The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 142

142. I’m Screwed

May 14, 2022

Why does my husband have to be there, of all places?

No, why am *I* here?

No, why did Fecilini want wild strawberries?

No, why did they even hold a hunting competition in the first place…?

My thoughts spiraled, leading me to blame myself for condoning this situation and even resent the gods.

Rinel’s gaze from afar was like that of a husband catching his wife having an affair.

His eyes were so cold that my conscience, though clear, started to prick as if I had truly committed a sin.

I had a legitimate reason to wash my hands [to absolve myself of responsibility], you know?

“We’ve been caught too early. His Majesty has such good eyes….”

Melanie grumbled and subtly hid behind me, and suddenly, the other concubines and attendants began to hide behind me as well.

If I were to step back from here, they would all quickly line up behind me again with incredible agility.

From their perspective, it would look like I was the only one peeking at this scene.

Seriously? Who just pushed my back?

Someone pushed me forward from behind.

I suddenly felt like the ringleader.

I glared back, but everyone looked up at the sky, avoiding my gaze.

Wow, seriously, everyone?

I was beyond disappointed.

Sigh, to get caught like this….

I sighed deeply and lowered my head, but there was one woman who didn’t hide behind me.

“Why are you all so scared? I’ll look with my own eyes.”

Empress Katria was sitting on the gravel, openly watching the other side of the valley.

She even had the *yoyu* [余裕, Japanese for composure or余裕] to wave at Rinel in the midst of all this.

Right, she’s the Empress.

Even if she gets caught, they’re just her lovers, so no one can say anything.

That’s how scary power is.

I lost the courage to make eye contact with Rinel again and turned around, pretending to look into the cloth bag filled with mulberries, and sat down like Empress Katria.

Sure enough, as I crouched down, everyone followed suit and whispered.

“Sigh, Her Majesty’s figure is so stunning.”

“Such a spectacle shouldn’t be monopolized….”

Following Melanie’s admiration, Catherine indirectly mocked me by comparing me to the scenery around the valley, but I couldn’t hear anything right now.

How do I defuse this situation?

No, it’s already impossible to defuse. I need to figure out how to disappear from here without looking too pathetic.

But I couldn’t think of any good ideas.

Then, someone tapped my shoulder, and when I looked up, Rosie cautiously opened her mouth.

“Your Majesty….”

“What.”

I replied to Rosie with only my lips, not even loud enough for Rinel to hear.

“H-His Majesty is calling for you over there.”

Rosie trembled the tip of her index finger and pointed to the opposite side of the forest where we were.

Damn it, I’m screwed.

“Really?”

“Yes….”

“What was his expression like?”

“He looked really, really bad. He frowned a lot as he left.”

Rosie even mimicked Rinel’s expression as she spoke, and Melanie subtly chimed in.

“I was so scared when I saw that expression that I almost cried.”

Oh my, he’s really angry.

I stood up from my crouched position, preparing myself to be scolded.

“He was so angry that he went into the forest with his bare body?”

Melanie continued to glance at the knights who hadn’t discovered our presence yet as she spoke to me.

If you only listened to her, it sounded like Rinel had taken off all his clothes and gone into the forest, but he was only shirtless.

Perhaps if Rinel had discovered the wild strawberry expedition a little later, he might have gone into the forest naked as Melanie said, but the concubines weren’t granted such luck.

I stared blankly at Melanie’s face, whose eyes and mouth were saying different things, and then started walking towards the forest that Rinel had pointed for me to follow.

“Your Majesty, just deny that you saw anything.”

Sharon spoke to me as if I were a criminal going to trial.

He won’t believe me unless he plucks out my eyeballs….

“Should we go with you?”

Bonis’s left eye looked at Commander Markrom in the distance, and his right eye looked at me.

He’s not the kind of person who would just let it go like that….

Sharon and Bonis continued to worry, but I left them with the words “It’s okay” and walked alone into the hell of nagging.

***

At the same time, in the Duchy of Aclato.

Duke Heimich and Hetor were drinking tea together in the Duke’s office.

“Lord Hetor, did you have a comfortable night?”

“Was that room *supposed* to be comfortable?”

Hetor said as he downed the still-hot black tea in one gulp.

The tea was hotter than he expected, and Hetor frowned, touching his uvula.

“Hahaha. She is still an inadequate daughter in many ways. I only asked because I hoped you would like her.”

Duke Heimich’s voice was like that of a humble peasant, but his eyes, looking down, were filled with greed.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve only seen ripe ones, but she’s definitely lacking compared to Tanya’s women. The Duke raised his only daughter like a wooden doll.”

That was Hetor’s assessment after spending a night with Roxana.

Duke Heimich’s smiling face gradually hardened.

‘Should I bring in a new adopted daughter that the barbarian would like?’ Duke Heimich’s mind began to spin with complex thoughts.

“But, she’s not bad enough to throw away.”

Duke Heimich’s shoulders, which had been tense, relaxed at Hetor’s following words.

Fortunately, Roxana seemed to have pleased Hetor.

“She is a very shy child, so please take good care of her, Lord Hetor. Hahaha. And… today is the day the Continental Hunting Competition begins.”

Duke Heimich, who had been chuckling, put down his teacup and casually changed the subject.

“I know. I heard that even hunting is like child’s play for those precious bodies, right? I’d like to invade right now and wipe them all out, but we’re waiting for the time to get closer to the Canyon of Death.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right. It would be easier to wipe them all out in the canyon before they cross over to the Southern Continent. In the meantime, please consider this place your home and rest comfortably.”

“Consider? Wasn’t it already my home?”

The war between the two island nations was averted through the marriage vows of Hetor and Roxana.

Internally, the Duchy of Aclato had already been handed over to Hetor.

However, Duke Heimich would continue to be in charge of governing the Duchy as before.

Duke Heimich, who had become a puppet overnight, quickly changed his words.

“Ahaha, of course, this is Lord Hetor’s home now!”

“The wedding will be held before we cross over to the continent. It’s good to be sure of everything.”

Hetor got up from his seat and casually mentioned the wedding.

‘The whip I wielded on Roxana wasn’t in vain.’

Duke Heimich thought about what Hetor meant by being sure of everything, and then, seeing Hetor’s embarrassed expression, he realized that Hetor quite liked Roxana.

“I will prepare everything before your departure so that you have nothing to worry about.”

Hetor nodded briefly at Duke Heimich’s reply and left the office.

As soon as the office door closed, Duke Heimich’s mouth twisted in annoyance.

“Even though I’m being ruled, I’m clearly his father-in-law, but his manners are… as if he’s not an uneducated barbarian.”

Duke Heimich slumped back into his chair and muttered, glaring at the office door.

“Hmm, but he has an eye for beauty. That’s a relief.”

He had been worried that Hetor might not like his taciturn daughter, but it was an unnecessary concern.

***

Prince Tesler had been watching Belos all along.

Just a moment ago, Prince Kalvain, whom he had been trying to please, went to where Princess Consort Jasper was sitting and had tea with her.

In that gap, Prince Tesler got up from his seat and subtly approached Belos, sitting next to him.

“Magician Tower Master, why didn’t you go to the valley?”

Belos, who had been leaning against a rock with his eyes closed, opened his eyes at Prince Tesler’s voice.

“What about you, Your Highness?”

Belos retorted with an expression that said, “Why are you asking me about the valley when you didn’t go either?”

Prince Tesler was taken aback by Belos’s blunt attitude, but he smiled as if nothing had happened and spoke again.

“The place where I’m sitting has good wind and is cool, so I feel like the heat has subsided a bit, haha.”

“I can control my body temperature, you see.”

Belos replied immediately and closed his eyes again.

It was a gesture that said, “I need to sleep now, so don’t talk to me anymore.”

‘That arrogant Magician Tower Master bastard.’

Prince Tesler cursed inwardly and then stared at the Avatar Sword leaning against the rock next to Belos.

‘If I could get that sword… what would happen….’

If a war broke out with the Southern Continent, the first place to be hit geographically would be the Kingdom of Shatonil.

‘If I could get that Avatar Sword and move the wyverns, no one would be able to look down on our kingdom.’

Moreover, the task of flattering the Imperial Emperors would disappear.

‘There’s a saying that there’s a separate way to handle the Avatar Sword, but that’s something I can find out after I get the Avatar Sword.’

The most important thing is how to get the Avatar Sword.

How to handle it was the next problem.

Prince Tesler unconsciously wiggled his fingers and reached out towards the Avatar Sword, when Belos’s eyelids slowly opened.

“What, do you have anything else to say?”

Belos looked at Prince Tesler with eyes that said, “Don’t disturb my nap.”

“…Ah, no.”

Prince Tesler awkwardly lowered his hand, which had stopped in mid-air, patted Belos’s shoulder, and returned to his seat.

Prince Norton, who was diagonally across from Belos, watched the two talking as if he were looking at the scenery, and Emperor Adrian, further back, also continued to stare at Belos.

To be exact, at the Avatar Sword.

***

As I entered the forest next to the valley that Rosie had pointed to, a sturdy back was waiting for me.

He didn’t turn around to look at me, even though he knew I was getting closer.

The angry back muscles seemed to be warning me that he was very angry right now.

His mood was already disturbed by the fact that I caught the first prey, and now this has been discovered.

The omens were very bad.

How do I appease a man who won’t fall for a cute expression twice?

Should I hug him softly from behind? But what if I get thrown over his shoulder?

He was holding his shirt and uniform jacket in his hands.

He could have put on his clothes while waiting for me here, but he was still standing there shirtless.

His back muscles glistened in the sunlight.

The back muscles moved subtly with his breathing, showing off their presence.

“I’m here….”

Even though my shadow was already cast in front of him, he still didn’t turn around.

“The Empress has arrived?”

I spoke cautiously once more and tapped his back as if knocking.

But.

‘Huh? A mosquito!’

A mosquito was stuck right in the middle of his back, about to suck his blood.

Before I could even think about catching it, my body moved first.

With a ‘smack’ and a ‘ugh’ at the same time, he turned to look at me.

The ‘smack’ was the sound of my palm sticking to his back, and the ‘ugh’ was the sound that came from his mouth.

Rinel widened his shoulders, tightening his back muscles, with a face that asked, “What is this outrage?”

I understood his pain and gave him an apologetic look.

“What is it?”

“A m-mosquito dared to stick to Your Majesty’s back!”

I slowly lowered my hand and spoke like a knight who had executed a traitor.

“So you dared to slap the Emperor’s back?”

“Umm, the mosquito was so despicable….”

“If the mosquito was on my face, you would have slapped me?”

“I’m sorry. My hand just reacts first when I see a mosquito….”

“So, did you catch it?”

“Y-yes, of course!”

“Show me your hand.”

“!”

Indeed, will the mosquito be dead in my hand?

Or will I die in his hand?

It was a heart-pounding moment.