The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 148

Why Did You Change?(148/347)

“Empress Zelda is carrying the Avatar. Originally, it resided within the Master of the Magic Tower.”

“Is that true?!”

Roxana already knew that the Avatar residing in the Magic Tower Master’s body had disappeared 250 years ago. She also knew that the Magic Tower Master’s biological clock had stopped since then.

But that the Avatar had entered Empress Zelda!

“Ha, when Bellos said Zelda was his mate, I thought there must be a big reason, and it was because of the Avatar……”

Roxana was reminded of what Linell had mentioned about the ‘Avatar.’

‘He knows that the Avatar is in the Empress’s body.’

“The Magic Tower Master is trying to bring the Avatar back by making her his mate.”

Roxana naturally thought of Linell at the witch’s words.

If things went as Bellos said, she might also have a chance.

“Is that possible?”

“Well, only the Magic Tower Master knows the odds. And Empress Zelda came to possess the Avatar because of the red potion Logan made. It was originally intended for the Magic Tower Master.”

“Logan… Bellos’s butler?”

The witch nodded.

Roxana tried to recall Logan’s face, who had greeted her every time she visited the Magic Tower, but she didn’t pay much attention to him, so her memory of Logan was vague.

“What did the red potion do?”

“Due to some accident, the potion was spilled on the Empress’s face, causing burns, and after that, she began to sense the presence of the Avatar.”

“Burns on her face? When I saw her in the crystal ball earlier, she looked flawless.”

“She is currently taking a magic potion that temporarily removes the burn scars.”

Roxana sighed softly.

For some reason, she suddenly felt good.

It also meant that if she couldn’t take the magic potion, the burn scars on her face would be revealed.

However, Roxana’s expression hardened again at the witch’s next words.

“About the 300-year-old wyvern egg that the Magic Tower Master had.”

“……What about it?”

“I heard it was awakened by Empress Zelda recently.”

“Really? H-How, by what means?!”

Roxana grabbed the witch’s shoulders with a very excited face.

“The fire energy must have started to manifest. That energy must have awakened the wyvern egg. Doesn’t the Princess also have a 300-year-old wyvern egg?”

“……That’s right.”

No matter what she did, the wyvern egg wouldn’t hatch, and it wouldn’t break even with physical force.

Roxana pursed her lips and frowned before opening her mouth.

“If my wyvern egg sees Empress Zelda…….”

“That wyvern egg will also awaken and take her as its master.”

Just imagining it made her stomach twist.

“Absolutely not!”

Why does that woman have to take everything I need?

Roxana clenched her teeth.

Everything felt unfair.

“Isn’t there a way to awaken the wyvern egg for me?”

Roxana’s eyes gleamed sharply.

The witch chuckled and replied.

“The Princess can also have the fire energy like Empress Zelda. Although it’s artificial, you can obtain the fire energy.”

The witch lowered her voice as much as possible.

“……What? How?”

“Use the red potion.”

“Are you telling me to pour that red potion on my face and create burn scars?”

Roxana’s voice rose nervously.

“Princess, a lot of time has passed. Wouldn’t the red potion developed by Logan have evolved in some way?”

“He might not have researched it since then.”

As Roxana spoke skeptically, the witch chuckled and shook her head.

“No. While seeking a way to bring the Avatar back to the Magic Tower Master from his body, Logan has been creating the red potion in various ways.”

“Then…….”

“He may have failed to bring the Avatar back, but he will be able to create fire energy separately.”

Roxana started to think.

How great would it be if it were as the witch said?

If the baby wyvern imprinted on her and served her as its master, her father and Hector wouldn’t be able to treat her carelessly.

“Wait. But how did the wyvern egg that Bellos had see Empress Zelda? I heard that Bellos entrusted the wyvern egg to one of his disciples a long time ago?”

“Yes, that disciple’s daughter entered the Lapion Empire as a concubine. The Empress Zelda and the concubine became very close and visited each other, and the wyvern egg awakened when it saw the Empress.”

Roxana’s eyes narrowed as she carefully listened to the witch’s words.

How does this old woman, who has only been on Aclato Island, know even the internal affairs of the Lapion imperial family?

“Kalline, how do you know such things?”

Roxana asked the witch with suspicious eyes.

The witch proudly said, with an expression as if she knew she would be asked that question.

“The concubine’s maid is my granddaughter.”

“Really? How?”

“Because the Magic Tower Master was looking for someone trustworthy, my granddaughter was sent as a maid to the house of the disciple who was entrusted with the wyvern egg when she was young. After the disciple died, her daughter became a concubine, and my granddaughter entered the palace with her.”

“That’s what happened. But…… why are you telling me this?”

“The Magic Tower Master doesn’t seem to have any affection for the Aclato Duchy.”

Unexpected words came from the witch’s mouth.

“He only cares about his mate, his mate. He seems to think that he only needs to get that Empress Zelda who has the Avatar, no matter what happens to the duchy. These days, I even suspect that he has no respect for Aclato Island, where the Magic Tower is located.”

Roxana felt a pang of guilt inside.

Even she, the duchess of the duchy, had no affection for Aclato Island, so there was no way Bellos would.

Besides, Bellos currently possesses the Avatar Sword. He who could take over this world with the Avatar Sword had no reason to be attached to this small island nation.

“It’s even more so because the Magic Tower isn’t affiliated with our duchy. Still, it’s disappointing. If Bellos had married me, Hector of Tanya Island wouldn’t have easily coveted us.”

Roxana blamed Bellos for everything that happened to Aclato Duchy being taken over by Hector.

Then, as if she had been waiting for it, the witch poured out her dissatisfaction with the Magic Tower Master.

“That’s right. But don’t be too heartbroken. You must endure until you use that barbarian king to strike the continent and our noble Aclato Duchy gains power.”

The witch knew Roxana’s sacrifice well.

For that reason, she made her drugs that would prevent her from getting pregnant, and she showed her the person she wanted to see through the crystal ball twice.

However, it was a bit unexpected that she used space magic to see Emperor Linell, taking the risk.

In any case, the witch’s distrust of the Magic Tower Master was helpful to Roxana.

“If I had known that the Magic Tower Master didn’t value our duchy, I wouldn’t have given him my granddaughter.”

The witch, who had lived her whole life in the Aclato Duchy, was a person with great pride and affection for this island.

“And lately, listening to the news that Misha is sending, it seems that the Magic Tower Master is quite fond of Empress Zelda. At this rate, he might just give her the Avatar Sword.”

That was what the witch was most worried about, and Roxana was the same.

Roxana nodded repeatedly at the witch’s words and carefully opened her mouth.

“Will Logan…… make the red potion for me?”

If she also had the fire energy, she would be no different from Empress Zelda.

“It won’t be easy.”

Roxana showed a disappointed look at the witch’s words.

“Logan must be guarding the Magic Tower alone now, right?”

“Yes, I believe so. Would you like to meet him?”

“It’s too late today. I’ll go visit him tomorrow.”

Roxana said, looking at the clock in the witch’s house.

If she delayed too much, Hector might become suspicious.

Roxana, who was leaving the door with Nancy, turned back to the witch.

“Kalline, does Logan have any weaknesses?”

“He has a daughter named Bonis. But now that daughter is said to be Empress Zelda’s maid.”

The witch told Roxana the news that her granddaughter, Misha, had sent.

“I see…….”

Roxana smiled faintly.

***

I closed my eyes in the bathtub and dozed off.

I thought I heard voices from outside the bathroom, so I opened my eyes again.

It sounds like only Linell’s voice?

Who is he talking to?

I quickly made soap bubbles, rubbed them on my body, and poured water over myself.

Then I heard the bathroom door opening carefully.

It must be Linell.

I was sitting in the bathtub with my back to the bathroom door, so I had to turn around, but I didn’t.

‘Tch, he rejected me earlier? Did his mind change in the meantime?’

He suggested taking a bath together, but now he’s coming in on his own.

Should I splash water on him?

Or should I run and hug him while I’m soaking wet and get all his clothes wet?

I was just thinking about getting him all wet in various ways.

Well, he probably didn’t come into the bathroom to have a cup of tea anyway, so it doesn’t matter, but I wanted to act a little coy.

“It’s late! Don’t even think about getting into the tub, I’m getting out now. Can you hand me a towel over there? Then I’ll let you admire my back.”

He didn’t say anything to my unconventional suggestion.

I could imagine what kind of expression he was giving me.

Then how about this?

I got up from the bathtub, spread my arms, and said to him.

“Here, I give you the honor of wiping me. My husband Linell doesn’t do it, so Your Majesty the Emperor, wipe me.”

My dizzying back and sensual provocation would be unavoidable, right?

He must be surprised? He must be surprised.

I couldn’t help but laugh at my bold behavior.

The impromptu nonsense was quite pleasing, and I was pleased to think of his flustered expression.

At this point, I expected his laughter to be louder than mine, but it was strange.

Linell still didn’t react.

Ah, is he taking off his clothes to get into the tub himself?

“You’re not going to wipe me with the clothes you’re wearing like in the cave during the day, are you? I’ll pass on the pants. Your Majesty? What are you doing?”

Why is he still silent? I should be hearing at least a sneer.

I couldn’t stand my curiosity and boldly turned around.

Before I could turn around completely, the door slammed shut.

“……What? Is he sulking?”

What does he have to sulk about?

But apart from that, something felt strange.

I didn’t know why I felt so uneasy after taking a refreshing shower.

I quickly dried myself and came out of the bathroom.

“I think he went out again?”

Linell wasn’t in the room.

“And why is the light so dim?”

I was a little puzzled, but I soon realized his intention and chuckled.

“It’s not even dinner yet, but he’s already being lewd.”

Anyway, he set the room atmosphere so sensually, but where did he go again?

I glanced at the door and walked to the bed.

“Hmm? There’s only one?”

Sharon clearly said she brought two dresses, but there was only one on the bed.

“I forgot.”

It was the first time.

Besides, the extra towel was on the floor.

Thinking that even Sharon, who is always accurate in her work, makes mistakes sometimes, I picked up the towel and put it on the bed and changed into the dress.

As soon as I finished changing, the door opened.

“Zelda?”

Even though he knew that I was obviously in this room, he called my name as if to confirm my existence.

“You’ve come to the wrong room. I’m not Zelda.”

I said, putting the towel I had placed on the bed over my head.

“If you’re not my wife, then who are you?”

Linell walked over and matched my joke.

“I’m a woman named Dazel. What’s your name?”

“I’m Nelli.”

He replied, hugging me from behind.

The name ‘Nelli’ with the letters reversed didn’t suit him at all, so I laughed and turned to him.

“The name is feminine, but your voice is too deep.”

“……Hmm?”

Linell stared at me and tilted his head.

The expression on his face as he looked at me was subtle.

We both asked each other at the same time.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Why did you change?”

Linell asked, scanning my dress.