The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 40

40. Overflowing Energy

“Your Majesty, are you awake?”

I heard Sharon’s voice as I opened my eyes.

“How long did I sleep? It feels like a lot of time has passed.”

It felt like I woke up much later than usual.

“You haven’t slept that long.”

As I gathered my senses and sat up, I remembered that I was in the main palace bedroom.

“Where is His Majesty?”

“His Majesty went to the training grounds before sunrise.”

“Training grounds?”

“Yes, and he will be attending the morning breakfast meeting directly from there.”

After such a passionate night, he went to the training grounds again in the morning. He really must have energy to spare.

“He’s really amazing.”

I said as I got out of bed with Sharon’s help. My whole body ached as if I had a fever. It was as if I had met a hidden master swordsman and had an exhilarating duel. My body was throbbing, but I felt satisfied.

“Sharon, where is the training ground?”

“It’s between the main palace and the Empress’s palace. It’s a bit closer to the Empress’s palace in terms of distance.”

“Really?”

The mention of the training ground made the muscles I hadn’t used since arriving in the Lapion Empire twitch, even though my body ached.

“Say… when is the training ground empty?”

“I heard that there are specific times when the training ground can be used. I understand that even knights are not allowed to enter from early evening to early morning.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know the details, but there is a 24-hour training ground in the Knights’ building near the drawbridge. So, maybe that’s why the training ground inside the imperial palace has set times?”

“Ah, there are two training grounds…”

My heart fluttered at the thought that the training ground near the Empress’s palace was empty from early evening to morning. If there were set hours, it meant that no one would be there during those times. I wanted to work out at the training ground when no one was around soon. But why did he go to the training ground in the morning? Rinell finally put down his sword after sweating profusely. His longtime friend and Sword Master, Makrom, also put down his sword. Makrom was also exhausted from facing the Emperor, who had asked for a duel since morning. Until a few years ago, Makrom was the commander of the Emperor’s direct First Knights of the Lapion Empire. Three years ago, when Rinell was ambushed by a magician from the Southern Continent in the Wyvern habitat, the Valley of Death, he was by his side. At that time, Rinell was trapped in a cursed barrier by a magician who controlled the Wyverns [large, dragon-like creatures], and his whole body was freezing. If Makrom hadn’t broken that barrier, Rinell might have been cursed to be trapped in ice, just like his younger brother. He dramatically saved Emperor Rinell, but in return, he lost his sight. The magician from the Southern Continent turned his anger towards Makrom when the curse towards Emperor Rinell was only half successful. The magician turned the light of mana emanating from Makrom’s sword back at him, embedding it into his brave eyes. As powerful as the mana was, Makrom’s vision turned to darkness in an instant. After that incident, Makrom resigned from his position as the commander of the Emperor’s direct knights. However, even though he lost his sight, he was still so skilled that almost no one in the Lapion Empire could match his swordsmanship except for the Emperor Rinell. That’s why Rinell wanted him to continue to be the commander of the Emperor’s direct First Knights, but Makrom refused outright. The continent is prone to war. In such a country, the First Knight, who is the armor that must protect the Emperor at the forefront, must not have even the slightest flaw, according to Makrom. He couldn’t allow the Emperor to be put in danger because of him. So, Makrom gave up his position of protecting the Emperor at the forefront and decided to pledge his loyalty from behind as the Honorary Commander of the Imperial Family. Since then, he has still been the Emperor’s one and only sparring partner. He was usually in charge of training juniors in the training grounds inside the Imperial Palace, where only highly skilled knights were allowed to enter. But,

“Your Majesty, is something the matter?”

The Emperor, who had been infrequent in his visits to the training grounds after the national marriage, came to the training grounds this morning. What wind blew him in?

“Your sword seems to have a lot of power in it today.”

“It’s because I have too much power left over that I can’t use when I need to,” Rinell replied, pushing his sweat-soaked hair back.

“What kind of power do you need to use that you’re using it up here so desperately?”

“There is a place where the more I use my power, the more my passion grows.”

“Are you perhaps… referring to Her Majesty the Empress?”

“What, you. Did you gain mind-reading abilities after losing your sight?”

“I see I’m right? Her Majesty the Empress seems to be a special person.”

To awaken such instincts in His Majesty, who had no interest in women, she must be special. Makrom laughed as he thought about what he really wanted to say.

“You’re talking as if you saw it yourself? Makrom, did your eyesight recover?”

“It’s a feeling. And if my eyesight had recovered, the duel with Your Majesty would have already ended.”

“Ha? Such bluff. You don’t even know I’m going easy on you.”

Rinell scoffed as he untied the string that had covered his eyes before the duel.

“Your Majesty, you should say it right. It’s not going easy, it’s being fair, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“I know. You did it with your eyes covered.”

Makrom said, tapping the side of his eye with his finger.

“Did your eyesight really come back? How do you know everything?”

He shook his hand in front of Makrom’s eyes.

“Three!”

“Ha? You even got that right?”

Rinell paused with three fingers shaking in front of Makrom’s eyes and looked at him with admiring eyes. The focus in Makrom’s eyes, who had lost his sight, was still clear.

“Isn’t it because he’s such a skilled Sword Master?”

“That magician bastard… I should have shut his mouth instead of making him lose your sight.”

“Hahaha, I threw the magician’s severed arm down the valley, so he must have been out of his mind. Of course, it was Your Majesty who swung the sword at his arm.”

“I should have just killed him on the spot.”

“If you had, we would never have been able to undo our curse.”

“Anyway, that magician bastard has disappeared for years, whether he sank into the ground or soared into the sky.”

“If he’s not dead, he’ll definitely show up someday. Isn’t the time when the Wyverns fly back to the Valley of Death approaching?”

“Hmm, that’s right. This peace is slowly coming to an end.”

While the two were having a heavy conversation, Rinell, who had sweated a lot, was experiencing a rapid drop in body temperature. Stian, the chamberlain who had been waiting on the side, quickly handed him the clothes he was holding so he could change out of his wet clothes. While he was changing, Makrom sat on a wooden chair and thought for a moment before cautiously opening his mouth.

“Your Majesty, is there a new Sword Master who has entered the Imperial Palace?”

“There’s no way a Sword Master you don’t know would have entered, right? Why?”

“I’ve been feeling a strong energy coming from somewhere in the Imperial Palace lately, so I was wondering.”

“Since when have you felt that energy?”

Rinell, who had finished changing, pulled a wooden chair and sat in front of Makrom. Judging from Makrom’s serious expression, he didn’t seem to be talking nonsense.

“That’s… from the day Your Majesty had the national marriage?”

“What?”

“Could it be that there is someone among the people from the Shatoanil Kingdom who came with Her Majesty the Empress who is excellent in swordsmanship?”

“Could it be… Grand Duke Martins?”

Rinell muttered quietly.

“Or… could it be that Her Majesty the Empress is a great swordswoman?”

As Commander Makrom spoke, he laughed as if he himself had come up with an absurd idea.

“You’ve lost your sight, and your sense of energy has deteriorated.”

Although her hand is quite spicy when she waves it in her sleep, what are you saying about our fragile wife?

“…There’s nothing you can’t say to our sunflower.”

As he burst into laughter, Makrom scratched his head and laughed along.

“Prince Tesler told you to give this to the Empress?”

Grand Duke Martins asked, holding the small jewel box he had received from Sir Rolf, examining it from side to side.

“Yes, Your Grace. Sir Ken delivered it directly.”

The jewel box was received directly by Sir Rolf this morning after meeting Prince Tesler’s escort knight, Sir Ken, at the midpoint between the Shatoanil Kingdom and the Lapion Empire.

“Since it’s a jewel box, I assume he gifted jewels?”

“I wonder if that’s the case?”

His thoughts were different. There was no way Prince Tesler would suddenly send a jewel box to the Empress for no reason.

“Didn’t Prince Tesler say anything else?”

“Yes, he did. The Prince said that Her Majesty the Empress would know what the gift means when she opens the box.”

His eyes narrowed at Sir Rolf’s words.

“And he also said that he hopes we will respect each other’s boundaries in the future.”

“Prince Tesler said that, huh…?”

Grand Duke Martins couldn’t overcome his curiosity and opened the jewel box. A cold chill and a hazy mist spread into the air. The jewel box was made of cold and warm magic stones. It was a magic stone used to store the contents inside for a long time so that they would not spoil.

“A box with cold and warm functions. What on earth is inside…”

“Oh, you’re right?”

Sir Rolf went next to the Grand Duke and peeked inside the jewel box. At first, it was difficult to see what was inside because of the hazy cold air. However, after a few seconds, as the smoke gradually dissipated, the reality of the gift sent by Prince Tesler gradually revealed itself.

“Heok, good heavens!”

Sir Rolf, who had been staring into the jewel box, frowned and stepped back.

“W-whose is this?!”

“Well, as Prince Tesler said, the Empress will know right away who this belongs to. Damn it, eugh…”

Grand Duke Martins, who usually had a weak stomach, quickly closed the lid of the jewel box and said.

“Your Grace, are you really going to give this to Her Majesty the Empress?”

“I don’t want to show it to her either, but I have no choice because the Empress could be in danger.”

Grand Duke Martins judged that she should also know about Prince Tesler’s warning. He placed the jewel box on the table, wiped his hands with a queasy expression, and continued.

“And because it’s a gift that Prince Tesler sent for the Empress.”

Sir Rolf frowned at Grand Duke Martins’ expression of calling it a gift after seeing what was inside the jewel box.

“Your Grace, do you also not know… whose it is?”

Sir Rolf asked, carefully watching his master’s face.

“I don’t know whose it is, but I know who did it.”

“Hmm, why is Prince Tesler going this far?”

Sir Rolf nodded and glanced at the jewel box.

“It’s a warning.”

“A warning? But there was nothing in the report we delivered that would warrant the Empress receiving a warning?”

“That’s exactly it.”

“What is?”

“It seems that we are not the only ones in this imperial palace who are monitoring the Empress.”

“Yes? Then… are you saying that the Prince has planted someone else to monitor Her Majesty the Empress here besides us?”

“I think so. The Prince knows something that I haven’t even reported.”

“Could there really be a spy?”

“If not, Prince Tesler wouldn’t have sent such a warning.”

‘I hope we will respect each other’s boundaries in the future.’

Grand Duke Martins recalled the words that Prince Tesler had told him to convey to Empress Zelda and muttered.

“Who could it be? Tesler’s loyal dog that I don’t even know…”

Right here, inside the Lapion Imperial Palace.