The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 305

305. Crocodile Tears

2023.12.06.

Amidst the cheers of the ladies, Rynell and his party entered the main palace entrance.

“This is a foreign land. Keep your zipper in check.”

Rynell poked Raphael’s lower abdomen as a warning.

“Ugh, Your Majesty. Haven’t I always told you? Most of the time, my body and heart are opened by others, not by my own will.”

Raphael bowed, making excuses.

Meanwhile, as Rynell’s group disappeared into the main palace, the topic of conversation among the ladies left in the garden naturally shifted to Rosie.

“That brazen concubine who’s marrying Prince Norton, you know.”

Esther of the Voltaire family casually asked the other concubine candidates.

“You mean Rosie, Your Grace?”

“Yes, has anyone here seen her up close?”

“During the funeral, we were too far away, so no one could have seen her closely. We’ll get a good look at her at this party.”

Savannah of the Moyale family, another concubine candidate, replied.

“My father saw Rosie, Your Grace, coming out of the office with Prince Norton, and he said she was worse than my maid.”

Another lady lowered her voice to a whisper.

“Oh my, did he really say that?”

“Yes, he did. He even questioned how she became a concubine.”

“I’m getting more curious. But Princess Resilia is supposed to be incredibly beautiful, right?”

“I’ve heard that too. She’s Rams’s biological mother, but I think it’s better for our empire’s prestige if the princess becomes the empress.”

“Of course, a princess from our empire is much more fitting as our empire’s empress than a concubine from another empire.”

The ladies were hostile towards Rosie but mostly friendly towards Princess Resilia.

“Aren’t you more curious about Rosie, Your Grace, than Princess Resilia? How did she win Prince Norton’s heart?”

“I think she must have some kind of special skill!”

Just like Zelda and the concubines, the ladies of the Partsha Empire began their research on Rosie.

“Aside from her looks, could she have some great charm?”

“We’ll probably get a sense of it when we see Rosie, Your Grace.”

“What if we don’t?”

“If not, wouldn’t that be better for us? Hehehe.”

“Anyway, it’s a wonderful world. A former concubine is even coveting the position of empress in another country.”

“Well, it’s a royal family that even takes their own sister-in-law, so what do you expect?”

At Lady Esther’s words, everyone burst into laughter and chimed in.

“So, is that why Prince Norton is trying to take a concubine from another country as his wife? Blood is thicker than water.”

“Still, when the prince becomes emperor, his standards will change.”

“Since he doesn’t have a strong power base yet, he’ll realize that he can’t rule an empire with love alone.”

“Of course. Princess Resilia is also a foreigner, but since she has Rams, who will inherit the throne, I think it’s a wise decision to have her as empress.”

“That’s true for now. But if one of us has a prince, then things will be different.”

At Esther’s words, the concubine candidates exchanged secretive glances and nodded.

“Oh, have you seen the wyverns?”

“I saw them flying in the distance.”

“I saw them too, and they were so cute.”

“But be careful, they have terrible tempers.”

“That’s right. They only follow Zelda, Your Grace, because she’s the Wyvern Lord [a title given to someone who can control Wyverns], but they’re rude to everyone else. They think they’re people.”

“Oh ho ho, they’re just animals. By the way, has everyone chosen their dresses?”

Savannah of the Moyale family turned towards the opposite side of the garden and asked.

Everyone slowly strolled along, following where Savannah was heading.

“Princess Jasper is bringing designers to the Empress Palace for the concubines of the Lapion Empire who will be attending the party.”

“Shall we visit the Empress Palace too? Under the pretext of giving advice on the dress styles that are popular in the Partsha Empire.”

“Good idea! And we can check out the concubines from the Northern Continent before the party.”

“Well, can they compare to us? Anyway, let’s pretend to treat them as guests and crush their spirits in advance.”

The ladies flaunted their beauty and showed their enthusiasm.

They had no idea that two great baby wyverns were carefully listening to their conversation above their heads.

***

Inside the main palace’s office, Prince Norton had arrived in advance and was waiting for Rynell’s party.

“They say the position makes the man, and you look quite good sitting in the head seat.”

Rynell said jokingly as he sat down at the conference table, but his words were sincere.

Even before the coronation, Prince Norton already exuded the aura of an emperor.

“I’m far from reaching Your Majesty’s dignity. I look forward to your guidance in the future.”

At Prince Norton’s words, Rynell chuckled and waved his hand.

“Now that everyone’s here, let me get straight to the point. I was wondering if we could bring Princess Resilia here today. What do you think?”

Prince Norton seemed to have already made up his mind.

“You don’t mean right now?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

There was no point in delaying.

Rynell knew that well.

“Master of the Magic Tower, how long will the teleportation take?”

He looked at Bellos and asked.

“Bringing her here is not a problem as long as we bring her as soon as we arrive. However, for a smooth transfer, Your Majesty will have to accompany us.”

“Why me?”

Rynell bristled.

He glared at Bellos with a displeased look.

“If Princess Resilia suddenly disappears from the prison, not only the spire but the entire imperial palace will be turned upside down.”

“The Master of the Magic Tower is right.”

Grand Duke Martins nodded in agreement.

“In my opinion, it would be best for Your Majesty to personally explain the situation to the guards and then bring the princess. That way, it won’t be confusing.”

Even Raphael actively supported Bellos’s opinion.

‘Why is that guy butting in?’

He glared at Raphael as if he was annoying, but he couldn’t deny that he was right, so he closed the throat full of curses.

“Please, Your Majesty.”

Prince Norton bowed deeply and pleaded.

Currently, the spire was being managed by the deputy commander in place of Commander Markrom, who was away. Rynell was planning to have Bellos deliver a letter written in his own handwriting to the deputy commander.

However, there was a possibility that time would be wasted determining the authenticity of the emperor’s handwritten letter, or that Bellos might be misunderstood and harmed.

Therefore, it was better for Rynell to go directly to Resilia’s prison with Bellos using teleportation and bring her back together in many ways.

He hesitated only because of what Zelda had told him before.

‘To go to the desired location by teleportation, you have to face Bellos and hold both hands.’

I have to hold that guy’s hand?

Rynell stared at Bellos’s beautiful hands, which were nearly 300 years old, and thought.

If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.

He repeated those words in his mind like hypnosis several times.

Rynell closed his eyes tightly once, then opened them and stood up from his seat.

“Well, let’s move quickly.”

He shyly held out both hands to Bellos, who was already standing.

“…Why are you doing this, Your Majesty?”

Bellos stepped back and looked at him with an awkward expression.

“Isn’t it essential to face each other and hold hands when teleporting?”

He asked, shaking his palms from side to side.

“No, it’s not.”

Bellos replied curtly and drew the magic circle needed for teleportation.

‘Look at this guy? It’s different from when he teleports with Zelda?’

Just as Rynell was about to question him, the two moved to Princess Resilia’s prison.

***

“W, wh, who are you? Your Majesty?! Ah!”

Princess Resilia, who had been napping on the bed, turned around when she felt someone’s presence and fell off the bed.

“Master of the Magic Tower, explain the situation to the princess. I’ll go meet the guards and the deputy commander.”

Rynell said to Bellos, indifferently gazing at Princess Resilia, who was getting up from the floor.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Bellos replied, opening the locked prison door with magic.

Princess Resilia stared alternately at Rynell and Bellos, who had suddenly appeared in the prison, with her mouth wide open.

She pinched her cheek, wondering if it was a dream, but it wasn’t.

She tried to ask what was going on, but for some reason, no sound came out at all.

For smooth and quick movement, Bellos had temporarily closed Princess Resilia’s mouth so she couldn’t speak.

“Princess, listen carefully to what I’m about to say. Your voice will return when I’m done speaking.”

Princess Resilia nodded her head greatly with her mouth open.

Before Rynell returned, Bellos roughly explained the situation in the Partsha Empire to the princess.

He also told her about Prince Kalvin’s sudden death, as well as the news that Prince Norton would be taking in concubines once he became emperor.

However, Bellos deliberately kept silent about the fact that the ministers of the Partsha Empire were trying to promote her as empress instead of Rosie.

After a while, Rynell met the deputy commander and returned to the prison.

“Will you come with us?”

Princess Resilia was half-doubtful at Bellos’s words, but when the same words came from Emperor Rynell’s mouth, a smile spread across her face.

“Of course! Of course!”

Princess Resilia replied in a confident tone, having regained her voice.

She wasn’t sure what was going on yet, but it was clear that something had happened, seeing as the Master of the Magic Tower and Emperor Rynell were rushing to take her away with teleportation.

‘My dream was right!’

“Is Rams looking for me? Is that why you’re…”

Princess Resilia asked, smoothing her disheveled hair.

“You’ll know when you get there. Talk to Prince Norton about the details.”

Rynell replied sullenly.

The voice of Prince Tesler, shouting from the next prison cell, could still be heard.

“It’s best to go back now.”

Rynell said to Bellos, rubbing his ears as if he was annoyed.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Bellos raised his hand to quickly draw a magic circle, but

“Wait a minute, Your Majesty! I have a favor to ask.”

Princess Resilia exclaimed urgently.

“What is it?”

“If I go to the Partsha Empire now, will I be taken to a place where Prince Norton and others are gathered?”

At her question, Rynell simply nodded.

“Please take me to a place where I can avoid people’s eyes first. I want to appear after I’m properly dressed. Please… sob sob.”

Princess Resilia grabbed Rynell’s arm, shedding tears.

It wasn’t an unreasonable request.

It was a request that she could make as a woman before being a princess.

“Is it possible?”

Rynell hesitated for a moment, then shook off Princess Resilia’s hand and asked Bellos.

“It is possible. Just tell me where to teleport to.”

Bellos replied calmly.

“Please send me to where Princess Jasper is staying! I was close to her throughout the Continental Hunting Competition [a competition between different empires], so I think she will take good care of me…”

Princess Resilia interrupted, pretending to wipe away tears with her hand.

“Okay. Then we’ll teleport to the Empress Palace where the princess is staying.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! If possible, please send our Rams there too…”

“That’s not my concern, so I can’t grant it.”

Rynell cut her off with a cold look.

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

Although she was immediately rejected, Princess Resilia’s face was all smiles.

‘Well, there’s no rush.’

She looked at her face reflected in the mirror in the prison cell.

Even she thought she looked very pitiful with tears streaming down her face.

Even in this environment, her face was beautiful enough to be incomparable to Rosie.

Besides, she had lived as a princess her whole life.

So she knew very well that public opinion and reputation within the royal family started from the noble ladies and young ladies.

She vowed to make the concubine candidates her allies first when she arrived in the Partsha Empire.

‘Just you wait. I’ll win over the ministers and concubine candidates of the Partsha Empire and make them all my allies!’