The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 154

154. Your Daughter Dies

June 25, 2022

Just as Rosie shouted, “Those are poison berries!”, Roxana was finalizing her preparations to visit Aclat Island.

“Where would you like to go, Lady Roxana?”

The coachman, who had been waiting in front of the Duke’s residence, removed his hat and asked politely as Roxana emerged.

“Take me to the Magic Tower.”

Roxana entered the carriage, followed by Nancy.

Arriving at the Magic Tower, Roxana gazed up at the tall, oval structure. Nancy grasped the doorknob on the iron door and knocked.

The sound echoed loudly throughout the tower, despite Nancy’s gentle tap.

The iron door opened sooner than expected, and Logan himself appeared.

“How did you get here? Oh, Lady Roxana, isn’t it?”

“I’m here on business.”

Roxana was surprised to see Logan answering the door, but her voice remained calm.

“The Master of the Magic Tower is currently away. Please return at another time…”

“I came to see you. May I come in?”

It wasn’t a request. Roxana stepped into the Magic Tower before Logan could respond. He stepped aside, looking puzzled.

“What business do you have with me, Lady Roxana? Please, come in.”

He had no prior contact with her, and such unexpected visits usually spelled trouble.

Anyone else would have been questioned before being allowed inside, but as the Lady of Aclat Duchy, courtesy demanded he hear her out first.

Logan led Roxana to a reception area where guests were typically served tea.

“Please wait a moment while I prepare some tea.”

“No, thank you. I don’t need tea.”

Roxana removed her gloves and sat on a wooden chair that looked centuries old.

Logan stood before her, awaiting her explanation.

“Sit down. I have a request.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

Logan wondered what she wanted. A potion for soft skin? Or perhaps to lose weight? He assumed it would be something beauty-related.

However, Roxana’s words defied his expectations.

“I want the power of fire.”

“…Pardon?”

The request was so absurd that Logan couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’ve heard you’ve been developing drugs to summon the Avatar [a powerful magical entity] for the Master of the Magic Tower for a long time. You failed to summon the Avatar, but you can artificially inject the power of fire, correct?”

‘That damn old man. Is he senile? How dare he spread such rumors?’ Logan thought, embarrassed.

The only person on the island who would have told Roxana such a thing was the witch Caline.

“Lady Roxana, the power of fire has many side effects. Our Master of the Magic Tower has enough magic to control those side effects, but you…”

“As you know, our family’s body temperature is higher than that of ordinary people. That’s why our ancestors founded the Duchy on this volcanic island of Aclat.”

Logan was aware of the Roxana family’s unique trait.

However, he only knew that they had a higher body temperature and were resistant to heat, but that no special abilities had ever manifested.

“Because of that, 300 years ago, our family possessed five special wyvern eggs [a type of dragon] that were born in this volcano and incubated in the lava.”

Logan nodded.

“One of the five was held by Belos’s father, the former Master of the Magic Tower, and then passed on to Belos.”

“But I heard that the remaining wyvern eggs did not hatch and disappeared on their own,” Logan said calmly.

“But fortunately, one remains intact. I have it now.”

“Yes, I know. Is that why you want the power of fire—to hatch the wyvern egg?”

“Whether you know it or not, I heard that you can make a red potion containing the power of fire. Wouldn’t you be tempted?”

Roxana maintained her composure and steered the conversation.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t make that red potion carelessly.”

“I know, you’re going to say you need Belos’s permission.”

Roxana raised a hand, cutting off Logan’s words.

“Logan, do you have anything to protect?”

“…Doesn’t everyone have something they want to protect?”

Logan answered vaguely, sensing a trap.

“I see. But I don’t. A life without pain is enough for me. Well, if I’m lucky, maybe the luck of having someone I like like me back?”

A person flashed through Roxana’s mind, and a faint smile touched her lips.

“Lady Roxana, you, who lives a more comfortable life than anyone else here, wants a life without pain? I don’t understand.”

“Logan, you make healing water here every month and send it to the Duke’s residence, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. The Master of the Magic Tower and I make it ourselves.”

“Do you know who that healing water is used for?”

At Roxana’s question, Logan’s mouth dropped open, a terrible possibility dawning on him, underscored by the sadness in her eyes.

“Could it be… that the Duke is treating you…?”

“It must have started when I was five years old. The first time I was whipped on the back.”

Roxana smiled faintly, pretending not to notice Logan’s shocked expression.

“…For what reason?”

“Everything was a reason. When I did something wrong, of course, but also as encouragement, and even when I did something well, as a way to tell me to do better.”

“That’s impossible!”

Listening to Roxana’s words, Logan thought of his daughter, Bonis, who was about the same age, and his anger flared.

Heimich, the Duke, so trusted and respected by the people of Aclat Duchy, was a cruel man who whipped his own daughter.

“I experienced that impossible thing just recently. While listening to the order to seduce Hector of Tanya Island, he whipped me very hard for the first time in a while. What power do I have? I have no choice but to obey. I want you to think that this island is peaceful thanks to me.”

Roxana, who had been speaking calmly, smiled weakly.

She looked more pitiful than if she had been crying, but Logan didn’t know what to say.

“Lady Roxana…”

“What if I were your daughter? I think I heard her name is Bonis.”

“!”

The witch had told the Lady about Bonis’s name.

Logan’s wrinkled forehead deepened.

“Are you threatening me with my daughter right now?”

“Yeah, how happy do you think I was to have something to threaten you with?”

Roxana didn’t deny it. The words that she was happy seemed sincere.

“To help you decide, a soldier of Hector’s had his neck cut off by his axe yesterday. I made it happen. That soldier heard what I was secretly saying.”

Roxana touched her neck and pointed to Nancy’s arm.

“Do you know what I did at that moment?”

Logan felt a cold sweat run down his spine.

She gracefully took out two daggers from both pockets of her robe.

“I cut Nancy’s arm with a sword longer than this, and tore the chest area of my dress. I had to pretend that the soldier was trying to rape me. Fortunately, my acting was pretty good, so it worked.”

Sweat dripped down Logan’s spine.

“So, I hope you don’t waste your energy and follow my orders obediently.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t do it.”

“Haa, my father would whip me first without any explanation and then explain what I had to do. At least I don’t want to be like my father. That’s why I’m warning you in advance… but you don’t understand?”

Roxana denied it herself, but in Logan’s eyes, the face of Duke Heimich and her overlapped.

“What are you trying to say? If I don’t make the red potion, you’ll frame me like that soldier and get rid of me?”

Roxana frowned and shook her head.

“No, not you.”

Your daughter dies.

There was no need to hear the rest. Roxana’s eyes said it all.

“I think that’s enough explanation? Make the red potion.”

“I can’t.”

Roxana nodded at Logan’s firm words.

“I knew you wouldn’t make it willingly. But I guarantee you. If you refuse my offer, Miss Bonis won’t be safe either.”

“Lady Roxana!”

“Do you doubt my words?”

Roxana murmured quietly,

“Okay, then. Let’s start with you.”

“Aaaagh!!”

She mercilessly stabbed the daggers she was holding in both hands into Logan’s thighs.

***

As soon as I heard Rosie’s words, ‘Poison berries,’ I threw the berries I was holding on the ground, and Melanie…

“Uweeaaack!”

She spat out the berries she had been savoring and vomited.

“Ugh, am I going to die?!”

Melanie widened her eyes and grabbed Rosie’s arm.

“No, it’s not that…”

Rosie tried to answer while patting Melanie’s back, who was constantly gagging, but she couldn’t continue because of Melanie’s sorrowful complaints.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have closed my eyes and spent a hot night with one of the knights I saw in the valley yesterday! It’s so unfair… Waaah! What should I do? I don’t want to die like this!”

Melanie wailed.

“Oh, please listen to me first. You won’t die from eating one poison berry.”

“Really? Really?”

“Yes, and Melanie, you spat it out right away without swallowing it. You can eat about two or three of these poison berries without any problems.”

“Haa… That’s a relief.”

Melanie’s legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground.

“But if you eat several, your body will gradually become paralyzed. It depends on the person, but if you eat a lot, you may get sick for a few days and die.”

“Then I won’t die… Thank you, you saved me.”

Melanie brushed off her butt and got up, sniffling.

“That’s right, if you dry these poison berries and eat them, the toxicity will increase dramatically, so you can die even if you eat only one or two. But Melanie, you ate them raw, so you’re fine. Besides, it’s only one, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Rosie shrugged and comforted Melanie as if it was nothing.

“You almost had a big problem, it’s a relief. But how do you know all that, Rosie?”

Jasper’s wife asked Rosie with a curious voice.

“I saw it in a plant book when I was young. And I thought it would be good to read a book about the forest before the hunting competition, so I started reading it, but I didn’t have enough time, so I’m sad that I could only read about 10 books.”

Rosie scratched her head and smiled.

“Oh my gosh, you read 10 books? You must have had nothing to do…”

As Resilia sneered, Rosie moved her lips silently and wildly.

Rosie was probably swearing at Resilia.

‘I was taking care of Rams that you gave birth to, you know?’

She seemed to be saying something with that nuance at first glance.

“Rosie, I suddenly feel like my stomach is hurting a lot.”

Even though she said that two or three poison berries would not cause any problems, Melanie rubbed her stomach and had the face of a seriously ill patient.

“Then let’s go see the doctor, Melanie. There was also a passage that said that occasionally, if the berries are very toxic, you can die even if you eat only half of them.”

“Yeeeaaack?! No, why are you telling me that now? Oh, I’m going to die…”

Melanie suddenly bent over and weakly shook her arms, begging Rosie to support her.

Rosie smiled and supported Melanie out of the thicket.

“Let’s get out of here, Princess.”

Jasper’s wife said to Resilia and walked ahead.

“Yes, okay, this is a dangerous place.”

Resilia also replied to her and pretended to follow, but she slyly reached her arm back and picked a handful of poison berries and put them in the cloth bag she had brought.

‘Why is she putting them in there?’

I shuddered as I watched Resilia secretly put the poison berries in the bag and smile bitterly.

After Resilia disappeared, I sat down in that spot again.

I stared blankly at the poison berries I had thrown on the ground and wondered why Resilia had picked the poison berries.

“She’s definitely trying to feed them to someone.”

But who does she want to harm?

Prince Norton? No. There’s no reason to do that now.

‘Who else could it be but you?’

My Avatar suddenly spoke.

How come this guy only shows up at times like this?

‘Because I’m the only one who can awaken you to your ignorance.’

The Avatar seemed to have read my mind and said things I didn’t even ask.

As the Avatar said, is Resilia targeting me?

I felt like I had become Resilia’s prey.

Should I pretend to eat the poison berries and die on purpose, then suddenly get up and twist Resilia’s neck?

I stomped on the poison berries with my foot, brushed off my butt, and got up.

I took a handkerchief out of my uniform pocket, put about thirty poison berries in it, and tied the ends of the handkerchief together.

It was in case it would be helpful for hunting.

I glanced back into the thicket without thinking, then quickly sat down.

‘Why did she come back?’

Following Resilia, this time Jasper’s wife was quickly putting poison berries into a handkerchief like me.

She’s not trying to use it for hunting like me…

I calmed my surprised heart and carefully peeked back into the thicket.

Jasper’s wife was already walking back the way she had come.

“What are you doing here?”

Oh, you scared me to death!

It was Linell’s voice.

I stroked my chest and turned to look at him.

Linell’s left palm was full of poison berries, I don’t know when he picked them.

He somehow…

Intuitively…

It felt like he was about to throw them all in his mouth.

His left hand went up to his mouth.

No.

“You can’t eat that!”

Maybe it was because his legs were longer than his arms, but before I knew it, my feet went out first.

My toe kicked his hand.

Linell was surprised as if he was having a seizure at my sudden kick.

His head tilted back and at the same time, he opened his mouth wide.

As a result, the poison berries that had bounced into the air fell into his mouth.

Damn it!