The Evil Empress Adores Me-Chapter 29

“No, that's not true! I chose to visit Diamid!”

It was my decision to go to him.

I enjoyed being with him.

I didn’t want to deny the time I spent with him just because I wanted to be safe.

I couldn’t bring myself to hurt Diamid’s feelings... I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

“I... I kept telling her to come.”

But Diamid tried to take all the blame upon himself.

The Empress narrowed her eyes.

“Is that the truth?”

“Yes, it is.”

Diamid answered without the slightest hesitation.

I couldn’t hold myself back and interrupted their conversation.

“No, that’s not it...!”

“Don’t interrupt, Charles!”

Diamid shouted sharply.

In the brief silence that followed, Diamid began to plead earnestly.

“If you must punish someone, punish me. Charles has done nothing wrong.”

“How am I supposed to take that...?”

“You should accept it as it is.”

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Diamid answered hastily.

The Empress remained silent, listening carefully to his words with a blank expression.

“Charles is so innocent, she just did what I asked her to.”

“Crown Prince.”

“So please, don’t blame Charles.”

Although it was from beyond the wall, I could feel Diamid taking a deep breath.

He spoke resolutely.

“If you wish, I will never meet with Charles again.”

...What?!

I blinked in shock.

What is he saying right now?!

Diamid finished speaking.

“So please, forgive Charles.”

A heavy silence fell.

I had no idea what to do, so I just kept moving my lips.

My mind went blank.

I reflexively glanced up at the Empress.

Her expression was... unreadable.

Her face showed no emotion, but because of that, it seemed even more complicated.

“...I will think about what the Crown Prince just said.”

After a brief moment, the Empress replied in a deep voice.

Then, she gestured for me to follow her.

“Let’s go, Charles.”

“...Yes.”

The Empress didn’t look back as she left.

I walked behind her, glancing back several times.

And Diamid... didn’t say anything until I was out of sight.

I was summoned to the Empress’s office.

She had me sit across from her, and she studied my face intently, as though trying to figure out what I was thinking.

“Why did you go to the Crown Prince?”

After a long silence, the Empress cut straight to the question.

I tugged at my lip, unsure how to explain my feelings.

How could I describe what was in my heart?

The decision to visit Diamid had been made with the intention of protecting the Empress, no matter what.

But as I continued spending time with him, I couldn’t help but feel affection for the boy.

Honestly... I liked both of them.

Though I couldn’t tell the truth, I didn’t want to deceive the Empress.

So, I confessed the honest emotions I had while being with Diamid.

“...I felt sorry for him.”

“Felt sorry for him?”

The Empress looked at me with a strange expression at my answer.

I nodded slightly.

“Yes. I thought our situations were similar, so that’s why.”

For a moment, the Empress’s eyes darkened.

I tried my best to explain my feelings sincerely.

“I was abandoned in the palace as soon as I was born, and the Crown Prince was confined for five years.”

“...Charles.”

“But... I know that’s a presumptuous thought.”

I lightly shook my head.

That’s right, it was a presumptuous thought.

I closed my eyes tightly as I continued.

“How could I dare compare myself to the Crown Prince, someone who’s just an ordinary maid like me?”

As I stuttered, the Empress’s face twisted into an expression of dissatisfaction.

“...Ordinary maid?”

The Empress repeated my words softly.

Why? Why did she say that? Did I say something wrong?

My heart dropped.

If she thought that I was being presumptuous by empathizing with the Crown Prince... then...

“I... I am truly sorry.”

I bowed deeply.

The Empress sank into the sofa, her voice soft but firm.

“Well, this time, it is your fault.”

“....”

“The Emperor has given strict orders that no one is allowed to approach the Crown Prince.”

Yes, it was my fault.

I pressed my hand against my apron, feeling the pressure.

The Empress, of course, couldn’t be expected to accept Diamid’s actions easily.

After all, the Emperor was her husband.

He was the one who confined the Crown Prince, and now, the maid she had taken in was secretly going to see him.

...How absurd and ridiculous must it have seemed to her?

“So, I decided to punish Charles.”

“Yes, I understand.”

I tried to respond as calmly as possible, but my voice trembled uncontrollably.

What punishment would I receive?

The Empress must be extremely disappointed in me.

Days of fasting, being beaten, or even locked in solitary confinement seemed like a fair punishment.

I had experienced all of those things in the training hall before.

But...

‘I’m still terrified that the Empress will dislike me...’

The thing I feared most right now was that the Empress would think I had betrayed her.

If she told me she would never see me again, then...

...What should I do?

My heart tightened painfully.

My palms were sweaty, the cold dampness rising.

“The punishment I’m giving Charles is...”

The Empress spoke in a low voice.

I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eye, so I turned my gaze away.

“...I will have you visit the Crown Prince periodically.”

What?

I widened my eyes.

I lifted my head in surprise, and the Empress gave me a soft smile.

“Well, to be honest, I have thought that the Emperor has been too harsh with the Crown Prince.”

“Y-Your Majesty...?”

“So, it might not be a bad idea to treat him gently on my end...”

Her words took me completely by surprise, and I was left dumbfounded.

Didn’t she say she was going to punish me?

Was she forgiving me with those words?

At that moment, the Empress raised her head and met my gaze.

“So, Charles, from now on, don’t sneak through any holes. Walk proudly.”

“Proudly?”

“Yes. If anyone criticizes your actions, just say that I gave you permission.”

...Wait, really? Is that okay?

I stared at the Empress, dumbfounded.

But she was giving me an order. That meant everything would be under her responsibility.

What if she gets hurt protecting me? What if the Emperor gets angry?

“Well... even if the Emperor gets angry...”

“If you make the Emperor angry, that’s something I’ll handle.”

At her firm words, I was at a loss for words.

The Empress shook her head.

“You’re still young, you don’t need to worry about that.”

“But...”

“Charles. It’s true that I care deeply for you.”

The Empress spoke in a calm tone.

...Even after I caused all this trouble, she was still telling me she cared for ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) me.

A part of my heart felt as if it were melting.

“But my affection for you won’t affect the decisions I make.”

The Empress firmly drew the line.

I swallowed a dry breath.

What she said—that this decision wasn’t made out of affection for me but was solely her decision—was probably...

‘She’s trying to help me stop feeling guilty.’

Feeling a prickling in my nose, I quickly lowered my head to avoid the Empress’s gaze.

The Empress’s gentle voice soothed me.

“As the Empress of this empire and as an adult...”

“...”

“I have the duty to protect the only heir of the late Emperor and the one who carries the name of ‘Carpel,’ the Crown Prince.”

The Empress, for the first time, looked a bit pouty.

I could hear a small grumble.

“And you, you really need to stop with the self-deprecation.”

“Me?”

“‘Ordinary maid?’ What does that even mean?”

...Why did she say that?

I sneaked a glance at the Empress.

She shot me a playful glance and spoke in a sharp tone.

“Have some confidence. You’re the maid who’s most cherished by the Empress of this empire.”

“M-Most cherished maid?”

“That’s right. When you put yourself down, it’s like putting me down too...”

The Empress suddenly blinked in surprise.

She quickly got up from her seat.

“Goodness, Charles. Why are you crying?”

“I... I don’t want to...”

I felt a sense of déjà vu.

Her expression, helplessly lost, reminded me of the time when Diamid had pointed a dagger at me.

Back then, as soon as I relaxed, I started crying, and Diamid had been so flustered, trying to comfort me.

I couldn’t let that happen again.

“I... I don’t want to cry, but... it just keeps coming.”

I raised my hand and rubbed my eyes frantically, but tears kept falling uncontrollably.