The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 192

192. Jealous, Aren’t You?

2022.11.05.

A man’s hand.

The hand clamped over my mouth with considerable force, enough that it would take effort to shake off.

It felt like he was trying his best to cover my mouth, but he didn’t seem very strong.

‘Buddy, you picked the wrong person.’

I was about to scoff when…

I felt a hot, ragged breath next to my neck.

A chill ran down my spine.

And then I heard the sound of a sword being drawn from behind.

Judging by the short sound, it seemed to be a dagger.

I thrust my elbow back as hard as I could, aiming for the guy behind me.

“Hnnngh!”

Judging by his sharp intake of breath, I must have hit him right in the solar plexus.

I quickly grabbed the hand covering my mouth and twisted his arm.

At the same time, I bent down, lifted him up, and slammed him into the ground.

Perhaps there was a rock sticking out of the ground where I slammed him, because he convulsed and tried to roll around before suddenly passing out.

“Why is my luck so bad today?”

Seeing two people faint in such a short time.

And in the Imperial Palace, no less.

When Nelly fainted, I was just worried, but I wouldn’t feel bad if this thug died.

I knelt down next to the unconscious thug and put my finger under his nose.

“He’s not dead.”

The thug was wearing a black mask that covered up to his eyes.

I pulled the mask down.

“…Emperor Adrian?!”

I stared at the passed-out Silver Fish [a nickname for Emperor Adrian, referring to his silver hair] with my mouth slightly open.

Aside from the silver hair, which had been cut short a month ago and had grown a bit longer, it was definitely Silver Fish.

It didn’t feel like he recognized me and attacked.

Even if he did recognize me, there would be no reason for him to attack me like that.

So, he thought I was a maid and attacked me from behind…

Why? For what reason?

I wondered, touching my neck, at Silver Fish’s bizarre behavior that I couldn’t understand.

Then, along with that unpleasant breath I felt on my neck earlier, an incident suddenly came to mind.

Ah! Could it have been him who attacked Misha at the villa during the Continental Hunting Competition, injuring her neck and sucking her blood…?

“…Was it you?”

I picked up the dagger that Emperor Adrian had dropped.

“I’m sure of it. The sword that cut Misha’s neck back then was also a dagger like this.”

It was small, but the blade was quite sharp.

I used the tip of the dagger to write ‘Vampire’ on the ground and pointed an arrow at the unconscious Emperor Adrian.

Ironically, Silver Fish came out to suck blood, but ended up bleeding instead.

Haa, what am I going to tell Empress Elan?

***

As soon as I returned to the residence from the Imperial Palace, I summoned the group to my room.

“Rose and Sharon told me that Duchess Roxana’s health is not good.”

I conveyed the atmosphere of the Imperial Palace as I had heard from them.

“And the reason the remarriage ceremony was postponed is because she is suffering from a severe fever.”

“Could there be some other scheme behind it?”

As Commander Marcrom rubbed his chin and offered his opinion, the Mage Tower Master shook his head firmly.

“It must be a fever.”

“Do you completely believe that?”

Empress Elan asked the Mage Tower Master, who had spoken so decisively.

The Mage Tower Master nodded to her without hesitation instead of answering.

His expression was full of conviction.

I continued with the important information I had heard from Rose and Sharon.

“The Avatar Sword… Duchess Roxana is likely to have it.”

The eyes of the three people widened simultaneously at the mention of the Avatar Sword.

“As we expected, it seems that the Galaco [a monster], into whose chest the Mage Tower Master thrust the Avatar Sword, flew towards the marching Allied Forces and fell near there.”

“Did you directly witness Duchess Roxana possessing the Avatar Sword?”

The Mage Tower Master frowned.

“Yes. On that day, when the Allied Forces surrounded the monastery, a man named Hector was said to have the Avatar Sword.”

“But why do Rose and Sharon think that the Duchess, not Hector, is keeping the Avatar Sword?”

Commander Marcrom asked, looking puzzled.

“Hector carried the Avatar Sword around, but after Duchess Roxana arrived at the monastery, they didn’t see him carrying it anymore. Moreover, after arriving at the Imperial Palace, he always guarded her like a shadow knight.”

“So, they think he handed the Avatar Sword over to Duchess Roxana, is that it?”

Empress Elan nodded and quietly murmured to herself.

“The Avatar Sword is likely to be kept in the Empress’s Palace.”

The Mage Tower Master spoke with a confident voice again this time.

“I think so too.”

I told the group that when I infiltrated the Imperial Palace, I felt heat in my body, especially in my palms.

“We’re all in a position where we can’t enter the Imperial Palace, so how do we retrieve the Avatar Sword?”

Commander Marcrom hit his wide forehead with his fist, looking distressed.

In order to find the Avatar Sword, it would be best for me to stay in the Imperial Palace and feel the signals the Avatar Sword sends to me, but that was impossible at the moment.

“We have to find a way.”

I made eye contact with the three people who had become gloomy, one by one, and vowed.

“We will definitely retrieve it.”

“Yes, you must. The owner of the Avatar Sword is Her Majesty the Empress.”

The Mage Tower Master said with strength in his voice.

I smiled briefly at the Mage Tower Master and turned my gaze to Empress Elan.

I was about to bring up Emperor Adrian, but then closed my mouth again.

It would be better to go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow night to meet Nelly, ask her to find out about Emperor Adrian’s condition, and then bring it up.

He might not be dead, but it was important to accurately assess Silver Fish’s condition first.

To do that, Nelly, who fainted and was carried away by the guards, had to be alive… I’m worried.

***

The next day.

As soon as Linell finished getting his head dressed after being injured in the armory at the training grounds last night, he reconfirmed the instructions he had given to Raphael.

“The palace staff dormitory, 4th floor, the last room on the right…”

“Yes, yes! Don’t worry. The administrator who was originally using that room was given a forced vacation this morning and sent out of the Imperial Palace.”

Raphael’s answer popped out automatically before Linell could even finish speaking.

This time, he looked at Stian, who was standing next to Raphael, and opened his mouth.

“The cleaning of that room should be thorough…”

“Yes, yes! As you instructed, all the existing bedding, curtains, etc., have been replaced with new ones, and even scented candles have been prepared.”

Stian also reported before he could finish speaking, just like Raphael.

This was the third time the same question had been repeated.

Suddenly, for some reason, the Emperor was going to use a room in the palace staff dormitory, which was baffling.

If they asked in detail, he would invariably look at them with a cold gaze, so they couldn’t pry.

Raphael and Stian, who were standing in front of Linell, exchanged glances.

They had a look that said, ‘He hurt his head somewhere last night, so isn’t he a little out of it?’

According to the palace physician, the top of the Emperor’s head was torn from being hit by something blunt.

Furthermore, the palace physician said that it was fortunate that blood flowed out, otherwise it would have been a big problem if the blood had pooled inside, and he said that God had helped him several times.

Linell’s aides persistently asked him when, where, how, why, and what he was doing when he got hurt, but he kept silent.

Even though he had bled a lot from his head, he was smiling the whole time he was being treated by the palace physician.

The worries of the aides who watched him grew even deeper.

Moreover, he suddenly pointed to a room in the dormitory where the palace staff stayed and said,

‘Clean that room and the palace staff living there by this morning.’

He had given such an unexpected order.

They quickly carried out his orders, but Raphael and Stian’s questions were not resolved.

Linell simply glossed over it, saying that it was a place filled with memories of his administrative studies teacher from when he was the Crown Prince.

He added that he was going to visit the place after a long time to reminisce about his childhood memories, but the two found it hard to believe.

“Yes? Reminiscing? Your Majesty, you mean?”

In the days when he was the Crown Prince, when you could stab him and not get a drop of blood… did he even have memories?

Raphael asked back with a dumbfounded expression.

Stian, who was next to him, nudged Raphael with his elbow while watching Linell’s mood.

Only then did Raphael shut his mouth.

Since the Emperor said so, they had to believe it.

Raphael and Stian couldn’t understand his orders and actions, but since he seemed to be in a good mood, they didn’t argue any further.

Linell thought of her as soon as he regained consciousness after fainting last night.

He was more worried about her, who had escaped from the Imperial Palace through the crawlspace, than about his own condition.

He still had several hours before he could meet her.

But his heart was already outside the crawlspace, waiting for her.

Linell was excited, but also greatly concerned.

‘What if she knows about my existence and feels burdened?’

No, rather than that.

‘What if she rejects my proposal?’

Those two worries plagued him all day.

Whenever Raphael and Stian saw him clutching his head in pain, they thought it was because of the pain in his head and were very worried.

But Linell, like a person with a screw loose, would soon look up at the sky again and laugh to himself.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Raphael asked seriously, unable to watch any longer.

“No, my heart hurts.”

It’s beating too hard than usual.

Raphael’s worries deepened at Linell’s muttered words.

“Didn’t you hit something in your heart while hurting your head?!”

“I did. Very hard. Is this… heart assault?”

He rubbed his heart with his palm and then burst out laughing when Dazel came to mind.

***

Moiya finished dinner with the group in the lodging and was lying on a large oak branch outside the inn, patting her stomach.

About two hours later, Zelda was spotted secretly leaving the lodging in Moiya’s eyes.

“Ooh? Is she going to drink alone again?”

Moiya quickly transformed into a pigeon and secretly followed her.

Zelda headed to the passage where she could sneak into the Imperial Palace, the crawlspace under the fortress wall.

Moiya was secretly excited.

“Master is going to see Rose and Sharon again. Then I have to go see Nana!”

She had a restless night thinking about Nana last night.

So today, she had to see Nana’s charming wrinkled face to fall asleep.

Leaving Zelda standing in front of the crawlspace, Moiya flew into the Imperial Palace first and headed straight to the Empress’s Palace where Nana was.

She hated the woman who shamelessly occupied her master’s home, but the dog she raised was innocent, so it was okay to hang out with Nana, right?

Moiya decided to think that way.

“Hate the sinner, but don’t hate the dog, Moiya~.”

Even her master would feel sorry for Nana’s wronged expression and understand.

As she got closer to the Empress’s Palace and was about to land on the terrace of the Empress’s room where Nana was, she found Nana on the first floor behind the building.

“Ooh? Why is Nana outside? It’s dangerous at night!”

Moiya had no idea that humans who saw a fierce bulldog at night could be in more danger.

Looking at Nana’s back, Moiya, in the form of a pigeon, cooed to show her delight.

But Nana wasn’t alone.

“Who is it?”

It was hidden by Nana’s chubby back, but a white tail wagging gently was ticking like a clock hand.

Nana also wagged her short tail, which didn’t match her large size.

Moiya felt a slight jealousy at the sight.

“Is it Nana’s friend?”

It had to be a friend.

Moiya’s ruby eyes flashed.

She didn’t know if the animal in front of Nana was a dog or a cat, but if it was a male, she would peck its private parts with her beak.

Just as she made up her mind, she heard the sound of the creature wagging its white tail in front of Nana.

“Miyaaong. (Go in now.)”

Moiya, who was descending, landed on a nearby branch at the familiar voice.

‘Why is Ao Cee with Nana?’

Moiya glared and watched the dog and cat sitting facing each other.

“Woof woof. (You go first.)”

“Miyaaong. (Okay, I’ll go first. But please, don’t come looking for me anymore.)”

“Woof? (Why? Can’t I even see your face for a moment?)”

“Miyaong. (Rose will hate it if she knows you’re a dog raised in the Empress’s Palace.)”

“Woof……. (Then you can come see me…….)”

“Miyaaong! (How many times do I have to say it! I can’t accept your feelings!)”

Ao Cee, who was usually so gentle, howled with considerable force.

“……What are those things doing now?”

Moiya, who had transformed into a pigeon, pecked at the tree trunk.

Listening to the story, it seemed like the bulldog Nana was clinging to Ao Cee.

Why was the prim and dignified Nana doing that to a frail, insignificant cat?

Moiya doubted her eyes.

Wasn’t Nana the one who snarled at her, showing her teeth? But she was wagging her tail at Ao Cee.

Besides, her charming wrinkled face became more wronged and much more wrinkled.

“N, no way……!”

Moiya denied the reality before her eyes.

***

I stood in front of the crawlspace again after only one day.

I felt quite different from when I first came here last night.

A life with a husband but no lover.

My steps were very light as I came to meet my first lover in life.

With every step I took on the ground, it felt as soft as walking on clouds.

I realized for the first time that going on a first date with a lover was such a ticklish thing.

I wanted to pay attention to my attire, but I had no choice but to wear a maid’s dress, which was a bit of a shame.

“I couldn’t dress up today either… so I should tell him to turn off the lights quickly.”

Because you don’t have to worry about your clothes style in the dark.

That’s really why I thought of it, but for some reason, my cheeks flushed.

“Okay, shall we crawl in now?”

After lightly pushing aside the rock that temporarily blocked the crawlspace outside the fortress wall, I bent down like a dog.

I had removed the stone that was sticking out in the middle of the crawlspace before leaving here yesterday, so there was no risk of my butt getting stuck in the middle today.

Still, the white apron had no choice but to touch the ground, so my clothes were bound to get dirty to some extent.

Still, I was putting my head into the crawlspace as carefully as possible, but…

The crawlspace felt clearly different from yesterday.

‘……Did Nelly do this for me?’

So that’s why everyone makes lovers!

I inadvertently looked down at the floor and ended up choking up.