The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 230

230. Because She’s My Woman

‘So, she’s pregnant with the Emperor’s child, is that it?’

That must be why she’s trembling like that, yet her attitude changes so quickly.

Roxana scoffed, feeling Pecilini’s sudden boldness.

“I thought it was strange during the banquet…”

Pecilini felt Roxana’s sharp voice pierce her stomach.

“I was suspicious when you were stuffing food into your mouth, but Zelda in front of you was eating like that too, so I let it slide.”

Roxana looked as if she wanted to lash Pecilini with a whip right away.

“But after Your Majesty came, I noticed you were retching. Did you do it on purpose to let His Majesty know!”

“N-No, it’s not that! I think the baby reacted to seeing His Majesty.”

“!”

‘What did I just say?’

Pecilini was surprised by her own lie.

Her mouth moved on its own, thinking she had to protect the baby in her belly.

She didn’t want to provoke Roxana, but Emperor Linell was the only one who could protect her and her child right now.

Even if she was the Empress, she couldn’t treat a concubine carrying the Emperor’s child carelessly. That was the calculation behind her words.

She spoke boldly, but Roxana’s vicious glare at her belly was hard to bear.

Roxana asked, holding her breath.

“His Majesty doesn’t seem to know yet…?”

He mustn’t know yet.

Even if she were to tell him, it had to be after properly treating the Emperor’s lower body, which wasn’t functioning properly after the Continental Hunting Competition.

‘That way, I can try everything to have his child too.’

What if Pecilini gives birth to a prince?

No, even if it’s in a year or two, it’ll be fine as long as I have a child. The child born from the Empress’s womb has a much higher chance of inheriting the throne.

Roxana’s pride was hurt, but she cautiously asked Pecilini.

“Was His Majesty normal when he held you?”

“Pardon?”

Pecilini didn’t understand her question.

“What do you mean…? Ah, are you saying he wasn’t drunk when he held me?”

When Roxana asked according to her guess, Roxana nodded right away.

“…Yes.”

Roxana let Pecilini think that way.

‘If the fact that the Emperor’s lower body is useless becomes known, the pregnant Pecilini will become arrogant. I can’t stand that. I must never let her know!’

“I remember he drank a lot, but I was quite drunk too, so I don’t remember well.”

Pecilini glossed over it.

It would be safest to say they were both drunk.

After all, Roxana wouldn’t know the situation in the Imperial Palace before becoming the Empress.

Even though it’s known that Zelda was Linell’s favorite, the Emperor of the Empire might have spent a night with another concubine.

“Was it the first time? That His Majesty held you.”

“Yes… it is.”

She was the Emperor’s concubine in name only, and they had never even exchanged a proper word. Pecilini was afraid that her lie was getting bigger, but she steeled herself again, thinking of the baby in her belly.

“To get pregnant in just one night… you’re very lucky.”

‘Your child to be born will be unlucky, though.’

Roxana swallowed the words she really wanted to say.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“But, what’s the scheme behind hiding the pregnancy until now?”

Her voice was full of questions.

Cold sweat ran down Pecilini’s spine.

“Well, my family’s doctor said that I’m so weak that I need to be careful in the early stages of pregnancy because I don’t know what will happen…”

“Does that mean you were trying to hide it until your belly grew because you were afraid someone might harm the fetus? Were you watching Zelda, the former Empress who monopolized His Majesty’s favor?”

Roxana asked with a mocking smile.

She seemed to want to hear the answer ‘yes.’

Pecilini gave Roxana the answer she wanted to hear, according to Roxana’s intention.

“I guess Zelda would not have been happy in her position as Empress at the time.”

Pecilini felt sorry when she thought of Zelda’s face, who had given her the lobster dish at the banquet.

“Hahaha, she would have.”

Roxana burst into laughter, then glared at Pecilini with fierce eyes and continued.

“But Pecilini, you know that my position now is no different from Zelda’s back then, right?”

Pecilini swallowed hard and looked at Roxana.

“Don’t tell His Majesty about the pregnancy for a while.”

“…Yes?”

“I’ll see an opportunity soon, so until then, just focus on prenatal care. Is that difficult?”

Roxana’s expression softened, but her tone was threatening to anyone who heard it.

“I, I will do that, Your Majesty the Empress!”

It was a very fortunate order for Pecilini.

***

Even after Pecilini returned to her residence, Roxana continued to drink wine in the drawing room, trying to soothe her upset stomach.

The moment she emptied her glass, Hector entered the drawing room.

“A report came in that Commander Macrome left for the main palace a little while ago. Now is the chance to meet Prince Tesler.”

“Yes, I need to make sure before the trial…”

She had told Pecilini to keep the pregnancy a secret for the time being, so she had to solve the Incarnation Sword issue first.

“It would be better to move by horse than by carriage, right?”

Roxana put down the wine glass she was holding on the table and said to Hector.

But Hector had a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Are you listening to me? Hector. Hector!”

“…What?”

“I asked if it would be better to move by horse.”

“Ah, yes, I have a horse ready at the back gate. It will be much faster than a carriage, even if we go around the back garden.”

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

Roxana asked, glaring at him.

He was a man who never had a dazed expression, but he looked suspicious.

“It’s just… it seems like the situation is making things hard for you. Pecilini’s pregnancy too.”

Hector comforted Roxana.

But in fact, he was thinking about the unfortunate incident that had happened earlier.

‘Damn it! Why do I keep thinking about the feel of that dim-witted concubine’s lips?’

***

Linell finished the political affairs meeting and stopped by Joseph’s room on his way back to his office.

Joseph was practicing his swordsmanship in the room, swinging his sword in preparation for tomorrow’s swordsmanship class.

“Your Majesty! I heard that your swordsmanship skills were terrible when you were my age?”

Who revealed such an outrageous truth?

The culprit was obvious, it must be Joseph’s newly appointed swordsmanship teacher.

“Did Macrome tell you that?”

“Yes! He said that I am far superior compared to Your Majesty at that time. He said that Your Majesty was always sniffling and getting angry, but I understand ten things when he tells me one thing. So I bragged to Zelda, and she praised me a lot! Hehe.”

What? Who did you tell that to?

“You told all of that… exactly as it is?”

“Of course? I told you everything without missing a single thing. In case you forget, I said it twice, no, three times?”

“?”

Look at this smart and meticulous younger brother.

“When you hug me like this, I feel so warm and happy! It feels so soft and good. I’m going to marry Zelda when I grow up!”

Not ‘I want to,’ but ‘I will’?

This was almost a notification.

Joseph hugged his body with both arms and shook his body with a happy expression.

‘This kid, I can’t let him get away with this.’

“Joseph, in the future, when you are hugged by Zelda, feel the warmth but don’t feel anything else.”

“Yes? Why?”

Linell said firmly to his young brother, who was making a crying face.

“Why? Because she’s my woman.”

***

‘Commander Macrome said that love and swords are moving things? When I asked, he said it was a fight worth trying.’

After being hit by Joseph, Linell personally demonstrated how great his swordsmanship skills were, even sweating.

Despite sweating, Joseph’s reaction was lukewarm.

‘Why aren’t you surprised?’

‘Because I’ll be better when I’m Your Majesty’s age.’

Joseph replied with a confident expression.

Oh my, my head.

Linell left the room after being hit twice by his young brother.

“Why does that guy say unnecessary things, dividing brothers and creating rivals?”

He cursed Commander Macrome in his mind all the way to his office.

Raphael and Commander Macrome had been waiting for him in the office for 30 minutes.

“Your Majesty, what were you doing again that you’re sweating today?”

Raphael carefully observed Linell, whose hair and shirt collar were wet, and asked.

“Again?”

“Last time, you were unbuttoning your shirt in the office, and today you’re all wet, so I’m saying this. Were you with Her Majesty the Empress… no, Zelda?”

“Yes, so?”

Linell shrugged and pretended to be nonchalant.

“No, weren’t you coming from Grand Duke Joseph’s room? Ah, were you together? Please refrain from excessive displays of affection in a place where the young Grand Duke is also present.”

Linell listened to Raphael’s nagging and shifted his gaze from Commander Macrome.

“Macrome, you said something very unnecessary to Joseph?”

“I’m usually the one who gets criticized for not saying what needs to be said? What are you talking about?”

“You snitched that my swordsmanship was terrible compared to Joseph when I was his age?”

“Yes, that’s true?”

“Even if it’s true, why say unnecessary things?”

“Your Majesty, please be careful with your words.”

When Commander Macrome frowned, Raphael, who was next to him, nudged the commander’s arm and said indifferently.

“His Majesty is the type to expose his body, would he be careful with his words?”

“Even so, how can the Emperor’s dignified mouth say ‘snitched’? And I was just giving Grand Duke hope and dreams by giving him a close example because he was so worried about his swordsmanship skills.”

“He’s good, though. Still, I have my pride, so you shouldn’t have revealed such truths carelessly.”
The ‘close example’ smiled inwardly, proud of Joseph.

“Why, did Zelda hear that and get disappointed?”

“Is there anything to be disappointed in me?”

Most of his boasting was true, so it was impossible to refute.

“…However, Your Majesty. Are you perhaps jealous of the young Grand Duke? Oh my, when I see you like this, Your Majesty is so~.”

“So, what?”

Linell tilted his head from side to side, interrupting Raphael and asking.

“Innocent. Yes, that’s right. You’re innocent. What else could it be?”

The word ‘childish’ that was waiting on the tip of Raphael’s tongue was replaced with ‘innocent’ by his murderous gaze.

“Report.”

Linell erased his smile again and asked Commander Macrome.

Since imprisoning Prince Tesler in the spire, he had been receiving reports on the prince’s condition from Commander Macrome every day.

“As Your Majesty expected, there were those who came to find Prince Tesler.”

Commander Macrome lowered his voice.

“Who, Grand Duke Martins?”

It was expected.

But Grand Duke Martins had already sided with Zelda and was a great help in this matter.

Until the trial is over, he will continue to act as if he cares for Prince Tesler.

“Besides Grand Duke Martins, there are others who secretly met Prince Tesler.”

“Are you saying it’s not just one person?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Concubine Pecilini and Empress Roxana.”

Commander Macrome’s mouth twisted mockingly as he attached the title ‘Empress’ to Roxana.

“One of my men who was lurking on the spire came to the office a little while ago. He witnessed Empress Roxana and Hector secretly entering through the back door of the spire.”

“Hmm, I thought she would move sooner, but she’s a little late.”

Linell was also certain that Roxana would try to contact Prince Tesler before the trial, even if it was out of curiosity about the whereabouts of the Incarnation Sword.

But why is Pecilini’s name coming up?

“Pecilini met Prince Tesler?”

While Linell was dumbfounded, laughing in disbelief, Commander Macrome took out a small silk pouch from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“What is this?”

He found a small diamond jewel inside the silk pouch.

“It’s a tip that Pecilini gave to the guard separately.”

Commander Macrome scoffed and replied.

“It’s really strange. What is Concubine Pecilini’s relationship with Prince Tesler that she would risk meeting him secretly?”

Raphael asked him with an incomprehensible expression.

He put the diamond back in the silk pouch and jumped up from the sofa.

“I’m going to Pecilini’s residence right now.”

***

“Y-Your Majesty… what brings you to my residence?!”

Pecilini, who had just finished bathing, was about to faint when she saw Linell in her bedroom.

She was about to fall to the floor, but thanks to the servant next to her who quickly supported her, she was able to avoid a ridiculous appearance, but that wasn’t the real problem.

If she had fallen on her butt like that, the fetus could have been shocked and endangered.

‘Could it be that he heard from Empress Roxana that I’m pregnant?’

That was unlikely.

Clearly, Roxana had said to her threateningly in the drawing room of the Empress’s Palace.

‘Don’t tell anyone about the pregnancy for the time being, including the Emperor.’

But if he didn’t hear that fact from Roxana, there was no reason for the Emperor to visit her residence at all.

“What do you think I came for?”

Linell asked in a calm tone.

“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

That was the truth.

“If you think about it slowly, there will definitely be something that comes to mind.”

Linell sat on the windowsill, crossed his arms, and looked at Pecilini.

Then, he suddenly changed his words with a troubled expression.

“Your night may be long, but my night is always short. So I hope you can remember it quickly?”

The Emperor’s smiling face against the moonlight looked ruthless yet fascinating enough to take your eyes off of.