The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 181

181. A Handsome Guy Stares (181/347)

2022.09.28.

I called out to Moiya and quickly glanced at the knights of the Aclato Duchy.

They were all staring up at the sky, mouths agape in surprise at the sight of the baby wyvern.

“Now that they’ve seen the wyvern, we can’t let any of them leave alive.”

The Master Mage whispered to me and Commander Marcrom.

Meanwhile, Moiya was breathing fire at the giant Galaco.

“Kwaaaack-!”

It was still a baby, so it was no match for the adult Galaco, but the flames were quite fierce.

As Galaco’s wings burned, it writhed in agony and opened its mouth, which had been holding Bonis.

In that opening, Bonis’s body fell to the ground, and Commander Marcrom desperately caught her.

Only then did I exhale and collapse to the floor.

From the moment I released the Avatar Sword, the heat that had been circulating throughout my body rapidly subsided, and I suddenly lost all my strength.

‘Zelda! Wake up!’

I heard the Avatar’s voice awakening me in my fading consciousness.

When I vaguely opened my eyes again, I saw a knight of the Aclato Duchy looking down at me, about to strike me with his raised sword.

I just… closed my eyes.

“Heok!”

As soon as I closed my eyes, I heard a short, dying scream.

It definitely wasn’t coming from my mouth.

“Empress, are you alright?”

I opened my eyes again at the sound of someone calling me.

“Empress Elan…? How did you get here?”

“You seem exhausted, so rest for a while. I’ll warm things up a bit now.”

She bowed to me and turned around.

Empress Elan, wielding dual swords, began to take care of the remaining knights of the Aclato Duchy.

***

“It would have been better to leave after Hector had sorted things out. No matter how I think about it, it seems too early.”

Duke Heimeich had set sail for the continent earlier than planned due to Roxana’s urging, but he soon regretted it.

Before Hector had sorted things out to some extent, being in the Northern Continent was just watching the scene of slaughter for a few more days.

“We need to be there from the beginning to know what’s going on. It’s good to let the dignitaries of each continent know of our existence early on.”

“This father is thinking about the possibility of things going wrong.”

Duke Heimeich said in an unpleasant tone.

He was displeased with his daughter, who had been talking back more often lately.

“Hector is just a puppet anyway. We can’t leave everything to him. Father, you need to have a sense of ownership.”

“Roxana.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Don’t be presumptuous. That puppet’s partner is you. Not just him, but you too.”

“But when we start living on the continent, then you’ll have to be my puppet, Father.”

“What?!”

Duke Heimeich, displeased with Roxana’s unusual retort, took out the whip he had kept in the cabin.

“What did you eat wrong? Or is it because you haven’t tasted this lately?”

Duke Heimeich wasn’t planning on wielding the whip for a while.

He just wanted to scare her.

But for some reason, Roxana wasn’t scared even when she saw the whip.

Roxana even looked like she had been waiting for it.

That appearance stimulated Duke Heimeich.

He couldn’t understand what she was thinking, smiling and saying such things without fear.

“Hit me.”

“Wh-what?”

“That way, I think I’ll feel better.”

Roxana knelt down and placed her palms on the floor, bowing her upper body.

“Th-this is outrageous! You’re defying your father in all sorts of ways!”

“Ugh… !”

The whip struck Roxana’s back and fell off.

Today, it felt like a hug from an old friend.

“Ha, hahaha!”

She laughed for the first time as she was whipped.

But Roxana’s tears were falling on the floor without fail.

Roxana did not lose her smile, even as she trembled in pain from being whipped.

Duke Heimeich couldn’t contain his anger at Roxana’s reaction and swung his arm wide, bringing the whip down.

At this sight, the Duke felt that something was wrong, but once the whipping started, he couldn’t stop.

He was a man who pathologically enjoyed whipping his daughter.

‘Yes, keep hitting me. This is the last gift I’m giving you.’

Roxana gritted her teeth and endured.

Her mind was fading from the heat that rose from drinking the red potion and the pain of her skin tearing on her back, but this was the last day.

If her father hadn’t wielded the whip, she might have weakened.

After whipping her several more times, Duke Heimeich returned to his kind expression and poured healing water on her back.

“Daughter, I’m doing this all for your own good.”

Duke Heimeich said, throwing the whip he was holding.

Roxana also threw away even the slightest affection and resentment for her father in her heart as she looked at the whip.

The ship had already arrived at the Northern Continent, bordering the Elanji Forest.

***

When I regained consciousness, Empress Elan and the two of them had already eliminated all the remaining knights of the Aclato Duchy.

We rode our horses until just before sunset.

After crossing a large river, we camped after riding for more than an hour.

After settling down, we buried Bonis, whom we had brought on the horse, well under a mock quince tree.

‘Bonis, I’ll find the one who created this situation and take revenge… .’

I wiped away my last tears, vowing revenge.

“She must have gone to a good place.”

Empress Elan comforted me in front of Bonis’s grave.

Ha, Bonis’s grave… .

It still didn’t feel real.

I wanted to let go of everything in the sorrow of losing a friend who had been with me all my life, but I couldn’t let Bonis’s death be in vain by collapsing like this.

It wasn’t time to be sad yet.

I asked, trying to be as calm as possible.

“Master Mage, what about the Avatar Sword?”

I asked, recalling the Galaco that disappeared with the Avatar Sword stuck in its chest.

The direction that Galaco flew was clearly towards the monastery.

If it fell where the Allied Forces were, there was a high probability that the Avatar Sword would fall into their hands.

“Just because you possess the Avatar Sword doesn’t mean anyone can wield it. So don’t worry too much.”

Belos replied in a carefree voice.

In fact, I was more regretful than worried.

Soon after, the sun completely set.

We decided to light the oil lamps we had brought from the monastery instead of a bonfire.

Since everyone already knew that I could breathe fire, I didn’t hesitate to light the wick in the lamp.

Only Empress Elan looked at me strangely.

“Aren’t you lighting a bonfire? Then I can light it all at once, Moiya~.”

Moiya raised her head to the sky and breathed fire, saying.

Moiya shut her mouth when I gestured for her to stop.

“I didn’t know she would be such a tomboy… When she was in the egg, she wouldn’t come out, so I thought she was quiet. Anyway, it’s been a while.”

The Master Mage chuckled and formally greeted Moiya.

“If you want to talk to me, I’d appreciate it if you could talk through my owner?”

Moiya ignored the Master Mage, picking at her ears.

Since none of the Allied Forces who chased us survived, there were no witnesses who saw the wyvern.

But apart from me and Commander Marcrom, the Master Mage and Empress Elan came to know of Moiya’s existence.

It was an unavoidable situation, but I was still a little worried.

On the surface, neither of them seemed greatly shaken.

The Master Mage treated Moiya like he had met an old friend, but Moiya, as always, was grumpy to everyone except me.

Even the Master Mage, who was originally her owner, was no exception.

I looked down at Moiya, who was playing with dirt like a child, and said to Empress Elan.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“You’re welcome, didn’t Your Majesty already save my life twice? So… don’t worry.”

Empress Elan seemed to know what I was worried about, and she also looked at Moiya before looking back at me and smiling slightly.

She said that Emperor Adrian had sent her as a guide to escort me to the Thebelo Empire.

I couldn’t believe that Linell had requested it first, but anyway, I was able to avoid the crisis thanks to Empress Elan.

At that time, Moiya’s stomach growled.

“There should be some simple food in the bag attached to Bonis’s saddle… .”

“I’ll get it.”

As I was about to get up, Commander Marcrom stood up, limping on the leg that had just been treated by the Master Mage.

Commander Marcrom, who had been riding Bonis’s horse and holding her body, had been silent all along.

Perhaps Bonis’s death was a great shock to him as well.

Moreover, it would be even more so because she took an arrow instead to protect the commander.

Commander Marcrom took out jerky from the saddlebag.

I suddenly remembered the lemon tea that Bonis had told me not to drink, saying it would be better to drink it during meals.

“Ah, Marcrom. Can you bring me the water bottle next to it?”

“Here it is, Your Majesty.”

Commander Marcrom handed me the water bottle containing lemon tea.

I was thirsty all along, so I drank the lemon tea in one gulp.

“…Your Majesty!”

The Master Mage, who had been away for a while, returned with five apples in both hands, startled to see me drinking lemon tea and dropping the apples.

Ah, I should have shared some with the group… .

There was plenty of water, so I unknowingly drank all the lemon tea by myself.

“I’m sorry, there’s about a sip left, would you like to drink this?”

I handed the water bottle to the Master Mage with an awkward expression.

“Ah, no.”

At the Master Mage’s refusal, I emptied the remaining sip and added some more water to it, drinking all the remaining lemon scent.

Instead, I ate a little less jerky, sensing the situation.

As the night deepened, we each silently went into our sleeping bags and lay down.

I thought of Linell until I fell asleep.

The Allied Forces must have arrived at the monastery, would he be safe?

The Master Mage said that what they wanted wasn’t war.

Then why did they break into the forest, even releasing Galaco, targeting the Continental Hunting Competition period?

A headache was coming.

I put aside the complicated thoughts for now and went to sleep, only thinking about meeting him again.

And I saw Linell in my dream.

‘It’s strange… .’

The more I talked to him in my dream, the more his face blurred.

***

One month later.

The remarriage ceremony of the Emperor of the Lapion Empire was postponed.

This news was announced to the imperial citizens through the imperial newsletter.

The reason was stated as the health problem of Roxana, the Duchess of Roxana, his remarriage partner.

Roxana suffered from a fever again, which she thought was over.

This time, the symptoms were more severe than the first time.

She was staying in the palace of Empress Zelda, who was revealed as the ‘Proxy Empress,’ and was groaning.

As Roxana suffered from high fever and her consciousness was not intact, she could not contact Logan either.

Moreover, due to Belos’s absence, no one knew that she was suffering from the side effects of the red potion, except for her maid Nancy.

People just thought that Roxana was suffering from endemic diseases after living in the warm island country of Aclato and being brought to the Northern Continent.

In a situation where the person getting remarried was suffering from a fever, the main palace where Linell stayed was, on the contrary, blowing cold winds.

He was holed up in his office every day, working.

Raphael knocked and came in, saying.

“Your Majesty, I will go to the imperial city.”

“What for?”

He asked, keeping his eyes on the documents.

“Today is the day to go to the clinic of the magician Big and bring the potion you are taking. After returning from the hunting competition, your body temperature has dropped sharply, so these days… .”

“Yes, I’m overusing it.”

“Yes, please don’t rely only on potions, and you should get some sunlight during the day and take a walk to raise your body temperature.”

At Raphael’s nagging, Linell put down his quill and got up from his chair.

“Let’s go.”

“…Where to?”

“To raise my body temperature.”

“Are you saying you’re going out to the imperial city together?”

“Yes, and while I’m out, I’ll have a glass of strong liquor. It won’t raise my body temperature, though.”

Linell left the office first.

It was the first outing since returning to the Lapion Imperial Family.

***

“It’s still disgustingly flashy.”

I looked at the Lapion Imperial Palace in the distance.

Last night, I returned to the Lapion Empire after a month with the Master Mage and Empress Elan.

In the Thebelo Empire, with the help of the Master Mage and Empress Elan, I was able to easily obtain the ‘Yakante’ herb and make plenty of magic potions.

Both of them desperately stopped me, but there were too many reasons to return to this freezing land.

The people I had to protect were still left in that damned imperial palace.

And the husband who liked me day and night and couldn’t live without me is about to remarry.

…Of course, such memories don’t exist in my head, but according to Moiya, that’s the case.

His remarriage was a good opportunity for me.

I plan to sneak into the imperial palace through the dog hole, taking advantage of the remarriage ceremony.

It’s an inevitable choice since the fact that I was the ‘Proxy Empress’ has spread throughout the Lapion Empire.

I don’t even remember the face of the Emperor, who is my husband, but I have to go into the imperial palace and meet Rosie and Sharon.

Both of them must be only worrying about me.

And I have to retrieve the ‘Avatar Sword’ in the imperial palace as well.

Of course, I can’t be sure. But since arriving in the imperial city, an indescribable feeling and heat have been rising from my hand.

The closer I get to the imperial palace like today, the more severe the symptoms become.

Once I finish my business in the palace, I plan to get out again.

Revenge for Bonis… I have to wait for the time.

Once I finish everything, I plan to leave the Lapion Empire without any regrets.

Anyway, I’m on my way to buy sausages for Moiya, wearing a robe with the hood pulled down, but,

“Shall we have a drink?”

I stopped in front of the tavern.

Yes, drinking is best during the day.

“Let’s just have one drink.”

When I went inside the tavern, there was only one empty seat at the long table in front of the owner selling alcohol.

But there was a small glass of liquor that hadn’t been drunk in the empty seat.

Did someone leave for a while?

I looked around while slowly walking to the seat, but it seemed like the owner of the liquor glass had just left without emptying the glass.

I hope that’s the case.

But just in case, let’s ask.

“Is this seat empty?”

“… .”

The man sitting next to me only rolled his eyes and looked at me.

Geez, he rolls his eyes in such an unpleasant way.

The man also wore a robe with the hood pulled down as much as I did, as if he had a lot to hide.

The face I glimpsed was perfect enough to make the hood meaningless.

But his personality seems quite dirty.

It seems like the seat is empty since he’s not saying anything.

What urgent business did he have that he ordered this precious alcohol and just left?

I sat down in the seat as if the alcohol was originally mine.

After a few seconds, when I subtly picked up the glass, the man started staring at me openly this time.

I was going to drink the alcohol, but I thought it wouldn’t work, so I said a word sternly.

“Mind your own business.”

“?”

“You’re not my style.”

“!”

The man made all sorts of faces with a shocked expression.

Wow, even when a handsome guy scrunches up his face like that, he’s still handsome!

I was shocked for no reason and stared at the man.