The Evil Empress Adores Me

What is she going to do now? 

I met her gaze with ease. 

“Hmph! No matter how pretty any dress is, it has to be complemented with other accessories as well.” 

Thinking she couldn’t take a loss like this, Lady Bennett clenched her teeth and opened her mouth. 

“Those old-fashioned earrings and necklaces of yours, they don’t match that dress at all.” 

I paused and stiffened my shoulders. 

Old-fashioned earrings and necklaces?

But this jewelry. 

‘The Empress dowager gave me these as a gift.’

Oh God, she’s going to get herself in trouble. 

Lady Bennett glared at me with venomous eyes. 

“In fact, what does Lady Charlize know about beauty?”.

“Er, Lady Bennett. Those words….”

I hurriedly tried to stop Lady Bennett. 

Despite how disrespectful Lady Bennett was, does anything good ever come from speaking ill of Her Majesty, the Empress dowager?

But Lady Bennett was so caught up with herself she raised her voice as if to draw everyone’s attention. 

“Do you know when these pearls were fashionable? The knick-knacks were popular during my grandmother’s generation….”

“My apologies then about that.”

Huh?

At that unexpected voice, people turned around to see who it was. 

I let out a small gasp. 

Speak of the devil, when did she get here….

“I see you, your Majesty, the Empress dowager.”

I bent my knees and bowed to the empress dowager. 

Beginning with me, everyone hastily followed my example, becoming terribly polite.  

After that, I quickly approached the empress dowager. 

“When did you arrive? If I had known you were coming, I would have met up with you.”

“It’s fine. It’s burdensome when everyone’s eyes are focused on me, even when I’m idle, so I decided to attend sometime after the ball had started.” 

The empress dowager, who answered so squinted at Lady Bennett. 

“Just so you know, I gave her those gifts because I cherish her in my own way….”

Her smile was intimidating and bereft of any warmth. 

…..whoa, it was the first time I had seen the empress dowager smile coldly. 

“Perhaps you wouldn’t have gotten into this mess if I hadn’t given you a gift.”

As the crowd heard her words, they exchanged astonished looks with each other. 

“It was gifted to her by the Empress dowager herself?!”

“The rumors were true, Lady Charlize is favored by the Empress dowager too.”

“Well, then Lady Bennett…”

People stared at Lady Bennett from all sides. 

The situation came to this because her actions were no different than bad-mouthing the empress dowager to her face. 

Lady Bennett’s complexion turned as pale as a ghost’s. 

‘I feel bad for her.’

Even I, who had no fondness for Lady Bennett, thought so. 

However, the empress dowager’s words weren’t over yet. 

“By the way, what was it you said to Lady Charlize earlier, about not being a flower in a crannied wall?”

“Oh, t-that’s….”

Lady Bennett desperately tried to make excuses. 

To her dismay, the empress dowager would have none of it. 

Instead, the empress dowager gently looked over her shoulder. 

“What do you think, Duke of Rochester?”

“…..who said that about her? Who called her that?”

An infuriated voice rang out from the crowd. 

I swallowed my saliva. 

W-When did the Duke of Rochester involve himself in this?

His gaze was like a sharp blade, the duke scanned those around me. 

His eyes alternated rapidly like a sword being swung wildly. 

“Who dared to say such insolent words to the Crown Prince’s fiancee?”

As soon as the duke’s gaze reached someone, they hurriedly averted their gaze. 

Among the frightened crowd was, of course, Lady Bennett. 

Her Majesty, the Empress dowager, lightly shrugged her shoulders. 

“I know. I was surprised to hear that too.”

The duke gnashed his molars and strode towards me.

Then.

The duke extended his hand. 

“Kid….no, Lady Charlize.”

Wow, to be called ‘Lady Charlize’ by the duke. 

 It felt strange, maybe even a bit surreal. 

The duke gritted his teeth and continued. 

“I wanted to ask you to dance.”

“Oh, thank you.”

I shyly joined a hand with the duke. 

On our way to the dance floor, the duke didn’t make any effort to hide his fierce gaze.