The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 15

15. Erotic Threat

2021.02.24.

“I had tea time with fifteen noble young ladies this morning.”

At my words, his hand, which had been lifting the hem of my dress to his knee, paused.

“That’s quite a gathering. So?”

“Among them, some who have already become… Your Majesty’s concubines greeted me separately.”

“What?”

Linell looked quite shocked. He released the hem of my dress and slowly leaned back.

“Do you remember which families those young ladies were from?”

“Lady Catherine from the Carios ducal family, Lady Melanie from the Hetzros ducal family, Lady Pesilini from the Astos marquis family, and Lady Rosie from the Adelrid count family.”

Good heavens, did I really memorize all their families? To rattle off the concubines’ families and names so quickly! While I was admiring my own memory, Linell’s expression grew increasingly distorted.

“Oh, and Lady Catherine said she had a special relationship with Linell. Is that true?”

At my sly addition, Linell’s blue eyes darkened rapidly. He didn’t look embarrassed or troubled. He seemed to be deep in thought. What is he thinking? Actually, I wasn’t too concerned that Lady Catherine was his former fiancée. What I was curious about was Linell’s current feelings for Lady Catherine, but his ambiguous expression made it difficult to gauge his emotions.

“They’ve finally… started making moves.”

Linell muttered quietly, looking down at the marble floor. I glanced at his profile as he slightly lowered his head. His jaw tightened, and his lips twisted. For a fleeting moment, a murderous aura crossed his face. As if he noticed me secretly watching him, he dropped his fierce expression and looked at me.

“I didn’t intend for you to find out this way…”

He said with a very wronged look, as if confessing.

“Zelda, do you remember when we got married?”

“It’s been so long that it’s hazy, but I remember.”

It wasn’t meant to be sarcastic, but the words came out that way without me realizing it.

“Three days ago; it’s about time for the memory to be hazy.”

Linell didn’t seem offended; rather, he agreed with me.

“Even if I didn’t like you, I’m not so loose in the lower body that I’d bring in concubines just a few days after getting married.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes, I’m a heavy one.”

His gaze went down somewhere and then back up. No, that’s not what I wanted to ask…

“It’s also true that you don’t like me?”

“That was just an example.”

He twitched his eyebrows and retorted in a disgruntled tone. If all of this is acting, I’d like to applaud his performance.

“Anyway. You were planning to bring in concubines?”

He nodded readily and sighed.

“Hoo, the issue of concubines has been under discussion since before the royal marriage, but I didn’t expect them to rush it like this. But we had definitely agreed to discuss it with you first and then decide when to bring in the concubines…”

“And I found out first?”

“Yes.”

…So, before Linell could even bring up the topic of concubines to me, one of the concubines deliberately revealed the fact during today’s tea time.

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. It’s not good news, but I wanted to tell you myself and make you understand.”

Linell continued calmly, though he seemed quite sorry.

“Since I, the son of a concubine, ascended to the throne, the ministers want to use my legitimacy as an excuse to confirm their positions whenever they get the chance.”

“Ah.”

“That’s why I brought in the power of the Shatoan Kingdom through the royal marriage to check the power of the court. Of course, it was also for a stronger alliance between the two countries in preparation for the war with the Southern Continent.”

“Your Majesty has killed two birds with one stone.”

As I dryly agreed as if talking about someone else, he smiled faintly.

“Hmph, maybe three birds?”

His hand brushed against my cheek.

“I had my way with the royal marriage, but in return, they set conditions for me.”

“Could that condition be… that instead of marrying an empress from Shatoan, the concubines must be daughters of noble families from the Lapion Empire, or something like that?”

“You catch on quickly.”

Linell’s body, which had been leaning against the back of the sofa, slowly leaned towards me again.

“As you know, our Northern Continent has been at war with the Southern Continent because of the wyverns [dragon-like creatures].”

“Yes.”

“The war is currently suspended, but when the wyverns return, the war will start again.”

“Yes, I know that well.”

“Right. The ministers had no choice but to accept the royal marriage with the Shatoan Kingdom under these circumstances, but they are in a position where they cannot tolerate a successor with the blood of another country mixed in.”

“So… are they planning to bring in noble young ladies from the Lapion Empire as concubines and put forward the princes born to them as Your Majesty’s successors?”

Linell frowned as if he was just listening to something unpleasant and nodded.

“They probably think that since I was also born to a concubine, I won’t be able to take issue with that.”

His already low voice sank even lower. It turned out that this wasn’t just a matter of bringing in concubines. There was a tense tug-of-war between the imperial power and the court in the Lapion Empire. Apart from that issue, after hearing the whole story from Linell, I felt much more at ease.

“But why are they trying to bring in concubines so urgently?”

“The ministers seem to be getting a little impatient.”

“Why?”

“It seems that one of the priests who came in on the first night spread rumors to the ministers.”

“What rumors?”

“That I possessed you very passionately.”

“…Ah.”

The memory of his passionate behavior on the first night vividly replayed in my head, leaving me speechless. The heat that rose from my toes was slowly turning my whole body red.

“I’ll leave the priest who spread the rumors to be punished by God, and how should I deal with the ministers who started the trouble because of those rumors and their daughters who spoke carelessly to you…?”

Linell grabbed my hand with a cold expression, but his hand was much colder than his expression. I had the urge to take his icy hand and press it against my flushed face.

“By the way…”

He tilted his head with a more serious look than when he was talking about the concubine issue and stared at me intently. I was taking deep breaths to cool down.

“I can’t concentrate because of the suddenly appearing peach human [someone flushed and attractive]…”

“Excuse me?”

I blinked at Linell’s absurd remark. He groped around his chest and coughed slightly, turning his head slightly.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“The way you look right now.”

Linell held up a finger in front of me and drew a circle in the air. The range of the circle he drew included not only my face but also my chest line. I looked down to check the color of my flushed skin. Only then did I realize what he meant.

“It looks like you’re hot. If you’re hot, why don’t you lift up the hem of your dress a little?”

Linell reached out again, aiming for the hem of my dress.

“It’s okay. I’m just naturally hot…”

I slyly brushed his hand away and fanned my face with both hands.

“Cool down a bit.”

“Thank… you.”

He put his cold hand on my hot neck. Wow, it’s a complete ice pack.

“Your cheeks have become cute.”

“Does my face look like a ripe apple now?”

“Yes.”

The hand that was covering my neck tightened.

“P, please don’t chop my head off.”

“Was I found out?”

Linell burst into laughter and took his hand off my neck. I laughed along with him and groped around my neck, where the heat had subsided.

“Why don’t you borrow my hand if you’re going to cover it anyway?”

“…Excuse me?”

“My hand is much bigger than yours.”

Linell said nonchalantly, comparing the size of my hand to his.

“Please restrain yourself.”

We were the only two people in the office, but many attendants were waiting outside the door.

“I think that applies to me too? I wish you would also restrain your excessive deep breathing.”

Linell said, slightly tugging at the frills decorating my chest line. At his remark, my breath stopped in mid-inhale.

“I like it, but if you don’t want to be misunderstood by Grand Duke Martins, who will be here soon…”

Linell said in a lecturing tone, handing me a sofa cushion that was next to him.

“I will be careful.”

I held my breath and straightened my posture. He chuckled at my bewildered face and then opened his mouth.

“I thought it would be okay to take it slow, but if the situation is like this, we may need to hurry a little.”

Linell said seriously, rubbing his chin with his hand. We hurry? What? Oh, no, does he mean to have a child quickly?

“I, I think it’s too early to talk about a successor?”

“Do they? Do those ministers think it’s an appropriate time for them to push concubines on me?”

Linell frowned, pointed his finger towards the office door, and raised his voice. He wasn’t wrong. But I wasn’t in a position to agree with him and say, ‘I think a princess would be good for the first child!’ and make plans for children.

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to come on to you than for them to push concubines on me?”

Linell’s hand, which had been pointing at the office door, now gently lifted my chin. His blue eyes, filled with me, shot out a cold light as if to freeze me and questioned me. What should I say? I couldn’t think of a suitable excuse. As I hesitated, he seemed slightly hurt.

“It seems you don’t care if I mix my body with other women?”

No, that wasn’t it.

“Are you okay with a child born from another concubine, not a child born between us, becoming my successor?”

That question was something I couldn’t answer in the first place.

“Linell…”

I just called his name weakly. All I could say now was his name.

“I’ll ask again. Zelda, do you not love me, so you’re not angry about sharing me with concubines?”

“Your expression is a bit extreme, Your Majesty.”

“Have you not considered that your silence is more extreme than my words?”

Linell was suppressing his anger.

“…”

“Or are you not interested in the succession? Is that it?”

The reason why I can’t eat even though a feast is laid out before my eyes is because it’s someone else’s table. Not because I’m not hungry. You shouldn’t touch what’s not yours. You shouldn’t. Linell, it’s not because I hate you… No matter how much I appeal with my eyes, he will never know my heart.

“I also hate sharing my things with others the most! Because I’m extremely individualistic.”

Too much silence seemed like it would negatively affect my lifeline, so I just blurted out whatever came to mind. I said it seriously, but Linell erased his serious expression and burst into laughter.

“Hmm, I think I understand the Empress’s intentions.”

He cleared his throat as if to clear his voice and shook off the remaining laughter.

“Let’s talk again when Grand Duke Martins arrives.”

“Yes…”

“I’ll say it again for sure, it’s not an instruction I gave. Of course, bringing in concubines was an unavoidable issue, but I really didn’t intend for you to find out this way.”

At his sincere expression, I nodded obediently.

“Like you, I hate sharing my things with others. Besides, I’m also a picky eater.”

“…So?”

“So, I don’t like tasting this and that. I only eat what suits my taste.”

“What if you get tired of it? Then you’ll look for something else?”

“I don’t know, because I haven’t gotten tired of anything I’ve come to like yet.”

Linell’s face came closer to me. As if promised, our lips twitched at the same time.

“Hmm?”

His lips pecked mine as if stamping a seal.

“W, wait a minute!”

I pushed his solid chest away with both hands, but he didn’t budge.

“Why suddenly…”

“Because I thought you would keep asking stupid questions.”

His flushed voice flowed out from between his slightly parted lips.

“So I’m going to stop it here. Do you hate it?”

“N, no, it’s not that I hate it, but…”

“Then do you like it?”

“Well, I don’t know…”

“If you don’t know, you’ll find out if you do it.”

“Ah.”

My heart, which had been resisting his persistent kiss, gave way helplessly. The kiss that started lightly was getting deeper and deeper. Linell’s hand lingered on my neck for a long time before slowly sliding down below my collarbone. His hand began to hover near my heart, which was beating so hard it was about to pop out. Knock, knock, knock-. At that moment, a cheerful knock echoed throughout the office. Surprised by the sound, I pushed Linell’s chest hard.

Oh? Did I put more strength into it than I thought? I realized that I had failed to control my strength as I watched him fall backward onto the sofa. He stared at me intently with a dumbfounded expression. Before that bewildered expression turned into anger, I quickly responded to the knock.

“C, come in!”

Even as the office door opened, his gaze was fixed on my face. I quickly grabbed his hand and helped him sit properly on the sofa. He moved as I led him, but his face was still in shock.

“Zelda, if you refuse my kiss again, then!”

Linell whispered in my ear, watching the office door slowly opening.

“Don’t think I’ll be the only one falling backward.”

The threat was too erotic.