The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 45

“… … Is it strange?”

 

“Yes. ‘Because there are certain characteristics in ‘that’ someone that’s why I like this person.’ There’s no such thing as that.”

 

I, I see.

 

Listening to Damian, I felt…….

 

I felt a little down.

 

“People like someone, not just because of their characteristics… …”

 

Damian tilted his head slightly and looked at me.

 

His bright scarlet eyes conveyed how forthright he would be.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to like someone just because of who they are?”

 

Somehow I felt like Damian’s calm voice had touched the deepest part of my soul.

 

However I still couldn’t fully understand so instead of answering, I tried hard to smile, hoping that my smile would look the same as usual.

 

 

 

The Empress had been uncomfortable all day today.

 

Her expression was so fierce that even the maids who usually followed the empress went to lengths to avoid the empress.

 

And the reason is…….

 

“Maid Hayden.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she replied.

 

“I think Charlize has been avoiding me lately…… Do you know the reason why?”

 

The Empress looked at maid Hayden, her face still bearing a vexed expression.

 

“Whenever I try to get close to Charlize, she runs away quickly.”

 

The Empress once again pondered Charlize’s actions so far.

 

When I ask her to eat a snack together, she says, “Oh, I’m sorry. I have something to clean up right now!” and runs off again.

 

The Empress felt frustration well up within her.

 

“Is the work at the Empress’s palace too much that she’s so busy these days?!”

 

“What? That’s not true. “It’s the same as usual.”

 

“Then why is Charlize so busy?”

 

The Empress asked a question to maid Hayden in a rare sharp tone.

 

The maid blinked her eyes, flinching because of the question posed by the Empress.

 

“Well, she seems to be taking the initiative and working hard these days.”

 

“Even after replacing the maids the other day, is it possible the new maids were mean to Charlize……” asked the Empress.

 

“It could be possible. Rest assured, I’ll look into it.”

 

Maid Hayden spoke as if she were appeasing the empress.

 

However, from her standpoint, Charlize’s actions were understandable.

 

“It’s not a bad thing to work hard, so I left her to it……”

 

A deep wrinkle formed on the maid’s forehead.

 

“It’s definitely a little weird.”

 

“Right. What’s wrong with her? She usually doesn’t pass up a chance to be with the Empress…” pondered maid Hayden.

 

The Empress stood up from her chair, her rose-colored hair slightly covering her face. A hoarse voice came out.

 

“Charlize, don’t act like this…..if something’s wrong you should tell me, I don’t have the energy to look after you all the time.”

 

The maid smiled awkwardly as the Empress turned to face her.

 

Silence enveloped between the two but was soon pierced by the Empress’s sudden interjection.

 

“I can’t do this,” said the Empress, it was clear to her that Charlize wouldn’t talk about what bothered her, so she would ask Charlize directly at the right time.

 

“Pardon?” said maid Hayden.

 

The Empress raised her head.

 

“I’ll have to talk to Charlize.”

 

“Oh my god, that’s a great idea.”

 

Maid Hayden nodded enthusiastically.

 

It was because she knew it would be better than to have to watch the Empress go through mood swings twelve times a day.

 

 

 

That evening.

 

I returned to the Empress Palace a little later than usual.

 

It was because I had dinner with Damian.

 

“Just because I didn’t return sooner, the Empress won’t throw a fit, right?” said Charlize.

 

Although Damian complained for no reason while I was at the Crown palace, he didn’t seem to dislike my long stay.

 

‘Empress isn’t here, is she?’

 

Surveying the surroundings, I retired quietly to my room.

 

My whole body felt heavy, exhausted from spending the whole day, cleaning just to take my mind off of the Empress.

 

After a quick bath and changing into my pajamas, I climbed onto the bed.

 

I held Pippi tightly in my arms and felt a little more secure.

 

“I can’t avoid the Empress like this forever……”

 

I looked down at Pippi with mixed feelings.

 

Come to think of it, the Empress’s fingers were all covered in scars because she was making Pippi for me.

 

I was lost in thought until-

 

Knock, knock.

 

At the sudden sound of knocking, I lifted my head and looked towards the door.

 

Huh, Who could it be at this hour?

 

“Who are you… Huh?”

 

I called out but there was no response.

 

Without much thought, I got up from bed and opened the door only to be startled by-

 

The person looking down at me with a determined face… …

 

“Your Majesty!” I exclaimed with eyes wide open.

 

… … It was the Empress! She’s here!

 

No, why are you here all of a sudden?

 

In a state of bewilderment, I posed a question to the Empress.

 

“Um, did something happen?”

 

When asked that question, the empress’s face had a look of disappointment but also expressed sadness.

 

“Why, can I come to you only if something happens?”

 

Her hoarse voice rang in my ears.

 

Taken aback, I shook my head in a hurry.

 

“No, it’s not like that……!”

 

“I just came because I missed you, Lize.”

 

Huh? Wh-what are you saying?

 

You came because you missed me?

 

I looked up at the empress with a baffled expression on my face.

 

“Well…..I think we’ve already seen each other a lot now.”

 

“Just because we’re in the same room now, doesn’t mean we’ve seen each other a lot.”

 

The empress said so with a serious face.

 

“Oh, er…yes.”

 

Embarrassed, I felt my face begin to turn red as I looked at my toes to avoid eye contact with the empress.

 

Unbeknownst to me, the empress’s hand brushed the top of my head.

 

She gently stroked my hair. 

 

“Come to think of it, It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in pajamas, Lize.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. How could I wear pajamas in front of her Majesty, the empress…..”

 

Now more embarrassed, I almost took a step back until I saw the empress’s face.

 

Her eyes sank deeply at my reaction. 

 

“No, I didn’t mean to hurt Her Majesty’s feelings, ‘sorry’ isn’t what I meant to say……”

 

The empress took a deep breath and stretched her arms to hug me. 

 

“Come on, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?” pleaded the empress.

 

My body stiffened in her warm embrace.

 

Then the empress’s face darkened a little. Charlize didn’t say anything or reciprocate her hug like she would usually. 

 

“What’s wrong?” asked the empress.

 

“Dwn’t, don’t do twis, I’m a maid.”

 

I tried to dissuade the Empress with an anguished voice, but I ended up blurring my words.

 

If I think about it, it may have been a shameful thing to have been openly embraced by the Empress in the past.

 

Ugh, what on earth was I thinking?

 

The empress clenched her lips and stared at me.

 

I felt like I had committed a crime, so I turned my head and avoided the eyes of the Empress.

 

“Lize, you…..”

 

The empress’s expression darkened even more.

 

The empress who was on the verge of saying something, shook her head as if frustrated.

 

“I think we need to have a conversation,” said the empress.

 

“A conversation?”

 

The empress seemed to not be in the mood to answer that, so I swallowed my saliva and kept quiet.

 

Embraced in the empress’s arms, I was taken to the veranda overlooking the garden.

 

I felt the fresh air of summer night breeze across my neck. 

 

Not far from me was a table with my favorite snacks lined up on it.

 

My heart was touched. 

 

The empress had gone to great lengths to take care of me so meticulously.

 

So that I can be here comfortably…….

 

“Okay, let’s sit.”

 

The empress, who seated me in front of the table, pushed a plate of madeleines in front of me.

 

Normally, I would have grabbed one…….

 

‘… … However.’

 

Maybe it was because my heart was heavy, I just couldn’t bring myself to take the plate.

 

I drooped my shoulders.

 

At that moment, the empress, who was looking down at me, calmly pulled up a chair and sat across from me.

 

Then, she asked me a question.

 

“Why do you keep avoiding me?”

 

“What!? How?” I shouted in my thoughts.

 

She hit the nail on the head with her question.

 

Stunned, I looked at the empress.

 

The empress continued in a grumpy manner.

 

“I’m right, aren’t I? Whenever we happen to see each other, you make up various reasons to avoid me.”

 

“Oh, that’s not it. I’m trying to work a little harder……”

 

The empress’s eyes sharpened.

 

“Did the other maids say that you were neglecting your work?”

 

“What?! It’s not like that!”

 

I covered my mouth in disbelief, I had just unintentionally raised my voice at the empress. 

 

The empress held her chin as she gazed intently at me before asking.

 

“Then why are you doing this?”

 

“Uh, I, that’s……”

 

“Don’t say that you have to work harder, you’re already doing great as it is.”

 

As those words left her mouth, any excuses that I had were shut down completely.

 

I swallowed all the excuses that were on the tip of my tongue. 

 

Can I really say this? Should I tell her? I’m…… I’m going to tell her! I’m going to tell her the truth. 

 

With the tension rushing in, my heart was beating wildly.

 

“I’ll……..one day I won’t be young.”

 

I barely managed to get the words out.

 

My strong heartbeats showed no sign of abating. 

 

Peeking at the empress with a sideways glance, I noticed the empress couldn’t hide her confusion.

 

“Well, Lize. What you just said. I’m not sure what you meant by that.”

 

I contemplated for quite some time before carefully voicing my words to the empress.

 

I grabbed the hem of my clothes tightly, ready to speak once again.

 

Well, I wonder how this will turn out. 

 

I stuttered continuously.

 

“The empress said that I was like a little sister.”

 

“Yes, I did.”

 

I wanted to calm my mind a bit, so I took a deep breath.

 

“So, since I’m young, the empress…….”

 

“The empress could probably feel, does feel, might only feel affection for me because…..because……because I’m young.”

 

I wanted to say it again and more coherently.

 

Unfortunately, the only words from my mouth were rambling.

 

But the empress did listen to me patiently for a long time.

 

“And…….”

 

“Charlize.”

 

“Yes.” I replied.

 

I glanced up at the empress with my eyes squinted. 

 

Only to flinch in surprise, the moment I looked at her. 

 

It was because the empress had the most astonishing expression on her face.