The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 29

29. Look at this?

2021.04.14.

“That’s not what I was going to ask… but I’m glad to hear it.”

Without realizing it, I picked up the teacup Catherine had been drinking from, startled myself, and put it back down.

“What did you originally want to talk about?”

Linelle put down his own teacup on the saucer with a clink as he asked.

“I was worried about you after you left so abruptly last night.”

“I’ll be more careful in the future so the Empress doesn’t have to worry.”

It wasn’t an angry tone, but it definitely felt more distant than before.

“I feel like I’m bothering you by coming here when you’re busy.”

“…….”

“Now that I’ve confirmed that Your Majesty is feeling better, I’ll take my leave.”

I said I would get up soon, but I kept sitting on the sofa, looking at him. I was repeating the same actions he had done when he came to my bedroom. I needed to get up, but my butt was stuck to the sofa.

“You said you were leaving.”

Linelle, who had been looking towards the window, glanced at me with a puzzled expression, noticing that I hadn’t moved.

“I will. May I get up now?”

I asked as if I couldn’t get up unless Linelle gave me permission.

“When are you going to get up then?”

He continued coldly.

“Anyone would think the Empress moves according to my words.”

He was mocking me, alluding to what happened last night. I humbly accepted his dumbfounded expression and stood up from the sofa.

“Where are you planning to sleep tonight?”

Ah, I wanted to sew my mouth shut as soon as I asked that question.

“I’ll rest where I want to. The Empress doesn’t need to worry about it.”

Linelle walked to the window and replied curtly. Strangely, I wasn’t upset at all by his cold attitude. Instead, my heart felt heavier and more apologetic.

“Then I’ll really be going now.”

I bowed to Linelle’s back and turned around. As I left the office, I looked back at him standing by the window one more time. But at the same time, he was also looking back at me. Just as he was about to move towards me, the office door closed. Without realizing it, I reached out towards the doorknob. But then…

“I see Your Majesty the Empress here. I am Duke Ete Carios.”

A deep voice spoke from behind me. Duke Carios? He was the father of Catherine, the First Concubine.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duke Carios. Catherine was also in the office a little while ago; I don’t know if you met her.”

“Yes, I saw her in front of the main palace. She is still very lacking. I hope Your Majesty will look kindly upon her in the future.”

“It’s more important that His Majesty looks kindly upon her than me. Then, please go in.”

I was uncomfortable with the very fact that I had run into Duke Carios. So, I quickly ended the conversation and tried to turn around, but the Duke seemed to have more to say to me.

“Although she is a lacking daughter, it weighs heavily on my heart to see tears in my child’s eyes. I suppose I am an unavoidable father.”

It was a strangely unpleasant voice. It felt like he was saying that I was the cause of his daughter’s tears. A warning to be careful. Last night, I sent Linelle back to Catherine’s palace so she cried? Why?

“I can feel your love for Catherine. Then, please speak with His Majesty, Duke Carios.”

I forced a calm smile and turned around. My heart felt heavier than when I had arrived at the main palace.

***

In fact, Linelle’s expression before the office door closed, as if he had something to say, bothered me more than the hostility Duke Carios had shown me. I couldn’t say anything to him. That last night wasn’t my true feelings. That I wanted to spend the night with him too. I wanted to tell him that… But I had no choice but to swallow the words I was going to say because he said last night wasn’t bad. I just chewed on my lower lip, trying to control my emotions. After leaving the main palace, I couldn’t even take a few steps before I looked up at the floor where his office was located. Sharon lowered and raised her head, watching me several times, and only then did she carefully ask when our eyes met.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

“No, not at all.”

I honestly said how I felt. Thankfully, Sharon and the three maids tried to understand my feelings.

“There is a greenhouse in the Imperial Palace. Would you like to visit there for a change of pace?”

At her suggestion, Solie and Theresa next to her quickly chimed in.

“That’s a great idea!”

“They say there are many plants there that clear your head!”

“There’s a place like that?”

When I showed curiosity, Theresa stepped forward this time.

“Yes, I heard that His Majesty also visits the greenhouse when he has a headache!”

“Theresa, shush.”

“Honestly, no tact.”

Sharon and Solie poked Theresa in the back, scolding her with ventriloquism. They seemed to be rebuking Theresa for bringing up Linelle’s story to me, who was in a bad mood after meeting him.

“Okay, shall we go?”

I smiled at Theresa and said. I happen to have a headache too; I wonder if it will really help?

“Really? It’s not far from the main palace!”

“Yes, it would be nice to take a look for a while before we go. Let’s go.”

They couldn’t hide their excitement, saying that they had never been inside the greenhouse either. I pretended to talk to them and glanced at nine o’clock and four o’clock directions in turn. Someone had been following me since I left the main palace. But the strange thing was that there was more than one person following me. I didn’t show it and moved towards the greenhouse.

***

I passed the main palace and entered the back garden path. Unlike the splendid main palace garden, a simple and peaceful place unfolded. I admired the maze-like landscaped garden and turned my gaze to the fields in the distance. Sharon said that Linelle sometimes enjoys light walks, riding horses in those fields.

“Your Majesty, this is it.”

As I was looking around the scenery, I arrived in front of the greenhouse that the maids had mentioned. The greenhouse was neither very big nor very small. As soon as I entered the greenhouse, much cleaner air than the outside air entered deep into my lungs. Small canaries flew peacefully inside the greenhouse.

“The things that grow here are sensitive plants, so they quickly wither if the temperature inside the greenhouse is not right.”

Sharon kept taking deep breaths.

“They’re picky plants, like nobles.”

At my words, they couldn’t laugh out loud and covered their mouths with their hands, chuckling.

“It’s amazing how the air is much fresher than outside.”

I raised my head above the ceiling of the greenhouse.

“This is my first time here too, and it’s really amazing!”

Sharon said, also admiring.

“Now that I see it, Sharon, you wanted to come here, so you told me to come here, didn’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes on purpose and questioned her, and Sharon jumped up and waved her hands. Her appearance was so cute that I burst into a small laugh. I felt someone behind me. It seemed to be the person who had been following me since I left the main palace. I waited for that person to get closer. If they threatened me, I had to protect the maids next to me. So, I looked around and scanned for anything that could be used as a weapon. There was no way there would be anything to use as a weapon in the greenhouse. Still, there were branches as thick as forearms everywhere, so I would have to pull them out and use them if necessary.

‘Almost there.’

My inner spirit signaled. I could also feel that the person who had been following me was near me. The three maids didn’t seem to know that a stranger was following us behind. I walked around the greenhouse and reached a point where it turned to the right. I pretended to smell the flowers and stepped back, and after confirming that there was some distance between me and the three maids, I quickly turned around.

“Gasp, Your Majesty!”

“…You are?”

Surprisingly, the person who had been following me to the greenhouse was Linelle’s concubine. Moreover, she was one of the four young ladies who had entered my bedroom the day after our first night, claiming to be my maids. If I remember correctly, she was the young lady who had been the most polite and courteous to me among them.

“Lady Rosie Adelheid? Ah, now she’s not a lady, but a concubine…”

In the Lapion Imperial Family, not only the Emperor but also the Empress could speak informally to the concubines. When I called Rosie’s name and pretended to know her, she bowed deeply.

“Second Concubine, Rosie Adelheid greets Your Majesty!”

There was no need to bow that deeply. It was too much of a contrast to Catherine, the First Concubine, whom I had met in the main palace office earlier.

“Did you come to see the greenhouse?”

I didn’t bother to ask her about the fact that she had been following me.

“Ah, yes! I have often visited the Imperial Palace since I was young, but I have never been inside the greenhouse, so I came out to see it.”

I pretended not to know Rosie’s lie and nodded with a gentle expression.

“I see. Rosie, do you feel like your head is clearer now that you’ve come here? I think it’s having some effect on me.”

I started walking slowly inside the greenhouse with her. Although she was the same concubine of Linelle, Rosie felt very different from when I faced Catherine. There was no unpleasant feeling at all, and it was just like being with a cute younger sister. Moreover, Rosie didn’t have a hostile attitude towards me like Catherine.

“Yes, I really feel like my mind is clearing. Um… Your Majesty. There is something I would like to apologize for first.”

Rosie’s expression, which had been smiling brightly at my question, suddenly darkened.

“Apologize? About what?”

“About… entering Your Majesty’s bedroom without permission last time…”

“Ah, that time.”

“I, I thought it was already allowed! Even at the banquet hall!”

“I see.”

“Yes, the other young ladies told me that Your Majesty had ordered that it was okay to do so, so I believed it and went…”

“It’s okay. It’s already in the past. Besides, Rosie didn’t know, so I have no reason to scold you.”

I laughed it off lightly. Then, Rosie looked at me with a look of emotion. The light freckles spreading from the bridge of Rosie’s nose looked even cuter.

“Thank you! And actually… becoming a concubine was not my intention either. I just wanted to sit in the library, reading books…”

Rosie said this time in a tearful voice. It was as if becoming a concubine was like being unjustly imprisoned.

“You really like books. What kind of books do you usually read?”

When I brought up books, Rosie’s green eyes, which had been tearful, sparkled with life.

“I read everything without discrimination! But the books I read and like the most are…”

Rosie, who had been talking excitedly, hesitated when she was about to say what kind of books she liked the most.

“What kind of books do you read the most? Maybe romance novels?”

“Ah, no!”

Rosie blushed as if she was embarrassed and stammered.

“Why? I think they’re fun.”

When I opened the door first, she smiled shyly and confessed that she always checked out popular romance novels. But they weren’t the books she read the most.

“Then what is it? What is Rosie’s favorite genre? Tell me comfortably.”

I smiled, holding Rosie’s arm tightly. Rosie hesitated for a moment and carefully opened her mouth.

“Since I was young, I have been studying healing magic on my own by reading magic books.”

“What? Healing magic?”

“Ah, well, it’s not really studying… it’s just something I do for fun!”

Rosie wriggled her hands as if she was embarrassed.

“You have a great hobby, Rosie.”

I sincerely expressed my respect. It is rare for a young lady from a noble family to study healing magic. Among magic, healing magic was usually learned by doctors from lower noble backgrounds or commoners with good heads in order to make money.

“If I’m not feeling well in the future, I’ll have to ask Rosie.”

“Can I dare to be of help to Your Majesty?”

She refused, but she smiled with a happy face.

“I have a feeling I’ll get a lot of help.”

“Thank you so much for saying that!”

Since a while ago, Rosie’s gaze seemed to be lingering on the burn scar on my right face.

“Ah, and actually, before the national marriage, I-”

“I see you here again. Your Majesty?”

Rosie’s voice was drowned out by a sharp voice that came from somewhere. I frowned and raised my head in the direction of the voice. It was Catherine. Then, was Catherine the other person who had been following me besides Rosie?

“What, Rosie. Are you already being too flattering to Her Majesty? You have to be moderate with flattery to be loved by your superiors.”

Catherine came closer and glared at Rosie in front of me.

“Ca, Catherine, it’s not flattery, I’m just…”

Rosie tried to refute Catherine’s criticism, but she was already intimidated by Catherine’s overbearing attitude.

“Wait, what did you just say?”

“…Huh?”

Catherine asked in a very unpleasant tone, and Rosie looked at her with a nervous expression.

“Catherine? Did you just say Catherine?”

“Ah! I, I’m sorry. It’s not stuck in my mouth yet, so I made a mistake…”

I realized why Catherine was being so harsh to her after hearing Rosie’s words.

“I think it would be better to talk about it next time… Her Majesty is here now…”

Rosie, who was flustered, forgot to raise her voice to Catherine again this time.

“Okay. Let’s talk later.”

Catherine nodded in agreement with Rosie’s suggestion.

“First of all, this.”

*Slap-!*

Catherine’s hand struck Rosie’s cheek in an instant. A fierce sound echoed in the peaceful greenhouse. Rosie’s head turned to the side. I looked at Rosie and then shifted my gaze to Catherine. ……Oh, look at this?