The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 80

Where Does It Hurt?

Because he grabbed my hand, I had no choice but to quietly put down the knife. Linelle’s gaze remained fixed on Emperor Adrian. It didn’t seem like he grabbed my hand on purpose to stop me from throwing the knife, so I breathed a sigh of relief and listened to their conversation.

“If we continue the competition here, it might be seen not as showcasing the martial skills of the Tavelo empresses, but as an act of threatening the women of other empires.”

As soon as Linelle finished speaking, Prince Kalvain of the Patsha Empire stepped in to mediate.

“Emperor Adrian, let’s stop the martial arts competition here and replace it with the empresses’ sword dance! I saw them dancing after the competition before.”

“Yes, now that I think about it, it would be good to liven things up with a sword dance instead.”

Emperor Adrian also seemed unwilling to clash with Linelle and took a step back. Meanwhile, Empress Elan, who had left the banquet hall with the dead Empress Celina, returned after receiving treatment on her right cheek from the court physician. I stared at Empress Elan’s pants pocket. It’s gone… The knife she had in her pants pocket was gone. Did she throw the knife somewhere when she left the banquet hall to get treatment?

“Then, since there was an accident, let’s start the sword dance a little later.”

The dignitaries agreed with Linelle’s suggestion. The solemn atmosphere was only temporary. The dignitaries quickly laughed, chatted, and raised their glasses as if nothing had happened. As the evening banquet drew to a close, Emperor Adrian, after asking Linelle for permission again, ordered the three empresses to perform a sword dance. They quickly grabbed a sword each and stood in a triangular formation in the center of the training ground with practiced movements. One of the empresses nodded towards someone, and the orchestra from the Tavelo Empire began to play. The dignitaries held their breath again and focused on the empresses as the tense music played. The beginning of the sword dance mostly consisted of disciplined movements like knights, but as the music sped up, the empresses’ slender waists and hips, visible through the sheer fabric, began to move wildly. The eyes of the dignitaries from each country, especially the men, were glued to the empresses’ flashy hip movements. What pathetic fellows. I clicked my tongue softly and looked at Linelle to laugh at this pathetic sight with him.

“…Your Majesty?”

My man’s mouth was half open, and his blue eyes were darting back and forth as if swept by waves. He didn’t even hear me calling him.

“Do you like it?”

“Huh? What?” he asked, startled.

“The sword dance. It looks like they’re trying to kill men with their waists and hips.”

I pointed to the center of the banquet hall with my chin.

“No, why?”

He retorted defensively.

“Because you seem to be staring at them ecstatically.”

“That’s not true. I was wondering why they were doing such a dangerous dance? Ahem, especially with swords.”

He seemed to be forcing a dissatisfied expression, and I laughed. When I didn’t say anything else, his gaze slowly returned to the empresses performing the sword dance. Then, one of the empresses bent her back flexibly and shook her whole body at the same time, and he gasped, then met my eyes.

“The dance is very dangerous.”

Linelle shook his head unnecessarily and whispered.

“Yes. The gestures… are very lewd, too.”

I replied indifferently, not taking my eyes off the sword dance. Then, as if he had been waiting for it, he blurted out,

“I don’t think it’s as lewd as when you wiggle your heels?”

“…Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his ridiculous flattery. The sword dance was attractive even to me, a woman. The empresses of the Tavelo Empire were captivating everyone in the banquet hall. Ironically, Emperor Adrian, the man of those empresses, had an indifferent expression. Funnily enough, Emperor Adrian’s gaze was constantly focused on me. He kept glancing at me whenever he had a chance, and when our eyes met, he would give me a slight smile. *Silverfish* [a derogatory term for someone who is overly attentive or fawning], stop staring! If you want to get my attention, you should do a sword dance like the empresses. I was annoyed by Emperor Adrian’s persistent gaze. After a while, the empresses’ sweet and savage sword dance ended, and all the tables where dinner had been served were cleared away.

The party began in earnest with a cheerful waltz. Most of the dignitaries looked happy, but I was too tired. My mind had already wandered to the bedroom. In the early part of the party, I greeted the dignitaries from each country with Linelle, clinking champagne glasses, but at some point, we separated and dealt with the dignitaries separately. I chatted with Empress Katria of the Deloy Empire. During the conversation, Empress Katria’s bodyguard and lover, Clark, asked her to dance, so I tactfully left the seat. As I was looking around to go back to Linelle’s side, Elan, the empress of Emperor Adrian, approached me.

“I’ve been looking for an opportunity.”

“An opportunity to talk to me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I wanted to thank you separately for helping me.”

Empress Elan looked much younger up close. Compared to her youthful face, her tone was as disciplined as a knight.

“I didn’t help you. I just wanted to stop the martial arts because I was concerned about the injury you sustained.”

“Still… The court physician said the blade cut deeper than I thought. It seems like a scar is inevitable.”

Empress Elan said with a bitter expression, placing her hand on the treatment gauze attached to her right cheek.

“There might be a way. Try to find a magic potion that is good for healing wounds.”

If she wanted, I was willing to introduce her to Big, the magician at ‘Confident Clinic’.

“Thank you for your words, but the scars that the empresses get from the martial arts competition cannot be erased.”

“…Why?”

I frowned and asked.

“Because it’s a scar of honor.”

“Perhaps… Is it by Emperor Adrian’s order that you have to do that?”

“It’s closer to a law than an order.”

Empress Elan smiled softly. I couldn’t grasp her true feelings because of the smile.

“Anyway, thank you so much for helping me.”

“Let me make it clear, if I had known you were going to kill Empress Celina, I would never have intervened.”

“But if Your Majesty hadn’t interfered with Celina, her twin swords would have been stuck in my eyes.”

Empress Elan said with a confident tone.

“Would she really have gone that far…”

As I sighed softly, Empress Elan’s eyes became serious.

“That’s Empress Celina’s specialty in martial arts competitions.”

“But did you have to kill her?”

“Yes, there was no need to kill her.”

Empress Elan raised one corner of her mouth and nodded.

“Then why…”

“An empress who was like a sister to me was killed by her hand in the Wonny Palace not long ago. With twin swords stuck in both eyes. It wasn’t even a martial arts competition.”

“Ah…”

Hearing that story, Bonis’s face overlapped with Empress Elan’s face. My gaze unconsciously chased after Prince Tessler, who must be somewhere in the banquet hall. Disgustingly, the prince was already watching me from afar. Then Princess Resilia approached Prince Tessler. The princess began to whisper something to her brother. I took my eyes off the two siblings and looked back at Empress Elan.

“Anyway, I would have died if it weren’t for Your Majesty. I will definitely repay this favor.”

“No, you don’t have to go that far.”

“That may happen in the future. Your Majesty.”

She said as if she were prophesying.

“What do you mean, Empress Elan?”

“Just call me Elan. It seems like Your Majesty is also skilled in martial arts, but I mean that you should always be careful.”

I felt that Empress Elan was holding back something from me. But there was nothing specific to ask.

“Ah, Prince Shatonil over there seems to want to have a conversation with Your Majesty, so I should leave now.”

Empress Elan glanced at Prince Tessler. I was about to say that there was no need, but I stopped.

“Okay. Maybe we’ll have a chance to talk again next time?”

“Of course. Oh, and I’ll keep Your Majesty’s knife as a souvenir.”

Empress Elan smiled brightly. I watched her walk towards Emperor Adrian.

“Is it my turn now?”

Prince Tessler, holding a wine glass, was already close to me.

“Your Highness, please use honorifics. Unless you know how to use soundproofing magic.”

“Ah, right, right. You’re right. Hahaha.”

Prince Tessler looked around and laughed out loud on purpose. Anyone who saw it would think that Prince Tessler and I were quite close. Perhaps Prince Tessler’s excessive laughter reached Linelle, as he looked this way while talking to the emperor and empress of the Echia Empire. When I smiled and raised my hand slightly, he also raised his hand towards me and turned his head again.

“It seems like you’re gradually losing your heart to the Emperor?”

Prince Tessler squinted his eyes and suddenly asked me, who was looking at Linelle’s back.

“Does it look like that? I’ll take it as a compliment that my acting is excellent. Even though I gave you the few magic potions I had, are you still worried about me, Your Highness?”

I had to lie and pretend that I had no feelings for him at all for Linelle’s safety.

“Well, wouldn’t you say people have a sense of feeling?”

Prince Tessler retorted with a sarcastic tone.

“Why, are you worried that I might confess the truth to His Majesty?”

Prince Tessler’s face, which had been smiling, twisted hideously at my provocative question.

“If you tell the truth, do you think His Majesty will forgive you? A woman who deceived him? The Emperor of the Lapion Empire, who is wary of betrayal even in his sleep?”

“Even if I’m not forgiven, I can’t help it. It wasn’t my intention from the beginning, was it?”

For a moment, I glared at Prince Tessler, harboring resentful feelings.

“If you have such thoughts, you should think again. Do you know how much trouble our Shatonil Kingdom will be in if the fact that you are a proxy empress is revealed?”

It’s not the Shatonil Kingdom that will be in trouble, but you, who planned all of this in the first place. There was almost no chance that Linelle would turn the Shatonil Kingdom itself into an enemy because of my problem. Unless he antagonizes me and Prince Tessler.

“Please keep your mouth shut and wait quietly until there is a move from our side, Your Majesty.”

Prince Tessler suppressed his anger, clenching his teeth tightly. I was startled by the prince’s expression. It was the first time I realized that the eyes of someone obsessed with power were so frightening.

“A move? Are you talking about the scandal manipulation you mentioned before?”

“It’s a relief that you still remember.”

“His Majesty won’t believe it.”

“Are you sure?”

Prince Tessler sneered at me.

“By the way, Your Majesty. I would like to meet you separately outside before the banquet ends.”

“What for?”

“Because I have a precious gift prepared.”

“It’s okay, I’ll just take your heart.”

I didn’t even want to receive Prince Tessler’s heart, let alone his gift.

“Are you saying I should just throw away the gift? If you refuse, I’ll just throw away the gift, but you’ll regret it later, Your Majesty.”

Prince Tessler said, slightly grabbing my arm as I was about to turn around.

“What kind of great gift is it that you’re doing this?”

I asked nervously, pulling the prince’s hand away.

“I’ve prepared pink diamond earrings, a specialty of the Shatonil Kingdom.”

Pink diamond? In that instant, the pink diamond ring on Bonis’s little finger came to my mind, and my stomach churned.

“It’s more beautiful than the pink diamond ring I gave you before.”

Prince Tessler smirked.

“!”

It didn’t seem like he was just talking about jewelry. Could it be that he harmed Bonis again?

“Bonis is doing well, right…?”

I asked, clutching my dress tightly with both hands. I had to use all my patience to avoid raising my voice. I was trying not to bring up Bonis’s story first, as Grand Duke Martins had advised, but seeing Prince Tessler’s sinister expression, I couldn’t just let it go.

“If you’re curious, let’s meet in the back garden of the temple building, halfway between the main palace and the detached palace, in 30 minutes.”

“What?”

“If you don’t come…”

Prince Tessler whispered to me, pretending to clink his wine glass against mine.

“This time, you’ll receive Bonis’s ear with the pink diamond earring as a gift.”

What a devilish human being. I widened my eyes and warned Prince Tessler.

“What have you already done to Bonis? If you do that, this time…!”

“You’ll find out if you come with me. Your, Ma, jes, ty.”

Prince Tessler politely greeted me and disappeared into the crowd of dignitaries.

“Master, no, Your Majesty? Are you okay?”

I was startled and turned around because someone was pulling on the hem of my dress from behind.

“Rosie?”

She was standing there with a worried expression. I stared at Rosie’s face for a moment. She wasn’t a concubine who would pull on the empress’s dress carelessly, so her actions just now were incomprehensible. But now was not the time to think about that. What excuse should I make to Linelle to go out? I had to figure out a way to slip out of the main palace.

“Is something wrong?”

I looked at Rosie, who was pulling on the hem of my dress again, and an excuse came to mind.

“Rosie, I have a favor to ask… Can I have a word with you?”

I whispered to Rosie for help.

“So… you need to leave the main palace and you’re asking me to help you?”

Rosie asked back, cutting to the chase.

“Yes.”

The reason I asked Rosie for help was simple. The West Palace, where the concubines’ residences were located, was located after leaving the main palace and passing through the temple building. When I saw Rosie’s face, that route came to mind. Wait, what should I tell Linelle that I’m going to Rosie’s residence for? I had to think of that excuse too. But my mind went blank with worry about Bonis.

“Just kill him, Moia…”

Rosie muttered to herself, scratching her neck roughly.

“What did you say, Rosie?”

Did I hear wrong? For a moment, I felt like she had heard my inner thoughts, so I asked her again,

“I didn’t say anything?”

Rosie shook her head from side to side. Yeah, I must have heard wrong. I really seemed to be half out of my mind. Now I’m hearing nonsense.

“I’ll help you, Your Majesty!”

“Thank you. But what would be a good excuse to leave the main palace?”

I didn’t tell Rosie that I had to go to the temple garden to meet Prince Tessler. Fortunately, Rosie didn’t ask what I was going to do near there, and she didn’t seem particularly curious. However, she was just insisting on coming with me.

“You can just say that I’m sick? So you invited me to my residence because you have something important to tell me about my health.”

“Hmm. Would that be okay?”

“If His Majesty’s ears aren’t blocked, he’ll allow it.”

“…Huh? Uh, uh…”

Rosie’s tone was also quite different from her usual modest tone. Is she very sick somewhere? I put my hand on Rosie’s forehead to see if she had a fever.