The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 121

121. You Were Touching (121/347)

2022.03.02.

Strangely enough, the fireflies gathered around the owl, as if to illuminate it for me.

“Where did you get hurt? Who did this to you?”

Caw, caw! At my words, a crow cried out from the tree. The owl turned its head to look up at the tree. Was it the crow’s doing?

“Are you down here because you can’t climb up the tree with your injury?”

Owls aren’t usually gentle animals, but this one seemed so docile that I didn’t hesitate to approach it.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing? What if it bites you!”

Melanie fussed, following closely behind me, looking utterly disgusted.

“Oh dear, the fabric of my uniform sleeves isn’t suitable for applying direct pressure to stop bleeding…”

I was examining the owl’s injured leg when I turned around at Melanie’s whining.

“Hedon, I’ll have to throw this dress away. It’s covered in dirt and too dirty.”

Her dress sleeves looked thin and light.

“Melanie, is that dress expensive?”

“What does it matter if it’s expensive? It’s dirty, so I’m just going to throw it away.”

“Really? Then can I tear off a sleeve to use?”

“……Pardon?”

Melanie asked with a blank expression.

“Last time I saw you, a dress with one sleeve missing looked really good on you. It would be pretty if you redesigned it like that.”

“Your Majesty, now that you mention it, there’s no style I can’t pull off.”

“Yeah, it seems like it. So, let’s tear off a sleeve to use.”

I grabbed her wrist.

“Oh my! Are you going to use my dress fabric for that crazy bird?!”

Melanie pointed at the owl, then grabbed the back of her neck.

“You said you were going to throw it away anyway.”

I gave her attendant a pleading look.

“Hedon, help me out.”

“Yes? Ah, yes… Your Majesty.”

Hedon hesitated for a moment, then subtly held her arms from behind. I took the opportunity to tear off about 5cm [approximately 2 inches] of the end of Melanie’s dress sleeve.

“If it’s precious, send me the bill. I’ll buy you the same one.”

I tore the ripped sleeve in half again as I spoke.

“Hmph, do you think I don’t have money? Never mind.”

Melanie grumbled, but for the first time, I found her endearing.

“Owl, I’m going to tie this around your injured leg. That way, the wound won’t open, and the bleeding will stop. I’m not trying to hurt you, so don’t be scared, okay?”

I slowly approached the owl, reassuring it. Thankfully, as if it understood me, the owl obediently lifted its injured foot.

“It’s so gentle. I want to keep it.”

I smiled as I tied the cloth around its injured leg, finding the owl, which was staring at me with wide eyes, adorable. Suddenly, the owl started turning its head 360 degrees. I couldn’t tell if it was a sign of gratitude or anger, but it didn’t seem upset since it wasn’t attacking me.

“Ugh, you owl! Hey, stop turning your neck like that. You’re scaring me to death. Why don’t you just take your head off and put it back on?”

Melanie wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering. I couldn’t help but laugh at her ridiculous words. I even imagined the owl taking its head off and putting it back on, just like Melanie said.

“Get well soon. Let’s go now.”

I made eye contact with the owl, said goodbye, and stood up.

“You should be honored.”

Melanie dusted off her torn sleeve and glared at the owl, then suddenly waved her hand. She really is an unpredictable person.

“I need to hurry.”

I took out my pocket watch to check the time and quickened my pace.

“Your Majesty, you can leave me behind and go first.”

“What?”

“I don’t have anyone waiting for me anyway, right? So, I’ll go slowly.”

Melanie kicked a small stone with her toe, her voice subdued.

“You want to do that, then?”

“……Yes? No, that’s not what I meant……”

Perhaps it wasn’t what she expected; Melanie stammered, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

“Well, I guess you don’t have time to linger since the Emperor himself is waiting for you.”

“I appreciate you understanding.”

“…….”

“The air is nice, so come slowly. I’m off, then!”

I started sprinting through the cypress forest. I could hear Melanie and Hedon’s exclamations from behind.

“My goodness, Your Majesty is incredibly fast.”

“……Was she a horse in her past life? Sniff. Hedon, let’s take our time.”

***

Velos flew to the cypress tree directly behind after Zelda disappeared. He presented his injured foot to the crow, who had already settled on a branch.

“Kkami, look at this. My partner tied it for me personally. You saw it earlier, didn’t you?”

Caw, caw-!

“I’m touched. Really…….”

Velos teared up. The crow moved its head from side to side. Wasn’t its master’s leg injury caused by an arrow shot by Empress Zelda, who had chased him relentlessly? When he had transformed into a deer in the afternoon? Was the one who had been shot forgetting that fact? It was questionable, but then again, it wasn’t.

“Although my partner wounded me, look at this. She showed responsibility by taking care of it.”

The crow casually nodded at its master’s words, who was personally experiencing ‘giving medicine after causing the illness.’ In fact, Velos’s leg wound would heal completely by the end of the day. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to treat it, nor that he didn’t have time. The wound was healing on its own with healing magic, so he didn’t bother applying medicine or bandages. However, it wasn’t entirely painless, so he had found and eaten herbs in the forest that were good for pain relief.

“In all my long years, you’re the first person to pity me and help me. Sniffle.”

It had always been like that. People always wanted something from Velos and only made requests, but no one had ever taken care of him. Velos hugged the crow and sobbed.

“I’m really touched.”

The wild animals stared strangely at the owl crying in the crow’s arms. Velos lowered his gaze, looked at the cloth Zelda had tied around his leg, and spoke as if making a resolution.

“It’s time to visit in my true form.”

Caw, caw-! The crow greatly welcomed Velos’s words. It spread one wing and patted its master’s back, who was in the form of an owl, as if to encourage him.

***

Conference Hall.

“The Imperial Knights will escort the dignitaries at close range, but we also need knights to protect the entire group from a distance, both in front and behind… I was wondering if your knights could fulfill that role?”

Linelle looked at each of the ministers from the concubine families. They were all reluctant to the Emperor’s words. They couldn’t say it outright, but they were all thinking the same thing. ‘Your Majesty doesn’t even treat the concubines like concubines, so why are you asking for help from the concubine families?’

“I think Duke Carios, who has the most private soldiers, should provide half of the knights to supplement.”

Linelle casually asked Catherine’s father, Duke Carios.

“Half is too much, Your Majesty.”

“Why? Ah, the Imperial Family will cover the expenses for your knights.”

“It’s not a matter of expenses.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Linelle raised one eyebrow and leaned towards Duke Carios.

“If too many knights are missing at once, the security of the Duke’s estate will become lax…….”

“Duke.”

He leaned back in his chair again and raised one hand, interrupting Duke Carios’s words.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you think I’m asking you to supplement knights because the Imperial Family lacks knights?”

Duke Carios flinched. The Emperor’s monotonous tone created a sense of tension.

“I know the Carios Dukedom is of great scale, but this is the Imperial Palace. Even during the Continental Hunting Competition, the majority of the Imperial Knights must protect the Imperial Palace. Does that duty seem less important than your knights protecting the Dukedom?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant.”

“If that’s not what you meant, then there’s no problem.”

“Yes…… I will have them prepared.”

Duke Carios seemed to back down, then subtly added.

“Your Majesty. I apologize for being presumptuous, but I hope you would pay a little more attention to the concubines.”

“The Empress is already taking good care of them.”

Linelle nodded and replied.

“!”

At this, the ministers all tilted their heads in unison. They were bewildered, unsure whether the Emperor was saying this because he didn’t understand Carios’s words or whether he was deliberately teasing him.

“Ah, Marquis Astoto. Didn’t you say you had something to say earlier?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I have a matter to report.”

Marquis Astoto, Pesilini’s father, who led the largest trading company in the Lapion Empire and traded with various countries, cautiously opened his mouth.

“It’s not certain, but I heard from my subordinate who returned from trading with the Aclato Duchy last month…….”

“Speak.”

“The head of the trading company there said something strange.”

“What strange thing?”

Linelle focused on the story, seeing Marquis Astoto’s unusual expression.

“You may know of a place called ‘Tanya,’ located further south than the Southern Continent. It’s an island like the Aclato Duchy.”

“Isn’t that the land of pirates?”

“Yes, they are barbarians who live by piracy.”

“Why them.”

“The information is that they are targeting the Aclato Duchy.”

“What? Why?”

Linelle showed curiosity.

“Tanya Island is said to be sinking. Isn’t it possible that they are targeting the easiest place for a new home?”

“To call it easy, Aclato Island is also a place where wyverns live.”

Linelle’s eyes narrowed. If the pirates of Tanya were targeting the wyverns…… The expressions of the ministers, who had initially listened without much interest, gradually became serious. Marquis Astoto cautiously continued, watching the ministers’ reactions.

“If they take over the Aclato Duchy and even seize the wyverns…….”

“Then they will target the continent.”

Linelle muttered softly.

“Your Majesty, this is still unconfirmed.”

Duke Carios and some of the ministers dismissed Marquis Astoto’s words as gossip and laughed.

“That’s right. I also thought that the head of the Aclato trading company was just making noise to raise the prices of some goods, but I thought it would be better for Your Majesty to know anyway, so I’m telling you.”

Marquis Astoto scratched his head and concluded the story.

“It was a story worth looking into. Thank you, Marquis Astoto.”

“It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”

Linelle gave a slight smile, looking at the marquis who resembled Pesilini a lot.

***

“Raphael, we need to send an information guild to the Aclato Duchy.”

He gave instructions to Raphael as he left the conference hall and moved to the bedroom.

“Do you believe that story?”

Raphael also didn’t seem to believe Marquis Astoto’s story.

“It’s better to find out for sure.”

“That’s true.”

“Is the relationship between the Aclato Duchy and the Magic Tower Lord still bad?”

“I believe so.”

“It’s been quite a while since the Magic Tower Lord has trained a magician, hasn’t it?”

Linelle asked, stopping briefly as he reached the stairs to the bedroom floor.

“Yes, he says he no longer accepts disciples.”

“An unusual person.”

“Oh, by the way, the Magic Tower Lord Velos’s last disciple is the magician Big, Your Majesty.”

Raphael tapped the side of his head with his hand and told Linelle.

“……What? Didn’t you say that the magician bastard who lost his arm to me in the Valley of Death was the last disciple?”

“Yes, Pilike betrayed the Magic Tower Lord and left, so the Magic Tower Lord doesn’t acknowledge him as a disciple.”

“Is that so?”

***

When I arrived at the main palace bedroom, fortunately, Linelle had not yet returned.

“It seems the meeting is running long.”

I hurried into the bathroom, finished bathing, and came out. I sat on the bed, covering myself with the blanket, as if I had been there all along. Catherine’s voice, screaming at Count Ethan in the training ground warehouse, echoed in my mind.

“Just let me have a child…….”

How could she think of raising another man’s child as the Emperor’s son? That’s an act of deceiving not only Linelle but the entire Lapion Empire. When I overheard the conversation between the two in the blacksmith’s workshop, I thought Catherine’s feelings for Count Ethan were genuine. But now that I think about it, it seems Catherine intended to manipulate Count Ethan to her liking from the beginning. Of course, she may have some feelings for Count Ethan. But that wasn’t love, but rather an obsession and possessiveness.

“She’s more dangerous than I thought…….”

Count Ethan rejected Catherine’s proposal, but it was something to watch. People’s hearts, especially between men and women, can change at any time. If I rashly revealed today’s events without any decisive evidence, I could be accused of slander. That’s why I told Melanie to be careful what she said in front of Catherine, but I don’t trust her at all. She says she always keeps secrets, but looking at Hedon’s expression next to her, it seems to be just her own delusion. Anyway, there’s a need to keep a close eye on Catherine and Count Ethan. Fortunately, once the hunting competition starts, the two will have to be apart. I took a deep breath and patted my shoulders. A lot happened today. Especially since my worries about the magic potion have lessened, I felt like my tense body was finally relaxing. I yawned, and sleepiness washed over me. But I stubbornly sat up without lying down on the bed, waiting for Linelle. I couldn’t help but close my eyes. ***

How long had I been sitting like this? I thought I had just closed my eyes for a moment, but I must have dozed off while sitting. I felt much more refreshed after taking a short nap. Linelle still hadn’t returned to the bedroom. Instead, in front of my eyes…….

“Master?”

“Huh……Ugh!”

Moya was lying on my legs, which were covered with a blanket, propping her chin up with both hands and looking up at me.

“You, how did you get here?!”

This troublemaker, who had clearly sneaked out without Rosie’s knowledge, winked, alternating her short legs as if splashing water.

“Moya came because she missed Master~.”