The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 191

191. I’ll Know If I Try Again (191/347)

191. I’ll Know If I Try Again?

2022.11.02.

“Are, are you okay?!”

Why did the iron bar that was perfectly fine on the wall suddenly fall?

It was literally an iron bar out of the blue.

Iron bars are usually one of the weapons used in the training grounds for knights to warm up before they start using swords in earnest.

Just like how your body feels light as if you’re flying when you run with sandbags on your ankles and then take them off, iron bars play a similar role in sword training.

So, that iron bar, when dozens of wooden bars standing against the wall are perfectly fine, happened to hit him on the head.

Even if you accidentally drop that iron bar while practicing swordsmanship and it slightly grazes your instep, it hurts a lot…

“Why do you look like that? Are you out of it? Nellie, are you okay!”

I shook his shoulder slightly with a worried face.

“Who are you?”

Nellie looked at me with a blank gaze and asked.

“……Huh?”

Did he become mentally unstable after getting hit on the crown of his head with an iron bar?

Could it be that he lost his memory?

It was a shock that wouldn’t be strange even if he lost his memory.

“See? Nothing good comes from getting involved with me……”

I felt like it was all my fault for no reason.

Why did an iron bar have to fall on his head as soon as I cheerfully shouted, ‘Day 1 from today!’?

Thanks to the Archmage, I was completely cured of the evil energy infection, but since then, big and small accidents seem to happen much more often around me than before.

I hope these misfortunes aren’t side effects of the devil’s influence.

“Can, can you recognize who I am?”

I turned his body towards me and waved my hand in front of his dazed face and asked.

“Aren’t you my girlfriend of 1 day?”

“……Pfft, heh heh.”

It was a soulless tone, but he accurately recognized our relationship.

I burst into a short laugh and then let out a long sigh of relief.

“I’m so glad you weren’t seriously hurt.”

As soon as I finished speaking, as if mocking me, a stream of dark blood slowly flowed down from the center of his forehead.

Oh my gosh……

Well, if an iron bar fell on the crown of his head and he was perfectly fine, that would be a more unsettling situation.

I steeled myself first and opened my mouth.

“Nellie, don’t be surprised and listen.”

As I said, holding his cold hand, he nodded with unfocused eyes.

“Woah, woah…… Don’t move your head.”

Surprised by Nellie’s nod, I quickly supported his chin with my hand.

“Dazel, I feel something warm…… on my forehead?”

He blinked his eyes and spoke slowly, as if he hadn’t fully regained his senses yet.

“Uh-huh, it’s blood. You’re bleeding now.”

“……Is it cracked?”

He asks if that’s why he’s so dizzy.

“I heard something breaking…… but I don’t think so. It shouldn’t be. It must not be.”

He needs to live.

I carefully rummaged through Nellie’s black hair and patted his shoulder.

Then, I tore half of the white apron I was wearing.

The blood that flowed from his crown to his forehead was now flowing down his high nose.

I wiped the flowing blood with the torn apron, and then gently pressed the apron cloth on his crown without applying much pressure.

“It’s better to get treatment from a court physician quickly.”

I grabbed his arm and supported him as he got up from the straw pile.

“It’s okay to get treatment later.”

Nellie wanted to stay here longer.

“What do you mean it’s okay when blood is gushing out of your head like a fountain?”

“Blood like a fountain? ……Gushing?”

It wasn’t quite gushing, but the white apron on his crown was quickly getting stained with blood.

“We need to stop the bleeding quickly. You can’t forget me because you lost too much blood.”

We’re only on day 1, after all.

“Yeah, we can’t have any more things to forget.”

Nellie muttered something to himself and opened the warehouse door and went out first.

Forgetting that I was following behind and even closing the door.

Standing blankly in front of the door in embarrassment for a few seconds.

The warehouse door creaked open again.

“Sorry. I forgot.”

He apologized with an awkward expression.

Ah, this doesn’t look good?

As I stared at him with a surprised expression, he, who had been maintaining a dazed expression, burst into laughter.

“I was just kidding. I won’t forget even if I bleed all the blood in my head.”

He said firmly and took my hand.

“Never forget.”

I feel like I’ve heard those words from someone before…… When was it?

Hmm, I don’t know.

I sometimes experience these symptoms.

It seems like when I try to remember something, my head becomes foggy as if it’s covered in mist.

“Are you really going to take revenge on your ex-husband?”

After leaving the training ground and walking about halfway through the cypress forest, he asked, still alive.

“Actually, there’s someone else I need to take revenge on. It’s someone related to my ex-husband.”

“Who is it?”

“Don’t try to know too much about me from the first day.”

I said, looking up at the night sky.

Lightning flashed and disappeared in the sky.

It looks like it’s going to thunder and lightning?

I raised one hand to protect his head.

His head was hit by a perfectly fine iron bar, so wouldn’t lightning be the same?

“Is it a story I can hear after you take revenge?”

“Well, maybe I’ll never be able to tell you.”

Actually, I was a little scared.

Could Nellie accept the fact that I was the former empress of the Lapion Empire?

“As I said before, whether I take revenge or not, I can’t live here.”

“I was holding back earlier, but I’ll find a way.”

He retorted.

“What way?”

“A way to live together here.”

Nellie said, pointing to the ground with his finger.

What he meant by ‘here’ was obviously the Imperial City, but for a moment it seemed like he meant inside the Imperial Palace, so I quietly laughed without realizing it.

“Nellie, no matter how high up you are, you won’t be able to find a way for me to live here.”

Give up.

We’ll have to break up soon anyway.

And I don’t want him to abandon all his glory here and choose me because of me.

So, I should have a short and intense relationship while I’m here.

I decided that on my own and decided not to be greedy anymore.

“What if there is?”

“Huh?”

“If I find a way, promise me you’ll be with me then.”

“……Okay.”

I know it won’t work.

But looking at his serious face, and even seeing him bleeding from the head after being hit by an iron bar, I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘Unless you’re the emperor, there’s no way for me to stay here.’

“Let’s part here.”

The cypress forest was ending.

I stopped walking, let go of his hand, and said.

“Even if we can’t go to the secret passage, we can go back to the back garden path and go to the dormitory building for the palace people together.”

Nellie pointed with his chin in the direction we were walking together.

Well, even if we run into guards on the way, they’ll see us as a secretary and a servant, so it won’t look too suspicious.

They might be a little surprised to see him with a head injury, though.

“Okay, let’s go together.”

Just walking side by side, something tickled somewhere in my body and I felt good for no reason.

Fortunately, it wasn’t just me feeling that way, as he occasionally looked at me and chuckled to himself.

The tips of our fingers kept brushing against each other.

Sometimes accidentally, sometimes intentionally……

It was more thrilling than holding hands and walking.

Every time that happened, I would ask him, ‘Is your head okay?’, and he would say he was fine, but as we got closer to the dormitory building for the palace people, he finally confessed that he felt very dizzy.

“We really have to part here.”

I said goodbye first.

“Dazel, before you take revenge on your ex-husband or anyone else, there’s something I need to say.”

“What does what you have to say have to do with my revenge?”

“You’ll understand when you hear it. I want to meet you tomorrow. Where would be good?”

Is this, is this a date request?

“It’s a little difficult to meet every day just because we’re lovers……”

I acted a little coy.

“Are you busy? Then not tomorrow……”

I didn’t say I was busy.

“Where should we meet?”

I asked quickly without realizing it.

“How about a tavern? Or we can go to that inn where we met.”

I thought carefully about his suggestion.

It would be troublesome if I kept going to the tavern and ran into someone who knew my face.

There might be someone working in the Imperial Palace among the people who come to the tavern like Nellie.

The inn is safe, but there was a risk of being caught by my group.

Once is okay, but I was worried about the second time.

“How about the Imperial Palace? I want to see Rosie Mama one more time……”

I have to come to the palace a few more times anyway, so it’s all the same.

“Shall we? Then I’ll widen the secret passage a bit. It’s something that needs to be done secretly, but there are many people who will do it if you pay them.”

As expected, it’s convenient to have money and power.

“I appreciate the consideration, but I don’t think it’s necessary. When I came out earlier, I saw a big rock sticking out in the middle of the secret passage. If I just take out that rock on the way out, my butt won’t get stuck.”

“Really? Then let’s meet here at this time tomorrow.”

“Ah, what floor are you staying on? I’m coming in as a servant anyway, so wouldn’t it be better for me to go to your room?”

“……Is that so?”

Nellie looked up at the dormitory building and seemed to hesitate a little.

“Instead of meeting here and going in together, wouldn’t it be more natural to go to the restaurant like I’m running an errand and bring some simple food or drinks to your room?”

“I guess so.”

“What floor, where are you staying?”

I asked again as he kept rolling his eyes around and stalling.

“4th floor. The last room on the right side of the 4th floor.”

I nodded, repeating what he said to remember it.

“Okay. Then I’ll come find you at this time tomorrow. Goodbye!”

“Wait.”

He grabbed my arm as I turned around and pulled me into a hug.

The apron cloth that was placed on his crown to stop the bleeding fell to the floor with a thud.

He didn’t care and focused on hugging me.

“I’ve become a little strange since I met you.”

“I’m worried you’ll become even stranger in the future.”

I said worriedly, recalling the dizzying moment when the iron bar hit his head.

“After that night…… I was wondering if the feelings I was feeling were real, or if it was just a momentary illusion. But……”

“But?”

“I’m sure of my feelings after meeting you again today.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I am. I’m curious about you.”

He took a deep breath and asked cautiously.

“I’m honestly…… I think I need to try it one more time to know.”

“……What?”

“I mean I still don’t know.”

“Then we can check tomorrow night.”

“……”

He said with a determined look in his eyes.

I thought it would be too prim to say ‘Yes!’, so I left his arms without saying anything.

“……Nellie, I should go in now!”

I said, trembling, looking at the blood that had started to flow in three streams from his forehead.

“Don’t worry and go back carefully. Don’t forget to meet at this time tomorrow. If you don’t come, I’ll search the entire Imperial City, so keep that in mind.”

“I promise. Nellie, promise me you won’t die tonight.”

I said, looking at the blood flowing from his forehead.

“Of course.”

He wiped the blood off his hand as if wiping away sweat and waved at me.

I watched him for a while, walking backwards with a worried heart, and then turned around, relieved by his constantly smiling face.

How far had I walked?

I heard a thudding sound in the distance and turned around.

‘Oh no, Nellie!’

He was lying on the floor.

It seemed like he had fainted from losing too much blood.

Fortunately, the guards who were patrolling around him at that time found him unconscious and carried him very urgently.

“Why are they going to the main palace?”

The dormitory where Nellie was staying was right in front of them, but the guards ran towards the main palace.

It seems like they’re taking him directly to the court physician who resides in the main palace?

The fact that the guard carrying him was running so fast showed how important he was.

I lamented my situation, having to turn away even after seeing my boyfriend, who had just become my boyfriend today, fainting while bleeding, and turned my heavy steps.

He’ll be okay, right?

Nothing will happen, right?

It won’t be a breakup as soon as we start dating, right?

Let’s calm down.

“I’ll know tomorrow night. Whether he’s dead or alive.”

I said it calmly, but I couldn’t help but imagine terrible things.

When I open the door to the last room on the right side of the 4th floor where he’s staying tomorrow, there’s no one there……

“No, no! Don’t imagine such unlucky things!”

I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself and shivering.

I slowed down my pace, walking slowly in the distance of about a hundred meters left to the wall with the secret passage.

Because someone has been following me since a while ago.

At first, I thought it was Nellie, but there was no way that someone who had fainted and was carried to the main palace by a guard would suddenly wake up and chase me.

Besides, even muffling his footsteps.

Could it be that someone recognized my face?

If so, should I get rid of them?

I deliberately walked slowly, giving the person who was stalking me room to get closer to me.

After a while, as expected, a long shadow fell in front of me.

It would have been much easier to deal with if they had attacked me from behind first.

Like now.

“Ugh!”

Someone covered my mouth with their hand from behind.