The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 157

Finally. Seeing Each Other Again.

The warm sun was shining brightly as I was having tea time in the garden. 

A total of three people attended this tea time.

It was me, Damian, and Sienna.

‘It was once thought that the Northern frontier was a land where eternal winter made its home…’

Yet the gentle breeze blowing and flowers blooming all over the place, it would be hard to tell if this genuinely was the north. 

“It’s actually the first time we’ve had such mild weather.” 

Sienna, a native of the north, who was more surprised than us, said she had never seen such weather before.

She then smiled joyfully at me. 

“At least the weather was pleasant on your long trip to the North, Your Highness, the Crown Prince and Lady Charlize.”

“Ah, we don’t mind.”

“I’m serious. I thought you’d have your hands tied all day with the coronation, so seeing you come all the way to the north to visit, has me so delighted.”

Sienna, who was happily chattering away, suddenly looked at me with a slightly worried expression. 

“But you know, I could have visited you at the coronation. Now I’m worried I’ve interrupted your schedule over nothing….” 

“No.”

Shaking my head, I gave a wide smile.

“If we are to officially express that relations with the north have improved, visiting would be crucial.”

What further cemented this was Damian being present for the visit to the north this time. 

The fact that the next emperor, Damian was visiting the north before the coronation ceremony had a symbolic meaning.

The imperial nobles would view our meeting as something special and that was enough for us. 

And just like that, we spent our time on various small talk and generally catching up. 

Taking a sip of her tea, Sienna opened her mouth.

“Come to think of it, something very strange happened recently.”

“What?”

“When the beasts tried to break through to the empire this time, the beasts weren’t moving hecticly, they were eerily moblized.” 

Oh, my God. 

I winced. 

I guess that was somehow related to what we experienced?

My other half, Aurelia’s ‘body’ inherited the Emperor’s desire to ‘exterminate all humans.’ 

The ‘body’ might have somehow called out to the beasts and the beasts responded to her calling. 

But the truth of the matter is I couldn’t say definitively that the beasts had done so…

I did my best to put on a nonchalant expression. 

“But at some point, the beasts stopped attacking and retreated.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! You should have been there to see it too, Charlize.” 

With the excited Sienna in front of me, I gave a slight smile. 

I’m sorry, Sienna.

That’s all because of us…

Nevertheless, the divine beast’s body was completely destroyed and we pretty much tied up loose ends. 

Still, can you look the other way, just this once? 

As I ignored the stinging pain of a guilty conscience, Sienna continued recounting. 

“Anyway, the beasts have returned to their calm state.”

“They have?”

“Yes. This just might be my gut feeling but I don’t think they’ll invade anytime soon.” 

“That’s a relief,” I said as I nodded. 

Maybe in the future, we won’t be able to enjoy life with the security we had before.  

The barrier maintained by the divine beast’s body is gone now. 

But….

“Damian said it’ll be fine.’ 

He told me it was time for humans to shoulder the burden themselves. 

One person’s sacrifice shouldn’t be a solution to everything…

Without realizing it, both my cheeks blushed slightly.

Fortunately, Sienna didn’t seem to notice.

“By the way, I never thought the Emperor could compel the beasts to aggression.” 

‘Externally, this incident was painted as being ‘the former Emperor’s fault.’

The Emperor caused trouble by attracting the beasts, but Damian and I, the legitimate successors to divine beast Aurelia, pacified the Emperor. 

Honestly, it wasn’t a lie. 

It was true that the Emperor masqueraded with the divine beast to overrun the empire. 

Not to mention, all the denizens nearby witnessed an explosion of bright silver light in the skies near the imperial palace. 

Just when we were about to finish up here…

“There are rumors going around here.”

“Huh? Rumors?”

“Rumors that His Highness, the Crown Prince and his fiancée brought peace after a desperate struggle with the beasts.”

“Cough, Cough!”

Unable to subdue my surprise, I gulped down the hot tea—causing me to utter a loud noise. 

“Oh my God, Charlize! are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine….”

I wiped my mouth with a handkerchief.

Damian interrupted the conversation with a smirk.

“Does she have to be so shy? She’s about to become an empress.”

“Ah, an empress?!”

At my panicked reactioned, Damian asked back while narrowing his eyes. 

“Then you don’t intend to marry me?”

“Oh, no. It’s not like that, but…”

“This coronation ceremony also serves as the installation ceremony for you to ascend to become empress.”

I couldn’t hide my embarrassed expression.

Damian smiled softly and remarked.

“Didn’t Her Majesty, the Empress go so far as to hold a splendid ceremony in regards to your installation?”

In recognition of her contribution to pacifying the series of tumultuous events caused by the former emperor, the Empress has maintained her position as former empress.

The Duke of Rochester was also able to retain the title of public servant.

So the Empress spent time preparing for the installation ceremony in the imperial palace, working day and night instead of me.

Hum, I still feel bad that she’s doing what isn’t her responsibility….

‘Our Charlize is going to become empress, surely I can’t leave the installation ceremony in someone else’s hands. I’m doing this personally.’

Recalling the Empress’s adamant voice, I involuntarily laughed.

“Anyway, be sure to come to the coronation. Ok?”

“Sure, of course,” answer Sienna. 

At the same time, a maid often walked up to her.

“Viscountess Antes. Margrave Antes is looking for you.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, he said he had something he wanted to discuss regarding the knight’s training…”

“Ah, very well.”

Sienna nodded and looked back at me with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry, I guess I’ll be going now.”

“No, go ahead.”

I wave my hands and smiled. 

After Sienna left.

Damian leaned back in his chair as if feeling refreshed.

“Oh, wow. She’s finally away.”

“Hey, weren’t you and I invited by Sienna? Where’s your courtesy?”

“Anyways–”

Damian placed his hand on mine, his eyes widing in satisfaction. 

“Now we can finally be alone.”

“There’s just no putting up with you.”

Even though I rolled my eyes like I disliked him, I couldn’t help but it as a smile formed on my lips. 

Holding hands side by side, we admired the scenery in sight. 

It was truly spring.

The warm wind gently blowing, and even the leaves glistening in the sunlight.

While looking at those pretty green leaves…

‘As expected, I miss the empress. I wish she was here to see this.’

The epitome of beauty, our empress!

I wonder what she’s up to right now?

It’s good to keep yourself busy with work but you should take care not to overwork yourself.

The Empress tends to not to look after herself when she focuses on something.

She skips meals and sleeps less, doesn’t she?

The more our Empress loses weight, the more she disappears from the world.

Ugh, thinking about that pains my heart so much!

I was trembling on the inside when—

“Are you thinking about Her Majesty again?”

Damian wore a grimaced  expression upon asking me that sudden question. 

I got a little embarrassed.

“How did you know?”

“When you do, you make that stupid face.”

“I beg your pardon? Stupid, take that back!”

In a fit of anger, I raised my voice.

“Why? Would there be any other reason besides Her Majesty that causes that expression you make?”

“Well…!”

“How about giving some reasonable reasoning?”

Damian shrugged sarcastically.

Grrr, really!

If I could just punch that smirk off his face, I’d be more than relieved!

Damian and I argued until I chanced upon a cluster of pale purple flowers that caught my eye. 

I widened my eyes. 

“Look, over there…”

They were lilacs.

I stood up from my seat and calmly walked toward the blooming lilac flowers. 

The bunches of lilacs were so luscious that I wanted to pluck a few to decorate a vase.

The closer I got, the thicker and sweeter the scent tickled my nose.

I reached out and brushed the lilac lightly.

The vivid and soft texture of the petals tickled my fingertips.

“Lilacs in the North, this is amazing.”

“Is it? Personally, I’m not all to fond about flowers the way you are.”

At that time, Damian added as he strode toward me. 

Then he smiled.

“It just feels good.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just look at those lilacs.”

Damian hugged me lightly from behind. 

“Truly, you came back to me. This feeling that you’re with me and won’t leave my side.”

I suddenly realized.

The fact that Damian’s eyes had only been set on me from all the way back then. 

And now going into the future, Damian will live with his eyes solely set on me. 

I leaned my head on his arm and laughed playfully. 

“Good luck going forward. If you don’t like me, I’ll leave.”

“What?!”

Damian responded with a sharp voice. 

I pursed my lips and glanced at him.

“It was like that before, right? Way back then when you were Carpel….”

“Alright, alright!”

Damian nodded urgently.

Perhaps afraid that I might run away, Damian strengthened his embrace and hugged me around the waist.

He was so cute that I burst into laughter without even realizing it.

“…You know, me too.”

The words I said at the end of my laughter were slightly emotional.

Damian tilted her head.

“Huh?”

“Me too…I feel like that you’re back with me, this time forever.”

Spring has finally arrived.

And it was a spring where I was with him and he was with me, forever.

-FIN-

The Evil Empress Adores Me