The Evil Empress Adores Me - Side Story 4

On that very day, in the late hours of the night….

Sporting an exhausted countenance, Damian wearily made his way into the Crown Prince’s palace. 

“Ah…”

He released a prolonged sigh. 

Damian yearned for nothing more than to collapse and drift off to sleep instantly as he strained his eyes. 

‘After enduring everything today, at least…’

I’ll be have the chance to able to see Charlize’s peaceful sleeping face before calling it a night!

Just as he clenched his fists. 

“Damian.”

All of a sudden, he heard a drowsy voice calling out to him.

Startled, he turned around.

“W-What Charlize?” Damian responded, his face reflecting his confusion. 

There she was, Charlize, curled up on a sofa, looking despondent. 

For a moment, Damian’s heart sank. 

‘Did something serious occur?’

He hurriedly inquired, his voice brimming with urgency, “What’s got you all sad? Is something going on?”

Charlize tucked in her body even closer and sighed deeply.

“Her Majesty will no longer be staying at the Empress’s palace.”

‘Wait, Charlize was upset just because Her Majesty will be leaving the palace?’

‘I thought this was some sort of big problem!’

‘Couldn’t she have shown me half of the concern she’s shown regarding the Empress?’

Attempting to contain his bewilderment, Damian recomposed himself. 

‘….No, it must be important for Charlize if she’s reacting this way.’

He understood the profound bond shared between Charlize and the Empress. 

Whether it be a sense of loss or something else, whatever she was going through was significant. 

Damian sat down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Well, that must be very upsetting.”

“…..it is,” replied Charlize, nodding her head slightly and resting her head on Damian’s shoulder.

“Somehow, I always believed that Her Majesty would always be by my side.”

“Charlize…”

“Even though Her Majesty has her own life.”

Charlize was visibly gloomy. 

“It was bound to happen eventually. So I shouldn’t be this saddened, right?” Charlize mused as her shoulders dropped. 

“I feel like I’m being selfish.”

“Um, well.”

Damian pondered, carefully choosing his words.

“Wouldn’t the Empress be more upset if she knew you felt this way?”

“…she would be more upset?”

“Yes. Look at the bright side, she’ll be a bit more freedom.”

‘Is that so?’

Charlize seemed dazed. 

Damian gave a slight shrug.

“Won’t it also mean that the Empress and you can now have a more equal friendship, now that you’re relationship will be more balanced?”

“That’s….I suppose.”

After listening to Damian, Charlize seemed convinced. 

Damian then added in an affectionate voice, “Besides, she’s only leaving the palace, it’s dosen’t mean you won’t see her again.”

“You’re right….just one thing.”

Charlize looked at Damian with a side glance.

“Why do you have that pleased expression on your face?”

“Oh, am I making that expression?”

Damian bashfully touched one of the corners of his mouth. 

The corners of his mouth were traced by his finger, it revealed the extent of his smile. 

‘Finally, one competitor is gone!’

The blood, sweat, and tears shed during his competition with the Empress for Charlize flashed through his mind. 

Indeed, those were trying times that couldn’t be reminisced without tears. 

‘At this rate, having Charlize all to myself is not an unattainable dream!’

Damian suppressed his inner urge to celebrate. 

Charlize narrowed her eyes suspiciously and spoke, “You know, Damian.”

“Hmm?”

“You seem thrilled at Her Majesty leaving her palace.”

“Of course, I’m in high spirits.”

Damian answered with a stern expression before proceeding to embrace Charlize tightly to the point he obscured his face from her.

It was because his fiancee was suspicious of his expression. 

“Damian, why are you suddenly…”

Though the hug was unexpected, Charlize quietly surrendered herself to Damian’s embrace. 

She felt like a cuddly snow rabbit, snuggly nested in his arms. 

He smiled widely and added, “So, after our coronation-”

While patting Charlize’s back, Damian proposed, “How about we go on a trip?”

“A trip?”

Charlize raised her head.

“Um, would it be appropriate for the soon-to-be ‘His Majesty, the Emperor’ to leave the imperial palace?”

“Huh? What’s the matter?’

“The Duke said you’ll be even busier once you become the Emperor.”

“The Duke…” Damian muttered through his gritted teeth.

With a mournful expression, he looked at Chalize.

“Why do you think I’m toiling day and night even before ascending to the throne?”

“Well, that’s…”

Charlize tilted her head as she suddenly recalled what the Duke mentioned prior.

‘His Highness has a stronger sense of responsibility than anyone else.’

‘Yes, Damian is someone who’ll become a saint in the future.’

Charlize was in a cheery mood and simply stated, “Because of your responsibility to the empire.”

Damian’s mouth was agape.

No, how can she be so oblivious ?

He exclaimed with resentment, “No, not that!”

“What? Isn’t that the reason?” replied Charlize, her eyes widening. 

‘Oh, I feel like dying.’

Damian was seized with the urge to pound his chest in frustration

“Of course, managing the empire and setting things in order are important. But still…!”

Just like that, the Crown Prince’s cry resounded throughout the palace. 

“Obviously, you are far more important to me than that!”

A long silence passed. 

Charlize spoke in an unsually flustered expression. 

“…um, what?”

“I’ve decided to let you experience what others do.”

At those words, Charlize suddenly remembered the night at the harvest festival. 

A festive night where she escaped the harvest festival ball and enjoyed Damian’s company. 

‘I want you to experience what others experience as well.’

Where they gazed at the multitude of lights illuminating the river, resembling a starry night sky, Damian clearly alluded to the moment back when. 

If it was a festival back then, now…

‘“A honeymoon like everyone else takes.”

Honeymoon. 

The mere sound of that word caused Charlize’s face to become flushed with embarrassment.  

“Of course.”

Damian briefly cleared his throat and continued, “I want to be alone with you.”

Yes, after the coronation ceremony…

‘I truly  am going to be Damian’s wife.’

Oh, what should  I do?

Just as Charlize found herself at a loss for words on what to do and her heart began racing uncontrollably. 

Damian observing his fiancee’s expression, spoke in a serious manner. 

“By the way, Charlize, are you feeling unwell?”

“What?”

“Your face is all red.”

“It’s not like that.”

Why does my face always heat up when Damian asks me something?

It’s like that time in Lebane!

Grumbling internally, Charlize squirmed and nestled  herself in Damian’s arms.

“Are we really going on a honeymoon?”

“Well, what have I been doing lately?”

“Then you should work a little harder.”

Charlize followed up her command with a bold look. 

“If we’re going on a honeymoon, shouldn’t you finish everything in advance?”

“….What?”

For a brief moment, Damian blinked blankly. 

‘Of all the people who could have said that, he didn’t expect Charlize to be the one to say that.’

After a while. 

“Ah, truly…”

Damian let out a long heavy sigh and hugged Charlize. 

“I wish I could get rid of the Empress and everything else, just to be with you…”

“You can’t do that, you know?”

“Yes-Yes, I know.”

Damian, who answered so, tightened his embrace surrounding Charlize. 

“You’re suffocating me, Damian.”

Charlize playfully hit Damian’s chest with her fists, complaining about Damian’s unbearable bear hug. 

But her lilac-coloured eyes were accompanied by a smiling face. 

****

Time flowed like water. 

Preparations for the coronation were well under way. 

On the other hand, Charlize, a key figure to the coronation, was having a relatively leisurely time.

‘Can I really be relaxing like this at this important time?’ she thought. 

Charlize idly sat like a stack of hay as she glanced at the Empress and Empress Dowager. 

Honestly, just because it was her day today, she didn’t plan on idling away. 

But…

‘Please take it easy, dear.’

‘Yes, because we’ll organize the perfect coronation ceremony for you!’ shouted the Empress and Empress Dowager in unison. 

She missed the opportune moment to express her desire to help chip in. 

‘I’ll help too!’

As she said so only a moment after, both the Empress and Empress Dowager looked at Charlize with saddened expressions. 

These were expressions she knew all to well. . 

Roughly, their faces indirectly said, ‘Should our delicate Charlize be burdened with such tasks?’

It also reflected their pride and essentially said, ‘No, we want to prepare the coronation ceremony ourselves.’

The Empress concluded their conversation by affirming, ‘I and the Empress Dowager are here for you…is there anything we wouldn’t do for you?’

In the end, Charlize nodded, knowing fully well just how much the Empress and the Empress Dowager cared for her. 

But now, the two were engaged in a heated argument about which coronation robes Charlize should wear. 

“No, I believe embroidering the robe with gold thread would be better.”

“No, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager. Considering Charlize’s hair colour, this look would suit her far better!”