The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 17

17. I Would Rather Be a Sunflower (17/347)

2021.03.03.

In the end, I left the main palace with Grand Duke Martins and strolled through the garden. For a while, we were silent. I didn’t have anything to say, and the Grand Duke seemed to be carefully choosing his words. Both the Grand Duke, who had something to say, and I, who had to listen, remained silent. I smelled the fresh scent of grass as we walked on.

“The approval must have been granted by now.”

That was the first thing Grand Duke Martins said to me after we came out to the garden.

“Are you talking about the concubine issue?”

“Yes, how do you feel about it?”

“I don’t know what answer you’re expecting. You know my true identity better than anyone.”

If I were the real empress, that chatterbox walking next to me would have already had his head smashed in.

“That’s why I’m asking out of curiosity. Have you developed feelings for His Majesty in the meantime?”

My heart stung at Grand Duke Martins’ words.

“Well, people’s feelings can change unexpectedly.”

“Sounds like the Grand Duke’s experience?”

“It’s funny to hear that question from the person involved.”

“……What? What do you mean?”

“No, nothing.”

Grand Duke Martins’ expression seemed to be hiding something, unlike his answer. If I pressed him, he would reluctantly answer, but I wasn’t curious enough to ask further. As we turned our walk towards a field path filled with endless sunflowers, Grand Duke Martins began to speak again.

“I’m saying this out of concern, but Empress, you are only staying here temporarily. You didn’t come here to find a real husband.”

“Is my empress act that convincing? Are you giving me that advice because you think I’m forgetting my position?”

I asked sharply.

“I apologize if I offended you. If the Empress’s gaze and expression towards His Majesty were all acting, then you are truly excellent.”

“……That’s a relief.”

I wanted to get out of this place quickly.

“Grand Duke, please say what you have to say.”

As I urged him, Grand Duke Martins nodded with a meaningful smile.

“The Royal Knights have found Princess Lesilia.”

At those words, my heart sank.

If I had heard this news before the national wedding, I would have been relieved and happy. But I, who had already spent time with him, was not happy at all. This is a big problem. These feelings are dangerous.

“Then, when will the Princess…… come to the Lapion Imperial Palace?”

“It seems there’s a bit of a problem.”

“Problem? What’s wrong?”

“Hmm, Princess Lesilia’s health doesn’t seem to be good.”

“Does she have some kind of illness?”

“It’s not exactly an illness, but the Princess needs some time to recover. After all, she’s been living a life of luxury and then went on the run with a mercenary of unknown origin, so she must be exhausted.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

I stared into space and replied listlessly. With the issue of bringing in concubines and the problem of Princess Lesilia added, my head throbbed relentlessly. Which of the two problems is making me feel worse? ……I really don’t know. Right now, I just desperately wanted to return to my bedroom and go to bed early.

“I will inform the Empress as soon as more news comes from the kingdom.”

“Please do.”

I replied to Grand Duke Martins and gestured to Sharon, who was standing far away.

“Sharon, let’s go back to the Empress Palace now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Grand Duke, noticing Sharon walking towards us, quickly whispered to me.

“Before Princess Lesilia arrives at this Imperial Palace, if you can establish discipline among the concubines, it would be good to do so.”

“Who?”

My head tilted at Grand Duke Martins’ sudden words.

“The Empress, of course.”

The Grand Duke pointed at me with his chin and said.

“Why should I do that?”

I raised my shoulders and asked, feigning protest.

“Well…… for Princess Lesilia, who will become the future Empress, and for the Empress’s current venting of anger?”

Grand Duke Martins’ tone seemed to be testing me. He waited for my reaction with a half-smiling face. My ankle twitched with the impulse to smash Grand Duke Martins’ shin with my shoe, like chopping down a tree with an ax, but I held back. Just as I was tensing my foot, a presence was heard from the opposite side of the sunflower field where we were standing.

“Your Majesty, in the future, we can have meals together and take walks often, right?”

“Catherine, surely you haven’t forgotten what happened before our engagement?”

“N, no way. I really made a foolish mistake back then. There hasn’t been a day that I haven’t regretted it.”

“A mistake is when you do something without knowing. That was deceiving me.”

It was Linelle and Catherine’s voices. Grand Duke Martins and I unintentionally overheard their conversation. Something serious was going on.

“I hate people who deceive me the most.”

With his cold voice, a cold wind blew through the sunflower field. If he hates people who deceive him the most…… then…… I must be his biggest object of hatred. Suddenly, a chill ran through my body.

“If Your Majesty had embraced me back then, I wouldn’t have had a reason to do that!”

“It was my fault?”

“That’s not what I mean. But now I’ve become Your Majesty’s woman. So forget about that now…….”

“No matter how much of a concubine you become, I don’t think of a woman who doesn’t share anything with me as my woman.”

“Surely you didn’t really consummate the marriage as the rumors say…… did you?”

“Why not? Isn’t it natural for a married couple?”

Unlike Linelle’s composed voice, Catherine began to get agitated.

“I thought it was just a rumor! H, how could that…… Your Majesty isn’t one to be close to women!”

“I told you. The Empress isn’t just a woman, she’s my wife.”

“B, but the Empress is less than me……!”

Catherine didn’t finish her sentence. I felt like I knew what she wanted to say. She probably wanted to say that my appearance was inferior to hers. Well, that’s not entirely wrong. Linelle would have also guessed what Catherine was trying to say. A moment of silence flowed. I made eye contact with Grand Duke Martins. I had to decide whether to reveal our presence at this point, or to go into the sunflower field, rest my chin on my hands, and pretend to be a sunflower.

“Don’t speak carelessly. About my wife.”

Linelle’s low, subdued voice stopped me as I was about to turn around. I wanted to leave quietly, but I couldn’t move my body. After his words, Catherine’s voice was not heard. Perhaps she was as shocked by Linelle’s words as I was, and was speechless. I pressed my lips tightly and tapped Grand Duke Martins’ arm, pointing in the direction of the two. At the same time, I told the attendants with my mouth.

“Everyone, that way!”

Everyone nodded at my words and lowered their bodies. I counted ‘one, two, three’ again with my mouth and carefully took a step with the attendants, holding the hem of my dress. But at that moment.

“Are you finishing your walk here? E, m, p, r, e, s, s!”

The gourd [Korean idiom meaning a secret that was supposed to be kept, but was revealed] that was leaking inside finally leaked outside as well. Should I really break that gourd with my foot, or not? I glared at Grand Duke Martins with all my might. The Grand Duke put his hands to his mouth and loudly announced my presence as if blowing a trumpet. What would grow if I tore off that Grand Duke’s mouth and planted it in this sunflower field? The sound of Linelle and Catherine’s footsteps, which had been walking from the opposite side, stopped abruptly. My reason also stopped abruptly because of Grand Duke Martins’ loose tongue.

‘Why are you calling me and making a fuss, you eyesore!’

I poured all sorts of curses at the Grand Duke with my eyes. Seeing me like that, Grand Duke Martins laughed silently with a very happy face. My stomach turned even more at the Grand Duke’s carefree appearance. Now that I see it, Grand Duke Martins’ face bloomed more brightly than the sunflowers.

“Empress?”

With Linelle’s voice calling me, a cold wind blew once again in the sunflower field. I slowly raised my lowered waist. Turning to him, I covered my face with the sunflower I was holding in my hand.

“Empress or sunflower? Reveal your existence.”

At Linelle’s dignified question, I smiled brightly and lowered the sunflower.

“Oh, Your Majesty.”

I called out happily as if I had just discovered him. Wait, shouldn’t I have acted surprised before smiling brightly at him? I’m doomed. Haa…… I don’t know, I don’t know. As Linelle slowly approached me, Catherine also followed closely beside him. The sight of the two walking together was like a painting. Even the surrounding colorful flowers looked dull compared to the beauty of the two. Even under the dazzling sunlight, Catherine’s skin was as fair and smooth as a well-peeled boiled egg. As Grand Duke Martins greeted the two with courtesy, Catherine also greeted me. I wanted to give a confident smile like her, but the corners of my lips wouldn’t listen.

“Greetings to the Empress. I am Catherine Callios, who will soon become the First Concubine of His Majesty.”

She said with a very haughty and restrained gesture. I lowered my gaze to Catherine’s lower body. When I saw her at tea time, I thought her knees were bad, but now I see that she bends them perfectly well. She bends her knees so well, but her head is still stiff. I suddenly had the funny thought of whether the day she lowers her stiff head will come sooner, or the day I am kicked out of the Empress’s seat will come sooner.

“I saw you at tea time and now I see you here again.”

I threw out a terribly trite remark because I had nothing to say to her.

“I think we’ll be seeing each other more often in the future.”

Catherine repackaged the words I had said without much meaning and returned them to me in a very meaningful way. One question crossed my mind at Catherine’s arrogant appearance. What would happen if Princess Lesilia, who has the innocent brain of a child, faced such a haughty concubine? It would be worth watching if the two were together.

“The Empress and the Grand Duke are together…… even taking a walk.”

Linelle looked back and forth between me and the Grand Duke with a displeased look. His tone was like interrogating people who had been caught plotting treason.

“Yes, Grand Duke Martins is my conversational partner. Your Majesty was already with a new concubine…… even taking a walk?”

Besides, she’s a former fiancée, right? I echoed Linelle’s words exactly.

“A conversational partner? Well, since he’s the only person from the Shatou Neil Kingdom in this Imperial Palace, there must be a lot to talk about.”

Linelle muttered to himself as if he were alone, but he looked at me with a frown. Strangely, he didn’t mention Catherine, who was standing next to him showing off her splendid figure.

“Did the meeting go well?”

I asked with a voice that pretended to be calm, conscious of Catherine next to Linelle. Linelle only nodded without answering. His eyes stared at me persistently.

“Your Majesty, you were in the middle of a conversation with the new concubine, so it seems we have disturbed you.”

Grand Duke Martins said to him with his trademark sly smile.

“We?”

At the end of Linelle’s question, a fierce gaze flew towards me. Grand Duke Martins said the words, but why is he glaring at me like that? He seemed quite displeased.

“Have a pleasant conversation with Lady Catherine. I was just about to return to the Empress Palace. Then I’ll be on my way…….”

“…….”

I quickly greeted Linelle and turned around, starting to walk away as if running away.

“Your Majesty, don’t worry. I will escort the Empress. Then I will also step back now.”

Grand Duke Martins’ unwelcome meddling was heard from behind me. I don’t know how much more he’s going to turn my stomach by saying he’s going to chase after me. I walked at almost a jogging pace to maximize the distance between me and Grand Duke Martins. I glanced at Sharon, who was diligently following me even though I was panting, and said.

“Sharon, is there anything like a landmine in the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes? Your Majesty, why are you suddenly looking for landmines?”

Sharon lowered her head at my question and looked around at the ground.

“To plant in every step Grand Duke Martins takes. No, the Grand Duke himself is a landmine.”

“Eek!”

At my heartfelt words, Sharon quickly covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. Sharon, as if wanting to add a word, opened her mouth while holding back her laughter.

“If there’s a chance to go outside the Imperial Palace, I’ll stop by the weapon shop in the shopping district and check it out.”

“Excellent.”

As I subtly gave her a thumbs up, Sharon giggled again.

“Oh, the human landmine is chasing after you right behind you.”

Sharon, who had glanced back, said urgently to me. Damn it.

“Your Majesty! Please wait. Hooo…… why are you walking so fast?”

Well, my walk is like a Shukuchi-ho [fictional martial art technique that allows one to move incredibly fast] that I developed from hiding from people my whole life. Grand Duke Martins finally caught up to me, panting.

“I think we’ve already had all the conversations we need to have, so what’s the matter?”

I focused on the front and increased my walking speed even more.

“I was so worried about the Empress’s back as she turned around alone. I’m just trying to escort you.”

That human is polite even when he’s being a jerk.

“It’s okay. Wouldn’t Sharon, who has been living in the Imperial Palace all her life, be a much better escort than the Grand Duke who came from the Shatou Neil Kingdom on the same day as me?”

At my words, Sharon lowered her head as if she was about to burst out laughing, and then stepped back behind me.

“Ah, I see. Then I will see you off with chivalry.”

What spirit?

“Oh my, I know that the Grand Duke failed the knight test? Do you have it? A chivalrous spirit?”

“!”

“Did I hear wrong?”

Grand Duke Martins was stunned with a shocked face, then covered his mouth with one hand and whispered to me.

“Who…… did you hear it from?”

I also covered my mouth with one hand and replied in the same way, but I deliberately made my voice louder.

“From Prince Tesler!”

“……The Prince? What a betrayer!”

Grand Duke Martins clenched his teeth and gnashed them. In fact, I didn’t hear that secret from Prince Tesler. But, who cares?