The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 286

286. Your Baby Is Growing

“Was it before or after drinking the Obedience Potion…”

Hector whispered the question.

“…What?!”

Roxana was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

“I’m talking about the baby.”

Hector’s indifferent tone turned Roxana’s face pale.

She looked up at him with disbelief.

An impossible thing had happened.

‘He knows I gave him the Obedience Potion…?’

For a moment, Roxana’s mind went blank, forgetting why she was even there.

‘How did he find out? When did he know? And why has he been holding back?’

She wanted to pour out all her questions at once.

But she couldn’t open her mouth rashly.

Hector’s contemptuous gaze told her it wasn’t a frivolous joke.

‘Is he just testing me?’

Maybe the potion’s effect wore off, or he suddenly became suspicious of her loyalty.

If that was the reason, she shouldn’t get caught up in it.

There was no evidence anyway.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Roxana tried to keep her voice from trembling.

As if amused, Hector briefly raised one corner of his mouth, but said nothing.

Silence fell.

Roxana’s heart was growing anxious.

Hector simply stood there, looking down at her, but she felt as if he was driving her towards a cliff.

She felt suffocated, as if she would really fall somewhere if she stayed like this.

She had to say something.

Roxana finally spoke first.

“Obedience Potion? That’s not a funny joke.”

“Really? Your truths aren’t any more amusing.”

Hector lowered his gaze and stared at Roxana’s stomach.

Roxana was flustered by his cold reaction and raised her voice.

“What do you mean? Your baby is growing inside this belly!”

“I know.”

“…What?”

“You just heard me. I know.”

“!”

She wanted to shout, ‘Then why are you reacting like that?’

But Roxana could only move her lips, unable to decipher Hector’s expression.

“And I asked you.”

“Wh-what?”

“Whether the baby was conceived before or after I drank the Obedience Potion.”

There was anger hidden in his calm tone.

His sunken expression was colder than the cursed Linelle Emperor.

She felt like if she didn’t answer the question right away, that large hand would grab her neck.

“It must have been… after coming to the Lapheon Imperial Palace.”

Feeling fear, Roxana deliberately avoided the words ‘Obedience Potion’ and spoke indirectly.

Hector closed his eyes and narrowed his brows.

She couldn’t tell if he was finally accepting the situation or swallowing his anger.

Back in the Aclato Duchy, she had gone to a witch and taken a morning-after pill.

It was after her first encounter with Hector.

She had only learned about the pregnancy a few days ago.

She felt chills and realized she hadn’t been feeling well lately. So, she called a palace physician separately hired at the Empress’s Palace to check her condition.

The palace physician said it was early in the pregnancy. So, it was true that the baby was conceived in the Lapheon Empire.

“Anyway, only close aides know that Linelle Emperor can’t perform his duties as a man.”

“So?”

“If those close aides disappear, there will be no one to prove that this child isn’t the Emperor’s baby!”

In contrast to Roxana’s flushed face, Hector looked at her as if he hadn’t heard anything.

Feeling uneasy, she folded her eyes gently and put strength into her voice.

“If there’s a minister who doubts and tries to start a rebellion, you can stop it, right? Isn’t that so?”

“So that’s it… The reason you changed your mind about killing Linelle Emperor…”

Hector muttered, looking down at the floor.

Roxana’s plan sounded plausible.

It would have been possible if he was still under the influence of the Obedience Potion.

“That’s not my baby.”

Hector said firmly.

“Wh-what are you talking about? How can you say that?!”

It was a shocking statement.

“It’s a baby conceived when I wasn’t in my right mind. Only inheriting my blood, which was an empty shell without an ego…”

“What do you mean?”

As Roxana flared up, Hector clenched his teeth and muttered.

“I can’t accept it as my child. Do you understand?”

“!”

‘Yes, this was your true self. A barbarian without blood, tears, or compassion!’

Roxana felt like she was back to the day she first met him in the Aclato Duchy.

“Your child, our baby… can become the Emperor of the Lapheon Empire! Don’t you understand what that means?”

Roxana calmly tried to persuade him again.

But it was no use.

“I don’t care what you do with that child.”

“Are you going to betray me now? I’ll tell Emperor Adrian.”

Hector looked at her struggling pitifully and opened his mouth.

“Helping you wasn’t my will in the first place, so what betrayal are you talking about?”

“Hector!”

“And Emperor Adrian doesn’t care about your ambitions. This is a problem between you and me, not his.”

That’s why he could openly ask about the Obedience Potion.

It would be a problem if this messed up Emperor Adrian’s plan, but Galaco would be released as promised.

Emperor Adrian wouldn’t interfere in the relationship between Roxana and himself.

And tonight, after Galaco appears, everything will be settled.

“You liked me even before drinking the Obedience Potion! What’s the problem? Our baby is growing in my belly!”

“Roxana, that’s a baby you created. If you want to make that child the Emperor of the Lapheon Empire, then do so.”

In the end, you’ll fail though.

Hector swallowed the rest of his words and opened the door to the guest room, saying to Roxana.

“Leave.”

“…You’ll regret it. Grab me now, while you still can.”

Roxana glared and asked again as if it was her last chance, but Hector’s choice didn’t change.

“Get out now.”

***

Catherine and Count Ethan were the only witnesses to last night’s incident.

The two arrived at the lounge after being summoned by Linelle for their statements.

Chief Steward Stian was waiting in the lounge.

“His Majesty went to Lady Yulina’s residence a little while ago. He said he would be back within 30 minutes, so it won’t be long. Please wait here for a moment.”

“Alright.”

Catherine said, sitting in a chair.

“It’s going to be a hassle. I shouldn’t have interfered… I must have been crazy.”

As Stian left, Catherine sighed deeply, blaming herself.

“It was the right thing to do, Catherine.”

Count Ethan comforted her in a warm voice.

Last night, Ethan was personally checking the quantity of weapons in the deck warehouse where spare weapons were stored.

If it were the Imperial Palace’s smithy, he would have ordered the servants to do it, but the congratulatory delegation was made up of a small number of people, so he was directly responsible for checking and understanding the condition of the weapons used by the knights.

As he was about to leave the warehouse after finishing his work, Catherine came inside.

‘I came out because I was feeling stuffy, and it seemed like you were here…’

Count Ethan’s heart softened at Catherine’s dejected voice.

‘Then sit down for a moment.’

He had always kept his distance from her and treated her coldly, but he couldn’t do that last night.

Count Ethan sat on the warehouse floor with Catherine and looked up at the stars in the night sky through the window.

There was no one on the deck at that time.

Only the sound of the waves was gently heard.

Only sailors occasionally passed by, but Count Ethan turned off the lantern he had brought into the warehouse, just in case.

Catherine, emboldened by the darkness, was about to lean her head slightly on Count Ethan’s shoulder.

That’s when a familiar voice was heard from somewhere.

The two simultaneously craned their necks and looked out the window.

It was Pesilini and Yulina.

It seemed that the two had become close and were hanging out together since they had been to the hot springs in the Imperial Palace’s cypress forest.

However, Catherine was annoyed that the serene atmosphere was ruined by the two concubines.

After a while, Yulina went up to the platform at the bow of the ship and forcibly pulled Pesilini’s hand up.

‘What are they doing so dangerously?’

Count Ethan had a strange feeling and approached the window.

Catherine also got up from the floor, following him.

Pesilini seemed to come up to the platform, face forward, and spread her arms, following Yulina. Yulina reached out somewhere and seemed to say something to Pesilini, then suddenly pushed her shoulder.

It happened in an instant.

Catherine unknowingly went out of the warehouse and shouted, ‘Pesilini!’

Pesilini fell straight out of the ship, but fortunately grabbed the railing with one hand.

Then Yulina quickly leaned her body forward, and soon Pesilini’s scream echoed across the vast sea.

It was dark and hard to see, but it seemed that Yulina had forcibly removed Pesilini’s hand from the railing.

Count Ethan quickly requested rescue and gathered the sailors and knights.

The sailors in the captain’s cabin immediately stopped the ship and quickly threw rescue tubes and ropes to Pesilini.

At the time Count Ethan requested rescue, Catherine found Roxana among the nobles gathering on the deck.

Catherine informed the Empress of what had just happened.

Even when Roxana had her knights take Yulina into the guest room, Catherine didn’t think deeply about the incident.

However, after telling Linelle Emperor what she had witnessed, she was filled with regret.

Clearly, she had to give a more detailed statement regarding this incident.

If that happened, she would have to explain why she was on the deck at that time, which was troublesome in many ways.

She had told Linelle that she had come out for some fresh air, but it was revealed that Count Ethan had made the direct rescue request.

It was difficult to figure out how to coordinate their stories.

If she was just acquainted with Count Ethan, she wouldn’t have aroused strange suspicions, but since they had deceived Linelle and had an affair in the past, it was something he could easily think strangely about.

“I should have stayed in the warehouse without interfering.”

Catherine said regretfully, raising her hand to her forehead.

“If we hadn’t intervened, Lady Pesilini would have died. Catherine, you saved her.”

“What? You made the rescue request.”

“You were the one who ran out of the warehouse first and called out to Lady Pesilini.”

“It was an unconscious action. If I could go back, I would never interfere.”

Catherine said firmly.

But Count Ethan shook his head.

“No. You would have done the same.”

“How do you know? I’m Catherine. Have you forgotten?”

Catherine scoffed, speaking in a self-deprecating tone.

“Yes. You’re greedy and sometimes do reckless things, but I know you’re not someone who would harm others. That’s for sure.”

Count Ethan took Catherine’s hand.

Her eyes widened.

“Let’s tell His Majesty the truth. He might understand.”

Catherine’s eyes widened even more at Count Ethan’s words.

“…Are you crazy? Who would believe that we were just sitting in the warehouse staring at the stars? Do you want to get kicked out?”

Catherine jumped up.

“Just get kicked out.”

“Are you saying that now? I’m the First Concubine! If I just give birth to a prince…!”

“Catherine, that won’t happen. Don’t you still know His Majesty?”

“Ethan, you just have to cooperate. I’ll take care of the rest.”

In fact, she said that, but Catherine already knew it was impossible.

“You still don’t know about me either.”

Count Ethan ran a hand over his face and knelt on one knee in front of Catherine with a determined look.

“Give up your concubine position and come to me.”

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

“I can’t make you an Empress, but I’ll treat you like one.”

Catherine had a blank expression at Count Ethan’s words.

“…What if I refuse?”

“Then you’ll live as a nominal First Concubine for the rest of your life. And I’ll marry another woman.”

Catherine briefly imagined Count Ethan marrying another woman.

It was terrible.

“Are you telling me to become a blacksmith’s wife?!”

That was also terrible.

“Refuse if you don’t like it. I won’t hold you back.”

He had proposed so sweetly, but now he says he won’t hold her back?

Catherine was somewhat confused.

“Give me time to think.”

“Decide before His Majesty comes.”

“…What’s the rush?”

“I feel responsible for what happened yesterday. That’s why I’ve decided to take responsibility for you. But I don’t know when my heart will change, Catherine.”

“Huh? You’re using all sorts of ways to threaten me, really.”

Catherine snatched her hand away from Count Ethan and got annoyed, but she had already made up her mind.

***

Late in the afternoon, I visited Yulina with Linelle.

As soon as I entered the guest room with a heavy heart, I doubted my eyes.

Yulina was all dressed up.

She didn’t look like someone who had committed a crime and was being interrogated.

He glanced at me with a bewildered expression.

His eyes seemed to be asking why the criminal was greeting him with such finery, considering what he had said to Yulina last night.

How would I know?

I looked at Yulina up and down again with a puzzled expression.

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Welcome, Your Majesty.”

Yulina greeted shyly.

I was about to advise her to get a grip on the situation, but Linelle scolded Raphael instead.

“Raphael, didn’t I tell you to inform her in advance that I was coming to interrogate her?”

“I did, Your Majesty.”

Raphael also looked quite embarrassed.

“Yulina.”

As he called Yulina’s name, her face immediately brightened.

“Yes, Your Majesty… It’s Yulina!”

Yulina, who hadn’t even properly performed the concubine ceremony, seemed unable to control her emotions as he called her name for the first time.

“I didn’t come to spend the first night with you.”

He frowned and said, as if scolding her.

Even though it was a voice without emotion, his low voice made even me feel fluttery for no reason.

“Ah, the first night… Y-yes. I know…”

Yulina’s breathing quickened.

Did she even hear him properly?

It seemed that only the words ‘first night’ were circling in Yulina’s ears.

“So, fix your complexion.”

He pointed his index finger at Yulina’s face, which had turned as red as a plum, and ordered.

How could she do that at will?

I glanced at his beautiful blue eyes and understood Yulina’s feelings to some extent.

“I will try.”

Yulina smiled, fanning her face with her hand.

“Don’t show more than six teeth.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, don’t smile.”

Linelle’s stern warning followed.

Only then did Yulina’s cheekbones, which had been soaring upwards, come down.