The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 105

105. Opportunity for Revenge

2022.01.05.

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Haa, don’t stare at me like that… Get up. I said get up! Hurry.”

“Since we’re already here, why don’t you just put your legs in quickly? Go on.”

I kept kneeling on one knee, tapping his bare leg with my hand as I spoke. Then, this time, he reluctantly put his legs into his pants, one by one.

“Wait! I’ll pull them up. I have to do it!”

Oh, goodness. Rinell grabbed my hands, which were pulling up his pants to mid-thigh, and suddenly raised his voice.

“Would you like to?”

I obediently took my hands off the pants and stepped back.

“Zelda, what are you trying to do, staring so blatantly at the zipper? Are we going to the training grounds or not?”

“Ah… Did my gaze seem like that?”

I was wondering if I would have a chance to ask Prince Norton about Rams at the training grounds, or if not, when would be a good time to meet separately to discuss it. I wasn’t even aware that I was looking at his ‘important parts’. I was just thinking while looking at that area… I reflected inwardly, and as my head lowered, I met his eyes. This time, it was a conscious gaze, so there was no room for excuses. So, I have nothing to feel wronged about.

“Yes, you had such an exciting look, just like now.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I was just spacing out for a moment.”

So, earlier.

“It wasn’t… that thought?”

“Yes, it wasn’t that thought. Let’s go quickly, before everyone leaves.”

Judging from the way he twisted his lips, he didn’t believe me at all, but I didn’t care and grabbed his hand, walking towards the bedroom door. He obediently followed me, led by my hand, but then stopped abruptly.

“Why?”

“Keep your promise. You know what happens when I get back, right?”

Rinell pointed to the bathroom door with his finger, asking as if to confirm.

“Of course.”

I answered immediately. I was already prepared. ***

“Should I have told her in advance? I only wanted to see the cat for a moment.”

Melanie went to Rosie’s residence to see Ao, but was turned away at the bedroom door and had to turn back to her own palace.

“That little kitten is quite cute, though.”

Hedon, Melanie’s attendant, said, recalling Ao, whom she had seen the day Melanie and Rosie went on a picnic by the lake.

“I don’t know if it’s cute, but it seems fun to play with.”

“In what way?”

“There’s quite a bit of rebelliousness in its eyes.”

Melanie, who had no idea that Moiya had Doppelganger-ed [shapeshifted] into Ao, laughed as she recalled Ao, who had given her a flurry of soft paw strikes whenever Rosie said something to her on the day of the picnic.

“Really? I just thought it looked cute.”

“Besides, that little thing seemed to admire me.”

“The cat…?”

Hedon asked with a look that said, ‘No way,’ but Melanie’s mind was firm.

“It’s a cat, but it has an eye for people. It was like it liked me or something.”

“Ah, yes….”

It was the duty of an attendant to unconditionally obey the words of the master they served, but Hedon was sometimes afraid of who might hear when Melanie said things like this, sounding like a 6-year-old child.

“Should I go back now and just ask to borrow the cat?”

Melanie, who was reluctant to just return to her residence, kept looking back at Rosie’s palace. Hedon grabbed her arm and stopped her.

“Rosie is said to have a cold, so it would be better to come back in a few days.”

“Okay, I’ll let it go! But she looked perfectly fine at the banquet, why suddenly a cold?”

Melanie gave up on Ao and turned back, speaking in a puzzled tone.

“Isn’t it because she only reads books and her stamina is weak?”

“True. Seeing her dance, it was obvious that she really didn’t go to parties.”

“Why? What was Rosie’s dance like?”

“She was flapping her arms like a bird, and her feet were stepping back and forth. Something like this?”

Melanie imitated Rosie’s dance, or rather, the dance that a wyvern [a dragon-like creature with two legs] does when courting, quite similarly.

“Ptooey… Hahaha!”

Hedon tried to hold back her laughter, but eventually burst out laughing.

“Madam, you can’t do this here.”

She couldn’t stop laughing, but she had to stop her master’s bizarre dance imitation. If someone passing by the West Palace garden saw Melanie’s dance, the honor of her family would be damaged. Melanie stopped dancing as Hedon desperately tried to stop her, looking around the garden.

“Why? Rosie was dancing so well at the banquet.”

“Wasn’t she very drunk?”

“I don’t know. But she looked very happy on the outside. I was going to go and dance with her, but it seemed like she was working on something, so I didn’t want to disturb her.”

Melanie smiled meaningfully.

“Working on what?”

“Seducing.”

“Who? Don’t tell me she was dancing that dance for His Majesty?”

Hedon covered her face with both hands and sighed.

“Not His Majesty.”

“Then who?”

Melanie whispered in Hedon’s ear.

“There’s someone Rosie has a crush on.”

“How does Madam know that?”

“I have a keen sense. I noticed it right away at the lake.”

The only man at the lake was Prince Norton.

“Shh. Be quiet, Hedon. You shouldn’t reveal other people’s secrets so carelessly.”

Hedon nodded, keeping her mouth shut, and looked at her master, who had just revealed a secret herself.

“Oh, Madam. Look over there.”

Hedon pointed somewhere with her finger.

“It’s Catherine, isn’t it?”

Melanie frowned.

“It looks like she’s out for a night stroll?”

“Hmph, the night must be long. His Majesty doesn’t even step near Catherine’s residence. Unlike me, who has even visited her bedroom directly.”

“Yes, although the Empress also visited together….”

Hedon said to herself.

“Catherine must be lonely. And she doesn’t have any friends in the palace like I do.”

Melanie crossed her arms in front of her, feeling proud. It seemed she thought of Rosie as a friend. Hedon had something to say about this too, but she remained silent.

“Oh, right, I had some news to tell Catherine!”

Melanie, as if remembering something she had forgotten, lifted the hem of her dress and quickly walked towards where Catherine was.

“Gasp. Madam, Madam? I don’t think you should say that…!”

Hedon realized what Melanie was about to say to Catherine and hurriedly chased after her to stop her. *** Rinell and I arrived at the training grounds on horseback.

“Why is it so quiet? Did they already have a round [sparring match]?”

He helped me off the horse and looked at the training grounds building. The inside of the training grounds was brightly lit, but as he said, no sound could be heard from inside.

“I don’t know, judging by the lights, it seems like they haven’t started the match yet?”

“Maybe.”

We went straight inside.

“It seems like they’ve already left?”

The training grounds were empty.

“Judging by the fact that there are no empty spaces on the weapon racks, it doesn’t seem like they’ve gone anywhere else… Maybe no one has arrived yet.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Rinell and I slowly looked around the training grounds.

“Huh? Did you hear that just now?”

“What?”

“I thought I heard laughter….”

No sooner had I finished speaking than I heard a faint laughter again from somewhere.

“You hear it now, right?”

“Ah… It seems they’re there.”

Rinell chuckled and muttered quietly.

“Where?”

“The place where we were interrupted by Macrom while we were making love and got kicked out.”

“Are you saying the two of them are… in the storage room?”

As he nodded, the laughter of the two men was heard again. As Rinell said, the sound seemed to be coming from the storage room. Why did Prince Norton and Commander Macrom go into the storage room? Rinell was already suspiciously thinking about the two of them, and now a situation that was perfect for misunderstanding was unfolding. Whenever I come to the training grounds, something always seems to go strangely awry.

“Zelda, the opportunity has finally come.”

He said in a solemn voice.

“What opportunity all of a sudden?”

“The opportunity to get revenge!”

“…….”

Rinell began to stride towards the storage room.

I quietly followed him and asked.

“Why are the two of them in the storage room… laughing?”

“Zelda, why did we go into the storage room back then? Why are you asking the obvious?”

He said seriously. Even though I knew it was ridiculous, the situation was strangely fitting, so even I started to have strange thoughts.

“Rosie is pitiful.”

Rinell clicked his tongue.

“To have a crush and confess to a man who is secretly laughing with another woman… no, another man, in the storage room. Ah, maybe they’re lying down and laughing.”

“…I told you, it might be a misunderstanding?”

It was a very slim possibility, but just in case, I grabbed his arm.

“I think it would be better to just go today.”

“We came all the way here, and you’re saying we should just go?”

“Don’t you think we should?”

“No, I don’t.”

He was firm.

“Those two must also have a decisive timing. Just like when we were interrupted by Macrom back then.”

Seeing him with a triumphant smile, I sighed. On the one hand, I was also curious. Why would two strong men go into a narrow, dark storage room, leaving this wide training ground behind? Half worried and half curious, I reluctantly let him lead me by the hand to the front of the storage room door. But I immediately wanted to turn back when I heard the conversation of the two men leaking out of the storage room.

“Norton, you’re really strong. Haa, I can’t handle it.”

“Commander Macrom’s alcohol tolerance is also not ordinary. I think I’ll have to drink a bit tonight….”

The two of them seemed to be drinking alcohol in the storage room. But the strange thing was that Norton, the prince, was speaking informally to Commander Macrom, and the commander was speaking formally to Norton. In terms of status, the two of them were not in a relationship where this kind of conversation was possible. No, if they were lovers, this kind of conversation would be possible, wouldn’t it? I looked up at Rinell with my mouth open. Rinell’s expression was already stiff. He had made a big noise about getting revenge on Commander Macrom, but after eavesdropping on the two men’s conversation, he seemed very embarrassed.

“Let’s just go.”

As I said with my mouth, he hesitated and was about to turn around, but

“The storage room is also quite cozy and atmospheric.”

Prince Norton’s voice was heard again.

“Really? So that’s why our Majesty also used it…?”

As Commander Macrom laughed and mentioned Rinell, Prince Norton immediately asked back with a curious voice.

“Does His Majesty also frequent this storage room?”

“I don’t know if he frequents it, but I saw him here a while ago.”

“I see, but what was His Majesty doing here alone? Hahaha.”

In response to Prince Norton’s question, Commander Macrom lowered his voice.

“Alone? He was with the Empress.”

“Yes? No, why were the two of them in a place like this? Hahaha.”

“Why else? It’s all thanks to our Majesty’s overflowing passion, regardless of the place, and the Empress had no choice but to match him….”

As Commander Macrom continued to ramble about Rinell, he suddenly flung open the storage room door.