The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 304

304. Squid Stirring the Water

“I need to find out which young ladies are being considered as candidates for the Imperial Consort.”

That way, I can prepare more easily.

“Couldn’t we just ask Prince Norton?”

Melanie asked.

“No, Princess Consort Jasper would be better.”

“I think so too. After all, the Princess Consort will know more about the young ladies.”

Rosie agreed with my opinion, her eyes firm.

Moni stared at Rosie’s worried face for a moment, then scratched her head and asked.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if Norton or Button just declared he would only mate with Rosie, moni~?”

“Human affairs aren’t that simple.”

Melanie shook her head, stroking Moni’s head, and Moia, who was next to her, stroked Melanie’s head and muttered.

“Humans like complicated mating, moia~?”

“Imperial marriages are even more so. They’re politically intertwined with various noble families. You guys wouldn’t understand.”

I chuckled and put sausages in the mouths of the two baby wyverns.

Just shut your mouths.

“But… will Princess Consort Jasper even help us?”

Catherine said with a suspicious expression.

“Oh, right! Now that I think about it, didn’t she get close to Princess Resilia at the Continental Hunting Competition?”

Melanie frowned, backing up Catherine’s words.

“That was when she didn’t know much about Princess Resilia. And she couldn’t have imagined that Prince Norton and Rosie would end up like this… like us.”

I said, glancing at Rosie, who was constantly tense.

Rosie, becoming anxious again, was unconsciously bringing a sausage to her mouth.

The Imperial Consorts and I all shook our heads, narrowed our eyes, and glared at her, and Rosie, with a small ‘oops,’ put the sausage back down.

“I’ll go meet Rosie and Princess Consort Jasper.”

I grabbed Rosie’s hand and stood up from the sofa.

It’s better to move quickly than just sit and worry.

“Then we’ll think about dresses and styles that suit Rosie, Your Majesty. We need to find jewelry that matches the outfits too.”

Melanie spread a dress book on the table, and Catherine and Pessilini began to pore over it.

“What about us?”

“What can we do for Rosie?”

Moia and Moni shouted in turn.

“You guys just don’t cause any accidents while wandering around.”

“Can we eat a lot of sausages while we’re at it?”

Moia asked earnestly, putting her hands together, afraid that I might tell her not to do that either.

“Yes. It’s good to eat a lot, but don’t bother Sharon too much.”

“Oong~? We’ll bother Sharon moderately.”

Moia and Moni disappeared out the window, saying they would wander around Partsha Imperial Palace and find a new person to supply them with sausages in place of Sharon.

***

After joining forces with the Imperial Consorts, I went straight to the Empress Palace where Princess Consort Jasper was staying with Rosie.

“Welcome, I was just about to visit you.”

Fortunately, Princess Consort Jasper greeted us warmly.

And her condition seemed much better than I had feared.

“I was worried. Are you still very heartbroken?”

Rosie paid her respects and spoke to her cautiously.

“I’m trying to pull myself together, but… I’m fine.”

Princess Consort Jasper replied calmly and offered us seats.

As she said, she really seemed much more comfortable since the funeral.

“Ah, Rosie, Your Majesty. Since you’re visiting today, why don’t you take a look around the Empress Palace? My servant will guide you. Zelda, Your Majesty, you should join too.”

Princess Consort Jasper gestured to the servant who had just brought tea and suggested a tour of the Empress Palace.

“Thank you for your consideration. Is that alright?”

To Rosie’s question, Princess Consort Jasper opened her mouth with a rather apologetic expression.

“Of course. Despite being a Princess Consort, I’ve been staying in the Empress Palace all along. Now that the owner has arrived, I should vacate the palace as soon as possible.”

“Don’t mention it. You were going to be the Empress soon, Your Highness. I’m really sorry.”

Rosie waved her hands hastily and replied.

“I don’t think I was destined to be Empress. I should have given up the Princess Consort position from the start… but it ended up like this.”

Princess Consort Jasper smiled bitterly with a voice full of regret.

Then, erasing her smile, she asked seriously.

“Rosie, Your Majesty. Do you love Prince Norton?”

“Ye… Yes, I love him.”

Unlike Rosie’s shy face, her voice was full of conviction.

“That’s a relief, it’s a marriage with love… Ah, I don’t know if you’ve heard…”

Princess Consort Jasper nodded and muttered, then changed her expression again and carefully broached the subject.

“The ministers have gathered an opinion that Princess Resilia, the mother of Rams, is more suitable for the position of Empress than Rosie, Your Majesty, who was a consort of Emperor Linel.”

“Actually, I came to discuss that issue with you. And the issue of the Imperial Consorts as well.”

I answered in Rosie’s place.

“You already know about the Imperial Consorts. Rosie, Your Majesty, you must be very troubled in many ways.”

Princess Consort Jasper sent a look of comfort and continued to speak.

“And about Princess Resilia, I’ve heard the details. Princess Resilia accidentally dropped Rams under the valley bridge… Weren’t they called Moia and Moni? If it weren’t for those baby wyverns, it’s terrifying to imagine what would have happened.”

“Yes, that’s right. It was something that should never have happened.”

Rosie frowned as if the nightmare of that day was coming back to her, and replied with a long sigh.

Princess Consort Jasper seemed to have heard about Princess Resilia’s atrocities from Prince Norton in advance.

Then the conversation will be much easier.

“Actually, Prince Norton visited an hour ago.”

Princess Consort Jasper said with a faint smile.

“The Prince did?”

Rosie asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes. Rosie, Your Majesty, I don’t know if you’ve heard this story, but I think it’s better to tell you since you’ll find out anyway.”

Princess Consort Jasper leaned slightly towards Rosie.

It was as if she was about to bring up something important.

I had a feeling what Princess Consort Jasper was about to say.

She’s probably going to talk about bringing Princess Resilia here.

“I heard that the Master of the Magic Tower is bringing Princess Resilia with teleportation magic, have you heard?”

My prediction was correct.

“Yes. I heard it from the Prince last night…”

Rosie didn’t like the decision very much.

“I’m worried that Princess Resilia might use some trick to gain the support of the ministers here. That’s what I’m worried about.”

Rosie hesitated and revealed the reason.

That was also my biggest concern.

Anyway, Princess Resilia is Rams’s biological mother, so it was obvious that she would try to gain sympathy from people by using that fact.

But the issue of Princess Resilia was something that had to be addressed at least once, even if it wasn’t now.

“It must be uncomfortable for Rosie, Your Majesty. But I also think it’s better to bring Princess Resilia before the coronation ceremony and change the ministers’ minds as soon as possible. Zelda, Your Majesty, what do you think?”

“I think so too.”

I deliberately added that this wasn’t a bad choice.

Like Linel said, a leaky bucket will leak inside and out [meaning that secrets will eventually be revealed].

As time goes by, Princess Resilia’s true colors will be revealed.

For Rosie’s sake, it was better to remove all the troublesome and unpleasant things before the Emperor’s coronation ceremony.

Princess Consort Jasper would know the ministers here well, so wouldn’t she have some kind of alternative?

As if she noticed my gaze, she first showed an apologetic expression and opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry. Currently, my family has also lost its authority because of me… I want to be a strength to you two, but I won’t be of much help.”

The meaning of losing the family’s authority more than before was probably because of the relationship with Prince Calbain.

She, who was the wife of the First Prince, was trying to remarry the Second Prince, Calbain, who was her half-brother who killed her husband.

If Prince Calbain had ascended to the throne as planned and she had become Empress, her family, which had been a laughing stock, would have risen to the pinnacle of power again.

But in this situation where Prince Calbain is dead, her family naturally has no choice but to lose power.

“No. Your words alone are a great strength.”

Rosie was grateful that Princess Consort Jasper didn’t side with Princess Resilia and supported her.

“Still, I want to be of some help…”

Princess Consort Jasper’s words were sincere.

I took this opportunity to throw her the real business.

“Can I get information on the young ladies who are being considered as Imperial Consort candidates?”

“Ah, yes. Currently, there are a total of three people being mentioned.”

“Three, three people?!”

Rosie was startled and frowned.

“Rosie, I had four.”

You, Melanie, Catherine, and Pessilini.

If you add three more Imperial Consorts from the Aclato Principality, that’s a total of seven.

“Th, that’s true, but…”

Rosie stammered with a troubled expression.

I said it to comfort her, but it seems like it failed.

In addition, Princess Consort Jasper immediately listed the names of the Imperial Consort candidates, making Rosie’s complexion even paler.

“Esther of the Voltaire Duchy, Glen of the Gestas Duchy, and Savannah of the Moiare Marquisate. These are the three.”

“Are they young ladies that Your Highness knows well?”

I asked.

“I can’t say we’re close, but they’re young ladies I’ve always seen in society.”

Princess Consort Jasper replied ambiguously.

“What are they all like?”

I glanced at Rosie and asked Princess Consort Jasper again.

“Are you talking about their appearance? Or their character?”

“Appearance!”

Rosie, who was biting her lip, suddenly raised her voice and asked.

Princess Consort Jasper was startled, but kindly told her.

“Their appearances are all… beautiful. Their families are also outstanding.”

“This is a difficult question, but how do they compare to me?”

Rosie asked quietly with a serious face.