The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 162

162. His Choice

July 23, 2022

“That dagger… Isn’t that what the knights of the Lapion Imperial Family carry?”

Prince Kalbain said to Linelle, glaring at Commander Markrom.

“I didn’t mention it while I was staunching [stopping] the prince’s wound with the commander, fearing he might try to escape.”

Only then did I notice the pattern engraved on the blade of the dagger that had fallen to the floor.

At first, it was hard to see because it was covered in blood, but upon closer inspection, it was indeed the dagger that the commanders carried, as Prince Kalbain had said.

And Markrom’s name was engraved on the blade.

There was no denying that the dagger that had pierced Prince Tesler’s side belonged to Commander Markrom.

“What! You dare stab my brother?! Your Majesty, arrest him! He must be executed immediately!”

Princess Resilia pointed at Commander Markrom and shouted.

Unlike Commander Markrom’s indifferent expression, Bonis next to him stopped breathing, puffing out his chest.

I knew from Bonis’s expression.

‘It wasn’t Commander Markrom who stabbed Prince Tesler, it was Bonis.’

What should I do?

I looked at Linelle. He called the commander in a monotonous voice.

“Markrom.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Is that dagger yours?”

“It is.”

At Commander Markrom’s answer, Princess Resilia raged and rushed at the commander.

“Calm down, Princess!”

Grand Duke Martins tried to stop the princess, but she swung her hand and slapped Commander Markrom’s cheek.

“You murderer!”

Slap! The sound was quite sharp.

He’s not even dead, yet she calls him a murderer.

I sighed softly and looked at Commander Markrom.

The commander, who had been slapped by Princess Resilia, stood silently with a blank expression, as if he had been turned into a statue.

Instead, Bonis next to him staggered, and I quickly supported Bonis.

“Are you okay?”

Bonis looked at me when I asked.

It was a look as if he was asking for my help, but there was nothing I could do in this situation.

Even though Princess Resilia called Commander Markrom a murderer, the commander did not refute it.

Linelle’s gaze, watching the scene, was also unwavering.

His question continued.

“Yes, I can’t deny that your name is engraved on that dagger. Then I’ll ask the question again.”

In the meantime, the knights brought a stretcher and carefully moved Prince Tesler, and the Archmage and the magician Big followed.

Linelle watched Prince Tesler being carried away on a stretcher and then stared at Commander Markrom again.

Before asking the question again, the subtle gazes of the two collided in the air.

It was a look that knew what each other was going to say, and I could have guessed it too.

“Did you attack Prince Tesler with that dagger?”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You’re not going to let such an impudent person live, are you! Your Majesty?”

Princess Resilia struggled again. Grand Duke Martins tried to stop her, but he was overwhelmed and fell backward.

I frowned as I glanced down at the Grand Duke, and the Grand Duke jumped up again and grabbed the princess’s arm.

“What is the reason?”

Linelle asked.

Then Bonis, who was leaning on me, shook off my hand and took a step forward and said.

“No, Your Majesty! The commander is just…!”

“Bonis, be quiet. Markrom answers.”

Linelle raised one hand, cut off Bonis’s words, and ordered.

His voice was firm and more dignified than ever.

But Bonis disobeyed his order and raised his voice again.

“Prince Tesler was trying to rape me! So…”

“Yes, Bonis shouted for help.”

Commander Markrom interrupted, blocking Bonis from telling the truth.

“I happened to be nearby and ran to the drawing-room to stop the prince, which led to a physical fight, and I ended up using the dagger in the process. But I made a mistake because I couldn’t see. It was an unintentional accident.”

The nobles gathered in the drawing-room buzzed at Commander Markrom’s words.

If that was true, it was ambiguous to put the blame solely on the commander.

That crazy bastard tried to Bonis?

I wanted to run to the Archmage right away and order him not to heal Prince Tesler.

“Aren’t you overreacting to Prince Tesler, who was drunk?”

Prince Kalbain said, as if defending Prince Tesler.

“It was not a premature response. The situation was very urgent and dangerous.”

Commander Markrom answered, looking towards Bonis.

“As you said, Prince Tesler was very drunk, and he was harassing Bonis, so I had no choice but to use force.”

“That can’t be! How could my brother do such a thing to someone like that? This is slander! Even if that’s true, Bonis must have seduced him!”

Princess Resilia immediately retorted.

“Princess, watch your words!”

I couldn’t stay still either.

She flinched at my shout.

Then, with a resentful expression, she strode towards me.

Grand Duke Martins was holding on to the princess, but because he was inherently weak, he couldn’t defend her well and let her go.

However, Princess Resilia couldn’t hit me like she hit Grand Duke Martins’ cheek.

She knew very well that if she slapped my cheek, her head would fly off.

“Miss Bonis, is what Commander Markrom said true?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is true that Prince Tesler tried to rape me. But Commander Markrom stabbed him…”

“I stabbed him.”

Commander Markrom stopped Bonis again.

“We will investigate again when Tesler wakes up. But, first of all, there must be appropriate measures before the prince wakes up.”

Linelle was silent for a moment, looking as if he was troubled.

It was obvious that Tesler was at fault.

But I didn’t know how Linelle would handle this.

“Markrom, receive the order.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Commander Markrom knelt on one knee in front of him and bowed his head.

All the nobles gathered in the drawing-room looked at Linelle.

“From this moment on, all your positions and authorities are revoked.”

Linelle ordered in a cold voice.

As soon as his words fell, Bonis collapsed to the floor.

“Your Majesty! That’s too much…!”

I raised my voice without realizing it.

“As I said just now, I will investigate the truth again when Tesler wakes up and take appropriate measures.”

It was difficult to argue further because his decision was not wrong.

“He might run away!”

Princess Resilia asked, as if Linelle’s decision was not satisfactory.

“That’s right, we need to monitor the commander.”

Prince Kalbain also seconded the princess’s words.

“Of course, we will assign personnel to monitor Markrom separately.”

At Linelle’s words, Prince Kalbain nodded and closed his mouth.

I comforted the sobbing Bonis.

“It’s because of me, the commander because of me…!”

“Bonis, calm down.”

I had nothing else to say in this situation.

“Stian, call the vice-commander. And Raphael, you instruct the knights to confine Commander Markrom to his room and place guards in front of the door.”

“Yes… Your Majesty.”

“I will take the order.”

Stian and Raphael also looked at Commander Markrom with pitiful eyes, but they didn’t seem to have any other way to help him at the moment.

Princess Resilia and Prince Kalbain could no longer demand anything from Linelle, who had made a quick decision.

After a while, knights came into the drawing-room, grabbed Commander Markrom’s arms, and took him away.

Only then did Princess Resilia calm down her excitement, and Bonis continued to cry.

“I have something to discuss with the vice-commander, so the Empress should go up first with Miss Bonis.”

Linelle said to me when the vice-commander arrived outside the drawing-room.

Then Princess Resilia took a step closer to him and asked in a whisper.

“Your Majesty, this is about my brother, so I can stay, right?”

Why, when she didn’t even witness the scene?

I glared at Princess Resilia. She was holding on to Linelle with a pleading expression, holding up her handsome face in front of his nose.

“Princess, go up too. Grand Duke, escort the princess.”

Linelle said politely to her and looked at Grand Duke Martins.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Princess, let’s go.”

Grand Duke Martins persuaded Princess Resilia, and Prince Kalbain also slipped away and went up to his room.

Sharon, who had come down to the drawing-room late after hearing the news from the chamberlain Stian, supported Bonis with me.

***

Bonis, who had arrived in her room, burst into tears again and complained to me.

“I stabbed Prince Tesler. It’s me, Your Majesty!”

“I know. His Majesty knows too.”

“But why…”

“Don’t you really know? Commander Markrom is trying to protect you.”

I said, patting Bonis on the shoulder.

“He’s such a fool. I don’t know why he’s taking the blame for me.”

“If you had said you stabbed him on the spot, the situation would have become more complicated. And Commander Markrom seems to have judged that it would be better for him to take the blame than for you to be imprisoned.”

Commander Markrom was a person who had lost his sight, so he could pretend to have made a mistake.

Of course, even though the commander had lost his sight, he was a person who never made mistakes in handling a sword, but outwardly, it was good to make excuses.

It would be a problem if Commander Markrom injured Prince Tesler by wielding a weapon, but since it happened while trying to stop the prince from raping Bonis, it would be somewhat excusable.

The problem was that Prince Tesler didn’t die.

“I’m a little worried about how the prince will react when he wakes up.”

“If he denies that he was trying to rape me, then I’ll really kill him!”

Bonis clenched her teeth and squeezed the blanket as if strangling Prince Tesler’s neck with both hands.

“He has his pride, so he won’t make a big deal out of it. But I don’t know how His Majesty will deal with Commander Markrom. Because he is a prince of the Shatoanil Kingdom, and there are other nobles watching, so it will be difficult to just let it go.”

“I’m sorry. Your Majesty…”

Bonis had been focusing her eyes all along, but then she took the strength out of her eyes again and apologized to me.

“What are you sorry for? It’s all because of that trashy guy.”

I said, recalling the face of Prince Tesler, who had fainted in the drawing-room.

When I heard that Prince Tesler was drunk and tried to rape Bonis, I really wanted to put that dagger back into the prince’s side.

If no one was watching, I might have really done that.

“But Bonis, you should exercise a little more in the future.”

“…Yes?”

“Your hand strength seems a little weak.”

If I were Bonis, Prince Tesler would no longer be in this world.

Unless I don’t hold a sword, once I grab a sword to stab something, I have to see it through to the end.

Bonis and Sharon, who didn’t understand my words, stared at me with wide eyes, waiting for me to add an explanation.

But I said it was nothing and sighed.

“Will Prince Tesler be able to regain consciousness?”

Sharon asked in a tone that it would be very difficult if the prince regained consciousness.

“Probably. Not only the magician Big, but the Archmage’s healing skills are excellent. Just look at how he healed Misha yesterday.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but I hope the Archmage heals him slowly. Or just pretend to heal him.”

Sharon said in a sincere voice.

Yeah, that’s what I mean.

“By the way, Sharon. Was there anyone among the servants who entered my room 30 minutes ago?”

“30 minutes ago?”

“Yes, I was in the bathroom at that time, and it seemed like someone came in and went out.”

“No. All the other servants have been resting in their rooms since you ordered them to rest two hours ago.”

“Right? It wouldn’t be the Empress Palace servants…”

“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

Sharon asked with a puzzled expression.

“Actually, I put this on the dressing table.”

I continued, taking out a magic potion bottle from my robe pocket.

“I forgot about that fact, and then I heard Prince Kalbain shouting, and then I came out of the room with His Majesty, and this was placed outside the door.”

“Oh my gosh! Someone took it out of the dressing table and put it outside?!”

Sharon exclaimed in surprise and stared intently at the magic potion bottle.

“If it was 30 minutes ago, could it be… when the servant brought the lemon tea?”

Bonis asked, frowning deeply.

“Ah, Nancy? That’s right. It was around that time. Could that servant have taken it outside? But why? Knowing what this is.”

Nancy was the only one who came into our room at that time.

I had the same thought as Bonis, but there were many parts that didn’t make sense even if Nancy took the magic potion.

“Who is Nancy?”

Sharon looked at me and Bonis and asked.

“She’s a servant in the cooking department, and I happened to meet her in front of the Archmage’s room.”

I told Sharon what I had told Bonis.

“Nancy, a servant in the cooking department…? That’s a name I’ve never heard of before?”

Sharon’s brown eyes slowly turned and raised the end of her words.

“Do you know all the names of the servants in the cooking department?”

When Bonis asked, Sharon smiled brightly as if it were natural.

“I don’t know all of them, but at least I’ve heard all the names of the cooking department servants who joined this hunting competition?”

“Really? She definitely said she was in the cooking department. And she made lemon tea too. It tasted a bit weird though.”

“Lemon tea, was it not good?”

Bonis asked, blinking her eyes.

“Yeah, it was very strange. If she’s in the cooking department, she should know how to make lemon tea.”

“Hmm, that’s suspicious. I’ll go to the cooking department and see if there’s a servant named Nancy.”

Sharon said, muttering as if recalling Nancy’s name.

***

The next morning.

Knock knock-.

Just as Linelle and I were almost fully dressed, a knock was heard.

“Come in.”

As his permission fell, the door opened.

“Your Majesty! Prince Tesler has regained consciousness!”

Raphael brought bad news from the morning.

“I see. Go to Bellos and tell him to knock him out again and make him wake up in 3 days.”

Linelle said to Raphael, fastening the last button of his uniform.

“Yes? Are you serious…?”

Raphael, who had been standing blankly for a few seconds, scratched his head and asked.

Then he replied in a confident tone.

“Yeah.”