The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 13

13. The Concubine Candidates

2021.02.17.

Concubines. It seems like something shocking happens within the Lapheon Imperial Family every single day. Was the issue of concubines decided even before the royal marriage? Prince Tesler, you son of a bitch. But, if Prince Tesler didn’t know about it either, how is this situation going to unfold? As I walked to the drawing-room for tea with the ladies, I felt a heavy sense of tension weighing me down. This is a completely unexpected scenario. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of concubines… If Linelle planned to take in concubines, shouldn’t he have given me a hint last night? There was plenty of time to talk about it while we were in bed. No matter how much power an emperor has to do whatever he wants, taking in concubines right after getting married? And not just one, but several? No matter how inadequate the queen from a foreign country who just had a royal wedding may seem, this was too sudden, and something felt off. But there was no way the information Sharon heard from a maid she was usually close with could be false. Yesterday evening, that maid, who works in the head priest’s secretariat at the temple, said she directly heard the head priest and several nobles discussing the timing of the emperor’s wedding with the concubines. So, it couldn’t be wrong information.

“Ah, so maybe that’s why…”

Grand Duke Martins requested an audience with me and Linelle at the same time? To discuss the issue of taking in concubines? Did Grand Duke Martins know in advance? No, that couldn’t be. If he knew in advance, he would have given me a hint when we met in the audience chamber yesterday. It was highly likely that the Grand Duke only heard the news this morning. The rulers of many countries take in numerous concubines and mistresses. As just a proxy empress, I have no justification or qualification to oppose that issue. But it was definitely unusual to bring in concubines as if they had been waiting for it, just a few days after the royal wedding. Something felt unsettling. I briefly stopped walking towards the drawing-room and turned my head towards the main palace building visible through the long arched window.

“Maybe it’s not a discussion…”

It’s a notification. Isn’t it possible that Linelle simply accepted Grand Duke Martins’ audience and even called me to his office just to convey a decision that had already been made? Complex emotions with no clear substance were irritating my nerves. I don’t want to admit it, but right now I was very disappointed in Emperor Linelle. Maybe even beyond disappointment, I might be jealous… No, get a grip. I consciously slowed down my increasingly quick steps and calmed my breathing. If the emperor has decided so, I must follow. Having resentful feelings will only earn me his hatred and is a meaningless act. In the first place, my mission is to quietly get divorced once Princess Resilia arrives at this imperial palace. Let’s not forget my duty.

“Your Majesty? It’s this way.”

Lost in thought as I was walking, I turned my head at Sharon’s voice. When I came to my senses, I had passed the drawing-room door.

“Ah, right.”

I gracefully backtracked to stand in front of the drawing-room door. Sharon was so shocked that she couldn’t stop me from stepping back. Before meeting those ladies inside the drawing-room, I wanted to meet Linelle right away. But the emperor’s morning time is… filled with meetings with ministers and work to be done, and my morning time is… to be spent laughing and chatting in a place where the ladies who will become his concubines are mixed in. I prayed briefly in my heart that the hand holding my teacup wouldn’t go flying towards someone’s dress, or that I wouldn’t unknowingly lower my gaze and feel intimidated in front of them.

“They’re all in here together, right? The candidates to become His Majesty’s concubines.”

I stared at the ornate floral carvings on the drawing-room doorknob and asked Sharon.

“Yes, that is correct.”

Sharon carefully replied. At that moment, the aristocratic ladies’ warbling laughter leaked through the crack in the drawing-room door. Ladies who heard the news that the emperor was taking in concubines just a few days after getting married. It must be fun for them. They must be excited. There won’t be a single lady in there who will find it difficult to deal with the queen from the Shattonil Kingdom, which is treated as a vassal state of the Lapheon Empire. Among them, there will definitely be ladies who even coveted the queen’s position. Even though the Queen’s Palace is my residence, it seemed like I was the only one nervous here right now. I straightened my slumped shoulders. Imagining all the tension flying away into the air with the breath I was now exhaling, I steeled my heart. I stood up straight and said to Sharon.

“Open it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

***

Sharon went into the drawing-room ahead of me and announced to the ladies.

“The Queen is entering!”

As I stepped into the drawing-room, the sunlight streaming in through the large windows shone directly on my face. The noisy chatter disappeared all at once, and all eyes turned to me. I slowly walked towards where the aristocratic ladies were standing, making eye contact with each of them. As I expected, the ladies who met my gaze didn’t immediately lower their eyes. They stared back at me as if they were going to challenge me, and only when the distance gradually narrowed did they reluctantly lower their gaze slightly. All of their small faces were wearing nasty expressions that made me want to punch them. But I don’t hit women. I released the strength in my clenched fist. No matter how much they glared at me, they were still in a position where they had to bend their knees and greet me right now. I stopped walking, leaving about five steps between me and the ladies – a distance that was neither too close nor too far, but a distance where I could clearly see the contemptuous looks directed at me. If they thought I would smile at them first with a clumsy appearance, they were mistaken. I also remained silent in the silence that the ladies had deliberately created. I did move my eyebrows slightly as if to show that this atmosphere was very unpleasant. Then the ladies’ smiles slowly disappeared. As time went on, they began to look at each other. Aha, it seems like they made a group promise not to greet me until I showed a flustered expression and opened my mouth first? I could participate in that kind of childish game as much as they wanted. I pressed my lips together even more tightly and looked down with my head held high. The ladies gradually became uncomfortable with my gaze and, unlike at first, began to avoid my eyes one by one. Some of them still didn’t avoid my gaze and seemed to enjoy my discomfort with a smile on their faces. Ah, I see. It seems like there are definite concubine candidates among them.

“W-We greet Her Majesty the Queen!”

Amidst the silence, the lady closest to me couldn’t overcome the pressure and greeted me first.

“It is an honor to meet you.”

“It’s such an honor to be able to see the faces of the virtuous ladies of the Lapheon Empire up close… or is it? Which family are you from?”

I scanned the ladies and then turned my gaze back to the lady who greeted me first and asked.

“I am Ellie Josephine from the Josephine County…”

Starting with Lady Ellie, the ladies next to her continued to greet me in turn. Some of them came forward and bowed to me, half-kneeling. With a calm expression, I deliberately repeated each name and family as if savoring them. In response to my actions, most of the aristocratic ladies changed their attitude and outwardly bowed their heads to me and pretended to be kind. I also made eye contact with the four ladies who had trespassed into my bedroom yesterday, saying they would become my maids. Among them, the most confident lady, as expected, suddenly jumped forward.

“I am Melanie from the Herothus Duchy.”

“Ah, Lady Melanie.”

It seems like she was fired from being my maid and immediately became a concubine candidate? Lady Melanie had an even more confident attitude than yesterday. As I received the ladies’ greetings, I made eye contact with the lady who was last in line. The look in that lady’s eyes was much colder than the other ladies. She didn’t even bend her knees and only slightly lowered her head to greet me.

“I am Catherine from the Carios Duchy. I really wanted to meet you, Your Majesty.”

I could feel the emotion of hostility towards me in her voice. Lady Catherine seemed to want to let me know that she was superior to me, the queen, through her expression and tone.

“I don’t know if I have met Lady Catherine’s expectations. Shall we all sit down and talk?”

A conceited smile briefly flashed across Lady Catherine’s face at my reply. It was a smile that made me feel so bad that I wanted to slap her. As I took a seat on the chair first, the ladies also sat down one by one.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty. Have you heard the news that there will be His Majesty’s concubine among us?”

Lady Catherine slowly fanned herself with a luxurious gold-decorated fan and asked.

“…I heard it on the way here.”

I replied in as calm a tone as possible.

“You must be very upset, right? His Majesty seems a bit hasty. How long has it been since he welcomed the Queen before immediately taking in concubines…”

Lady Melanie’s head popped forward, and she spoke as if comforting me with a tearful face, but her eyes were smiling. I didn’t particularly respond to her false comfort and only slightly raised and lowered the corners of my lips.

“Ah, right, Lady Catherine. I originally thought you had a strong pride and a noble personality, but I was even more surprised by this matter.”

Lady Melanie casually spoke to Lady Catherine this time.

“Yes? What do you mean by that?”

Lady Catherine glanced at Lady Melanie with an expression as if she were looking at a subordinate.

“It’s not a story to be brought up in front of Her Majesty the Queen, but…”

Lady Melanie paused, looking at my expression as if asking if she could speak. It’s a story about Lady Catherine, but the fact that she’s looking at my expression means that it’s something uncomfortable for me to know, right? The ladies had already begun to look back and forth between Lady Melanie, Lady Catherine, and me with curious eyes.

“Feel free to talk, Lady Melanie.”

I was even curious as to what she was going to say that Lady Melanie was even putting on an act of drawing out the suspense with such a joyful expression.

“Yes, Emperor and Lady Catherine are…”

Lady Melanie stretched her head forward and continued, looking at Lady Catherine’s complexion.

“They were betrothed.”

A short exclamation burst out from between my lips, which had just touched the teacup.

“…Ah!”

I was surprised by the hot black tea. I was even more surprised by the unexpected story.