The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 139

Don’t Act Cute

2022.05.04.

The wild boar scanned the humans aiming bows at it, met my eyes, and suddenly started running.

Oh, for crying out loud…

Everyone looked flustered by how fast it ran with its massive size.

The moment the boar ran, everyone, including me, drew their bowstrings simultaneously as if by agreement.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-!

The sound of arrows flying quickly was rhythmic.

Whose arrow would hit?

Thwack-!

Out of all those arrows, only one hit the boar’s flank.

“Which empire’s arrow color is that?”

The arrows used in the hunting competition had one color predetermined for each empire, dyeing the feathers of the arrows.

For example, the Lapheon Empire was blue, the Shat O’Neil Kingdom was pink, and so on.

So, even if several people shot at one prey at once, it was easy to distinguish which empire’s arrow it was.

But the feathers of the arrow that hit that boar were not clearly visible from where I was.

The important thing was that no matter who shot the arrow, it wouldn’t die from just one arrow with that size.

What to do?

“Huff, huff, Your Majesty the Empress. Let’s get out of here first.”

Commander Macrom, who had been chasing after me, nagged from the side.

While I was contemplating whether to shoot another arrow or take out a slingshot, two daggers stuck next to Commander Macrom’s military boots caught my eye.

“I’ll borrow these.”

I quickly bent down, took out two of Commander Macrom’s daggers, and threw them with all my might towards the wild boar’s vitals.

As the two daggers accurately pierced the vitals, the sound of a pig squealing echoed through the forest.

The wild boar, thrashing around from the daggers, rammed its body into a tree trunk, and whether the daggers went deeper into its vitals, it collapsed to the side.

All of this happened in less than 30 seconds.

All eyes that had been on the wild boar turned to me.

I came to my senses in an instant.

‘Damn it, what have I done?’

The deed was already done.

Deon, the Katria Emperor’s consort, ran towards the fallen wild boar and shouted.

“It’s dead! The color of the arrow’s feathers is the Lapheon Empire’s blue!”

The wild boar was dead.

From the arrow I shot. From the daggers I threw.

The arrows that others shot were stuck in the trees or ground around the wild boar.

If even one more arrow had hit the wild boar’s body, I wouldn’t have received this much attention.

The situation was awkward, but I felt proud.

However, the pride soon turned into a chilling feeling from the particularly intense gaze from afar.

Linell’s eyes were wide open and looked very similar to the dead wild boar.

Oh, whatever.

He’s the type of person who worries whether I’m strong or worries even more if I’m weak anyway.

“Wow! Amazing!”

The first to react among the dignitaries was Emperor Katria.

I smiled, preparing to humbly accept the praise for my hunting skills.

But.

“Commander Macrom, they said your skills are still as good as ever even though you’ve lost your sight? That’s true?”

Hey, what are you saying?

She thought Commander Macrom was the one who caught the wild boar.

I looked at Commander Macrom, and he was also holding a bow.

“But doesn’t Her Majesty the Empress also have a bow?”

Prince Tessler looked at me with suspicious eyes and said.

“Those daggers, are they yours, Macrom?”

When Linell pointed to the two daggers stuck in the wild boar, the gazes that had been looking at me, wondering if it was the Empress who shot the arrow, mercilessly disappeared.

“Yes, Your Majesty. The daggers ‘are also’ mine.”

Commander Macrom hammered in the fact that he was the one who caught the wild boar.

“As expected! I competed directly with the Commander in the training grounds, and all his movements were accurate enough that you couldn’t tell he had lost his sight, and his ability to read signs was also excellent.”

This time, Prince Norton praised Commander Macrom.

“He’s also my only sparring partner in the imperial family.”

Linell, even though he seemed to know that I was the one who caught the wild boar, agreed with Prince Norton’s words.

‘Everyone, this Zelda caught the first prey of the Continental Hunting Competition!’

If I didn’t want this fact to be revealed, it was time for me to say something.

I rolled my eyes at Commander Macrom next to me.

“The Commander’s movements were so fast that I didn’t even know he was shooting an arrow. Hahaha.”

I had no choice but to pass off my hunting skills to Commander Macrom.

“To give me the honor of the first hunt. It is an honor, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Commander Macrom whispered to me in ventriloquism.

“The Commander should have seen His Majesty’s expression. If I reveal here that I’m the one who caught the wild boar, he’ll probably carry me around on his shoulders throughout the competition.”

“He’s definitely the type to do that. Then I’ll take the glory of the first prey of the competition. Don’t regret it.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

While Commander Macrom and I were whispering, knights appeared and lifted the fallen wild boar.

It seemed to weigh so much that six knights had to stick together to lift it.

According to Commander Macrom, the first prey of the hunting competition was immediately transferred to the culinary department.

It wasn’t enough for everyone to eat, but it was enough to put on the dignitaries’ plates.

“Empress, let’s talk tonight.”

Linell’s voice, which had approached me unnoticed, coldly dug into my ear.

I could see that there was a lot of strength in Linell’s lower jaw.

He’s not acting like that because he’s jealous that I caught the first prey, is he?

I wish it were that.

‘Husband… please only punish me with love tonight.’

I looked up at him with a reflective gaze and a cute expression.

“Don’t act cute. It won’t work.”

Hmph, cold body.

At his cold reaction, I unknowingly shouted the words that Moiyya had said to him in my heart.

He grabbed my wrist and slowed down my pace.

As the dignitaries who had challenged the first hunt all walked ahead of us,

Smooch-!

Linell kissed me deeply.

He fell for it, didn’t he?

When I pouted and smiled, he said something that didn’t match the deep kiss at all.

“Your effort is commendable.”

So, he frowned again as if his anger hadn’t been resolved.

It wasn’t much of an effort, but it’s commendable?

I blinked my eyes cutely again, but this effort wasn’t commendable, and he didn’t even look at me.

***

The culinary department’s servants stuck to the wild boar and began the dismantling work.

The butchered meat was handed over to the chefs and cooked with various sauces and seasonings.

Servants in charge of vegetables, servants in charge of drinks, and chefs leading the main dishes moved busily.

Soon, the smell of barbecue began to spread.

The dignitaries formed a large circle and sat on summer mats made of bamboo, taking a break and waiting for lunch.

“Surely, we’re not eating food without tables, are we?”

Catherine asked me with a sulky expression.

“Wouldn’t it be stranger to carry tables around at a hunting competition?”

I answered Catherine’s question with a smile.

“There’s no separate commoner experience.”

Catherine had a dissatisfied expression, but she kept looking at the culinary department.

She doesn’t want to eat food without a table, but she must be hungry.

“Eating outside is like a picnic, but I’m worried to death about camping.”

Melanie said, stroking Ao’s, who was lying on Rosie’s lap.

I looked into her eyes, wondering if Moiyya had Doppelganged [shapeshifted] into Ao’s.

When Moiyya is transformed into Ao’s, her eye color turns red, but according to Moiyya, she can change her eye color if she wants to.

She just doesn’t do it often because it’s annoying.

But if you look closely, there’s a reddish tint around the edge of the pupil, right?

That thought came to my mind, and I looked closely at Ao’s’s blue eyes, but there was no red light.

Even if I didn’t look at her eyes, seeing how docile she was, it was clear that it was Ao’s.

Then where did Moiyya go?

“I just wish there was no camping.”

Melanie said again.

As she said, there were often situations where they had no choice but to camp outside during the hunting competition.

There’s no way a villa would appear every few hours in a place where all sides are forests.

“It’ll be a bit scary and uncomfortable, but I’m looking forward to it because it’s an experience I can’t usually have.”

Unlike the worried Melanie, Rosie had an excited face.

“I think I’ll be fine too, as long as no baby owls show up at night.”

Melanie mentioned owls and glanced at Catherine.

Then Catherine frowned and scolded Melanie as if rebuking her.

“What’s so scary about birds? Predators are scary.”

“Catherine, Your Majesty, haven’t you seen an owl turning its head all the way around at night lately? How scary is that.”

“Where would I see something like that?”

“Why can’t you see it? In the Imperial Palace forest…”

It seemed like Melanie was about to bring up the night Catherine and Count Ethan met in the training ground warehouse, so I quickly gave Melanie a look.

Fortunately, Hedon, Melanie’s servant, saw my expression first and nudged her master’s back.

Only then did Melanie come to her senses and say ‘No, nothing’ to Catherine, pressing her lips into a straight line.

In response, Catherine shook her head at Melanie.

It seemed like she just brushed it off, thinking that Melanie often talked nonsense.

Catherine’s gaze moved to where the men were and looked for someone.

Her gaze stopped not at Linell, but at Count Ethan.

Melanie also noticed where Catherine was staring and widened her eyes as if she had witnessed an affair.

Melanie looked at me.

I deliberately maintained a blank expression, pretending not to know.

Melanie must have thought I didn’t see it, so she stuck her tongue out to the side and pointed to Catherine, then stuck her chin out and pointed to Count Ethan far away.

When I reluctantly nodded to Melanie, her tongue returned to its place.

However, Melanie did not let go of her resentful expression towards Catherine.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Catherine felt Melanie’s gaze and asked irritably.

“You’re even more beautiful when I see you in the forest.”

Catherine frowned slightly at Melanie’s automatic response, but passed it over without saying anything.

After a while, Stian spoke loudly to the dignitaries.

“Well then! Let’s start preparing the meal!”

Following Stian’s instructions, the servants began to place plates of soup, bread, and fresh salad at each of the dignitaries’ seats in an orderly manner.

Then, they moved large, flat rocks in between the dignitaries and placed trays of wild boar barbecue on top of them.

Everyone swallowed hard at the smell of barbecue well-charred over a wood fire.

The scattered and chaotic voices were momentarily silenced.

Servants put slices of wild boar barbecue on individual plates and distributed them.

I happily tasted the wild boar barbecue that I had caught.

Oh my goodness! It couldn’t be better than this.

Even if an arrow flew from somewhere now, I would put this barbecue in my mouth first and then dodge it.

I observed people’s expressions one by one.

Everyone tasted the meat and exclaimed, “Mmm~!”.

Everyone, I caught it!

With a proud feeling, I confidently ate another plate of barbecue.

“I heard Commander Macrom caught this?”

Bonis asked me, glancing at where Commander Macrom was.

“Oh? Oh… the Commander caught it.”

I answered with a smirk.

“But why did Her Majesty the Empress run into the forest with him earlier?”

Melanie asked, stuffing her mouth full of barbecue like someone who hadn’t eaten for days.

“…Just to watch. I was curious who would catch the first prey.”

“I prayed in my heart that Her Majesty the Empress would catch it.”

Rosie smiled brightly and said.

Yeah, Rosie, I guess your prayers worked.

My mouth was itching, but I just smiled bashfully and said ‘No way’ and acted modestly.

At that time, a flying squirrel jumped onto my lap.

The flying squirrel looked up at me and opened its mouth wide.

‘You, are you Moiyya?’

I looked around.

Even if people saw me giving food to the flying squirrel, they would just think that’s how it is in the forest, right?

I tore the barbecue into small pieces and brought it to the flying squirrel’s mouth.

Then Moiyya spat out two acorns that she had put in both sides of her mouth and quickly took the meat in my hand and ate it.

Rosie saw the flying squirrel and seemed to realize it was Moiyya, and I could see her scolding her with her mouth.

Then Moiyya threw the acorns she had spat out on the floor at Rosie.

The acorns didn’t reach where Rosie was sitting and fell on Ao’s’s head, who was sitting in front of Melanie.

Ao’s looked at the flying squirrel and bared her teeth.

Looking at her, it seemed like Ao’s also sensed that the flying squirrel was Moiyya.

Whether Ao’s glared or not, Moiyya was busy eating barbecue.

After eating a hearty first meal of the hunting competition, the dignitaries drank peppermint tea, which is good for digestion.

As the wind blew through the dense forest, fresh air entered deep into my lungs.

The sunlight was particularly strong today, but the place where the dignitaries were seated was shady, so it was quite cool.

Everyone seemed to want to rest a little more and didn’t seem to want to get up easily.

Some were leaning against the rocks with their eyes closed, and some were chatting with the person next to them, enjoying a lazy afternoon.

After a while, Prince Kalvin got up from his seat and focused his attention.

“Alright! Then, according to tradition, now that we’ve finished our first meal, shall we start the first game?”

What are we doing?