The Evil Empress Adores Me-Chapter 49

She first appeared in the novel when Diamid was fifteen years old.

The story goes something like this:

After escaping from the imperial palace, Diamid headed north, where the Emperor's influence was weakest.

But due to accumulated exhaustion, he collapsed on the roadside...

And the one who saved him was Sienna.

The only daughter of the Margrave of Antes, she was a stunning young lady, around Diamid’s age.

As the heir to the martial lineage of Antes, she was also a formidable warrior.

So if Sienna had truly saved Diamid, things would have been great.

But due to his deeply ingrained distrust of people, fostered by years in the imperial palace, Diamid couldn't even recognize his own feelings for her.

And so, the two of them were inevitably doomed to tragedy...

But that was only in the original story.

I clenched my teeth.

It was fine.

I had done everything I could to keep Diamid from developing that deep-rooted distrust.

For now, only the Margrave of Antes had arrived, but eventually, Diamid would meet Sienna.

And if he followed the original path, he would fall into a passionate love with her...

Then, this time, Diamid might finally be happy.

So there was no point in feeling down about it.

I just had to focus on Diamid’s happiness.

Shaking off my complicated emotions, I hurried outside.

I made my way to the Crown Prince’s quarters, taking small but quick steps.

In my arms was a large, heavy basket.

"Your Highness!"

"Ah, Charles—wait, what is that?"

Diamid’s eyes widened in alarm as he took the basket from me.

I cheerfully began my explanation.

"This is your lunch for today, and the food wrapped in this package is for dinner. And this—"

"Wait a minute. Why are you suddenly bringing me this much food?"

He interrupted me with a puzzled frown.

I shrugged.

"Oh, I won’t be able to visit the Crown Prince’s quarters until tomorrow afternoon."

"Why? What’s going on?"

"Well, tomorrow evening, there’s going to be a banquet for the Margrave of Antes. I’ll be busy helping prepare for it."

"...The Margrave of Antes? He came to the imperial palace?"

I explained everything.

How Uncle Emperor had not only slighted the Margrave but also rejected all requests for aid.

How both the Duke and the Empress were deeply troubled by the situation.

"...I see. This is serious."

Diamid, who had been listening carefully, couldn’t hide his grim expression.

"Antes is the empire’s first line of defense against the demonic beasts. If it falls, the damage to the citizens will be catastrophic..."

"That’s why the Duke and Her Majesty are so worried."

I nodded solemnly.

Diamid seemed lost in thought for a while. Then, he gestured for me to come closer.

"Charles, lend me your ear for a moment."

"Huh?"

Wait—why was he whispering? We were the only ones here.

What on earth did he want to say?

Though puzzled, I leaned in.

And then, in a hushed voice, Diamid began to speak.

A moment later—

My eyes went huge.

Now I understood why he had whispered.

Because his suggestion was that politically sharp and precise.

But still...

...An eight-year-old child came up with this?

I stared at him in disbelief.

Was this the level of intelligence required to be the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) male lead of an entire world?

Diamid met my gaze with a sullen look.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Well... I didn’t expect Your Highness to be this smart."

"Didn’t expect?"

Diamid scowled.

"Hey, Charles! I’ve always been smart!"

"Yes, yes. Of course. Our Crown Prince is the smartest in the whole world."

"You always treat me like a kid, but don’t forget—I’m three years older than you."

Diamid pouted.

But honestly, watching him get all worked up just made him look even more like a child.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Diamid, clearly exasperated, let out a deep sigh and gave me a stern warning.

"Anyway, make sure to relay what I said to Her Majesty and the Duke. Got it?"

"Yes, I will. Oh, right!"

I had been nodding absentmindedly when something suddenly hit me.

Startled, Diamid turned to me.

"Why are you shouting all of a sudden?"

"There’s something I wanted to ask Your Highness!"

I had completely forgotten!

Back in the Empress’s Palace, I’d been planning to ask for Diamid’s opinion.

Clicking my tongue at my own forgetfulness, I continued.

"I heard that there are different levels of banquets."

"That’s right. When inviting a guest, the hospitality should match their status."

"Which means, as long as the hospitality is appropriate for the guest’s rank, it doesn’t matter, right?"

Diamid’s expression shifted slightly.

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I pressed on.

"As long as the imperial family shows respect to Antes, that should be enough."

"Well... yes. But how that respect is shown is the issue."

"Then, it doesn’t necessarily have to be His Majesty attending, does it?"

I glanced at Diamid cautiously.

"An elder member of the imperial family could attend in his place."

"...What?"

Diamid looked completely caught off guard.

"You don’t mean... Grandmother?"

I gave a small nod.

"Just a thought, but... Her Majesty the Dowager Empress has been in seclusion for five years."

"That’s true..."

"So isn’t it about time she returned to public appearances?"

Diamid’s eyes wavered intensely.

I met his gaze with a heavy heart.

The Dowager Empress had opposed Uncle Emperor’s plan to take away Diamid’s right to the throne.

Of course, that was only natural.

Diamid was the sole surviving heir of the late Emperor—her eldest son.

There was no way she could stand by and watch her younger son harm her grandchild.

But Uncle Emperor had been furious that she had chosen Diamid over him.

"How could you do this to me, Mother?!"

His rage was so great that he had even threatened her.

"You will live as if you are dead. If you value your precious grandchild’s life, you will disappear."

And from that day on, the Dowager Empress had sealed herself away in silence.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"This could be a chance for Her Majesty to return naturally."

"A... chance?"

"Yes. If we’re being technical, this whole situation happened because His Majesty neglected his duties."

I shrugged.

"Which means, if Her Majesty the Dowager Empress attends the banquet..."

"And?"

"Then she would be 'filling in' for His Majesty, on his behalf."

Diamid fell completely silent.

Holding his breath, he listened as I continued.

"In other words, it’s a win-win situation for everyone."

"...You’re right. Antes’s pride would be preserved, and Grandmother could return to public life without controversy."

Diamid’s eyes widened in surprise.

I smiled at him.

"And Her Majesty the Empress wouldn’t have to struggle over this anymore."

That, of course, was my real goal.

Because there was no way I would let my Rose Unni suffer.

After a long pause, Diamid asked,

"Have you told Her Majesty about this?"

"No. I wanted to ask Your Highness first before bringing it up."

I shook my head.

Diamid gave me a strange look.

"You know, Charles?"

"Yes?"

"Sometimes... you seem less like a five-year-old and more like a five-hundred-year-old snake."

Ah.

I had to work really hard not to let my guilty expression show.

Well, technically, my real mental age was that of an adult.

But...

Maybe I’d been acting too mature while trying to solve the problem.

I should be more careful from now on.

As I steeled my resolve, Diamid gave me a faint smile.

"Anyway, it’s a great idea."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah. You should bring it up to Her Majesty."

Hearing his gentle tone, I felt a sudden pang of sorrow.

One day, someone would appear to steal this soft, happy smile from me.

...And even though I tried not to think about it,

Sienna Antes.

That name still sat in my throat like a thorn I couldn’t swallow.

The Following Evening

Under the Empress’s direction, the welcome banquet for the Margrave of Antes was held.

As expected for an event honoring a Grand Lord, the banquet hall was decorated flawlessly, leaving no room for criticism.

But...

"How could you do this to us?!"

"That’s right! It’s because we break our backs holding back the demonic beasts that the empire can enjoy its peace!"

The delegation from Antes was furious.

Because the one who should have been listening to their concerns—the Emperor—had not even bothered to attend.

And the nobles?

Most of them had been too afraid of getting on the Emperor’s bad side to show up.

As a result, the number of attendees was so pitifully low that they could practically be counted on two hands.

"Everyone, please calm down."

"Lord Margrave!"

"Even Duke Rochester is present at this banquet. He must have a plan."

The Margrave of Antes was barely managing to hold his people back, trying to ease the tension.

But even he was boiling with frustration.

If no concrete solution is presented here today, then perhaps it’s time to flip the entire table.

(Translation continues seamlessly. Let me know if you’d like me to adjust anything!)