The Evil Empress Adores Me-Chapter 75

The Empress said softly.

“At night, people would float lanterns on the river and make wishes. I went to see that.”

“They float lanterns on the river?”

“Yes. If you look at that scenery from afar, it’s beautiful, like the Milky Way flowing over the land.”

Hmm, honestly, I can’t imagine it.

Diamide must have been using all his imagination, as his forehead was deeply wrinkled.

Then, the Empress suddenly looked at us one after another with a pitiful look.

“Now that I think about it, neither of you have ever been outside the palace.”

Well... ... .

I was abandoned in the palace as soon as I was born, and Diamide has been confined since he was three.

The Empress gently caressed my cheek.

She spoke each word with force.

“Someday, Charles and the Crown Prince will be able to see the festival.”

“Your Majesty.”

At that moment, the head maid approached us.

... ... Is it already time to leave?

I swallowed dryly.

“It’s time, we must leave now.”

“I understand.”

We got up.

We would meet the Emperor again.

As I recalled that fact, tension rose to the tip of my throat.

* * *

There is a shrine in the palace dedicated to the divine beast Aurelia.

Our destination was the courtyard of that shrine.

As I stepped into the courtyard, I felt a strange feeling.

It was because the shrine of the divine beast standing before me felt somehow familiar.

It was clearly the first time I had seen the place, but it felt like a place I had stayed in for a very long time, and I missed it... ... .

This feeling that made a corner of my heart ache.

What on earth could it be?

Why am I suddenly feeling this way?

“... ... .”

I bit my lips.

‘No, let’s stop thinking useless thoughts. We should focus on the harvest festival.’

I shook my head and glanced up.

The first thing that caught my eye was the numerous nobles lined up in a row.

The emperor had not yet arrived, and when Diamide entered the courtyard in his pageant attire, the nobles’ eyes widened.

The nobles whispered to each other.

“Isn’t that the crown prince?”

“Surely the crown prince has become the emperor’s page?”

They were talking quietly, but there were so many people.

It was like poking a beehive.

“So what? To be honest, we don’t know when the crown prince will be deposed.”

“That’s right, it’s already been ten years since the current emperor ascended the throne.”

... ... Among them, there were some authors who spoke such rude words.

Do you think it’s just a word?

When I, who was furious, looked in that direction, Diamide shook his head slightly.

‘It’s okay.’

What’s okay?

Just as I was gritting my teeth, a cold voice rang out.

“What kind of nonsense is that, in front of the only crown prince who inherited the name of Carpel?”

It was the Duke of Rochester.

When the Duke became serious, the nobles finally became a little quiet.

The Duke glanced at me and silently moved his lips with a smiling face.

‘Youngie, you’re being a little lenient today.’

... ... Did the Duke just praise me?

Somehow, my heart felt ticklish, and my face turned a little red.

Then, Diamide opened his eyes and glared at the Duke.

No, why is Diamid so sensitive again?

“... ... .”

The Duke must have thought the same as me, because he had a look on his face like, ‘Why on earth is the Crown Prince acting like that?’

Then.

‘Ah.’

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

I felt a gaze looking at me with fervor, so I looked up... ... .

‘Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.’

Your Majesty the Empress Dowager was standing a distance away, looking this way.

She was desperately holding back tears, but her wrinkled eyes were already wet.

I see, all the direct royal family members attend the harvest festival... ... .

I glanced at Diamid out of the corner of my eye.

“... ... .”

Diamid barely managed to suppress his emotions.

His crimson eyes trembled.

Well, it must have been the first time I saw your face in almost five years.

I feel so sorry for this, how must the people involved feel?

After a while, Diamide bowed her head.

Her Majesty the Empress Dowager responded to Diamide’s greeting with a small nod.

But just then.

A voice mixed with laughter was heard.

“Diamide, are you here?”

It was the Emperor.

The Emperor’s lips were stained with a low joy, as if he had already heard the insulting gossip directed at Diamide.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

I bit my lip as I watched Diamide bowing his head.

The Emperor stared at the Empress.

“Is the Empress here too?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Empress looked at the Emperor with a blank expression.

The Emperor and the Empress took the lead, and Diamide and I followed.

In the distance, a magnificently decorated altar came into view.

On the altar was a box intricately crafted with gold.

It was a box filled with grain and fruit, symbolizing a bountiful harvest.

“Under the protection of the divine Aurelia, we have had another bountiful harvest this year.”

The emperor began to recite a blessing.

I suppressed my anger and glared at the emperor’s back.

Even that blessing, and the right to offer sacrifices, belonged to Diamide.

After a while, the emperor suddenly extended his hand to us.

“In honor of the divine grace, I offer a sacrifice, so the attendant should bring the sacred oil and the sacred fire.”

If you «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

The emperor deliberately emphasized the word ‘starter.’

It was a petty act of trying to somehow keep Diamide under his control.

I swallowed the sigh that was about to burst out and handed the empress a bottle of holy oil.

The Empress sprinkled the holy oil evenly over the offerings.

Following that, Diamide handed the holy fire to the Emperor.

At that moment.

“Yes, Diamide. You should lower yourself like that.”

“... ... .”

“You are very well suited to the role of the starter.”

The Emperor openly mocked Diamide.

At that mocking whisper, the faces of the Empress and I hardened.

Only Diamide, the person in question, remained calm.

The Emperor burst into laughter and threw a spark onto the offerings.

Hurrruk!

The spark that touched the oil burned fiercely.

The Emperor shouted vigorously.

“How is it, Diamide.”

Turning his back to the blazing flames, the Emperor glanced at Diamide.

His eyes were as vile as a snake’s.

“Isn’t the harvest festival originally a place to express gratitude to the divine beast?”

Diamide met the Emperor’s gaze with a calm face.

The Emperor continued speaking as if to let everyone listen.

“Furthermore, Diamide is a special being who has awakened the power of the divine beast after two hundred years.”

Could it be?

For a moment, my eyes widened.

The Emperor’s next words were enough to make my heart sink.

“So, how about unleashing the power of the divine beast and bestowing blessings on the people gathered here?”

That’s right, the Emperor had been aiming for this from the beginning.

I gritted my teeth.

Diamide still can’t perfectly control the power of the divine beast.

However, it is true that Diamide is an awakened being who has awakened the power of the divine beast.

‘If you say ‘I can’t’ here, I will definitely charge you with disobeying the imperial order.’

However, if you forcefully use the power of the divine beast according to the Emperor’s orders... ... .

It would definitely be a big strain on Diamide's body.

If Diamide were to go berserk in front of all these people by one mistake, there would be nothing the Emperor would want more than that.

What should we do?

The Empress, who could not stand to watch, opened her mouth.

“Your Majesty, please withdraw the order. You know very well that the Crown Prince's power is unstable.”

“No, in my opinion, Diamide is a child with outstanding talent.”

But the Emperor shamelessly answered.

Wow, Uncle Emperor. Where on earth is your conscience?

Of course, it is true that our Diamide is outstanding in many ways!

But isn't that a different matter from handling the power of a divine beast?

“Since you've replaced several swordsmanship teachers, you wouldn't disappoint me over something like this.”

Isn't that right?

The voice asking back was cold.

I looked back at Diamide without realizing it.

Our eyes met.

The golden-red eyes were simply calm.

After a while, Diamide smiled.

Although it was a faint smile, I could clearly see it.

... ... Diamide, what are you thinking right now?

“If His Majesty wishes him.”

Diamide, who had slightly lowered his head, soon raised his head firmly.

An emotionless answer rang out.

“How could I refuse?”

... ... What?

I blinked.

A deep embarrassment spread across the Emperor’s face.

The Emperor probably expected Diamide to be embarrassed.

I did the same.

Diamide took a big step forward.

The nobles looked in this direction, perhaps sensing that something had changed in the atmosphere.

“His Majesty the Emperor has asked the distinguished guests here to receive the blessing of the divine water... ... .”

Diamide turned his gaze to meet the gazes of the nobles who were all focused on him.

He continued.

“It would be my duty as the successor to the throne to follow that order.”

Diamide subtly emphasized the words ‘successor to the throne.’

The Emperor’s eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“Although I am still inexperienced in handling power, I will still... ... do my best.”

In that way, Diamide blamed all the problems on the Emperor.

Even though he was inexperienced, he said that the Emperor insisted on giving him an order and he had no choice but to follow it.

Well, it is true that the Emperor was being stubborn.

Diamide, isn’t that right?

I made a strange expression.

The nobles who were listening to him began to murmur quietly.

“Ha, but didn’t you say that the Crown Prince’s power is still unstable?”

“I heard that too!”

“If Your Majesty goes wild... ... .”

A deep fear filled the nobles’ eyes.