The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 54

Why Do You Keep Getting Prettier?

“When did you get here?”

I slowly leaned toward him and whispered. Linelle reached out to touch my face, but I clasped his hands together and placed them beside the pillow.

“Is this… a dream?”

He asked with a dazed look. I wanted to look alluring, but my cheeks kept twitching, so I failed to manage my expression. I simply placed my face gently on his. Linelle moved his hands, still clasped with mine. He seemed to want to hug me with both arms. I deliberately didn’t let go, teasing him.

“Does this mean you want me to embrace you with my legs instead of my arms today?”

He asked with a chuckle, then tried to entangle my body with his legs.

“I just want to stay like this for now. Listening to your heartbeat…”

I turned my face to the side and pressed one ear near his heart. Thump, thump. His heart was beating fast and strong, like a drum sounding in an emergency.

“I’m sorry, I fell asleep without realizing you were here. And I’m even more sorry for waking you.”

“It’s okay. But, there must be a reason, right?”

“Pardon?”

“The reason you woke me up.”

A thrilling shiver ran through my body at his low, suggestive voice.

“Of course, how dare I wake up His Majesty without a reason.”

I answered boldly, but I felt a little flustered.

“The reason you woke me up isn’t *just* this, is it?”

Linelle asked, putting a little more strength into his hands, which I was holding.

“Pardon?”

“Just to hold hands like this, not even letting me hug you. Right?”

His handsome eyebrows arched. I took a breath and replied.

“I wanted to so badly.”

“…Wh-what?”

He was momentarily taken aback by my words, but his eyes soon lit up with anticipation.

“Holding hands.”

“Hand… holding? How dare you…”

A look of disappointment filled his eyes, which had lost their light for a moment. Seeing his disappointment, I giggled even more audaciously.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been teased like this.”

He complained in a rather cheerful tone, considering he was being teased for the first time in his life.

“I won’t stand for it!”

“As you should, Your Majesty.”

“Before my patience runs out, let me ask you one thing.”

“Please do.”

“Why do you keep getting prettier?”

“Ex… excuse me?!”

At his question, I unconsciously looked around.

“Who are you looking at? It’s just us here. And the ghosts living in this bedroom.”

He chuckled, teasing me.

“Zelda, are you blushing right now?”

He asked, watching my face grow redder.

“That question is a bit embarrassing.”

“Instead of being embarrassed, I think it would be nice if you were a little softer.”

“?”

His eyes curved gently as he continued.

“Instead of gripping my hand so tightly like this. You’re not trying to break my fingers, are you?”

He raised our clasped hands and protested.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed before, but your grip is surprisingly strong.”

“No, that’s not what I’m asking. It’s just that I keep…”

“Becoming sexier?”

“N-no…!”

“Heh, I’m serious.”

“You’re saying I’m becoming sexier?”

“No, I’m saying you keep getting prettier.”

“Surely not…”

“I’ve been watching you every day with a bit of disbelief myself.”

He said with a serious expression.

“…”

“But, you get prettier every time I see you. Well… my eyes have been a bit blurry lately from looking at too many documents.”

Linelle squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and blinked repeatedly.

“Really?”

“Yeah, blurry.”

“No, not that! I mean, every time you see me…”

“I love you.”

“!”

My mouth fell shut at his casually uttered words. He seemed to say it without much thought, but his eyes looked more sincere than ever. And his voice was unwavering. My emotions welled up, and I couldn’t breathe properly. Silence fell, but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. The whole situation felt unreal. It was like watching snow falling heavily from the sky on a hot summer day. Or like running frantically through a narrow alley with old gray walls, turning a corner, and stepping into a paradise that unfolded before my eyes. *Is this okay? This happiness, this man… in my life… loving me….*

“I love you.”

He said to me again. At his simple confession, my heart seemed to lose its function for a moment.

“I do too…”

My lips moved involuntarily. He smiled. Why did that smile make me tear up? We quietly looked into each other’s eyes. Gazes filled with countless emotions passed between us. Linelle didn’t say anything after telling me he loved me. I longed for his voice. I craved his affectionate voice, speaking to me while looking into my eyes. But before that, I had something to say too. I mustered my courage and opened my mouth.

“I love you.”

“I do too.”

Linelle shyly echoed my words.

“Pfft… oop!”

I burst out laughing at his formal tone. He twitched his cheeks and eventually laughed too.

“Hahahaha.”

He seemed to find it funny himself. The serious atmosphere was broken, but my feelings for him were growing stronger. That’s all that mattered. He was laughing, and I was happy. I didn’t know if I was laughing because I was happy or happy because I was laughing, but it didn’t matter. Just like there was no order to the fact that I loved him and he loved me.

“Love is only complete when expressed physically.”

“Who says that?”

“A capable person.”

“Raphael?”

“How did you know?”

Linelle asked with wide eyes.

“He’s a capable secretary. I didn’t know he was capable when it comes to love too.”

I said with a laugh, and he made a profound expression.

“Raphael is originally the Imperial City’s open pants, no, open mind… so he’s also capable in love.”

“…Ah, I see?”

“Anyway, Raphael is right. You won’t know just by talking. How deep love is…”

He kept our hands clasped together and leaned his body to the side, laying me down on the bed.

“Is it really deep?”

I shrugged my shoulders, feeling his soft touch on my neck.

“Very deep. It will keep getting deeper.”

“Love… you mean?”

“Is there anything else?”

His laughter reached close to my ear.

“When are we going to sleep?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you sleep for about three hours.”

“What time is it now?”

As I turned my head toward the bedside table where the clock was,

“Uh-uh, what’s so important about that? My word is the law and the time.”

He raised his hand, blocking my view as I tried to check the time.

“Are you sure I can sleep for three hours…?”

“Actually, time isn’t important. A good night’s sleep is what’s important.”

I didn’t have anything to argue with his opinion, so I simply nodded.

“Let’s unleash it now.”

Linelle said with a determined look.

“Desire?”

“Ha… my wife is too explicit. I meant let’s unclasp our hands?”

He took his large, long fingers out from between mine, pretending to be surprised by my words.

“…I said that because I felt desire from Linelle’s hand too.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

His hand, now free, rested on my shoulder for a moment before slowly moving to another place. A moan escaped my lips like a sigh at his touch around my waist. My upper body was arching like the bow I had seen at the training grounds. When it came to flexibility, I was a step above the bow. An amazing discovery. My body felt like it would fly away at any moment, with my sensitive senses stretched taut. His rough breathing, escaping through his teeth, seemed to hypnotize me. My eyes fluttered shut in a dreamlike daze. Then, when I opened them again, the blue sea was looking down at me. Linelle’s eyes rippled like waves. His glossy lips were as sweet as honey. The honey I had created. Overflowing with affection that never got old, no matter how sweet… As our emotions were absorbed into each other’s bodies, everything in the world became busy. Thud! Suddenly, the clock on the bedside table fell to the marble floor. The ticking of the clock stopped. The three hours I could sleep tonight also disappeared into the stopped clock.

***

The next morning. I entered the main palace audience hall with Linelle. We were drinking tea and waiting for Norton Asalman III, the Third Prince of the Partsha Empire from the Southern Continent. As the first distinguished guest to visit for the Continental Hunting Competition, I was nervous, but I was more worried about whether he would really pretend not to know about what happened at the training grounds.

“Zelda, I want to tell you something in advance before you meet Prince Norton, so you won’t be surprised.”

Linelle said, holding my hand.

“What is it?”

“Originally, men from the Southern Continent look rough, like barbarians. And their personalities are also unrefined.”

He stated the characteristics of the Southern Continent men’s appearance as if he was certain. I recalled Prince Norton’s appearance from the training grounds last night. *That wasn’t the case?* The prince was large, but his appearance was quite handsome. It didn’t match Linelle’s description at all.

“Not all men from the Southern Continent are… like that, are they?”

I cautiously raised an objection to his opinion.

“You’ve never seen a man from the Southern Continent, have you?”

*I saw one yesterday, though?*

“W-well, that’s true.”

“I’ve seen them enough on the battlefield. Most of the Southern Continent guys look so gluttonous that they would tear apart raw meat.”

*Come on.* The Southern Continent guy I saw looked like he would elegantly slurp spaghetti.

“So don’t be too surprised. It would be rude to show fear on your face right in front of him, so I’m telling you in advance.”

“Yes, that would be really impolite.”

I pretended to agree with him.

“Okay, even if their appearance is fierce and strange, let’s give them some compliments. After all, he’s the first distinguished guest.”

“Of course, don’t worry.”

I replied to Linelle, who was earnestly asking, as if making a promise. He smiled brightly, sending me a trustworthy look.

“But come to think of it, it seems better for me.”

Linelle stroked his chin with his hand and glanced at me.

“What is?”

“If you see the barbarian-like appearance of the Southern Continent men, you’ll be able to feel for sure how decent of a man I am.”

He shook my hand, which he was holding, and smiled. Knock, knock. Secretary Raphael entered with a knock.

“Prince Norton of the Partsha Empire has arrived.”

“Bring him in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

A moment later, Prince Norton entered the audience hall. I glanced at Linelle’s face.

“Hmm?”

He was taken aback by the appearance of the Southern Continent man, which was far from his expectations.

“May the glory and prosperity of the Lapion Empire be abundant. I greet His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!”

Prince Norton knelt on one knee and paid his respects politely. Fortunately, the prince acted as if he was seeing me for the first time. I let out a sigh of relief and glanced at Linelle again. He was staring intently at Prince Norton.

“Are you really Prince Norton Asalman?”

Linelle asked, emphasizing his name. He looked like he would be greatly shocked if he said yes.

“…Yes? Yes. Your Majesty.”

Prince Norton seemed very embarrassed by his question, which seriously questioned his identity. It was natural for the prince to be puzzled. He must have had his identity verified by the imperial administrators upon arriving in the Lapion Empire, and he had also spoken with Raphael just before entering the audience hall.

“And is that the Partsha Empire from the Southern Continent?”

“Yes, it is. I apologize, but is there some kind of misunderstanding regarding my identity?”

“Ah, it’s not that, but there’s something strange…”

He muttered to himself.

“What is it?”

Prince Norton asked, tilting his head. Then Linelle changed the subject and said admiringly.

“The water in the Southern Continent must be really good these days?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

He waved his hand and smiled bitterly. The atmosphere was getting strange. It was my turn to step in to ease the awkward atmosphere. Recalling the conversation I had with Linelle a little while ago, I spoke to Prince Norton with as much sincerity as possible.

“Your Highness, you have a very handsome appearance. You seem to be the most handsome man representing the Southern Continent? No, you could represent all the continents! Hohoho!”

I smiled as naturally as possible and gave him a thumbs up. At my words, both men’s eyes widened at the same time, and their gazes were fixed on me. And both men blushed at the same time.

“Ah, you flatter me, Your Majesty the Empress.”

However, the difference was… Prince Norton in front of me had a smiling face, and Linelle next to me was frowning. Why? Knock, knock. Then Raphael came in again.

“I apologize for interrupting. Prince Norton, you need to confirm the Partsha Empire’s personnel on the guest list for a moment. The Foreign Minister is waiting outside the audience hall right now.”

“I see. Excuse me for a moment. Your Majesty.”

Prince Norton asked for his understanding and left the audience hall.

“You can be excused for a long time.”

He muttered in a small voice as the audience hall door closed, but it didn’t seem like he said that for Prince Norton to hear. Clang, as the audience hall door closed, he turned my shoulders to face him. His eyes were unusual.

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”