The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 259

259. Just Take It Off

“Could it be that Yulina visited the Pesilini Palace yesterday because of that?”

“Yes, even with me right next to her, she only wanted to go to Lady Pesilini, you know? So petty.”

Melanie whined about Yulina while urging me.

“You’ll go, right? You have to go.”

“Is there really a reason for us to go all the way there?”

“It’s not like I’m doing this because I want to go play at the hot springs.”

Suddenly, Melanie lowered her voice with a determined expression.

“Then?”

“I’m trying to go because I’m worried about Lady Pesilini.”

What is she talking about now?

“Worried about Pesilini?”

“What if those from the Aclato Duchy gang up and try to push Lady Pesilini into the hot springs?”

“!”

“Or maybe they’ll try to drown her?”

“!”

Melanie trembled, wrapping her arms around herself as if she had witnessed a murder right before her eyes.

“They wouldn’t do that with so many eyes watching.”

“I heard Empress Roxana knows that she’s carrying His Majesty’s child.”

Contrary to my words, Melanie narrowed her eyes and spoke with a profound expression.

“Hmm……”

I took a moment to think.

Even if Roxana’s side wouldn’t openly harm Pesilini as Melanie claimed, there was a possibility they might harass her in some subtle way.

Besides, Nana, Melanie, and Rosie were excluded.

Even if there were many eyes watching, what if they were all Roxana’s people?

My *gomin* [worry/concern] didn’t last long.

“It would be strange if we suddenly showed up……”

Was there a way to join in naturally?

“Don’t worry, I already told Yulina that we’re going to the hot springs today too. I’ve already made plans.”

Melanie grinned and replied.

She had already taken action yesterday and was now coming to get my permission.

“But if we’re going, shouldn’t we call Catherine too?”

It seemed better to have all the concubines attend if possible.

“Hmph, Lady Catherine said she’s going too. I felt a little betrayed, you know? I was trying to take care of her since she’s from the Lapion Empire too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If Empress Roxana and Lady Catherine stand side by side, they could kill someone with just their eyes, you know? Oh dear, I already feel sorry for Lady Pesilini being stuck between them.”

Melanie deliberately put Pesilini forward, constantly stimulating me with her desire to go to the hot springs.

Of course, I could also feel Melanie’s genuine concern for Pesilini.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“Really? Are we really going to the hot springs too?”

“Yes. It’s still before lunchtime, so go back to your residence. The cypress forest where the hot springs are located is accessible through my residence via the West Palace, so it would be convenient for us all to go together in my carriage.”

“Great! Then I’ll go prepare right away and head to Lady Rosie’s residence. Come there directly.”

“Okay. Would it be good to pick you up by 1:30?”

“Yes. Oh, and this.”

Melanie handed me a box she had brought.

“What’s this? Did you bring it for me?”

“It’s a dress to wear inside the hot springs. I thought you might not know since there are no hot springs in the Shatou Neil Kingdom, so I brought it for you. I have several others besides this one.”

“Thank you. I would have been in trouble if it weren’t for you.”

“I’ve already packed Lady Rosie’s too.”

Melanie looked very excited.

I opened the box and looked at the dress.

The dress for the hot springs was very simple.

It was made of fabric that wouldn’t become see-through when wet, and the material prevented the skirt from puffing up.

“Yulina’s gift to Lady Pesilini yesterday was also a dress to wear in the hot springs.”

“Is it a similar design to this?”

“Yes, the dresses that nobles wear in hot springs are all pretty much the same.”

As Melanie explained, the dress was a style that wouldn’t reveal the figure of Pesilini, who was starting to show her baby bump.

“Then I’ll see you later!”

“Okay, see you later.”

***

Not long after Melanie left, the Master of the Magic Tower visited my residence for a check-up.

Sometimes I go to the main palace, but other times the Master of the Magic Tower comes directly to my residence.

“From now on, there will be more and more days when I come to see you.”

The Master of the Magic Tower said with a smile after finishing the examination.

“As my belly grows bigger?”

I made a round shape with both hands.

“Yes.”

The Master of the Magic Tower smiled and took a long sip of the strawberry juice Sharon had brought.

“Is it playing well?”

I asked, stroking my belly.

“It’s doing very well, very actively. Do you have any other discomforts?”

“No. After engraving with the Avatar Sword, the fever has also decreased a lot.”

“As I mentioned, with the engraving of the Avatar Sword, the old fever that had been bothering Zelda has been released, so you won’t have painful fevers like before.”

“Yes, but I don’t feel much heat in the burn scar on my face either. Of course, I’ve been steadily taking the magic potion that the Master of the Magic Tower made for me……”

I stroked the right burn scar area with my hand after a long time.

“That is also likely due to the engraving with the Avatar Sword. But the magic potion I made for you still only has a temporary effect.”

“I know. But the burn scar area doesn’t suddenly flare up like before. Is this also an effect of the engraving?”

“That’s highly likely, but I will make a cure for you next spring as promised.”

I remembered that the herb used in the cure, ‘Kelbarn,’ only grows in the Aclato Duchy.

“Thank you. I don’t know how to repay you. I wish there was something I could do to help the Master of the Magic Tower.”

“I have a small request……”

The Master of the Magic Tower hesitated and then spoke shyly.

“Please tell me.”

“From now on, please call me by my name.”

“?”

Even though his appearance is pure and still like a young boy, it was hard to say the name of someone who is well over 200 years old.

But it wasn’t a very difficult request, so I carefully opened my mouth.

“……Velos-nim, have a good day.”

“It would be even better if you could drop the ‘-nim’ [honorific suffix].”

The Master of the Magic Tower couldn’t hide his pleased expression and blushed.

Oh well. He wants it that way.

“Okay. Velos. Goodbye.”

“……That sounds nice. Yes, I’ll be on my way.”

The Master of the Magic Tower stared blankly at my face before smiling and opening the bedroom door.

Oh my, is he that touched?

As I approached to see him off, the Master of the Magic Tower turned to me and said quietly.

“But, I didn’t mean for you to drop the honorifics, Zelda-nim.”

Ah.

***

The Master of the Magic Tower felt good as he left Zelda’s residence and headed to the main palace.

Zelda’s cheerful voice, when she accidentally dropped the honorifics, lingered in his ears.

As he left the bedroom door, he said that he didn’t mean for her to drop the honorifics, and she blinked her eyes in embarrassment.

That appearance was quite cute, and he wanted to say a few more words, but he turned away, thinking that the determination he had made to give up would be shaken.

It was quite a fresh stimulus, as she was the first woman to drop honorifics to him in over 200 years.

“Why is this old man keep hitting on our master?”

Velos looked around at the familiar nagging from somewhere.

Two sparrows were circling around him.

“Moiya and Moni.”

Velos said to the sparrows in an unpleasant tone.

“If you have even a little impure heart for our master, this great wyvern will breathe fire on you, Moiya~?”

“I don’t.”

“Oong? We saw everything from outside the window? Why is your face so red every time our master speaks?”

“That’s right. I thought it was going to explode, Moni~.”

Moiya and Moni chased after Velos, nagging him.

‘Did Linelle Emperor tell them to monitor me?’

Velos opened his mouth with a slightly wronged feeling, but he closed his mouth again, wondering what excuses he could make to the baby wyverns.

“Velos, I have something I’m curious about, Moni~?”

“What is it?”

“Can you really forget our master?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“Answer when the great wyvern asks.”

“I don’t think I have a reason to answer.”

“You can’t forget, you can’t forget.”

Moni shook her head with her arms crossed.

“Wait, where did I put the fork that the cold body gave me?”

Moiya glared at Velos and his center.

“Why are you suddenly looking for a fork?”

Velos asked, sensing something ominous.

“I’m warning you in advance, you better be careful. I can *jjigeoseo* [stab/poke] and take it off in the blink of an eye!”

“What?”

Moiya pecked at the center of the Magic Tower Master with her small sparrow beak.

“W, what are you doing? How vulgar.”

It didn’t hurt, but Velos’s feet jumped into the air in surprise.

“It’s a warning. Give up on our master. Otherwise, I’ll take it off. It’s not even comparable to the cold body’s.”

“!”

Velos wanted to ask what wasn’t comparable and how great Linelle Emperor was.

But for some reason, he felt that he would be more hurt if he heard it, so he held back.

“Don’t follow me, it’s annoying.”

Velos waved his hand and quickened his pace.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Moni~. We have something to do this way too?”

“Where? To the main palace?”

“No, we’re going to the hot springs to warm our bodies, Moiya~.”

The two baby wyverns flew past the Master of the Magic Tower and headed to the cypress forest between the main palace and the empress palace.

***

Three hours later, the main palace office.

Tok, tok, tok-.

Two sparrows knocked on the office window.

“What is that sound……?”

Raphael, who was standing in front of Linelle’s desk, turned his head and looked at the window.

“Your Majesty, two sparrows are knocking on the window with their beaks right now?”

“It’s them. Open it.”

He looked up at the window, glanced at it, and chuckled as he ordered.

As Raphael walked to the window and opened it, two sparrows flew into the office.

“Excuse me.”

“Moni too.”

The two baby wyverns greeted him politely.

“Did you stop by while playing in the forest? But what should I do? There are no sausages in the office.”

“Sharon already gave us a lot of sausages.”

Moiya circled around the office and landed on Raphael’s crown.

Moni landed gently on the office desk where Linelle was sitting and looked at him lovingly.

“Why, do you think I’m cool because I’m working?”

Linelle raised the corners of his mouth and asked Moni, stopping from looking through the documents.

“Ang! It’s cool to see you simping [acting subserviently to gain affection] for our master, but His Majesty working is also very cool, Moni~.”

“Simping…… to think you consider that simping.”

He glared at Moni with a painful expression.

“Moni, that’s too harsh. Don’t you feel sorry for the cold body trying so hard to be loved by our master?”

“Trying so hard…… trying so hard. How can you belittle Jim’s love for your master like that?”

After hearing the words simping and trying so hard, Linelle felt his existence was insignificant for the first time in his life.

“Keup, keueup.”

Raphael smiled, showing his teeth without noticing.

“Are you laughing?”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

Raphael pressed his lips tightly and politely put his hands together in front of him.

“Poor Raphael, you’re having a hard time, Moiya~.”

Moiya comforted Raphael in a mature tone.

“You should be more aware.”

Raphael whispered to Moiya, who had come down from his crown to his shoulder.

“Life is too hard to take care of sausages. You or someone with no power should take care of that.”

“!”

Raphael grabbed his chest and made a hurt expression.

He was angry, but he couldn’t think of anything to say in response.

Sadly, Moiya’s words were not wrong, so Raphael’s heart ached even more.

Linelle, who had suddenly become a man who was simping and trying so hard, was also very uncomfortable.

He spoke more sternly on purpose to kick Moiya and Moni out of the office.

“As you can see, Jim is very busy. Go play with your master.”

“We want to, but our master is not in her residence.”

“Did she go to Rosie’s residence?”

As he muttered to himself, Moni shook her head.

“No, she’s at the hot springs with the concubines, Moni~.”

“Hot springs? She went to the hot springs?”

“Yes, we were playing there first, but the concubines came in droves, so we had no choice but to give up our seats.”

Moiya replied with a voice full of regret.

There are two places around the imperial palace where hot spring water comes out.

One is in the cypress forest, and the other is in the forest just outside the imperial palace before entering the imperial city.

The hot springs outside the imperial palace are mainly used by knights and nobles, so if the concubines went, it would be the hot springs inside the imperial palace.

“Are you talking about the hot springs on the way to the training ground?”

“Yes. Heehee, I secretly relieved myself in the hot springs, Moiya~.”

“Ew, I wondered why bubbles were suddenly rising!”

Moni glared at Moiya with disgust.

“So now, you’re saying Zelda is also at the hot springs?”

“Oong? Would I lie after eating expensive sausages?”

Moiya pouted, grumbling.

“Are there only concubines at the hot springs?”

“No, the wrinkled Yang master was there too?”

“Who?”

“I’m talking about the mean-looking woman who lives in our master’s palace.”

“Roxana is…… there too?”

Linelle narrowed his brows.

“Ang! That red head is looking at our master with her eyes like this~ in the hot springs, Moni~?”

Moni imitated Roxana’s expression quite similarly.

Linelle covered the documents he was reading and got up from his chair.

“Your Majesty…… there are still mountains of documents, why are you getting up?”

Raphael blocked the emperor and asked.

“Why are you asking when you know?”

“Are you really going to the hot springs?”

“Yes. Get out of the way and don’t be a hindrance.”

“But the concubines might be uncomfortable if Your Majesty shows up?”

Raphael stopped him, groping his body with both hands.

Then Linelle asked Moiya and Moni.

“Everyone must have entered the hot springs with their clothes on, right?”

“Oong? I didn’t see that far?”

Moiya tilted her head and replied.

“Hmm, I’ll know when I get there.”

He strode forward and opened the office door.

“Y, Your Majesty! Everyone might be in an embarrassing situation, please refrain yourself!”

If the concubines are not properly dressed.

Just imagining it is a dizzying sight…….

“How can your steps be so light?”

Despite Raphael’s dissuasion, Linelle did not care.

He looked back at Raphael, who had turned pale, and answered as lightly as his steps.

“Then…… Jim can just take it off too.”

Then it’s fair. Isn’t it?