“Prologue”
“Can you lift your face a bit?”
My newly-wedded husband spoke for the first time today. If I were to refer to him as my husband, he would be Rinel Gadyon Edpha, the Emperor of the Raphion Empire, the strongest empire in the northern continent. As soon as I saw the face of Emperor Rinel for the first time inside the grand temple where the wedding ceremony was held today, I wanted to flip the hem of my wedding dress and run away. In fact, we met last night at a secluded place outside the palace. But fortunately, he seemed oblivious to me. Please, let him continue to not remember me… Nevertheless, during the wedding ceremony, I was able to relax a bit thanks to the disguise-like makeup and the extravagant wedding dress that made it difficult for me to be recognized. However, as night fell and the makeup was cleanly wiped away, my heart began to sink again. It wasn’t because I was bowing my head to the fascinating marble floor of the bedroom. As time passed, my heart sank more and more. In fact, there was a bigger problem than meeting him last night. An issue that was really a matter of life and death for me. I am not the real wife of the Emperor. In other words, I’m a substitute empress. If this fact were to be exposed? Oh, just the thought of it is dreadful. I can say with certainty that the man sitting in front of me, like a magnificent portrait, would mercilessly strike my jugular and send me flying in the direction of my homeland, the Kingdom of Shatoinil. Yet, even in the midst of such cruel actions, his cold and piercing eyes made him appear noble. But unfairly, the Emperor possessed a beauty that made even such cruel actions seem graceful.
“?”
Following the piercing question, he continued, “It’s like you’re hiding something from me with your face?”
Even a conscience-piercing question. I was sitting precariously at the edge of the bed in thin sleepwear, and his words startled me so much that I almost hesitated to the floor. N-no! Although I internally admitted it, my lips remained tightly sealed. Only my bowed head could reveal the truth. A substitute empress. My very existence right now is a sin. How did I end up being involved in such a tremendous affair?
Just a few days ago, I was nothing more than a bath attendant in the Shatoinil royal palace, but damn, it’s all because of Princess Lesilia, who ran away with a mercenary knight just before the betrothal! The day I left the Shatoinil Kingdom, overcome with tension, came to mind… Five days ago, at the royal palace of Shatoinil.
“Become the substitute empress?”
What did I just hear? At the absurd words of Prince Tesler, I initially burst into laughter. After laughing for a while, I closed my mouth at his unusual seriousness.
“Seriously…?”
“Zelda Fontrova. There’s no one else I can trust!”
If there’s no one else to trust in the situation, wouldn’t it be better to just give up? Prince Tesler spoke as if I were the most trusted person in the world. Then he abruptly grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. I quickly withdrew my hand in discomfort.
“Zelda, please.”
His tone was more like a command than a request.
“Just hold the position of the empress of the Raphion Empire for a while.”
“But isn’t that the country where Princess Lesilia, with whom you are soon to be betrothed, is from?”
“Yeah. But damn that girl… No, Lesilia disappeared a week ago.”
Oh, how could that happen? No wonder. Lately, the palace has been filled with an unusual amount of tension.
I pretended to be asleep. Normally, Princess Lesilia’s discontented complaints, mixed with haughty tones, would echo throughout the royal palace every other day.
“What should we do? We’re supposed to leave for the Raphion Empire soon, aren’t we?”
“Why bother? We should have left already.”
So, you’re telling me to go instead? It was absurd. Three months ago, the young emperor of the Raphion Empire sought a marriage alliance with the Shatoinil Kingdom. In the letter sent by Emperor Rinel, it was explicitly stated that the empress-to-be did not necessarily have to be a princess of Shatoinil. From the perspective of the Shatoinil royal family, if there was no princess, they might consider passing on the position of empress to another noble family, but there was no reason to do so for the Raphion Empire. However, after hearing the news that the only princess, Lesilia, had disappeared shortly before the scheduled betrothal…
“Where on earth could the princess have gone?”
“Not alone! She eloped with that mercenary knight from the royal palace.”
“Oh my goodness…”
“Damn it! We didn’t bring the mercenary knights to the royal palace from the beginning.”
For the past year, there had been frequent appearances of monsters in the Diamond Mine, Shatoinil Kingdom’s largest treasury replenishment site. As a result, the royal family hired specialized mercenary knights to hunt down the monsters and had them stay within the palace. It was a dilemma. Just as the old saying goes, bringing people into a family recklessly could lead to ruin, and it seemed to apply to the royal family as well. So, now, the story goes that Princess Lesilia clicked with one of the mercenary knights who stayed in the palace?
“That unknown mercenary knight, instead of catching the monsters they were told to catch, kidnapped Lesilia and fled!”
Prince Tesler’s veins bulged in his neck. There was a mixture of anxiety and anger in his voice. He began to explain how urgent the situation was, with the royal knights tirelessly searching for Princess Lesilia’s whereabouts while, to make matters worse, the Raphion Empire had expedited the betrothal date. For the Shatoinil Kingdom, treated as a vassal state, it was inevitable to delay the betrothal schedule.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no way out. So, you…”
“Your Highness, I’m just a royal bathmaid!”
I vigorously shook my hands, one holding soap and the other holding a towel, expressing my refusal. Prince Tesler snatched the soap and towel from my hands and threw them into a corner of the office. What was thrown away wasn’t just soap and a towel. It felt like my future flew away with them.
“The royal knights will soon come looking for Lesilia. Just act as the empress until then. If our kingdom fails to send a bride in time, the position of empress in the Raphion Empire will go back to the Ekiya Empire! We can’t let that happen!”
Tesler dropped the scabbard he had been wearing on his waist to the office floor and shouted. It was a blatant threat veiled in desperation.
“Our Shatoinil Kingdom has formed a strong alliance with the Raphion Empire…”
“Do you know how important this betrothal is?”
“You’re the one who knows best that I have a scar on my face, right? If someone like me becomes empress, it could worsen relations with the Raphion Empire!”
I raised my voice, pointing to the burn scar on the right side of my face. Prince Tesler chuckled as if he expected me to say that.
“Zelda, so here’s the thing…”
He proposed a secret deal to persuade me. It was something I could never refuse.
“On the night we arrive at the Raphion Palace, Duke Martens will guide us to where they sell magic potions to remove that scar. How about it? You won’t lose much.”
“Is that true?”
“Yeah. But the scar removal is temporary, and you’ll need to keep using the magic potion to maintain it.”
My heart raced. I couldn’t contain my excitement. Temporary was fine. I wanted to live at least one day with my face free from burn scars.
“Of course, I’ll continue to provide you with the magic potion as long as you fulfill your duties as the interim empress until we find Lesilia.”
“But do I qualify as the interim empress?”
“The proposal from the Raphion Empire states that the empress doesn’t necessarily have to be a princess. So, as a beloved countess, you’re more than qualified to be the empress. Besides, no matter how you look at it, you’re the perfect fit.”
“The perfect fit, huh?”
“Listen,” Prince Tesler added confidently, “the conditions for the interim empress are simple. You, as a noble with a weaker power that would easily accept divorce, are suitable. Especially since you’re also an illegitimate child like Lesilia. The conditions were surprisingly straightforward, yet surprisingly unsettling. As I listened to Prince Tesler’s words, I wanted to find a counterargument, thinking, ‘This doesn’t align with me, does it?’ But… there wasn’t one. Somehow, the conditions seemed tailor-made for me. Prince Tesler was convinced that even if my burn scar disappeared, I could never match Lesilia’s beauty. That was the most disheartening part.”
“Zelda, I’m saying this out of concern. If, after Lesilia returns, you suddenly change your mind and refuse to step down from the empress position, your burn scar will reappear.”
“Oh, so that magic potion that removes my burn scar is both a carrot and a whip?”
“Why are you taking it so negatively? It’s not coercion, it’s negotiation.”
Prince Tesler responded with an innocent look of surprise.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that people’s feelings can change without them realizing it.”
I had no reason to resist and not step down from that position. It was an unwanted empress position.
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen,” I confidently replied. The future of the Shatoanil Kingdom rested on my shoulders.
Before leaving the Shatoanil palace, Prince Tesler placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke with a serious tone. Despite my darkening expression, the prince’s face showed a satisfied smile.
“If you fulfill the role of interim empress until the end, then I’ll give you a cure that can completely remove the scar.”
“A cure that can completely heal it, not just temporarily cover it?”
I widened my eyes and approached Prince Tesler, who had intentionally distanced himself, and asked.
“Yes. But if things go awry in the middle… you understand?”
As I felt a sense of treachery from Prince Tesler’s face, a sudden question arose.
“If such a remedy existed, why didn’t you inform me sooner?”
“Oh, my Zelda. Don’t misunderstand. It hasn’t been long since I found out about the magic potion that can remove your burn scar.”
“Is that so…”
Of course, I didn’t believe Prince Tesler’s words. My mind was swirling with complexity, but the conclusion had been the same from the start. There was no way out of this situation anyway. Even if I refused the position of interim empress, I would be forcibly put on a carriage heading to the Raphion Empire. In that case, it was wiser to gracefully board the carriage in exchange for the magic potion that could treat my burn scar. After all, as Prince Tesler said, it wasn’t a losing deal. However, I would only discuss receiving the potion once I survived without revealing my identity to Emperor Lionel.
“Rather than giving up on the marriage and being outcasted from the Raphion Empire, doing this is much better.”
Prince Tesler spoke with determination.
“You’ll realize how precious you are to me now…,”
Prince Tesler said affectionately, placing my hands against his chest again. Anyone witnessing might think it was a confession of love.
“Well, what should I do then?”
I asked, thinking only about the magic potion that would remove my burn scar. Prince Tesler’s dark expression brightened in an instant as he spoke eagerly.
“It’s simple. Once Princess Lesilia arrives at the Raphion Palace, you can divorce the Emperor around that time. It’s not difficult, right?”
“It’s not difficult, but my life would be at risk. But, would the Emperor easily agree to a divorce?”
As soon as I voiced the question, I realized how foolish it was. No man would be immune to Princess Lesilia’s beauty. I worried needlessly.
“If Emperor Lionel sees Lesilia, then it’ll be easy to…”
“If Emperor Lionel sees Lesilia, then it’ll be easy for you two to divorce,” Prince Tesler said, staring at my face intently, silently confirming if I understood his implication. Outwardly, I nodded casually, but inside, I felt bitter.
“Alright, I got it, so just drop it,”
I thought irritably, but I maintained my patience to the end.
“Now that I think about it, divorce won’t be difficult. Anyway, please find Princess Lesilia as soon as possible.”
I spoke briefly and coolly, as if I were just a person given a simple task.
“Yeah! Thank you so much, Zelda…”
Prince Tesler’s hand hesitated as if about to touch my cheek. I involuntarily raised my left hand but then switched it to my right hand. He then gently touched my left cheek, free of any burn scars, as if about to kiss me, leaning in close to whisper near my lips.
“You’re my benefactor. I’ll never forget you for the rest of my life.”
“You’re my misfortune. I’ll never forget you either.”
It was regrettable that my inner feelings couldn’t be conveyed through just a gaze.
There was no kiss. In fact, I hadn’t expected one.
“Well then, when do we leave?”
“Today.”
“What? When?”
“Right now.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“The carriage is waiting outside.”
“Is this a joke?”
“No, it’s not. Proper attire is prepared, so just change and we’ll leave immediately.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, outside, the carriage is waiting.”
“…Alright.”
I didn’t want to face Prince Tesler any longer, so I hurriedly bid farewell and turned away.
“Oh, and Zelda, there’s something I need to tell you beforehand.”
He grabbed my wrist.
“When Lesilia arrives at the Raphion Palace, rumors will spread quickly.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“Rumors that you’re having secret affairs with other men.”
“What did you say?”
“Yeah, of course, it’s absurd gossip. But unfortunately, it’s necessary to justify the divorce.”
“Do we really have to resort to spreading such rumors?”
I asked Prince Tesler with a displeased expression.
“While it’s dishonorable, it’s a way to quickly get out of the Raphion Palace, so ultimately, it’s good for you too.”
“Is that really the best option?”
“For now, yes.”
“Who would believe that I’m having affairs with other men, especially considering the Emperor?”
“It might be hard to believe, but it will make the Emperor uncomfortable, and that’s all that matters.”
As if I’m not feeling uncomfortable already? I cursed Prince Tesler in my mind.
“It will also make it easier to get approval for the divorce from the Chancellor.”
“Alright. I’ll go now.”
“I never said that, did I? You’re beautiful too.”
Prince Tesler hastily blurted out the prepared words as if he had forgotten.
“Do you really think I’m beautiful, Your Highness?”
“…Well, yes.”
A delayed response.
“Only if you cover the scar.”
He even added unnecessary words.
“And Zelda, if you ever return, I might consider welcoming you into my court.”
Prince Tesler said as if extending an invitation. The moment I heard those words, my impression of him crumpled. While Prince Tesler may be the object of every woman’s admiration in the Shato Nil Kingdom, I had never hoped to become his woman. But his court?
“Excuse me? What are you talking about?”
“The Emperor has never taken a woman to his bed. Do you know what that means?”
“He’s been too picky because there hasn’t been a woman who meets his standards.”
“He’s been too picky because there hasn’t been a woman who meets his standards.”
“That’s true. But Zelda, he’s in his prime. Moreover, he’s the Emperor.”
“Then, you don’t mean…?”
I uttered a word that popped into my mind momentarily.
“Perhaps.”
Prince Tesler recognized my gesture and nodded.
“So you don’t have to worry about sleeping with the Emperor while you’re in the role of acting Empress. How about that? Feel relieved? But when you come back, I’ll appreciate you even more.”
He trailed his palm along my shoulder line as he spoke.
“I’ll pass.”
“Are you perhaps implying you want to be my prince consort? Zelda, that’s a bit awkward…”
“Ha, your misconception is even more awkward, isn’t it?”
“No, I just dislike it.”
“Think again. I’m flawless like the Emperor Linel. Besides, do you know how rare this handsome appearance is?”
His boastful demeanor made me want to shatter his marble-like confidence with a single blow. Suppressing my anger, I stared at Prince Tesler and retorted firmly.
“Enough. I hate handsome men, really hate them!”
“Why are you thinking like that?” The incredibly handsome man spoke. When I opened my tightly shut eyes, I found a face far more beautiful than Prince Tesler’s gazing down at me.
Suddenly, realization struck. I… really like handsome men.
“I told you to lift your head, but you closed your eyes instead? And now, you’re lowering your head again. What’s with that guilty expression?” His displeased voice struck my chin once again.
“We’re about to have supper; shouldn’t we look at each other properly?” Emperor Linel lifted my chin and murmured softly.
Gasp-
The mention of supper startled me so much that I accidentally took a deep breath and stumbled backward behind the bed, as if I had been waiting for it.
He glanced at me for a moment, then looked down at me with a smirk and said, “You have a fiery personality… Who would’ve thought you were waiting for this day?”
What? Did Prince Tesler lie to me? Emperor Linel is described as a ripe peach and a hunk!
