The Evil Empress Adores Me

You tend to blush easily, don’t you? 

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“I- I can wipe it off myself.”

“But you don’t have a mirror… why don’t you just let me do it?”

“It’s fine.”

After saying that, Damian snatched the handkerchief from me.

I laughed since the way he wiped his lips was adorable. 

There’s a bit of a childlike side to him.

I poured milk into the cup and handed it over.

“Drink some milk too.”

“Why are you taking care of me?”

However, after taking the milk cup from me, Damian said something else.

Huh?

I was a little confused.

“You look quite young too…”

“What?”

“At your age, you should be cared for by others.”

Damian, who was closely observing me, suddenly added.

Taking care of me?

Me?

But I’m a maid.

Damian, who had a sip of milk, asked me another question again.

“Come to think of it, how old are you?”

“Five years old.”

“You’re five years old?!”

At my nonchalant answer, Damian almost spits out the milk he was drinking.

He grunted, wiping across his mouth with the back of his hand.

“How could they make a five-year-old child work…”

Oh, he sounded similar to the empress.

Without realizing it, I burst into laughter when Damian’s words reminded me of the empress.

“What, why are you laughing?”

“Someone said the same thing you said to me, crown prince.”

“Who was it?”

I glanced at Damian slightly.

Can I say this?

When I first told him that I was the empress’s maid, I was reminded of his intimidating expression.

It seemed like Damian does not care for the empress in the slightest.

I answered cautiously.

“Her Majesty the Empress.”

Mentioning the empress made me think he would become enraged, I prepared myself for that possibility.

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Damian surprisingly only ate the bread in silence.

He just put it in his mouth and didn’t say anything.

Damian, who was chewing the bread, looked back at me.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“Name.”

Name? What do you mean by name?

I tilted my head.

He stared at me, brushing off the crumbs on his hands.

“What’s your name?”

“My name?”

“Yes.
I can’t call you “Hey” or “You” forever, can I?”

Damian said with a grumpy face.

Oh, you’re right.
We haven’t even introduced ourselves yet.

I answered calmly.

“It’s Charlize.”

“Charlize”?

Damian blinked.

Charlize.
Charlize.

After thinking about my name a couple of times, he opened his mouth.

“You have an unusually pretty name.”

…… Why does he always add compliment and insult at the same time?

Does he have to add the word ‘unusually’ while complimenting me for having a pretty name?

Look at the empress and learn!

When the empress hugged me tightly, she told me that she wished she had such a pretty name.

Yet he used the word ‘unusually’!

But regardless of whether I was mad or not, Damian shrugged and picked up another loaf of bread.

“But that name doesn’t suit you.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Yeah, isn’t that too much of a grown-up name for a kid like you?”

Do you think I’ll stay a kid forever?

Damian cracked a grin.

“It’s too long, so I’ll refer to you as Lize from now on.”

Instead of answering, I locked my gaze on Damian with a look of determination in my eyes.

Damian’s face quickly turned sullen and looked at me.

“What, you don’t want to be called that?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

I pouted my lips.

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I have absolutely no complaints about the nickname Lize itself.

What I’m dissatisfied with is you!

“Can’t you be kinder to me?”

“What?”

“You also say I’m not suited to my pretty name…”

As I grunted, my eyes became glassy.

Damian looked at Lize with a gloomy expression on his face.

“Prince, do you hate me?”

Questioning him, I stared at Damian with teary eyes.

He flinched and spoke hurriedly.

“No, that’s not it…!”

“What is it then?”

“Charlize, I had just said your name was pretty, right? I never implied that I don’t like it!”

It was just that you were still too young and that your name didn’t suit you.

It was never meant to offend you…….

Damian, who had continued to offer excuses, eventually shouted with an unreasonable expression on his face.

“There’s no way I hate you, okay?!”

Huh?

Damian’s face turned red as he stammered to get words out.

“You look so cute, you’ve been nice to me, you’ve brought me food, and…”

“And?”

“… You came back here.”

Damian’s voice, which had been filled with apprehension until now, became suddenly solemn.

Damian raised his head.

I could see my face reflected on his calm eyes.

His eyes were unwavering and honest.

“I was so happy that you came back…”

“Really?”

“I’m serious.
It’s quite tough to meet people like you in this environment.”

Ah.

As soon as I heard that, I realized.

I see.

Damian is just happy that I came back.

It must be so lonely and difficult up until now, he can’t even open up to anyone.

When I realized that, I felt terrible for Damian.

I tried hard to smile.

“I promise you, I’ll come here often.

“Yes, but…”

“Trust me, I keep my promises well.”

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After hesitating for a while, I placed my hand on Damian’s hand.

It’s inappropriate for a maid to touch the Crown Prince without permission.

I knew that well….

But still, I wanted to share even a little warmth with Damian.

…… Just as I was comforted by being with the empress.

Damian didn’t pull his hand away from me.

He just shyly averted his gaze.

“By the way, were you so delighted to see me come back?”

After a while, I spoke to him in a playful voice, and Damian stared at me with a surprised face.

“What?”

“You just said that you were overjoyed when I came back!”

“When did I do that!”

Damian was irritated.

I held back the laughter that was about to burst out.

Oh, he had a cute side too, didn’t he?

“Hey, you!”

“Ahaha!”

I finally burst out laughing.

Damian stared at me for a long time and eventually smiled at me.

Yep, Damian is still only an eight-year-old boy.

Rather than being concerned about everything, it’s much better to show such emotions.

We laughed for a long time.

***

I went in and out of the crown prince’s palace as if I was a bird that kept coming back to their nest.

Damian pretended not to like it, but I always see him standing in front of me every time.

He was waiting for me in front of the dog hole every day.

Phew, this sad prince.

To think that a prince is this idle… he had to take good care of the country later.

I stuck out my bag to him.

“Ta-da!”

“What’s this?”

Damian struggled to manage his expression, but he seemed to be happy seeing it.

I smiled brightly.

“Today is a sandwich!”

“Sandwich?”

“Yes! The chef of the empress’ palace prepared it by himself!”

At those words, Damian’s eyes lit up.

I felt proud of myself.

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Damian recently has been gaining weight from the food I brought him.

Besides, the food comes from the empress’s palace, which is rumored to be the most delicious in the entire imperial palace.

I pulled Damian’s sleeve and took a step forward.

“Let’s eat it together!”

“… Okay.”

Damian was willingly dragged away by me, as if he had resigned.

However, I could see that he was full of expectations.

“What kind of sandwich is it?”

He kept asking me questions like this.

I was thinking about teasing him by saying, ‘It’s a secret,’ but instead, I just answered him.

“Bacon, fried eggs, cheese, and minced beef are in it.”

“Really?”

Upon my answer, Damian’s mouth dropped.

Oh my, how are you feeling now?

I laughed happily.

Damian developed a preference for meat over vegetables after some meals.

He enjoys meat and is now familiar with its flavor.

We picked a spot that received the most sunlight and sat down on a piece of cloth.

With the sandwiches and drinks lined up, I felt like I was on a picnic.

I said to him,

“Eat whatever you want.”

“Thank you, I’ll enjoy the food.”

Damian did not even refuse like before, but quickly snatched the sandwich.

Whenever he bit on his sandwich, his plump cheeks would shake while he was chewing.

As I looked at him, I felt a strange feeling.

‘He’s like…’

It’s like taming a starving, abandoned kitten…

Is this how it feels when a cat, who’s been hostile to you for a long time, nuzzles its cheek against your hand?

Damian, you’re so cute!

Damian, who had been fixated on the sandwiches for a while, abruptly raised his head.

He glanced at me with a slightly embarrassed face.

“You’re not eating?”

“Oh, I’m full.
I just ate.”

I drank tea with the maids earlier.

I pushed the plate towards Damian.

“I’ll continue to bring you delicious food.”

“No need.”

Damian answered like that, but it’s obvious that he likes it.