The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 249

249. Mating Order

“Melanie, I’m sorry, but I’m not an item for you.”

He said sternly.

“……Your Majesty, aren’t you?”

Melanie became even more serious and frowned.

“I’m not an item?”

He still looked doubtful, pointing at himself with a finger to double-check.

“No. I’m sorry, but you are not.”

“There’s no need to be sorry. It’s better this way, less *b 부담스럽지* [burdensome/uncomfortable]. So, who do you want?”

The conversation was a bit strange, but I was very curious about who Melanie wanted.

Surely not me?

“If I say, can I have them?”

Melanie asked him as if to confirm.

“Hmm… there are more people you can’t have, but if you asked for someone like Raphael, I’d be willing to give him up.”

“Raphael? Ha, that secretary who looks like dried squid whenever he frowns?”

Her expression crumpled like dried squid.

She looked quite displeased.

It’s a good thing Raphael isn’t here.

He’s very proud and confident in his attractiveness, but if he heard he was being called a squid by Melanie after Linelle, he would be hurt.

“Not Raphael? Well, Melanie has excellent aesthetic sense, so she wouldn’t ask for a squid. Then who is it?”

“Is there a servant you’ve been eyeing?”

I blurted out of curiosity.

“Yaman…person.”

“What? I can’t hear you.”

His pronunciation was slurred, so he asked again.

What she was saying was getting harder and harder to understand.

“Haejeok…waang.”

“…What is she asking for?”

Linelle looked frustrated and put his ear right in front of Melanie.

“Empress Palace…dog.”

“Oh, are you talking about the bulldog Nana?”

Rosie managed to understand Melanie’s words.

At Rosie’s feet, Ao, who had been peacefully grooming with his eyes half-closed, opened his eyes wide and looked up when Nana’s name was mentioned.

It was as if Ao understood Nana’s name.

Anyway, she wants Nana?

That wouldn’t be possible, would it?

I heard that Roxana has raised Nana since she was in the Aclat Territory?

“Melanie, the Empress Palace dog will be difficult. It would be better to get another pet, don’t you think?”

As I said soothingly, Melanie looked around, moving her mouth as if she had something to say.

“That’s right. And why are you coveting the one raised in the Empress Palace? There are so many cuter and prettier puppies than Nana.”

Rosie shook a rattle at Rams and agreed with me.

“There’s another dog in the Empress Palace besides that bulldog…”

Melanie said hesitantly.

“Hahaha. Are you perhaps talking about Hector?”

Linelle asked, laughing heartily.

I laughed at the absurd remark, Rosie laughed, and Rams laughed along too.

“Yes, that man. Give him to me!”

“?”

Everyone paused.

Everyone was opening their mouths and laughing, but they froze.

“Hector… you want him?”

He asked again with an incredulous expression.

Melanie nodded repeatedly like a person without a neck bone.

She didn’t stop nodding, as if she was going to keep shaking her head until Linelle gave permission.

“Yes. As my escort knight.”

“Why Roxana’s dog out of all the escort knights in the Imperial Palace?”

“I’m going to tame him. He’s so arrogant for what he is.”

“He’s currently in charge of Roxana’s escort, but that ‘thing’ is originally the king of Tanya Island.”

He said, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Melanie continued to speak, not caring.

“You allowed Rosie to marry Prince Norton, so you can grant me this much, right?”

“Your Majesty, my case is different…”

Rosie was displeased to see Melanie bringing up herself and Prince Norton.

“I’ll talk to Roxana. Hector is Roxana’s person, so if she refuses, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Even if Your Majesty orders it?”

Melanie asked with a dissatisfied face, so I answered instead of Linelle.

“You can’t even bring it up because you are His Majesty, you know?”

“Zelda is right. But Melanie, why do you want Hector by your side? He has quite a rough temper.”

“I only look at the face.”

“!”

Melanie’s sincere words once again confused everyone.

Which part of the face are you judging?

If you only look at the face, there’s the Master of the Magic Tower, Prince Norton, and Grand Duke Martins, besides Linelle?

“Melanie, what’s the title of that book? Can you see it?”

I couldn’t directly ask, ‘What’s your eyesight?’ so I pointed to the book that was lying on the floor of Rosie’s bedroom and asked.

“Hmm… it says, ‘How to Make Progress Quickly?'”

Melanie narrowed her eyes and told me the title of the book, then looked at Rosie.

“But what kind of book title is that? The top part is covered by another book, so I can’t see the whole title.”

“Really? What does it mean to make progress quickly…?”

He got up from his chair and asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Your Majesty!”

Then Rosie, holding Rams, ran to the place where the book was and kicked the book under the bed with her toe.

“Why? I was getting up to leave.”

“Yes? Oh, I’m sorry…”

Rosie’s voice faded.

“Are you leaving?”

I also stood up to see him off.

“I’m going to grant Melanie’s wish. I have to talk to Roxana. If she refuses, I can’t do anything more.”

“Really? Then are you going to the Empress Palace now to ask the new Empress?”

Melanie clapped her hands once and raised her heels.

“Why would I go there? The Emperor makes requests from the main palace.”

Linelle’s appearance of answering Melanie while being conscious of me was so lovely.

I’ll see what I do tonight.

I gave him a secret look, but it wasn’t clear if he understood.

“Anyway, thank you, Your Majesty!”

Melanie jumped up and bowed 90 degrees to see him off.

“Zelda.”

He glanced at Rosie and called me.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Find out why Rosie was trying to hide the title of that book earlier. I’ll hear the report tonight.”

“I will receive the Emperor’s command.”

I looked at Rosie, answering like a loyal knight.

Her face, embarrassed and not knowing what to do, was very cute.

***

Linelle, who came out of Rosie’s residence, immediately sent Stian to the Empress Palace.

“Your Majesty summoned me to the office?”

Roxana asked Stian again.

“Yes, Your Majesty. He said he had some time to have tea before the afternoon meeting and ordered me to bring you.”

“I understand. Give me some time to prepare.”

“Then I will be waiting in front of the carriage.”

As Stian left the bedroom, Roxana hurriedly called Nancy.

After a while, Roxana, who was fully dressed up, got into the carriage sent from the main palace with a thrilled heart.

“What is he calling me for?”

It was the first time he had called her to his office separately, so she was curious about why he was looking for her.

She racked her brain all the way to the main palace, but she couldn’t figure it out at all.

Roxana was even excited the moment she entered the office in the main palace.

“Please come in.”

Stian opened the door to the office.

Roxana entered the office and looked at Linelle, who was sitting on the sofa in front of her.

He was looking at the window where the sunlight was pouring in, with his eyes closed.

That appearance seemed more beautiful than any beautiful woman’s figure.

“Why did you call me?”

Roxana approached and asked softly.

At her voice, Linelle slowly opened his eyes.

“I have a favor to ask of the Empress.”

Linelle twisted inside every time he used the title ‘Empress’ to Roxana, but he endured it.

“What… is the favor?”

“It’s about Hector. Are you two in a special relationship?”

Roxana tensed up at the Emperor’s words, which she couldn’t understand the meaning of, and opened her mouth.

“Not at all. Aclat Territory has become a allied with Tanya Island, so he’s just escorting me.”

Roxana said Hector’s existence was insignificant, wondering if he had come to suspect the relationship between Hector and herself.

“Is that so?”

“Yes… he’s just one of many knights.”

“Hmm, is that so? Then let’s borrow him.”

Linelle said with a softer gaze than usual.

Roxana couldn’t refuse the Emperor’s bright smile, which she saw for the first time.

***

Roxana, who returned to the Empress Palace, called Hector and told him what had happened in the main palace office.

“…So you’re telling me to escort that concubine?”

Hector scoffed and asked back.

“Yes. But don’t worry, it’s only for a while.”

Roxana was worried that Hector would jump up and down.

He seemed surprised, but fortunately, he didn’t seem angry.

She interpreted that Hector didn’t strongly object to her orders due to the influence of the obedience potion.

Hector didn’t even ask why that decision was made.

Melanie would tell him the reason anyway.

“I don’t know why that stupid woman asked you to be sent as her escort knight, but it might be a good thing.”

Roxana said, twisting her lips.

“?”

“Hector, incite that jabbering mouth.”

“What?”

“I’m telling you to get information about Zelda from Melanie. Even if you attach several servants to the residence, one person close to Zelda will be much better.”

That wasn’t wrong.

The problem was that the brain of that close person was a barbarian.

“I only hang out with her often, but I don’t think the former Empress will share important things with Melanie?”

“You never know. While we’re on the subject, go to Melanie’s residence right away.”

“Tonight… right away?”

“Yes.”

***

At the time when Hector was heading to Melanie’s residence, Prince Norton visited Rosie’s residence.

The excuse was to see Rams, but his eyes kept focusing on Rosie’s face, who was holding Rams.

“Norton, did you really come to see your baby?”

Moya stared at Prince Norton and asked.

“Of course. Why else would I come at this hour, ah, hahaha.”

Prince Norton smiled awkwardly and said, looking at Moya and Monica sitting side by side with a pleased expression.

“Moni is here, so Moya must be less bored. Our Rams should have a sibling so he won’t be lonely…”

“Oong? I know why Norton came! He came to make Rams a sibling?”

“Moya!”

Rosie screamed.

Prince Norton covered his mouth with his fist, wondering what was so funny, and held back his laughter.

“Then is today the mating day?”

Moni put her hands on her cheeks and made a fuss.

“We’ll go out and sleep well. Rosie, you can do it, right?”

Moya patted Rosie on the shoulder and sent her an encouraging look, and continued with one more word.

“Remember what I told you about the mating order before?”

Moya asked, doing a shoulder dance.

‘Girls, please shut up…’

Rosie had no face to see Prince Norton at all.

But she tried to put on a calm expression and changed the subject.

“But you guys, where are you going at this hour? Don’t tell me you’re going to disturb the two of them?”

“No. The cold body must have been tired from working all day, so I have to melt the body a little.”

“Ang! Moni~, you often go to the owner’s room and come back near the window.”

“…Why?”

Rosie rolled her eyes and asked with a harmless face.

“Why, because the two of them are so hot, Moya~.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

Moya and Moni pushed each other and giggled.

“Anyway, Rosie, listen to this great wyvern well. Start with a shoulder dance! Got it? Definitely, definitely!”

Moya whispered, urging that it was the shortcut to mating.

“…”

Rosie felt like crawling under the bed.

‘Why are you whispering so loudly?’

Prince Norton’s cheeks twitched, so it seemed like he had heard Moya’s words too.

Whether they did or not, the two troublemaker wyverns lifted Ao’s neck together and flew up.

“Miyaaong?! (Let go, you guys! Why are you taking me?!)”

Ao waved his cotton paws, but it was no use.

“You have no tact. Ah, should we take Rams too?”

Moni asked, looking down at the sleeping Rams.

“Leave him alone. Him sleeping is helping. Let’s go now.”

Prince Norton opened the terrace door wide, sensing the situation.

The troublemakers disappeared into the dark sky in an instant.

Only Ao’s sad cry could be heard faintly in the distance.

“What should we do now?”

Prince Norton asked, closing the terrace door.

‘Do I really have to do a shoulder dance?’

Rosie swallowed and twitched her shoulders.

***

“Miyaaaong! (I’m not going! Leave me alone!)”

“Stay still. We’re going to be treated.”

“…Miyaong? (…By whom?)”

“Eung, by our descendants.”

Moya answered proudly, and Moni added an explanation.

“The wyverns are back.”

Moni, who was born with particularly sensitive senses, could feel that fact with her whole body.

“I asked Rosie earlier, and the humans call our kids’ habitat the Valley of Death, Moni~?”

‘What, these things. Are they taking me to a place full of wyverns?’

Ao was so surprised that he couldn’t even cry.

Even if he fell under the West Palace garden as it is, he wouldn’t be as surprised.

“M, Miyaaong! (I, I might become food if I go!)”

“Well? I don’t think they eat furry things?”

Moni answered calmly.

“You can just pull out the fur, right? And there might be wyverns with unique tastes.”

Moya even had a tone of expecting such a unique wyvern.

Ao’s sad cry echoed in the night sky.

“Miyaaong? (But why are we going there all of a sudden?)”

Ao, who had given up everything, asked in a tired voice.

“We’re going to educate the young ones, Moni~.”

“We have to see some talents, Moya~?”

The two baby wyverns, who had been in the egg for 300 years, headed to the Valley of Death for ranking.