The Evil Empress Adores Me - Side Story 10

“D-Damian?!”

 

Startled, Charlize called out her husband’s name.

 

Without hesitation, Damian swiftly caught Charlize and hid her behind him.

 

Then, he glared at the young man with narrowed eyes.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Yes, yes?”

 

Indeed, an icy aura permeated the air, resembling a fierce beast baring its fangs and growling.

 

The young man, who had never experienced such an aura before, froze in place, stiff as a board.

 

“Why would you approach someone else’s wife so recklessly…”

 

“Damian.”

 

Charlize scolded Damian, her tone filled with disappointment.

 

“It’s not like he did this on purpose.”

 

“But…”

 

“I never had’married woman’ written on my forehead. So, what’s the meaning of this?”

 

Upon that peculiar response, Damian finally managed to suppress some of his frustration.

 

Charlize tilted her head, wearing a smile, as she directed her gaze towards the young man.

 

“I appreciate the kind offer, but it’s clear my husband wouldn’t approve.”

 

“Oh, yes, yes…”

 

Terrified, the young man took off in a hurry.

 

Naturally, only Charlize and Damian remained, face-to-face.

 

A weighty silence filled the air.

 

At least for a moment.

 

Charlize narrowed her eyes and glanced at Damian.

 

“Aren’t you being overly possessive?”

 

“I’m well aware of how possessive I can be.”

 

But Damian had something to say as well.

 

He couldn’t hide his indignant expression as he defended himself before his wife.

 

“No, try to see it from my perspective!”

 

His voice was filled with desperation.

 

“As if it’s not enough that my wife is so popular!”

 

“Now I’ll inevitably have to come across other men trying to flirt with her all the way to our honeymoon!”

 

Not only the Rochester siblings and grandma, but even random people we coincidentally encounter… I have to be on guard for all of them!

 

Damian sank into deep anguish.

 

As he silently stared at her, Charlize opened her mouth, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

 

“Still, Damian, you know I am your wife, right?”

 

“…Hmm?”

 

Damian subtly lifted his head.

 

Charlize averted her gaze, speaking softly.

 

“Think about it, Damian, do you think I would marry someone I don’t even like?”

 

Damian tightly sealed his lips.

 

Her cheeks had turned a rosy shade, akin to a ripe apple.

 

“The person I love most in the world is none other than you, Damian.”

 

“…you’re telling me the truth, right?”

 

“I am.”

 

Charlize confidently nodded her head.

 

In response, Diamide stared at Charlize with a gaze full of suspicion.

 

“And you’re positive that it’s me and not say, the Empress?”

 

“Oh. Right.”

 

As soon as that question was uttered, Charlize found herself deep in serious contemplation.

 

Damian, wearing a profound sorrow, spoke after a short while.

 

A moment later.

 

“Well, among women, I like the Empress the most, and among men, it’s Damian…”

 

Silence fell once again.

 

In the chilling atmosphere akin to a winter breeze, Charlize shed invisible tears.

 

Oh, this won’t do.

 

She had intended to comfort Damian, but somehow, it feels like things are getting worse!

 

“Oh, well!”

 

She hurriedly spoke, trying not to seem hostile, as she glanced at Damian.

 

“Don’t worry too much.”

 

“…You telling me not to worry when I should share my wife’s affection with the Empress, makes me worry only even more.”

 

Damian’s response made him truly melancholic.

 

Charlize, who had been sweating coldly internally, let out a sigh.

 

“You know how much I love you, Damian.”

 

“What?”

 

“If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have waited all that time.”

‘Aurelia.’

 

Upon hearing her serious words, the golden irises sank deep for a moment.

 

For a long time, she had protected the empire solely out of love for Carpel.

 

“…That’s right.”

 

Deep down, Damian was aware.

 

He knew just how much his wife loved him.

 

Yet, at times, he couldn’t help but feel restless.

 

Charlize was so dazzlingly radiant that anyone would inevitably fall in love with her.

 

“I act childishly at times.”

 

To be precise, it wasn’t just “at times,” but rather “always,” but Damian decided to overlook that part for the sake of his own dignity.

 

At that moment, Charlize threw a mischievous question.

 

“Do you think I would ever be unfaithful?”

 

“No, never.”

 

“Even if I were to try, I have such high standards that it wouldn’t be possible.”

 

Her lilac-colored eyes sparkled mischievously and beautifully.

 

“Even if I were to search this empire thoroughly, there would be no one better or more splendid than you.”

 

“Really?”

 

“There’s no question!”

 

Charlize fervently nodded her head.

 

Well, that was the truth, after all.

 

Like a masterpiece meticulously drawn by a great painter, Damian possessed exceptional abilities and a personality only Charlize could match. 

 

And the cherry on top was that he held the title of Emperor.

 

Where could you find a more perfect man?

 

“So, from now on, try to worry less, Damian. Understand?”

 

“…Yes, I will.”

 

Only then did Damian soften his stance slightly.

 

Oh, goodness.

 

It’s truly difficult to appease my husband.

 

Charlize inwardly sighed, her head hanging low.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was evening.

 

Charlize and Damian were currently seated at the top-floor restaurant of a luxurious hotel, known as the finest in the Rochester Territory.

 

“Oh, I’m having so much fun today!”

 

Charlize’s face beamed with delight.

 

Today, the imperial couple engaged in various activities. They wandered through every nook and cranny of the streets after leaving a souvenir shop.

They practically visited every hidden gem in Rochester.

 

“I wonder if that statue will grant wishes?”

 

Damian smiled proudly at his wife, who was contemplating the statue they had seen earlier.

 

“I felt like the statue had quite an effect.”

 

“Really? Why do you think so?”

 

Charlize widened her eyes in curiosity.

 

Damian nodded approvingly.

 

“Well, my wish was to spend time with you. And that wish has already come true, hasn’t it?”

 

“Well, that wish wasn’t granted by the statue, you know?”

 

“Is that so?”

 

As she was tilting her head, she suddenly spoke up.

 

“But, Damian.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“It seems like you know all the hidden gems in the Rochester Territory… It’s your first time here too, right?”

 

Charlize left it up to Damian to organize the day’s itinerary.

 

And Damian had picked out all the places he thought she’d like.

 

“Well, there’s a way to know everything.”

 

Damian cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze.

 

Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing to admit that he had pleaded with the Rochester siblings for information. And according to the Empress’s words, this hotel…

 

‘It’s the most beautiful place to witness the sunset.’

 

Recalling their advice, Damian quietly gazed at Charlize’s profile.

 

Although the Rochester siblings were a bit cunning, the information they provided was truly valuable.

 

Charlize, lost in her thoughts, was now gazing at the breathtaking sight of the twilight.

 

“It’s truly beautiful…”

 

Charlize murmured, as if sighing.

 

“You’re even more beautiful.”

 

Damian forcibly suppressed the words that were about to escape his lips.

 

And so, the two of them enjoyed their evening meal.

 

It is finished.

 

The tenderly prepared veal dish melted delicately in the mouth.

 

Charlize, having cleared her plate and dessert, gently leaned back in her chair, soothing her satisfied stomach.

 

“Ah… I think I might have overindulged a little.”

 

“How was it? Did you enjoy the food?”

 

“Yes, indeed. It was truly delicious.”

 

Charlize, tilting her head high, looked at Damian with an appreciative gaze.

 

“Damian, you went through a lot to plan this date today.”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. Such words are unnecessary.”

 

Damian gracefully picked up his napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth, smiling tenderly.

 

“To be honest, I wanted to experience this too.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“A proper, traditional date.”

 

A traditional date?

 

Charlize wore a puzzled expression.

 

Damian eloquently continued his words.

 

“We haven’t really had the chance to have a normal date, have we?”

 

“Ah.”

 

“That has bothered me for a while.”

 

Since they met as a persecuted prince and a maid at a very young age, they had struggled to survive.

 

They had been separated for eight long years, and even after that, they had to navigate through the constraints of the imperial court.

 

Busy with the breathless pace of their lives, they rarely had the opportunity for a proper date.

 

“So… I wanted to spend time like this at least once.”

 

Damian spoke, taking a small box out of his embrace and placing it in front of them.

 

The box had a velvet finish on the outside.

 

“This… What is it?”

 

“Open it.”

 

Charlize tremblingly picked up the ring box with her hand.

 

Thump.

 

The lid opened.

 

And inside…

 

“…You’re giving this to me?”

 

Startled, Charlize raised her eyebrows.

 

Inside the box was an exquisitely crafted ring adorned with a pink diamond.

 

Moreover, this diamond is…

 

“This… This is a jewel of the royal family. It’s not something that can be given to an individual.”

 

Taken aback, Charlize quickly tried to return the ring to Damian.

 

But Damian, with a smiling face, shook his head.

 

“Accept it.”

 

“But…”

 

“Compared to what you have given me all this time, it is far less.”

 

Facing his hesitant wife, Damian spoke calmly.

 

“It has always weighed on my mind.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“No matter how difficult the circumstances were, the process leading to our engagement and marriage felt too lacking.”

 

No matter how much the tyrant emperor obstructed him with his piercing gaze, he should not have rushed into the engagement like that.

 

Due to the overwhelming anticipation in his heart, he failed to inquire about her true feelings.

 

Of course, Charlize assured him that everything was “fine,” but the fact continued to prick his heart like a thorn.

 

Damian looked straight into Charlize’s eyes.

 

“For choosing me and for giving me the opportunity to be your husband.”

 

He whispered sincerely, “I am truly grateful.”