The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 321

321. I Changed My Husband

Bellos dressed up a bit more than usual.

It was Lily’s birthday party, but it was quite a large banquet attended by dignitaries and nobles from various countries.

With Rinell’s good intentions, and knowing that some of the young ladies he was to be introduced to would be attending the Princess’s birthday party today, he couldn’t help but pay attention to his attire.

As soon as he entered the party hall, everyone’s attention was focused on Bellos.

It seemed like he was getting more attention than usual.

He had only paid a little more attention to his attire, but the response was very positive.

In fact, the young ladies whispered that it was as if a spotlight was shining only on Bellos’s head.

But then, a childish voice rang out from somewhere, “Brother-in-law!”

Bellos turned his gaze to the direction of the voice.

The one who called him brother-in-law was none other than 5-year-old Mathias.

In the meantime, Mathias had been accurately addressing Bellos as Magic Tower, Magic Tower guy, Mr. Magic Tower, and finally Lord of the Magic Tower for a full three months, but suddenly, brother-in-law?

‘He must have misspoken.’

Bellos pretended not to hear Mathias.

“Brother-in-law… Ugh!”

Lily poked her younger brother in the side once more, and Mathias reflexively opened his mouth again, but Moiya and Moni sealed his mouth with their hands.

Nevertheless, the temperature inside the banquet hall was dropping rapidly.

A sharp wind blew from somewhere.

Everyone thought the window was open, but it was the cold air coming from Emperor Rinell’s head being blown open.

Bellos was puzzled as he looked at Rinell, who was glaring at him fiercely.

During the day, he had kindly asked about his ideal type and offered to introduce him to a woman, but in the evening, the Emperor’s eyes had changed.

‘Why is he being like this?’

Bellos wondered if he had made a mistake and retraced his actions.

No matter how he thought about it, he hadn’t done anything that would offend the Emperor.

‘Is he jealous because I’m getting all the attention from the women?’

If it was because of his appearance, he could understand.

‘What can I do if I’m so handsome.’

Bellos ignored Rinell’s gaze, which was staring intently at his face, and brazenly exchanged eye contact with the young ladies.

The young ladies moaned softly, intoxicated by Bellos’s small smile.

A few minutes after the orchestra started playing, someone tugged at Bellos’s pants.

Who is it?

“Princess?”

Bellos smiled and looked down at Lily.

“Would you like to ask me to dance?”

Lily asked with a smile.

“With me?”

Bellos looked around with a slightly embarrassed face.

Lily’s peers. That is, Prince Dibero from the Partsha Empire and Prince Theo from the Aklato Kingdom, and Clark, Catherine’s son, were glaring at Bellos with angry eyes.

Not understanding what was going on, Bellos awkwardly bent down and offered his hand to Lily.

“Would you like to dance with me? Princess?”

“Okay.”

Lily replied primly, taking Bellos’s hand.

It wasn’t really a dance.

Due to the significant height difference, the two of them were just holding hands and spinning around.

Rinell looked like he wanted to crush Bellos down to Lily’s height.

Lily was very happy just to be holding hands and going back and forth in the middle of the hall.

Every time Bellos held Lily and quickly changed directions before putting her down, Lily giggled.

“I can do that for her next year.”

Theo, Melanie’s son, said with a sullen face, and Dibero, Rosie’s son, clenched his fists and muttered.

“I can do it now.”

“I’m the tallest.”

Clark, Catherine’s son, added.

The three of them looked at Lily, who was holding Bellos’s hand and sweeping through the banquet hall, with complicated feelings.

They even argued about whose turn it was after the dance with Bellos was over.

Regardless, Lily’s only interest was Bellos.

“Lord of the Magic Tower. You know…”

“Yes. Princess.”

“I love you very much. Heehee.”

“Yes, I love you very much too.”

Bellos casually accepted Lily’s confession and winked.

Lily’s small chest swelled up.

Rinell and Zelda, who were watching the scene, drank wine one after another.

Bellos, who made eye contact with the two, winked at them as well.

***

The day after Lily’s birthday party, dignitaries from various countries enjoyed a luncheon at the main palace.

Everyone had their loved ones by their side, but only King Martins of the Shattonil Kingdom entered and took his seat alone.

“Why haven’t you married yet, Your Majesty Martins?”

I asked him, feeling sorry for him.

“I haven’t had time because I’ve been stabilizing the kingdom.”

“I know that the kingdom was completely stabilized within a year of your ascension to the throne? That was already five or six years ago.”

“Haha. I’ll start thinking about it this year. Your Majesty the Empress. In the meantime, I’ve been too busy raising Melody to postpone marriage.”

King Martins adopted Pesillini’s daughter, Melody, and raised her like his own daughter.

Melody, who grew up as a princess, was only a few months younger than our Lily, but she was much more mature and demure.

I was grateful that she grew up without any bitterness, and her attentiveness to King Martins at the party often caught my eye, so she was very pretty.

Rinell watched the scene with endless envy.

At the same time that Melody was massaging King Martins’ shoulders, our Lily was busy holding Bellos’s hand and dancing.

Rinell called out to his daughter several times, but Lily turned to him and put her index finger to her lips, telling him to ‘shush’.

He put his forehead on my shoulder and grieved at Lily’s gesture, telling him not to talk to her and to shut his mouth.

“Princess Melody is now eight years old, so please find a good partner, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, I will try.”

When King Martins replied shyly, Rinell pounded the table, saying that it was a good thing.

“I arranged a meeting with the Lord of the Magic Tower and the young ladies today, so how about Your Majesty joining us?”

He asked King Martins.

Everyone openly encouraged King Martins, saying it was a good idea.

“You might meet a good match. Will you attend?”

Emperor Norton said to King Martins.

“I’ll think about it. Oh, right. Prince Rams entered the academy, right?”

King Martins smiled and asked about Rams.

“Yes. We couldn’t accompany him because the day we left was the day before the vacation.”

Rosie replied instead of Emperor Norton.

“I heard he’s very reliable? It would have been nice if he had come with us, I missed him.”

When I said regretfully, Rosie smiled brightly and continued.

“Actually, he couldn’t come with us, but he’ll be arriving today or tomorrow.”

“Really? Would he try to come all the way here during vacation?”

“Yes. He said there’s someone he wants to see, so he’ll come.”

“Oh my, who is it?”

When I asked curiously, Rosie and Emperor Norton exchanged glances and smiled.

***

“Aren’t you so happy to see the little ones we raised in one place, Moni?”

Moni was flying towards Princess Lily’s room, where the children were gathered.

Moiya had also been in a good mood since yesterday’s party.

“They need to grow up quickly so we can be taken care of and live comfortably. Right?”

Moni asked.

“I’m going to see their potential this time. They didn’t come empty-handed, did they?”

Moiya said with an expectant face, then waved her hand when she saw Lily walking down the opposite hallway.

“Where have you been? You haven’t even opened all the birthday presents from yesterday, Moiya?”

“To the Lord of the Magic Tower’s room. Where did he go? He’s not coming no matter how long I wait.”

“Oh? Didn’t you know? Your father invited females to the reception room to marry off the Magic Tower.”

“!”

There were no secrets in the Imperial Palace as long as the two of them were there.

Moni also whispered to Lily that Bellos was surrounded by pretty young ladies like flowers in the reception room.

She even told her that Bellos’s face was the most beautiful among the young ladies.

Lily’s face began to turn as red as a thorny red rose.

“He can’t do this to me!”

Lily started running down the hallway.

“Oh? Where are you going?”

“I can’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes!”

She even held hands and danced with him, but he can’t do this.

Lily, overwhelmed with extreme betrayal, rushed down to the reception room.

***

“You can’t go in, Princess.”

Raphael stood in front of the reception room door.

Sharon was next to him.

The two of them were guarding the front of the reception room door in advance, under Rinell’s orders.

“I’ll just take a quick look and come out.”

Lily fidgeted.

She was planning to glare at the young ladies.

“No.”

Sharon said firmly.

Lily became so sad that tears welled up.

“Princess… don’t cry.”

Raphael and Sharon were embarrassed, but they couldn’t open the reception room door.

Ironically, the friendly laughter of Bellos and the young ladies inside the reception room leaked out.

‘I’m crying like this, but the Lord of the Magic Tower is laughing like that.’

Lily began to cry sadly, hitting her chest with her small fist.

Crying out loud is something that young children like Mathias do.

Lily covered her mouth with her hand and muffled her sobs.

The sight of her looking like a tragic heroine made Sharon and Raphael unable to laugh.

A handkerchief suddenly appeared in front of Lily’s tearful eyes.

Lily thought it was a handkerchief given by Raphael or Sharon, and took the handkerchief and blew her nose coolly.

Her nose was clear, and her voice was clear too.

“Uwaaah, the person who will be my husband is in there!”

Lily shouted, glaring at the reception room door.

“He said he would marry me someday.”

Huh?

It wasn’t Raphael’s voice, who is it?

Lily raised her head at the unfamiliar voice.

A light beyond sparkling was looking down at Lily.

“You’ve forgotten my face too.”

The face she saw for the first time asked kindly.

He was much taller than her, but he was a boy of similar age.

He looked like a noble, but there was no way she hadn’t seen such a sparkling jewel before.

As Lily continued to tilt her head, the boy recognized her first.

“It’s been a while. Princess Lily.”

“Who is it?”

Hearts poured out of Lily’s eyes instead of tears.

“I’m disappointed. You don’t recognize me.”

The boy smiled, and Sharon next to him put her hands to her mouth and exclaimed, “Gasp!”

“Oh my! Aren’t you Prince Rams?”

Prince Rams?

“Uh… uh?!”

That Prince Rams of the Partsha Empire?

“Sharon. Have you been well?”

Rams smiled gently.

“Oh my, do you remember me?”

“Of course. Misha often talks about you too.”

Rams replied politely.

Misha, Rosie’s maid, also served as Rams’ nanny, so she often told him about Sharon, who often exchanged news.

Sharon was overjoyed with a touched face.

“Oh my, Prince Rams! Do you remember me too?”

Raphael, who was next to her, slipped in.

“Sorry. I only remember beautiful women, so I don’t remember you very well…”

Rams apologized politely to Raphael with a sorry face.

Then he looked at Lily again.

“I’m seeing you for the first time since I was five years old. Ah, Princess, you were four years old at the time, so you might not remember?”

“Yes. I know Prince Rams, but I don’t remember his face.”

“I understand. It’s okay to remember only one of us.”

“But… do you remember me because I’m also a beautiful woman?”

“Of course.”

Thanks to the appearance of a new husband candidate who was to her liking, Lily’s tears disappeared somewhere.

“But is there a man in here who will marry the Princess?”

Rams asked, pointing to the reception room door.

“N~o? There’s no way.”

Lily jumped up from the floor.

***

I had a headache because I had been drinking too much yesterday and today, talking with the dignitaries from various countries whom I had met after a long time.

I should take a nap.

We have a dinner party waiting for us.

I went up to the main palace bedroom and collapsed on the bed for a while.

How much time has passed?

A cool touch reached my neck and cheeks.

“When did you come?”

I asked with my eyes closed.

“A little while ago.”

He whispered, pulling my waist tightly from behind.

“Are you drunk?”

“You’re the one who’s drunk. Your face is hot.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Except for the heat in my stomach because of Lily.”

When I opened my eyes with difficulty and smiled at Rinell’s complaint, he covered my eyes again with his hand.

“I’m also feeling hot in my body.”

“You drank too much wine. You can’t drink well.”

“Your Majesty will give it to me.”

I slowly opened my eyes again and looked at him.

Just meeting Rinell’s blue eyes started to lower the heat.

“Are you saying that because you’re drunk, or because you’re hot?”

“Both.”

I turned my body and stroked his lips with my hand.

“I… my mouth is too hot right now.”

“Should I give you water?”

He knew exactly what I wanted, but he was pretending.

He must want me to beg him more.

I shook my head and gently put my lips on his lower lip.

“What I want is in here?”

“Really? What I want is somewhere else…”

Rinell’s hand gently stroked my arm and went down to my waistline.

It felt like snow was falling where his touch had passed.

But the thirst inside me was not quenched at all.

Our bodies got closer and closer, and our lips met first.

The coolness of his softness lowered the heat, but I couldn’t stop.

“I have something to tell you!”

Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open.

I was so surprised that I unknowingly pushed him away, who was attached to me like my own body.

Because I failed to control my strength, he rolled out of bed.

But Rinell was just as embarrassed, so he pushed me away in the same way, and I fell to the other side of the floor.

“…Why are you fighting?”

“It’s not like that.”

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

We said as we climbed back onto the bed.

In young Lily’s eyes, it must have looked like we were pushing each other and falling out of bed.

“It’s very harmful for children to see their parents fighting.”

“Ha, what is that troublemaker saying now?”

Rinell snorted at Lily’s words and asked me.

“Lily, please knock.”

When I said soothingly, Lily nodded perfunctorily.

“What do you have to say today?”

Rinell asked with a displeased face.

Lily nodded and immediately opened her mouth.

“I want to get married.”

“I told you that the Lord of the Magic Tower is not allowed, right? The age difference is too big.”

Rinell said solemnly.

“So I changed my husband candidate to someone my age.”

Lily put strength into her voice, imitating his tone.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard… what? Who is it?”

Her husband candidate changed overnight.

I looked at Lily with relief and anxiety.

“Since my mother-in-law is here, I should meet her separately. You’d better allow it.”

Unlike her threatening words, Lily’s hands, which had been behind her back, were respectfully gathered in front of her.

“…First, put down the dirt in your hands and talk.”

Rinell said, pulling his body back.

Ah, that’s what it was?

Our daughter, she came clutching dirt from the beginning today.