The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 344

344. If Not a Substitute Empress (1)

February 23, 2024

Three years after the final battle in the ‘Valley of Death,’ the war to claim the wyverns ended in a stalemate, with neither continent achieving any significant gains.

However, in the aftermath, the young emperor of the Lapion Empire systematically conquered the countries of the Northern Continent.

The Kingdom of Shattonil proposed a strong alliance through royal marriage, but Linelle flatly refused.

Since he believed no woman could truly understand or manage him, he had no intention of marrying.

Six months later, with the Kingdom of Shattonil incorporated as a vassal state, the Northern Continent was unified under the Lapion Empire.

Linelle allowed each country’s culture and the existing ruling powers to remain intact. However, all their power and military strength were placed under the control of the Lapion Empire.

Beyond the continent, even the island nation of Aclato became a vassal state.

The Duchy of Aclato had already been under the rule of Hetor, known as the Pirate King of Tanya Island, for a year.

Hetor chose not to oppose Emperor Linelle, becoming his subordinate and receiving the title of Duke, allowing him to continue managing the Duchy of Aclato.

Bellos, the Master of the Magic Tower, who maintained a residence on Aclato Island, was not affiliated with any country. He, too, became a close aide to Linelle.

Bellos freely traveled between the Magic Tower and the Lapion Imperial Palace.

His primary task was creating potions to alleviate the emperor’s chronic hypothermia.

Emperor Linelle had been cursed with hypothermia by the magician Phillique, Bellos’s former disciple, during the battle in the Valley of Death three years prior.

Bellos had long severed ties with Phillique. However, upon learning that Phillique had poured all his magical power into a hypothermia curse on Emperor Linelle at the moment of his death in the Valley of Death, he felt a sense of responsibility for the emperor’s condition.

‘It’s my fault for taking in and teaching such a person in the first place,’ he often lamented.

Perhaps driven by this guilt, Bellos readily accepted Linelle’s offer to become his personal physician and the imperial family’s magician.

Anyone else would have likely succumbed to the hypothermia curse and frozen to death instantly.

While Bellos might have been able to resolve a normal curse, one cast with the full magical power of a dying magician was beyond even the Master of the Magic Tower’s easy undoing.

He could only manage the rapid drop in body temperature by administering magical potions, with no permanent cure currently available.

Even with the knowledge of the hypothermia curse, Linelle remained popular with the empire’s young ladies.

He was accustomed to the admiring gazes of women, but no woman could truly warm him.

Linelle consistently kept women at a distance, fearing that even the small amount of warmth he possessed would be stolen.

This was also a significant reason for his reluctance to marry.

Since his body was cold, his heart remained untouched by warmth.

He regularly took the magical potions created by Bellos, but especially at night, he felt an unbearable chill that made his entire body shiver.

Peaceful nights were often a source of pain for him.

In contrast, war was a source of heat, both day and night.

When he was engaged in battle, he could forget the cold. When his mind was focused on other matters, he often didn’t notice his low body temperature.

This was why he couldn’t bring himself to stop the wars of conquest.

Linelle often spent sleepless nights seriously worrying that his bones might be turning into icicles.

In any case, he had to endure a completely chilling and peaceful time this summer, as he had decided to visit the Shattonil Palace with his key officials.

It was the imperial family’s first summer vacation in years, so even the families of the officials would be accompanying them.

The nobles of the Lapion Empire were already treating the Shattonil Palace as a summer villa belonging to the Lapion Imperial Family.

As the carriage entered the Shattonil Palace, Linelle turned to his secretary, Raphael, who was seated in the front.

“If we were to integrate even the Southern Continent, what would happen then?”

A land without war.

He might truly lose his reason to live.

For that reason, Linelle was hesitant to initiate a war with the Southern Continent.

The Southern Continent was like a delicious chocolate he wanted to save for last.

“Then wouldn’t a rebellion break out somewhere?”

Linelle’s face brightened with a smile at Raphael’s thoughtless remark.

“Yes. There was a rebellion…”

“Your Majesty, you seem to be looking forward to a rebellion?”

“Because war or rebellion is what makes me feel alive.”

“You should fall in love.”

“If I love, will my body become warm?”

“Not just warm, your heart will sizzle and burn, you know?”

Raphael tapped his chest with his fist as he continued.

“So, Your Majesty, how about seriously considering finding someone to be your empress during this vacation?”

The daughters of the officials were also accompanying them, making it a definite possibility.

“Love…”

Linelle murmured self-deprecatingly, closing his eyes.

“Even if it’s not love, it would be good to at least embrace a woman.”

“I can’t turn a perfectly healthy woman into ice just to raise my body temperature.”

“How do you know if they’ll become ice or a flower? You haven’t even tried. Aren’t you curious?”

Raphael tapped his uniform in frustration and continued.

“You’re so passionate about war, but you have absolutely no experience in this area…”

“Can’t you be quiet?”

Raphael covered his mouth with his hand at Linelle’s sharp gaze.

“If you’re so curious, come to my bedroom tonight. I’ll show you what happens if you sleep next to me.”

Linelle said indifferently, spreading his arms.

“Your Majesty, do you see this? I’m always by Your Majesty’s side, so I’m wearing this thin long shirt even in the summer.”

Raphael pulled out his long shirt from under his uniform sleeve in disgust.

Raphael was consistently the one who stayed by Linelle’s side the longest.

In fact, his body temperature had dropped by one degree because of it.

So, the emperor’s statement that the woman who marries Linelle, that is, the empress, will freeze to death, was not entirely unfounded.

***

Zelda, the head bathmaid of the royal family, was making her rounds of the VIP rooms, checking the bath supplies for the last time.

“Stop it, Princess.”

Today was the day the emperor and VIPs of the Lapion Empire were arriving, and she had hoped it would pass quietly, but Princess Resilia would never allow such a thing.

The princess had even brought her maids along to harass Zelda.

“What do you mean, stop! Zelda, you ruined my dress! Do you know how many times I’ve had to put up with your incompetence?”

There seemed to be no limit to her unreasonable demands.

“I am a bathmaid. I have never been in the princess’s dressing room.”

“Ah, then Bonis must have done it? It would be good to catch Bonis and make her talk, right?”

No way.

Zelda frowned, thinking of Bonis, who was physically weak.

Princess Resilia had always used Bonis as leverage to harass Zelda.

She knew exactly what Zelda was vulnerable to and what she would yield to.

As soon as she mentioned Bonis, the resolve in Zelda’s eyes, which had been holding firm, began to crumble.

Princess Resilia gestured, and the maids quickly forced Zelda to kneel on the floor.

“Start.”

At the princess’s command, the maids rushed in and began to strike Zelda.

For her, who was skilled in swordsmanship and martial arts, the maids’ slaps were barely a tickle.

It wasn’t her body that hurt, but her heart.

If Zelda fought off the maids, Bonis would face twice the retaliation.

‘You cherish Bonis, don’t you? You think of her like your own sister, right? The choice is always yours. Whether you get hit or Bonis gets hit.’

Princess Resilia always spoke as if she was showing great generosity.

Zelda slightly raised her head and glanced at the clock in the bathroom.

‘I need to take the potion soon…’

Zelda was taking a potion made by Logan, Bonis’s father and the royal magician.

She needed to drink it to conceal the burn scar on her right cheek and to suppress the burning sensation that made her feel like her whole body was about to explode.

That terrible scar was also a result of Resilia’s cruelty.

The magic potion’s effect only lasted for three days.

Today was the third day, but Princess Resilia had been following her around and harassing her, causing her to be an hour late in taking the potion.

“Zelda, what do you think your position is? Not all nobles are the same. You’re a disgrace to your family because you’re a bastard. Well, no one will care even if one of you dies in the royal family. So, know your place. Your place is just this floor. It means you’re no different from the servants.”

“Ugh… I don’t understand what you mean, Princess.”

Zelda looked up at Princess Resilia, trying to avoid the maids’ kicks.

“It’s a warning not to get any ideas just because our brother put you in the position of head bathmaid. Lower that stiff neck of yours a little!”

Princess Resilia pointed her index finger at the floor, issuing a threat.

The longer she resisted, the longer this would drag on.

Zelda lowered her face to the floor and prostrated herself. But the maids became even more aggressive and started kicking her harder.

It wasn’t the pain from the kicks of the maids, who were hardly a threat, that kept her still.

The burning sensation was intensifying.

In that state, getting angry would only raise her body temperature even more rapidly.

‘My consciousness is blurring because of the heat…’

Zelda desperately wanted to tear off all her clothes and douse herself with cold water.

“That’s enough. She’s a bathmaid, so let’s leave her in the bathroom.”

Princess Resilia said with a sweet voice, as if she was in a good mood.

“But Princess. The VIPs of the Lapion Empire will be arriving soon. Besides, this room is where the VIPs of the Lapion Empire will be staying.”

One of the maids said with a troubled expression.

“Well, she’s a mess right now, so lock her in that storage box. Then she won’t be seen.”

“If she gets caught by the VIPs…”

“She’ll be punished.”

Princess Resilia smirked.

If she was lucky, she might even be killed on the spot.

If she wasn’t discovered, she could arrange for them to find her.

‘Shall I pretend to plead for leniency, claiming that the bathmaid secretly fell asleep in the storage box and forgot to come out?’

Princess Resilia mused, looking down at Zelda.

It wouldn’t hurt to present a kind image to Emperor Linelle.

The emperor, who was strikingly handsome even in portraits, seemed to have a kind disposition. Surely, he wouldn’t ignore the tears of a beautiful woman.

“What are you doing? Put her in quickly.”

Princess Resilia ordered the maids.

“Yes, Princess!”

The maids opened the storage box in front of the bathtub, crumpled Zelda up, and slammed the door shut.

Then, they secured the latch next to the storage box handle to prevent the door from being opened.

Zelda, trapped inside the storage box, was sweating profusely and gradually losing consciousness.

‘It’s too hot… I don’t want to die here like this…’

But it seemed unlikely that anyone would find her today.

***

“Welcome, Your Majesty.”

Prince Tesler greeted Emperor Linelle in front of the main palace lobby.

All the key officials of the royal family stood in the main palace lobby and respectfully paid their respects to Linelle and the VIPs of the Lapion Empire.

Prince Tesler lowered his body in the most humiliating way to greet him.

“It’s a suitable place to use as a summer villa.”

Linelle said, looking around the lobby of the main palace.

‘To treat our palace as a villa… I’ll silence you permanently for that insult.’

Prince Tesler had harbored murderous intent from the moment his kingdom became a vassal state.

He intended to eliminate Emperor Linelle at the first opportunity.

This was the perfect time.

The opportunity to assassinate Emperor Linelle during his stay at the Shattonil Royal Palace.

It could be accomplished with even the smallest opening.

It would have been impossible within the Lapion Imperial Palace, but this was the Shattonil Royal Palace, his territory.

“We have prepared for the VIPs to stay in the main palace, not the annex.”

Prince Tesler said as if he was doing them a great favor, but Linelle chuckled.

“Isn’t this place essentially mine now?”

“……Yes? Ah, of course, Your Majesty.”

“But you speak as if you are welcoming guests.”

Prince Tesler’s face twitched at Linelle’s cold words.

“This place is like the summer palace of the Lapion Imperial Family. You, knowing the royal family’s affairs better than anyone else, are simply facilitating our stay.”

In short, your role here is ‘like a butler.’

Prince Tesler’s face flushed with anger.

He wanted to tear the arrogant emperor to pieces immediately.

However, Prince Tesler forced a shamelessly ingratiating smile and catered to his whims.

“Hahaha. That’s right. I will do my best to ensure you have no discomfort during your stay. Dinner is prepared. It may not be as lavish as the Lapion Imperial Family’s cuisine, but the best chefs have put forth their skills, so please at least sample it.”

But Linelle wanted to go to his room and rest immediately.

“Postpone the dinner banquet for two hours. I need to rest now.”

“Ah… Yes, of course. The servants will guide you.”

“No. We’ll go ourselves. Just tell me what floor it is on.”

Linelle was firm.

“……It’s on the third floor. The room where Your Majesty will be staying is located in the middle of the left side of the corridor on the third floor. You will recognize it immediately when you see it.”

“I see.”

Linelle turned his back on Prince Tesler and walked directly towards the stairs.

As he walked through the lobby, he scanned the surroundings with his keen eyes.

‘Two on the right, one behind the statue on the left, and a total of five if you include those loitering on the second floor pretending to be palace staff.’

Linelle identified a total of five assassins before reaching the third floor.

Of course, they weren’t wearing signs that read ‘Professional Assassin Guild hired by Prince Tesler,’ but they stood out from the ordinary servants.

Some were dressed as servants, and the rest as guards, but Linelle’s sharp perception didn’t miss them.

From their murderous eyes and the aura they exuded, they were clearly different from ordinary knights.

Having grown up dealing with assassins since he first picked up a sword, he couldn’t be mistaken.

“Your Majesty, let’s switch rooms with me.”

Bellos, who was walking next to Linelle, spoke quietly.

“Did you also notice the assassination squad, Master of the Magic Tower?”

“As expected… Did Your Majesty also see them?”

“If I hadn’t been so observant, I would have died before I was even ten years old.”

“Your Majesty, still, let’s switch rooms as the Master of the Magic Tower suggests. It’s never bad to be careful. I saw that they had at least five people positioned earlier, which isn’t a large number, but this is the Shattonil Royal Palace, after all.”

Hetor also supported Bellos’s suggestion.

Raphael, who was trailing behind them, was amazed that he hadn’t noticed anything, commenting on how perceptive everyone was.

“I don’t think there’s any need to go that far.”

Linelle shrugged and said nonchalantly.

If an assassin came in, he would simply kill them. It wasn’t a difficult task.

Right now, he just wanted to soak in hot water without any disturbance and close his eyes.

Linelle reconsidered and decided to heed his close aides’ advice.

“Okay. Let’s switch rooms. You’re the only one making the Master of the Magic Tower do something useful.”

Linelle tapped Bellos on the shoulder and bypassed the room he was originally assigned, stopping at the room next to it.

“How about sharing a room with Hetor?”

Linelle asked Bellos, pulling his head back before opening the door and entering.

“I’ll put up a barrier around the bed and sleep. And I can handle about five assassins. Rest.”

Bellos retorted with a slightly offended expression.

“If you’re overwhelmed, knock on the wall. Or shout for help. I’ll leave the window open.”

Bellos said ‘Thank you’ with a face that conveyed anything but gratitude for Linelle’s advice and entered the room first.

***

The room was wider and more luxurious than he had anticipated.

He even suspected that Prince Tesler had diverted funds meant for military spending to lavishly decorate the interior of the royal palace.

If the room designated for VIPs was this extravagant, he suddenly wondered what the interior of the room he was originally supposed to stay in was like.

I should check it out later.

Linelle smiled silently, glancing at the wall separating his room from the next.

After briefly surveying the bedroom, he began to remove his clothes one by one and headed towards the bathroom.

By the time he reached the bathroom door, he was practically undressed.

“I’m looking forward to this.”

He muttered, opening the bathroom door.

There was one area in which the Shattonil Kingdom surpassed the Lapion Empire.

That was their advanced waterways and abundant hot springs. All the bathrooms in the royal palace were said to have hot spring water flowing from the faucets.

That was also a significant reason why he had decided to spend this summer vacation at the Shattonil Royal Palace.

Stepping into the bathroom, he immediately turned the large faucet engraved with the Shattonil Royal Family crest.

Warm hot spring water gushed into the bathtub.

As he touched the hot spring water, warmth began to return to his cold hands.

The water was warmer than he had expected.

“Good.”

He felt a sense of well-being as warm steam filled the bathroom.

Even if an assassin were to appear at this moment, he felt he would be merciful enough to spare their life.

As he was about to step into the bathtub, he heard a thud-like sound from somewhere, as if something was hitting against something else.

It wasn’t a knock.

Linelle quickly turned off the faucet.

A few seconds later, again, thud-.

The source of the sound seemed to be coming from inside the wooden storage box in front of the bathtub.

‘Is it an assassin?’

It was a subtle sound that only someone with heightened hearing would be able to detect.

‘But I’ve already switched rooms with the Master of the Magic Tower, so it shouldn’t be someone targeting me, right?’

No.

Prince Tesler might have dispatched assassins not only for him but also for his close aides.

He wasn’t concerned about Bellos, Hetor, or Commander Macrum, but he was slightly worried about Raphael.

‘Raphael should at least put up some resistance before he dies, so he won’t be too embarrassed.’

Judging from Raphael’s timid personality, there was a good chance he would faint simply from making eye contact with the assassin.

‘At least he’ll die without pain.’

Linelle chuckled and approached the storage box, carefully suppressing his footsteps.

Once again, thud, a sound emanated from within the storage box.

“Isn’t this almost like knocking?”

If the assassin claimed their legs were numb, he was prepared to wait until they recovered before killing them.

He could afford to show that much consideration.

However, there was a latch securing the storage box door.

“……What?”

Linelle released the latch and threw open the storage box door, which reached up to his waist.

“Huh?!”

A person tumbled out.

Was it an assassin after all?

In a split second, he grabbed the person’s neck and slammed them to the floor.

Then, he straddled them, pinning their body down.

His body had reacted instinctively, before his mind could fully process the situation.

……What?

But the person’s skills were far too lacking to be considered an assassin.

Only then did Linelle lower his head to examine the person’s face.

“……Oh, what is this…”

Beneath him was not an assassin, but a woman whose face was flushed red, like a perfectly ripe apple.

The woman was unconscious.

There was no way to immediately determine her identity.

“Her body is radiating heat?”

She was making a soft groaning sound, as if in pain.

He decided he should call Bellos from the next room first.

The moment he began to lift his body, which was covering the woman,

“I… I want to live… Don’t go…”

The woman murmured, hugging Linelle tightly with her eyes closed.

Her voice was as faint as a whisper, but there was surprising strength in her embrace.

As a result, their bodies collided forcefully once more.

“……Huh.”

Linelle was taken aback by the sudden warmth that spread through his body, and he found himself unable to shake the woman off.

Knock knock knock-.

At that moment, a knock echoed from outside the door.