The Evil Empress Adores Me

The Emperor narrowed his eyes, displeased at the stigmatizing question directed at him. 

I swallowed my saliva. 

Empress, should you speak so blatantly?

You’re here with the ladies who’ve been called to be possible candidates, remember? 

I glanced around and just like me, the ladies were visibly shaken, their eyes trembling. 

I sympathized with them. 

Yeah, the ladies are uncomfortable hearing this…

“That’s enough. I didn’t come here to talk about this.”

The Emperor angrily jerked his head.  

Oh, the Empress won!

I held my breath and giggled.

As I did so, my eyes met the Empress. 

Oh, was it too obvious?

The Empress, however, responded by slightly winking as I wiped the pleased look from my face. 

Oh, Empress. If you do that, I’m going to smile even more!

“Anyway, Damian.”

The Emperor turned his attention to the crown prince. 

Damian looked slightly nervous as the Emperor called him. 

“I came here today because of the upcoming harvest festival.” 

The harvest festival?

I was puzzled. 

He’s here because of that? 

He’s never even invited Damian to the harvest festival, so why now?

“I want you to be my candidate for the harvest festival. What do you say?”

“….Your Majesty, the Emperor!” The Empress gasped. 

A startled Empress looked at the Emperor. 

His candidate for the harvest festival?!

I looked at the Emperor in astonishment. 

No, did he really mean what he said? 

He’s going to let Damian be a candidate?!

Damian is the only crown prince of the empire!!

Damian’s position is supposed to accompany the Emperor and the Empress during the ancestral rite, not take part in them!

The Empress raised her voice. 

“Is there no one else? Offering such a proposal to the crown prince who’s supposed to attend, not part take in. This is nonsense!” 

“I’m not sure you understand. Whether it makes sense or not, that’s not for you to decide, Empress!” The Emperor declared. 

At the Emperor’s cunning reversal, the Empress was left dismayed as she said with a sigh. 

“But your Majesty, the crown prince is the only heir in line for the throne.”

“Oh, Empress. You don’t think I know that?” The Emperor scoffed. 

…..oh God. 

I marveled at how thick-skinned the Emperor was. 

Only a man that brazen would usurp his nephew’s throne without so much as batting an eye. 

The Empress felt the same way I did, slightly shaking her head. 

The Emperor continued while waiting in earnest for Damian’s answer. 

“At the moment, the crown prince’s thoughts are more important than your objections….wouldn’t you say so?”

Damian was silent.  

Powerless to do anything, I clenched my fists. 

The thought of the crown prince becoming the Emperor’s candidate….

‘Doing this would effectively be announcing to everyone that Damian is below or subservient to the Emperor.’

This hall was intended as a gathering for potential candidates. 

But making that kind of proposal in this place…

…..to put it in one way. 

‘The Emperor’s conveying that the crown prince ever becoming anything more is a fantasy, Damian and all the ladies here are in the same shoes.’ 

He gets to relish in humiliating Damian and to humiliate him in front of everyone is a bonus.

Damian…what are you going to do?

I stared at Damian intently. 

He raised his head and answered. 

“I’ll accept.”

That calm and collected reply echoed throughout the small banquet hall. 

I just shut my eyes tightly. 

The Emperor looked at Damian with an intrigued gaze. 

“Hmm, you’ll accept my offer?”

“Yes, I’m grateful to his Majesty, the Emperor.”

Damian replied as he bowed his head. 

The Emperor raised the tip of his lips and smiled. 

His voice mixed with laughter rang throughout the hall. 

“Yes, you should be.”

Seeing Damian’s composed face, I felt a burning sensation eating away at me. 

‘Grateful! That Emperor just makes my blood boil!’

The Emperor looked at Damian with a satisfied grin on his face as he leaned back in his chair. 

Few hours pass. 

The Emperor tilted his head. 

“Say, Damian.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

“I hear you’re a natural at swordsmanship.”

“…..please you’re exaggerating, your Majesty.”

For a split second, a faint feeling of vigilance flashed across Damian’s face.

I also felt my lips dry. 

There’s no way the Emperor would ever compliment Damian.