The Evil Empress Adores Me - Chapter 97

Really, what’s the matter with them? I narrowed my brow.
But then. 

‘Oh, the duke!’

I saw the Duke of Rochester. 

But something’s off. 

The duke’s gaze was fixed on me, his eyes wide open. 

It was as if he had found a thief who stole away his younger sister, his gaze was blood-curdling….

I glanced up at Damian’s face from the side. 

At that moment, it dawned on me. 

The smile of a victor was etched on Damian’s face. 

‘…..I don’t know why the two of them are doing this.’

Let’s greet them first. 

I bowed my head slightly before the duke. 

The duke’s expressions when he looked at me, evoked a sense that things were complicated. 

Was I the cause for that?

I was puzzled by the duke. 

“Presenting, His Majesty, the Emperor, and Her Majesty, the Empress!”

The announcer’s booming voice rang out again. 

The emperor and the empress entered the ballroom. 

Damian and I bowed.  

The emperor relished the fact that all around him, people were bowing before him.   

Of course, that satisfaction he felt vanished into thin air upon seeing Damian. 

“Damian, you’re here.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

In spite of the emperor’s callous tone, Damian remained courteous throughout. 

Tsk, the emperor clicked his tongue and turned to the empress. 

“How about it, Empress?”

Then he held out his hand. 

“Shall we dance?”

At those words, I inadvertently hardened my face. 

The first dance of a ball is usually initiated by the highest-ranking person at the ball. 

So conventionally, it’s correct for the emperor and the empress to begin the dance but…. 

‘Isn’t the star of today’s event supposed to be Damian?’

When a ball is held to commemorate a person’s achievement, it’s customary to yield the first dance to said person. 

Seriously, it’s absurd at this point!

I was gnashing my teeth until-

“No, your Majesty.”

The empress shook her head in a gentle yet firm manner. 

“This ball is meant to celebrate the Crown Prince’s success in cleansing the beasts.” 

As soon as her answer reached his ear, the emperor’s brow furrowed. 

“It’s only right that the first dance is conducted by the Crown Prince and his fiancee.”

The emperor could see what would transpire, but he could not refute her as her words were indeed true. 

Oh, how savory is this!

I held back my laughter from spilling out. 

“Besides, today is the day his fiancee will make her first public debut.”

I looked at the empress, feeling elated. 

As soon as our eyes met, the empress smiled brilliantly. 

Oh, empress. 

As expected, she’s the best!

Her Majesty looked at Damian and spoke softly. 

“What are you doing? Everyone’s waiting for the Crown Prince and his fiancee to have their first dance.”

The Empress looked around at the others in the hall and added in a snarky voice. 

“If you two don’t dance first, the others won’t be able to dance either….you do know that, right?”

“Yes, I know. Thank you.”

Damian bowed his head politely and then turned to me. 

He extended his hand. 

“Lady Charlize, will you dance with me?”

Lady Charlize…ha. 

My heart somehow felt warm and fuzzy as I looked down at the offered hand. 

“I’d be delighted.”

I gently placed my hand in his. 

We headed to the dance floor in the middle of the ballroom. 

The people’s eyes followed persistently.

Among the many eyes, there was the emperor with a dissatisfied expression while the empress looked content. 

As for the Duke of Rochester.

‘Well, he still had a sullen expression on his face.’

Something’s up with him. 

I narrowed my brow. 

I’ll just have to ask later. 

At the right moment, the ensemble began to play the overture.

As I danced with Damian, I realized a decisive fact. 

My face quickly turned pale. 

“Um, your Highness.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll tell you this in advance. I might step on your foot.” 

Why did I just remember this now!

I leaned my head closer to Damian and whispered urgently. 

“Well, I haven’t been practicing dancing often…”

What will I do?

Of course, the empress gave me a frugal education. 

But how many chances does a maid get to practice dancing?

It’s no idle work being a maid of the Empress’s palace!

“It’s all right.”

Damian glowed as his eyes widened, followed up with a charming smile. 

“What if you do step on it a little?” 

“….what?” 

“It won’t be anyone though, it’s you,” teased Damian. 

My face became flushed. 

At the same moment, Damian put his hand on my waist. 

All my senses increased in sensitivity as I focused on every movement Damian made. 

But….

‘This is stupid of me.’

What am I doing getting excited about Damian?

After all, it’s an engagement out of necessity. 

This position is temporary and I’ll give back this position to Sienna once Damian has firmly established himself as heir to the throne. 

I silently bit my lips. 

At the same time, the dance began. 

I cleared my mind of all thoughts, focusing solely on dancing. 

Fortunately, the first song wasn’t difficult to dance to, and I didn’t step on Damian’s foot. 

…..hold on. 

‘Is something wrong?’

I looked at Damian, getting a subtle feeling something was amiss. 

Social dance is a form of dance with no choice but to continuously lock gazes with our partners. 

But ever since the dance started, Damian’s gaze and my own seemingly continued to deviate from each other and drift elsewhere. 

I narrowed my eyes slightly. 

I wasn’t trying to avoid Damian’s gaze on my part. 

This means that he’s been ignoring me from the get-go. 

Was I imagining things though?

“Your Highness?”

“Oh, yes?!”

All I did was just call him, why was he being so jumpy?

Something’s suspicious. 

I asked Damian in a hushed voice. 

“Why do you keep avoiding my eyes?”

“It’s….”

Damian however only kept mumbling on the subject, not giving me a clear answer. 

I raised my eyebrows. 

“Is there something wrong with me?”

“What? There’s no such thing.”

“Then why do you keep looking the other way?”

I followed Damian’s gaze tenaciously, intent on asking him again. 

To be honest, there’s no way it feels good to have your partner ignore you, right?

Damian then looked at me with a distressed and also frustrated face. 

“It’s all your fault,” he said. 

“What? Me?”

“When I look at your face, I can’t concentrate on dancing.”

“My face? Why? What’s on my face?”

Why me all of a sudden? 

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment. 

“No, there’s nothing on your face! Maybe, it’s okay if you don’t know.”

Sighing as he quickly turned to look the other way, Damian muttered to himself. 

“Why did Her Majesty, the Empress have to make her look so beautiful…”

Then he grumbled inwardly. 

He’s really, really grumpy about everything!

I stared at Damian. 

But then. 

Oops. 

I gulped my saliva. 

As soon as I was distracted by my conversation with Damian, I stepped on his foot. 

“At, that was a mistake.”

“….really?”

However, Damian misunderstood me and was under the presumption that I deliberately stepped on his foot. 

I averted my gaze, wondering if those scarlet eyes are glaring at me right now. 

“Heyy!”

My body was suddenly elevated. 

I thought Damian was going to hold my waist as he did before, but he lifted me up. 

No, he’s out of his mind!

The hem of my dress fluttered graciously like petals in full bloom. 

The moment of sailing through the air felt like an eternity. 

And. 

Tap. 

My feet touched the floor. 

People’s voices could be heard as that moment caused spectators to gasp in disbelief. 

“Oh my God!”

“Such intimate physical contact….”

“Wasn’t their engagement announced just today?”

People were looking at us with their jaws on the floor. 

In the crowd of spectators was the Duke of Rochester, standing out from them with a blazing fire in his eyes. 

After a while. 

One of the ladies spoke in a curious voice. 

“Well, do you think the two of them are closer than people know?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Unexpectedly, the duke answered the lady’s question. 

I don’t think she asked you, duke, what’s going on with you?

….other than that, duke, how do you know whether I and Damian are on good terms or not? What made you say that?

The lady who had unwittingly voiced her question took a step back with a shy expression

Either way, the duke was busy staring intently at me and Damian. 

“I’m going to punch a hole through that face of his.”

Damian spoke with a sullen attitude. 

Well, I agree with the sentiment and I knew he was exaggerating but….

“Really, your Highness!”

I stared at Damian with a bright red face. 

Then, Damian looked at me with a brazen expression.

“What?”

“I, um….”

I was about to lecture Damian out of habit but I found myself speechless. 

It wasn’t a question of what to say to Damian but rather whether it was a problem at all.