The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 228

228. The Emperor’s Dessert

Why on earth did he come?

I stared blankly as Linelle walked into the banquet hall.

His face, handsome even when frowning, wore a gentle smile.

I glanced at the expressions of the concubines.

As expected, they all looked mesmerized by his radiant presence.

He was approaching, his eyes fixed on me.

However, some might think he was looking at Roxana, who was behind me.

“Oh my, it seems His Majesty can’t take his eyes off Her Majesty the Empress.”

As expected, Yulina spoke to Roxana in an obsequious manner, and the twin sisters also whispered among themselves.

“Indeed, his gaze is fixed on Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Look at His Majesty’s eyes; I’m honestly so envious of Her Majesty the Empress.”

The conversation of the three concubines from the Aclato Duchy made me scoff.

I could be sure.

His blue eyes held only me.

“We greet His Majesty!”

All the concubines, including me, bowed to him.

“It seems the Empress has put quite a bit of thought into this banquet for the concubines.”

He scanned the lavish dishes filling the table and then looked at Roxana.

“Aren’t they all women who serve His Majesty? It is the Empress’s virtue to treat them with good food.”

Roxana replied in a benevolent voice.

Virtue, my foot. She should get rid of the venom in her eyes before speaking.

“May I join the banquet?”

He asked Roxana.

She practically welcomed his words with open arms.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you. Hmm, I shall sit next to the Empress then.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Stian personally brought a chair from inside the banquet hall.

The chair was placed on the same high table as Roxana, but in terms of distance, it was closer to me diagonally than to Roxana, who was next to him.

“Everyone, be seated.”

He said to the concubines as he pulled out the chair and sat down.

“Actually, I already had dinner at my palace, but I didn’t have dessert.”

“We have prepared many delicious desserts.”

Roxana said with a pleased expression, pointing to where the desserts were.

Following her, the concubines from the Aclato Duchy each fluttered their eyelashes and said a word to him.

“Your Majesty, please try the food. The Empress put a lot of thought into it.”

“It’s an honor to be able to dine with you.”

“Having Your Majesty join us suddenly makes me have a great appetite.”

Linelle merely responded to their fuss with a brief smile.

The existing concubines, such as Rosie, Melanie, Catherine, and Pesilini, kept glancing at me.

Their eyes seemed to be asking if he had come because of me.

I pretended not to notice their gazes.

“Let’s continue the meal.”

As Linelle picked up his knife and fork, the other concubines resumed eating.

Fortunately, he didn’t pay any particular attention to me, seemingly conscious of Roxana and the other concubines, but under the table, his hand was groping for mine.

“If you had given us notice, we would have prepared a place in advance.”

Roxana poured wine into his glass and spoke to him in a gentle voice.

“I thought I would be more welcomed this way.”

He replied, looking alternately at the concubines seated on either side of the table, and smiles bloomed on the faces of the concubines.

Perhaps because they had only seen his cold side, they were somewhat shocked by his kind tone.

“I wonder if I’ve made you uncomfortable by coming so suddenly.”

Why not?

I nodded at his words without realizing it.

Good is good, but he is still an uncomfortable presence, right?

Ah, but it seemed I was the only one who felt uncomfortable.

The other concubines, except for me, had hearts in their eyes.

Especially the faces of the concubines from the Aclato Duchy were full of life.

Whenever he smiled slightly and raised the corners of his mouth, they all smiled bashfully as if hypnotized.

It was clear that the concubines’ attention was entirely focused on him.

“Looking at the delicious food makes me hungry again.”

At Linelle’s words, Roxana began to move various dishes in front of him.

He pretended to push aside the dishes placed in front of him, subtly pushing them all towards me.

Thanks to him, I was able to comfortably eat the foods I had wanted to eat since earlier but were either too far away or set in front of Roxana.

“Your Majesty, have you come to eat the special dessert that is only available at the Empress’s Palace again this time?”

Melanie suddenly threw a question at him.

What is she talking about?

However, at Melanie’s words, the existing concubines began to giggle.

They all seemed to know why Melanie had asked such a question.

It seems there’s a story behind it?

Perhaps because it was related to Linelle, it seemed like a story that had disappeared from my memory.

“What do you mean, Melanie?”

Roxana asked with a curious voice.

“Ah, it’s a thing of the past, Your Majesty the Empress. Please forgive me for bringing it up without thinking.”

As Melanie held back her words, leaving behind a lot of curiosity, Roxana frowned and then asked again kindly.

“It’s alright, tell me. His Majesty is smiling, so it seems like a good memory; I want to share it with you.”

At Roxana’s words, a look of embarrassment crossed the faces of the existing concubines.

Why are they all like that?

“I am sorry to report this… When the former Empress Zelda had her first meal with the concubines here, His Majesty came then too.”

I wanted to stop Melanie from speaking the moment she started, pretending to be unable to win.

Whatever that memory is, I had a feeling that only my position would become difficult.

“At that time, His Majesty said that there was a delicious dessert especially available only at the Empress’s Palace, so he came to eat it, hohoho.”

“A dessert only available at the Empress’s Palace? Is there such a thing?”

Roxana glanced at me.

Really? I’m curious too.

I couldn’t say anything.

It seemed that even that dessert had been erased from my memory, and no matter how much I searched my memory, there was no dessert that particularly came to mind.

I quickly looked around the table.

If the chef in charge of the Empress’s Palace’s desserts hadn’t changed in the meantime, he would have definitely brought it out today, right?

However, the types of desserts were as numerous as the types of food, so unless Linelle specifically pointed it out, there was no way to find out what that dessert was.

“If I had known what that dessert was, I would have prepared it in advance.”

Roxana said in a much more affectionate voice than when she was dealing with the concubines.

“Your Majesty the Empress, I’m sorry to say this, but… the preparation has already been done.”

Rosie said cautiously to Roxana and then made eye contact with me.

“That’s right, but it’s a dessert that only His Majesty can eat.”

Moreover, Melanie also covered her mouth and pretended to whisper, but deliberately raised her voice even more.

Then, Catherine gently pushed Melanie’s arm and said as if to dissuade her.

“Melanie, don’t make the situation difficult and restrain yourself…”

“No, just tell me.”

Roxana asked again with patience.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress, since you are curious, I have no choice but to tell you as a subordinate.”

Melanie smiled brightly and looked at Roxana as she began to speak.

“The dessert that His Majesty came to eat was…”

Melanie, who was rolling her eyes here and there, stopped her gaze on my face.

Then, everyone’s eyes turned to me.

Wait, the special dessert of the Empress’s Palace that Linelle came to eat, could it be?!

“It’s Zelda.”

“…What?”

“…What?!”

My surprised voice and Roxana’s surprised voice echoed simultaneously in the banquet hall.

What is all this about?

I slowly turned my head towards him.

He chuckled at Melanie’s words, then rubbed his beautiful eyebrows with his index finger again with a troubled expression.

“Oh, so that happened.”

“You really don’t remember?”

I asked him with ventriloquism.

He didn’t come here on purpose to do this, did he?

“I don’t remember, but I probably did.”

He replied in the same tone as usual, without even trying to lower his voice.

My face felt like it was burning up and turning to ashes.

“Your Majesty… You don’t have any memories of Zelda, but you said you probably did?”

Roxana’s voice was gentle, but her eyes were blazing with anger.

“Melanie says so, so it must be true. She is such a pure woman that she can’t lie.”

Linelle raised his index finger and tapped the side of his head as he replied to Roxana.

Melanie was greatly pleased with his words.

He’s saying her brain is pure, didn’t she understand?

“That’s right! The way I think is so pure that I really can’t deceive others.”

Surprisingly, Melanie took his words in a genuinely good way.

“Instead, you’re good at turning other people inside out, right?”

Even I could hear Melanie saying ‘I admit it’ quietly at Rosie’s joke.

I curled my lips inward to hold back a laugh.

“At that time, His Majesty tasted Zelda’s lips more sweetly than eating a cake, you all remember, right?”

Melanie asked, looking around at the concubines.

Then, Rosie and Pesilini nodded in a daze, and Catherine warned Melanie, telling her to be mindful of the situation.

Roxana wiped her mouth with a napkin as if dabbing it, with a face that had completely lost its appetite.

“Oh my, I think I brought up an unnecessary story. I’m sorry.”

As Melanie apologized to Linelle, he raised his hand and made a gesture that it was okay.

“What are you talking about? I should rather thank you for reminding me of a memory I had forgotten. I should give you a reward. Is there anything you want?”

“Really, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. Think about it and tell me through the secretary later.”

“Thank you! I will really think carefully and tell you!”

Melanie said in a very excited voice and straightened her shoulders again, which had shrunk from Roxana’s venomous gaze a little while ago.

“It was a very helpful story for remembering. So, Zelda…”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I have a bad feeling.

I feel like something is about to happen soon.

“I think I need your cooperation to recall the memory.”

No way…

Eh, it can’t be, right?

With all the concubines glaring with their eyes wide open, he wouldn’t say he’s going to eat my lips like a cake in front of them, would he?

Yeah, it shouldn’t be.

Putting aside the concubines, the viper-like Roxana, who isn’t spitting venom only, is right next to him, so it doesn’t make sense to kiss here, does it?

That was an act no different from insulting the Empress in front of all the concubines.

“It seems to be something that will help the memory of the Emperor of this country, so I hope everyone will generously understand. You can close your eyes for a moment.”

He emphasized that he was the ‘Emperor’.

“I think you should do anything that helps Your Majesty’s memory!”

Rosie said, clenching her fists.

“Of course. It’s an issue that no one can object to.”

Melanie also looked around at the concubines and agreed.

Even if my face is thick, I quietly opened my mouth because I thought this was a bit much.

“Your Majesty, but here… um?!”

He ended up kissing me.

I stared at him with my eyes wide open.

With his eyes closed, he traced my lips with his lips as if trying to remember.

After a while, he slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head, saying.

“I feel like I’m about to remember… so…”

Really?

I asked with my eyes wide open.

He muttered with a very cautious expression.

“I have no choice but to try again.”

“Yo, Your Majesty…”

He came in through the gap in my lips that had opened in surprise.

This time it was a very blatant and deep kiss.

I was embarrassed, but I didn’t have the strength to resist his cool, soft touch.

My spine tingles, and I feel like I want to lie down somewhere.

I grabbed his arm tightly to avoid losing my mind.

My shoulders went up without me knowing at his seductive breathing that only I could hear.

After a while, Linelle’s lips slowly fell off.

He wiped my lips with his hand and whispered in a terribly affectionate voice.

“Now I remember, the dessert I enjoyed eating…”

He lied shamelessly with a face that he had already remembered from the beginning.