The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 220

220. Favorite Spot

2023.02.11.

When the palace physician announced that Prince Tessler’s testicles had burst, Linelle’s gaze instinctively drifted downwards.

‘Ah, so that’s why they dressed him in that long, patient-like shirt…’

‘Wait, did I actually hit that guy’s… you know… last night?’

Linelle tried to recall the events from when he confronted Prince Tessler behind Pessillini’s residence the previous night.

No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn’t remember striking Prince Tessler’s groin.

He glanced at Commander Marcrom, who stood nearby.

‘If I didn’t do it, could it have been him?’

Commander Marcrom seemed to sense Linelle’s gaze and gave a subtle nod, his face remaining impassive.

“Marcrom, come see me for a moment.”

Linelle tapped the commander’s shoulder and stepped outside the iron gate.

“Speak, Your Majesty.”

Commander Marcrom followed him out and spoke as he closed the gate.

“That was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

The commander replied as if anticipating the question.

“I wondered why you were so keen on staying up all night in the spire… you were planning this from the start?”

“Your Majesty had already made quite a mess of him. I simply targeted the only area that seemed relatively intact.”

“……”

Commander Marcrom’s tone held a hint of resentment.

“Was it out of loyalty to me? Or loyalty to Zelda?”

“It was an act of pure affection.”

“Pure affection? Whose pure affection?”

Linelle looked puzzled, almost disbelieving.

That phrase seemed utterly out of character for Commander Marcrom.

“Your Majesty might not be aware, due to your memory loss, but there was a woman even more beautiful than the Empress by her side.”

“……How would someone who can’t even see know that?”

“I can perceive everything with my aura.”

Linelle tried to recall who Commander Marcrom could be referring to.

“It’s Miss Bonnie, who was like a sister to the Empress in the Kingdom of Schattouney.”

“Ah…….”

With Commander Marcrom’s clarification, Linelle began to understand.

Among the fragmented memories that resurfaced when his second memory returned, he recalled a face that appeared frequently on the day Zelda confessed she was a ‘surrogate empress.’

She seemed very close to Zelda, and he now realized that young lady was Bonnie.

“What does your ‘pure affection’ for Miss Bonnie have to do with that guy’s testicles?”

He gestured towards the iron gate where Prince Tessler was imprisoned.

“That man inflicted terrible things upon Bonnie. In the Kingdom of Schattouney, he cut off her little finger, and at the Continental Hunting Competition, he attempted to rape her.”

“And you harbored feelings for her?”

“I don’t know if I dare to call them feelings… but yes. And ultimately, she lost her life because of me.”

“Hmm, that’s unfortunate.”

This was a man who hadn’t shed a tear even when he lost his sight during the war with the Southern Continent three years prior…

Linelle was taken aback to see tears welling up in Commander Marcrom’s eyes.

“By the way, why does Prince Tessler think I’m the one who neutered him?”

“I told him I received orders from Your Majesty.”

“……What?”

“Even though he’s a criminal, he’s still a prince of the kingdom. A mere knight commander can’t simply burst his… privates… as he pleases, especially given the sensitivity of the area.”

“So, you threw me under the bus?”

“I needed a justification. I apologize.”

Commander Marcrom bowed his head slightly.

“No, you did well. What are the chances of recovery…?”

“There won’t be any. I made sure to burst them thoroughly.”

“As expected, you’re the best in the Lapheon Empire.”

Linelle patted Commander Marcrom on the shoulder in a gesture of encouragement and re-entered the iron gate.

He met Prince Tessler’s resentful gaze.

“There will be a trial. You will pay for your reckless actions.”

Prince Tessler swallowed hard at his words.

“The Avatar Sword… Empress Roxana originally possessed it.”

“So?”

“Th-That’s why, Your Majesty! I broke into Zelda Mama’s residence to return the Avatar Sword to its rightful owner.”

“Your loyalty to Roxana is remarkable. Did she perhaps ask you to do this?”

“!”

He shouldn’t have mentioned Roxana…

Prince Tessler realized his mistake immediately after blurting out the words.

Regret washed over him.

“N-No, that’s not it. It was merely an act of goodwill.”

Prince Tessler backpedaled, his eyes darting around.

Linelle looked at Prince Tessler with contempt.

The prince, overwhelmed by that look, went so far as to threaten him.

“The crime of stealing the wyvern egg and the Avatar Sword that Empress Roxana possessed is also not insignificant. If I reveal that in court, Zelda Mama won’t be safe either. Hehehe.”

Prince Tessler grinned, revealing his missing front tooth.

“Do you have any evidence that Zelda stole those two things?”

“Didn’t Your Majesty see the Avatar Sword! The Avatar Sword that was embedded in Zelda Mama’s heart.”

Prince Tessler chuckled.

Linelle grabbed Prince Tessler by the collar.

“Avatar Sword? The sword that was stuck in Zelda’s heart was just a regular sword.”

“Huh? Do you think I’m an idiot?”

Prince Tessler muttered under his breath, sneering.

“I saw it clearly. It was definitely the Avatar Sword.”

“You saw wrong. It was just a regular sword that resembled the Avatar Sword.”

Linelle’s firm tone made Prince Tessler momentarily question his memory.

‘Do you have any evidence? You must have hidden the Avatar Sword and replaced it with another sword!’

“Everything will be revealed in court.”

“?”

Linelle’s relaxed expression made Prince Tessler’s anxiety intensify.

‘Why is he so calm?

Did I really mistake a regular sword for the Avatar Sword?’

‘No, it was the Avatar Sword.’

Prince Tessler’s lips curled up again.

‘Even so, since the person involved is dead anyway, I can concoct some excuse and get away with it.’

Linelle, as if reading the prince’s thoughts, spoke with a hint of amusement.

“If it were a murder charge, we would have proceeded with the trial immediately without notifying the Schattouney royal family. But since it’s an attempted murder charge, the trial has been delayed.”

“?”

‘Zelda is alive? A sword was clearly plunged deep into her heart?!’

Prince Tessler looked up at him, his expression one of utter shock.

“So, the trial will begin when someone arrives from the Kingdom of Schattouney. Until then, hope for a miracle. Although I doubt there will be a day when you can even use it, even if a miracle occurs.”

He gestured towards Prince Tessler’s nether regions.

***

‘Where am I?’

After several days, Emperor Adrian regained consciousness.

He opened his eyes and carefully surveyed the room he was in.

He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his back.

He then remembered being knocked unconscious by a blow to his back.

It was a night when he desperately needed blood.

He knew that no one would notice if one of the many servants in the imperial palace disappeared, but he was wandering around in a deserted place to ensure safety.

He ventured as far away from the main palaces as possible and stumbled upon a servant near the fortress wall.

He managed to cover the servant’s mouth from behind. He was about to slit the servant’s throat and drink the blood when he suddenly collapsed.

‘Ah, right. I fell to the ground, got stabbed in the back by a sharp rock, and lost consciousness!’

He went out seeking blood but ended up bleeding and fainting instead.

Who was that servant?

Do some of the servants in the Lapheon imperial palace receive martial arts training?

The more he pondered, the more absurd the situation seemed.

How many days had passed since that day?

Judging by the fact that his body felt relatively normal, quite some time must have elapsed.

Blood is produced slowly if energy is not expended.

Moving his body would require fresh blood, but for now, his condition was stable.

Emperor Adrian sat up, despite the lingering pain in his back.

Just then, Emperor Adrian’s servant entered the room carrying bedding. He was startled to see him awake and dropped the bedding.

“Y-Your Majesty, you’re awake?!”

“How long has it been since I was injured?”

“It’s been about ten days.”

That was longer than he had anticipated.

Emperor Adrian nodded and chuckled in disbelief.

“Bring Empress Elan to me immediately!”

“Elan? Is Elan in the Lapheon imperial palace right now?”

“Yes, she returned from the Tevelo Empire with former Empress Zelda a while ago. And much has transpired while you were unconscious. A few days ago……”

The servant recounted in detail the events that had unfolded while Emperor Adrian was incapacitated.

“……Empress Zelda has become the second concubine? Haha, things are becoming quite interesting.”

“Moreover, yesterday, Prince Tessler of the Kingdom of Schattouney attempted to assassinate Zelda Mama, but he was apprehended on the spot and nearly beaten to death by Emperor Linelle. He is now imprisoned in the spire prison.”

“What? Prince Tessler? Why would he suddenly do that?”

“The exact reason is unknown. He broke into Zelda Mama’s residence disguised as an assassin and, according to rumors, stabbed Zelda Mama with a sword. Her condition is said to be minor.”

‘So that’s what happened…?’

Emperor Adrian stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before looking up and ordering his servant.

“Go and bring Elan.”

***

“The Magic Tower Master is coming here, so is it really necessary to go all the way to the main palace?”

Sharon asked worriedly in the imperial carriage en route to the main palace.

“I’m really okay. You saw, even the wound from the Avatar Sword has healed into just a surface cut.”

The area pierced by the Avatar Sword had healed rapidly overnight.

Besides, her body felt lighter than before, and she had significantly more energy.

“I’ll see His Majesty first, then visit the Magic Tower Master.”

“Y-Yes…….”

Sharon also commented that her complexion looked brighter than usual and seemed less concerned.

A short while later, the carriage arrived in front of the main palace.

Zelda stepped out of the carriage and headed straight for the Emperor’s office.

He had visited the spire where Prince Tessler was imprisoned early in the morning, so he should be in his office by now, right?

Stian, who was standing guard in front of the office, was startled to see her.

“Is it really alright for you to be walking around like this?!”

Everyone who witnessed her being stabbed by the Avatar Sword the previous night reacted the same way as Stian.

Zelda smiled and nodded.

“Tell him I’m here.”

“Yes? Ah, yes. Please wait a moment.”

Stian quickly entered the office to inform the Emperor of her arrival.

“Come in.”

As Zelda entered, Linelle was walking towards the door.

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is it alright for you to be walking around already?”

He looked at her with wide, surprised eyes and circled around her to assess her condition.

“The recovery is much faster than I anticipated. Even faster than the Magic Tower Master expected.”

“I told you not to get out of bed, even just for today.”

“I wouldn’t have moved at all if it seemed like it would be too much.”

As Zelda reached out her hand, Linelle took it and led her to the sofa.

“It’s good news, but I’m worried you might be overdoing it……”

“Don’t talk if you haven’t experienced being engraved by the Avatar Sword.”

When Zelda raised her head and boasted, Linelle lightly bumped his forehead against hers.

Perhaps because she was joking, his worried expression seemed to ease.

“If you came because you missed me, sit next to me. If you came because you’re curious about Prince Tessler, sit across from me.”

Linelle said as he released her hand and sat on the sofa.

“Where do you think I’m going to sit?”

“I wonder.”

He looked at her with eyes that seemed to be anticipating her choice.

Zelda hesitated for a moment and asked again.

“What if I came for both reasons?”

“I see. Then what should we do?”

He replied as if pondering the question, a smile crinkling his eyes.

“I’ll sit here. Because it’s my favorite spot……”

Zelda demurely sat on his lap.

“……Ah, did you come because of the baby issue?”

He asked quietly, his gaze intense.

The hem of her dress was being lifted, like drawing curtains.