The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 155

155. In the End, It Will Be My Way

“Spit it out!”

At my desperate cry, Linelle stared blankly at me, his mouth open.

“Spit it out, I said!”

Instead of Linelle, who didn’t understand, I manually bent his head forward.

As his head tilted, the poisonous berries tumbled out of his mouth and onto the floor.

Still worried that some might have already gone down, I relentlessly hit his back.

He made a ‘cough, cough’ sound and gestured for me to stop.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, where he had spat out the berries, he raised his head.

“Why are you doing this? Did you think I was eating them alone? I picked them to share.”

“We almost died together, then.”

Like Melanie earlier, my legs gave way, and I collapsed on the spot.

“What are you talking about?”

Only then did Linelle notice something was amiss and examined the scattered poisonous berries, asking.

“Those are poisonous berries. If you eat too many, you can get paralyzed and die within a few days. Dried ones are even more dangerous.”

“……Ah. I think some went down my throat earlier?”

Linelle said, clutching his neck with both hands.

“Eating one or two won’t cause any problems.”

“What if it was three or four?”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t know. If I die, cut open my stomach and check.”

As soon as I heard those words, I stuck two fingers into his mouth.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?”

“If a lot went in, you need to throw it up quickly!”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

He grabbed my wrist and chuckled.

“Ah, why do you make such terrible jokes?”

I frowned, hitting his arm.

He just took a few hits, but when my fist seemed to hurt quite a bit, he grabbed my hand again and stopped me.

“That was close. You didn’t eat any, did you?”

“No, but I almost ate them without knowing.”

I told him what Rosie had overheard by chance.

“Rosie saved several lives.”

***

Empress Zelda accidentally gained the power of fire, even though she didn’t want it.

Why is it so difficult for me, who actually needs the power of fire?

From some point on, Roxana was comparing herself to Zelda, nurturing feelings of anger.

“I just want to gain the power of fire, so that my wyvern egg can awaken and hatch for me, like Empress Zelda’s.”

“Even if you make the red potion, there’s no guarantee it will work,” Logan replied nonchalantly.

“Good. It’s the same for me. I can’t guarantee whether I’ll keep Bonnis alive or not.”

Logan’s whole body tensed at Roxana’s cold voice.

“You haven’t taken care of your daughter all this time, so how can you ruin her future?”

Roxana’s words felt like a key turning in Logan’s heart.

Thinking of Bonnis, Logan’s heart ached as if it were being squeezed.

“My daughter is currently in the Lapion Empire.”

It was as if he was saying, ‘What can you do to threaten Bonnis?’

“Hector will isolate the dignitaries from various countries who participated in the continental hunting competition. Your daughter is there too. Do you think everyone will survive?”

“!”

“If I had to guess, wouldn’t about half of the dignitaries lose their lives?”

In the chaos, anyone could become a scapegoat.

“You’re not royalty, and who would care if one of the Empress’s maids died? Only her close friends would be sad.”

It was hard to admit, but what Roxana was saying was reality.

“If you cooperate with me, I’ll protect your daughter’s life. How about it?”

Roxana made a deal with Logan.

Before Logan could speak, a raven sent by Velos appeared inside the window.

Caw- Caw!

The raven saw the daggers stuck in Logan’s thighs and couldn’t come inside, cawing loudly from the windowsill.

“Velos must have sent news?”

Roxana looked at the raven and asked Logan.

She looked around the room, walked to the oak desk, and picked up the quill on it.

She wrote something on the paper, folded it, and approached the raven.

The raven avoided Roxana, came inside, ignored her outstretched hand, and tried to peck her hand.

“Send it to Velos.”

Reluctantly, Roxana handed the letter to Logan and looked at the raven.

“Ah, wait.”

Roxana took back the letter she had given to Logan and used her finger to dab the blood flowing from his thigh, writing on the outside of the letter.

Urgent reply requested.

Velos would immediately recognize whose blood it was.

Logan received the letter, bent one arm inward, and the raven flew onto his arm.

He untied the letter tied to the raven’s foot and tied the letter Roxana had written.

The raven stared at Logan silently.

Its eyes seemed to ask if it was okay to fly away and deliver this letter.

Logan nodded once. The raven glanced at Roxana and flew out the window.

“Even your teacher will eventually have to follow my will.”

To make Empress Zelda his partner.

Confidence was evident in Roxana’s calm smile.

“Logan, get treatment first today. I’ll come again.”

“Ugh!”

Roxana pulled out the two daggers she had stuck in Logan’s thigh.

***

Sitting in the middle of a forest full of poisonous berries, we suddenly raised our heads at the triumphant voice echoing from afar.

“It’s not as good as wild boar barbecue, but it’s something to chew on. Let’s withdraw!”

“If you combine what I and my mistresses caught, we can all taste a piece of meat. Some unlucky ones might not get any.”

It was the voices of Prince Norton and Emperor Katria.

Today, those two seemed to have caught something that would be the main dish for lunch.

“Did you hear that? If we don’t hurry, we might only get salad for lunch today.”

Linelle held out his hand to me.

I took his hand and stood up.

Even though my hands were empty, I was happy to be returning with him.

“How were your scores today?”

Commander Marcrom walked out of the diagonal forest.

He had two fairly large rabbits hanging from his waist, and one on his shoulder.

“Marcrom, let’s share one each.”

“Are you both empty-handed?”

Commander Marcrom seemed to be in a good mood for some reason.

“We were unlucky. Right?”

I answered Commander Marcrom, quickly seeking Linelle’s agreement.

He agreed, saying,

“Yeah, it’s a bad day. A little while ago, the Empress and I almost died from eating poisonous berries.”

“Ah, poisonous berries… They look just like regular strawberries to the naked eye and look delicious. I’m glad you didn’t eat them.”

Commander Marcrom seemed to already know about the poisonous berries.

Even while saying he was glad, Commander Marcrom didn’t say, ‘Let’s share the rabbits for the sake of your dignity.’

“We’re almost there.”

I pointed to the flag visible a hundred meters ahead.

Flags are hung on tall trees so that the dignitaries who went hunting don’t get lost on the way back.

Without a single breeze, even the flag seemed to be drooping in the heat.

Compared to Commander Marcrom, who was heavily carrying three rabbits, he and I, who had only caught each other’s hands, glanced at the Commander with envious eyes as we moved our feet.

“What do you want to say?”

From behind a large zelkova tree [a type of Asian tree], the sound of a man and a woman arguing could be heard.

“You’re just like your father, abandoning Shatonil as if you were running away, and now you look so radiant.”

Prince Tesler was sneering at the tree.

The person standing in front of that tree must be Bonnis.

“It’s almost time for His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress to arrive, so I can’t be away for long. If you have something to say, please say it quickly.”

Although her voice was a little shaky, Bonnis was confidently dealing with Prince Tesler.

“We should go.”

Linelle said, looking at where the two were standing.

I glanced at Commander Marcrom’s face as he walked next to him. The Commander’s expression turned very bad.

“How long do you think you’ll be a maid in the Lapion Empire?”

Prince Tesler pretended to be tough, slapped the tree with one hand, and threatened Bonnis, looking down at her.

“Until I’m 65.”

Linelle intervened, striking the arm of Prince Tesler, who had one hand on the tree, with his hand.

“Ugh!”

Prince Tesler’s arm fell limply, and he supported himself on the ground with his hand.

“That’s the retirement age for maids.”

At his appearance, Prince Tesler was horrified and jumped up.

“Yo, Your Majesty…….”

“Is your curiosity satisfied?”

Linelle asked with a kind smile, but his eyes were cold.

“If you have such questions, come and ask me, the Emperor. What would Bonnis know? I hired her as the Empress’s maid, so I know.”

“No, it’s not like that. I was just wondering how Bonnis was doing because she was my former mistress, so I was just having a chat.”

“I see. So, what else do you want to ask?”

“Yes?”

“Are you curious about her salary, retirement benefits, or something like that?”

“……Ah, no. I’ll be on my way.”

Prince Tesler bowed to him and disappeared into the crowd of dignitaries, running away.

“Bonnis, are you hurt?”

I glared at Prince Tesler’s back and asked Bonnis.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Bonnis smiled at me and then spoke to Linelle.

He just shrugged, looking like he didn’t know why she was thanking him.

“Bonnis, carry this with you.”

Commander Marcrom, who had been standing quietly next to him, took out one of the daggers he was wearing next to his boots and handed it to Bonnis.

Speaking of that dagger, it was the dagger I threw at the vital point when I caught the first wild boar of this hunting competition.

“It’s okay.”

Bonnis waved her hands, politely refusing.

But Commander Marcrom, not seeing that, kept holding out the dagger to her.

“I’m not okay.”

At Commander Marcrom’s words, Linelle and I exchanged glances.

I took Bonnis’s hand and made her receive the dagger that Commander Marcrom was handing over.

Bonnis looked down at the Commander’s dagger, which she had received in a daze, and said in a slightly moved voice.

“Thank you, I’ll use it well.”

Then Commander Marcrom became serious.

“You shouldn’t have to use it.”

Ah, that’s right. That’s a good point.

I smiled at Commander Marcrom’s words and looked at Bonnis.

Bonnis was also smiling silently.

I was sorry that Commander Marcrom couldn’t see her lovely face turning as red as a ripe peach.

“It would be good if Bonnis could protect you so that you don’t have to use that dagger.”

Linelle said, patting Commander Marcrom on the shoulder.

This time, Commander Marcrom’s cheeks turned red, and we silently watched the scene.

***

Lunch began.

I intentionally went and sat next to Empress Elan.

And I asked her what I had been curious about since leaving this morning.

“Why did Emperor Adrian get a bob cut? The burnt hair was definitely right below his shoulders, wasn’t it?”

“Your Majesty seems to have had bad luck today… So do I.”

Empress Elan said in a guilty voice, bowing her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Even though I’m good with swords, I’m not good at cutting with scissors.”

“Elan, did you cut it yourself?”

I asked, glancing at Emperor Adrian, who was sitting at the 4 o’clock direction, chatting with the heads of various countries, his bob swaying in the wind.

“Yes, every time I cut it, it kept getting a little crooked……”

“Still, it’s a good thing it didn’t go up to your ears. You cut it well for the first time, didn’t you?”

“Really? That’s comforting. Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Only then did Empress Elan raise her head and laugh heartily.

At her laughter, Emperor Adrian looked at us and frowned, and Empress Elan erased the smile from her face.

“Your Majesty doesn’t seem to like the new hairstyle.”

“Yes, he’s a bit dirty… no, a bit picky.”

I nodded in agreement with Empress Elan and subtly brought up the events of last night.

“By the way, did you hear any noises last night?”

“What kind of noises?”

“It sounded like someone was screaming outside……”

“Did that happen? I drank too much wine last night, so I fell asleep early and didn’t hear anything.”

“Then Emperor Adrian wouldn’t have heard it either?”

I turned the question around, assuming that the two of them were together.

“I drank wine with His Majesty, but I didn’t spend the night with him.”

Empress Elan’s face hardened slightly.

I raised my eyebrows slightly and asked with my eyes, ‘Why?’

“Your Majesty originally doesn’t get close to women.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean. You’re the Emperor of a country that has a harem-like place called ‘Wonyi’ [a place where women compete in martial arts to become Empresses], where you have countless women as Empresses?”

Empress Elan nodded as if the question I had was natural, but said firmly.

“That’s true, but the purpose of ‘Wonyi’ is not to enjoy women, but to enjoy the martial arts competition of women.”

“Do you like seeing blood?”

The words popped out without me realizing it.

I was startled and looked at Empress Elan, but surprisingly, she nodded and admitted it.

If that’s true, he might really be a pervert.

Wait, blood?

Without me realizing it, my mind was connecting Emperor Adrian, who liked to see blood in the martial arts competition of the Empresses, with the culprit who sucked blood from Misha’s neck last night.

‘No way,’ I thought, but something felt uneasy.

Misha said she didn’t see the culprit’s face, so it was forbidden to be suspicious rashly.

Just as I was about to ask Emperor Adrian more, a very bizarre sound was heard among the chatter of the dignitaries.

Everyone simultaneously raised their heads and looked around the tree to find the source of the sound.

When the voices of the dignitaries completely died down, it was heard more clearly this time.

Screech-!

“What kind of bird is that? Its cry is really creepy.”

Grand Duke Martins said to Prince Norton, who was sitting next to him.

But my thoughts were different.

This wasn’t just a normal bird sound.

Prince Norton closed his eyes as if trying to concentrate.

Once again, a chilling cry that sounded like scraping iron plates was heard.

Prince Norton’s expression crumpled as he carefully said.

“This is… the cry of a monster.”

Prince Norton was in a mercenary knight order that dealt with monsters until a few months ago.

Unfortunately, Prince Norton’s judgment is probably correct.

But the dignitaries were half-doubtful about the Prince’s statement.

In response, Velos, who had lived for 270 years, gave strength to Prince Norton’s words.

“It’s the sound of a monster! To be exact, it’s a monster called ‘Galaco.’”

Velos shouted, looking at the tree in the 3 o’clock direction, and Linelle got up from his seat and drew his bow in the direction where the monster’s sound was heard.

Thud-! Something fell under the tree.