The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 246

246. Woof, Stop Right There

May 13, 2023

“Do we really… need to kill Lady Rosie?”

Empress Jasper asked, barely concealing her displeasure.

Kalvain responded with a bitter smile.

“Even if we raise Rams as our own child, it’s best to eliminate anything that could cause trouble from the start. Especially for you, who will be raising him.”

“For me…?”

“Yes. No matter how much we try to keep it quiet, the day will come when he learns about his birth mother. What if he resents you for standing by while Norton married his birth mother and that concubine?”

“I’ll make sure he understands not to resent…”

“Enough. Why bother with such effort? And take on the risk.”

Kalvain waved his hand, cutting her off as if he didn’t want to discuss the matter further.

‘Yes, that’s the kind of person you are.’

Empress Jasper laughed inwardly with a sense of futility.

Kalvain is the kind of person who ruins others’ happiness to get what he wants,

and ruthlessly destroys others’ happiness to achieve his goals.

She almost hated herself for momentarily forgetting that fact.

‘But your turn is coming soon.’

You will be abandoned miserably and futilely in front of everyone.

The reason she had endured the touch of the enemy who killed her husband was for the coronation day.

That day is the most perfect day for revenge.

The day he is intoxicated with a sense of victory for having everything, she has been enduring him with all her might to take everything away.

Empress Jasper clenched the handle of the teacup in her hand, reaffirming her plan once again.

‘The nights I have to endure you will soon be over.’

After all, Kalvain was already slowly dying.

He just didn’t know it.

“The countries of the Southern Continent must have already received the invitations. The invitations for the Northern Continent countries will arrive today.”

“I suppose so.”

“I hope many will attend?”

“Of course. It’s Kalvain’s coronation ceremony, after all. Everyone must attend.”

Kalvain thumped his chest with a triumphant voice.

“…Of course. The tea is getting cold. Please drink it quickly.”

“Alright, the tea you bring always tastes good.”

Kalvain finally picked up the teacup.

“Will Emperor Linell also be attending the coronation?”

Empress Jasper asked after taking a sip of black tea.

“He will. That was the original agreement.”

During the Continental Hunting Competition, if Tanya Island and the Duchy of Akrato hadn’t had their monasteries occupied and dignitaries from each country taken hostage, everyone would have finished the competition in the Thebelo Empire and moved to the Partsha Empire as scheduled.

And Linell was planning to win over Partsha’s ministers with the dignitaries from each country to strengthen Kalvain’s coronation.

The Allied Forces held the dignitaries hostage in the monastery, and Roxana, the Duchess of Akrato, became the new empress of the Lapion Empire, which postponed his coronation.

“Is that so? Moreover, Prince Norton is staying in the Lapion Imperial Family. I will make sure there are no shortcomings in welcoming the dignitaries.”

“Yes, Princess Resilia will arrive here first with Rams, so it would be good to decorate the room where Rams will stay.”

“Yes, we should…”

I’m sorry, Kalvain.

That child will never call you father.

‘Because you can’t become emperor…’

Empress Jasper smiled as she watched Kalvain gulp down the dried poisonous strawberry powder she had mixed into the black tea.

***

‘Why do I keep running into her? Should I turn back?’

Hector had visited the training grounds in the cypress forest and was passing by the main palace.

He spotted Melanie talking to Zelda’s maid, Sharon, in front of the main palace and subtly turned his body.

He was about to turn around and go back, pretending not to see her,

“Woof! Stop right there for a second.”

Melanie called out to Hector, having spotted him at some point.

‘Has that pomegranate lost her mind?’

She’s calling the person everyone on Tanya Island calls the Great King ‘woof’ right now.

Hector was so dumbfounded that he let out a hollow laugh.

Even though he is currently serving as the captain of the Empress’s guard under Roxana, even the ministers of the Lapion Empire couldn’t treat Hector carelessly.

But no matter how great her noble family is, how dare a mere concubine, especially the Second Concubine, call him ‘woof’ mockingly? What kind of guts does she have?

Hector frowned and turned around.

But he was startled to see Melanie’s face covered in tears.

She was crying like a child, expressing her emotions so openly.

Regardless of the reason for her crying, he almost wiped away Melanie’s tears without realizing it.

“What is it?”

He asked with a mixed tone of annoyance.

“That empty-headed Princess Resilia, you know her, right?”

I know. She has a similar brain to you.

Hector raised his eyebrows at Melanie’s fuss.

“She’s finally gone crazy. She went to kidnap her own son who she ignored!”

“?”

Melanie said that to Hector abruptly, without any prior explanation, as if she was telling on someone.

Did Princess Resilia have a son?

Hector tilted his head.

Sharon, who was next to Melanie, subtly grabbed her arm and whispered.

“Your Majesty, how can you say such things so carelessly…!”

‘Such things’ that Sharon was talking about referred to the existence of Rams.

“Why? Prince Tesler is screwed anyway, and His Majesty already knows about it, so what’s the big deal? Besides, His Majesty went out of the Imperial Palace because of that matter.”

“…I guess you’re right.”

After thinking about it, Melanie was right.

Sharon immediately agreed.

Melanie grabbed Hector and began to talk about the love story between Princess Resilia and Prince Norton.

‘Why do I have to listen to this?’

Even though Hector thought so, he couldn’t help but listen because it was a somewhat interesting story.

After finishing the story about Rosie, Melanie then revealed the existence of Rams, a baby who was only a few months old between Princess Resilia and Prince Norton.

She ranted that Prince Norton had long since lost all affection for Princess Resilia and had fallen in love with Rosie, who was obsessed with books instead of the crazy princess.

In addition, she even mentioned the fact that Emperor Linell had acknowledged the relationship between the two and that Rosie was soon to become the Empress of the Partsha Empire.

Melanie chattered on without stopping her small mouth.

“So now… Princess Resilia is harboring resentment and plans to kidnap the child before the two arrive at the Partsha Empire and go there?”

“She must have already kidnapped him! What will happen to our Lady Rosie if that empty-headed princess arrives at the Partsha Imperial Family first? What should I do? Lady Rosie is so pitiful… Huhu.”

Melanie raised her arms forward and took a posture as if she was about to hug Hector and cry.

Surprised, Sharon quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her.

At the same time, Hector also took a step back to distance himself from Melanie.

‘She should worry about herself.’

It’s funny that a woman who will grow old without ever being loved by Emperor Linell is pitying someone else.

Hector clicked his tongue inwardly as he stared blankly at Melanie’s crying face.

***

Hector returned to the Empress’s Palace, where his residence was located, and as soon as he entered his room, Roxana’s servant came to find him.

“Sir Hector, Her Majesty the Empress is looking for you.”

“What for?”

“I’m not sure either.”

“I understand.”

Hector turned around and headed straight to Roxana’s bedroom.

Knock knock knock-.

Hector knocked on the bedroom door and entered.

“You were looking for me.”

“Yes. It seems like it’s been a bit difficult to see your face these days?”

Roxana ate the fruit that Nancy brought and looked at Hector walking towards the table.

“Difficult to see my face? I think I saw you yesterday?”

Hector said, looking down at the fruit plate.

The plate was piled high with pomegranates.

It must be pomegranates exported from Tanya Island.

Seeing the pomegranates, Melanie’s face came to Hector’s mind.

In embarrassment, he quickly took his eyes off the fruit plate and sat down in front of Roxana.

“I’m saying that the number of times a person who used to show their face several times a day has decreased. Anyway, that’s not why I called you. He’s out of the Imperial Palace right now.”

Roxana put down her fork and said.

“…Really? What for?”

Hector had heard the reason from Melanie in front of the main palace a little while ago, and without realizing it, a lie came out.

“Zelda took Martinus, the Grand Duke of Shatonil, and Commander Markrom out of the Imperial Palace on horseback a little while ago.”

Roxana had recently planted people from the Empress’s Palace in Zelda’s residence again and had been monitoring her, so she was able to receive the news immediately.

“I don’t know why she went out.”

“I see.”

“I see… what do you mean? You should find out right away. Isn’t it strange? Even the Emperor has left the Imperial Palace.”

Roxa narrowed her brows at Hector’s indifferent attitude.

“I’ll find out. I’ll go out.”

“…You’re just going out?”

Roxana asked, as if she was wondering.

‘I clearly said that the Emperor had left the Imperial Palace, right?’

It was somehow strange that Hector didn’t flirt with her and got up so neatly.

On top of that, he even asked a random question that was unlike him.

“Oh, by the way. How’s the pomegranate taste?”

Melanie had given her what she said was a precious fruit behind the Great Temple building a while ago, but even at a glance, it was a B-grade pomegranate, but what Roxana was eating was A-grade.

“It’s just okay. I’m eating it because Nancy brought it.”

“There’s quite a lot, can you eat it all?”

“There’s so much to eat, why would I eat all of this? If I leave some, the servants will eat it or throw it away. But why are you asking such a thing?”

Roxana burst into laughter at Hector’s unusual meddling.

“No, it just looked delicious.”

“?”

Roxana was about to ask what kind of bland sound that was, but Hector left the bedroom door at a faster pace than usual.

On the way back to his room. He glanced at his deputy, Palto, who was following him, and said.

“Tell Tanya Island. Select only specially selected A-grade pomegranates from the harvested pomegranates and send them to the Imperial Palace.”

“Why pomegranates all of a sudden? You don’t even eat fruit.”

“It’s not for me to eat.”

“But the pomegranates that are exported to the Lapion Imperial Family are A-grade that go to Her Majesty the Empress even without a separate order, right?”

“Just bring ‘specially selected A-grade’ instead of just A-grade.”

Hector emphasized again.

“No, why are you giving such an order all of a sudden?”

“….”

“Ah! Are you going to give it to Her Majesty the Empress?”

When Hector didn’t say anything, Palto slapped his forehead with his hand and asked in a low voice.

“….”

But this time, there was no answer.

***

The rain, which seemed like it would continue to pour, gradually stopped as the carriage entered the Imperial City, and stopped completely before entering the Imperial Palace.

The carriage stopped in front of the main palace.

“There are about two hours left until the trial, so let’s all have dinner at the main palace. You can have the servants bring the clothes to change into.”

Linell said as he got out of the carriage first, and I chimed in.

“And let’s have the Master of the Magic Tower see if Rams has caught a cold first.”

“Yes, Your Highness, that would be good.”

Rosie also added a word, and then Prince Norton reluctantly followed his opinion.

“Let’s do that. Thank you for your consideration.”

***

Fortunately, Rams didn’t have a cold.

Still, just in case, the Master of the Magic Tower prescribed a cold prevention medicine himself.

When we mixed the cold prevention medicine with milk and fed it to him, Rams quickly fell into a deep sleep.

All four people who changed out of their rain-soaked clothes and gathered again in the banquet hall looked exhausted.

Perhaps because they had lost their energy on the rainy bridge, they were too hungry.

If the food had come out any later, they would have torn off the flowers decorating the table and eaten them.

“Everyone must be tired, eat a lot.”

Before Linell could even finish speaking, I aggressively cut the steak and put it in my mouth.

At that time, Raphael walked into the banquet hall with something in his hand.

Raphael’s walk was also quite combative.

“The giant squid’s expression is unusual.”

Linell muttered as he looked at Raphael approaching, then chuckled and said.

“It looks like something else has happened?”