The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 263

263. Please Send Me Away

2023.07.12.

“Looks like your nickname is going to change to ‘Flaming Crotch of the Imperial Palace’!”

Linelle shouted urgently.

“Water, where’s the water? I thought I saw some earlier?”

He was genuinely worried about his secretary.

“Ah, it’s over there!”

I quickly went to grab the water pitcher from the bedside table.

Meanwhile.

“Oh my heavens! H-his thing is getting bigger and bigger!”

Sharon, who was sitting next to Raphael, exclaimed in a flustered voice.

In her panic, Sharon left out the words ‘because of the fire’ before the important word.

Because of that, if someone were eavesdropping on this conversation from outside the bedroom door, it could easily lead to a big misunderstanding.

In the moment that he and I paused at Sharon’s exclamation, Sharon snatched the cushion Moiya was sitting on and began to mercilessly beat the flaming thing.

“Ah, ack, aack-!”

The sound of the cushion hitting, thwack, thwack, along with Raphael’s pained groans, simultaneously stimulated my tear ducts and funny bone.

I couldn’t tell exactly if the sounds were from being startled by the fire on the zipper, or from the pain of Sharon swinging the cushion so hard to put out the fire.

In any case, thanks to Sharon, the flames were extinguished.

But there might still be some embers left, so it would be best to make sure, right?

I opened the lid of the pitcher I had brought from the bedside table and poured it directly onto Raphael’s crotch.

A sizzling sound, as the heat from the fire cooled, and a small puff of smoke rose with the smell of burning.

Fortunately, the flames only burned the fabric of the pants and didn’t burn any deeper.

After letting out a sigh of relief, I immediately scolded Moiya.

“Apologize to Raphael right now. You almost made him lose a part of his body because of you!”

Moiya went under the bed and came out with her favorite towel.

She covered the zipper area of Raphael’s pants, which had been involuntarily turned into a half-burnt mess by her flames.

“Raphael, cover it up. Embarrassing, Moiya~.”

In her own way, she was offering her cherished towel as an apology.

“Are you really okay down there?”

Linelle asked with a very worried face.

“I’ll have to examine it closely to know for sure……”

Raphael replied with a gloomy expression, and he also gave Moiya a look.

“Moiya, apologize.”

“Sorry ’bout it.”

Moiya reluctantly apologized while picking her nose.

Raphael, half out of his mind, didn’t react at all.

He patted Raphael on the shoulder and then turned his gaze back to Moiya and Moni.

“What’s the reason? The reason you entered Raphael’s and my bodies.”

Moiya and Moni pushed each other, delaying their response.

“This won’t do. Sharon, take the sausages for those two to the magister’s raven tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will follow your orders as soon as the sun rises.”

“Oong? You’re giving my sausages to that black thing?!”

“Aang? That guy likes raw meat?!”

Moiya and Moni were surprised by his command, and Sharon was flustered by the retort.

“There must be a reason. They probably just played a prank without thinking.”

I comforted him, glancing at the two of them.

Then they both gave me a resentful look and their ruby eyes welled up with tears.

“We did it for Master, Moiya……”

“We did it for the baby, Moni……”

“Kids, what are you talking about?”

I reached out and simultaneously lifted their lowered heads.

“You were in a hot place, so you were getting hotter and hotter.”

“That’s right. So we deliberately acted cheesy. To get everyone out of the hot springs quickly.”

“What?”

Linelle tilted his head, and Moiya began to explain, folding her fingers one by one.

“If we sacrifice His Majesty’s body, the concubines will like it, then our Master will be jealous, then the angry Master will bubble and raise the water temperature, then everyone’s skin will turn red, then everyone will run out of the hot springs, then the hot spring bath will end sooner than planned, Moiya~?”

“We’re so thoughtful, Moni~.”

Moiya and Moni hugged each other and praised each other.

The intention was good, but the method brought disgrace.

But he didn’t scold them anymore after hearing their excuses.

Instead, he made a strange request.

“Show me the courtship dance again.”

“Aha, is it about time to mate?”

Moni looked at the grandfather clock and clapped her hands.

“Raphael, you should learn it too.”

Moiya also stretched her shoulders as if warming up, then took Moni’s hand and ran to Linelle, standing in front of him side by side.

“It’s not…… because of mating!”

“Then Moiya~?”

“I need to know how ridiculous it was in advance so I can deal with the concubines’ mockery.”

He gritted his teeth and glared.

Regardless, Moiya and Moni performed the courtship dance, Raphael clapped offbeat with a face of complete resignation, and Sharon hugged the cushion that had barely saved a man’s life, occasionally twitching her shoulders, and when she met my eyes, she relaxed her shoulders.

***

The next day, in the morning.

Today was the day to go to the main palace for a checkup.

While Sharon went to get the robe to put over my shoulders, I drank warm chrysanthemum tea and looked out the window.

Knock, knock, knock-.

With the knock, Sharon came in with the robe over her arm.

I put down the teacup and stood up from the tea table chair.

“Let’s go.”

“Um…… Prince Norton has just arrived.”

“Who? Prince Norton?”

“Yes.”

Why would Prince Norton, not the magister, be at my residence?

“Tell him to come in. And bring tea.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As Sharon left, Prince Norton came into the bedroom and greeted me.

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

“I have something to tell you urgently, so I came to see you early in the morning. Please forgive me.”

“Don’t mention it. What do you have to tell me? Please, sit down first.”

Judging from Prince Norton’s expression, it didn’t seem like a light matter.

“It seems I’ve interrupted you as you were about to go somewhere.”

“To the main palace. Today is the day I go to see the magister for a checkup.”

“Ah, yes.”

Prince Norton smiled and glanced at my stomach as he continued.

“How are you feeling? Is His Majesty still experiencing morning sickness on your behalf?”

“I’m fine. Rather, my body is much lighter than before I was pregnant. His Majesty seems to be experiencing less morning sickness these days too.”

“That’s a relief.”

Prince Norton smiled and took a sip of the tea that Sharon had brought.

As Sharon left the bedroom again, Prince Norton finally opened his mouth.

“Yesterday, a messenger hawk came from the Partsha Empire.”

“Was it sent by my brother, Prince Kalvain?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Does he have something to discuss regarding the coronation ceremony?”

“No.”

Prince Norton shook his head with a troubled look.

“Then what’s the matter…… Did something happen in their imperial family?”

“No, it was a letter asking about the Wyvern Lord.”

Prince Norton carefully brought up the topic.

What?

I doubted my ears, but I certainly hadn’t misheard.

“Why suddenly Prince Kalvain…….”

I wanted to ask who had sent the letter to Prince Kalvain, and whether that person had revealed my existence, but I couldn’t get the words out.

Prince Norton, reading my expression, calmly began to tell me one by one.

“Someone seems to have leaked information to my brother through a messenger hawk that they know of the existence of the Wyvern Lord.”

“Who…… is it?”

“I don’t know either. My brother didn’t reveal who sent the letter.”

“Why would he hide the identity of that person from you, Your Highness?”

“That’s probably because the one who gave the information was reluctant to have their identity revealed, or perhaps my brother didn’t want their identity to be known here. Since I’m in the Lapion Imperial Palace, he seems to have judged that there was a risk of leakage.”

Prince Norton checked my complexion and asked if I was okay.

When I nodded, he continued.

“According to the person who sent the letter, the Wyvern Lord is in the Lapion Imperial Palace. They haven’t revealed who it is yet.”

“……Could it be one of the people who know my identity?”

“I think so.”

“Who on earth…….”

“Well, does Zelda Mama have anyone in mind?”

I recalled all the close associates who knew of my existence.

Linelle, Rosie, Prince Norton, the magister, Grand Duke Martins, Commander Macrome, Empress Elan, Melanie, Sharon, and even Raphael.

No, it’s not the close associates.

Betrayal aside, there was no one with connections to the Southern Continent.

Prince Norton and Empress Elan are from the Southern Continent, though.

But even those two wouldn’t reveal my existence, and there’s almost nothing to gain from that alone.

If Prince Norton had revealed my existence to his brother, there would be no need for him to come to me and tell me this news.

Then who would benefit the most from using me?

Among those who know my existence…….

Suddenly, an unpleasant face came to mind.

“Emperor Adrian…… I think.”

I said cautiously to Prince Norton, but inwardly I was certain.

To be precise, the magician Pilipe, who is occupying Emperor Adrian’s body with black magic.

You son of a bitch. Yes, it’s definitely him.

Is he trying to stimulate the Southern Continent nations to pressure the Lapion Empire, where the Wyvern Lord is?

He might be trying to use my existence to get the Wyvern chicks, or if that doesn’t work, he might try to eliminate me altogether to prevent the Lapion Empire from gaining power.

“Does Prince Kalvain seem to believe the words that there is a Wyvern Lord in this imperial palace?”

“I think he’s half-believing, half-doubting. But since it’s about Wyverns, it’s clear that my brother is taking it seriously.”

My heart beat faster at Prince Norton’s words.

“I don’t know for sure what his intentions are, but Emperor Adrian probably didn’t just send a messenger hawk to the Partsha Empire.”

“That’s right. He probably told Emperor Katria of the Deloy Empire the same thing.”

“Yes. I have to leave for the Southern Continent in a few days. So…….”

“I know, we need to…… prepare something before that, right.”

Soon, congratulatory delegations from all countries will flock to the Partsha Empire.

We need a plan before that.

“I think so too. But what are you thinking of doing?”

Prince Norton asked with a worried look.

To be honest, even I was at a loss as to how to resolve this situation.

However, my heart, where the Avatar Sword is embedded, seemed to already know the answer.

“First, please keep this a secret. I’ll tell His Majesty separately.”

“I will. So…… you have a plan?”

“Well, I’m not sure yet either.”

I had no choice but to answer that way because it was a thought sent from my heart, not my own thought.

***

After Prince Norton left, I spent some time alone.

After finishing my thoughts, I got into the carriage with Sharon.

Originally, I was going to stop by Linelle’s office to see him before going to the magister for a checkup, but there was no time for that.

I went straight to the magister’s room.

“Welcome. Shall we do the checkup first? Or would you like to have some tea first?”

The magister kindly asked, pulling out a chair himself.

“Let’s talk first. I have something to discuss.”

The magister sat down in front of me with a curious face, but his eyes were still gently curved.

“Before coming here, Prince Norton came to see me. Read this first.”

I placed the letter from Prince Kalvain that Prince Norton had given me on the table.

“What is this letter?”

“Prince Kalvain sent it to Prince Norton through a messenger hawk.”

The magister listened to my words and unfolded the letter.

As the magister read the letter, the corners of his eyes gradually narrowed and his complexion darkened noticeably.

“If this is true, we must prepare a plan before leaving for the Partsha Empire.”

“That’s why…….”

Listening to the sound of my heart beating incessantly, I lowered my voice and said to the magister.

“Use teleportation to send me to the Valley of Death, where the Wyverns are.”

“Excuse me?!”