The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 110

110. Because of the Cold Body

2022.01.22.

My breath caught in my throat. Rosie, seeing my surprised face, quickly added,

“Your Majesty, you came to the ‘Dignified Night’ clinic the day before the royal wedding, didn’t you?”

“!”

“Actually, I… worked in the clinic’s manufacturing room.”

“What? How could you, a lady of the Earl’s family?”

“Of course, I went without my father’s knowledge. Magician Big was friends with my mother, so he took me in.”

Ah, her mother was also a healing mage, so she must have known Magician Big.

“But I only took off my veil inside the examination room. How did you see my burn scars?”

“Inside the manufacturing room, there’s a separate space just for making medicine, and there’s a door connecting it to the examination room. There’s a small window in the door. Through that window…”

“Wait, are you saying you’re the one who made the magic potion I received!”

“Yes, I am. I received all the ingredients and methods from Big, though.”

If that’s true, could Rosie make a magic potion for me? I calmed my excited heart and spoke to Rosie with a hopeful heart.

“I only have one magic potion left. If you have the ingredients, could you possibly…”

“Of course, Your Majesty! I can make it if I have the herbs that go into the potion.”

Rosie answered confidently before I could even finish speaking. My heart raced. Without realizing it, I grabbed Rosie’s hand. Rosie smiled shyly and then suddenly spoke with a look of realization.

“But, after I made the magic potion… Big said he received one more request from the client and added a medicine to the potion? He didn’t tell me what it was, so I don’t know what he put in at the end.”

“Did you have any medicine related to contraception when you made the potion?”

“No. There was nothing like that. Why? Was the last thing Big put in a contraceptive?!”

“Well, I’m not sure, but it seems like it.”

If Magician Big added something at the request of Prince Tesler, it was likely a contraceptive. I quickly asked Rosie again, who looked bewildered by the talk of contraceptives.

“Do you remember what herbs went into the magic potion I take?”

“Of course. But I heard that the most important herb among the ingredients is in the Southern Continent.”

“The Southern Continent? Where in the Southern Continent?”

“The Cocoa Forest near the Tebello Imperial Palace.”

“Ah…”

The Tebello Empire is Emperor Adrian’s country. Of all places. Why is the key herb for the magic potion in the land of the silverfish [a derogatory term for Emperor Adrian]? And near the Tebello Imperial Palace.

“Oh, and Big also said that there’s an herb that can completely cure burn scars!”

“…Really? Did he really say that?”

I raised my voice, then glanced at the bedroom door and lowered my voice again, conscious of the servants outside.

“Yes, I heard it clearly.”

Rosie nodded repeatedly and replied. I couldn’t calm my excitement at the fact that there was an herb that could completely remove burn scars.

“Is that herb also in the Tebello Empire?”

Bonis, who had seen my burn scars since I was a child, asked Rosie with a face as excited as mine. Sharon, who didn’t know about my burn scars, looked quite shocked and bewildered, but was also happy to hear that there was an herb to cure it completely.

“The herb used for the cure… he said it grows in another region. He didn’t tell me where, and he might not have known himself.”

“Ah, I see…”

I felt deflated after being so full of expectations.

“Until we find out where the cure is, you’ll have to keep taking the magic potion, but the key herb is in the land of the silverfish…”

Bonis sighed deeply, and Sharon also murmured quietly with a worried look.

“I know, of all the countries, it’s only in the land of the silverfish.”

“Silverfish?”

Rosie tilted her head and asked after listening to Bonis and Sharon. I roughly told Rosie why we call Emperor Adrian a silverfish.

“Is it a very greasy and strange hairtail [another term for a silverfish]?”

Rosie asked seriously.

“I think so. Okay, everyone, come here.”

I called the three of them in front of me. I finally revealed to Rosie, Bonis, and Sharon that Emperor Adrian knew about the existence of the wyvern [a dragon-like creature]. And that I could hear the silverfish’s thoughts.

“The silverfish said that he can hear my thoughts because I understand the language of the wyvern.”

For a while, everyone looked like they couldn’t believe my words, but after glancing at Moiya once, their expressions changed back to acceptance.

“There’s a wyvern that hatched after 300 years, so there could be a human who conveys their thoughts in the wyvern language.”

Rosie was the first to accept my words.

“If Your Majesty is the Lord of the Wyvern, then you would naturally understand the Wyvern language.”

“But how does Emperor Adrian know the Wyvern language?”

All three of them looked troubled by my question.

“And no matter how I think about it, I can’t believe that I understand the Wyvern language.”

But then, I heard Moiya’s thoughts as she went under the bed.

-’Now I need to pack a few sausages and a blanket to sleep under and get ready to move, Moiya~.’

…Haa, Emperor Adrian is right.

“I’ll put my head together with Prince Norton to see if there’s more information about herbs in the wyvern-related books.”

“Huh? With Prince Norton?”

“Ah, the ancient books are written in the ancient language of the Partsha Empire. It turns out the Prince knows the ancient language. I’ll squeeze his head and extract the juice to find more information!”

Rosie said with a smile.

“Would you do that for me?”

“Of course, it’s a clear deal. In exchange for taking care of Rams, he agreed to interpret the contents of the ancient books.”

“Thank you, Rosie.”

I hugged her and said. Rosie quickly shook her head.

“No, Your Majesty. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. And I will actively help with anything I can!”

Rosie picked up the ancient book she had placed next to her and said with determination. Then even Sharon, who had been quietly standing by, raised her hand.

“I’ll do anything too.”

Bonis said leisurely as if it were obvious.

“I can’t be left out.”

“Thank you all so much. Just hearing your words makes me feel so secure.”

I put my hands together with the three of them and expressed my gratitude. I was choked up, but instead of shedding tears, I smiled even brighter. A moment later, Moiya came out from under the bed with a small bundle hanging from a stick on her shoulder.

“Moiya, what are you doing now?”

Rosie frowned and asked Moiya with ventriloquism.

“Now that I’ve been caught, I’m going to be next to Master from today…”

Moiya said with a bright smile. But when I tilted my head and looked at her questioningly, Moiya mumbled the end of her sentence.

“No. You’re going to stay here with Rosie.”

I said firmly. Then Moiya’s red eyes welled up and she asked in a tearful voice.

“Why… oh?”

“I need time to sort out my thoughts and accept this situation. Above all, I can’t because I’m not living alone. So you stay with Rosie.”

-’It’s all because of that cold-bodied human!’

I heard Moiya’s angry thoughts.

Well? The cold body must be referring to Linelle?

-’I was barely caught, and I can’t even be with Master… Should I burn that cold-bodied human to ashes! Hmph, it’s annoying, Moiya~.’

How dare she think of pushing Linelle away from me. I glared at Moiya, who was trembling, and scoffed.

I left Rosie’s palace and headed to the Empress Palace for the first time in a while. After seeing Moiya, my body heated up, and the burn scar on my right cheek kept burning. I thought I should watch the situation a little more, and if the heat persisted, I would have to take the last magic potion. When I arrived at the Empress Palace, I went into the bedroom alone and stood in front of the mirror.

“I’m the Lord who moves the wyvern…”

I still couldn’t believe it. What power do I have? I’m just a little more resistant to fire than ordinary people?

‘That’s it.’

The Incarnation within me suddenly spoke.

‘It’s because of that ability that arose after the fever you suffered for a while after the red reagent was poured on your face. It’s still a faint power, though.’

I knew that too. I knew that if I overcame the fever, I would gain some ability. Logan, the court magician and Bonis’s father, had told me the same thing. But Logan didn’t mention the wyvern at all?

“Then what are you? What is your existence?”

I looked into the mirror and asked the Incarnation.

‘I am, so to speak, a god. An Incarnation who controls fire.’

“Then are you controlling the wyvern?”

‘That’s not it.’

“…Then how did you get inside me? You’ve never told me. Can’t you tell me now?”

‘That red reagent that Princess Resilia poured on your right face. That’s what summoned me.’

“What does that mean? Explain it so I can understand.”

I raised my hand and touched the burn scar on my right face.

‘Originally, there was a body I lived in besides you. The body of a great magician. But I don’t know why, one day I left that body and wandered around a bit.’

“How long? Where?”

‘For about 250 years?’

“What? Years?!”

‘And I just wandered around here and there without a physical form. But suddenly your body called me. I think that red reagent was a magic potion that summoned me.’

The Incarnation’s guess must be correct. The red reagent was in Logan’s, the court magician’s, laboratory. So was Logan researching a magic potion to summon the Incarnation?

“Could it be that Logan made that red reagent to give to the magician you were staying with?”

‘Maybe.’

“No, you said it’s been 250 years since you left that person’s body.”

I shook my head and said, and the Incarnation burst out laughing.

‘No. The magician’s time must have stopped since I left that body. Was he 20 years old then? Or 21 years old?’

“So, that magician has been living as a young man in his early twenties for 250 years?”

‘Yeah.’

If the Incarnation leaves my body, won’t I have to live in this state without dying? I asked the Incarnation what I was thinking, but he said he didn’t know either. Then who should I ask?

‘The body I was originally in is the body of a great magician, so maybe it’s only him. Anyway, I don’t parasitize in the body of a weak human.’

“Then go back to the magician’s body you were originally in.”

‘I need your help to do that.’

“What do I have to help with?”

‘It’s not difficult, and the time when your ability will be used will come soon.’

Do I have an ability? I asked myself and smiled bitterly. The Incarnation read my thoughts and continued.

‘That’s your destiny. You are like a button that makes me, the Incarnation, or the wyvern move.’

“Are you saying that you move at my command?”

‘That’s right. Absurdly.’

Even while I was talking to the Incarnation, the heat in my body kept rising and falling. Should I really take the last remaining magic potion?

‘Anyway, your power will be revealed soon.’

“When… is that?”

‘It’s getting closer. No, it may have already come…?’

The Incarnation suddenly burst out laughing. I turned around with a strange feeling as if he was looking at something and laughing, but there was no one in the bedroom.

“Okay. That’s that, but why do you exist? I don’t think you just have the ability to control fire?”

‘That’s right, if you have me, you can become the owner of the sword.’

“A sword? What sword?”

‘The Incarnation Sword.’

“…What is that?”

‘It’s just as it sounds. If you, who have the power of fire, get the Incarnation Sword, you will gain tremendous power.’

In response to the Incarnation’s words, red light appeared and disappeared on both of my palms. This was also an occasional phenomenon.

“Can’t other people wield the Incarnation Sword?”

‘They can wield it, but it will only be used as a function of a normal sword.’

The Incarnation chuckled in a playful voice.

“Then where is the Incarnation Sword now? No, who has it?”

‘The owner of the body I was originally in.’

The Incarnation said in a very natural tone.

“Where is that owner again? Haa, I’m so confused…”

‘Don’t worry. You’ll meet him soon.’

The Incarnation’s words were not comforting at all. Because I don’t want to meet that magician.

“Hmm, that’s strange.”

Even as time passed, the heat in my body showed no signs of subsiding. An uneasy feeling crept in. What if other people see the red light appearing and disappearing on the burn area? I finally opened the bottom drawer of the dressing table and took out the magic potion pouch that I had put deep inside. When I opened the cork stopper of the potion bottle, Linelle’s words from last night suddenly came to mind.

‘Zelda, I think I would be happy if I had a daughter who resembled you.’

I held the potion bottle and looked down at it quietly. Apart from the fact that this contains a contraceptive, I instinctively didn’t feel like drinking this last magic potion. An inexplicable sense of rejection enveloped my body. I closed the cork stopper of the magic potion bottle and put it back deep in the drawer.

“He must have gone to the clinic by now…”

I thought it wouldn’t be too late to meet Grand Duke Martins and hear what he had to say before taking it. Knock knock knock-. I closed the drawer and got up from the dressing table when the door opened with a knock.

“You didn’t get tired of me and come here, did you?”

It was Linelle.

“How did you know I was here?”

“’Find out where the Empress is now!’ With just those words, a report comes up within 10 minutes at the latest.”

He whispered that it would be the same even if I was somewhere in the Empire, not in the Rafion Imperial Palace, and placed his hands on my waist.

“Whether you are in my arms like this or somewhere else, you cannot get away from me.”

Linelle smiled as if threatening me, then tilted his head for a moment and took my lips into his. Between the lips that stuck together thickly and fell apart, he asked.

“How is it, terrible?”