The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 129

129. How Much Does It Hurt? (129/347)

March 30, 2022.

“Are you crying? Are you crying right now?!”

I tried to see Linelle’s face, but he turned completely away, wiping his tears. He *was* crying. I honestly thought I’d never see him cry unless someone deliberately poked him in the eye. How much pain must he be in… It broke my heart.

“You even caught the tears with your hand, and you’re asking, ‘Are you crying?'”

Linelle retorted, sounding grumpy.

“…Where does it hurt so much that you’re crying? Huh?”

“It hurts here. Like someone is grabbing and tearing at it with their hands.”

He placed his hand on his chest, then clenched it into a fist and pounded himself wildly.

“Of course it hurts if you hit your chest like that.”

I quickly pried his clenched fist open with both hands.

“What did the court physician say?”

“He said it will be better after today.”

“Really?”

“For now.”

“Excuse me? The court physician *really* said it would be okay after today?”

He nodded.

“Yeah, but I think it will heal right away if you say it’s okay.”

“You don’t look okay at all.”

“Oh.”

Linelle lowered his head and chuckled hollowly, then whispered with a pitiful look.

“Hug me.”

Why did those words sound so painful? I hugged him and kissed him. I only meant to give him a light kiss, but I couldn’t pull away because of his soft, probing lips.

His kiss, which felt like a gentle caress today, made me feel languid and weak.

“Okay. I think I’m all better…”

Linelle whispered, hiding his face in my neck.

“Your Majesty, perhaps…”

“Hmm?”

“Did you catch a cold?”

“What?”

“Is that why you’re trying to pass it on to me?”

“…….”

Suddenly, I felt a damp sensation on my neck. What is this?

“Are you crying again?”

Linelle began to sob softly.

“I’m sorry for joking when you’re in pain.”

I patted his back to comfort him. Geez, why would he cry so embarrassingly? I was awkwardly stroking Linelle’s broad back when he said in a deep, resonant voice.

“I love you, Zelda…”

I felt even more sorry for joking with him earlier.

***

“If you go out every night like this, won’t the servants think it’s strange?”

Rosie opened the terrace door for Prince Norton, who visited her residence again today.

“I’ve arranged for someone to cover for me, so it’s okay.”

“What if someone barges into your bedroom?”

“No one will barge into my bedroom without permission except Princess Resilia.”

“Oh my, has the Princess been to Your Highness’s bedroom before?”

Rosie stared intently at Prince Norton’s face as she asked. Prince Norton avoided her gaze and turned his attention to Rams, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed.

“Was he not too fussy today?”

He himself didn’t understand why he avoided Rosie’s gaze. Why did he feel like he had committed a sin? She hadn’t even asked in a demanding tone. Fortunately, Rosie didn’t bring up Princess Resilia’s story any further.

“He played well, ate well, laughed, and pooped well today too.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Yes, it’s time to repay that gratitude. Rams is sleeping, so we should do what we need to do, right?”

Rosie picked up the ancient book she had been reading before Prince Norton arrived.

“What part are you curious about today?”

Prince Norton pushed aside the books scattered on the sofa and sat down.

“Here.”

Rosie sat right next to him and pointed to a map drawn in the ancient book with her finger.

“The Duchy of Aclato.”

Prince Norton read the letters written in ancient Patsha [an ancient language] next to the map.

“Ah, I see…”

Only an island was drawn, and it was written in ancient Patsha, so she was hesitant, but as she expected, the island drawn in the ancient book was indeed the Duchy of Aclato.

“Does Rosie know this place well? It’s closer to the Southern Continent.”

“My mother was from there. Before she got married, she trained at the magic tower on Aclato Island.”

“Ah, she learned magic. I heard that the master of this magic tower used to produce many powerful magicians in the past. I think I heard that he doesn’t take disciples anymore.”

“That’s right. One of the last disciples the master of the magic tower taught was my mother. My mother learned healing magic.”

“Then did you receive this ancient book from your mother?”

“Yes, I received it before she passed away.”

Prince Norton’s expression, which had been smiling as he spoke, hardened at Rosie’s answer.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. She passed away when I was young, so my memories of my mother’s face are hazy. When that happens, I look at my mother’s portrait inside the necklace pendant. Then I remember again.”

Prince Norton listened to Rosie’s story and quietly opened his mouth.

“I feel bad to say this, but I’m still envious of Rosie. I don’t even remember my mother’s face. My mother, who was a concubine, passed away less than a year after giving birth to me.”

“Oh, dear…”

“I’ve also seen my mother’s portrait like Rosie. Even that was only possible when the Empress allowed it when I turned 15.”

“She must have been a beautiful woman.”

“She had long pink hair and a lovely face.”

Long pink hair…? Rosie thought of Princess Resilia. Could it be that Prince Norton gave his heart to Princess Resilia because she had similarities to his mother’s portrait? Rosie looked at Prince Norton’s lonely eyes, lost in memories, and quickly changed the subject.

“What is written under the Aclato map?”

In addition to the Valley of Death in the middle of the continent, wyverns also inhabit the volcanic region of Aclato Island. Everyone already knew that fact, so Rosie thought there might be some other information written in the ancient book. Rosie stared intently at Prince Norton, who was seriously reading the ancient language written under the Aclato map.

“I thought it would be about wyverns, but there’s a strange saying written there?”

Prince Norton tilted his head and pointed to the last sentence with his finger.

“Why? What does it say?”

*** The next day, afternoon, main palace bedroom.

“Your Majesty, Rosie has arrived.”

“Rosie?”

I put down the milk tea I was drinking and greeted Rosie.

“Greetings to Your Majesty.”

“Welcome.”

Rosie was holding a small basket in her hand.

“Master, Moiya came too, Moiya~”

Moiya pushed the basket lid up with her head and flew to me. Ao-ssi was also in the basket. Ao-ssi yawned, her pink mouth wide open, and jumped to the floor.

“Ao-ssi came too?”

“Miyaong [cat sound].”

As I stroked Ao-ssi’s head, Moiya grabbed Ao-ssi by the scruff of the neck and dropped her far away, saying to me.

“Moiya is a great wyvern, so she shouldn’t be seen by people, so she came by doppelganging as Ao-ssi.”

“Okay, good job.”

I looked up at Moiya, who was flying around me, and smiled.

“Your Majesty.”

Rosie took a step towards me with a determined expression.

“Yes?”

“I found it!”

Rosie, who suddenly clenched both fists, put strength into her voice and said.

“Found what?”

“The cure.”

“!”

“A medicinal herb that can completely remove burn scars. It’s written in the ancient book where it is!”

“Oh my goodness… Your Majesty!”

Sharon shouted with tears in her eyes. I stopped breathing and asked Rosie again.

“Is that… true?!”

“Yes. It’s a medicinal herb called ‘Kelbarn,’ and it only grows on an island.”

“An island… you mean?”

“The Duchy of Aclato. I heard from Moiya last night that the master of the Aclato Island magic tower visited?”

“He’s staying… at the main palace right now. He said he was shot with an arrow in the forest while traveling.”

I was in a bit of a daze because I couldn’t believe Rosie’s words. A cure exists. It existed. A cure…! My heart was beating so fast that my whole chest felt numb.

“Ask the master of the magic tower if he knows about the ‘Kelbarn’ herb right away before he leaves the imperial palace!”

“The master of the magic tower will also accompany us on this continental hunting competition. He said he wanted to.”

“Really? That’s great!”

Rosie stomped her feet as if she was excited. I took several deep breaths and asked Sharon.

“Sharon, where is the master of the magic tower staying in the main palace right now?”

*** The moment I heard about the cure from Rosie, I wanted to run to the master of the magic tower right away and ask if he knew about the ‘Kelbarn’ herb. But Moiya insisted on sleeping in the main palace again today, so the time was delayed a bit. Fortunately, Sharon put a lot of sausages in the basket, so I was able to appease her with that. Moiya changed her mind and instead of sleeping in the main palace, she begged to doppelgang as Ao-ssi and go meet the master of the magic tower herself. I hesitated for a moment and shook my head. The master of the magic tower might recognize Moiya, who had doppelganged as Ao-ssi, so it was dangerous. If he saw that the 300-year-old wyvern egg he owned had hatched, would he just leave it alone? When I thought about it, the incarnation inside me was originally in the master of the magic tower’s body, and Moiya was also his when she was in the egg. Unintentionally, things that the master of the magic tower owned came to me. If he finds out about these facts, the master of the magic tower will naturally have animosity towards me. So I had to find out information about the cure before that. Rosie also seemed very curious about the master of the magic tower, who was her mother’s teacher, who was a healing magician. But since the master of the magic tower will be joining us for this continental hunting competition, there will be many opportunities to introduce Rosie to the master of the magic tower, even if it’s not today. Unlike the nagging Moiya, Rosie understood my situation. She put Moiya, who had doppelganged as Ao-ssi, back in the basket and returned to her residence. After seeing her off, I headed to Linelle’s office. The master of the magic tower would probably prefer a visit from the Emperor than from me, the Empress, alone.

*** As soon as I entered the office, I told him about the cure that Rosie had told me. As I expected, he was very happy. He joked that he was glad he had taken in a concubine. There was no need to even ask if he would accompany me to meet the master of the magic tower. Linelle postponed all his schedules as if it were the most natural thing in the world and headed to the main palace’s guest room with me.

“Are you trembling?”

As we approached the room where the master of the magic tower was staying, he looked down at my hand, which was holding his arm.

“I’m trembling less because Your Majesty is by my side.”

It was true. Just having Linelle by my side gave me courage and calmed my heart. If he hadn’t been there, I would have stopped several times on the way here. He smiled and held my hand tightly. It was more reassuring than telling me not to tremble. Knock knock knock-. When Sharon knocked on the door of the guest room, the master of the magic tower opened the door himself after a few seconds.

“Your Majesty… It’s an honor that you came to visit me in person like this!”

The master of the magic tower, who saw me, hesitated for a moment with a surprised look, then greeted me with a smile that was unbelievably bright.

“Please come in. Actually, even if that wasn’t the case, I…”

But he stopped talking when he found him standing next to the door. The master of the magic tower’s expression hardened when he saw Linelle.

“Your Majesty… You came together too?”