The Evil Empress Adores Me-Chapter 66

It was a completely useless thought.

I was a maid of the Empress’s palace, and my goal was to ensure today's tea party was a success.

“If you dare to strut around in front of Her Majesty for no reason, I’ll rip every strand of hair off your head. Got it?!”

Lady Bennet’s threat was sharp, and she turned away as if even exchanging another word with me was unbearable.

With an air of arrogance, she strutted off.

Hmm, but hold on.

‘How did she even get into the Empress’s palace right now?’

The tea party hadn’t even started yet.

I tilted my head in confusion.

Was she let in early because she was related to the Empress?

I was still mulling it over when I suddenly snapped back to my senses.

‘Ah, that’s right. I need to check on the kitchen!’

Seriously, I wasted time because of her!

Muttering under my breath, I hurriedly rushed off.

Head Maid Hayden was giving the small banquet hall one final inspection before the tea party.

I quickly approached her and delivered my report.

“Head Maid, the kitchen staff asked me to inform you that all the food preparations are complete.”

“Oh? Understood.”

She nodded, but then her eyes widened in surprise.

‘Huh?’

I was just as startled.

And with good reason—Lady Bennet was sitting confidently in the seat of honor in the banquet hall.

“Bring more ice. It’s hot today.”

...She was even ordering the Empress’s maids around with a mere tilt of her chin.

With a baffled expression, the Head Maid turned to me.

“Charl, who is that lady?”

“She’s Leona Bennet, a distant relative of Her Majesty.”

“Ah, the daughter of Baron Bennet? Then... were you the one who let her in early?”

“What? Of course not. Didn’t you let her in, Head Maid?”

We exchanged puzzled looks.

A moment later, the Head Maid frowned deeply.

“That means she entered the Empress’s palace without anyone’s permission...”

Her voice turned uncharacteristically strict, and I blinked in surprise.

“This needs to be reported to Her Majesty.”

I glanced over at Lady Bennet.

Wow, she had some nerve.

How could she just waltz into the Empress’s palace without permission?

Just then, the Head Maid checked the time and spoke again.

“Regardless, the tea party is about to begin. Go and escort the ladies.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you or the Chief Lady-in-Waiting did that instead?”

“No, it would be more comfortable for the ladies if someone closer to their age greeted them.”

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“...Understood.”

After nodding, I quickly checked my reflection in the mirror.

I smoothed my disheveled hair and brushed the wrinkles from my maid’s uniform.

Alright.

Suppressing my nerves, I stepped out of the Empress’s palace.

“Welcome, and thank you for coming to the Empress’s palace.”

One by one, elegantly dressed young ladies began to arrive.

They all looked to be around sixteen at most, and their expressions were as tense as mine.

I greeted them as naturally as possible.

“I am Charlize, attending today as Her Majesty’s personal maid.”

After finishing my introduction, I bowed politely.

A flicker of curiosity passed through the ladies’ gazes.

“Is that... her?”

“Oh, you mean the girl Her Majesty cherishes?”

“I heard rumors, but she’s even smaller than I expected.”

Ladies...

You do realize I can hear you, right?

I forced an awkward smile.

“The maids inside will guide you to the banquet hall.”

“Oh, alright.”

The ladies nodded and made their way inside.

Once everyone had entered, I followed behind them.

As soon as I stepped into the hall, one figure immediately stood out.

“You all know that I’m Her Majesty’s second cousin, don’t you?”

As expected, it was Lady Bennet.

She tilted her chin with an air of superiority, and the other ladies couldn’t completely hide their discomfort.

“Ah... yes.”

“I see...”

...But even if they didn’t like it, none of them dared to outright oppose her.

I mean, could they?

She was the Empress’s relative. Who would dare challenge that?

And besides, Her Majesty was personally attending today’s tea time.

“Her Majesty, the Empress, is arriving.”

Right on cue, Head Maid Hayden’s voice rang out.

At the same time, the Empress entered the banquet hall.

Beside her stood Diamid, impeccably groomed.

His presence was so striking that his face seemed to shine.

‘As expected of Her Majesty. She really is thoughtful...!’

I felt a wave of admiration.

The fact that the Empress brought Diamid with her was a statement—it showed that she considered him an equal.

The ladies immediately rose from their seats and greeted her.

“We greet Your Majesty.”

“We greet Your Majesty.”

The Empress nodded gracefully, her smile radiating elegance.

I clutched my chest without realizing it.

How could Her Majesty be this stunning?

Even among all these noble ladies, she stood out effortlessly.

If a freshly bloomed rose took human form, it would look like her.

I was still captivated when—

“Oh... my...”

A hushed gasp broke the silence.

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It came from none other than Lady Bennet.

Her eyes sparkled like they were holding stardust as she stared at Diamid.

Even Diamid, unable to handle the intensity of her gaze, averted his eyes in discomfort.

Her expression was so blatant that the other ladies started glancing at each other, exchanging looks.

I found my jaw dropping.

‘Wow, Lady Bennet must have been ridiculously spoiled at home.’

I mean, how else could she be so shamelessly expressive in front of others?

Then, as if regaining her senses, Lady Bennet turned to the Empress and began fawning over her.

“Your Majesty! It is such an honor to meet you in person! I am Leona Bennet!”

...Was that really how you were supposed to address the Empress?

Maybe it was because of my past encounters with her, but I found Lady Bennet’s behavior grating.

Just as I was thinking that—

A chilling voice cut through the room.

“Leona Bennet? I heard about you just a moment ago.”

The Empress’s gaze was cold as she stared down at Lady Bennet.

“Even if you share a drop of Rochester’s blood, that does not make you the Empress, does it?”

“P-pardon?”

“What gives you the right to enter my palace before the tea party even began, without my permission?”

The atmosphere turned frigid in an instant.

Realizing that things were taking a bad turn, Lady Bennet paled.

The Empress continued mercilessly.

“I have already been informed of everything.”

“Y-Your Majesty...?”

“The guards of the Empress’s palace have reported the entire situation to me.”

Lady Bennet’s face looked as if she had been struck.

“You threatened them, saying that since you were my relative, they would all be dismissed if they didn’t let you in.”

“T-that’s not—!”

“They allowed you in because they had no choice.”

At a loss for words, Lady Bennet bit her lip.

The Empress smirked.

“You even claimed that I personally invited you. How curious.”

Her tilted head and mocking smile were sharper than broken glass.

“I don’t recall ever saying such a thing.”

“......”

“......”

A cold silence fell over the room.

Even if it was a minor offense, falsely invoking the Empress’s authority was a grave crime.

“Who are you to decide who gets dismissed from my palace?”

“Y-Your Majesty! I... that is...!”

Lady Bennet desperately tried to explain.

The Empress watched her with quiet ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) amusement before sighing.

“I will let it slide this once, since His Highness is present.”

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty...!”

“But if you provoke me again...”

The warmth vanished from her voice.

“...I won’t just hold you accountable—I’ll hold the entire Bennet family responsible. Do you understand?”

Lady Bennet froze.

Then, with a serene expression, the Empress turned to the rest of the room.

“My apologies if I startled you all.”

“Oh, not at all, Your Majesty.”

“Please, don’t worry about it.”

The ladies shook their heads hastily, yet their lips twitched in barely concealed satisfaction.

And honestly, I couldn’t blame them.

It was incredibly satisfying to watch Lady Bennet get put in her place.

Even if she was the Empress’s relative, she had no right to act superior to the other noble ladies.

Without that title, she was the lowest-ranked person here.

‘Normally, I don’t care about social status...’

But since Lady Bennet was the one who started it...

I glanced at her.

Her lips were tightly pressed together, pale with shock.

Hmm, looks like she’ll be quiet for a while.

I smirked.