The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 61

61. As Ugly As You?

“God! Please take away half of His Majesty’s… that overflowing passion that he wields at all times!”

“Is that bastard really crazy?”

Linelle strode up to Commander Marcrom and mercilessly struck him on the back.

“Ouch!”

“The Empress prays for blessings, why would I pray for something like that?”

“It’s because your strength overflows everywhere. Your Majesty, I will be watching you from now on!”

Commander Marcrom bravely said, pointing to his eyes with two fingers.

“Yes, someday you will regain your sight and watch me. You and I both need to have this curse lifted soon….”

Linelle subtly twisted the Commander’s words and patted the back of his hand.

“Your Majesty, please let go of my hand? I think I’m getting frostbite.”

Commander Marcrom didn’t back down and brought up his curse. Then, he dropped the Commander’s hand as if throwing it away and urged him.

“Please clean up. And meeting us here… keep it a secret from the other knights and the head chamberlain. Got it?”

“I’m only pretending not to know for today!”

Commander Marcrom retorted and quickly turned to where I was. It was a warning look to the Empress’s guard knight who had been playing around with the Emperor. Linelle looked at the fuming Commander Marcrom as if he couldn’t understand, and twirled his index finger around his ear. When I gestured for him to come out quickly, he nodded, left the warehouse door, grabbed my hand, and headed towards the training ground entrance. The conversation between the two men, which started with a misunderstanding, ended safely as a misunderstanding without any suspicion. Why is the situation turning out so strangely?

***

After meeting Prince Tesler, Grand Duke Martins waited for someone in his bedroom. When he heard a sound from outside the terrace, the Grand Duke lifted the curtain to check something and quickly opened the door.

“Welcome. I apologize for having to serve you in this manner.”

Grand Duke Martins bowed his head and apologized to someone.

“It’s alright.”

It was Prince Norton who entered through the terrace door.

“It’s better for me to move than someone without martial arts skills.”

Prince Norton lowered the mask that covered half of his face and patted the Grand Duke’s shoulder.

“Did you… hear it from someone?”

“Hear what?”

“That I have no talent for martial arts.”

Grand Duke Martins narrowed his eyes and asked as if he were pressing him.

“No talent? Does that mean you’ve learned it before?”

“Yes?”

“I only heard that you’ve never learned it?”

The Grand Duke was greatly embarrassed by Prince Norton’s muttering.

“Ah… that is, well….”

“Ah, I see. They were just being considerate of the Grand Duke’s face when they said you weren’t good at it.”

The Prince chuckled quietly.

“So, who was it? Did Prince Tesler, no, did Princess Resilia talk about me?”

Grand Duke Martins asked, suppressing his resentful feelings.

“What does it matter? It’s enough that I came to the Grand Duke’s room safely like this.”

Prince Norton replied as if to appease him. In fact, he had heard about Grand Duke Martins through Empress Zelda. Last night, after leaving the training ground, while walking and talking with the Empress in the cypress forest path, Prince Norton brought up the topic of the Continental Hunting Competition and asked if Grand Duke Martins would participate.

‘The Grand Duke is too refined to participate in the hunting competition.’

The Empress said something unexpected. When Prince Norton asked why, the Empress then said that Grand Duke Martins was someone who had not learned martial arts. Could that be? The Prince wondered if she was joking. Because, generally, it was normal for men from noble families to enter the Knight Academy for a certain period and complete their training.

‘That shouldn’t be any different just because it’s the Northern Continent, right?’

He continued to question it, but he just brushed it off because the Empress said so. But as it turned out, Grand Duke Martins hadn’t just never learned martial arts, he simply had no talent for it. As Prince Norton recalled his conversation with the Empress last night, he made eye contact with Grand Duke Martins, who looked somehow dejected, and changed the subject out of pity. It was a trap that the topic of pity was for Prince Norton himself, though.

“You were right. Princess Resilia came to see me earlier.”

He said, pulling out a chair from the table and sitting down.

“I expected it, but I didn’t think she would move this quickly. What did the Princess say?”

Grand Duke Martins also returned to a serious face and took a seat in front of him.

“She asked about Rams.”

“Hmm, so did you tell her?”

Prince Norton slowly nodded.

“I just told her that he was not far from the Imperial Palace. She will probably ask me for the location soon.”

“It’s a relief that we moved him to a safe place in advance.”

“It’s thanks to your advance notice.”

Prince Norton sincerely thanked the Grand Duke.

“You’re welcome.”

“And I will never forget the grace of saving me and Rams. I will definitely repay you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Grand Duke Martins gave the Prince a slight bow and spoke again.

“By the way, you look tired?”

“I am a bit.”

Prince Norton frowned deeply and rubbed his face with one hand.

“How do you feel about meeting the Princess again?”

Grand Duke Martins asked tentatively.

“The same as ever. The problem is… I don’t know if the Princess knows about that day or not….”

“If the Princess didn’t know about that day, what would change? As I mentioned in the letter, Princess Resilia is about to become the new Empress of the Rafion Empire.”

“Is that what Prince Tesler said? Does the Princess think the same way?”

Grand Duke Martins’ thoughts became complicated at Prince Norton’s question.

‘Could it be that Prince Norton still has feelings for Princess Resilia?’

“Of course.”

The Grand Duke emphasized his voice as if it were obvious. Prince Norton was silent. After looking at the air for a moment, the Prince looked at Grand Duke Martins’ face again. The scratch on his right face caught his eye, and he changed the subject.

“By the way… Grand Duke, what’s that scratch on your face? Did you get it while going to meet Prince Tesler?”

“It’s the Prince’s welcome greeting.”

Grand Duke Martins said nonchalantly and smiled, but a bitter aftertaste was felt in his smile.

“Hmm, what did you talk about with the Prince? Of course, you talked about me, right?”

“Yes. He was more shocked by the fact that the mercenary he thought was dead was actually a Prince of the Partsha Empire of the Southern Continent than he was surprised that the mercenary was alive.”

“No mention of that day?”

“That day? Ah, the day the Princess betrayed us and followed the Royal Knights?”

Grand Duke Martins pointedly asked as if emphasizing it on purpose. What if Prince Norton really started to waver after seeing Princess Resilia? Then he had to redraw the board. Unless Princess Resilia had directly pushed Prince Norton off the cliff, Prince Norton’s desire for revenge could not be trusted one hundred percent. Especially after seeing the look in Prince Norton’s eyes, which contained a mixture of love and hate, when the topic of Princess Resilia came up a little while ago.

“Did you ask the Princess?”

“I did.”

Prince Norton openly asked her about that day in his bedroom earlier.

‘Oh my, there was such a terrible thing?! I’ll tell my brother right away to push those knights off the cliff in the same way! I’m so grateful that you survived even after experiencing such a thing, Norton. And thank you for protecting our son too… I love you.’

Princess Resilia showed tears while apologizing. Prince Norton, who received the apology, fell onto the bed with her. It had been a long time since he had looked down at the Princess’s face from the bed, and she was still pretty. The Prince recalled Princess Resilia, who hugged him and wouldn’t let go, and replied to the Grand Duke.

“The Princess didn’t know.”

“Do you believe her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Or do you just want to believe her?”

Grand Duke Martins changed the question and asked again.

“…….”

Prince Norton was silent instead of denying it. When Grand Duke Martins poured wine for the Prince, he opened his mouth again while holding the wine glass.

“I don’t think I’ve heard the reason why you turned your back on Prince Tesler yet?”

‘Do you think you’re the only one who doesn’t trust me? I’m just as suspicious.’

Prince Norton thought inwardly as he looked at Grand Duke Martins’ face, which was smiling slyly.

“I am a merchant who does trade, so I am quick to change my stance. But more than that, I value trust more.”

“Does that mean the Prince broke the trust first?”

“There are times when some things cost more than they benefit. Well, once or twice is okay. When you’re doing business, you’re bound to lose money sometime. But if each other’s trust is broken, it becomes difficult to do business anymore. Even if it brings me profit right now, something will go wrong someday.”

Even though his words were gentle, Grand Duke Martins’ eyes were cold.

“That’s true.”

Prince Norton agreed with the Grand Duke’s opinion while drinking wine.

“There are the Prince’s eyes and ears in this Imperial Palace that I didn’t even know about.”

Grand Duke Martins lowered his voice as much as possible.

“Ah, that’s it. That’s the reason why the trust with Prince Tesler was broken.”

“The trust was so thin that it had been cracked for a long time.”

Grand Duke Martins fiddled with the scratch on his face that was caused by Prince Tesler.

“So. Have you found out who the hunting dog that the Prince hid is?”

Prince Norton leaned forward and asked.

“Yes.”

“Who is it? That spy….”

***

As I came out of the training ground with Linelle, the head chamberlain had the horse we had ridden on standby.

“Stian, take the horse the Empress rode on. The Empress is going with me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He asked, reaching out his hand to me. He had already given the order to the head chamberlain, and only belatedly asked for my opinion?

“Are you okay with that?”

I smiled and took his hand.

“Yes, of course.”

He helped me get on the horse first, then landed behind me with a very light movement. I felt a sense of stability from his hand holding the reins and his firm arms. In fact, I’m someone who likes to shoot arrows or BB guns on a horse running without holding the reins, but I playfully shook my body as if I couldn’t keep my balance.

“Whoa, whoa, be careful. You didn’t just stagger because the wind blew, did you?”

Surely, you’re not really asking because you think that, are you? I burst out laughing at his absurd thought, but I agreed with him.

“Why not?”

He said as if blaming himself.

“I should have had you sit facing me.”

“Isn’t that more dangerous?”

“It’s less scary if you just close your eyes in my arms.”

Does this man think of me as some kind of glass human? I boldly turned my head and kissed his lips. It was an action that a woman who was afraid of horses could never do.

“Zelda, don’t do this. It’s dangerous….”

Despite his warning, I kept turning my head and sticking out my lips, so he lowered his head with a worried look and came out to meet my lips. The sound of horse hooves and our kissing sounds matched the rhythm strangely in the cypress forest path. The problem was that the speed of kissing was getting faster and faster than the sound of horse hooves. If I don’t grab the reins of reason at this point, his instinct for sprinting will soon be revealed. It was time for self-control. I have to stop here. As I resolved to do so and turned my head to look forward again, his hand, which had been holding the reins, was slowly passing over my waist and rising higher and higher.

“Just hold the reins. Nothing else is allowed.”

I grabbed his hand and held the reins together.

“……Okay.”

Linelle’s voice was unbelievably gloomy.

***

“Absolutely, absolutely don’t wander around outside. If someone sees you, then really, squeak! You know?” [Squeak is used as onomatopoeia for the sound of being caught or discovered.]

Rosie said to the baby wyvern, pretending to cut her throat with the knife she was using to cut the bread.

“Why? Is it because I’m not human?”

“That’s right, that’s exactly it! And I told you every day when you were in the egg. Remember? Until recently, the Northern and Southern Continents….”

“Fought because of me, no, because of our race.”

“That’s right! The dignitaries from the Southern Continent countries will be coming because of the Continental Hunting Competition, but imagine if a wyvern suddenly appeared in the Imperial Palace! What do you think would happen?”

“I think they’ll treat me with great respect!”

The baby wyvern blinked its ruby-like eyes and shouted brightly.

“Um… it’s true that you’re precious, but a war could break out here right away because of you. You little wyvern!”

“Yeah, I understand. You human bastard.”

The baby wyvern snatched the knife from her hand, poked a small cream puff with it, put it in its mouth, and chewed it.

“Hey, I’m not a baby? I’m an adult. And you know my name! Call me Lady Rosie.”

“I’ll call you whatever I feel like calling you.”

Rosie spewed out curses at the baby wyvern’s rebellion.

“Something the size of a fist has such a nasty personality.”

“It’s the personality you’ve acquired since you were in the egg. You understand.”

“…….”

Rosie, who was speechless, took a deep breath and swallowed her anger.

“But I wish I had a name too. Ah, I should ask my master to give me one!”

“Tch, it’s a relief if Her Majesty the Empress doesn’t faint when she sees you. Ugh, how am I supposed to explain you to her….”

Rosie sighed deeply, looking at the baby wyvern with a worried face. The baby wyvern looked at her, frowning at it, and asked with a very serious face.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Am I, am I as ugly as you?”

“……What?”

“Is that why it’s hard to introduce me to my master? Is that it?!”

The baby wyvern, who had collapsed on the floor in despair, flew to the mirror at once, looking at its appearance. But no matter how much it looked, its appearance seemed much better than Rosie’s.

“Is that real… After being locked up in an egg for 300 years, its aesthetic sense is completely trash?”

Rosie shouted, clenching her fists.

“What, I’m ugly? And what I mean is, how am I supposed to say that you hatched from an egg after 300 years after Her Majesty the Empress visited! And that it’s a wyvern!”

“Phew, that’s what you meant. I almost crawled back into the egg in surprise. Then I guess I shouldn’t be a wyvern for the time being.”

The baby wyvern, who was looking at its appearance in the mirror, muttered, feeling proud of itself again.

“What? What are you talking about?”

Rosie asked with a suspicious face, but the baby wyvern just smiled. That was the doppelganger ability. It didn’t know if all wyverns had the same ability as it, but the baby wyvern, who had been in the egg for 300 years, could transform into a human, an animal, or even a bug if it wanted to. It was an ability that it naturally acquired without anyone telling it.

“Don’t cause any trouble while I’m taking a bath, and stay quietly under the bed.”

Rosie urged, heading to the bathroom.

“Yeah. The great wyvern listens well to human bastards too.”

The baby wyvern flew to Rosie’s bed and sat cross-legged.

“I told you to go under the bed? Ah, I don’t know, just don’t get caught by the other servants.”

“Hey, why are you so worried?”

This time, it covered itself with a blanket and lay quietly at Rosie’s nagging. As she went into the bathroom, the baby wyvern sat up again.

“Ah… It hurts my pride to listen to ugly humans!”

Thus, the baby wyvern attempted to escape.