The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 155

‘Come on.’

Despite the Empress’ urging, the young man hesitated for a long time.

With a final swing, the sword in hand split the air. 

Locks of red hair resembling a rose, fell to the floor. 

It was then that I realized. 

‘This….’

The scene I watched unfold before me was the ‘future.’

A vision of the future that only a goddess could see. 

However, after devolving into a ‘divine beast’, the power hasn’t manifested since. 

I thought the ability to see the future had disappeared permanently. 

All of a sudden, the ability has reappeared.

‘You promised to come back and kill me, as I would one day lose control of myself. But why?’

At the future that I unexpectedly witnessed, I couldn’t help but be stunned. 

From all this, there was only one thing certain. 

This future has to be prevented somehow. 

‘But I can’t intervene when I’m part of the divine beast.’

The divine beast’s body maintained the barrier that prevented the beast from invading the empire. 

Should she escape, the barrier protecting the empire would cease. 

In the end, there was only one way. 

Separating the soul from the body, and the soul slipping out into another body.

However, my memory wouldn’t be intact. 

This was because if the human body took the divine beast’s memory as it was, the body would react negatively and ultimately reject it. 

Thus, the ‘plot’ of me ‘being in a book I read before’ and ‘me knowing the future’ was created. 

This was the secret story behind the little maid’s birth, ‘Charlize’, whose origin and memory were unclear. 

 

****

 

– At last….

A jubilant voice murmured. 

While hugging Charlize with a pale face, Damian gritted his teeth and glared at the divine beast. 

Surrounded by a halo of light, the divine beast faced Damian. 

A satisfied voice rang out.

– Finally, whole once more….

But the divine beast’s delectation was short-lived. 

Confusion formed over the divine beast’s expression. 

– ….What?

At the unexpected turn of events, Damian jerked his head upwards.

The divine beast clenched her teeth and roared. 

– Even though my soul has returned, why am I still not perfect? 

What?

Damian bit his lip and scrutinized the divine beast’s condition.  

All over the divine beast’s face, a deep sense of confusion and fear began taking root. 

– ….what have you done?’

The divine beast wasn’t asking Damian. 

The question was directed toward herself, to be more precise, ‘inside of her.’

Something had gone wrong. 

The body and soul had not meshed properly. 

An intensely ominous feeling overtook the divine beast, etching a look of dread onto her expression. 

On the other hand, Damian observed the divine beast with a determined gaze. 

“Charlize.” 

Charlize told me she had to ‘keep her promise.’

A promise to kill herself.

But…

Damian bit his lip till it bled. 

Holding the not-breathing Charlize tightly in his arms, he groaned softly. 

“Who would keep such a promise?” 

A ‘me’ from the past? That’s not my concern. 

How could I ever kill you with my own hands?

“Don’t make me laugh, who in their right mind would do this?!”

He gritted his teeth again and glared at the divine beast.

“Good or bad, I don’t need any of it.” 

A pure, white light began appearing all over Damian’s body.

Soon, three pairs of wings were beating behind his back. 

Charlize had left the ‘power to kill even a divine beast’ in his veins. 

Damian stared at the divine beast, whose bewilderment was apparent in her sharp eyes. 

“Give Charlize back.”

 

****

 

‘…I used to.’

All of my memories had returned.

I sunk endlessly into the black void. 

Where ego fades and one’s will tires out and is snuffed from existence. 

It was getting harder and harder not to drift into sleep. 

‘Damian will safely kill me. Won’t he?’

‘I didn’t know that my ‘body’ would casually accept the Emperor’s desire and start acting freely.’

Random thoughts raced through my mind.

None of which stuck with me. 

But….

‘But what does it matter now?’

Everything, all of it is over. 

The time has finally come to keep the promise. 

Carpel has returned as Damian, and I also returned to my original body. 

As long as Damian kills me, all of it will come to an end. 

The power of the divine beast I left behind will help Damian kill me with ease. 

I’ve only loved one person for too long.

The old love of Carpel—now Damian—it was time to let go. 

I was beyond tired, I didn’t want to think of anything else. 

I just want to rest in serenity now….

– Are you sure you truly want to rest? 

But then, a cheerful voice asked me.

Next to the cheeriness in its voice, this was indeed a strange occurrence. 

The only one here was me. 

All senses and memories should become dull, gradually disappearing altogether….

– Are you truly going to end it this way with Damian?

The voice asked me again.

Suddenly, something soft, cuddly, and warm was in my arms. 

‘Wait….isn’t this Pippi?’

I was dazed at what I saw as if I had just been hit in the head. 

A chick doll with a ribbon wrapped around its neck. 

Its neck had been decorated with a ribbon made by the Empress herself and a ribbon gifted by Damian….

‘….lies.’ 

The individual named ‘Charlize’ must have already disappeared, and yet…

There were my arms, still holding tightly onto the chick doll. 

– Precious people are waiting for you out there. 

‘…but.’

– If you wanted to give up, you wouldn’t have had yourself form a ‘doll.’ 

The chick doll tilted its head and looked up at me.

– You want to go back, don’t you?

‘I’m…..’

I sighed at the chick doll, and slowly moved my lips.

The tip of my nose was already red as if tears were about to follow suit. 

‘Charlize’ is already part of ‘Aurelia.’

Even though ‘Charlize’ doesn’t exist anymore….

‘….I want to go back.’

I wanted to go back.

I wanted to be with Damian and share his warmth. 

I wanted to laugh side by side with the Empress. 

There were precious people out there who would be worth giving my all to.

“I want to go back.”

At the same time, someone howled.

“Don’t make me laugh, who in their right mind would do this?!”

It was Damian. 

 

****

 

BOOM!!

The first thing that reverberated was a sound akin to an explosion. 

Describing the sound as ‘sound’ wouldn’t be correct, it was something entirely different. 

It was a wave that directly impacted the soul. 

– How dare you, lowly human being!!

The divine beast, who was enraged, swung her front paw at Damian. 

Though her movement looked graceful, the sheer destructive power resulting from it was otherworldly. 

DORR! CRZKK!

“Hrgg!”

Damian, who had been pushed back a few steps, held back a pained shout. 

Blood rushed up his throat, making the inside of his mouth feel watery. 

“For her…do you think I’ll lose to that?”

Charlize would have suffered even more.

A long, long time ago, from the days when she was called ‘Lia.’ 

To keep a promise to ‘Carpel’, the divine beast was protecting humans alone for countless days, months, and years….

‘….I won’t have Charlize sacrifice herself like that.”

I don’t know what ‘Carpel’ was like in the past, but Damian himself couldn’t stand him. 

If I lose Charlize like this, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. 

“I will.”

Damian raised his hand. 

A white light formed above his palm. 

Its pure power, without even a speck of dust, reminded me of the divinity that Aurelia used to possess.

A power so pure, reminiscent of the divinity that Aurelia once possessed. 

“Never…”

The scarlet eyes facing the divine beast were unwaveringly calm.

“I will not give up on Charlize.”

– No matter how much you talk human…

The divine beast’s eyes reacted spasmodically, fear gripping her for a moment. 

A bizarre sensation began to encompass her whole body. 

The joints between the soul and body had not properly meshed, causing her sense of being to collapse on itself slowly from within. 

At the same time, a tiny voice was heard from within. 

‘I want to go back.’

– Who said that?!

The divine beast released a harrowing shriek.

– No, I can’t let you go. We’ve barely become one!

NOO!

The divine beast widened her eyes. 

‘Besides the people I love….I want to go back.’

The moment the divine beast heard that tiny voice, she instinctively realized. 

The soul and body, once displaced, could not return to their original state. 

As evidence of that, the divine beast couldn’t maintain its very being. 

It was just minutes before the divine beast’s body began to give way, crumbling to pieces before scattering into dust. 

The divine beast’s eyes turned blood red. 

– Oh, no. NO, NO!

This time should have been perfect! It should have–

– No, don’t do this. I will…Aaaaaaaaagh!

A sharp scream rang out.

It was a fear-filled cry like something that could never be undone had taken place. 

At the same time, the light in Damian’s hand burst. 

It was a dazzling light.

 

****

 

The bursting sparkles of light, pouring down like snowflakes, greeted Charlize as she finally opened her eyes.

“…Damian?”

All the sounds of the world soon came rushing back as a previously waning voice was the loudest of them all. 

“Hey, were you out of your mind?!”

Damian held Charlize tightly.