The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 137

137. I’ll Spoil You

April 27, 2022

“Bellos Brodean.”

“Who?”

“The Master of the Magic Tower.”

“You think the Master of the Magic Tower is the prettiest?”

“Among the people participating in the hunting competition, yes.”

Rinel spoke in a careful voice, as if he had given it enough thought.

“The Master of the Magic Tower is a man. And he’s been living as a 20 or 21-year-old for 250 years.”

“I said among the people participating in the hunting competition; I didn’t limit it to women.”

“Well… I just assumed you would choose from the women.”

“Why? Are you disappointed? Did you think you were number one?”

“No?!”

“Are you sure about that?”

He flashed a flower-like smile at me, pushing his beautiful face, no less lovely than Bellos’s, closer.

Admiration for his handsome face was one thing, but I hated the way he was teasing me with that sly smile, so I pushed his shoulders away with both hands and lay back down on the bed.

But as soon as I lay down,

“Who’s number two?”

I immediately got up and asked him.

I couldn’t help but ask.

“Huh?”

“I mean, who’s the second prettiest person.”

“Zelda, well…”.

“Yes, it’s okay, feel free to share your opinion.”

“It’s not you.”

“!”

Huh?

I could feel the embarrassment spreading from my chest, past my neck, and up to my face.

And the disappointment was rising from my belly.

“Ye-es… I figured.”

If my face hadn’t been so flushed, I might have seemed nonchalant, but right now my face was hot enough to cook a steak on.

“Why is that so important?”

Rinel chuckled and leaned closer, hovering above me.

Right, why is my face so red over something you don’t think is important?

Even if number one is objective, isn’t number two usually based on personal feelings and friendships?

So, couldn’t you just say ‘Here, you’re number two’ and make me feel good!

“Who’s number one is the Master of the Magic Tower, who’s number two?”

My pride was hurt, and I didn’t want to ask, but since he had already laughed at my burning face, there was no reason not to ask about number two.

“Me.”

“…What? The Emperor of the Lapheon Empire is number two?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded as if it were obvious.

Looking at his face, I couldn’t argue, so I just stared blankly up at his handsome features.

He took my hand and had me trace the line from his left sideburn all the way down to the opposite side.

My hand felt like it was on a sacred pilgrimage.

“I concede.”

I finally said, placing my hand on the crown of his head.

“Since we’re talking, should I tell you who’s number three?”

Forget it.

“Don’t even open your mouth unless you’re going to say it’s me.”

I applied pressure overtly.

A considerate husband would have laughed heartily at this point and said, ‘Actually, my wife is the prettiest!’

But.

“Aww, did you want to hear that you’re pretty?”

What’s with the tone?

Is he mocking me right now?

“Your face is pretty, but your heart is so wicked.”

“That’s still a good thing; it would look even worse if I wasn’t pretty but still had envy and jealousy.”

“…Are you saying that for me to hear?”

I forced a bright smile as I asked.

Rinel’s laughter burst out quite loudly from between his thick lips.

I had the urge to bite his lips hard, but I maintained my composure.

“Look at me.”

After a moment, Rinel stopped laughing, clasped his hands together, and looked down at me.

I’m looking, so what?

“My heart says Zelda, you’re the prettiest. My eyes too, you know? And my body goes crazy for you. You know that better than anyone, right?”

My senses had been dulled by my hurt feelings, but his words made my nerve cells come back to life.

His body was already desiring me.

“But why did you say number one was the Master of the Magic Tower?”

I felt my cheeks twitching upward because I felt better, but I had to make sure to address it.

“That’s what my head says.”

…What? Does that mean it’s the most rational opinion?

I felt a little uneasy, but his physical reaction, which I could clearly feel now, felt more objective to me.

“I’m going to spoil you today.”

“…Huh?”

While he was flustered, I released his hands and lowered mine to his back.

Taking advantage of Rinel’s flinch, I turned around and switched positions with him.

I leaned down and kissed his firm chest.

“Zelda, what are you doing…?”

A voice that sounded like it was scraping his vocal cords leaked from his mouth.

“Rinel’s chest says I’m pretty, so I’m being pretty here.”

“Ahem, I’m pretty sure I said earlier that it’s not just my chest that feels that way?”

He cleared his throat and muttered softly.

“Yes, so I’m going to be a little busy today.”

I kissed his eyelids.

That was just the beginning, and my lips began to move further down.

***

The next day.

The Duke’s castle in the Duchy of Akrato.

“Keh, ke-heh.”

Roxana woke up coughing, feeling suffocated.

It felt like someone was strangling her.

“Haa.”

Hector’s arm, thicker and harder than her thigh, was firmly placed on Roxana’s neck.

She sighed, annoyed, and pushed Hector’s arm aside.

Had she slept for an hour?

She didn’t want to fall asleep, but her body was so exhausted that she had passed out.

Her whole body ached.

It hurt less than when she was whipped by her father, Duke Heimeich, but it was more painful and terrible mentally.

Her first experience with this barbarian…

As if he wasn’t the king of the barbarians, Hector was ignorant and selfish when it came to intimacy.

“Are you awake?”

Hector also opened his eyes.

His tone was much softer than when they first met yesterday.

But Roxana didn’t welcome this change at all.

Hector kept calling Roxana a wooden doll, but he didn’t let her out of his arms all night.

Not only that, but he constantly compared Roxana to the women of Tanya Island.

Even today, as soon as he opened his eyes, he began to criticize her, comparing her to those blunt women.

“In Tanya, women are so eager to get my attention, they do anything to catch my eye. But you… tsk.”

Roxana, unable to bear his boasting, abruptly sat up and coldly retorted.

“The power of authority is that frightening.”

That meant, ‘It’s not because you’re popular; it’s because you’re the king there.’

“Yes, the power of virility is indeed frightening.”

“?”

Hector, who had only seen sun-tanned women from Tanya Island, was so engrossed in admiring Roxana’s milky white skin that he proudly mistook ‘authority’ for ‘virility’.

“A wooden doll with no charm is good at speaking her mind.”

Praise came from a scary face with no hint of a smile.

Roxana smiled for the first time.

It wasn’t a laugh of amusement, but a burst of ridicule because it was so absurd.

Then, Roxana’s expression twisted.

It was because she had thrown off the blanket in annoyance and sat up, revealing her bare body.

Hector laughed as if he found Roxana amusing.

Roxana vowed to blow away that barbarian’s smiling face as soon as she got her hands on the Avatar Sword.

***

It was a sunny day for hunting, but seeing how hot the sun was from the morning, I was already worried about the heat of the afternoon.

“It seems like almost all the dignitaries have gathered.”

I said to him, looking down at the dignitaries from the steps in front of the main palace.

“It seems so.”

The knights and attendants who were participating in the continental hunting competition had already completed all preparations two hours ago.

As soon as all the dignitaries gathered, the tedious blessing of the High Priest of the Lapheon Empire began.

After the High Priest’s blessing, the priests lined up on both sides of the steps of the main palace building and sang a song of blessing.

Once that song with the amazing harmony was over, the words of the Emperor of the Lapheon Empire, the starting point of this competition, were waiting.

I looked at Rinel’s face as he waited for his turn next to me.

“We’ll have to be apart on the first day.”

Rinel whispered to me, looking at the dignitaries of each country in front of him with an unwavering posture.

“Yes, I expected that the heads would stick together on the first day.”

“What? Heads?”

He bit his lip tightly so as not to show his smiling face to the dignitaries. Laughter trickled out of his nose as he suppressed it.

“Thanks to someone, I won’t be lonely because I have many concubines, so don’t worry about me.”

“…Ah. I forgot what I was going to say to the dignitaries because of the Empress.”

Rinel muttered in a troubled voice.

“Shall I do it for you?”

“What would you say?”

“Anyone who’s going to do useless things in the forest and cause harm to others should drop out from the start; anyone who’s going to whine about being tired should drop out, and any thugs who steal prey in the middle of the hunt should drop out.”

“If you say that, half of them won’t be able to leave.”

“…Then I’ll be quiet.”

The Emperor and Empress of the Lapheon Empire, we were the only ones secretly chatting while listening to the sacred song of the priests.

The song of the priests, whatever blessing it was, ended.

Rinel, with a solemn face, briefly and firmly asked for everyone’s safety and well-being during the continental hunting competition, and then began by saying that there was a new companion who would be joining the hunting competition.

The dignitaries began to buzz.

All the countries that were going to participate had already confirmed their attendance, so everyone was curious about who Rinel was introducing separately.

Rinel glanced at the entrance of the main palace and announced loudly.

“The last dignitary to join us is Bellos Brodean from Akrato Island.”

The buzzing of the dignitaries from a moment ago grew louder.

“Who? Bellos Brodean?”

“Could it be the Master of the Magic Tower?”

“Why is he suddenly at the continental hunting competition?”

“Could he have some ulterior motive?”

Each of them stared intently at the Master of the Magic Tower, who was slowly walking out of the entrance of the main palace, with puzzled expressions, and whispered.

“Has the Master of the Magic Tower ever attended the continental hunting competition before?”

Duke Martins asked Rinel.

“He has.”

The answer came from the Master of the Magic Tower’s mouth.

“It was before the people gathered here were born, so they may not remember. I used to participate in the continental hunting competition often 100 years ago.”

The Master of the Magic Tower spoke as if he were an elder talking to children, with the most youthful face.

Only then did the dignitaries have expressions that reminded them of the Master of the Magic Tower’s age.

In particular, the women sent gazes of admiration and curiosity towards the Master of the Magic Tower, unable to take their eyes off him.

“I think you all know me well. So I’ll skip the detailed introduction.”

I was taken aback by the Master of the Magic Tower’s somewhat arrogant attitude, but I could understand it considering his position and the years he had lived.

However, perhaps he was bothered by what he had just said, he smiled brightly and added.

“Anyway, there will be plenty of time to talk throughout the hunting competition, ahem.”

However, the Master of the Magic Tower’s cough did not match his refreshing appearance at all.

“It’s a bit inconvenient to suddenly participate like this without prior notice.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The Emperor and Empress of the Ekiya Empire of the Northern Continent, the oldest of the dignitaries at the hunting competition, who rarely expressed their opinions, revealed their uncomfortable feelings.

“I thought the two of you would be good conversational partners for me, but I’m disappointed. I was especially going to share some of the health food I eat with the two of you.”

When the Master of the Magic Tower mentioned ‘health food’ with a slightly sulky expression, the eyes of the Emperor and Empress of the Ekiya Empire lit up.

“Well, it’s not that I’m opposed. It’s just that I’m disappointed that there was no prior notice…”

The Emperor of the Ekiya Empire coughed the same way as the Master of the Magic Tower and changed his words.

‘Did Her Majesty the Empress call him? Are they already plotting something?’

At that time, Emperor Adrian’s thoughts were heard by me.

I looked at the silverfish [a derogatory term] with an absurd expression, wondering what nonsense he was spouting.

Why would I call the Master of the Magic Tower? How would I call him?

I just met him yesterday; what kind of plot would I be making?

And you, did you just speak informally to me? Huh?

It would have been nice if my thoughts could have been conveyed to Emperor Adrian when I cursed at him, but as always, my thoughts were not conveyed to Emperor Adrian.

In any case, the atmosphere was not welcoming of the Master of the Magic Tower’s sudden accompaniment.

“Oh, I also heard that Count Ethan, who is in charge of the Imperial Smithy [a workshop for making metal items], will be joining us. Count Ethan, could I ask you to take care of my sword later? The sword is old like me, so it takes a lot of work.”

The Master of the Magic Tower looked around at the dignitaries’ sullen expressions and suddenly spoke to Count Ethan.

Wait, Count Ethan is joining us too?

Count Ethan was cowering behind Raphael and Stian, and then he subtly revealed himself at the Master of the Magic Tower’s question.

I looked for Catherine with surprised eyes without realizing it.

Catherine also didn’t know this fact; her head was tilted sharply to one side, and then a smile gradually spread across her lips.

This, this is dangerous?

Suddenly, I had someone to watch during the hunting competition.

Of course, Melanie would be watching with her eyes wide open more than I would.

Even now, Melanie was glaring at Count Ethan and Catherine alternately.

“Ah, yes. Of course. What kind of sword do you use?”

A flustered Count Ethan asked the Master of the Magic Tower.

“There’s no kind to call it, just… the Avatar Sword.”

Unlike the Master of the Magic Tower’s calm answer, the dignitaries suddenly began to stir.

Everyone stared at the sword wrapped in cloth on the Master of the Magic Tower’s back.

The word ‘Avatar Sword’ was repeatedly heard, mainly from the mouths of the heads of each country.

The looks in their eyes subtly changed.

‘Bellos, what is that human trying to do?’

The Avatar inside me suddenly spoke in a worried voice that didn’t suit him.

‘Why? Shouldn’t other people know about the Avatar Sword?’

When I asked, the Avatar replied as if it were obvious.

‘Everyone already knows what kind of sword the Avatar Sword is. So they shouldn’t see it!’

Why?