The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 285

285. Begging to Be Married Off

As Bellos called out his name, Emperor Adrian felt a chill run down his spine.

“…What did you just say?”

“Pilike, that madman.”

“!”

“Ah, that’s the name of my disciple.”

Bellos replied, raising one corner of his mouth.

Emperor Adrian, momentarily stunned, regained his composure and asked with feigned innocence.

“Aha…? So, that magician’s name is Pilike. Was he a talented disciple?”

“If obsession counts as talent, then yes. He was exceptional.”

Bellos answered in a mocking tone, smiling faintly.

Emperor Adrian forced a smile, trying to smooth out his crumpled expression.

“I warned him that his obsession with wyverns would lead to his downfall, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Bellos said, erasing his smile as they arrived in front of the dining hall.

“Hmm, so. What happened to that disciple now?”

Emperor Adrian asked, subtly probing as he entered the dining hall first.

“Well, it’s been a long time since I cut ties with him, so I don’t know. But he’s probably still on that path.”

“What path?”

“The path of destruction. Enjoy your meal, Your Majesty Emperor Adrian.”

Bellos placed a hand on his chest, bowed deeply, and greeted him with utmost courtesy.

‘Did he notice something?’

Emperor Adrian’s lips trembled slightly as he returned the greeting with a smile.

The unease led to impatience.

‘Then I have no choice but to move the plan forward.’

***

Melanie, who had skipped breakfast and was sleeping in, woke up to a series of small noises.

Hector was kneeling in front of her room, doing something.

Melanie rubbed her eyes, got up, drank a glass of water, and then squatted down next to him.

Hector was tightening a loose screw on the door handle with a screwdriver, but then, dissatisfied, he started turning the screw with his bare hands instead.

“What are you doing?”

Melanie asked, blinking.

“That’s it.”

Hector was satisfied after pulling the doorknob up and down, making clanking sounds.

“What’s done?”

“The lock was loose. You could just push it open.”

“We’ll be there in two more days, why bother fixing it?”

“Look at what happened last night. Accidents happen in an instant.”

Hector said, helping Melanie up.

“If you’re so worried, you can sleep here.”

At Melanie’s words, Hector stopped his hand as he was about to put the screwdriver in the toolbox and just turned his head to look at her.

“Are you serious?”

“If I were serious, would you try to peck my mouth with that?”

Melanie gestured to the screwdriver in Hector’s hand and laughed.

“You’re a concubine of the Emperor of the Lapion Empire.”

It was a joke to make him laugh, but Hector replied more seriously than necessary.

“And who was it that did something to that concubine, knowing that so well~?”

Melanie asked teasingly.

“Those were things that could be done secretly. Sleeping in the same bed is a different matter.”

“I thought you were fixing the doorknob so you could secretly sleep with me here.”

Melanie nudged Hector’s arm with her body, and he closed the toolbox with a dumbfounded expression.

“You know… His Majesty said he’s going to kick me out soon.”

Melanie said seriously, and Hector’s eyebrows shot up.

“What? To where?”

“To you.”

She didn’t look like she was making things up.

Besides, Emperor Linell was the kind of person who would say such things without hesitation, so Hector had no choice but to take Melanie’s words seriously.

“It’s true. I asked when you left the restaurant first on my birthday.”

“Asked what?”

“To be married off like Lady Rosie.”

“!”

Could she have said such a thing so openly?

It wasn’t like she was complaining to her brother; this was…

It was something no sane concubine would do.

But, the person was ‘Melanie,’ and she was the crazy concubine recognized by everyone in the Lapion Imperial Family.

She smiles brightly.

Hector stared at her, speechless, and then checked the facts again.

“You said that openly? In front of Emperor Linell?”

“Why? Should I have said it behind his back too?”

“……”

Melanie didn’t understand the meaning of the question at all.

“Don’t worry. I said it without beating around the bush. I said very clearly, ‘Your Majesty, please marry me off like Lady Rosie! I want to be a remarried concubine too!'”

“You really said that…”

Hector asked, pressing his temples with his fingers.

“Yeah, not a single word was changed.”

Melanie replied with a clear face.

“What did he say?”

“He said the imperial family is doing well~?”

“?”

As Hector’s expression hardened, Melanie quickly waved her hand and added.

“He didn’t sound upset, he actually seemed happy? He said he would be remembered in history as the emperor who remarried all his concubines to other men, and that he would never be forgotten even after death.”

Yeah, we’ll be famous too.

It was an issue that would be talked about not only in the Lapion Empire but in every country.

“But he said we’ll discuss it again after returning from the Partsha Empire. So, behave.”

“Behave how?”

“Don’t get on His Majesty’s bad side and behave. If you want to marry me.”

“Marriage… You and I…”

Hector said in a serious voice, as if to himself.

“Then who else would I marry? I’m taking responsibility for you, okay? And you don’t have a choice anymore.”

“Why not?”

Hector asked with a smirk.

“What is it? Is there such a thing as a gift that’s given and then taken back? You’re my birthday present.”

“Hmm, it’s going to be hard in many ways if you marry me. Think carefully.”

Hector wondered if she could endure a life that was much less than her imperial life.

“I don’t have to be a pirate too, do I?”

Melanie asked cautiously after thinking hard about something.

“…That’s, you don’t have to. There are plenty of hands [crew members].”

“Then, on the island, do I have to wear clothes that only cover my important parts?”

Melanie asked carefully, as if she was seriously worried about something.

“…That’s, that’s only possible in front of me.”

“Ah, are you going to bring in concubines like His Majesty? I can’t stand that even after remarrying. I can’t be a generous queen.”

“Why would I bring in concubines to remarry again.”

Hector replied, holding back a laugh.

He wasn’t a man who was close to women even on Tanya Island.

“If you don’t make me lonely, that won’t happen. I have barbarian blood, but I’m only barbaric to one woman.”

“Oh my! Why is that so exciting?”

Melanie tapped her fingertips together and swayed her body.

“Hmph.”

Hector lightly pressed Melanie’s cheek with his finger.

“Why?”

“Because you’re cute. You’re cute every time you say something weird.”

“Then aren’t you weird too?”

“Maybe.”

Hector readily admitted, picking up the toolbox.

“Are you leaving? Stay longer.”

“That’s difficult. There are many eyes watching.”

“Where are the eyes watching when you even fixed the room door? I woke up too early, so I need to sleep more. So you lie down next to me too.”

“Then… I’ll sit here until you fall asleep.”

Hector brought a chair and sat in front of the bed.

“If you’re doing that, I’ll wake up.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Make me tired. I think I’ll fall asleep faster that way.”

Melanie raised her arms and pouted her lips.

“Then get up and grab a sword.”

Hector said, pressing down on her pouting lips with his hand.

“Ugh, not sword training. I’m asking for lip training!”

***

Hector watched Melanie fall asleep again and returned to his room.

Emperor Adrian was waiting in the room.

“…What’s going on?”

“We need to move the plan forward by a day. We’ll proceed with the plan at midnight tonight. Of course, I’ve already discussed it with Empress Roxana.”

Emperor Adrian looked somewhat uneasy.

Hector examined his face as if observing him.

Something felt strange.

“What’s the reason for suddenly changing the plan?”

“Thinking about it, it’s better to finish everything before arriving in the Partsha Empire. The Partsha Empire might interfere under the guise of mediation.”

Emperor Adrian said.

Hector nodded, but continued to watch his expression.

He used the Partsha Empire as an excuse, but the real reason seemed to be something else.

Emperor Adrian looked displeased at Hector, who was trying to see through his intentions.

‘You should just do as you’re told; what kind of questions are you asking?’

On the surface, he treated him like a comrade sharing the plan, but his true feelings were not like that.

As if he were originally the Emperor of the Tevelo Empire, Pilike was already Emperor Adrian himself in every way.

“You’ve made thorough preparations, right?”

“Of course.”

“Ah, Zelda, the Wyvern Lord, must be captured alive.”

“Yes…”

Hector’s head began to get complicated with the suddenly changed plan.

He had to tell Emperor Linell about this quickly.

Emperor Adrian was discussing the plan after releasing the Galacos [monstrous beasts] to Hector when he patted his forehead with his hand, saying he had forgotten something.

“Ah, there’s one more addition to the Galacos’ food.”

“What do you mean?”

“Emperor Linell. He’ll be thrown to the Galacos.”

“Yes? But Empress Roxana would never…”

“It’s Empress Roxana’s will.”

Emperor Adrian interrupted Hector.

“But if Emperor Linell dies too, the Lapion ministers will no longer have a reason to support the Empress, will they?”

Unless Roxana had imperial blood.

Clearly, there must have been a change in Roxana’s feelings.

‘What on earth is it?’

Hector’s questions grew.

“I said the same thing. But she seemed to have a separate plan.”

Hector’s eyes narrowed at Emperor Adrian’s words.

“From your expression, you still don’t know anything.”

“Yes.”

“Find out what the reason is and stop her if it’s a reckless decision.”

Emperor Adrian put his hand on Hector’s shoulder and said as if advising him.

At the same time, he said that if he only captured Zelda, the Wyvern Lord, he wouldn’t be interested in the lives of others and wouldn’t want to interfere.

“We’ll talk about the more detailed plan before dinner.”

Emperor Adrian left the room with a nervous yet excited face.

Hector was going to go to Roxana’s room right away and ask why she was suddenly trying to kill Emperor Linell.

He was also curious as to why Emperor Adrian had moved up the plan, but he was more curious about why Roxana was trying to kill Emperor Linell.

Hector, who was sitting in a chair lost in thought, raised his head at the sound of the room door opening.

It was Roxana.

Come to think of it, she had come to him last night saying she had something to say.

‘Ah, was she going to tell me about the plan to eliminate Emperor Linell?’

As Hector stared at Roxana silently, she spoke first.

“I said I had something to say yesterday.”

“Say it.”

Hector said calmly.

“You heard from Emperor Adrian that the plan has been moved up, right?”

“A little while ago.”

“Hector. This must… succeed.”

Roxana pleaded with eyes full of desire.

Hector just shrugged and replied.

“It will succeed if God allows it.”

“God will allow it this time too.”

Roxana said with a confident expression.

“This time… too?”

Hector frowned and asked back.

“He has already given me one of the things I wanted.”

Roxana put her hands on her stomach and made an expression as if she had the whole world.

Hector’s pupils shook.

He had a feeling about something from her actions.

But he was afraid to ask.

The hope that it wasn’t true was collapsing with Roxana’s satisfied smile.

“Your child is growing here.”

Finally, she whispered in a sweet voice, stroking her stomach again.

Hector was silent for a few minutes.

His focus was somewhere in the air.

Roxana, who had come closer before he knew it, looked up at him and urged.

“Say something. Aren’t you happy?”

Then Hector very slowly lowered his head, put his lips close to Roxana’s ear, and whispered something.

“…Wh-What?!”

Roxana’s face twisted.