The Evil Empress Adores Me - Side Story 2

No, why is that person here again?!

Damian looked at the Duke with a freaked out expression and asked, “What are you doing here, Duke?”

“This,” the Duke stepped into the room, a smile on his lips.

“The administrative office sent documents that need your immediate attention.”

‘Immediate attention.’

The Duke put emphasis on those last words. 

Relucantly, Damian asked, “the administrative office?”

“Yes.”

“Why bring the documents now, when Charlize and I are about to have lunch together?”

“Well, ”The Duke’s short reply was followed by him walking forward.

Sssk.

The papers were placed a neat line, and the Duke glanced back at Damian. 

“These are extremely urgent documents.”

Damian clenched his teeth, quickly stood up,and examined placed on his desk. 

“Couldn’t you have handled this, Duke?”

“How could you say that? I require his Highness’s decision,” the Duke shrugged.

“Aren’t you, Your Highness, going to become the very emperor of the empire?” 

“You’re saying that I’ll be the most esteemed in the empire, and yet here I am like a slave of the empire, unable to even have the time to eat for the life of me.” 

“How could you say such words?”

The Duke took a deep breath, taking the papers from Damian’s hand.

“It saddens me to see that His Highness endure such suffering, I guess I’ll have to handle this myself,” he said, flashing a smile that could captivate any lady’s heart. 

“Didn’t I come all the way here to assist His Highness?”

Seeing the Duke’s smile, Damian felt strongly disgusted. 

Just then, Charlize entered the room and asked, “By the way, Duke, will the ceremony still be held?”

“Yes,” the Duke nodded his head. 

Charlize responded with a smile. 

“Then, would you like some stew?”

“I would,” the Duke replied, taking his seat and accepting a bowl of stew and a spoon. 

Damian asked in a flabbergasted manner. 

In disbelief, Damian asked, “You told me that you were here to help me with my work, but your words and actions are polar opposites.”

“Oh, His Highness truly is heartless,” the Duke shook his head and replied, “No matter how important your work is, shouldn’t you care if the people under you have eaten yet?”

“That won’t do. You should know that value of people,” the Duke said, holding his spoon in a gracefully with closed eyes.

Charlize spoke with a proud voice as she took the food out from her basket. 

“That’s great, I brought plenty of food.”

She waved gently to Damian, gesturing him to come closer, “Come here, Damian, eat and work.”

Damian sighed and sat down next to Charlize.

Charlize quickly spread jam on a loaf of bread and handed it to Damian. 

“Now, try this,” she said.  

It was white bread with apple jam slathered on it. 

Damian took a bite of it, his expression gloomy.

The bread was soft and sweet, and he found it delicious.  

***

After the snack, Damian returned to his desk and sat down.

Charlize gathered the cutlery she had brought with her back into her basket and prepared to leave.

Damian glanced at her with a sorrowful expression, “Leaving already?”

“Well, shouldn’t I? You’re working and I don’t want to bother you,” Charlize replied.  

“You’re not a bother at all.”

“I would be a distraction to you.” 

“Tsk,” Damian couldn’t refute her answer and was saddened by Charlize’s departure.

He wished she could have stayed a little longer…

As Damian grumbled to himself, his eyes widened. “Duke of Rochester?”

“Yes, Your Highness?” the Duke turned to look back at Damian with an impudent expression. 

Damian couldn’t hide his doubt as he asked, “Didn’t you say you were going to help me with my documents?”

“Ah, I did. But…” the Duke glanced over the paper, speaking with a glum look, “I was concerned that my involvement would be excessive, considering my position is beneath yours.” 

“What?!” Damian exclaimed spiritedly. 

The Duke however, continued on with his guilt-filled speech. 

“Haven’t my actions interfered greatly on state matters surrounding the late Emperor’s throne?” 

“No, why are you doing this?’

“Although our sins have been erased thanks to the grace of His Highness, the Crown Prince—I’ve learned something,” the Duke straightened his back and looked at Damian seriously, “A noble should do his duty as a noble, he must not overparticipate in the affairs of the imperial family.”

“So you mean…”

Damian looked at the stack of documents in front opf him with exhaustion. 

“Are you really suggesting what I thinki you are?” he asked. 

“I apologize if you’ve doubted my loyalty,” the Duke said without batting an eye.

Silence fell between the two men, colder than winter wind.

The Duke was first to act. He put the papers on the desk and bowed politely to Damian. 

“Well, I shouldn’t disturb His Highness any longer, so I’ll take my leave,” said the Duke. 

“Now, hold on Duke of Rochester!’

“Is the kid coming?”

Charlize looked at them both with a slightly embarrassed face, her gaze alternating.

‘Um, I feel like Damian has been caught up in the Duke’s antics.’

She was going to protest against it, but so far there was nothing wrong with the Duke’s theorems. 

Eventually, Charlize nodded.

“Okay, see you later.”

“Ch-Charlize!” Damian called desperately, but Charlize excused herself with a apologetic look. She couldn’t interfere in the execution of state affairs.

Charlize briskly walked out of the room, and the Duke raised the corners of his lips, staring at Damian. 

“Don’t even think about spending time with the kid.”

“….I beg your pardon?”

“You haven’t even had your coronation yet, remember?” the Duke hit the nail on the head. 

“In other words, the kid and Your Highness are not yet married yet. So stop being bothersome.”

“Duke of Rochester, You!” Damian got up from his seat and pointed at the Duke.

“You deliberately gave me all this work just to keep me and Charlize apart!”

The Duke tilted his head nonchalantly, “You’re just realizing that now?”

“I-”

“You’d better fulfill in managing state affairs,” the Duke’s smile widened.

“The kid likes responsible people.”

Damian gritted his teeth and grabbed a pen.

Writing with so much force, the ink smeared, making the paper a mess.

The Duke watched the scene with a smirk and added an insult to injury, “Oh, you should have read the document from the beginning.”

“Duke, I’ll definitely seek revenge for this!”

The Duke chuckled and slipped out the door.

Damian slumped in his seat, hissing every minute. After hearing what the Duke had said, he realized that this work would not be in vain. And so Damian was engulfed by a wave of tasks. 

****

Charlize walked along the long corridors of the imperial palace and suddenly asked a question, “Duke, did something pleasant happen?”

Judging by the Duke’s still-smiling lips, it was highly likely. 

‘However, there was a slight wickedness to his smile.’

Charlize tilted her head in a puzzled manner, Um, let’s go with that.’

After a brief silence, the Duke decided to do something out of the ordinary and compliment Damian for once. 

“I think His Highness, the Crown Prince will make an excellant emperor.”

“Wow, really?! Really?”

To Charlize, whose eyes sparkled with delight, the Duke responded in a gentle voice, “It’s because His Highness has a stronger sense of responsibility than anyone else.”

He genuinely meant it. 

‘Even though I’ve been taking so much meds…’

Instead of following after Charlize and the Duke, Damian focused on completing his taks while seething on the inside.

Responsibility was the greatest virtue an emperor should possess. One could reflect on the chaos the empire had experienced in the past due to the late emperor neglecting his responsibility.

While these thoughts filled the Duke’s mind, Charlize was overjoyed. “Right, Damian has worked really hard, hasn’t he? If he’s worked this hard before ascending to the throne, he’ll be a saint by then!”

The Duke’s expression became worried and blurted out his thoughts.

“However, I am a little concerned that he’ll fall ill if he overdoes it, though I’m not sure how this will play out…”

Hearing all those words of compliments and worries coming from his own mouth, the Duke seemed somewhat disgusted with himself.

Charlize smiled awkwardly. 

“Yes, but it’s true.”

“Oh, indeed,” the Duke agreed. 

So Charlize and the Duke moved to the Empress’s palace, where the Empress and the Empress Dowager were waiting.