It’s fine if I go with Commander Marcrom.”

I quickly told them, looking at them. Frankly, it was much more comfortable to visit the smithy alone with Commander Marcrom.

***
The smithy in the Lapion Imperial Palace was overwhelmingly larger than the one in the Shatonil Royal Palace. There seemed to be at least ten individual workshops. Not far from the smithy, there was even a separate building for the people who worked there. The intense heat, sweat-soaked figures, swords and spears heated in the fire, and busy hands maintaining the weapons. Coming to the lively smithy made me feel excited. Like other women, I enjoyed trying on dresses and looking at jewelry, but for me, watching weapons being made in real-time at the smithy was much more enjoyable. My steps bounced to the rhythm of the hammer strikes. Perhaps my every step was already in rhythm.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Commander Marcrom said that after losing his sight, his hearing became more sensitive, making it overwhelming to be in the smithy.

“It’s fun.”

“The heat is quite intense. Are you really alright?”

“That’s just how smithies are.”

I almost retorted that this level of heat was like playing with fire to me, but I stopped myself. Away from the frantically moving workshops, a wider and more pleasant workshop caught my eye. It wasn’t as busy as the others, and only one person was working there. Commander Marcrom pointed to the exact place I was looking at and said,

“That’s where Count Ethan works alone.”

“A noble making swords in a smithy…”

“He’s an oddball.”

Commander Marcrom chuckled.

“He’s special.”

When I contradicted Commander Marcrom, he shrugged, showing a somewhat acknowledging expression.

“Count Ethan mainly works on weapons used by the Imperial Knight Commanders. He exclusively makes the swords used by His Majesty.”

“His sword-making skills must be amazing?”

“Quite outstanding.”

Commander Marcrom subtly pulled out the sword at his waist, expressing his satisfaction with Count Ethan’s skill.

“Huh?”

I stopped walking, recognizing a familiar face in the workshop where Count Ethan was working alone. It’s Catherine.

“Why is she here…”

The atmosphere between Catherine and Count Ethan didn’t seem ordinary.

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”

“There’s a guest who came to see the Count before us. Commander, take care of your business. I’ll go to the Count’s workshop alone.”

“Is it a guest Your Majesty knows?”

“Very well.”

I replied, lowering my voice as I looked at Catherine’s back.

“But why do I have to stay here? Is there a reason why I can’t come with you?”

“Yes, because I need to secretly eavesdrop on their conversation.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s too risky to move together. You’re big and noticeable.”

“…”

Commander Marcrom tilted his head, looking at me with a completely uncomprehending expression.

“Can’t you sharpen the blade at another blacksmith’s workshop?”

“That’s fine, but what are you going to eavesdrop on…”

“I’ll meet you here in a bit.”

I left the curious Commander behind and headed towards Count Ethan’s workshop. Fortunately, it was far from the busy workshops, so I could secretly approach the Count’s workshop without being noticed by the palace staff. I quickly went behind the workshop and hid behind a large pillar, making sure Catherine and Count Ethan didn’t see me. Perhaps due to Count Ethan’s orders, there was no one else there except for the two of them. I peeked at them from behind the pillar. It was the perfect place to eavesdrop on something secretive.

“How did you even think of coming to the Imperial Palace?”

Catherine lowered her voice, but her tone was filled with anger.

“I came a year ago. Before you even became a concubine.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about! His Majesty knows about us, so why would you come to the Imperial Palace and sit here hammering metal? Why here of all places!”

“His Majesty proposed it first. Did you think I accepted this position so readily? I have some pride too.”

Even while talking to Catherine, Ethan didn’t put down his hammer and continued working.

“If you had any pride, you would have refused to the end!”

“Then what kind of pride do you have to become His Majesty’s concubine?”

“Are you comparing me to someone like you? I’m from the Karios Dukedom…”

“Yes, a very noble Duchess. Although you’re someone who rolls around in bed every night with a lowly Count from a humble family!”

Ethan put his emotions into the hammer, striking the sword strongly.

‘What’s with these two?’

So, Catherine, who was his fiancée when he was the Crown Prince, had an affair with Count Ethan, which led to the engagement being broken off?

‘Linelle is so magnanimous.’

Or should I say, he keeps his personal and professional life separate?

“Get out of the Imperial Palace.”

Catherine said quietly, as if giving an order.

“What?”

Ethan stopped hammering and looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“You said you’d be happy as long as you could make swords anywhere. So, you can work at any smithy other than the Imperial Palace, right?”

Ethan’s eyes turned fierce as he listened to Catherine’s words. I could see the strength in his hand holding the hammer.

‘Is he going to do something to Catherine with that hammer?’

…I had such expectations, but nothing like that happened.

“I can’t live in the Imperial Palace with you as long as I’m a concubine.”

“Why are you the one deciding that?”

“I’m the Emperor’s concubine, and you’re just a blacksmith.”

“Catherine. Haven’t you thought about who is more useful to His Majesty?”

Ethan spat out coldly and sighed deeply.

“Just go. The more we talk, the more we’ll just upset each other.”

Ethan seemed to regret his words a little when he saw Catherine’s shocked expression.

“How do you know that? How do you know if you’re useful or not, and how dare you say that to me?!”

Catherine flared up. Yeah, it would be disappointing if she just let it go after hearing those words with that personality.

“Even if I’m stuck in the smithy, this is still the Imperial Palace. I have ears too.”

“Hey!”

The sound of Catherine’s high pride collapsing reached me. I was going to enter the workshop at the right time after watching the two of them. But now… the atmosphere was getting stranger, so I couldn’t rashly step in.

‘Should I just go back?’

But the conversation between the two was too interesting to leave.

Catherine was furious. Is she going to throw all the tools on the workbench? Or slap Ethan in the face? Okay, let’s just watch Catherine’s reaction and leave. Either way, it would be awkward for both of us if I showed up here.

“I’m lonely…”

Catherine said sadly. Did I just hear that right? I doubted my ears. I almost poked my head out from behind the pillar and asked Catherine, ‘What did you just say?’

“What did you just say?”

As expected, Ethan seemed to have the same thought as me. He didn’t seem to understand Catherine’s words either, just like me.

“I’m lonely. I’m lonely, I feel like I’m going crazy because I’m so lonely!”

Catherine shouted nervously and covered her face with both hands. It seemed like she came here to say those words. Ethan stared at her silently, then tossed the hammer he was holding tightly to the side.

“Catherine…”

“It’s true. I’ve been lonely to the bone since I started living in the Imperial Palace. I feel like I’m going crazy.”

“It’s the path you chose.”

“It’s a path I chose without knowing it would be like this…”

Catherine’s face, devoid of any venom, even looked pitiful. Ethan seemed to take a step towards Catherine, but then picked up the hammer again.

“Go back. And don’t come again.”

“Ethan…”

“As long as you don’t come here, we won’t run into each other in the Imperial Palace.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that what you came here to say?”

“No… Actually, the reason I came is…”

Ethan turned back to her at Catherine’s meaningful voice.

“Hold me.”

Crazy! I stopped breathing with my mouth wide open.

“Are you saying that with a clear mind?”

Ethan said what I wanted to say again.

“Either way, the nights I spend with His Majesty… will never exist in my life. It’s because of the Empress. Because of that bitch…!”

Catherine mentioned me.

‘That’s true.’

I nodded without realizing it.

“We were good together.”

Catherine grabbed Ethan’s arm as he tried to turn away.

“Are you crazy?”

“Don’t worry. No one will know if we meet again. They can’t even imagine it. So, Ethan!”

“Haa… The servant will be back soon. So, just go back now.”

“Then…”

“There’s a training ground in the pine tree forest path that only the Knight Commanders use. No one is there after 8 PM, so come there at 10 PM.”

What? Where are they meeting?! I pricked up my ears again, doubting what I had heard.

“At the training ground?”

Catherine didn’t seem to like the meeting place.

“This is the Imperial Palace. You’re bound to be seen by the palace staff no matter where you go.”

“That’s true. But someone could still come to the training ground, right?”

Catherine, who had been aggressively asking him to hold her just a moment ago, suddenly asked in a more cautious voice.

“There’s a weapon storage in the training ground. Talking there will be the safest for now. I have something to say too, so come there.”

Ethan said in a serious voice. What could Ethan have to say to Catherine? Could it be something related to Linelle?

‘If so, I’m a little concerned…’

Will they really just talk? I stopped eavesdropping there and turned around.

‘And the storage is not a safe place at all…? Tsk tsk.’

I went back around the pillar where I was hiding and headed to the smithy where the workshops were gathered to find Commander Marcrom.

***
As Catherine said, no one would imagine that the two of them would secretly spend the night together. Especially inside the Imperial Palace! But what to do? The person who directly heard it is here.

“Wait, should I have listened to the end of their conversation?”

No. It was a bit dangerous to go back now. As I came out to the center of the smithy, the palace staff who were busily coming and going recognized me and kept greeting me. I asked one of them which workshop Commander Marcrom was in.

“I will escort you, Your Majesty.”

The palace staff directly guided me to where the Commander was.

“How was your business? Were you satisfied?”

Commander Marcrom was examining the sharply sharpened blade, but he noticed I had arrived and put the sword back into its scabbard, asking me.

“Very. But I didn’t get to see Count Ethan. I think I’ll have to come again next time.”

“Why is that?”

“There was a situation where I couldn’t interfere.”

I quietly replied to Commander Marcrom.

“Did the visitor say something bad about Your Majesty?”

The Commander laughed and joked.

“Oh? How did you know? That’s right.”

“No, who would dare to insult Your Majesty?!”

Commander Marcrom frowned and asked.

“There is, a lonely soul at night.”

“…Yes?”