The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 123

I had a dream.

It was a slightly different dream than before.

What came into my sight was a desperate battlefield where life and death intersected.

The ground had all been scorched, stained by black and red blood. 

Severed limbs and corpses dotted the land. 

Scattered weapons were oozing blood and the whole place was a hellscape. 

In the distant horizon, shadowy figures could be made out. 

I knew it instinctively.

Evil things, things that shouldn’t exist in this world.

They were witches.

‘Who is that person?‘

As I turned my eyes away, there were numerous soldiers fronting beasts. 

In front of the soldiers, a man who seemed to be the commander firmly planted his feet on the ground. 

It was a man resembling Damian.

He was arrayed in blood-stained armor, armed with a longsword in one hand. 

It seemed as if he already cut down countless beasts, for the edge of his blade was besmeared in the blackened beasts’ blood. 

The blood stuck to the blade and clumped. 

Besides the man, was a pale woman who seemed out of place on a battlefield. 

‘Sorry.’

The man said suddenly. 

The woman glanced back at the man.

Although the man’s scarlet eyes were fixated on the witches…

His pupils were trembling, thinly harboring indescribable emotions.

‘If it wasn’t for me, you…’

At his softly spoken words, the woman smiled lightly and shook her head.

‘No, I chose you.’

‘Leah.’

‘So don’t say you’re sorry.’

The woman strongly concluded her words with a wide smile.

‘I’ve never regretted loving you.’

At the same time, three pairs of wings emerged from behind the woman’s back.

Sacred silver wings that embodied the power of the divine beast. 

Beating strongly, the wings dispersed a nimbus of bright white light. 

‘Kkkkkraaaahhh…’

‘Grrrrrahhhh…’ 

The beasts upon meeting the light groaned and flinched backward in fear. 

The woman whispered to the man.

‘Go.’

‘…thanks.’

The man gritted his teeth before letting out a thunderous roar.

‘Charge!’

‘Raahh!’

The man was the first to charge ahead.

Soldiers follow behind him.

A fierce battle ensued.

The blood welled up like spring water soaking the ground. 

Severed limbs were torn and thrown across the battle. 

Horrendous screams, soldiers shouting, and the grotesque roars of beasts were thrown into the mix, creating a convoluted cacophony. 

The man was in the midst of it all. 

He desperately wielded his sword, attempting to boost the morale of his soldiers.

It conveyed desperation but also dogged determination. 

It was as if he was telling them, ‘Back away now and you might lose what you hold most dear forever.’

‘For humanity!!’

The man lifted his sword, increasing the morale of the soldiers.

‘Fight to return to your loved ones, endure somehow!’

‘Raaaahhhh!’

A loud cry broke out.

It was a rallying cry that seemed maddening.

The soldiers wildly raised their weapons. 

The edges of both spear and sword shined on the battlefield despite being coated in blood. 

The man who watched the scene unfold raised his head. 

‘Leah.’

The woman who had been hovering above the man looked at him with a sunken gaze.

He held out his hand to the woman. 

‘I beg you, share your strength.’

‘…but.’

‘If you die here, everything you’ve done so far will be in vain.’

However, the man had already made up his mind. 

‘You know why I came here.’

‘For what you dreamed of and what it’ll usher in.’

‘….yes.’

After a moment of silence, the woman nodded slowly.

Her purple eyes were deeply sunken with countless emotions.

‘You’re here for humanity.’

‘Leah.’

‘…but you know.’

The woman bit her lips until they bled.

A smile spread across her pale face.

It was a sad smile.

‘Sometimes, I wished ‘humanity’ wasn’t first….I wanted you to put ‘me’ first.’

At the end of that sentence, the woman silently closed her eyes.

Then, pure white wings emerged from the man’s back. 

Sharp screams, the smell of blood, and the sound of clashing weapons continued. 

Even in the chaotic mixture of life and death, his pure white wings shined magnificently.

And the woman remained by the man’s side till the end.

 

****

 

At the same time, I opened my eyes.

Flash.

Blink. Blink. 

After blinking my eyes a few times, my blurry vision slowly began to become clearer.

…I guess I lost my conscience?

It was sunny.

The world was quiet.

The sound of torrential rainfall like a hole had been punched in the sky, disappeared without a trace. 

After staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, I got up in shock.

‘…Damian!’

What happened to Damian?

Apparently, the last time I saw him…

‘…it looked dire!’

I hurriedly tried to get out of bed and stumbled on the spot.

At the same time, someone quickly caught me before I fell to the floor.

“Charlize!”

A voice called me with urgency. 

It was him.

Damian’s wide, scarlet eyes shook with all sorts of emotions. 

“Da…”

I licked my lips, swallowing in vain as I realized it was difficult to speak. 

A sharp pain came rushing as if someone was squeezing my throat. 

Wheezing sounds came from my throat. 

But I had to ask him something. 

“Damian…fine…”

I reached out and grabbed Damian’s arm.

My fingers, which barely had any strength left, kept slipping but I managed to catch hold of him somehow. 

The image of Damian alone, blocking the dam that was on the verge of overflowing, resurged. 

That precarious situation with his back turned on me was still imprinted in my mind. 

I could vividly picture it, like a painter with their canvas. 

That pale face and his trembling figure was about to collapse at any moment. 

As soon as I recalled that memory, I felt my heart sink once again. 

But then.

Damian shouted at me but his expression looked like he was about to burst into tears. 

“Are you dumb?!”

“Da….mian.”

“Even in this state, you’re still worried about me!”

But I am worried. 

As I stared at Damian vacantly, he bit his lip and helped me. 

Contrary to his furious voice, the hand he used to lay me down on the bed was gentle. 

Then, he quickly rose from his seat and went toward the table with an angry gait. 

When he returned to my bedside, in his hand was a glass of lukewarm water. 

“Drink.”

It was only after I drank a glass of water that my voice started to return.

One big gulp.  

After clearing my throat a couple of times, I cautiously asked a question.

“What happened?”

“You can’t remember anything?”

Mmm. Now that you say that…

I recollected my memories. 

The first thing that came to mind was the distant feeling I had when the power coursed through my body before exiting and then spreading far and wide. 

Then the astonished faces of people looking at me.

And…

“….wings.”

I pursed my lips as I felt like I had been hit hard on the head. 

“Those…wings.”

“Do you remember now?”

Damian’s eyes were full of worry as he watched me. 

But unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to pay attention to Damian.

Memories that were shattered like fragments started to come back piece by piece. 

Three pairs of silvery wings spread from my back.

The rainfall ceased and the water held in the dam rose up into the sky. 

In this empire or perhaps even the whole world…

Only one power is capable of such transcendental miracles.

The power of the divine beast Aurelia. 

A blessing she bestowed on the imperial family, starting with the founding emperor Carpel.

Divine power…

I asked Damian with a naive expression. 

“Did I demonstrate the power of the divine beast?”

“That’s how I see it.” 

Damian gave a big nod.

I was puzzled. 

If Damian confirmed that, it’s true that I awakened the power of the divine beast. 

And he’s the only person in this empire who can handle its power. 

“But why do I…?”

Why me?

I’m someone who has nothing to do with the imperial family.

At the very least, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for priests to awaken this power instead?

Seeing how bewildered I was, Damian shook his head. 

“If I knew that, would I leave you in the dark? I’d immediately explain why.”

Well, Damian isn’t one to hide this from me. 

I clenched my fist and opened it again.

In truth, I have no idea how I used my power. 

There’s just one thing I should point out…

The dream. 

The dream I’ve had so many times and the dream I had recently. 

A dream in which a man resembling Damian and a pale, beautiful woman appear.

I glanced sideways at Damian. 

He tilted his head in response. 

“What?”

“No, nothing.”

I quickly shook my head.

What was I even going to say?

That I periodically have this dream, that so happens to have this man who looks a lot like you, Damian. 

And because of that dream, I can exert the power of the divine beast…

Is that what I’m going to tell him? 

It’s more than a far-fetched explanation even for myself.