The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 287

287. Did the Concubines Plan This Together?

October 4, 2023

“I came to meet a prisoner for interrogation, not to chat with a concubine.”

At Rinell’s serious tone, Yulina finally wore an expression befitting a prisoner.

His questions about last night’s events followed, and Yulina answered diligently.

She seemed nervous, but on the other hand, it was her first time talking to him so closely, and her face revealed excitement from time to time.

However, he remained consistently cold.

He only asked questions necessary for the case and about Roxana’s visit last night.

Raphael diligently wrote down Yulina’s statement beside him.

“Even after arriving in the Partsha Empire, you will not be able to attend Prince Kalbain’s coronation ceremony. Of course, you won’t be able to enjoy the celebratory banquet either.”

After finishing the interrogation, Rinell grabbed my hand and stood up, saying to Yulina.

“Yes… I know.”

“And as soon as you return to the Rafion Empire, a trial will be held. Keep the emergency medicine that Roxana gave you safe. It’s the evidence that will save your life.”

“I will keep that in mind!”

Yulina understood his words and quickly nodded.

***

After sending Roxana back, Hethor met with Palto.

“The plan has been changed to tonight.”

“Yes? Why suddenly?”

“Well, they say it’s to finish everything before arriving in the Partsha Empire, but who knows? Maybe there’s another reason.”

Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter as long as Rinell was informed of the changed time in advance.

“In three hours. Exactly three hours from now, release Galaco and throw the bait in this direction.”

He conveyed Adrian’s instructions to Palto.

“Yes, should we keep our ship waiting around here?”

“Of course. We need to clean up after the job is done.”

“Great King, you’ve made up your mind, right?”

Palto asked the same question for the third time.

He had heard that he was addicted to the obedience potion and had been detoxified not long ago, but he kept asking out of concern.

He had always been frustrated and unable to understand his lord, who was being used like a fool, but he never expected there would be such an inside story.

“Yes. And I’m sorry for everything.”

Hethor sincerely apologized.

Palto was the only subordinate who had believed in and followed him to the end, even when he made ridiculous decisions.

Of course, he consistently advised him, but in the end, he accepted Hethor’s decisions.

“I remember… at the monastery. I don’t feel good about beheading the subordinates who tried to stop me.”

Hethor said with a painful expression.

“It’s not your fault, Great King. You’ve been very strange since you saw Empress Roxana at that monastery, but no one knew you were addicted to something like an obedience potion. It was unimaginable.”

Palto comforted him, saying it was unavoidable.

He added that he was grateful that he had broken away from Roxana and returned to his original self, even now.

“But Great King. Why do we have to release Galaco when we can just overturn everything [sabotage the plan entirely]?”

“There will be some sacrifices, but this will allow us to hold Roxana accountable. That’s why Rinell is letting me release Galaco.”

“Well, we need evidence to hold her accountable.”

Palto nodded in agreement.

“Besides, we can also deal with Adrian, who is targeting Zelda. I also have a debt to settle with Roxana, so it’s not a bad choice for either of us.”

“Yes, it’s very dangerous, though.”

Palto chuckled and asked with a curious face.

“Is Zelda really… the Wyvern Lord?”

Hethor simply nodded and didn’t reveal the details.

“Then, won’t she summon the wyverns? Even if the Galacos only have one head left, it will be too much for the knights on board to handle them.”

“I’m going to discuss that with her. First, I need to inform her that the plan has been moved up.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Okay, don’t forget to fire the signal flare even if I don’t give you separate instructions. It’s in three hours.”

“Of course, don’t worry.”

Hethor parted ways with Palto and headed to the place where he was supposed to meet Rinell.

The conference room, known only to the emperor’s close aides, was an empty room at the end of the lounge one floor below.

As Hethor hurried down the stairs, a shadow fell behind him.

He had sensed someone’s presence since he turned the corner in the hallway, so he quickly turned around and twisted the arm of the person following him.

“Ugh… Ack!”

“Who are you?”

***

Rinell and I left Yulina’s room and headed to the lounge to hear statements from Catherine and Count Ethan, the first witnesses to the incident.

As we entered, the two people sitting on the chairs stood up at the same time and paid their respects to him.

Catherine and Count Ethan looked like a pretty good couple.

The statement process was much smoother compared to Yulina’s.

The two honestly revealed how they witnessed Pesilini and Yulina last night.

I suddenly realized that Catherine’s sharp eyes were quite different from before.

She always seemed to put strength in her eyes when she looked at me, but I hadn’t seen that look for a while.

“…That’s everything I have to say. Your Majesty.”

Catherine finished her statement with a relieved expression.

“I will gladly accept the punishment for deceiving Your Majesty.”
Count Ethan suddenly bowed his head and said.

It seemed like he was talking about meeting Catherine in the warehouse last night.

Rinell didn’t look deceived at all, but he stared intently at Count Ethan.

He had a look of curiosity, wondering what nonsense Count Ethan was talking about.

“I will also gladly accept the punishment. However, I have a request, Your Majesty.”

Catherine said in a rather firm voice.

“What request?”

“Yes. I have abandoned the dignity that a concubine should have, so please strip me of my concubine status.”

“I will also give up my position as the head of the imperial blacksmith. Instead…”

The two suddenly offered to give up their positions.

“What’s wrong with you two?”

“Please give Catherine to me.”

“!”

“!”

Rinell and I gasped at the same time and made eye contact.

“Please allow it!”

Count Ethan knelt on the floor with a thud, as if he were asking his father-in-law for permission to marry [a traditional marriage proposal gesture].

“Your Majesty, you allowed Rosie to marry Prince Norton!”

Catherine also went next to Count Ethan, knelt down, and pleaded.

She had a confident expression that her request wouldn’t be difficult either.

I didn’t know she had such spirit.

It was a scene too good to see alone.

I wanted to tell Catherine that, following Rosie, Melanie would also be sent to the pirate king of Tanya Island, Hethor.

“Did the concubines… plan this together?”

Rinell looked down at the two people kneeling and said to himself.

“Thank you, though.”

The following words were so small that only I could hear them.

There was even a hint of laughter.

***

“Aaaagh, I, I am a person sent by Emperor Adrian!”

At the knight’s cry, Hethor released his arm.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s a message that there has been a change in the plan and that he wants to meet you right away.”

“What change again?”

“I don’t know either. I was only ordered to bring you.”

The knight kept touching his arm, looking distressed, as if the pain from being grabbed by Hethor hadn’t subsided.

“Perhaps, has the plan been changed back to tomorrow?”

If so, he had to withdraw the order he gave to Palto.

“The timing is the same.”

“Really? Hmm, is he in his room?”

“No. He wants to meet you somewhere else in case there are watchful eyes. Please follow me.”

The knight led Hethor down the stairs mainly used by sailors and servants, avoiding the stairs mainly used by the celebration delegation.

Hethor silently followed the knight, took out his pocket watch, and checked the time.

He thought he would be a little late for his appointment with Rinell.

However, it was better to meet Adrian first, confirm the changed details, and then report to him at once.

“This is the place.”

The knight went down to the lowest level of the ship, stood in front of a secluded cabin, and immediately opened the door and went inside first.

It was a place where food supplies were stored.

Hethor looked around the hallway and followed the knight inside.

He didn’t let his guard down, thinking it might be a trap, but Adrian was really there.

Hethor put the sword he was about to pull out from his waist back in.

“You’ve come. I thought it wouldn’t be good to be seen by other dignitaries, so I called you here. Come over here and sit down.”

Adrian tapped the table and pointed to the chair in front of him.

“I heard there has been a change in the plan. What is it?”

Hethor walked towards Adrian and asked.

The moment he took a step,

“Ugh!”

A blunt piece of wood struck Hethor hard on the back of the head.

As Hethor staggered, two knights grabbed his arms, and another knight covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief soaked in anesthetic.

Hethor’s struggling body lasted for a few minutes before collapsing.

“Empress Roxana’s request to eliminate you… was the change.”

Adrian belatedly replied, looking at Hethor, who had fallen to the floor.

He looked back at the knight and asked.

“You confirmed that Hethor gave orders to his adjutant, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. He instructed them to fire the carrier pigeon and signal flare in exactly three hours.”

“Good. All preparations are complete.”

Adrian laughed heartily with a relieved expression.

Before Bellos could figure out his true identity, or even if he already had, he had nothing to fear.

In a few hours, everyone would be under his feet, seeing blood.

The knight, whose arm had been twisted by Hethor earlier, took the opportunity to stomp on Hethor’s arm, which had fallen to the floor.

“Stop it.”

Adrian waved his hand at his subordinate with a bothered expression.

“Your Majesty, I thought my arm was going to break because of this bastard!”

The knight couldn’t contain his anger and stomped on Hethor’s hand with his boot.

“Revenge is best served when they’re awake. What’s the fun in tormenting a passed-out guy? Stop it and tie him to a chair.”

Adrian pointed to the chair in front of him and gave instructions.

“Tie him up? Not kill him?”

“Yes.”

“But Empress Roxana told us to kill him right away, didn’t she?”

The knight cautiously asked.

“After the job is done, I need to start a deal with Empress Roxana again using him as bait. He won’t wake up for a few hours, but he’s not an ordinary guy, so tie him up tightly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. But, if Empress Roxana asks…”

“Tell her he’s dead.”

Adrian replied as he left the food storage room.

Even after tonight’s plan succeeds, it wasn’t a bad thing to hold Roxana’s weakness.

The knights playfully hit the unconscious Hethor a few more times before following Adrian out.

The door to the food storage room was tightly chained and locked.

An hour ago, the kitchen staff had come down here and taken all the dinner ingredients, so no one would be coming down here again tonight.

But an hour later.

There was someone who frequently went in and out of the food storage room.

“Meow-? (It’s Melanie’s escort knight-?)”

It was Ao 씨 [Ao Ssi, a cat].

As soon as Ao 씨 entered the food storage room, she wagged her tail and wandered around, chewing on the jerky she had hidden in the morning.

The door to the food storage room was always locked, but it wasn’t a problem for Ao 씨.

After all, there was a separate passage to get in and out of here.

It seemed like the mice had been diligently digging holes for years, and Ao 씨 was using them usefully.

Who is this?

Ao 씨 found Hethor in the corner of the food storage room.

“Meow? (Why are you sleeping here? You even tied a rope so you wouldn’t fall over?)”

Ao 씨 started to wonder if she should go to Roxana and tell her, ‘Your escort knight is dozing off in the food storage room.’

“Meow? (But he’s Melanie’s escort knight now, right?)”

Wait, should I tell Melanie?

What should I do?

If Moiya and Moni were here, they would have told me clearly, but the two of them flew to the Valley of Death as soon as the celebration delegation boarded the ship.

They grabbed my neck, telling me to go with them, but thanks to Ao 씨 stubbornly refusing with her claws, she was able to escape from the two baby wyverns.

Life on the ship without Moiya and Ao 씨 was comfortable.

It was so sweet to be able to sneak into the food storage room and eat jerky to her heart’s content.

There were many burlap sacks here that she could climb and make holes in, so it was a place where she could play alone without realizing the time, but she didn’t feel good when she met a familiar face.

Besides, wasn’t he the guy who hung out with Roxana!

“Meow. (Yeah, let’s just go.)”

He’ll get out on his own when he wakes up.

Ao 씨 was about to go back the way she came when Hethor mumbled something as if he was dreaming.

Ao 씨 spat out the jerky she was holding and jumped onto the table.

“Meow? (Is he sleep talking? What is he saying?)”

She approached Hethor, who was slumped over and unconscious, and licked his face and cried.

“Melanie…”

Hethor called her name through his teeth.

“Meow? (Call Melanie, not Roxana?)”