The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 89

89. You’re a Good Guy

November 10, 2021

In the darkness, a staircase descended. When Ao reached the fifth step, the staircase sank, and the bookshelf slid back, sealing the entrance.

“Miyaaong! (Stepping on this stair closes the door again, I guess!)”

“Really? Remember that, then.”

Moya zipped down the stairs, replying absently.

“What’s that staircase over there? It also leads down?”

Moya muttered, glancing at another staircase to the left—the one connected to Linell’s private library. Ao, diligently following Moya, stopped before a gray wall blocking the staircase’s end.

“Miyaong? (Is this it? Just a wall?)”

“Honestly, you’re so dense. The cold energy is coming from inside this wall. The great Wyvern can feel it!”

The problem was how to get through. Moya buzzed around the gray wall.

“Miyaaong? (Maybe it’ll open if I step on the fifth step here, too?)”

Ao returned to the fifth step he’d skipped and pressed down with all four paws.

“How foolish. As if it would simply open again on the fifth step… Huh?”

Moya, who had been scoffing, widened his ruby eyes as the gray wall slid open, just as Ao had predicted.

“See? What did the great Wyvern say! Nailed it, right? There’s something inside, I tell you!”

Moya changed his tune, boasting as if he’d opened the wall himself, and slipped inside.

“Miyaaong! (You’re right, you’re really great! Seeing the wall open, there really must be something inside.)”

Ao was impressed by Moya’s words.

“I knew it all along, Moya~.”

The great Wyvern and the insignificant cat didn’t quite grasp that Ao was responsible for opening both the library bookshelf and the blocked gray wall. Moya reverted to his baby Wyvern form. Since it was a closed space, and the mosquitoes couldn’t escape, he could always return to mosquito form when they left.

“Oong? Why is that human brat in there?”

Moya, inside the gray wall, stared blankly and asked Ao, who followed.

“M-Miyaaong! (Gasp, what’s that?!)”

Unlike Moya’s calm tone, Ao bristled at the sight.

Inside the cave-like space, magic stones served as light bulbs, illuminating the dark space. In one corner stood a massive block of ice. Trapped inside was a boy who looked about ten years old. Moya flew to the boy’s eye level.

“Hey kid, what are you doing in there?”

The boy’s eyes were open, but he was frozen in place.

“Miyaong? (Is he dead?)”

“I don’t think so? Look, his pupils are moving, aren’t they?”

“Miong? (Really?)”

Ao wagged his tail, watching the boy look down at him.

“Hey, you’re not dead yet, are you? Blink once if I’m right.”

Moya deliberately blinked and spoke to the boy. When the boy blinked, Moya looked down at Ao with a boastful expression.

“See? He’s not dead yet.”

“Miyaong? (But if he stays there, he’s going to freeze to death, right?)”

“Hold on. Ah… you’re cursed, aren’t you?”

Moya circled the ice and returned to the boy’s eyes.

“Blink once if I’m right. If not, blink twice. If neither, break the ice yourself and tell me.”

Moya said, sensing the curse emanating from the ice. The boy blinked once again.

“I knew it. This is cursed ice. Ouch!”

Moya kicked the ice with his little foot and yelped.

“M-Miyaong? (Wow, how did he know he was cursed?)”

“Because I’m the great Wyvern.”

Moya put his hands on his hips and lowered his voice.

“Miyaaong? (Then you can break that kid’s curse too, right? Because you’re great?)”

Ao asked eagerly. Moya rolled his red eyes, then,

“…Of course!”

He puffed out his chest confidently. The boy and Ao’s eyes widened at Moya’s imposing claim that he could break the cursed ice.

“Miyaong, Miyaaong! (Then break the ice quickly! Hurry, hurry, quickly, quickly!)”

Ao was excited by Moya’s confidence and looked up at the boy.

“Miyaaong! (Kid, my great friend is going to get you out! Just wait a little bit. I’ll make you cute when you get out of there!)”

Ao scratched the hard ice with his front paws. The boy lowered his eyes, finding the small, white cat cute.

“Oh, by the way, is your name Moya? I’m Moya, and this cotton-like thing is Ao.”

Before melting the cursed ice, Moya formally introduced himself.

“Miyaong. (He can’t talk because of the ice.)”

“…Ah. That’s right. I know! I was just asking in case.”

Moya was annoyed at Ao out of embarrassment.

“I’ll hear the kid’s name after I melt the ice.”

‘My name is Joseph. My brother is the Emperor of the Rafion Empire,’ the boy thought, his blue eyes blinking. He stared at the baby Wyvern, Moya, with wonder.

“Shall we start breaking the curse now?”

Moya said casually, cracking his neck.

“Miyaong! (Fighting!)”

“Ao, you might get hurt, so step back.”

Moya grabbed Ao’s tail and dragged him back, then flew to the boy’s face. Ao held his breath, watching Moya. Before breathing fire, Moya opened his mouth wide and tensed his stomach.

“Kaaaaaak-!”

Fire sputtered from his small mouth, but it didn’t last long.

“Kaa, kaa? Kaaaa…ak!”

He breathed fire diligently for ten minutes, but the ice didn’t even crack.

“Miyaong? (What’s going on?)”

Ao ran to Moya, disappointed.

“Ugh, my throat hurts!”

Moya, exhausted, slumped to the floor and said awkwardly, “I’m still young, so that’s all the fire I can make, Moya~?”

“Miyaong? (What? Then you can’t get him out? Is that it? Huh?)”

Ao looked up at Joseph with sad eyes, grabbed Moya’s neck, and demanded, “Keuk, just wait a little bit. I can break this cursed ice right away when I get bigger.”

Moya pushed Ao’s paws aside and said to Joseph in a hoarse voice.

“Miyaaong? (Then he has to stay like that until then?)”

“That’s not true. I can let him wander around inside that ice.”

“Miyaong? (How?)”

“By melting the cursed ice with the fire of this great Wyvern?”

“Miyaong! (You just failed!)”

“How foolish. Once isn’t enough. I’ve been in the egg for over 300 years, but the adult form is still a cute baby, right? That’s why the fire is still weak.”

“Yaong? (Then how many times do you have to do it?)”

Ao asked again, hopeful.

“Oong? I wonder?”

Moya glanced at Joseph and replied brightly.

“……”

Joseph’s eyes looked much sadder than before.

“Hey, kid. Don’t be too disappointed. I’ll get you out before I grow up. Until then, I’ll melt the ice little by little every day.”

“Miyaong? (When will you grow up?)”

“It only takes a hundred years. I’ll have to ask his name then.”

Moya coughed and laughed.

“……Miyaong. (……Poor thing.)”

Ao lowered his tail and approached Joseph. Joseph wanted to tell Ao, who was looking up at him with teary eyes and scratching the cursed ice, that it was okay, but he couldn’t move anything except his pupils.

“Ah, shall we ask our orange hair?”

Moya raised his head sharply, uttering ‘Aigo, my throat’ as if sobbing.

“Miong? (What?)”

“How to break the cursed ice. Rosie may be terribly oblivious, but she’s read a lot of books, so she might know?”

“Miyaaong! (Yeah, Rosie might know! The method might be written in that thick book she always reads.)”

“Hey, it’s written in ancient languages from the Southern Continent. Rosie is illiterate in that ancient language.”

“Miyaaong. (Tch, then Rosie might not know either.)”

“Our master might be able to do it…”

Moya put his hands together and said, sparkling his two red eyes.

“Miyaong? (Your Majesty the Empress?)”

“Yeah, Her Majesty the Empress.”

Joseph’s blue eyes shook violently at Moya’s words.

‘Why is Her Majesty the Empress the master of that baby Wyvern?’

*** Linell closed the lounge door and led me away from it.

“What’s wrong? What is it?”

He clasped his hands, leaned forward, and asked. The moment I met his worried eyes, tears welled up. Anger at Prince Tesler and worry for Bonus mixed together. If he hadn’t asked with such kindness and affection, I would have held back the tears.

“Zelda…?”

He seemed unsure how to react to my crying. He frowned and pulled me into his arms.

“It’s okay, everything will be okay. I’m here.”

Instead of asking why I was crying, he comforted me. That made me cry even harder. As my sobs grew louder, he hugged me tighter and stroked my head. With Linell’s comforting touch, I felt like everything would be alright, just as he said. The emotions I’d suppressed because of Prince Tesler’s disgusting threats surged up, and I couldn’t stop crying. He waited patiently, stroking my back until I calmed down, supporting me like a strong pillar. He pulled back for a moment and took a handkerchief from his uniform pocket.

“I’ve never seen you cry like this before.”

Linell said, wiping my tears.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cry, but it just happened…”

“I know. It just happened… you’ve become ugly.”

He lifted my chin with the hand holding the handkerchief and imitated my crying face. When I frowned, he smiled.

“Do I look that ugly right now?”

I asked, sniffing.

“Do you even have to ask?”

I pouted, surprised by his serious tone. Then he mimicked my pout and chuckled.

“What should I do with this mess?”

I asked, showing him my ruined face.

“What else can I do but endure it?”

“……”

He said sincerely, without hesitation.

“Is my face so strange that it requires endurance?”

When I asked sulkily,

“Who knew that only your face is strange? Your actions are very strange too.”

He whispered, pinching my cheek.

“That’s right. It will be…”

I know. I lowered my head and admitted it. He must have thought my reaction to Prince Tesler was strange. And then I came into the lounge and cried like this, making it even stranger. I was about to mention Bonus, but he spoke first, looking serious.

“It’s okay to be strange. It’s okay to be ugly. It’s okay to be in this mess.”

“…Your Majesty.”

“But, you can’t cry.”

His tone was firm yet comforting. His voice seemed to gently grab and shake my heart.

“Do you understand?”

My nose tingled again. After a few seconds of eye contact, tears poured out again.

“Uh-oh? You’re openly defying the Emperor’s orders as soon as they’re given. How impertinent.”

As tears streamed down my face, he glared at me.

“I’m sorry. Huk, I really tried to stop crying, but, hehehe…”

“Haa, Zelda. I must be a really strange guy.”

I shook my head wildly at Linell’s sudden confession and shouted, “No, Your Majesty is a good guy!”

“…Huh? What did you say?”

It was too late to take it back. His face didn’t look like a good guy, as I’d said.

“Ah, no, I mean… Your Majesty is a good person.”

“No. I’m definitely crazy.”

He went from declaring himself a strange guy to a crazy guy.

“What does that mean…?”

“Crying is too sexy.”

“Yes?”

“Because it’s sexy, I keep getting other thoughts even in this situation. I’m really crazy, right? Isn’t that right?”

Surprised by his words, my tears slowed.

“Zelda, how are you going to take responsibility?”

He took a deep breath and asked as if blaming me.

“…Your Majesty, now that I think about it, I think what you just said is right.”

“That you’re sexy?”

“No, not that…”

“That I’m crazy?”

I nodded enthusiastically. He burst into laughter and hugged me again. I hugged him and laughed silently.

“You’re finally stopping crying.”

He lightly bumped his forehead against mine.

“Really?” As he said, the tears had stopped.

“Did you say that on purpose? To stop me from crying?”

“Yeah. But the words that you’re sexy were real.”

“Your Majesty is really…”

“I know, strangely crazy.”

“Puhup.”

“Completely crazy about the Empress. Right now, my body is also so firmly… Haa, never mind. Let’s not talk about it.”

He sighed and hugged me tightly instead. His arms were strong. Even if I didn’t want to know his condition in this close contact, I couldn’t help but know. I laughed even though I felt like I was suffocating. Seeing that I was crying so hard just now and now I’m laughing, I must be crazy about him too.

“Don’t worry about my condition.”

Linell whispered, groaning.

“…Yes, I’m trying to.”

“It’s a bit difficult because it’s a presence that appears all the time, right?”

“…Yes, it’s always difficult because the presence is too big.”

“I’m sorry. But I can’t help it. It’s a place where even the Emperor’s orders don’t reach.”

Linell’s arms tightened around me. After standing there feeling each other for a while, I raised my head and looked at him. Then Linell asked calmly, his playfulness gone.

“Now, will you tell me why you were so angry that Miss Bonus became Prince Tesler’s mistress?”