“Isn’t Charlize pretty? Isn’t she cute? I prepped her myself.”
I came to a standstill.
No, it’s….I’ve never seen the empress goofing off like this….
“So, are you grateful to me?”
“This time……*sigh*, yes,” replied Damian with eyes closed.
Damian kept his mouth shut for a while but when he spoke, he spoke with the likeness of a general defeated by his enemy even if it was for three words.
The empress had a victorious expression.
Turning away from the empress, Damian asked me in a friendly voice.
“Did you get those earrings and necklace from grandma?”
“Oh, right. You knew?”
I fiddled with one of the earrings for no particular reason.
The accessories the empress dowager herself gave were pink pearls.
‘It’s a bit quaint since I had seen one when I was younger, but the quality wasn’t bad and had a charm to it.’
Damian, who was quietly looking at me with a beaming smile.
“You look so pretty today.”
“Ah…..thank you.”
Normally I would say ‘Are you complimenting me now?’ as a joke and brush it off.
Only this time, I felt a little embarrassed for some reason and bowed my head just for the sake of it.
Was it because this was the first time I’m going out to a large social gathering as his ‘fiancee’?
Damian was still looking at me.
Just in time, the empress waved her hand in disgust.
“Stop squinting your eyes, go out already.”
Then she rolled her eyes and added another word.
“You’ll be escorting my Charlize, so do well. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Damian answered bluntly but his expression softened when he turned to look at me. It was different from when he spoke with the empress.
“Let’s go, Lize.”
“Ah, yes. Until then, your Majesty, I’ll see you later at the ball.”
“All right, see you later, Charlize.”
The empress gently waved goodbye.
Damian and I headed to our destination of the night.
Beyond the wide open door, was a grand ballroom with scintillating chandeliers visible from a distance.
It was beautiful, like a dream.
‘But I’m sure….it’s going to be like a silent warzone.’
I tensed up.
Damian glanced down at me when that happened.
“Something wrong, Lize?” He said with a voice full of concern.