The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 347

347. If Not a Surrogate Empress (4)

February 26, 2024

He’s a perfect emperor, but how can I ever repay him?

Curiosity and wonder arose simultaneously.

Zelda clasped her hands together and answered him,

“Yes, please tell me. If there’s any way I can repay your kindness, I’ll do anything!”

“Sleep next to me tonight.”

*And if necessary, tomorrow night too, or until you leave the Shatonil Kingdom.*

His deep voice resonated in her ear.

“I lent you my body earlier [referring to her acting as a heat source], so now it’s your turn.”

Rinel’s gaze swept over her.

“I-is that the *only* way…?”

“Yes. There isn’t.”

The ice-cold man stated it matter-of-factly.

Zelda quickly assessed the situation.

*Right, if it weren’t for Emperor Rinel, I might have burned to death inside that storage container tonight.*

Besides, being near him regulates my body temperature, so there’s nothing to lose. I should be grateful.

“I’ll give it my all!”

She declared, her voice ringing with determination.

Rinel visibly flinched, clearly not expecting such a resolute response.

“You saved my life, so this is the only way I can repay you.”

Zelda marched towards the bed, determined to get this over with as quickly as possible.

The problem arose immediately.

The moment she stood before the bed, she felt a sticky film all over her skin. She had sweated profusely.

*Do I smell?*

She quickly lowered her head and sniffed at herself.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but perhaps you should wash up before lying down? You have a rather… potent aroma, likely from being thoroughly cooked in that storage container.”

Rinel, noticing her concern, teased her deliberately.

“I don’t think it’s *that* bad…”

Zelda retorted, though her voice was timid, and her face flushed at his jab.

It was true that she had sweated a great deal, but she hadn’t thought the odor was *that* noticeable.

Without a word, he presented her with a spare gown from the wardrobe.

“Wear this after your bath. Dispose of that dress. I’ve instructed a servant to bring you a fresh one in the morning.”

“When did you arrange all of that?”

“While you were resting in the bed.”

“Ah…”

She could have simply returned to her own quarters, but seeing that he had already given instructions to a servant, it was clear he intended for her to stay.

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

Zelda accepted the gown obediently and offered a small bow.

“Yes. I, too, would be so grateful that I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“Pfft…”

“My attempt at humor was successful, I see. Enjoy your bath.”

He opened the bathroom door for her.

“Are you leaving?”

“What?”

That wasn’t what she meant at all.

The words had simply slipped out without her thinking.

It was intended as a polite inquiry, but it sounded as though she was trying to detain him.

Predictably, his expression was one of blatant misunderstanding.

“Why? Should I test the water temperature for you? Do you require cold water?”

“…That’s not what I meant!”

“Heh, wash up and come out.”

Rinel gently ushered the flustered Zelda into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

He returned to the bed and stood there, lost in thought, before smoothing out the rumpled sheets.

“Why… did I do that?”

He scratched his head and offered a small smile, then approached the mirror and scrutinized his own face.

“Why am I doing any of this?”

He had already done two things he wouldn’t normally do.

And in quick succession.

Just as he was beginning to feel unsettled,

Knock, knock, knock.

A cautious knock echoed from the door.

“It seems the Master of the Magic Tower has arrived.”

He opened the bedroom door to find Velos standing there as expected, having gone to intercept Logan.

“Your Majesty, I apologize, but Logan is currently away on a business trip to procure herbs.”

“I’m aware.”

“From whom did you hear? Ah, has Lady Zelda awakened? How is she?”

Velos craned his neck, peering into the bedroom over Rinel’s shoulder.

“She’s fine. Thanks to me. Oh, and she mentioned she possesses the potion herself.”

“So you simply sent him back?”

“No, I prevented him from leaving.”

“Why…?”

Velos studied his face intently before asking.

“I require some assistance as well. I dozed off after you departed earlier.”

Rinel stated in a low voice.

“Are you implying that you slept next to Lady Zelda?”

“Would the Emperor sleep on the floor?”

“…Well, regardless, Your Majesty, this is fortunate. You haven’t been sleeping well due to the cold, yet you managed to doze off. And in a bed with a strange woman!”

Velos couldn’t conceal his astonishment at the changes occurring in their fastidious Emperor.

“You are each other’s salvation.”

“Salvation…”

Rinel nodded slowly, repeating Velos’s words.

“Your Majesty, since you’ve decided to accept Lady Zelda’s help tonight, allow me to offer some advice: the closer you are, the higher your body temperature will rise.”

“I’m already aware of that.”

He had already experienced the shift in temperature when Zelda embraced him in the bathroom.

“What I mean is, if merely being near her is like the gentle warmth of spring sunshine, then more intimate contact is akin to the scorching heat of the summer sun, shall we say?”

Having delivered his advice, Velos quietly cheered, “Fighting!” [a Korean expression of encouragement].

“Then I wish you a restful night’s sleep.”

“Wait, can you also create the magic potion she’s taking?”

“If my disciple can concoct it, wouldn’t I, the master, know how? Why would you even ask such a thing? But why do you ask? Oh. Your Majesty, surely you’re not considering bringing Lady Zelda to the Imperial Palace…?!”

Velos suddenly understood his intentions.

“Let’s discuss this again tomorrow. Leave now.”

Rinel hastily closed the door as he heard Zelda emerging from the bathroom.

***

“Something’s not right. Why is it still so quiet? It should have been discovered by now…”

Resilia had been consumed by anxiety ever since the evening banquet.

She had instructed a servant to check on the state of the guest floor.

*It would be a disaster if Zelda died in that storage container…*

Ideally, Zelda should have been discovered shortly after the evening banquet, causing a significant uproar.

But for some reason, the guest floor remained eerily silent, even as midnight passed.

“Princess! Something terrible has occurred!”

The servant who had been dispatched to the guest floor burst into the room, breathless.

“Why? Has Zelda been found? Who is occupying that room now?”

“Well… it appears the situation has become rather… unusual.”

“What is it?”

“The guest currently staying in that room is, is His Majesty the Emperor!”

“What?! Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s confirmed.”

“That’s a standard guest room. Why would His Majesty be using that room?”

“I don’t know the reason. And when I inquired with the servants assigned to the guest floor, they said there had been no commotion whatsoever. Instead…”

The servant hesitated, and Resilia snapped impatiently.

“Stop dawdling and speak plainly!”

“His Majesty personally summoned a servant and instructed them to retrieve a dress from the room where Zelda is staying tomorrow morning.”

“What does that signify? Why Zelda’s dress?!”

At Resilia’s bewildered question, the servant simply offered a knowing look, as if to say, ‘Isn’t it obvious?’

Seeing that the princess still didn’t grasp the situation, the servant sighed and elaborated.

“The servant reported that when they arrived at that room at His Majesty’s summons, they saw Lady Zelda sleeping in the bed…”

“What, what?! So that girl spent the night with His Majesty?”

*Is that why Emperor Rinel didn’t attend the evening banquet?*

Resilia staggered backward, reeling from the news.

“I believe they are still together.”

“No… this cannot be happening. I must drag her out of there immediately!”

*Surely Zelda isn’t going to become the Empress?*

No, even if she were to become a concubine, Resilia would be forced to bow her head in deference.

“This is preposterous!!”

Resilia collapsed to the floor, her scream echoing through the room.

***

“Was that… the Master of the Magic Tower just now?”

Zelda inquired as Rinel turned around after closing the door.

“Yes, I just sent him back. The fever has subsided, and you have the potion, so we don’t require the Master of the Magic Tower tonight.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Zelda nodded, clutching the collar of her borrowed gown.

Merely gazing into his cool, blue eyes was refreshing.

His chilling jokes seemed to be having a positive effect as well.

“Then go wash up. I’ll be waiting here.”

She gestured towards the bed, and he simply nodded and headed to the bathroom without another word.

In truth, Zelda had overheard Velos’s advice to him earlier.

*The closer you are…*

She hadn’t clearly heard the rest of the words, but strangely, those particular words had resonated in her mind.

After a short while, Rinel, having finished his bath, re-entered the bedroom.

He quickly lay down on the bed, hoping to alleviate the incredibly awkward atmosphere, even if only slightly.

Zelda, feeling as though she were repaying a debt, lay down next to him as soon as he settled on the bed and gently took his hand.

She had mustered a considerable amount of courage, but Rinel immediately voiced his dissatisfaction.

“Do you have no intention of reciprocating in kind?”

He slipped his arm around the back of her neck, drawing her closer.

“Are you suggesting that I embrace you?”

“Put your arms around me as well. That’s what you did earlier.”

“…Ah.”

Despite Rinel’s instruction, she couldn’t bring herself to wrap her arms around the Emperor’s waist, so she held them suspended in the air, causing him to ask in a displeased tone.

“Are you not going to repay me?”

“No! I will, I will.”

Ultimately, she lowered her awkwardly raised arms and tentatively encircled his waist, taking a deep breath.

He smelled wonderful.

The warmth of their bodies pressed together in the silence felt so precious that they both closed their eyes simultaneously.

So tense were they that they both drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

Zelda, in particular, had exhausted all of her energy due to the severe fever and succumbed to an even deeper slumber.

The next day.

Morning was approaching.

Rinel had been awake for an hour, observing her as she slept beside him.

Unlike his usual habit of springing out of bed as soon as he opened his eyes, today he felt a pervasive warmth throughout his body, even as he remained still.

He gently stroked Zelda’s hair and murmured softly.

“We… it seems we must remain together.”

*That way, I won’t be driven to wage war anymore.*

“Come with me to the Lapion Empire…”

*For the sake of continental peace.*

*For my sake.*

*And for your sake as well.*

“…Yes? What did you say?”

Zelda vaguely opened her eyes, attempting to confirm what she had heard in her sleep.

“I will keep you from now on.”

“!”

“The Master of the Magic Tower will create the magic potion you require. He is Logan’s teacher, so he may be able to produce a more effective potion. And I will be of assistance to you as well. It will be mutually beneficial.”

*So, let’s journey to the Lapion Empire together.*

Zelda’s eyes widened in shock at Rinel’s words.

He hadn’t expected her to cheer with open arms, but her hesitation made him feel uneasy.

“What are you hesitating about? It’s preferable to being locked in a storage container here, is it not?”

He asked impatiently, his anxiety growing.

“Are you intending to use me as Your Majesty’s personal warming stone?”

“I cannot deny that. But you are also using me in a similar fashion. Therefore, it is acceptable.”

“How dare I think of Your Majesty in such a way.”

“Then… let us become a couple who *can* think of each other in such a way.”

Rinel’s face drew closer and closer to hers.

“Let us live together. Observe me for a month, and if you still deem me worse than a storage container, then you are free to refuse.”

“Are you suggesting that I become a concubine?”

Zelda asked, placing a hand over her racing heart. She felt a surge of heat coursing through her body.

He shook his head from side to side and replied firmly.

“I cannot share my bed with any other concubines except for the Empress.”

“T-then are you asking me to become the Empress…?!!”

Seeing Zelda’s astonished gasp, he nodded unequivocally.

“I am not a gentle man by nature, but I will endeavor to be more gentle in the future. If my body becomes warmer, will I not become more docile?”

“But Your Majesty, why are your fingers all contorted like that?”

She asked, noticing his bent fingers.

“Merely uttering these words makes me cringe.”

He spat out the words with obvious difficulty.

In fact, he confessed honestly that he was also curling his toes in embarrassment, and Zelda burst out laughing.

“Conquering you alone seems more imperative to me than conquering the continent… Have some mercy. Well, you may rebel occasionally. I will swiftly suppress you, though.”

He raised his upper body and gazed down at her intently.

“What if you are unable to suppress me?”

“Then… you may dominate me in this manner.”

Rinel embraced her tightly, shifting his body to reverse their positions, and whispered intimately.

“I will gladly be conquered.”

-Thank you.