The Stand-In Empress's Wedding Night (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
“Lady Melanie, how dare you behave so rudely before Her Imperial Majesty the Empress!”
Lady Catherine scolded Lady Melanie, clearly aware of me.
“Oh my, it’s not even a secret! Everyone who ought to know already does, and since Her Imperial Majesty would find out soon anyway, I simply mentioned it early.”
Lady Melanie retorted with an innocent expression toward Lady Catherine.
“I’m hearing this for the first time!”
At that moment, an oblivious young lady interjected, eyes wide open.
“Me too! Lady Catherine, is it really true that you were betrothed to His Majesty since childhood?”
Curious excitement erupted everywhere at this intriguing revelation.
Contrary to Lady Melanie’s claim that “everyone who ought to know already does,” it seemed that only a very few among the nobility knew about their former engagement.
Pressed by the other ladies, Lady Melanie reluctantly spoke again.
“Lady Catherine, at what age exactly did you say you became betrothed to His Majesty? My father told me, but my memory’s poor—I must’ve forgotten!”
“It’s all in the past. What use is there in dwelling on old matters now?”
Lady Catherine glanced at me and replied to Lady Melanie.
“Even if the betrothal is in the past, things change if the heart is still involved in the present, don’t you think?”
Lady Melanie sniffed dismissively and pointed out sharply.
“Oh goodness! Then that means… Lady Catherine could have originally become Empress…! Oh! Forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Lady Felicini of House Asto, seated beside Lady Melanie, belatedly covered her own mouth and put on a clumsy performance.
I gave no reaction to Lady Felicini’s slip and simply took another sip of tea.
“I spoke without thinking due to sheer astonishment. Please forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty.”
With an irritatingly insincere tone—clearly not wanting forgiveness at all—Lady Felicini bowed again toward me.
I gestured to her that it was alright.
Though I nearly flipped her off instead.
Now, all eyes turned to Lady Catherine, who, under normal circumstances, would have held the highest probability of becoming Empress of the Lapion Empire.
Aware that everyone was watching her, she deliberately feigned indifference and took a crisp bite of a cookie.
Such a tiny cookie, meant for just one bite… yet she nibbled it like a bird pecking at seeds. Good heavens!
Lady Catherine, already looking satisfied, placed the remainder of her cookie onto her teacup saucer.
Then, as if the commotion around her had absolutely nothing to do with her, she pretended to be utterly preoccupied.
What must she have thought, watching the Emperor’s wedding—her childhood betrothed—marry someone else?
The moment I entered the reception room, Lady Catherine’s unusually frosty glare now made perfect sense.
Though I’d inevitably step down from this position as proxy Empress, what would become of Princess Resilia’s fate if Lady Catherine entered the harem and later became the remarried Empress?
‘Zelda, please be honest with yourself. Isn’t there something else you’re far more curious about?’
My inner spirit mocked me.
‘Aren’t you dying to know whether that ridiculously handsome Emperor will keep visiting the Empress’s palace—even after your former fiancée becomes a concubine?’
Shut up.
I silently yelled at my spirit.
After the revelation that Emperor Rinel and Lady Catherine had once been betrothed, the noble ladies began consoling me, the Empress.
Their comfort flowed endlessly, like a repetitive folk song.
Though honestly, I couldn’t tell if it was a lullaby or a mocking tune.
“Your Imperial Majesty, though this must pain you, His Majesty’s will must be obeyed.”
“Yes, it’s long been tradition for the Lapion Imperial Family to have many concubines.”
“Exactly! And isn’t His current Majesty himself the son of a third concubine?”
What? Rinel is the son of a concubine?
“Your Imperial Majesty… surely you knew this fact?”
Seeing my stunned expression, Lady Melanie asked as if wondering how I could have married into the imperial family without knowing such a basic thing.
Yes, I didn’t know. So what?
As if that were the only thing I was unaware of!
“Of course I knew.”
Yet the lie slipped out effortlessly in a refined tone.
“Truly, Your Imperial Majesty?”
Lady Catherine narrowed her golden eyes and questioned me.
“Naturally.”
Ironically, though I remained perfectly composed while lying, it was Lady Catherine who looked flustered.
Ah, I’m exhausted.
Smiling politely while meeting each noble lady’s gaze was far more draining than I’d expected.
The only moment I could hide my weary expression in this vast reception room was when lifting my teacup to my lips.
I scanned each of the noble ladies’ faces.
All fifteen were undeniably beautiful, yet none could compare to Princess Resilia.
Had Princess Resilia sat in my place as Empress, the confident glints in these ladies’ eyes would have dimmed before her unmatched beauty.
This meaningless, valueless tea time dragged on slowly amid the hollow laughter of these pretentious ladies.
When I glanced subtly toward Sharon, she seemed to read my mood and approached me.
“Your Imperial Majesty, it’s time to proceed to His Majesty’s study.”
Sharon’s words sounded like salvation.
“Really? Has it come to that already?”
In truth, my meeting with Rinel was scheduled after lunch.
Sharon, sensing my mood, had cleverly moved up the time to return to the main palace.
With a look of reluctant disappointment, I addressed the ladies.
“Today’s tea time must conclude here. Ah—and though I don’t yet know which of you will become concubines, please devote your whole hearts to serving His Majesty from now on.”
I suppose feigning such benevolence is part of being Empress.
If I were truly Rinel’s wife, this would feel utterly dreadful.
Even as a proxy Empress, my mood is already this wrecked.
“You’re off to meet His Majesty?”
Lady Catherine, who had just finished breaking a tiny cookie into six pieces to eat it, brushed crumbs from her lips and asked me.
“It seems you’ll be discussing the matter of taking in concubines.”
Without showing any sign of displeasure at Lady Catherine’s question, I rose calmly from the sofa and replied plainly.
“You ladies may remain here and continue your pleasant chat. My leaving first will surely make everyone more at ease.”
As I stood from the sofa, all the ladies rose simultaneously and bowed.
Though I longed to sprint straight to the reception room door, I carefully maintained my dignity with every unhurried step.
“Your Imperial Majesty?”
Just as I was about to exit the reception room,
a slow, condescending voice called out—like summoning a servant.
The speaker was Lady Catherine.
I turned back, forcing myself not to frown.
“What is it?”
Four ladies stepped forward simultaneously and bowed properly once more before me.
“It is us.”
“Yes?”
“We are the ones chosen to serve His Majesty as concubines, Your Imperial Majesty.”
…What?
They’d already been selected?
I was stunned.
Behind the shock came a sharp sense of insult, but I suppressed my emotions and examined each of their faces in turn.
As expected—they were precisely the concubine candidates I’d silently anticipated throughout tea time.
[This is the timeline separator]“Haaah…!”
Only after stepping onto the garden path connecting the Empress’s quarters to the main palace did my tense body finally relax.
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
Sharon quickly approached my side, worry etched across her face.
“My mood’s worse than I thought. Do you think anyone bought my act of pretending to be fine? How did I seem to you, Sharon?”
I thumped my chest lightly with my fist as I asked Sharon.
“Your Imperial Majesty always carries grace—except for moments like this…”
Sharon gently unfolded my clenched fist with both hands as she spoke.
“If I really came off as graceful, that’s a relief.”
“Yes—if it were me, I’d have been trembling and blushing so badly I’d have fled that place long ago.”
Though she meant to comfort me, Sharon’s words actually lifted my spirits slightly.
“It doesn’t seem time yet to visit His Majesty’s study. Let’s take a longer stroll through the garden before heading there.”
“What about lunch…?”
“I’ve no appetite. I’d prefer something light in the afternoon.”
“Yes, then I shall guide you along a quieter path for your walk.”
“Good.”
Following Sharon’s lead, I wandered down a more secluded garden trail.
I substituted lunch by breathing in deeply the clean air and fresh floral scents.
My gloomy mood had lifted considerably.
After shifting among the various garden paths that stretched from the Empress’s quarters to the main palace, the time to visit his study drew near.
“Your Imperial Majesty, we should head toward the main palace now.”
“Yeah, let’s go. I should hear what he has to say.”
I was curious about his excuse.
[This is the timeline separator]I’m only a proxy Empress.
I steadied my heart as I entered the main palace lobby.
I repeated those words even as I climbed the central staircase.
Though it felt too early for the concubine matter, no king in the Shattonil Kingdom had ever gone without concubines.
I understood well that imperial power never stems from a single individual.
To strengthen imperial authority, the Emperor must maintain close ties with several powerful noble houses.
The easiest way to secure their support—without resorting to force—is to accept their daughters as concubines.
The number of concubines drawn from influential noble families also symbolized the strength of imperial power.
But my inner spirit clearly disagreed.
‘Still, bringing in concubines this quickly just makes him look like a total womanizer!’
It had grumbled petulantly ever since I met the ladies in the reception room.
[This is the timeline separator]“I pay my respects to Your Imperial Majesty.”
Secretary Raphael greeted me as I arrived at the study.
After bowing, Raphael glanced around and stepped closer to whisper.
“His Majesty has been waiting for you since earlier.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
I gave Raphael a brief smile, and he nodded before opening the study door himself.
Without even checking where Rinel stood, I lifted my dress slightly and bowed.
“I pay my respects to His Imperial Majesty.”
As the door closed gently behind me, I raised my head again.
At that moment, my eyes met Rinel’s as he walked toward me.
He was smiling.
“Zelda, people sharing a bed shouldn’t be so formal—it doesn’t look genuine.”
He seemed genuinely pleased to see me.
I deliberately met his warm gaze with an intentionally indifferent expression.
But I’d forgotten one critical fact: staring at his handsome face for more than ten seconds drains all my combat strength.
Damn it. I was growing increasingly annoyed as my carefully maintained blankness kept slipping.
I stared at him with the sleepy, vacant eyes of someone reading a history book about a vanished kingdom.
That surely looked pretty indifferent, right?
“You’re beautiful, Zelda…”
But Rinel’s reaction was completely unexpected.
Those two simple words left a deep impression on me.
His voice—sweet enough to melt someone, unlike his icy demeanor—was dangerously harmful to my heart.
Still, I tried hard not to be swayed by his compliment.
“How suddenly.”
For some reason, my indifferent reply only deepened his smile.
His smile shattered my rigid expression as easily as a dry biscuit crumbling apart.
He suddenly stepped back one pace and looked at me with moved eyes, as if admiring a masterpiece.
“Is today a special occasion?”
Rinel held out his hand to me.
Mesmerized by his flawless features, I immediately placed my hand in his palm.
With elegant, gentle steps, he led me toward the sofa.
“I happened to have some exceptionally skilled stewards assist me.”
“Magnificent. I almost mistook you for someone else.”
Was I really that transformed today?
“Don’t misunderstand—I didn’t mean your previous appearance was lacking.”
“…Until you just said that, I hadn’t misunderstood at all.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes—were you perhaps trying to make a point on purpose?”
“Hahaha, of course not!”
Rinel laughed louder than usual as he denied my words.
Yet his head nodded forward slightly.
Seriously.
“Your Majesty seems unusually cheerful today?”
‘Wouldn’t you be upset if, instead of just one, several concubines suddenly appeared?’
My spirit butted in again to provoke me.
He guided me to a sofa near the window and sat me down.
“Zelda, didn’t we agree to use first names when alone?”
“Oh, right. Rinel.”
The instant his name left my lips, he sat beside me with a satisfied expression.
“I am in good spirits. Isn’t seeing my wife’s beauty a joyful thing?”
He crossed his long, elegant legs and turned toward me.
“Lucky for you.”
I kept my gaze straight ahead as I replied.
“My mood would’ve been even better if you’d added that you dressed up like this just to impress me.”
While speaking, his hand slowly inched my dress hem upward.
“I wish you’d told me beforehand too, Rinel.”
Despite my intention to speak with a smile, the corners of my mouth kept twisting into a mocking smirk.
I’d aimed to bring up the concubine matter coolly and calmly—but clearly, I’d gone about it all wrong from the start.
“What do you mean? Your expression suggests I’ve done something wrong?”
Rinel asked, implying such a thing was unthinkable.
No need for lengthy explanations—I went straight to the point.
“Taking concubines isn’t wrong, of course.”
That single sentence would be enough for him to understand my meaning.
“…What did you say?”
Though surprised, he didn’t look as if he’d heard something utterly absurd.
“Zelda, where did you hear this?”
Rinel frowned as he asked.
Meanwhile, my dress hem continued creeping upward under his hand.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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