The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 131

“Anything you want.”

Linelle said to the Archmage with a relaxed expression.

Wow. I was impressed.

His resolute voice, as if he would give up the throne for my cure, tugged at my heart.

“Once I have the cure in my hands, I will tell you then.”

The Archmage replied with a cautious look.

Linelle smiled, acknowledging his negotiating skills.

“Are you certain that the herb is on Aclato Island? And that its efficacy is guaranteed?”

I asked the Archmage once more to confirm.

“Yes, even just a few roots of the ‘Kelvarn’ herb should completely heal the burn scars caused by the red potion.”

“Really?!”

A choked sound escaped my lips.

So, I don’t need a large amount.

My butt kept wiggling.

“Yes, but unlike common herbs that are abundant, ‘Kelvarn’ only grows in very small quantities each year.”

“Then you must also know in which area of Aclato Island ‘Kelvarn’ grows?”

At Linelle’s question, the Archmage, who had been readily providing information about the cure, clamped his mouth shut like a clam.

I stared at the Archmage’s mouth with patience, hoping that positive words would come out of it.

However, seeing the Archmage’s troubled expression, it seemed that it was not an easily obtainable herb.

“The herb grows near the volcano where wyverns [dragon-like creatures] nest. And its appearance is similar to common weeds, so it is not easy for ordinary people to find.”

The Archmage’s words reminded me of Rosie.

‘Could Rosie recognize ‘Kelvarn’?’

But Rosie had only seen it in old books, so it would not be easy for her to distinguish it either.

What should I do?

Hope and disappointment were mixed within me.

“So, it’s difficult to find….”

At Linelle’s voice, as if lost in thought, the Archmage responded as if he had been waiting.

“Therefore, I will have to obtain the herb for Her Majesty the Empress myself.”

“You, Archmage?! Could you really do that…?”

Without realizing it, I let go of Linelle’s hand and brought my two hands together to my chin as if praying.

“Yes, but the ‘Kelvarn’ herb has a specific growing season each year, and the fully grown herb quickly withers and disappears in just one week.”

“It’s a more delicate herb than I thought.”

“Moreover, it cannot be harvested in advance. Harvesting and consumption are only possible during the herb’s growing season.”

“Then the current season is….”

“Already passed.”

My excitement, which had been soaring, subsided at the Archmage’s confirmation.

“You will have to wait until next year. You are currently taking a magic potion, correct?”

The Archmage asked, gazing intently at my right cheek.

“Yes, I am.”

“You will have to maintain it with the magic potion you are currently taking until next spring. But do not be too disheartened. You will be completely cured around this time next year. As long as I am here….”

The Archmage pulled me out of the swamp of disappointment.

The last words were a bit cheesy, but surprisingly reassuring.

“Thank you so much. Thank you!”

I wanted to hug both Linelle and the Archmage and dance around, but as the Empress, I couldn’t do that, so I danced internally.

“I am glad to be of help to Her Majesty the Empress.”

What is this? The Archmage’s personality is better than I thought?

I wondered if Moiya and Hwashin had underestimated the Archmage too much.

I offered a few more words of gratitude to the Archmage, and he smiled and blushed throughout.

The Archmage was embarrassed, saying that finding the herb was nothing to him as the Archmage.

Such humble words made the Archmage seem even more impressive.

Linelle, who had been silently watching the Archmage repeatedly saying, ‘Oh, no, it’s nothing,’ cleared his throat and straightened his posture, then changed the subject.

“I heard you no longer accept disciples. Is that true?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Is there a reason?”

“I suddenly felt a sense of disillusionment.”

“It seems there was a troublesome one among your last disciples.”

“Hahaha. You are perceptive, Your Majesty.”

The Archmage laughed as if he had been caught off guard and opened his mouth again with a reminiscent look.

“Are you still in touch with your last disciples?”

“No. Among the disciples I last trained, only Logan remains with me at the Magic Tower.”

“I heard there was also a female disciple among your last disciples.”

I asked, thinking of Rosie’s mother.

“That’s right. She went to the continent after her training. Ah, she also married Count Adelheid of this Lapion Empire. She passed away ten years ago, though.”

The Archmage’s expression was tinged with sadness as he spoke calmly.

“And that disciple’s daughter has grown up to become Your Majesty’s concubine.”

I glanced at Linelle and said to the Archmage.

I chuckled at his awkwardness.

“I see.”

The Archmage replied without much surprise.

Does he already know this fact?

“That bastard who handles wyverns, no, Phillipe, I believe he is also one of your last disciples?”

Linelle brought up the magician who had cursed him.

That magician was also the Archmage’s disciple?

I stared at the Archmage with surprised eyes.

“I do not wish to speak of Phillipe. He is no longer my disciple.”

The Archmage’s expression immediately darkened.

Linelle leaned forward towards the Archmage and asked in a murderous voice.

“Have you heard anything about that bastard’s whereabouts?”

“……No, Your Majesty.”

At the Archmage’s answer, Linelle nodded with a disappointed face, then softened his expression slightly and asked.

“Would you like to meet the disciple who finished his training last among those four?”

“What do you mean?”

“The magician Vic. I’m talking about him.”

“Vic is…… in the Imperial Palace? I thought he was running a clinic in the Imperial City?”

“He won’t be able to run his clinic for a while. He has things to do. Ah, how about using him as your assistant during the hunting competition?”

The Archmage was taken aback by Linelle’s suggestion.

From the beginning, he seemed to have been thinking of taking the magician Vic to the hunting competition because of the ‘Yakante’ herb in the Tebello Empire.

“I would be happy to.”

The Archmage said with a smile.

That was even better for me.

The magician who made the magic potion I take and the Archmage who will find the cure are accompanying me to the hunting competition.

“Good. My secretary will guide you to where Vic is.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

***

“I just…… took a walk. I thought the cat was getting stuffy.”

Rosie replied to Melanie, slightly lifting the basket.

If I said I went to see Her Majesty the Empress, she would bother me with questions, so I made up an excuse that I came out to walk the cat.

“Then take Aou-ssi out. Let some outside air get into his nose.”

“……It’s not Aou-ssi, it’s Ao-ssi.”

“Cats can’t understand what you call them anyway, right? Isn’t that right, Aou-ssi? No, it would be better to call him Agassi [term of endearment for a young lady]. Hohoho.”

Melanie flicked open the basket lid.

“……Ao-ssi is a male.”

Rosie sighed and said to herself.

“I was going to see him before, but I couldn’t because Rosie-mama said she had a cold. I was a little disappointed.”

“Didn’t you say you don’t like cats?”

“I don’t like them, but it’s fun to see him acting cocky. Hand, sit.”

Melanie commanded Ao-ssi as if she were handling a puppy.

“Look at this. He’s cocky and doesn’t do anything.”

“Cats don’t usually do that.”

Rosie said indifferently, and Melanie nodded as if she didn’t know at all.

“He’s like a haughty aristocrat. Like me.”

“Miyaong! (Yes, and I’m even great!)”

Moiya raised her front paw and tapped Melanie’s hand.

“Can I play with him for a bit?”

Melanie gestured to Rosie’s palace and asked.

“I don’t feel well, so I need to rest.”

“Why are you always sick? And you’re not losing weight.”

“!”

Melanie poked at Rosie’s thick bones.

“Then just lend him to me. I’ll have Hedon send him back in the evening.”

Melanie lifted Ao-ssi out of the basket.

“I can’t do that!”

“Why?”

“Ah, Ao-ssi is very shy…… he gets stressed.”

But unlike Rosie’s words, Moiya, who had transformed into Ao-ssi, snuggled into Melanie’s arms and wagged her tail.

“Really? You, you get stressed when the environment changes?”

“Miyaong. (No, Rams is the most stressful.)”

Moiya let out a long cat meow as if complaining.

“Do men, whether they’re people or animals, have no interest in me? Go, go.”

Melanie, in a sulky tone, thought of Linelle and stopped trying to hand Moiya back to Rosie.

“What, why is he doing this? Ah, did his nail get caught in my sleeve?”

Moiya put her claws into the sleeve of Melanie’s dress and resisted going to Rosie.

Rosie read Moiya’s intentions and cursed with her eyes.

‘Is she crazy? Where does she think she’s going to play?’

“Give him to me.”

Rosie forcibly took Moiya from Melanie’s hand.

But Moiya kept her claws in the end of Melanie’s sleeve and resisted going.

“Miyaaong! (Can’t I just play for an hour? I’m in Ao-ssi’s form, so no one will find out!)”

After a small scuffle, Rosie put strength in her hand and pulled Moiya towards her.

At that moment, the sound of fabric tearing was heard.

“Gasp!”

Rosie didn’t know what to do at the sight of the fabric of the dress sleeve dangling from Ao-ssi’s claws.

“Haa, again?”

Melanie looked at her torn dress sleeve and thought of the other dress that Zelda had ripped powerfully last night.

“Melanie-mama, I’m sorry! I’ll compensate you for the dress.”

“It’s okay. Her Majesty the Empress did the same thing…… Do I look like I don’t have money? Why does everyone want to buy me dresses?”

“Yes?”

“It’s okay. Hedon, I’ll have to cut off one sleeve of this dress too. Take this to the designer to be repaired along with the dress from yesterday. Rosie-mama, I’ll get out of here now.”

Melanie turned around, pretending to be sulky to Rosie.

“I’m sorry, we’ll have more time together at the hunting competition, so let’s go together then.”

When Rosie said soothingly, Melanie walked away and raised one hand up.

It was a gesture that meant she roughly understood.

Rosie burst into laughter as she watched Melanie’s back.

“Miyaaong! (Oong? My friend is really nice!)”

Moiya shook the sleeve that was caught in Ao-ssi’s claws and admired Melanie’s cool back.

***

“Magician Vic is living in the underground space due to circumstances.”

Raphael said quietly before taking Bellos to the magician Vic.

“What circumstances?”

“I’ll tell you on the way.”

There are two secret passages that lead to the underground from the main palace.

One is the lounge inside the office, and the other is through the room at the end of the corridor on the VIP floor of the main palace.

Raphael took him to the room at the end of the corridor on the VIP floor where the Archmage was staying.

It was a room that was usually locked, so Raphael opened the door with a key and looked back at the Archmage.

“Come in.”

Raphael went into the VIP room, locked the door again, and then guided the Archmage to the wall where the large portrait of the late Emperor was hanging.

Bellos looked at the large portrait and guessed that there would be a path to the underground behind it.

As he thought, Raphael pushed the portrait to the side with both hands, revealing a space large enough for one person to pass through.

“You can go down here.”

Raphael squeezed into the dark space first, and Bellos followed him and began to descend the underground stairs.

After going around and around the spiral staircase for a few minutes, he reached the basement of the main palace.

Bellos walked along the corridor leading to the underground facility and heard the whole story about why the magician Vic was staying here.

Prince Tesler tried to kidnap Vic?

Why? Could it be to stop the supply of the magic potion that Zelda is taking?

“There he is. I can’t believe he’s still eating with that mentality.”

Bellos, who had been walking while lost in thought, looking down at the floor, raised his head at Raphael’s grumbling.

The magician Vic was sitting at a table in the central hall, eating various kinds of cakes without a care in the world.

“Hey, Vic.”

At the familiar voice, the magician Vic turned around with a piece of strawberry cake in his mouth.

“Ah, no! How did you get here, Master!”

The magician Vic swallowed the strawberry cake he had just put in his mouth and jumped up from his chair to greet Bellos.

“Is it 25 years? But…… why does your face look like that?”

“Haha, I’m just getting old with the times.”

The magician Vic patted his protruding belly and joked.

“No, your face has been old since you were young.”

“……Yes?”

“That’s not what I mean…… What the hell happened to your face?! Who the hell made your face like this?!”

“His Majesty did it.”

Raphael replied in a polite voice.

Bellos glared at Raphael with an even more dumbfounded face.

“Don’t tell me, was there torture?”

Even though he is a paramour [male royal consort], a man with bad habits cannot be placed next to his partner.