The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 339

339. Extra Story 11: I Like to Give

Melanie’s spoon, which had been headed for her mouth, suddenly veered towards Ash.

“Ash, say ‘ah’.”

“Cough!”

Melanie grabbed Hector’s wrist and shoved the spoon straight into Ash’s mouth.

“How’s the fish I personally prepared? No bones, right?” Melanie asked with a bright smile.

The barbs seemed to be hidden in her words.

‘Has she found out I have feelings for His Majesty? Is she testing me?’

The fish sliding down her throat felt like grains of sand.

“I went to all the trouble of gathering it up for you. It’s rude to dismiss someone’s sincerity like that,” Hector said, giving Melanie a disappointed look.

‘Your Majesty, that’s what I want to say…’ Ash thought silently to herself.

And when even Hector let go of the spoon, she felt pathetic with the spoon stuck in her mouth.

“Ash should have something delicious too. It wouldn’t be fair if only we ate. She’s been busy taking care of us and hasn’t had a proper meal.”

Hector’s eyes dripped with honey at Melanie’s kindness.

“Our queen is so generous.”

“Hehe, I might be a little lacking, but I’m not cruel,” Melanie whispered and smiled.

Was there any royal who so openly admitted their flaws? No, she didn’t think she’d ever seen even a noble do that.

Ash barely managed to resist the urge to massage her temples. Ever since meeting Melanie, her headaches hadn’t gone away.

As Ash placed Hector’s spoon in front of her, Melanie whispered again.

“And I wasn’t born on Tanya Island, so I’m a bit different from you two.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“People from Tanya Island basically enjoy taking what belongs to others. That’s why they lived as pirates.”

‘A habit?’ She wanted to ask if they thought they were animals, but Hector responded to her words. “That’s not wrong. So?”

“On the contrary, I’ve always lived a life of giving. A life where I can afford to give away some of what I have.”

That was why she had given Ash the fish piled high on the spoon.

“I like to give. But if you want more than I give, then I’ll be merciless.”

Melanie smiled sweetly and mouthed ‘It’s true’ to Ash, and Hector teased her, saying, “Oh, how scary.”

‘She definitely suspects something.’

Otherwise, there was no reason for her to lump all the people of Tanya Island together as enjoying taking things, or to feed her fish and say she liked to give, or to say things with such barbs.

“Ash? It’s your first day as our couple’s maid, so let’s have dinner and another glass of wine. The sound of the waves from the bedroom terrace is really nice at night.”

Hector looked slightly surprised at Melanie’s suggestion.

But Ash had no reason to refuse.

“Very well, Your Majesty.”

“Tonight, we should cool our throats on the terrace,” Melanie said in an excited voice and winked at Ash, who was sitting in front of her.

***

After dinner, Melanie and Hector walked hand in hand to the bedroom, followed quietly by Ash.

Just as they reached the bedroom floor, the head maid’s voice came from behind.

“I apologize, but Princess Mao and Prince Theo seem to have a cold.”

“What about Leo?”

“Fortunately, Prince Leo doesn’t seem to have any symptoms yet.”

The twins always got sick at the same time.

“So only Mao and Theo are sick.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Logan says it’s not severe yet, and they should be fine if they’re well taken care of today and tomorrow.”

The royal palace had its own physicians, but Logan had been mainly in charge of the children’s health.

“I should visit the twins’ room,” Melanie said to him with a worried look.

Hector nodded and turned to Ash.

“You should go back and rest.”

“No, Your Majesty. I’ll come with you.”

“No, you just arrived from Tanya Island today and haven’t had a chance to rest. Go on.”

When even Melanie joined in, Ash had no choice but to back down.

“…Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, good night. Let’s have wine tomorrow,” Melanie gave her a regretful look.

“Alright. You must be tired, so get some rest. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Yes… Your Majesty.”

At Hector’s words, Ash’s fatigue vanished.

***

The two parted ways with Ash in front of the stairs and headed to the children’s rooms.

“Why are kids who only read books in their rooms catching a cold?” Melanie muttered, feeling upset.

Hector stopped in front of Mao’s room first.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and replied, “It’s because they’re always inside the palace. Even if they read books, they should read them outside and run around, but our kids don’t get enough sunlight.”

He said that, but the twins were much healthier than other children their age.

“Were you healthy when you were young?”

“Of course. I swam and had sand baths and grew up mostly outside.”

“How old were you when you started pirating?”

“Seventeen? I started going on ships with my father then.”

“That’s later than I thought.”

“Even if it was late, I led the revival of Tanya Island.”

Hector subtly showed off his achievements.

“You were more active than your father’s generation?”

“That’s why I took over Aclato Island, wasn’t it? Without war, too.”

“The pirate king even took land. Your father must be proud. ‘You never know when you’ll stop stealing once you learn late,’ and my husband is living proof, isn’t he?”

“…”

Hector quickly opened Mao’s door and went inside at Melanie’s words, which he couldn’t tell were praise or scolding.

It wasn’t an honorable thing to do, so he decided not to argue.

“Is our princess asleep?” Melanie carefully walked to Mao’s bed.

The children were precious, but the couple always prioritized each other.

Hector especially did.

‘Remember this. You are second to your mother for your father. Your mother is always first.’

He had been telling them that since they started taking their first steps.

Perhaps because they had been brainwashed since they were young, the children had found their own objects of affection early on to compensate for their parents’ love.

Thankfully, the objects of affection the children found were ‘books.’ Melanie was always proud of that fact.

They didn’t bother the couple unnecessarily by reading books.

Unlike some imperial daughters, like Lily of the Lapion Empire, there was no way they would suddenly open the couple’s bedroom door here.

However, there was a time when they could receive unlimited love from their mother.

That was when the children were sick.

But the children’s constitution was basically like Hector’s, so they rarely got sick.

Like today, a cold could be managed for a day, as Logan said, and the next day they would be sitting up and reading books again.

“Is it really bad this time? She does have a fever.” Melanie sat on the bed and put her hand on her daughter’s forehead.

Mao was already asleep.

“Logan said he gave her fever medicine, so she should be fine. The twins take after me and will shake it off before morning,” Hector said, more concerned about Melanie’s feelings than his sick daughter.

“Yeah, I guess so? Still, I should sleep here tonight.”

“What?” Hector said there was no need to go that far, but Melanie was firm.

“No matter what, children need their mother’s touch when they’re sick.”

“Your husband needs your touch too,” Hector said sullenly.

His pouting face was cute, but Melanie didn’t waver.

There was no choice when the children were sick.

Hector, who knew that fact well, was just being petulant.

“Come up if her fever goes down, even in the early morning.”

“I will. Oh, I heard about the bathing customs of Tanya Island from Ash.”

Hector stopped walking at Melanie’s words.

‘Why did she bring up something like that?’ He blamed Ash inwardly.

“You said that in the royal family, male servants often attended to women’s baths, and female servants attended to men’s baths?”

“That’s an old story,” Hector frowned slightly.

“I was so jealous when I heard that.”

“What’s there to be jealous about? It’s just a trivial custom.”

At least the extent of the bathing service Hector had received, or rather, allowed, was like that.

He extremely disliked other people touching his body, so Herot even soaped himself.

Of course, female servants did attend to his baths, but that was only to help with the preparations before the actual bathing.

He would sometimes leave his back to them when he wasn’t feeling well, but even that was rare.

“I’ve never received it. It’s unfair.”

“…I secretly got rid of it because I thought you’d react like this.”

“Hmph, I knew it.” Melanie snorted and then started shaking Hector’s arms and begging. “Revive that custom. Let me enjoy it too. Huh? Huh?”

“Why do you need something like that? What’s a husband for?” Hector pinched her cheek and said.

“Ugh… please, you two, have your love quarrel outside. Please,” Mao groaned and complained.

“I’m sorry. This father will leave now.” Hector covered Mao’s eyes with his hand, gave Melanie a silent, deep kiss, and left the room.

***

Hector, who had been chased out of Mao’s room, returned straight to the bedroom.

By this time, the servants would have filled the tub with warm water in advance, so he took off his uniform, grabbed a gown, and headed to the bathroom.

As expected, warm steam was rising from the tub.

Hector habitually tilted his head from side to side and stepped into the tub with his gown on.

The circular tub was large enough for three people to sit in comfortably.

He rested his arms on the tub and closed his eyes.

Five minutes later, he heard the bathroom door open behind him.

“Why did you just come up? Is Mao asleep?” Hector, with his eyes closed, stretched one arm out of the tub and held out his hand. “The water’s still warm. Come on in.”

“It’s me, Your Majesty…”

Hector, who thought it was Melanie, opened his eyes at Ash’s voice.

“Ash? I told you to go rest, didn’t I?”

“I came to attend to your bath,” Ash said shyly and blushed, but Hector, who was only looking straight ahead, didn’t see her expression.

‘Does she find being a servant more suited to her than being a maid?’

“…Pardon?”

“It seems like the habits from when you were a servant keep coming out, both at dinner and now.”

It wasn’t a blaming tone, but it wasn’t a question either.

“That’s because the old habits are still ingrained in me, so I do it without realizing… Also, it was an act of loyalty. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable,” Ash replied calmly.

“I know your loyalty well. But from now on, maintain the dignity of a maid.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Go on out now.”

“Your… Majesty. Since I’m already in the bathroom, I’ll attend to you just for today.”

Before Hector could say anything, Ash quickly picked up the bath soap and brush.

“Ash.”

Hector still didn’t turn to her and just called her name softly.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ash replied, diligently rubbing soap on the brush.

“Perhaps…” Hector, who was rubbing one of his eyebrows with his hand, paused for a moment and continued. “Are you doing this because you have other feelings for me?”

“!”

Ash froze at the unexpected and sudden question.

She had confessed it a thousand times in her heart.

That she had admired him since she first started working as a servant in the royal palace of Tanya Island. That even when she heard the news that he was going to marry Princess Roxana after the expedition to the Principality of Aclato, and when he suddenly announced his marriage to a concubine of the Lapion Empire, she had always been in the same place with the same unchanging heart.

“Didn’t you hear me?”

“Ah, no.”

“Then answer me.”

Hector’s tone was calm and composed. He didn’t seem angry.

Perhaps because of that, Ash’s mouth started rambling on its own.

“I have served and respected you for a long time.”

“Is respect all there is?”

“…I love you. I have loved you.”

At that moment, Ash didn’t know where she got the courage, but she suddenly started pouring out her heart.

“Your Majesty, please take me in!” Ash pleaded, bowing her head so deeply that she looked like she would bury her nose in the bathwater.