The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 147

147. A Couple Together

June 1, 2022

Roxana stiffened, feeling Linelle’s solid form close behind her.

“May I confirm, Empress?”

The playful, low voice tickled Roxana’s ear.

Emperor Linelle believed she was Empress Zelda.

It was a natural misunderstanding.

‘It’s really fortunate that my body shape is similar to the Empress’.

Roxana glanced down at the dress that fit her perfectly, as if tailored for her.

Another sensual sigh preceded a more serious tone.

“Is continuing to face away a request to be loved like this?”

Roxana felt his gentle touch through the soft fabric as he stroked her back.

A sudden surge of emotion washed over Roxana.

Had anyone ever caressed her back so tenderly before?

His hands were undeniably cold, but Roxana’s back, which had only ever known the sting of a whip, felt a novel warmth.

However, fearing he might turn her around, Roxana clutched the amethyst around her neck.

‘Three times. I just need to press it three times, right?’

Roxana swallowed, recalling the witch Kaline’s instructions.

“I’d like to have dinner here with just us and retire early.”

Linelle nuzzled his face against Roxana’s shoulder, inhaling deeply.

“But… Zelda, did you use a different soap? The scent seems different.”

Roxana started.

***

“This is it, Your Majesty.”

The room assigned to Emperor Adrian was at the far end of the second floor, on the right.

“It’s the end room, but the stairs are right next to it, making it easy to go back and forth to the first floor. It’s also the closest room to the dining hall.”

As the attendant explained, the stairs were indeed right next to the door. Moreover, there was an outdoor terrace before descending the stairs.

Emperor Adrian nodded, a satisfied expression on his face.

He had been hoping for a location that wouldn’t be easily noticed by the other dignitaries.

As Emperor Adrian was about to enter the room, Bellos was ascending the stairs.

Bellos’s attendant, who had arrived first, greeted Emperor Adrian politely before opening the door to Bellos’s room.

It was next to Emperor Adrian’s room.

“Right next to the Magic Tower Lord.”

“…Ah, is that so? It’s an honor, Your Majesty Emperor Adrian.”

Bellos bowed to Emperor Adrian and passed him.

‘He definitely doesn’t recognize me.’

Phillique, inhabiting Adrian’s body, had been constantly wary of his former teacher, Bellos, who had unexpectedly participated in the continental hunting competition.

Even though he had used black magic to enter another’s body, he feared that Bellos, the Magic Tower Lord, might recognize him.

However, even for the Magic Tower Lord, it wouldn’t be easy to grasp the essence of himself, who was in Adrian’s body through black magic, even if he sensed a strange energy from him.

“Are you unwell, Your Majesty? You seem to be trembling.”

Bellos, about to enter his room, noticed, looking down at Emperor Adrian’s right hand.

“Ah, I think I got heatstroke and crave alcohol… Let’s go out there later and have a drink together.”

Emperor Adrian hid his right hand behind his back and gestured to the terrace with his left.

“Yes, let’s do that. Then, please rest. I’ll go in now.”

Bellos glanced at the terrace and entered his room.

“I see.”

Emperor Adrian stared intently at the Hwansin Sword [a powerful, possibly sentient, magical sword] hanging on Bellos’s back.

‘He really doesn’t seem to know who I am. If so, it will be easier to approach my teacher. If I get the Hwansin Sword, I’ll get rid of Linelle, starting with that guy’s right arm.’

He gritted his teeth, recalling the scene from three years ago in the Valley of Death where Linelle had blown his right arm off into the valley below.

Although he had entered Adrian’s complete body, he had already lost his right arm, so Adrian’s right arm, covered only in skin, was like a useless appendage.

Occasionally, using his right arm or hand consumed magic power.

However, there was a bigger problem than the consumption of magic power.

Because he was maintaining Adrian’s appearance using black magic, he had to periodically drink human blood.

For this reason, after entering Adrian’s body, Phillique created a harem in the ‘Wonyi’ Palace in the Thebelo Empire and regularly had the concubines compete in martial arts to draw blood.

He freely drank the blood of the concubines who lost the competition and lost their lives.

Drinking the blood of a living person allowed him to replenish his intake with a much smaller amount than that of a dead person, but it was not always feasible to drink the blood of a living person, so he had no choice but to drink large amounts of the blood of the dead.

Even at the banquet for dignitaries in the Lapion Empire, their concubines engaged in martial arts competitions.

He had sucked the blood of the concubine who had been defeated and killed by Empress Elan at that time, but now it was time to replenish new blood again.

Otherwise, Adrian’s face and his original face would subtly mix and appear.

The pain felt in his body was also severe. The feeling of his bones and skin twisting had become stronger since yesterday.

‘The symptoms are getting worse.’

Emperor Adrian’s face contorted as he looked down at his trembling right hand.

***

“I think I prefer your original scent. Go and wash again. That’s an order.”

Although his tone was serious, Roxana could feel the strong affection for Empress Zelda in Emperor Linelle’s embrace.

Roxana gripped the amethyst twice.

If she exerted pressure just one more time, her form would disappear.

‘Will Emperor Linelle think he saw something? Will he think I’m a ghost?’

Even if they searched everyone in the villa, they wouldn’t be able to find Roxana.

She just needed to press the amethyst one more time, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do it and remained there, taking the risk.

Knock, knock, knock.

Then there was a knock.

“Who is it?”

Linelle released Roxana and turned towards the door.

“It’s Stian, Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

“I have something to discuss with you regarding the seating arrangement for dinner.”

“How annoying. I’ll go out and hand over the Emperor’s seat to Stian, so wait a moment.”

Roxana remained facing away and simply nodded.

“Still, I’m still the Emperor. Can’t you at least answer me?”

“…….”

“Ha, seeing that you don’t even answer, you must be really tired. I’ll have to argue with Hwansin [likely referring to the sword].”

Linelle smiled, kissed Roxana’s shoulder, and left the room.

Roxana twitched her shoulder and darted her eyes from side to side.

‘Does Emperor Linelle know about Hwansin’s existence? What’s Hwansin got to do with Empress Zelda……?’

As soon as he left the room, Roxana released the breath she had been holding and sat on the bed.

The sigh of relief was only temporary. As if she had already forgotten the danger of being caught, Roxana was relieved that she hadn’t suddenly disappeared like a ghost in front of Linelle.

‘I need to disappear quickly at this time.’

Before he returns to the room, before Empress Zelda comes out of the bathroom.

But for some reason, Roxana’s feet were rooted to the spot.

She felt a sense of regret. As soon as she recognized that feeling, she felt ridiculous.

Could it be that she had her heart stolen by a man she met for the first time today?

By a man who whispered sweet words, mistaking her for his wife?

‘No way.’

Roxana shook her head, dismissing it as merely a temporary wavering of her heart due to Emperor Linelle’s appearance.

The sound of water was heard again from the quiet bathroom.

Roxana unknowingly walked towards the bathroom.

Clang– Roxana slightly opened the bathroom door.

‘Get a grip. What are you doing!’

She knew very well that it was crazy. But she was very curious about Empress Zelda’s real appearance.

No, she suddenly became curious.

And what kind of soap she uses.

Since she had the amethyst anyway, she convinced herself that if she got caught, she could just disappear.

Empress Zelda was scrubbing her body with bubbles in the tub.

“You’re late! Don’t even think about coming into the tub. I’m going out now. Can you hand me a towel? Then I’ll let you admire my back.”

Zelda, who had been speaking coyly, burst into laughter, stood up in the tub with her arms wide open.

Crazy.

Roxana watched Zelda’s bold actions and gaped.

‘Why is she doing that? What’s so funny that she keeps laughing?’

Roxana, staring at Zelda’s back as she laughed like a screw was loose, snorted softly.

The bathroom smelled of lilac.

No, it seemed to have a bit of rose scent mixed in as well.

Roxana took a deep breath several times to remember this scent.

Looking at Empress Zelda’s back, she really had a similar body shape to herself.

“Well, I give you the honor of wiping me. Our husband Linelle doesn’t do it. So, Your Majesty Emperor wipes me.”

Zelda said something absurd again, and this time she even grabbed her stomach and laughed.

The Empress of the Lapion Empire is not normal.

‘What is the Empress doing to lower her dignity?’

Roxana clicked her tongue silently and shook her head.

She felt more favorable towards Emperor Linelle, who was so affectionate to such a frivolous woman.

But Empress Zelda’s crazy talk continued.

“You’re not going to wipe me with the clothes you’re wearing, like in the cave during the day, are you? I’ll pass on the pants. Your Majesty? What are you doing?”

Zelda lowered her arms and tried to turn around.

Roxana quickly grabbed the amethyst three times and disappeared.

This time, she didn’t feel any regret at all.

‘Interesting.’

A couple mistaking her for someone else.

***

Roxana returned to the witch Kelline’s house again.

“Are you okay, Miss?!”

Nancy hugged Roxana, who had reappeared in the magic circle, and quickly scanned her body to see if she was hurt anywhere.

Roxana, who had moved naked, returned wearing a luxurious homedress.

“Fortunately, you got clothes? I was so worried about what would happen if our Miss kept walking around naked! But whose dress is this?”

“Empress Zelda’s.”

“Yes? How did you get to wear it? Did she give it to you by any chance?”

Nancy asked, not understanding well, even though she didn’t think that would happen. Roxana chuckled and replied.

“I stole it.”

“……Weren’t you caught?”

“I was caught. By Emperor Linelle.”

“Oh my! What should I do! So, what happened?”

Roxana explained what had happened after she was moved to the Emperor’s room.

“Oh my gosh, that was good luck!”

Nancy stroked her chest.

“Empress Zelda’s height and body shape seem to be similar to Miss’s.”

The witch asked Roxana.

“I think so. Seeing that the dress fits so well.”

Roxana walked to the place where the mirror was and looked at herself wearing Zelda’s dress, lost in thought.

If there are really many similarities, couldn’t I have what she has too?

Even if you only consider her background, she was more dominant than her.

Empress Zelda was said to be the daughter of a Count of the Shattonil Kingdom, but she remembered hearing that she was an illegitimate child.

Roxana hugged her body with both arms.

When Emperor Linelle embraced her body with his firm arms, that feeling still remained.

Her heart was pounding again.

After returning safely and calming her mind, she looked in the mirror again, and the scent that had come from Emperor Linelle came to mind.

That breath that was so lovely that he didn’t know what to do.

Even that sweet and seductive whisper.

Emperor Linelle had done all of that, mistaking her for Empress Zelda, but Roxana felt as if he had done it to her.

“Princess, have you ever heard anything about Empress Zelda from the Magic Tower Lord?”

The witch asked cautiously, putting the crystal ball back in its original place.

“What are you talking about?”

Roxana grabbed her arm and asked back, sensing the witch’s meaningful tone.