The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 175

175. Because It’s a Disease You Can’t Tolerate

Linell woke up with his eyes wide open.

Nothing had changed yet.

Zelda was asleep next to him, as always.

He couldn’t sleep.

If he fell asleep, it would all be over.

He had to imprint her image in his eyes, even for a little longer.

‘Forget this face? Is that even possible?’

Linell had been grappling with that question all night.

If it were a matter of his own life, he would have rejected Roxana’s offer without a second thought.

But Zelda’s life was at stake.

And Joseph’s life too.

If he were to weigh the two and measure their value, they would be equal.

“Crazy bastard.”

No, that’s a lie.

He felt truly sorry for his young brother, but Linell was unconsciously leaning slightly towards Zelda.

Yes, that’s what it would be if he measured it down to the decimal point.

If he didn’t drink the potion Roxana offered, Joseph might already be dead.

And Zelda would eventually be infected with the demon’s energy, dominated by fear and terror for a while, and eventually meet her death.

At first, he was angry.

But if he sacrificed himself, he could save both of them.

What good was a cold body other than being an emperor?

Linell couldn’t understand Roxana.

He didn’t want to understand her. He just decided to think about the fact that he could save Zelda and Joseph.

If he thought too much, he might go crazy.

Even if he went crazy, it had to be after Zelda was completely cured of the evil energy.

Even if he couldn’t remember her, if she was just alive, if she was just alive, he might be able to meet her again in the future.

He held onto that one hope.

‘Like Joseph, who came out of the cursed ice, you never know what might happen.’

Linell comforted himself.

The day he remarries Roxana, Zelda will be cured.

Let’s leave out the events before and keep only the events after in mind.

In fact, Linell had thought about running away with Zelda as they were.

If that happened, Joseph would die, and Raphael, Stian, and Commander Mackrom would certainly not be safe.

Besides, the Lapion Empire that he abandoned might be ruled by a man named Hetor, who swallowed the Akrato Duchy.

Zelda would not be cured and would end up…

It didn’t take long to reach the conclusion that running away was a choice that wouldn’t help anyone.

The Elange Forest was dangerous because Galaco [monstrous creatures] was everywhere, so it was difficult to send a knight to the Imperial Palace to ask for help.

Besides, according to Roxana, Hetor’s pirates and the Akrato Duchy’s army would soon take control of the Elange Forest and the Lapion Empire’s Imperial Family…

They would all die before reinforcements arrived.

He couldn’t reveal this fact because he had drunk the secret-keeping potion.

Even if he could inform the dignitaries of each country of this fact, the situation would not change much.

Even if they sent messengers to their countries, they would be attacked and eaten by Galaco or captured by Hetor’s pirates before that.

It was already too late. It was too late.

Also, if there were signs that he was moving his troops, Joseph and the ministers remaining in the Lapion Empire could be the first victims.

Roxana told him that if he only made up his mind, everything would be peaceful.

Linell didn’t want to care about other peace.

He was neither that righteous nor that altruistic.

But if his wife, Zelda’s peace was at stake, the story would be different.

“I love you.”

Linell whispered, caressing Zelda’s face as she slept.

Even though she was infected with the evil energy, her sleeping face was still like an angel, and her body was still warm.

‘You are my sun, what should I do if you disappear from my life?’

He would just die.

Even if he slowly froze to death, he didn’t care.

He just hoped that he could see Zelda’s face, smell her scent, and caress her skin just once before he died.

If that were the case, he felt like he could embrace all this anger and situation.

Time keeps flowing.

He couldn’t stop the flowing time, but he quickly wiped away the flowing tears.

He took a deep breath of Zelda’s scent and kissed her face all over.

Zelda tossed and turned, wiggled her fingers, and groped his body.

The hand that groped here and there reached the part that was always waiting for her.

“Ahem, Zelda…?”

Unlike Linell, who was startled, his other existence showed a consistent reaction to her, as always.

“Why did you wake me up? When I wake up, my instincts come back to life… Hehehe.”

Zelda laughed with a sinister laugh.

It was a smile that could look evil, but Linell loved that look too.

There were good things about her being infected with the evil energy.

If you try to find joy in misfortune, you can find it.

“Were you surprised that I touched you suddenly?”

“No, I’m very happy.”

“You’re very passionate, I want to see it.”

“…Okay, let’s do it.”

Linell started rustling in the blanket.

“What are you doing?”

“You said you wanted to see how happy I am.”

“I wanted to see your passion? Haaam, I’m sleepy. I need to sleep more.”

Zelda closed her eyes again.

Leaving only Linell’s passion to be happy.

***

Roxana used teleportation to move to the main palace of the Lapion Imperial Family.

As expected, the Master of the Magic Tower was different from an ordinary witch.

His teleportation allowed him to move while wearing clothes.

He didn’t cut his nails like the witch Kaline, nor did he ask for her hair.

The only thing they had in common was that she had to use the amethyst necklace to return to where she was originally.

The place Roxana chose was Grand Duke Joseph’s room.

The room was quiet because the morning medical examination was over and the ministers, priests, and servants had all left.

She sat on a chair in front of the bed.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m going to be the Grand Duke’s sister-in-law soon.”

It wasn’t a prepared greeting.

Roxana chuckled softly, savoring what she had just said.

Then, she looked down at Joseph’s pale face and her expression hardened.

She had seen it through the crystal ball, but it was even more pitiful when she saw it in person.

“Just hang in there, you’ll recover soon.”

Roxana raised her hand and brought it to Grand Duke Joseph’s young cheek.

She couldn’t feel his body temperature.

There was no warmth at all, and his skin was cold.

‘I’m using such a young and sick child as a blackmail card.’

She felt a little sorry.

“I’ll treat you well when I become the Empress.”

Roxana stroked Grand Duke Joseph’s black hair.

“I remember being sick in bed a lot around the Grand Duke’s age. It wasn’t because of a curse, it was because of a whip.”

Duke Heimeich whipped her and made her take the healing water right away, but before she was 10 years old, she had to lie down for a day or two even after drinking the healing water.

“The Grand Duke will now live happily at his age without pain. So, let’s get along.”

She came to deliver this message.

Roxana grabbed the amethyst around her neck and stood up from her chair.

“Empress… Your Majesty?”

Joseph looked up at Roxana with his eyes half-closed and said.

Roxana was momentarily embarrassed, but she looked down at the blue eyes that resembled Emperor Linell and smiled kindly.

“…No. Who are you?”

Joseph thought Roxana was Zelda and called her.

But when he looked closely, it was a face he had never seen before.

“I am the Empress.”

“No, our Empress is definitely…”

“That woman.”

Roxana cut off Joseph’s words and said soothingly.

“Was a surrogate Empress, Grand Duke.”

***

Like yesterday, it was raining cats and dogs today.

If the rain didn’t stop by the afternoon, they would have to spend another night at the monastery.

“Wouldn’t it be better to stay here for a few more days even if the rain stops?”

Rosie said to Zelda, looking out the window at the rain.

Before lunch, the concubines gathered in Zelda’s room and worried about her symptoms, which were still making her tremble.

“I have to leave when the rain stops. I don’t want to disrupt the schedule because of me. How much complaining will there be behind my back?”

She carefully refined the words that had popped out unconsciously.

“Why are you saying that? How many lives have been saved thanks to Her Majesty the Empress?”

Mélanie agreed with Rosie’s words.

“That’s right. I wish we could just stay here and then split up to our own countries when the weather gets better.”

Everyone agreed with Mélanie’s words.

But I couldn’t.

This is because I have to collect ‘Yakante’ [a magical herb], the main ingredient of the magic potion that temporarily removes burn scars, from the Tevelo Empire, the destination of the Continental Hunting Competition.

Come to think of it, the fever seemed to have subsided since I was infected with the evil energy.

Or maybe the fever went up, but I was trembling so much that I didn’t notice it.

“But, Rosie and Mélanie, what’s wrong with your faces? Did you two fight?”

I asked, looking at the bruises that were starting to turn blue on their cheeks and the scratches around their necks.

“We’re on the same side.”

Mélanie replied instead of Rosie, who was hesitating.

“Who’s on the other side?”

I can guess roughly.

“Princess Resilia and Mama Catherine.”

“Why did you fight?”

Mélanie couldn’t open her mouth easily to this question either.

What’s the reason for the fight?

I looked at the rest of the people in the room one by one.

Sharon, Bonnie, and even Pesilini seemed to be avoiding my gaze.

Knock knock-.

Unwelcome faces suddenly came in with the knock.

“I was wondering how you were doing.”

Princess Resilia came in first.

“Did you come to see how I’m doing?”

If the evil energy could be measured in numbers, it seemed to be at its maximum right now.

“Oh my, I heard that you become rude when you’re infected with evil energy, is that true? I’ll assume that’s not what Her Majesty the Empress really means.”

“It’s true.”

“Yes?”

“I thought you really came to see me because the Princess asked so cheerfully.”

“I’m sorry if that’s how it sounded.”

Princess Resilia nodded and apologized insincerely.

“I was worried.”

Catherine said carefully.

Surprisingly, those words seemed sincere.

“There was a fight yesterday?”

Since Rosie and Mélanie were silent, I had no choice but to ask the other party who fought with them.

“Ha, you were talking about that? I’m wronged.”

Princess Resilia glared at Rosie and Mélanie and said to me.

“You don’t look wronged at all?”

I asked, looking closely at the Princess’s face.

Compared to Rosie and Mélanie, Princess Resilia’s face was clean without even a small scratch.

Princess Resilia, who took my words in a different meaning, immediately burst out and self-destructed.

“I’m not the only one who went to pick poisonous strawberries, so I don’t know why Rosie Mama is accusing me of putting poisonous strawberries in the fruit salad that Her Majesty the Empress will eat, really!”

What?

“Rosie. Explain.”

I turned my gaze to Rosie and ordered.

“Yes… Your Majesty the Empress.”

I heard from Rosie, Sharon, and Bonnie what happened in the kitchen yesterday.

“The conclusion is that the Princess put in the poisonous strawberries?”

“Your Majesty the Empress, I’m telling you I didn’t? Rosie Mama is slandering me without any evidence!”

Evidence?

The evidence is, my eyes saw you come back to the poisonous strawberry forest that day and pick a handful of poisonous strawberries in a handkerchief.

I laughed without realizing it.

The laughter while trembling had a pretty creepy effect.

Everyone was nervous when they saw me suddenly laughing.

They were even more scared because I was infected with evil energy.

I suddenly wondered how Rosie knew and discovered the poisonous strawberries mixed in the fruit salad, but when I thought about it,

‘Moya said he would protect you for a while, but he couldn’t stand it and went out again.’

I remembered what Linell said as he closed the window last night.

Moya had visited while I was asleep for a while.

So, it was highly likely that Moya discovered the poisonous strawberries and told Rosie.

‘Admirable guy.’

I got up from the bed with Sharon’s support.

I was trembling, but there was no problem walking.

And there was no problem punching at all.

With a thud-! Princess Resilia, who was hit in the face by my fist, screamed and fell to the floor.

“Yo, Your Majesty the Empress! What is this!!”

Princess Resilia was shocked, covering the area she was hit by me with her hand.

“This isn’t it…”

I muttered, blankly looking down at the fist I was holding.

Then, Princess Resilia shouted, interpreting my words as she pleased.

“Even though I’m infected with evil energy and not in my right mind, there’s no way I would make this mistake on me!”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Princess.”

I apologized obediently.

“That’s right, that’s why I made a mistake…”

Princess Resilia’s anger subsided slightly when I sincerely apologized, but she was still upset.

So I just told her honestly.

“I was originally going to slap you, but I punched you without realizing it.”

“…What, what did you say?!”

“I heard from the Master of the Magic Tower that being infected with evil energy is like having a disease that you can’t tolerate? And that any bad desires are doubled.”

I whispered as if telling a secret, then added with a chuckle again.

“So, I hope you understand.”