The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 22

22. Come Here

“Fortunately, the child didn’t sustain any significant external injuries when falling from the cliff, likely because that person was holding them.”

“Hmm, is that really fortunate?”

Grand Duke Martins asked, placing a hand on the shoulder of his shadow knight, Sir Rolf.

“Pardon?”

“Considering the child’s future, I wonder if surviving is truly a blessing.”

“Your Grace, if that mercenary knight doesn’t wake up and dies… what do you plan to do with the child?”

“Why, Sir Rolf, are you thinking of raising them?”

Sir Rolf scratched his head and smiled at Grand Duke Martins’ question. The Grand Duke clicked his tongue with a look of pity.

“Oh, have you grown fond of them already?”

Sir Rolf, the Grand Duke’s guard, had been his rival during the first knight order exam. The Grand Duke had been soundly defeated by Sir Rolf, who was of lower status, and thus failed the exam. Afterward, the Grand Duke brought him to his residence and made him his swordsmanship partner. Despite constant practice, the Grand Duke’s skills never improved, so he gave up swordsmanship and instead took Sir Rolf as his subordinate. He was a loyal subject, but his heart was too soft.

“I’ll retire for today. Ah, Sir Rolf, there’s something I wanted to ask.”

“Please, speak.”

“What business would a man have with a woman at this hour? And walking so quickly.”

“Do you know what their relationship is?”

Sir Rolf was curious, even though it wasn’t the kind of question he expected from Grand Duke Martins, so he looked at him strangely.

“Husband and wife, for now.”

“Then there’s only one possibility, isn’t there?”

“One possibility, what?”

Grand Duke Martins’ sharp face twisted.

“The husband is in a hurry.”

“In a hurry for what?”

“You know… to share some hot passion…”

“Huh? That cold-blooded man?”

“Even cold-blooded people have desires, don’t they?”

“I heard the Emperor doesn’t go near women, so why…”

“Your Grace! Did you just say Emperor? Ah, I heard he was taking in concubines. Is he already busy at night?”

Sir Rolf, who had been indifferent to Grand Duke Martins’ questions, suddenly asked with a curious voice.

“Not a concubine, Zelda von Troba.”

“Gasp, Her Majesty the Empress?!”

“Look at you, that ‘Her Majesty the Empress’ came out very naturally, didn’t it?”

“Well, isn’t it true? Until the divorce.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

The Grand Duke nodded, agreeing with Sir Rolf’s words.

“It’s completely unexpected. Who knew the fastidious Linell Gardion Edpha Emperor’s taste would be the Empress.”

“The Emperor has an eye for beauty, surprisingly. I didn’t see that coming…”

The two men’s opinions diverged simultaneously.

“What did you just say? The Emperor has an eye for beauty? Does that mean the Empress is quite attractive?”

*Am I the only one who didn’t know?* Grand Duke Martins thought to himself, outwardly nudging Sir Rolf’s chest with his fist.

“I hesitate to say this, but I saw Her Majesty the Empress from afar a few times when I was in the kingdom.”

Sir Rolf recalled the moment he saw Zelda, as if reminiscing about a crush.

“Look at this? You’re serious, not joking? What did the Empress look like when you saw her that makes you look like that now?”

The Grand Duke stared at Sir Rolf’s face as if observing it.

“At the training grounds.”

“Where?”

“I saw her training in swordsmanship alone at the training grounds several times.”

“What? The Empress knows swordsmanship?!”

The Grand Duke doubted his ears.

“Yes, watching the Empress wield a sword is so beautiful it’s almost mesmerizing.”

“Don’t tell me the Empress is more skilled than you?”

“Goodness, compared to her, I should just bite a sword and die [commit suicide].”

“The Empress… does swordsmanship?”

Grand Duke Martins stroked his chin and muttered, and Sir Rolf quickly added.

“And she’s incredibly good at it. Very.”

*If Sir Rolf said it with such a respectful look, it meant she was truly exceptional. So, the Empress knew I had failed the knight order? How much did she laugh at me inside?*

“Damn it.”

Grand Duke Martins cursed without realizing it after hearing that Zelda was skilled in swordsmanship. Regardless of the Grand Duke’s deep worries, Sir Rolf continued to speak admiringly.

“You see, we feel something similar to falling in love when we see someone with better swordsmanship skills than us. That’s how knights are, though Your Grace wouldn’t understand.”

Sir Rolf didn’t intend to tease the Grand Duke, who had failed the swordsmanship exam every time, but he often lacked tact.

“…Hmm, get out now.”

“Yes, Your Grace. And I hesitated because it’s not certain yet, but I thought it would be good for you to know.”

“What is it?”

“That mercenary, Norton, is known to have an unclear background, but he might not be of humble origin.”

“The basis?”

“The jewel embedded in the hilt of the sword he had was broken, and there was something like a seal inside.”

“A seal?”

“Yes, it wasn’t a seal used in the Shatoaniel Kingdom.”

“What did that seal look like to you?”

“I’m not sure, but it might be a seal used by a noble family or royalty… But he might have stolen the sword from somewhere.”

Grand Duke Martins’ eyes sharpened instantly.

“Sir Rolf, bring me that sword.”

***

Wait, the towel should be in the bathroom? Why did I come out? I looked around the bedroom, then slapped my forehead and went back to the bathroom. But I must have been so flustered that I didn’t close the bathroom door properly. *If his cursed cold body turns into an ice statue, it’s half my fault.*

“The towel was in the bathroom, but I mistakenly looked for it in the bedroom. Haha.”

I said awkwardly and went into the bathroom. He was turned away. As the hazy steam began to escape, his back gradually revealed itself, and it was truly fantastic. Linell’s back reminded me of Tepero, the god of war [fictional god]. He glanced back at me as he wiped the water from his body with a towel, then chuckled. His moist smile, so unreal, made me feel dizzy.

“Zelda, I think I’ve lost feeling in my toes.”

Oh my!

“J, just a moment!”

I need to find a new towel quickly. Regaining my senses, I looked around the bathroom, trying to remember where the servants had put the towels. Losing my composure, my body and mind were out of sync, and I kept doing foolish things. Like someone who had lost their sense of direction, I searched in the wrong places, and eventually slipped on the wet floor, flailing my arms like a windmill.

“Kyaa!”

My body, falling backward, stopped in mid-air. He wrapped his arms around my waist and looked down at me. It was a reassuring position. In the meantime, most of the steam in the bathroom had dissipated, and Linell’s handsome face came clearly into view.

“You almost got into big trouble.”

Linell frowned slightly.

“A husband who takes in a concubine not long after the marriage is a terrible man, but a wife who makes her husband a widower not long after the marriage is also terrible…”

He smoothly spoke with a sly expression, then paused for a moment. I held back a laugh and asked seriously.

“Gasp, were you perhaps going to call me a terrible ‘bitch’?”