The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 150

The Emperor stared blankly at a stone statue of the divine beast situated inside the shrine. 

– Make haste. 

The feminine voice urged the Emperor.

The Emperor moved cautiously and touched the statue. 

Kirkkkk. 

The stone statue shook immensely, revealing a dark entrance concealed underneath. 

It was as if hell had materialized, real and right in front of him with its maw open. 

And yet, the Emperor walked down the stairs, unfazed with a blank expression. 

After a while.

The Emperor’s pupils were enchanted at the sight before him. 

“Oh, oh oh…” 

The first thing to catch his eye were three pairs of arrant white wings, seemingly made of purest silver, resting in pitch blackness. 

The divine beast, who rested her chin atop her front paws, slowly raised her head to meet the Emperor’s gaze. 

The corners of her lips rose, forming a smile. 

The smile didn’t mirror the benevolence of a sacred divine beast. 

Instead, her smile shockingly resembled that of the average person. 

– Ah, truly…I waited so long. 

The divine beast arose from her slumber, stretching her body forward. 

Prominent, purple eyes looked back at the Emperor, freezing him in place. 

For a moment, the Emperor felt goosebumps pop up all over his body.

‘What, what’s this?’

Like cold water being doused from head to toe, his hazy mind came to its senses. 

The Emperor realized it only now. 

He had walked into a trap. 

A laid-back voice asked a question. 

– Your desire…was to get rid of an empire no longer yours?

“Ssss…..!”

The pain that erupted from the question asked, made the Emperor see red. 

– That desire, I’ll make it come true for you.

…you’ll do that?

The Emperor hesitantly stepped back.

Could it be true? The divine beast directly intervening to fulfill his desire…

If so, what would happen to him? 

“I, I…”

– You?

“So, you’re going to save me?!”

In a fit of rage, the Emperor threw a question. 

The divine beast tilted her head in amusement but gracefully answered him with half-closed eyes. 

– I promised to fulfill your desire, but I never promised to save you.

‘W-What?!”

Fear engulfed the Emperor’s expression. 

It was the last thing he’d know. 

Unhinging its mouth, the divine beast bit off the top half of the Emperor’s body. 

Swwwskssk!

The grotesque sound of huge molars crunching human flesh created horrific echoes. 

The Emperor’s body swayed back and forth like a rag doll, before what was left dropped to the floor. 

Patter, Patter-

Bits and pieces of blood-soaked flesh and bone were strewn across the floor. 

– He tasted terrible…

Licking her lips briefly, she muttered in a languid voice. 

– But, thank you for sharing this ‘desire’ with me. 

 

***

 

Oh, my God!

Shocked, I woke up breathing heavily. 

The feeling was akin to someone running a cold hand down my spine. 

Damian, who was sleeping next to me, looked down at me with a startled face. 

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“It’s, it’s…”

I pursed my lips slightly.

I had the strangest feeling. 

Like I had met an old acquaintance or rather a part of myself. 

Familiar yet welcoming, frightening, dread all at the same time….

These feelings intermixed with each other. 

At the same time, I unknowingly raised my head. 

“…His Majesty, the Emperor.” 

“His Majesty? Why mention the Emperor all of a sudden?”

“No, where is the Emperor?”

At the urgency of my voice, Damian became bewildered. 

“Well, he must be in his chambers…”

Damian gave a composed reply but sharpened his gaze. 

“Did you sense something?”

“I don’t know. I can’t be sure. But…”

I pursed my lips and concluded my words firmly.

“I have to go.”

“Where are you going?”

“We need to find the Emperor….”

ROOOOMM. 

But then.

The entire imperial palace vibrated.

Don’t tell me this feeling is…

I froze in place.

“No way.”

“Charlize?” Damian asked concerned. 

– Come back to me.

An all too familiar voice was calling out to me.

The owner of the voice was…

It was me.

‘Wait, me?’

I was momentarily confused.

How can there be two ‘me’s?

‘I’ just called ‘me.’ How is this possible? 

No, it’s something more than that. 

“….I am.” 

My lips trembled slightly. 

I widened my eyes.

Why was I able to use the divine beast’s power?

What were these dreams I was having over and over again? 

Why do I have this terrible feeling that whoever called me was somehow ‘me’?

A flurry of questions hit me. 

And all of those questions were directed towards a single, fundamental question.

‘I am.’

I bit my lip till it bled.

‘….Who is ‘I am’?’

 

****

 

It was late, though the day was closer to dawn than night. 

Inside the Antes’ keep, where everyone slumbered, they were suddenly greeted by a bell’s urgent, warning chimes. 

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding-!

“What?!”

Sienna, who was fast asleep, opened her eyes. 

This bell in particular only sounded when beasts were on the prowl.  

Yet, hasn’t the number of beasts considerably fallen after the long subjugation?!

For Sienna herself, it had been almost a year since she heard the bell. 

‘I should go out first.’

Sienna promptly got up and ran outside, clutching only a sword in her nightgown. 

In the distance, Margrave Antes ran outside in his nightwear as his daughter did, meeting up with her. 

“Father? What’s going on!” 

“I don’t even know what’s happening.” 

Margrave Antes quickly examined his surroundings, furrowing his brow before asking. 

“Why on earth is that bell ringing now…”

But then.

“Beasts!”

A soldier exclaimed as his words were cut short. 

The Margrave grimaced. 

“That can’t be…how long has it been since we’ve seen one?”

“Lies, it’s been so long since their numbers were drastically reduced!” 

At the cries of both father and daughter, the soldier looked at them with a grieved look. 

“It’s true, the beasts are coming!”

“Well, men of Antes aren’t ones to lie, even if they start a fuss.” 

Tsk. 

Margrave Antes ran outside, deciding to verify the situation for himself.

Sienna followed suit.

“Father, wait up!”

Margrave Antes and Sienna ran up the ramparts. 

After a while.

Whispers left their lips as they stood side by side. 

“On, my god…”  

“Unbelievable…”

On the snow and ice-blanketed horizon, the charging demonic beasts covered the landscape. 

The eyes of the two immediately sharpened. 

“All men to their stations!”

“We must not allow the beasts to break into the keep; halt their advance at all costs!!”

Battle cries rang out. 

 

* * *

 

Damian and I rushed out. 

Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress were leading the maids when they ran into us with surprised faces. 

“Are you two all right?”

“The entire imperial palace shook earlier!”

“We’re fine. But more importantly, Your Highness…”

I looked back at Damian with an adamant look. 

“Get out of the imperial palace as soon as possible.”

Hearing my words, Damian looked at me with a rigid expression. 

“Leave you alone?”

“It’s dangerous; Your Highness knows that, right?”

I stubbornly shot back at Damian, insisting he had to do this. 

It was the first time I had a feeling so incomprehensibly foreboding. 

“The fact that the imperial palace shook was…”

I bit my lip as I tried to explain.

But I couldn’t exactly put it into words. 

A terrible, ominous feeling swept through my whole body. 

But…

‘It’s not just ominous.’

I had this feeling like this was the moment I had been waiting for so long. 

As if the reason I’ve been living all this time is to prevent what was happening right now…

Maybe I’m exaggerating things?

‘….No, no.’

Now is not the time to indulge these feelings I have. 

Shaking my head to clear my mind, I looked at Her Majesty and Damian. 

“You have to get as far away from the imperial palace as possible. Do you understand?”

“No, I am not going.”

“Your Highness!”

I desperately urged Damian, but he didn’t budge. 

Instead, Damian glanced back at the Empress and Her Majesty. 

“I think others should evacuate, as Charlize said.” 

“What are you saying? You two should evacuate with us!” 

Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, raised her voice.

“No, I can’t do that.” 

I shook my head.

When I looked back, silver light shimmered, causing a haze to form in the sky around the side of the shrine.

“That’s happening because of the divine beast.” 

Damian looked at me with reproachful eyes.

“You. Did you genuinely tell me to run away even though this is related to the divine beast?”

“…yes.”

“You weren’t the one who inherited the divine beast’s power—I did as a descendant of the royal family. Shouldn’t I be the one to go?” 

“Well, it’s still very dangerous. Belittling this is something that shouldn’t-!”

“Then it’s somehow okay for you to put your life on the line?”

Damian retorted in a rare, impatient voice. 

But I had no intention of backing down.

“You and I are not the same.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Your Highness is the only prince of Winsor.”

I continued to speak clearly to Damian.

“If Your Highness is in danger, the empire itself is in danger…”

“Charlize, just stop.”

Damian shot back at me with a ferocious voice.