The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 298

298. A Secret Hobby

November 11, 2023

Moya’s hands loosened Linell’s gown ties.

Moni and I reflexively closed our eyes.

“I’m so sorry. Don’t you hate me?”

Moya’s apology continued calmly.

“You really don’t react to anyone but our master? Is that it? Okay, I understand…”

Moya, who reached out as if asking for reconciliation, awkwardly retracted her hand.

However, she continued to try to communicate with Linell, or rather, with his lower half.

“But think about it. It’s better for you to only react to our master than to react at any time. It’s less tiring, too.”

“?”

Linell stared at Moya with an expression of bewilderment that was hard to describe.

“Give me some kind of reaction. You don’t look like it, but are you all talk and no trousers?”

“Moya. Why are you doing this?”

Linell asked solemnly, modestly gathering his open gown.

“Isn’t it because I want to be forgiven, Moya~?”

Moya answered, mimicking his solemn tone.

“Forgiven for what?”

I interjected, noticing Moya’s unusual expression.

“Ah! Why don’t you tell him, Master? You react to Master, don’t you?”

Moya, who had been blinking her ruby eyes with a sorry expression, suddenly asked me politely.

React? It goes wild.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out.

“Moya. Answer me. What forgiveness are you asking for?”

Moya, who had been kneeling because her legs were numb, straightened her knees, then knelt down again.

“Isn’t it Moya’s fault that His Majesty’s precious thing is broken, Moni~?”

Moni, nestled in his arms, tattled in a cheerful voice, taking Moya’s place.

Many explanations were omitted, but we got the gist of Moni’s words.

I looked at Moya for confirmation.

Moya nodded as if acknowledging Moni’s words.

“Moya, what… what have you done to me?”

His voice trembled slightly.

“She put a drug in his juice that makes his precious thing only react to one person.”

This time, Moni continued the explanation in place of Moya.

The situation was this: During the continental hunting competition, while secretly eavesdropping on the knights’ conversation inside the monastery where they were staying, Moya swiped the drug from one of the knights and fed it to him…

“So it was because of that drug. That’s why I always hung my head like a guilty man until I met you again.”

Linell, faced with the truth, repeatedly slapped his thigh with a subtle expression that seemed to laugh and cry at the same time.

“His Majesty is too handsome, and there are too many concubines, so I couldn’t help it. I was worried that your precious thing would be all over the place when Master wasn’t around, Moya~?”

Moya backed away, making excuses.

I was slightly touched by Moya.

It seemed she had done that the day before I left for the Thebel Empire.

“You’re not going to use it on anyone else anyway, so it doesn’t matter, does it?”

Moya tapped her index fingers together and watched his reaction.

However, her face didn’t show any regret.

Linell took a few breaths to calm himself, then opened his mouth.

“Still, you shouldn’t mess with someone else’s ‘precious thing’!”

He said, patting his crotch.

“Besides, that drug could also impair its original function.”

Ah, that’s something I can’t tolerate.

I glared at Moya without realizing it.

He had a look that said he would never forgive her if that were the case.

“Why don’t you ask Bellos?”

I asked, patting his back.

“I don’t feel like consulting my wife’s friend about this.”

Even as he said that, he quickly changed his clothes.

“Shall I come with you?”

“You stay here. I only need the culprit.”

Linell grabbed Moya’s wrists with one hand as if he was escorting a criminal and went out to meet Bellos.

“I wonder what Magician Tower will say, Moni~?”

Moni also followed and left the room.

I was curious too, but it would be a bit of an embarrassing question, so I decided to stay in the room.

***

Meanwhile, in Rosie’s room.

“There was no need to kick them out…”

Prince Norton worried about Moya and Moni, who had been kicked out by Rosie without any tact.

“Your Highness, please return to your room.”

“Am I being kicked out too? I feel a little wronged.”

“Why do you want to stay here? It’s late at night.”

*Not* that we’re going to share love.

Rosie said irritably, organizing several books on the table.

“My love is deep too.”

Prince Norton said in a plain tone.

But those words were as sweet as honey.

Rosie looked at Prince Norton with sweetened eyes.

“I could just look at you all night.”

‘Ugh. Figures.’

Rosie’s mouth turned bitter at Prince Norton’s adolescent girl-like answer.

The neatly stacked books were piled up crookedly again.

The books were more crooked than before they were organized.

Just like Rosie’s heart.

“You have no tact, no tact! Are you doing it on purpose? Or do you really not know? Everything. Not knowing is also a sin!”

Rosie muttered, dropping the books one by one back onto the floor.

“…Are you saying that for me to hear?”

“Nooo~? I was talking to Moya? Why, does it prick your conscience?”

Rosie said, inhaling.

Prince Norton found Rosie, who was sucking in her lower abdomen, unbearably lovely.

“That’s cheating, doing this.”

Prince Norton said to her with a smile.

“Yes?”

“I wanted to be respectful until the wedding… Well, if that’s the case, I shouldn’t have kissed you either.”

“Are you saying you regret kissing me?”

Rosie raised her eyebrows and stood up from her chair.

“That’s not what I mean. I thought I should be patient while Rosie is living as a concubine. I thought that was the least I could do to show respect to His Majesty, who allowed our relationship.”

After listening, Rosie’s expression, which had been full of anger, gradually softened as it wasn’t wrong.

“I think I’m sleepy. Please go back now.”

Rosie said in a calmer voice and turned towards the bed.

But Prince Norton grabbed Rosie’s waist.

The speed at which he turned her around was quite powerful.

“Mama. No, Rosie.”

“Oh my, why are you doing this? It doesn’t suit you?”

She said that, but Rosie inwardly hoped that he would continue to do things that didn’t suit him.

Rosie’s heart was turning over smoothly, like turning the pages of her favorite book.

“Come to think of it, the person I’m going to live with is not His Majesty, but Rosie. It’s you.”

Prince Norton had already had Rams [sexual relations] with Princess Resilia.

The relationship, which was not officially recognized, did not end well.

Of course, the end was not good because of the selfish and greedy Princess Resilia, but there was a problem with him as well.

He opened his heart and made a rash choice simply because she looked similar to his mother.

Of course, Rosie was incomparable to Princess Resilia.

That’s why he wanted to protect Rosie until they officially became husband and wife.

Since he had failed once before, Prince Norton was very cautious because he thought she might think of him as a rash person if he approached her rashly.

There was no more grumbling from Rosie, and Prince Norton had already started undressing himself.

Rosie’s eyes widened and she brought her hands behind her back.

“Then I’ll take off my dress too…!”

“Rosie, lock the door first. As you can see, I have something to do.”

Prince Norton said, throwing his uniform jacket onto the chair.

Rosie quickly locked the room door and approached Prince Norton again, and he asked seriously.

“But the first night on the ship. Are you really okay with it?”

“Yes, if everything is new on the first night of the wedding, I’ll be too nervous. I want to do better then. Um… and I learn everything quickly.”

“Rosie, this is not like studying or taking an exam.”

“It’s an area where I need to learn. Tell me a lot. Your Highness has a lot of experience.”

“…”

Prince Norton’s face hardened immediately.

Rosie thought she had made a mistake, but the apology came from Prince Norton’s mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“That you’re not my first.”

“It’s enough if you’re my last love.”

“I promise you that.”

Prince Norton held out his little finger to her, and she smiled and hooked her little finger with his.

They walked to the bed with their little fingers hooked together.

“I’ll turn off the lights first.”

It was a consideration for Rosie, who must be nervous.

As Prince Norton reached for the light, Rosie grabbed his hand and said.

“Don’t turn it off!”

Was this her taste? No, she shouldn’t have a taste since she has no experience?

“Why?”

Prince Norton asked in a puzzled tone.

“I can concentrate better if I read a book with one light on.”

“Yes?”

“Because I need to learn. I can review it right away today, right?”

“…Review?”

“Yes, I have to review it right away that day so I don’t forget.”

Rosie, who is always academic, was no exception even when sharing love.

***

“I don’t feel anything.”

And there’s a baby inside this?

Melanie, who was hugged by Hector and returned to the room, looked down at her bandaged stomach with an incredulous expression.

“The Magician Tower said so. It’s so small that even a doctor can’t diagnose it. It’s still this small.”

Hector said, pointing to half of Melanie’s little fingernail.

Since leaving Bellos’s room, the smile had not left Hector’s face.

“Are you that happy?”

Melanie also asked with a happy face.

“Of course.”

“I’m going to raise our child to be smart.”

Melanie said as if making a promise.

“If he looks like me, he’ll be smart.”

Melanie immediately scoffed at Hector’s confident answer.

“Aren’t you not very good at studying either?”

“Why do you have such a prejudice? Is it because I’m a pirate?”

“You’re good at physical things, but your brain is similar to mine when it comes to studying?”

Hector opened his mouth with a wounded expression at Melanie’s words.

“Melanie. It’s hard to believe, but I like books.”

“…Puhaha!”

Melanie laughed, spitting.

The stomach that had been stabbed by the sword throbbed, but she couldn’t stop laughing.

“It’s a relief that you know how to read.”

Melanie said, erasing her laughter.

“That’s absurd. If you don’t believe me, ask Palto later.”

Hector scoffed and retorted.

Then, with an expression that he had thought of something, he put his hand into his uniform pocket, and suddenly his face turned pale.

“That’s strange, where did it go?”

“What’s wrong? Did you lose something?”

“Oh? Oh, the notebook…”

“You carry a notebook too?”

Melanie was surprised as if it was unexpected.

“I think I dropped it in that food storage room earlier. I’ll be right back.”

“I’m a little scared to be alone?”

“Palto will be guarding outside. Don’t worry.”

“Then tell him to come inside. I’m bored.”

“Okay.”

Hector hurriedly left the room and sent Palto inside, then rushed to the food storage room.

Melanie looked at Palto, who had entered the room, and asked.

“He said he’s going to find a notebook, is it very important?”

“Gasp, you lost your notebook? Ah, someone shouldn’t see that…”

Palto was also startled, so it was clear that it was an important notebook.

“Why? Is it like a list of people to kill? What’s written in the notebook?”

Melanie asked persistently.

Palto opened and closed his mouth several times.

“What is it? But Hector can write too, right?”

“Mama! Our King enjoys reading. Why are you doing this?”

Palto blurted out as if he had been insulted.

“Was it real? He really likes books?”

Melanie burst out laughing again.

It was the most shocking and funniest thing this year.

“What kind of books?”

“It’s a little difficult to say.”

“Tch, so it’s a lie?”

“Ah, no. He really likes books!”

“Even if he reads them, they’ll be swordsmanship or military strategy books.”

Even so, a book is a book.

Besides Rosie, there’s another person around who likes books. And that’s Hector.

It couldn’t be anything but amazing.

“It’s not that kind of book.”

“Then what kind of books do you like?”

“Please keep the secret!”

Palto said with a determined look.

I wondered why he was making such a serious face while talking about book genres, but Melanie nodded for now.

“He enjoys reading romance novels.”

“Roman… what?”

When Melanie asked back with a snort, Palto became angry and blurted out Hector’s secret hobby.

“Do you think that’s all? Our King even writes novels himself!”

“W-What are you talking about?”

Melanie doubted her ears.

He looks like he doesn’t even know how to write, but what?

“Hector writes something with his shield-like hands? A novel?!”

“Yes… Anyway, please keep the secret. Actually, he’s still at the aspiring level. But his passion is already that of a writer.”

Palto repeatedly urged her.

“Baby, did you hear that? Your father dreams of becoming a romance writer…”

Melanie, who had been spaced out, said in a whisper as she looked down at her stomach.

“Isn’t it too romantic?”

A smile spread across her lips.