The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 23

“Charlize. Did you have fun without me?”

“Pardon?”

“Charlize must be happy because she doesn’t play with me.”

I think I’ve been misunderstood.

The Empress looked at me with a gloomy face.

The Empress looked sad that I had a good time alone.

“Next time, I will play with Your Majesty, the Empress.”

“Yes, let’s play together.”

In response, the Empress smiled broadly and embraced me.

Sister Rose, it was the opposite of that.

I had a really hard time today.

I, who was currently being pampered, glared at the air.

You think I’m gonna give up here?

Hey, Damian. Just you wait.

I’ll catch you for sure!

***

The next day.

I went back to Damian’s Palace.

I also packed my favorite white bread and a jar of apple jam.

“… What do you want?”

Damian watched me crawl through the dog hole again and didn’t hide the surprised look on his face.

Why are you staring at me like that?

Didn’t I tell you I will see you again soon?

I kept my promise.

I said proudly as I brushed the dirt off my body.

“Why? You said I cwould come back.” (Why? You said I could come back.)

“No, that’s true, but…”

… He really didn’t expect her to return.

Damian murmured softly.

I pretended not to hear that.

“By the way, why is the Crown Prince out here?”

In the meantime, I questioned Damian.

Wait, that’s right.

Did he know when I would come and stood guard in front of this dog hole?

Damian shrank when he heard my question.

“No way… you were waiting for me?”

“No!”

Narrowing my eyes while I asked him, Damian raised his voice.

Ah, you’re loud.

Why are you so upset?

Damian was once again mad, blushing all the way to his neck.

“W-well, I had just passed by ‘accidentally’ while taking a walk.”

What? And why do you have to emphasize the word ‘accidentally’?

I shrugged and nodded my head.

“Okay. I’ll believe you.”

“Believe me, I… … !”

Damian shouted again.

Ugh, why are you being so sensitive? I have something far more important than that!

“More than that…”

“… What’s that?”

Damian’s eyes widened.

Because I held out a bag to him.

And in it…

“I’m sorry, I didn’t bring much food.”

“… Bread and milk?”

Damian, who had unexpectedly grabbed the bag, had a blank expression.

The freshly baked white bread gave off a wonderful aroma.

Heh, how is it? Doesn’t it look delicious?

I was salivating so much that I considered eating it on the way here.

Still, I came all the way here to feed you!

“Crown Prince, the bread is a bit burnt.”

“… … Did you bring this for me?”

Of course! So say thank you!

I continued in a confident voice towards Damian.

“If you tried the candy yesterday, you’d know, there’s no poison.”

I stared at Damian, blurting out words I had wanted to say.

Come to think of it, I gave you candy yesterday.

Have you eaten it yet?

Don’t tell me you’re still suspicious of me, that you haven’t even touched it?

“Did you eat the candy?”

“I ate it.”

Damian, who received my suspicious glance, answered, avoiding my gaze for no apparent reason.

Ah, so you have eaten it?

“It was delicious.”

“What does it taste like?”

“Strawberry flavor… No, why are you questioning me?”

Damian was nervous.

That’s right, I think you lied.

I nodded my head satisfactorily.

Seeing him answer like that, he must have really eaten it.

He’s such a good boy.

I asked him as I looked towards the palace.

“Shall we go inside and eat?”

“Huh?”

Why are you suddenly shutting your mouth like a clamshell?

I tilted my head.

Damian glanced around the palace, he felt deeply troubled.

Then he shook his head fervently.

“I appreciate you for bringing it, but I’m not hungry. I mean…”

Rumble, rumble-.

At the same time, a loud sound echoed from Damian’s stomach.

I narrowed my eyes.

“… Are you hungry?”

“No, that’s!”

Rumble.

Trying to make quick excuses, Damian eventually lowered his head and covered his face with his hands. 

Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen such a bright red face. He looks like a ripe tomato.

It seems like you’re reluctant to enter the palace itself… But why?

I carefully asked a question because I was worried.

“Is it because the palace is filthy or because it is embarrassing?”

“No!”

… Seeing that he’s angry, I suppose I’m right.

Eh, we’re kids though, we didn’t need to care about such things.

Also…

How can an eight-year-old boy clean up this entire palace?

I approached him, pulling the sleeve of his shirt.

“More than that, let’s eat the bread.”

“Huh?”

As I made eye contact with him and smiled, Damian nodded at me.

Wouldn’t it have been nice if he was this gentle from the beginning?

So, for the first time ever, I entered his palace.

The first thing I saw… 

“Uh…”

I frowned involuntarily.

There were spider webs dangling from the corner of the ceiling.

It seems that it has been a long time since the spider web has been spread.

It’s dirty, dirty!

“I- I said I don’t need it!”

Damian raised his voice.

Huh why are you like this again?

You kept getting mad for no reason.

“It’s fine. But how do you get rid of the web hanging from such a high place?”

It’s fine because it’s not your fault, after all.

I gave him reassurance.

To be honest, unless you bring a ladder, how can you reach a ceiling that high?

Usually, I could reach some ceiling and clean it using a tall broom.

But, that doesn’t mean I’m satisfied with it because I could only reach some places due to my height.

‘Do you have any cleaning tools?’

I scrutinized my surrounding.

At least there seems to be a broom and a mop… 

I want to clean this place, even a little.

At that moment, Damian took the lead and stepped forward.

His ears were all red.

“The dining room is this way.”

“Ah yes!”

I went as fast as I could with my short legs, following Damian.

So this place have a dining room?

And after a while.

I was stunned by the sight before my eyes.

I narrowed my brow and said.

“… Wait, Crown Prince.”

Why?

I looked at him questioningly as he returned my gaze.

Wait, why are you deceiving people?!

I strode to the table.

On the table was a truly luxurious meal.

There were grilled chicken with a light coating of oil, mashed potatoes with plenty of butter, and a fresh salad!

Even the Empress doesn’t eat such a fancy meal every day!

The white bread and jam I brought with me was nothing in front of it!

“Look at that! There’s so much food, so why are you starving?!”

I shouted at Damian, pointing my finger at the table.

Damian’s brow furrowed.

He shook his head firmly.

“That’s not supposed to be eaten.”

“Why?!”

It looks so delicious!

But Damian didn’t seem to budge.

I gave him a quick glance before walking over to the food.

No matter how I look at it, its food alright?

Leaving it at room temperature for a long time would cool it down but it won’t be bad to eat.

I turned around and said to Damian.

“If the Crown Prince doesn’t eat it, I’ll eat it.”

“No.”

“Why? I came here early, so I’m starving as well.”

Are you going to be that picky about your food?

I squinted my eyes.

Didn’t you say you weren’t going to eat it anyway?

“If you’re picky about your food, you’ll be punished, Crown Prince.”

He haz been the Crown Prince since birth, by any chance, did he not understand how valuable food is?

But Damian was just staring at me.

I shrugged and lowered my gaze to the meal.

Hmm, what should I eat first?

I’m sure a huge piece of those soft chicken legs will be quite tasty, don’t you think?

I swallowed my saliva and reached out for a chicken leg.

“I told you not to eat it.”

Slap.

Damian hit my hand.

With an angry expression on my face, I gazed up at him.

“What’s the matter with you…!”

“I didn’t want to show this to a child like you…”

Damian took a deep breath and pulled out the dagger that was on his waist.

I withdrew instinctively.

Wha-what. Isn’t that the one you put on my neck the other day?

Damian furrowed his brow.