The Stand-In Empress's Wedding Night (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
“Won’t you lift your face a bit?”
my husband, whom I’d seen for the first time today, said.
If I were to name my husband, it would be Rinel Gadion Edpa—
Emperor of the Lapion Empire, the mightiest nation of the northern continent.
The moment I saw Emperor Rinel’s face inside the Grand Temple where our wedding had just taken place, I wanted nothing more than to pull my wedding dress over my head and run away.
Truth be told, we’d met the night before at a secret location outside the imperial palace.
But, to my immense relief, he didn’t seem to recognize me.
Please, just keep failing to remember me…
At least during the wedding ceremony, I could afford to relax a little,
thanks to makeup so transformative it bordered on disguise—and the dazzling wedding gown.
Yet soon enough, night fell, and as my makeup was thoroughly wiped away, my anxiety returned in full force.
It wasn’t as if I was staring at the marble floor of the bedroom out of fascination—
My heart kept shrinking smaller and smaller with every passing moment.
In truth, there was an even bigger problem than meeting him last night.
A problem that literally concerned my life.
I wasn’t the Emperor’s real wife.
In other words, I was merely a proxy Empress.
What if this truth were ever exposed?
Just the thought of it sent shivers down my spine.
Without a doubt, that man sitting before me—looking as immaculate as a fine portrait—would mercilessly sever my head and send it flying straight toward my homeland, the Shattonil Kingdom.
His cold, icy-blue eyes made him seem more than capable of such cruelty.
Yet, unfairly enough, even in his most brutal moments, the Emperor possessed a beauty so striking it defied reason.
“Have you done something wrong?”
“!”
His unexpected question struck like a dagger.
“You look exactly like someone hiding something from me.”
And then came the guilt-inducing follow-up.
Perched precariously at the edge of the bed in nothing but a thin slip, I nearly collapsed onto the floor in shock at his words.
Yes!
Inside, I was ready to confess everything immediately—but my lips stayed firmly shut.
Only my deeply bowed head betrayed the truth.
Proxy Empress. My very existence right now was a sin.
How on earth had I gotten tangled up in something this enormous?
Just days ago, I’d been nothing more than a royal bathmaid in the Shattonil Kingdom.
Damn it all—it was all because Princess Resilia had run off with a mercenary knight right before the state marriage!
As I squeezed my eyes shut in tension, memories of the day I left Shattonil Kingdom came flooding back.
.
.
.
.
Five days ago, at the royal palace of Shattonil Kingdom.
“You want me to become a proxy Empress?”
What on earth had I just heard?
At first, I’d laughed outright at Prince Tessler’s utterly absurd suggestion.
But when I sensed the serious atmosphere, I quickly stopped.
“Are you… serious?”
“Zelda von Trova. You’re the only one I can trust!”
If the only person you can trust is me, maybe you should just give up altogether?
Prince Tessler spoke as though I were the one person in the world he trusted most.
Then he abruptly grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips.
Disgusted, I yanked my hand away immediately.
“Zelda, please.”
His tone sounded more like a command than a request.
“Just occupy the Empress’s seat in the Lapion Empire for a little while.”
“But isn’t that the country about to hold a state marriage with Princess Resilia?”
“Exactly. But that damn woman—ahem, Resilia—disappeared a week ago.”
…What? How could that happen?
That explained it. Lately, the palace had been unusually quiet.
Normally, Princess Resilia’s high-pitched complaints would echo through the palace at least once every two days.
“What should we do? We’re supposed to leave for the Lapion Empire soon!”
“Soon? We should’ve left already.”
So that’s why he wanted me to go in her place?
It was unbelievable.
Three months ago, the young Emperor of the Lapion Empire had formally proposed a state marriage to the Shattonil Kingdom, citing a firm alliance as the reason.
Emperor Rinel’s personal letter explicitly stated that the future Empress didn’t necessarily have to be a royal princess of Shattonil.
From Shattonil’s perspective, unless they had no princess at all, there was no reason to hand the Empress position to another noble house.
But then, the sole royal princess, Resilia, vanished after hearing the marriage date had been moved up.
“Where on earth could the princess have gone alone?”
“Alone? She ran off with one of those mercenary knights stationed in the palace!”
“Good heavens…”
“Damn it! We never should’ve invited that mercenary knight order into the palace in the first place!”
A year ago, monsters began appearing frequently at Shattonil’s diamond mines—the kingdom’s main source of revenue. To deal with them, the royal court hired a specialized mercenary knight order and allowed them to stay within the palace grounds.
That had been the root of all this trouble.
Apparently, the old saying—“bringing outsiders carelessly into your house will ruin your family”—applied to royalty as well.
So, Princess Resilia had fallen for one of those mercenary knights and eloped with him?
“That damned mercenary skipped hunting the monsters and ran off with Resilia instead!”
Prince Tessler’s neck veins bulged as his voice trembled with a mix of frustration and anger.
He began passionately explaining just how dire the situation had become.
While the royal knights searched day and night for Princess Resilia, the Lapion Empire had unexpectedly moved the marriage date forward even more.
As a vassal state, Shattonil couldn’t possibly delay the wedding.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no other way. So you’ll have to…”
“Your Highness, I’m just a royal bathmaid!”
I waved my arms desperately, soap in one hand and a towel in the other, trying to refuse.
Prince Tessler snatched both from me and tossed them into a corner of his office.
It wasn’t just the soap and towel that flew away—
My future seemed to vanish along with them.
“The royal knights will find Resilia soon. Until then, you must play the Empress for us! If we fail to send a bride on time, the Lapion Empire will offer the Empress position to the Ekia Empire! We absolutely can’t allow that!”
Prince Tessler slammed the scabbard from his waist onto the floor of his office as he shouted.
It was an unmistakable threat disguised as desperation.
“You understand perfectly well how crucial this state marriage is for Shattonil to maintain a strong alliance with the Lapion Empire, don’t you?”
“Your Highness knows very well that I have a burn scar on my face! Sending someone like me as Empress might worsen our relations with the Lapion Empire!”
I pointed to the burn scar on my right cheek, raising my voice.
Prince Tessler smirked, as if he’d expected me to say exactly that.
“Zelda, that’s precisely why…”
He then offered a secret deal designed to convince me—
one I simply couldn’t refuse.
“The night we arrive at the Lapion Imperial Palace, Grand Duke Martines will take you to someone who sells a magical potion that can erase that burn scar. Fair enough? You won’t lose anything.”
“…R-Really?!”
“Yes. But the scar’s disappearance is only temporary—you’ll have to keep taking the potion to maintain it.”
My heart pounded wildly.
I couldn’t contain my excitement.
Even if it was temporary, it was enough.
I’d always longed, just once in my life, to see my own face free of that scar.
“Of course, I’ll keep supplying you with the potion—as long as you faithfully perform your duties as proxy Empress until we find Resilia.”
“But am I truly qualified to be a proxy Empress?”
“The Lapion Empire’s proposal explicitly states that the Empress doesn’t have to be a princess. As the daughter of a count, you’re more than qualified. And honestly, you’re the perfect candidate.”
Perfect candidate, he said?
“Why’s that?”
Listen carefully, Prince Tessler added with unwavering confidence, outlining the ideal proxy Empress:
A noble lady whose beauty starkly contrasted with Princess Resilia’s—so much so that Emperor Rinel would instantly fall for Resilia and decide to divorce.
And, of course, she had to come from a powerless noble family, making her unable to resist the divorce.
He even added that it’d be even better if she, like me, was a bastard daughter.
The conditions were surprisingly simple—and surprisingly insulting.
As I listened to Prince Tessler, I tried to find something to argue against—some part where I didn’t match his criteria…
But there was nothing.
It was as if these conditions had been tailor-made for me.
Prince Tessler was absolutely certain that even if my scar vanished, I’d never rival Princess Resilia’s beauty.
That was what hurt the most.
“Zelda, this is just a precaution—but if you suddenly change your mind and refuse to step down after Resilia returns, that burn scar will reappear.”
Ah, so that magical potion was both carrot and whip to control me?
“Is that potion meant as a threat, then?”
“Why put it so bitterly? It’s not a threat—it’s negotiation.”
Prince Tessler feigned innocence with wide, pure eyes.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. Feelings can change, even without you noticing.”
“?”
I had no reason to cling to that position.
Especially since becoming Empress was never something I’d wanted.
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”
I replied confidently.
Before leaving the Shattonil Palace, Prince Tessler placed a hand on my shoulder and said gravely,
“The future of Shattonil rests on your shoulders.”
Unlike my increasingly darkening expression, a relieved smile began to bloom on the prince’s face.
“If you successfully complete your role as proxy Empress, I’ll give you a cure that permanently removes the scar.”
“A permanent cure—not just a temporary cover-up?”
My eyes widened as I stepped closer to Prince Tessler, who’d been keeping his distance.
“Yes. But if things go wrong along the way… you understand, right?”
A sudden doubt crossed my mind as I looked at Prince Tessler’s shamelessly calculating face.
“If such a cure existed, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Oh, my Zelda, don’t misunderstand. I only recently learned about this magical potion myself.”
“I see…”
Of course, I didn’t believe a word he said.
My mind was tangled in confusion—but my conclusion had been clear from the start:
There was no way out of this situation.
Even if I refused, I’d be forced onto the carriage bound for the Lapion Empire.
So, the wisest choice was to accept the offer and board that carriage gracefully—in exchange for the potion that could heal my scar.
After all, as Prince Tessler said, it wasn’t a losing deal.
…Assuming, of course, I could survive without exposing my true identity to Emperor Rinel.
“Choosing this path is far better than abandoning the state marriage and falling out of the Lapion Empire’s favor.”
Prince Tessler spoke with resolute determination.
“You can’t possibly know how precious you are to me right now…”
He took both my hands and pressed them to his chest, speaking tenderly.
Anyone watching might mistake it for a love confession.
“Hmm… What exactly do I need to do?”
I asked, thinking only of the magical potion that could erase my scar.
Prince Tessler’s gloomy expression instantly brightened, and he quickly answered,
“It’s simple. Around the time Resilia arrives at the Lapion Imperial Palace, you just need to divorce the Emperor. Not difficult at all, right?”
“It’s not difficult—but it might cost me my life. But will he really agree to divorce so easily?”
The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how foolish the question was.
There was no man who wouldn’t lose his heart to Princess Resilia’s beauty.
I’d worried over nothing.
“If Emperor Rinel sees Resilia, he’ll divorce you without hesitation.”
Prince Tessler stared directly into my eyes, subtly adding, “You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
Outwardly, I calmly nodded—but inside, I felt bitter.
‘I understand! Now shut up already!’
The words rose to my throat, but I forced myself to stay patient.
“Now that I think about it, divorce shouldn’t be hard. Anyway, please find Princess Resilia as soon as possible.”
I replied coolly and briefly, as if I’d accepted a simple mission.
“Yes! Thank you so much, Zelda…”
Prince Tessler reached to stroke my cheek but hesitated mid-motion.
Unconsciously raising his left hand, he switched to his right and gently touched my unscarred left cheek.
Then he tilted his head as if to kiss me, whispering near my lips,
“You’re my savior. I’ll never forget this.”
‘You’re my misfortune. I’ll never forget that either.’
It pained me that my true feelings couldn’t be conveyed through my eyes alone.
No kiss came.
Not that I’d expected one anyway.
“Hmm… When do I leave, then?”
“Today.”
You’ve got to be kidding!
I calmly asked again,
“Today… when exactly?”
“Right now.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“There’s a carriage waiting outside.”
“…”
“A proper dress has already been prepared. Just change and leave immediately.”
“…Alright.”
Not wanting to face Prince Tessler any longer, I hurriedly bowed and turned to leave.
“Oh, and Zelda—there’s something I must tell you in advance.”
He grabbed my wrist.
“Once Resilia arrives at the Lapion Imperial Palace, rumors will quickly spread.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“That you’ve been secretly meeting another man.”
“What did you say?”
“Yes, it’s obviously a false rumor. But we need it to justify the divorce.”
“Do you really have to spread such a rumor?”
I asked Prince Tessler, frowning in displeasure.
“It may be dishonorable, but it’s the quickest way for you to escape the Lapion Imperial Palace—and ultimately beneficial for you too.”
“Is that really the best option?”
“For now, yes.”
“Who would believe I’d secretly meet another man while married to the Emperor?”
“Belief isn’t the point—it’ll make Emperor Rinel uncomfortable, and that’s enough.”
What about my discomfort right now?
Inside, I cursed Prince Tessler furiously.
“It’ll also make it easier to present this as grounds for divorce to the Grand Council.”
“…Fine. I’ll take my leave now.”
I replied resignedly.
“Wait—have I ever told you this before? You’re beautiful too.”
Prince Tessler blurted out, as if suddenly remembering a line he’d rehearsed.
“Do you truly think I’m beautiful, Your Highness?”
“…Yes.”
His reply came a beat too late.
“As long as the scar is hidden.”
And he added something utterly unnecessary.
“And Zelda, when you return, I might take you as my mistress.”
He spoke as though granting me a favor.
At those words, my expression instantly soured.
Prince Tessler might be the object of every woman’s desire in Shattonil—but I’d never wanted to be his woman.
And now he was offering me the position of mistress?
“Emperor Rinel won’t touch you anyway, so taking you back as my mistress won’t upset me much.”
“What? What on earth are you talking about?”
“It’s confirmed that the Emperor has never once brought a woman to his chambers. Do you understand what that means?”
“His standards are just too high—no woman has caught his eye until now.”
“That’s partly true. But Zelda, he’s at the peak of his youth—and he’s the Emperor.”
“Then… could it be that he…?”
I silently mouthed the word that popped into my head.
“Most likely.”
Prince Tessler nodded, reading my lips.
“So you don’t need to worry about sharing a bed with the Emperor while serving as proxy Empress. Doesn’t that put your mind at ease? And when you return, I’ll treat you twice as well.”
He ran the back of his hand along my shoulder as he spoke.
“I decline.”
“Does that mean you want to become my official consort instead? Zelda, that would be… somewhat difficult.”
Hah—your delusion is the real problem here.
“No, I just don’t want to.”
“Think again. Unlike Emperor Rinel, I’m perfectly functional. And do you think a handsome face like mine is common?”
His arrogance made my small foot twitch toward his groin—strong enough to shatter marble.
Suppressing my anger, I glared at Prince Tessler and shot back firmly,
“Enough! I absolutely hate handsome men!”
.
.
.
.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
said an absurdly handsome man.
When I opened my tightly shut eyes, I found a face gazing down at me—so breathtakingly beautiful it made Prince Tessler look ordinary.
“Oh… Your Majesty.”
A sudden realization struck me.
I actually… really liked handsome men.
“You asked me to lift my head, so instead you closed your eyes? Now that you’ve opened them, you’re bowing your head again. What’s with that guilty expression?”
His displeased voice struck my chin once more.
“We’re about to consummate our marriage—shouldn’t we at least see each other’s faces properly?”
Emperor Rinel lifted my chin himself and murmured in a low voice.
“Huh—!”
So startled by his mention of consummation, I gasped loudly and accidentally toppled backward onto the bed.
As if he’d been waiting for it.
He stared at me for a moment, then said with a hint of amusement,
“You’ve got quite a fiery personality… Anyone would think you’d been waiting for this day.”
“!”
What the hell? Prince Tessler, you lying bastard!
Emperor Rinel—the famed golden boy—is actually a eunuch?!
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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