The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 90

“I’m letting you go today, but I hope you’ll visit me more often in the future.”

“Of course, we will.”

Ignoring his grandmother’s watery eyes, Damian replied. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, get there safely.”

Before leaving the Empress dowager’s palace, Damian gave his grandmother one last big hug. 

The Empress dowager patted Damian’s back with her wrinkled hand. 

***

Damian headed straight for the Empress’s palace after his departure. 

He was on his way to meet Charlize. 

‘What?’

Damian’s eyes widened as he approached the Empress’s palace. 

From afar, he could see Charlize with a basket in hand. 

She seemed to be on an errand. 

Wait a minute. 

‘….she’s not alone?’

Damian’s eyebrows twitched. 

His sight didn’t fail him, there appeared to be a young man next to Charlize, a squire. 

‘All right, who is that man?’

Damian’s eyes flashed as he walked toward Charlize at a swift pace. 

The squire greeted Charlize at the same time. 

‘Hello, Lady Charlize.”

“Um, hello.”

Perhaps he was an old acquaintance, Damian thought. Charlize though greeted him face to face with an indifferent expression. 

Damian felt his stomach twist for a short moment. 

The reason was the squire’s countenance was bright red. 

The squire asked Charlize a question in a friendly manner. 

“That basket looks heavy. Mind if I carry it for you?”

It was an attempt to strike up a conversation with her. 

Fortunately for Damian, Charlize only looked at the squire with distrust as if he was shifty. 

“Well, I’m sorry but my basket is empty.”

“Ah, that’s alright!”

“I appreciate your consideration, but I can carry this basket on my own.”

Charlize spoke softly but firmly. 

The squire realized he was overbearing and took a step backward. 

Having said that, Charlize walked several steps past the squire, ready to carry on with her day. 

Yet the squire was tenacious. 

“Wait, Lady Charlize!”

Charlize glanced back at him. 

Before she knew it, the squire followed right behind her, stammering with a red face. 

“I-I know i-it sounds really weird to s-say this in this situation b-but….”

Charlize stared blankly at the squire. 

The squire closed his eyes and shouted at the top of his lungs. 

“I’ve been infatuated with you for a long time!”

“….what?”

What kind of absurd, out-of-the-blue confession is this?

Charlize was a little dazed. 

On the other hand, Damian’s heart sank. 

‘At this rate, Charlize might really fall in love with another man!’

The squire continued with a shaky voice. 

“So, i-if you don’t mind….”

“Lize.”

Damian, who didn’t want to see this develop further, quickly placed himself between the two of them. 

Charlize, who had been disoriented by the whole encounter, widened her eyes as she looked at Damian. 

“Your Highness, the crown prince?”

“Oh my God, your Highness, the crown prince!” exclaimed the squire. 

At Damian’s sudden appearance, the squire trembled and quickly bowed his head. 

But Damian completely ignored him. 

Instead, he smiled brightly at Charlize, his smile as gorgeous as a flower in full bloom. 

“I’ve been looking for a while for you, Lize.”

“Me?”

“Yes. All day long….”

Damian, who glanced sideways at the squire, approached Charlize in a casual manner.

Reaching out with his hand, he straightened her ruffled hair. 

His touch was gentle. 

‘Look. I have a close relationship with Charlize.’

….his previous gesture conveyed that meaning. 

Damian spoke to Charlize in the most mellow voice possible. 

“….you said you would come with me, remember?”

When did I ever say that?

Charlize thankfully didn’t inadvertently try to ask him back, but she bit her lips and smirked. 

It seemed like Damian was trying to help get rid of the troublesome squire. 

Charlize nodded her head quickly. 

“Of course, I remember. I’m just out for a short errand.”

“Then let’s head back to the Empress’s palace.”

Damian wrapped an arm around Charlize’s shoulder. 

“I’ll walk you back.”

Hey, do you have to go that far?

Charlize looked up at Damian with an irresolute expression. 

As soon as their eyes met, Damian smiled as charmingly as possible. 

“Yes?”

….first things first, I need to follow Damian’s lead. 

I’m doing this because the squire is being persistent, it’s NOT I repeat NOT because Damian’s handsome. 

‘Ugh…why do I even…’

Charlize leaned against Damian’s body with a slightly stiff motion. 

At that moment, a colossal shock washed over the squire, leaving him devastated. 

The squire didn’t make a sound, puckering his lips as he moved his lips silently, ‘Lady Charlize.’

Damian with a victorious voice gave an order to the squire. 

“Leave us.”

“Oh?….Oh. I will obey your order.”

The squire quickly retreated from the scene, hiding his frustrated expression. 

Damian looked sharply in the direction the squire had gone before disappearing from sight. 

Why does he look terrifying?

Charlize, who tilted her head, was first to say thank you. 

“Thank you for your help, your Highness.” 

By getting rid of that bothersome squire, Damian made a huge contribution.

However, Charlize’s gratitude was met with another out-of-the-blue question. 

“Lize. I want to ask, have you been interested in dating lately?”

Charlize furrowed her brows and glared at Damian. 

“Hmm, don’t you think that’s a very random question to be asking?”

“Regardless, answer me first.”

“Hey, I just turned down that squire. And yet you’re asking this type of question?”

Unfazed, Damian showed no signs of easing up as his expression remained unchanged. 

“But I heard that you’re very, very popular with the knights and servants.”

“….where did you hear that?”

“I heard it from somewhere, a lot of people are saying so.”

Just what on earth does that have to do with me being popular and Damian being sulky right now?

Charlize was dumbfounded. 

But Damian’s jealousy had already been stirred. 

“And besides, why did you call me ‘Your Highness?’”

“Why? Well, because you’re the crown prince of course…”

“Didn’t you promise to call me Damian when we’re alone?”

….wait, wasn’t that just a one-time only?

Charlize glanced at Damian. 

Okay, apparently not. 

Damian showed no signs of backing down. 

“Hurry.”

Charlize sighed deeply. 

‘Damian’s being awfully pushy today.’

It’s not difficult to say his name, still…

Charlize scanned her surroundings. 

Fortunately, no one else was around. 

She said his name in a low voice. 

“…..Damian.”

It was then Damian’s expression loosened up. 

“Have you ever called other men by their first names?”

“Of course not.”

Charlize shrugged her shoulders. 

In fact, she usually called them by their surname or positions unless they were very close.

She hardly ever called someone by their first name. 

‘….speaking of which, Damian asked me to call him by his first name.’

Looking at him, Charlize saw him in a new light. 

Suddenly Damian was holding her hand and smiling before she knew it. 

‘Besides, this is a tad too much….’

Since we met, I feel like physical contact is becoming more frequent. 

Charlize tried to pull away her hand. 

But as she did. 

“Why are you trying to pull your hand away?”

Damian looked at Charlize with a doleful expression, strengthening his grip a bit. 

Charlize asked Damian in a voice that conveyed uneasiness. 

“Your Highness…no, Damian.”

“Yes?”

As soon as she said his name, a sly smile spread across Damian’s face. 

Charlize waved the hand Damian held onto in front of him. 

“People could see us holding hands.”

“What’s wrong about that?”

Damian was actually questioning why it was problematic. 

Charlize was just at a loss for words when she heard that. 

“Wouldn’t it be prudent to be careful in places where many eyes could be watching?”

“Well, I don’t think so.”

Damian looked at their interlocked hands. 

He smiled happily. 

“I would rather show others-”

“Excuse me?”

“That I have a close relationship with you.”

Charlize opened her mouth. 

“I’m sorry but I’m not okay with that.”

Charlize broke her usual cool demeanor without realizing it. 

“No matter how much I tell others that I’m not interested in dating, it’s the crown prince that ends up doing something like this…”

“So what if I do something like this?”

“My love life seems to have been doomed from the start!”

Charlize forgot the person she was talking to was the crown prince as she raised her voice. 

The Empress is a hurdle difficult enough on her own, but if Damian gets involved, what will I do then!

Damian on the contrary responded to her repulsed reaction with content. 

“Is that right?”

“What do you mean ‘Is that right?!’”

Charlize was fuming. 

Damian however, only smiled at her with seemingly no intention to release her hand. 

‘Fine, fine. There’s no point in arguing with you on this. It’s not like I can wrestle him into complying.’

Charlize was first to concede. 

With her head bowed, she shook her head.