The Evil Empress Adores Me - Side Story 7

The ceremony finally came to an end.

 

“Thus, a new sun and moon have risen upon the great Winsor.”

 

The priest declared with a solemn voice.

 

“May the blessings of the divine Aurelia be eternally with you both.”

 

With words of blessing, the priest bowed deeply to the newly crowned imperial couple.

 

It was a devout gesture befitting the rulers of the empire.

 

“Please raise your heads.”

 

After receiving Damian’s permission, the priest straightened his posture.

 

Now, only the final event of the coronation ceremony remains.

 

None other than the “Oath of Loyalty” sworn by the nobles to the Emperor.

 

Suppressing her anxiety, Charlize fixed her gaze on the nobles, motionless.

 

‘Am I going to be alright?’

 

In truth, she was a little worried.

 

In the long history of Winsor, was she not the first commoner to become Empress?

 

If, by any chance, Damian’s dignity were to be diminished because of her…

 

“Everyone, pledge your loyalty to their Majesties.”

 

Just then, the priest sternly addressed the nobles.

 

The first person to step forward towards the new imperial couple was the Duke, the leader of the nobles.

 

“I humbly greet His Majesty, the radiant sun illuminating the empire, and the great father of the people.”

 

It was the utmost display of respect towards the Emperor.

 

Afterward, the Duke bowed to Charlize.

 

“I humbly greet Her Majesty, the noble moon of the empire and the benevolent mother of the people.”

 

He continued with an affectionate smile.

 

“To have the awakened saint as Her Majesty the Empress is truly a great blessing for the empire, blessed by the power of the divine.”

 

It was not only a statement to support Charlize but also an undeniable truth.

 

As the savior of Lebane and the one who defeated the deposed Emperor, who sought to bring ruin to the empire.

 

She was the only being who awakened the power of the divine, despite not being in the bloodline of the Winsor royal family.

 

“Ah.”

 

In an instant, Charlize felt a great sense of relief.

 

Rather than opposing the Duke’s words, the nobles were looking at her with trust and respect.

 

“I, the Duke of Rochester, pledge eternal loyalty to their Majesties.”

 

“I pledge loyalty to their Majesties, the parents of the empire.”

 

“I pledge loyalty to their Majesties, the parents of the empire.”

 

Starting with the Duke, the oaths of loyalty from the nobles, including Sienna, followed suit.

 

Afterward, the elders of the royal family, the now former empress and the Empress Dowager, approached the new imperial couple.

 

The Empress Dowager looked at Damian with a heart filled with emotion, her face radiant with joy.

 

“Your Majesty…”

 

Her voice, trembling delicately, was filled with deep emotion.

 

Damian gently lowered his eyes towards his grandmother.

 

“Please smile for me. It is a joyful day, is it not?”

 

“Yes, indeed.”

 

The Empress Dowager smiled brightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

 

It was a moment of pure joy that they had long awaited.

 

Her grandchild, who had once been in pain, had now reclaimed their rightful place, shining brighter than anyone else.

 

“A magnificent emperor must first cherish and love the people of the empire. Do you understand?”

 

“I shall remember.”

 

Damian smiled and nodded.

 

Next, Eloise stepped forward.

 

She cast a piercing gaze at Damian.

 

‘How dare you snatch away my Charlize so easily?’

 

Her expression conveyed such meaning.

 

Eloise, who had been reluctantly accepting of Damian with a disapproving face, took a deep breath.

 

Then she gracefully spoke.

 

“As a splendid emperor, you must be faithful to your family as much as you are responsible for the country.”

 

Though her etiquette was faultless, her words were subtly pressuring Damian to accept Charlize with open arms.

 

“Wise, beautiful, and virtuous, Her Majesty, the Empress, is undoubtedly a saintly figure. The Emperor will surely become a holy protector.”

 

…What does accepting the Empress have to do with becoming a holy protector?

 

“Of course, my Charlize is truly a flawless person.”

 

Damian narrowed his eyes and relentingly nodded.

 

“Thank you for your kind words.”

 

“In addition, there is an old saying that a husband should never doubt his wife’s words.”

 

Eloise added, pressing her chin with her hand.

 

“Therefore, Your Majesty, do make sure to heed the words of Her Majesty, the Empress. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, I shall do so.”

 

Somehow, it seemed like the advice given by the elders of the royal family to the newly crowned Emperor was missing its focus.

 

Damian’s expression became somewhat gloomy.

 

But Eloise paid no attention to Damian’s mood.

 

After all, her jade-green eyes were now fixed on Charlize.

 

“Empress, we entrust the empire to you.”

 

Unlike when addressing Damian, her voice when speaking to Charlize was filled with warmth.

 

Charlize shyly smiled in response.

 

“Yes, I shall remember.”

 

 

 

***

 

Now that the oath of loyalty was over, there was only one remaining task.

 

The imperial couple would ride in a carriage and go on a parade around the capital, showing the imperial people the appearance of the new Emperor and Empress, proclaiming their ascension to the entire empire.

 

“Oh, the weather is delightful.”

 

Before stepping into the parade, Charlize gazed up at the sky in silence.

 

Truly, it was a day that perfectly suited the description of “clear and delightful.”

 

The sky was a piercing shade of blue, and fluffy white clouds floated gently.

 

“Charlize, no, Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

At that moment, a voice called out to her, and Charlize lowered her gaze.

 

Her lilac-colored eyes widened in surprise.

 

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager?”

 

“I have come here to express my gratitude.”

 

“To me?”

 

The Empress Dowager, with her head tilted, tightly held Charlize’s hand.

 

“For a long time, I should have said these words, although it may be too late… Thank you sincerely.”

 

“I, I have never done anything worthy of receiving gratitude from Your Majesty…”

 

“No.”

 

The Empress Dowager tilted her head and smiled warmly.

 

“Since the time when His Majesty, the Emperor, was very young, the Empress has always been by his side, protecting him.”

 

Charlize felt her words catch in her throat.

 

“The Emperor, Damian.”

 

With their hands clasped together, the Empress Dowager exerted a gentle pressure.

 

“For making him happy, I am truly grateful.”

 

“N-No need to… I mean…”

 

Charlize couldn’t finish her sentence as she felt a tinge of sadness in her nose.

 

The Empress Dowager playfully glanced at her, stealing a quick glimpse of her teary eyes.

 

“Ah, why do you shed tears on such a joyful day?”

 

“…Even Your Majesty the Empress, who speaks those words, has tears in her eyes.”

 

The Empress Dowager and Charlize smiled at each other simultaneously, without needing to be the first to speak.

 

Meanwhile, at that moment, Eloise held Damian firmly, like catching a fish.

 

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

 

“Yes, what is it?”

 

Eloise narrowed her eyes and declared firmly.

 

“For my Charlize to become His Majesty, the Emperor’s wife, just won’t do. I’m annulling this.”

 

“Annulling?”

 

At the thunderous sound of her words, Damian’s mouth hung open.

 

Fortunately for him, Eloise’s statement was not yet finished.

 

“…I’ve always wanted to say those lines at least once.”

 

Eloise let out a deep sigh and looked at Damian.

 

“I couldn’t ruin our Charlize’s once-in-a-lifetime coronation ceremony, so I held back from saying it earlier.”

 

Damian was left speechless, unable to utter a word.

 

“Your Majesty the Emperor, I am truly grateful for your gracefulness… “

 

“So, from now on, treat Charlize well. Understood?”

Damian clenched his teeth and responded.

 

“Naturally, I will treat her well.”

 

“Just treating her well is not enough. You must treat her exceptionally well.”

 

Eloise clenched her fist tightly and shook it, emphasizing her words.

 

“If I find tears in Charlize’s eyes…”

 

Through her delicate lips, like rose petals, harsh threats poured out.

 

“I swear to the gods that I will not let you go unpunished if that happens.”

 

“So, Your Majesty, you have much to worry about, don’t you?”

 

Damian responded with a stunned expression.

 

“Charlize’s the one more likely to make me cry, how could I ever possibly make her cry?”

 

His voice was filled with a sense of injustice.

 

“Don’t you know that the one who loves more is the one who loses?”

 

“Well, I suppose that’s true.”

 

Eloise replied, raising her eyebrows in annoyance.

 

“I suppose it’s time for me to go. The parade seems about to begin.”

 

In the distance, a beautifully adorned carriage for the parade came into view.

 

As Damian was about to head in that direction, he suddenly turned to look at Eloise.

 

“Your Majesty, the Empress.”

 

Instead of responding, Eloise raised her eyebrows slightly.

 

After hesitating for a moment, Damian spoke.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For showing Charlize and me… what a responsible adult looks like.”

 

He spoke sincerely.

 

During the time when they were secluded in the corner of the palace, forsaken by the Emperor, living a life that was barely worth living,

 

Eloise was the only one who showed them the responsibility of an adult.

 

Thanks to her care, they were able to learn the “warmth of others.”

 

Eloise, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly let out a smile.

 

“Truly, Your Majesty, you certainly have a way with words. It can be quite endearing.”

***

 

The celebration had a truly festive atmosphere.

 

Colorful streamers danced in the air.

 

“We present to you His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!”

 

“May you be blessed with prosperity!”

 

“Hail to the royal couple, long live!”

“Long live Winsor!”

 

“Long live the two of you, Your Majesties!”

 

Countless words of blessings were poured towards the newly crowned Emperor and Empress.

 

In the midst of it all, Charlize widened her eyes.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Why?”

 

Damian, who was waving his hand to the people, turned to look at her.

 

“There, those people.”

 

Her gaze was fixed on some of the cheering individuals.

 

Following her gaze, Damian’s face showed a slight surprise.

 

“Those people, they are the families from the Northern memorial gathering, aren’t they?”

“On, and there, the citizens of Lebane.”

 

The two of them, watching the crowd cheer with bursting excitement, smiled brightly without anyone speaking first.

 

It was truly a happy smile.