The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 158

158. Who are you?

2022.07.09.

“What, what are you doing, Your Majesty!”

The Mage Tower Lord also sat up, facing Zelda with his back to the bed.

“Shouldn’t I be asking what you were doing, Mage Tower Lord?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not one to criticize a rendezvous with a servant. But no matter how urgent, you shouldn’t let a woman crawl under the bed.”

Velloss felt wronged by Zelda’s misunderstanding, his head spinning.

“It’s not what you think, Your Majesty.”

“So, you’re saying she went in there on her own accord?”

“…That’s…”

With someone clearly under the bed, he couldn’t deny it.

Velloss couldn’t understand Roxana.

Why was she still under the bed instead of pressing the amethyst around her neck to disappear before things got to this point? (The amethyst is likely a magical artifact that grants invisibility or teleportation.)

It felt like Roxana would readily reveal herself if Zelda ordered her to come out one more time.

Velloss’s insides were burning up.

“I’m not here to scold you, so come out. If you’re comfortable under the bed, we can talk there.”

Velloss, faced with her dignified tone befitting an empress, couldn’t say anything more and resigned himself to silence.

“Didn’t Her Majesty tell you to come out? What are you doing?”

This time, Rosie sat next to Zelda and tapped the floor with her palm, urging Roxana.

Aoshi imitated Rosie’s actions, tapping the floor with his paws and meowing solemnly, mimicking their tone.

“Miyaong! (Come out now!)”

After about a minute, Roxana, who had been lying on her side, rolled out from under the bed.

Roxana was startled to see Empress Zelda and the concubine sitting upright, looking at her.

She got up, smoothed her disheveled red hair, and naturally knelt down.

As a servant, she couldn’t sit in the same posture.

“I don’t think I’ve seen this servant before…?”

Rosie narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Roxana’s attractive face.

There was no way a servant with such beauty would have gone unnoticed.

She felt more like a noble lady than a servant.

Zelda also looked at the unfamiliar Roxana before shifting her gaze to Velloss.

Velloss couldn’t bring himself to meet Zelda’s eyes and was staring at Aoshi.

He didn’t even know what kind of expression he was making.

“I apologize for startling you.”

Roxana said, lowering her eyes.

Her voice was as aristocratic as her appearance.

Her low, calm voice was extraordinary.

“She doesn’t seem to be a concubine’s servant. Is she from the cooking or laundry department?”

Zelda asked in a much softer voice.

“…Yes, Your Majesty. I belong to the cooking department.”

At Roxana’s answer, Zelda looked down at her hands, neatly folded on her lap.

‘Her hands are more beautiful than mine?’

It was strange for a cooking department servant to have such delicate hands, but she assumed she took good care of them or was born with it.

“I see. So, what brings you to the Mage Tower Lord’s room…?”

Zelda started to ask but stopped herself.

It was obvious just from the fact that she was hiding under the bed instead of sitting on a chair.

She thought she had asked a pointless question.

“The Mage Tower Lord said he had something to tell me, so I came to see him.”

Roxana said, glancing sideways at the Mage Tower Lord.

Velloss’s mind became complicated.

‘This is the most difficult situation in my 250 years since adulthood.’

He resented Roxana for passing the buck to him.

“Was the Mage Tower Lord’s business on the back of that servant?”

Zelda had seen that the zipper of Roxana’s dress was open when she came out from under the bed with her back turned.

Roxana then remembered the zipper she hadn’t pulled up.

Unintentionally, the situation was turning comical.

“I, I didn’t do anything…”

Velloss waved his hands and blushed.

‘What an idiot.’

Roxana clicked her tongue inwardly at Velloss’s stammering.

How could he not handle this situation smoothly after living for so long?

“Yes, the Mage Tower Lord was just trying to zip it up for me.”

Roxana said, as if speaking for Velloss.

“Ah, so you’re saying she was wearing clothes, not taking them off?”

Not right before taking the zipper down, but before pulling it up.

If you follow the order, Zelda’s words were correct, but what she was imagining was very different from the truth.

Zelda exchanged glances with Rosie, suppressing a laugh.

In that gap, Roxana was able to take a closer look at her face.

Clear pink eyes, delicate features on a small face.

Soft-looking, abundant blonde hair. A slender figure, but a strong energy and confident gaze emanating from her body.

A hint of playfulness in her fleeting smile, and a voice that was both kind and stubborn.

In a word, she was attractive.

But she didn’t seem so great as to harbor a Hwansin [a powerful, possibly divine, entity].

She was just a lovely woman.

“With so many eyes watching…”

Rosie glanced at Velloss with a disappointed look and muttered to herself, and Zelda shook her head, grabbing her arm.

“That’s why he called her to his room at night.”

Velloss felt even more resentful towards Zelda for taking his side.

“Sorry to interrupt. But Mage Tower Lord, you did ask the servant’s consent, right?”

She was asking if he was just trying to flirt with her on his own.

“Of course, I would, Your Majesty!”

This was a situation where he would be wronged whether he made excuses or not.

Velloss looked at Roxana with a wronged expression.

Zelda and Rosie also focused their attention on her.

Velloss was very angry at this situation, where his image depended on Roxana’s words.

“I want to go back now.”

What?

Velloss burst out laughing at Roxana’s tired, pitiful tone.

Zelda’s expression, glancing sideways at Velloss, became sharp.

“Okay, then you can leave with us.”

Roxana glanced at Velloss, trying to read his expression.

He was cursing at Roxana with his eyes.

At that moment, the Hwansin Sword that had been leaning against the wall between the two women fell.

Zelda and Roxana reached out at the same time.

Roxana touched the Hwansin Sword first.

But as soon as her hand touched it,

“Ah!”

The vibration felt from the sword spread from Roxana’s hand to her entire shoulder, startling her and making her let go of the sword.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Zelda grabbed Roxana’s hand.

Roxana was more surprised by Zelda grabbing her hand than by the vibration she had just felt from the Hwansin Sword.

For the empress to grab a servant’s hand so casually, without any hesitation.

Even she, as a princess, rarely had contact with other servants besides her own, Nancy.

Zelda examined Roxana’s palm and let go of her hand only after confirming that she was okay.

The smile Zelda showed as she let go of her hand struck somewhere in Roxana’s heart.

This time, as Zelda reached out to touch the Hwansin Sword, the Hwansin Sword spun around and the sword hilt hit her fingertip.

Zelda grabbed the hilt of the Hwansin Sword as if possessed.

But at that moment, Zelda also,

“Ah!”

Showed the same reaction as Roxana and let go of the Hwansin Sword.

“I felt a vibration. Is that why you let go too?”

Zelda looked down at her palm and spoke to Velloss, then turned to Roxana and asked.

Before Roxana could answer, Velloss interjected.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. It’s a natural reaction.”

He said as if it was nothing and quickly put the Hwansin Sword back on the wall.

“Does that sword always vibrate when you touch it?”

Zelda asked again.

“Yes, it shows rejection in various ways depending on the energy. One of them is vibration.”

‘It’s the first time the sword hilt has turned on its own, though.’

Velloss deliberately didn’t mention the fact that the Hwansin Sword had shown a special reaction to Zelda.

“Ah, I see.”

Zelda nodded, looking down at her palm.

Even though she had a Hwansin in her body, it seemed that the Hwansin Sword was showing a rejection reaction to her because the power of fire had not yet been properly manifested.

However, Roxana’s perspective was different.

‘The sword hilt only turned to the empress.’

If even the Hwansin Sword was taken by Zelda first, Roxana’s plan would be ruined.

But fortunately, Velloss seemed to be wary of Empress Zelda when it came to the Hwansin Sword.

Zelda looked like she wanted to ask Velloss something more about the Hwansin Sword, but she held back, conscious of Roxana.

“I should get going now.”

As Zelda stood up, Rosie also stood up, holding Aoshi in her arms.

Roxana also stood up with them, and Zelda said to Velloss.

“I’ll take this servant with me. From now on, refrain from unwanted attention and contact, even if it’s a servant.”

“Your Majesty, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I was just…”

Velloss tried to make excuses with a hollow laugh, but Zelda cut him off.

“I know, you must be lonely.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve spent those long years alone, so I understand your feelings well enough, but please be considerate of the other person’s feelings too.”

Velloss stood there blankly, unable to do anything, at Zelda’s firm advice.

‘Say something.’

Velloss gestured to Roxana with his eyes, but Roxana ignored his angry gaze and left the room following Empress Zelda.

“Ha, I’ve been hit hard in the back of the head.”

He had joined hands with the princess for the sake of the great cause, but it would be troublesome if she acted arbitrarily like this every time.

“I need to be wary.”

Velloss fell into thought.

***

“Did the Mage Tower Lord force you…?”

I took the servant out of the Mage Tower Lord’s room and walked slowly down the hallway, asking her.

“It wasn’t like that.”

If it wasn’t like that, then it was true that Rosie and I had interrupted.

“Alright, then. What’s your name?”

“Nancy…”

“Nancy, just a moment.”

I finished zipping up her dress, which had been bothering me since earlier.

I didn’t forget to gently stroke her back to reassure her, as Nancy seemed embarrassed.

Nancy took a slight step back, as if surprised by my touch.

“Thank you, Your Majesty…”

Her pretty face was bewildered and clearly surprised.

“There’s no need to be shy. And I’m saying this out of concern, but please be careful, as your actions can have consequences.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

I smiled at her and walked down the hallway again.

“Your Majesty, I was a little disappointed in the Mage Tower Lord.”

Rosie glanced back at her following her and whispered to me.

“There’s no need to be. It’s something that often happens among nobles.”

Even noble ladies often secretly enjoyed rendezvous with the knights they employed.

Besides, although he was a bit old… I couldn’t criticize the still unmarried Mage Tower Lord for playing zipper games with a woman he liked.

Of course, if he had tried to take a servant by force, that was a problem that couldn’t be overlooked, but judging from Nancy’s expression, it didn’t seem like that was the case.

“Ah, you said you were from the cooking department, right?”

I turned to Nancy and asked as I approached my room.

“…Yes, that’s right.”

She replied with a still nervous face.

“Could you bring two cups of lemon tea to my room?”

I thought it would relieve my fatigue if I drank a cup with Linelle before going to bed.

“Ah, yes. I’ll make it and bring it up.”

With Nancy’s answer, Bonis, who was staying in the next room, came out.

“Your Majesty, where are you coming from?”

“Rosie and I went to the Mage Tower Lord’s room for a while.”

I said, subtly holding up the magic potion in my hand.

Bonis nodded, saying ‘Ah ha,’ and looked at Nancy next to her.

“She’s a servant from the cooking department, and I happened to meet her in front of the Mage Tower Lord’s room, so I was asking her to make lemon tea.”

I didn’t bother to mention that I had met her under the Mage Tower Lord’s bed.

“Ah, I was just about to go down to the dining hall because I needed something too.”

“If you need something, shall I bring it to you?”

Bonis shook her head at the servant’s words.

“No, let’s go down together.”

“Okay, then that’s settled. Nancy, I’m counting on you.”

I smiled at Bonis and said to the servant.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The servant Nancy’s voice was quite elegant.

***

Roxana, who had ended up coming down to the first floor where the dining hall was located, naturally followed the direction Bonis was going.

Bonis suddenly stopped.

“Where are you going? I think this is the kitchen?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment and ended up walking…”

Roxana, who had no idea where the kitchen was located, panicked and quickly opened the door Bonis pointed to.

Fortunately, the kitchen was as Bonis had expected.

Although she had entered the kitchen, Roxana was faced with another problem.

The problem was that she didn’t know where the lemons were stored, and the bigger problem was that she didn’t know how to make lemon tea.

Bonis’s voice was heard quietly from behind Roxana, who was only looking around the kitchen.

“You’re not a servant from the cooking department, are you?”

“!”

“Who are you, daring to lie to Her Majesty?”