The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 179

179. I Have to Go Back

2022.09.21.

Linelle’s heart clenched at her words.

His whole body stiffened with a sense of suffocation.

He opened his mouth with a look of pity.

“Zelda, we are…”

Can’t have children.

He tried to say it but swallowed the words.

There was no need to reveal in this situation that Prince Tesler had put contraceptives in the magic potion he had commissioned from the wizard Big to prevent her from getting pregnant.

“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Zelda continued with a calm face.

“About the magic potion I received before the royal wedding. Actually, it contained contraceptives. And I heard that if you take more than a certain amount of the contraceptive, you won’t be able to get pregnant at all.”

She spoke cautiously, paused, and looked at his face.

“Are you surprised?”

“…No, go on.”

His head buzzed.

‘Zelda knew too.’

Linelle stared at Zelda’s face and held his breath.

But the fact that she was talking about that terrible and enormous fact so calmly, could it be…

“Prince Tesler threw one of the remaining potions into the rose vase, and I didn’t take the other one because I felt like my body was reacting to it.”

She continued calmly, then took his hand.

“And His Majesty brought me a new magic potion.”

“Really…? You really didn’t take those potions that Prince Tesler tampered with?”

Zelda smiled brightly and nodded vigorously.

He was overwhelmed with strange emotions.

It was definitely a relief, but his heart ached more than he felt happy.

“So, let’s have a baby, okay?”

Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed him.

“Maybe we already have one.”

She touched her flat stomach with both hands and smiled playfully.

Linelle’s expression grew infinitely dark.

“…I’m just kidding. Why are you so nervous?”

Zelda felt awkward at his overly serious face.

“No. I’m just a little surprised. I’m so glad…”

Linelle patted her back as she hugged him.

He was smiling on the outside, but crying on the inside.

“Yes, let’s do that. When we meet again in the Thebelo Empire, let’s work on it day and night.”

He barely managed to speak, trying to stifle his sobbing.

Zelda’s happy laughter, as she was held in his arms, resonated throughout his body.

***

The morning sun began to rise.

Bellos, Commander Macrome, and Bonis, who were traveling to the Thebelo Empire with Zelda, all gathered at the back gate of the monastery.

Sharon and Rosie held back tears as they divided the food and supplies they would need and loaded them onto the horses little by little.

Prince Norton, Raphael, and Stian, who had come to see them off, watched with heavy hearts.

These three were vaguely aware that Linelle was sending the Empress to the Thebelo Empire first for more than just healing.

It felt like something huge was about to happen.

But the Emperor didn’t tell them what it was, so there was no way to know.

Only anxiety grew as time passed.

The Emperor would not have suddenly sent the Empress away first unless something major was happening.

Linelle’s close aides, who knew this fact well, kept glancing at him.

Linelle’s face had deteriorated a lot in just a few days.

His complexion was darkening day by day, and his face was worn out.

He didn’t even look like that when he fought in the Valley of Death three years ago.

His complexion was terrible, but his eyes still shone blue when he looked at the Empress.

“The preparations for departure are complete.”

Bellos approached Linelle and said.

“Master of the Magic Tower, please take good care of the Empress.”

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty.”

Bellos replied sincerely.

“After she is healed in the Thebelo Empire and we obtain the ‘Yakante’ herb… do not return to the Lapion Empire. Never.”

Linelle pleaded earnestly.

Bellos couldn’t answer.

In fact, he didn’t feel very sorry for Emperor Linelle.

He thought of this whole thing as just a process of reclaiming Zelda, who was originally his partner.

He was only erasing her memories of Emperor Linelle, not threatening his life, so he didn’t feel much guilt.

That’s what he thought…

But he had a feeling that something was going wrong.

“I beg you.”

Linelle grabbed Bellos’s hand tightly and pleaded, then approached Zelda, who was waiting for him.

“Goodbye.”

He gave her a farewell with all his might to the woman who was smiling brightly at him.

Zelda, who had no idea what Linelle’s ‘goodbye’ meant, replied cheerfully.

“See you soon. I’ll be waiting.”

***

He told me not to look back.

He said his face looked so handsome from afar that it would be hard for me?

I snorted when I heard that, but it’s true.

His face, which I had glimpsed a little while ago, made things difficult for me in a different way.

“Why does he look so glum?”

With a troubled mind, I turned my head to look at him properly.

Even though we were a little far apart, he kept waving his hand.

When I smiled, he smiled too.

Why does my heart feel so heavy even though we’re not parting forever?

It’s probably because of his expression.

He seemed to be sending me off happily, but he looked sad the whole time.

Or was he?

Was I feeling that way because everything felt negative since I was infected with the evil energy?

I tried to shake off the bad thoughts and raised my hand high and waved it vigorously at him.

He’s…

Crying…

He’s crying. Why?

His face is definitely smiling, but tears are flowing from his eyes.

His handsome features are gradually distorting.

He looked as if his body would collapse at any moment.

I want to turn the horse around and go back to him.

As if sensing my feelings, he was gesturing for me to keep going forward.

Soon, if I turn around the big zelkova tree in front of me, Linelle will no longer be visible.

If I turn the reins slightly to the side, I can go back to him.

Agitation began to rise in my heart.

“Your Majesty.”

Bellos’s voice sounded as if he was urging me from the side.

“You have to turn here.”

The Master of the Magic Tower pointed to Bonis and Commander Macrome, who were already waiting for me after turning around the zelkova tree.

“Ah, yes…”

In the end, I waved to Linelle one last time and steered my horse in the direction where the group was waiting.

“It seems that His Majesty is very worried.”

The Master of the Magic Tower rode his horse next to me and asked.

“I know, right? He’s ruining the mood of the person leaving when we’ll see each other again soon.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

The Master of the Magic Tower was flustered by my words.

Oops. I spoke too harshly again.

I’m glad I didn’t say it to Linelle directly.

It was around the time my horse started walking side by side with Bonis’s horse.

“Your Majesty, Sharon made lemon tea… would you like some?”

Bonis asked me, holding a small water bottle hanging on the saddle.

“No, I’ll drink it later. I’m fine now.”

“Yes, please tell me if you’re thirsty…”

Bonis’s smiling face also looked dark.

She must be worried because we’re going on a long journey.

The road from this Elangi Forest to the Thebelo Empire was not going to be easy.

The Elangi Forest was no longer safe because of Galaco [monstrous, bird-like creatures].

From Bonis’s point of view, who couldn’t use swordsmanship, it would be scary and frightening.

So, before we left, I specially asked Commander Macrome to stay by Bonis’s side and protect her.

Bonis continued to offer me lemon tea from time to time.

How delicious did Sharon make it for her to do that?

***

Linelle stood there for a long time even after Zelda had disappeared from sight.

Then, at Raphael’s urging, he turned back towards the monastery building.

He took only two or three steps before collapsing on the spot.

His legs had given way, but perhaps his will to live had also given way.

His love, his happiness, his future… had all loosened powerlessly and disappeared somewhere like smoke.

The word ’empty’ was not enough.

It felt as if the center of his chest was hollowed out in a circle, and the cold morning air was only passing through that space.

Tears had been flowing down unconsciously when he was looking at Zelda’s back, but now that she had disappeared, the tears dried up in an instant.

Now, anger filled his eyes and heart.

His body, which seemed like it could last for another day or two, was also rapidly weakening.

The problem was the drowsiness that was pouring in, rather than physical problems.

The increasingly closing eyelids kept trying to cover the world he had been with Zelda.

I can’t fall asleep now.

No, maybe it would be less painful to fall asleep and wake up.

The world where only Zelda’s memories have disappeared is waiting for him.

Like before she appeared in his life.

Cold and without emotion.

Then he would be able to deal with this terrible situation with composure.

But the reason why he kept opening his eyes was because of regret.

The short married life he had with Zelda was the happiest moment of his life…

Prince Norton and Raphael grabbed his arms from both sides and supported him, but he shook off their hands and stood up on his own.

As Linelle got up, he simply organized everything in his mind.

Zelda, who was infected with the evil energy, would be cured.

And he saved the life of his young brother, Joseph.

Yes, he saved two loved ones on the condition of accepting Roxana’s conditions.

Let’s just think about that.

Linelle was worried that Zelda, who had recovered, would not return to the Imperial Palace.

But if she heard the news that he was remarrying Roxana, she would not be able to move easily.

Moreover, if the rumor that she was a ‘surrogate empress’ spread widely within the Lapion Imperial Palace, even more so…

Imagining her being hurt by the news of his remarriage, it was very painful, as if someone had slashed his heart and sprinkled salt on it.

‘Let’s have a baby.’

Zelda’s words echoed in his ears.

He sighed and looked up at the sky.

“The sun is rising.”

But my light has disappeared…

Kieeeek-!!

A chilling screech, like scraping an iron plate with the end of a sword, was heard from the forest on the opposite side from where Zelda had left.

It was Galaco’s scream.

“They’ve finally come.”

Linelle turned his body towards the place where Galaco’s cry was heard.

At that moment, a knight who was standing guard on the monastery tower discovered Linelle below the building and hurried down the stairs.

“Y-Your Majesty! A group that looks like allied forces is approaching this monastery from the forest in the 9 o’clock direction!”

Linelle’s eyes, which had been tired, sharpened.

He ordered Raphael.

“Gather all the VIPs in the dining hall right now without exception.”

“Yes! Your Majesty, but does Your Majesty know who they are?”

Raphael asked calmly, watching him give orders without any panic.

“We will soon be surrounded.”

“Surrounded?!”

Prince Norton exclaimed in surprise.

“Even if we prepare for an attack and resist, it will be useless. It will only create reckless casualties. So, we must aim to deal with it in a way that minimizes damage.”

“What exactly is the identity of those who are coming here?”

Prince Norton was incredulous.

“It will be the Aclato Principality and the pirates of Tanya Island.”

“Haa… Is, is that really true?!”

Raphael shouted, swallowing hard.

“What they want is me. There is no need for others to sacrifice themselves.”

At Linelle’s words, Prince Norton and Raphael looked at him with bewildered expressions at the same time.

***

Something’s wrong.

I was sure as I looked up at the sky.

Galacos were jumping up into the sky from the opposite forest, eating something they received, and then falling after being hit by arrows shot from below again.

They’re not monsters that would fall helplessly after being hit by one or two arrows, are they?

“It’s strange…”

At that moment, something rose into the sky again.

Thanks to focusing this time, I figured out what it was.

“They’re animals?”

“That’s right, they really are.”

Bellos, who was looking up at the sky with me, also nodded.

Commander Macrome, who couldn’t see ahead, had already drawn his sword at the sound of Galaco’s screams.

“Master of the Magic Tower, why do you think someone is throwing dead animals at the Galacos?”

“It seems they are trying to lure the Galacos to reveal themselves and kill them by spreading the smell of the animals’ blood.”

The Master of the Magic Tower had the same thought as me.

“I guess that’s right? Who on earth is doing that?”

The problem was that the group throwing animals into the sky to lure the Galacos seemed to be heading towards the monastery.

“Is it war, Master?”

Moya, who had transformed into a squirrel and was in my uniform pocket, poked her head out and spat out the acorn she had put in her mouth towards the Galacos in the distance, ‘Hoo!’

“Fighting is exciting, Moya~!”

The acorn that Moya spat out flew surprisingly far. It almost hit one of the Galaco’s heads.

“Moya, if you don’t have the courage to fight Galaco, stay quiet.”

I shoved Moya’s head back into my uniform pocket and shouted, looking back at the group.

“We have to go back!”

I boldly turned my horse around.