The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 290

290. They’re Too Loud

It was definitely the grating sound of the Galaco [a type of Wyvern] that grated on my nerves.

Damn it, the plan has changed!

The day they were targeting me, the Wyvern Lord, wasn’t tomorrow, but tonight.

Ah, so that’s why Hector couldn’t attend the secret meeting today?

Was it because his attempt to give us information, like about Empress Elan, was discovered?

If Melanie was with Hector, then Melanie too…

I shook my head to clear away the bad thoughts.

I was also worried about Linell, who had gone to find them.

Even though he was skilled in swordsmanship, if he fell into a trap like Hector, I couldn’t guarantee his safety.

In the sky, the chilling sound of the hungry Galaco rang out, and the red gem was sinking into the sea, but I was more worried about Linell and the missing ones.

“You shouldn’t have come back to the Imperial Palace.”

To Roxana’s bitter tone, I retorted sarcastically.

“Just like you shouldn’t have come out of Aclato Island?”

“It’s not that I hated you from the beginning.”

Roxana shrugged and continued with a victor’s smile.

“It seems like you’ve lived a life of suffering since you were young, just like me… I was curious why you smiled so brightly and were so happy. And thanks to you, I found the answer and came all the way here.”

“That answer was Linell?”

“Yes. I should have just killed you back then, but I couldn’t because of the deal with the Master of the Magic Tower. If I had, things wouldn’t have gotten so twisted. Hmm, it’s my fault for being too soft.”

Roxana looked at me with a regretful face and clicked her tongue.

“What kind of deal did you make with Bellos…?”

“The Master of the Magic Tower wanted to make you his mate. It was because of the Incarnation [a being with immense power] and the Incarnation Sword.”

“I know that.”

“It was the Master of the Magic Tower who made the potion that made you lose your memory.”

Roxana generously revealed the buried truth.

How Linell lost his memory of me during the Continental Hunting Competition, and how I ended up drinking the same potion.

And the fact that Bellos and the dead Bonis were deeply involved in that plan.

Bonis…

Bonis did offer me lemonade, but in the end, he didn’t let me drink it.

He must have been threatened by his father, Logan, and had no choice but to follow Roxana’s orders.

My heart ached as I thought of Bonis, who must have spent painful time feeling guilty towards me.

Now I understood why Bonis had repeated the words ‘I’m sorry’ so many times at the moment of his death.

My throat prickled as I learned all the truth.

How could I kill Roxana in the most painful way possible?

Dozens of methods were popping up in my head one after another.

“Roxana, your stomach must hurt, right?”

“…What?”

“You went to such lengths, but in the end, you couldn’t have Linell, the Incarnation Sword, or even Hector, right?”

Roxana contorted her facial muscles as if I had scratched her face.

“And, you should have been more selective about your friends.”

Roxana snorted, displeased with my scolding tone.

“What are you talking about!”

“I’m talking about Emperor Adrian. I don’t know how close the two of you are to have done something like this, but you’ll regret it soon.”

Because I will definitely make you regret it.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re nothing without the Incarnation Sword.”

“You’re talking as if it was yours? Nothing in the Lapion Empire is yours.”

I said in a terribly calm voice.

It seemed to stimulate Roxana even more, but I didn’t care.

“You have too much all by yourself. You didn’t even try to get the Incarnation! It just happened when the red reagent fell on your face. Why are you allowed things that I’m not? Why do you get to have and enjoy everything? Why!”

Roxana screamed and struggled.

“Do you think you’ll be happy if you succeed in this plan? Just because I disappear doesn’t mean he’ll look at you. Getting his attention will be much harder than killing me. Do you understand?”

“…Ha, I don’t need him anymore.”

Roxana glared at me with a momentarily hurt face, but soon wore an expression as if she had emptied her mind.

“What?”

“Even without him, I will be the Empress of the Lapion Empire. I’ll protect it even more firmly.”

It was quite a meaningful statement.

“What are you talking about?”

“The Emperor will become Galaco’s prey along with you. Ah, you can maintain his life a little longer if you cooperate with Emperor Adrian. But in the end, you’ll be used and killed.”

She’s planning to kill Linell too?

But why suddenly?

“I don’t really care about Wyverns as long as I can protect my position and put my child on the throne.”

A baby? A baby, you say?

“You have a baby?”

At my question, Roxana burst into laughter and rejoiced.

I stared intently at her belly.

Could it be that she’s pregnant?

But I could bet my life that it wasn’t Linell’s child.

Then who?

Oh, my god.

“Could it be, Hector’s baby? Is it?”

Roxana’s laughter stopped abruptly.

She didn’t affirm it, but she didn’t deny it either.

“I see… Does Hector know too?”

“No more questions.”

Roxana gave me way as if telling me to run away.

Her leisurely and nonchalant attitude was extremely disgusting, but I had to prepare for the Galacos’ attack.

First, I had to inform the knights and him of this fact.

First of all, I had to evacuate the congratulatory envoys below deck, and I had to find Linell…

My head was spinning complicatedly.

Kieeehk-!

Once again, the Galaco’s cry was heard.

Some of the congratulatory envoys who were enjoying the shipboard party looked up at the sky, bewildered by the Galaco’s cry.

The Galacos were getting closer.

“Why don’t you think about how to survive first? No matter where you hide, you’re still on the ship, so you’ll be caught today anyway.”

Roxana whispered like a god bestowing mercy, then disappeared leisurely towards where Emperor Adrian was.

-‘Come in perfect condition. I don’t want a Wyvern Lord who is wounded and tattered.’

Emperor Adrian, who met my eyes, spoke to me telepathically.

I raised my middle finger high towards the silverfish [derogatory term for Adrian].

Once the Incarnation Sword and the engraving are made, even if the sword goes into someone else’s hand, its power can never be manifested except by the engraver.

But the red gem that would summon the Incarnation Sword had disappeared into the sea.

The red light that poured out towards the Wyverns trying to attack in the Cave of Death Gorge might come out this time as well.

But how should I handle that red light?

‘How should I use the red light?’

I asked the Incarnation I summoned.

‘Roughly with your hands~ Just wrap it around and use it.’

‘Really? Then I don’t need the sword.’

‘Zelda, don’t say things you don’t know. Why don’t you need it? It looks cool when you swing it with a sword.’

It wasn’t wrong, but there was no need to respond.

Anyway, I let out a sigh of relief and went to where the people were gathered and stood on the platform.

In the distance, the ship of the Aclato Duchy was slowly approaching.

Among Hector’s soldiers, I saw the face of someone holding a familiar electric lamp.

“Logan…?!

I could recognize him even after all these years.

It was definitely Logan, Bonis’s father and the court wizard of the Shattonil Kingdom.

But why is Logan on that ship?

***

Linell followed Aoshi down the deck stairs at a rapid pace.

‘How far down are you going?’

Aoshi passed all three floors with cabins.

No matter how smart he is, he’s just a little kitten.

Linell was starting to feel more and more doubtful.

As his pace slowed, Aoshi turned to him and meowed quite fiercely, as if scolding him.

“Miyaong! (You have long legs, why are you so slow!)”

Even while diligently leading the way, he occasionally looked back and held up one front paw, signaling him to follow quickly.

“Hmph.”

Such Aoshi was both insignificant and cute.

But unlike his cute appearance, Aoshi moved quite quickly.

Linell wasn’t sure if Aoshi could really guide him to where Hector and Melanie were, but he couldn’t just ignore him and turn back.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“Where are you going?”

It was the moment Linell was about to step on the stairs leading to the lowest floor of the ship.

The cabin door next to the stairs opened and Bellos’s voice was heard.

Bellos was about to belatedly participate in the shipboard party.

“To catch Hector and Melanie. Why don’t you join me?”

He went down the stairs and gestured for Bellos to follow him.

“Why would I?”

“It would look a little strange to others if the Emperor was just following a cat around.”

“I don’t think it would look good for two men to go down to the lowest floor of the ship either?”

Bellos retorted indifferently.

Even though he said that, his body was unknowingly following the imperial order.

“If you don’t want to walk side by side, walk behind me.”

“I am not His Majesty’s escort knight or servant.”

Bellos deliberately matched his pace with Linell.

“But you’re not my friend either, are you?”

At Linell’s jab, Bellos readily admitted it and replied in a kind voice.

“Yes, that’s right. Your Majesty is my friend’s husband.”

Bellos referred to Zelda as his friend and Linell as her husband.

From Linell’s point of view, it was a statement he didn’t want to admit.

Perhaps because it was a strangely unpleasant expression, he frowned, picking at his ear with his little finger.

He wondered if Moia usually picked at her ear so much whenever she talked to him because she wanted to listen with one ear and let it out with the other.

He understood, but a bitter feeling followed.

‘I could crush this bastard against the wall next to me with just a slight push!’

Linell tried to push him away by bumping his shoulder, but he held back.

‘I’m holding back because he’s my wife’s friend.’

Perhaps Bellos read Linell’s thoughts, he took a step away.

While the two were bickering, Aoshi, who had arrived at the door of the food storage room first, made an anxious cry.

“Why are we here? Are Hector and Melanie in here?”

He examined the large, tightly locked padlock.

“It’s a food storage room, why is it locked with such a big padlock? Anyone would think there were gold bars inside.”

Bellos also chuckled at the padlock that didn’t match the food storage room.

“I know, right? It seems like it was wrapped in chains too?”

Linell, who found the chain lying on the floor next to the door, said, kicking it with the tip of his shoe.

“Miyaaong! (I’ll go in first, you two break the door and come in!)”

Aoshi struggled to enter through a small hole next to the food storage room door.

“It seems like Aoshi was going in and out through that hole.”

“There must be something in here. Hold the padlock.”

Linell had Bellos hold the thick padlock body.

“I trust that Your Majesty, who is rumored to be an excellent archer, will not make the mistake of hitting my hand.”

Bellos praised his aiming skills on purpose as he held the end of the padlock body as he was told.

“Yes, I won’t make a mistake. If I cut off your hand instead of the padlock ring, it won’t be a mistake, it will be intentional.”

Cold sweat ran down Bellos’s forehead at his eerie answer.

The moment Linell took out the sword he was wearing on his waist and tried to chop the end of the sword handle towards the padlock ring like an ax.

“W-wait a minute! On second thought, I think it would be better for me to cut it off.”

“What?”

Bellos quickly drew a magic circle with both hands.

A golden band began to wrap around the ring part of the padlock, and soon sparks flew and the iron ring began to be cut off.

One minute later, it snapped and the padlock dangled from the doorknob before falling to the floor.

“Please come in, Your Majesty.”

“Shouldn’t you have opened it from the beginning?”

He squinted his eyes and asked as if he was questioning him.

“…I didn’t step forward because it seemed like Your Majesty liked to use your strength.”

Bellos quickly entered the food storage room first, avoiding Linell’s sharp gaze.

“You had teleportation too, didn’t you?”

“That requires holding both hands while facing each other…”

“You didn’t want to?”

When Linell asked with a growl,

“I was embarrassed.”

Bellos scratched his head and pretended to be shy on purpose.

Where are you trying to scam me?

That guy who held my wife’s hand so well and teleported her around.

Linell snorted and was dumbfounded.

Bellos ignored his terrifying gaze and desperately called out to Aoshi.

“Aoshi! Aoshi~?”

“Miyaong-! (Come this way-!)”

Aoshi’s cry was heard from beyond the sacks at the end of the food storage room.

“It seems like there’s a space behind there.”

He pointed to the narrow passage leading behind the sacks and ran.

Bellos ran after him.

“Melanie! Hector?!”

The two were tied to chairs with their backs to each other.

Hector was unconscious, and Melanie had a gag in her mouth.

“Ugh! Um, um!!”

Melanie, who had been drooping like a withered flower, got excited when she saw Linell and shouted in a voice that was already hoarse.

She was tightly bound by ropes, so no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t move anything, but her energy surged again.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Linell quickly cut the ropes around the two with his sword.

His guess that the two would be together was correct.

But he never imagined it would be like this.

“Melanie, what the hell happened?”

Linell asked, removing the gag from her mouth.

***

At that time, a quiet tension was flowing in the sea.

Moia, Moni, and the adult Wyverns were just about to get their hands on the gift they would offer to their master.

The shark, the outlaw of the sea, was completely unaware that a Wyvern group was preparing to capture it behind its fins, and was slowly loitering.

‘Like this, like that, like this, approach like that and rush in all at once, Moia~?’

Moia signaled the Wyverns with flashy hand gestures.

No one understood Moia’s signals, but since the plan was to catch the shark alive, everyone divided to the shark’s sides and watched for an opportunity.

When the shark was distracted by a large stingray that appeared in front of it and opened its sharp teeth, the Wyverns silently cut through the water and rushed at the shark.

Just as they were about to pounce on the shark.

“Kieeehk-!!”

The sound of a pig being slaughtered was heard from the ground.

It was the hungry cry of the Galacos.

The shark was startled by the sound and moved to another place at a frighteningly fast speed.

“These damn snake heads!”

Moia couldn’t control her anger and spewed fire from the water when she missed the gift to give to her master because of the suddenly appearing Galacos.

“We should have just blown their heads off back then, Moni~!”

Moia and Moni looked at the sea with regret, regretting the shark that was moving away.

“But why did those things show up here? Did they come out to play like us?”

“Who knows? They’re too loud, Moni~!”

She was about to instigate the other Wyverns to go out of the water, saying that she would grill the rest of the heads to a crisp today,

“Oong? What’s this, Moia~?”

Moia quickly snatched the red gem that was sinking into the water.