The Evil Empress Adores Me

Damian lightly shrugged at Charlizes uncontained bewilderment.

And? Ill prove my stubbornness like this again if it means I can be near my fiancee.

Truly, he really is persistent

Charlize looked at Damian with her eyes squinted.

Say, Your Highness. That voice during the show, it definitely wasnt yours

Well, its not that hard to come across a voice modulator, no?

At his response, Charlize couldnt hide her astonished face.

Yestheyre not hard to get but

Arent the prices exorbitant?!

In this world, magic had long disappeared and all that remained from that bygone age was minor magic that still had its convenient uses.

Items that had held small traces of magic were incredibly expensive.

This meant Damian had paid a fortune to be a puppeteer for a day.

All right, enough about me. Theres something else on my mind like-

Damian glanced downwards at the ring around Charlizes finger.

Is that a ring made from shamrock flowers?

Oh, this? I made one for each child, I suppose I got carried away and ended up with one myself..

But why skip me?

Huh?

Damian met Charlizes gaze sullenly.

For me, of course. Even Sienna was wearing a bracelet and ring made from shamrock flowers, wasnt she?

Charlize unknowingly wore a pathetic expression.

What do I do Damian, when youre acting like a child

But then.

Why are you jealous?

A soft voice interrupted the conversation.

It was Sienna.

She gently waved her hand at Damian, showing off her bracelet and ring.

See, Lady Charlize made it herself.

Aww, does His Highness, the Crown Prince not have anything of the sort?

.it seems as if everyone becomes childish when they interact with Damian.

Our Sienna was a calm and composed person, befitting her role as heroine

At the same time, Charlize was having a moment of deep clarity, Damian gritted his teeth and retorted at Sienna.

I cant say that I have, Viscountess Antes. Is it me or have you been bothering my fiancee too much lately?

Did I? Whomever your fiancee chooses to mingle with, thats up to Lady Charlize, no?

At that brazen answer, Damian crumpled his face.

Hey, are they starting to get on each others nerves?

Charlize, who would be worse off, intervened in the conversation to change the subject.

Aside from that, Viscountess Antes.

Yes? Sienna responded.

Contrary to when dealing with Damian, Sienna looked at Charlize with a smile.

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Wow, the difference! Shes like a completely different person.

Charlize, who was taken aback, quickly fixed her expression.

I heard you made a bet with His Highness to catch a wild boar before?

Um, a bet to catch a wild boar?

Sienna tilted her head as she tried to recall, then she started to glare at Damian.

Damian simply brushed it off like there was nothing wrong.

I feel like I inadvertently stepped on a land mine and it could trigger at any moment.

Charlizes shoulders became taut as she strongly felt she had chosen the wrong topic.

Preventing the wild animals from damaging the homesteads

So, did His Highness tell you, he won the bet?

he did.

Um, was there something wrong I said?

Sienna firmly shook her head.

I guess it depends on which part he told you.

Pardon?

His Highness is known for being biased, telling partial truths.

Sienna protested to Charlize in a tone, expressing her indignation.

Boars were only a part of it, I won in terms of hunting!

Wait, what?

His Highness caught seven boars but I caught three boars, five rabbits, and two foxes!

Sienna, youre altering the story?! The first bet was a wild boar!

Just then, Damian interrupted the conversation.

No matter how many wild boars you had, when it came to numbers, it was drastically different!

What do numbers have to do with this? The target for our bet had already been decided!

what on earth is happening?

With a dumbfounded look, Charlize looked back and forth at Damian and Sienna arguing.

I felt a bit strange.

The way they treated each other seemed more like dear friends than people who had feelings for each other.

I like Damian but is this just me wanting to believe that there are no special feelings between the two of them?

The time when Charlize narrowed her eyebrows.

Charlize narrowed her eyebrows when-

Both Damian and Sienna suddenly glanced at her.

Charlize! Which of us do you think is right?!

Lady Charlize, dont you think that how His Highness has twisted the truth is downright shameful?!

Those two pairs of eyes were burning with fire.

Ha, about that

A sigh emerged from the depths of Charlizes heart as she tried to answer.

AHHH!

A loud cry rang out.

What, what?!

Startled, Charlize looked back.

The first thing that came into my peripheral vision was an old doll lying on the floor.

A little girl was crying loudly, her hand covering her face.

In front of her was Lady Bennet, menacingly staring down at the girl.

That ladys in for it now!

Sparks flew across Charlizes eyes.

***

A few minutes before.

Lady Bennet pursed her lips nervously.

Given what happened previously, her situation was bad in every sense of the word.

I knew why I came here in the first place!

Lady Bennet gnashed her teeth.

The only reason she came here was to make her mark on the Empress and the Empress Dowager and score some points.

However, instead of scoring points, she lost, and to add salt to injury, even the Crown Prince was hanging around Charlize.

At this rate, Ill go back to being an idle nobody without any income to boot.

I cant do that, I have to recover my reputation somehow, even if its a bit!

Thinking so, Lady Bennet looked around.

Just in time, children playing in the garden near the rose bushes caught my eye.

Lady Bennets eyes sparkled.

Im only taking care of kids, what could go wrong? I can do this!

She strode toward the children.

Beautiful fairy, are you all right?

Hey, youre the carpenter who saved me!

The children burst into laughter as they played with their dolls.

They were reenacting the scenes from the puppet show she had seen earlier.

Really, that Lady Bennet scolded me. Shes so loud and mean and has that ugly frown.

What is that? What is that squishy doll youre holding?

who are you, Miss?

The children were wide-eyed and looked up at Lady Bennet.

Either way, Lady Bennet reached out.

Give me that doll.

Um, I dont want to.

The frightened child held the doll tightly in her arms.

Lady Bennets face twisted grimly.

I, a noblewoman, will be playing with you commoners. Why do you insist on being so finicky?

But

Dont talk nonsense, give me the doll!

Lady Bennet viciously tried to snatch the childs doll.

At that moment, a scream erupted from the top of the childs lungs.

It was because Lady Bennetts long fingernails scratched the back of the childs hand as she pulled on the doll.

Drops of blood began to trickle.

Owie, uh, b-blood

What should we do!

Are you okay, Ellen?!

The children bowed their heads as they looked at their own hands with worried expressions; that they could be next.

At the same time, the girl started sniffling.

*Sniffles*

Blood..

Embarrassment crept over Lady Bennets face.

But after a brief moment.

What are you crying about? Dont cry!

Lady Bennet sharply threatened the children.

The children were frightened to the core and cowered in place.

Dont whimper because of a minor graze, what insolence are you showing in front of all these prestigious people?!

Waaaaa!

The girl rubbed her eyes with her uninjured hand to stop crying, but it wasnt enough.

Tears keep coming.

What if she gets even angrier?

Just as the child raised her shoulders to cover herself-

Whats this commotion about?

A sharp voice interrupted the conversation.

It was Charlize.

Looking at Charlizes face, which was rarely etched with anger, Lady Bennet involuntarily flinched for a second.

However.

No, am I seriously going to get discouraged by this girl?

Lady Bennet, who became infuriated at the possibility, started to vent her frustrations openly.

What kind of child is so spoiled and stubborn?!

What are you going on about?

I, a noblewoman, offered to play with those lowly children! I cant believe they didnt appreciate me!

Lady Bennet, Charlize said chillingly.

Lady Bennet bit her lip.

Up until now, Charlizes voice had been mild, now it was colder than ice.

Are you really saying what I think youre saying?

My! You think Im in the wrong here? Its appropriate to scold such a child who is unwilling to listen!

Lady Bennet, raised her voice, glaring at the child.

Its just a little blood. She only needs to apply a bit of medicine, she doesnt need to act out over nothing.

You cant be pushed back any longer.

You cant, you mustnt be held back by a commoner girl.

So, you need a head start

Waa, waa, waa

Just then, a child who was busy holding back her tears came into view.

Lady Bennets eyes lit up.

Why are you crying so loudly?! Pipe down!

Smack!

Lady Bennet struck the childs cheek.

For a moment, the atmosphere was deafeningly silent.