The Tyrant Empress is Obsessed with Me - Chapter92

92 – Senestia Family

“By the way, I haven’t seen Sushia these days.”

“She must be too busy with her duties to a duchy.”

Usually, at this time, Sushia would invade the office and said absurd things like, what is today’s snack~ could it be phoenix~ while seizing tea and snacks.

These days, Tong is nowhere to be seen.

Thanks to that, the office has been quite peaceful.

There were some department heads who occasionally came in to report, but mostly it was just Lia and Ascal.

In any case, since Lia did the work of more than ten people, there was no need to entertain anyone else.

“It’s a bit chilly. My hands will freeze.”

Although the empire has a mild climate, winter is quite chilly. Lia’s hand sorting the report has turned slightly cold.

“Shall I turn on the stone heater?”

“No. I have a better idea.”

Lia approached Ascal in the executive chair.

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And she firmly took his hand.

“Will you share a little warmth?”

A chilly, pleasantly soft hand.

Her neat fingers firmly massaged Ascal’s hand, then tickled the back of his hand with her fingertips.

“Lia. There is a fun game played with hands in my hometown. Do you want to give it a try?”

“A fun game played with hands? I’m curious.”

Ascal firmly hold Lia’s slender wrist so that blood would not flow out.

”Now. Try squeezing and releasing your palm more than twenty times like this.”

While being puzzled, Lia followed Ascal’s words.

And Ascal pulled Lia’s hand firmly, ensuring that blood would not flow out.

Finally, he went around in circles with his index finger on the whitened palm of Lia.

Her white palm turned red in an instant.

Lia tilted her head at the feeling of having electricity.

“The feeling…… is strange. Fascinating.”

“I used to play with it often in the old days.”

“I’ll do it for you, too.”

Ascal reached out his hand, then felt something and turned around.

The Snake (Cloud Dragon) and the white puppy (White Dragon) were looking this way. Thanks to the power of the divine tree, they had grown slightly larger than before.

-“It’s hot, too hot. At this rate, we’ll make offspring.”

-“I want to try that too. It looks fun. Cloud Dragon.”

-“Sorry, but I don’t have hands.”

-“Incompetent.”

-“Ahem, Ahem.”

Ashkhal, who felt awkward, cleared his throat.

-“It’s cold… turn on the… heater…”

This slow voice.

It’s a Celestial Turtle.

Ashkhal’s eyes widened at the sight of a turtle crawling on the floor.

-“…Why are you here?”

Turtles cannot regulate their body temperature on their own. They should be sensitive to cold and heat. Besides, could the Celestial Turtle walk on land?

-“Wat… water… need… dry… dying… help!”

There was none.

When the legendary Celestial Turtle was one step away from dehydration, Ashkhal hurriedly brought a filled aquarium. The Celestial Turtle swam satisfyingly in the aquarium.

The island attached to the back of the Celestial Turtle seemed satisfied too. A closer look with the naked eye revealed the island natives burning incense.

Anyway, a turtle was added following the snake and the puppy. At this rate, rumors might arise that Chief of the Evaluation Department is a pet collector.

-“Damn, you know what’s good, divine tree. Youngest, say hello to your seniors.”

The Cloud Dragon began to strut right away.

-“How ludicrous… how old… are you?… I… am two thousand… years old.”

-“I only ten.”

-“…Elder brother.”

The hierarchy was immediately established.

The satisfied Cloud Dragon perched on Ashkhal’s shoulder, crawling up his arm.

-“Everything is going smoothly. The divine tree has already grown half its size now. An incredible growth speed.”

“Come to think of it, didn’t you mention something happening when the divine tree fully grew?” Unryong’s voice fell silent.

Suddenly, a storm blew in and lightning started to flash intermittently. It was reminiscent of a murder scene on a secluded island in detective novels.

-Want to know? I think I can tell you now. The secret of the divine tree.

-It might be a truth that mere mortals can’t handle. Are you still ok with that?

-…The reason… we… gathered… around… the divine tree…

Ascal scratched his head upon watching the mythical creatures setting the mood.

“So, does it become the World Tree, or long-lost elves appear, or the owner of the divine tree can change the world or something?”

Suddenly the weather cleared up.

-How did you guess?

-Could you be a god?

-…Oh.

He had just said what came to mind, but it appears he nailed it.

-As expected of my contractor.

-You did well to come here. Well done.

-Later…scratch…my back…

The three mythical creatures’ evaluation of Ascal significantly increased.

Conversely, Ascal decided to significantly downgrade his evaluation of the three mythical creatures.

There was such a rumor among the nobles of the empire.

A lottery ticket that could make you a duke was circulating in the imperial capital.

Of course, the protagonist of that rumor was Sushia.

The one marrying the only noble of the Senestia ducal family, becomes the Duke of Senestia.

Even more so, this Senestia noble was said to be a beautiful woman with white hair. It was an opportunity to make any bachelor noble, or even an already married nobleman, or even a widow, lose their sanity.

Thanks to that, Sushia was under the greatest stress of her life.

“Miss, a heap of letters arrived for you today as well. There are altogether 131 pieces. Shall I read them out?”

“Send them all straight to the trash!” It was tormenting.

Leisurely strolling along the aqueduct used to be Sushia’s joy but now, it was no longer possible.

Last time, after buying a loaf of bread from the bakery, suddenly, ruffians threatened Sushia.

Strangely enough, a man appeared dressed in extravagant clothing, pushing aside the ruffians.

And then he said:

“Do you have any injuries, beautiful lady?”

Sushia ran away.

Upon going to her regular teahouse,

“Cocoa, what a lovely choice. Would you like to take this opportunity to try some adult tea?” A mature woman who, with one glance, could captivate any man, dressed in an off-shoulder dress, tried to solicit Sushia.

“No! I like cocoa!”

It seems that wherever she goes, these unnatural encounters ensue.

Eventually, Sushia had no choice but to live a nearly-forced reclusive lifestyle at the duke’s mansion.

‘ The appraisal office, if only I could go to the appraisal office…’

The appraisal office would treat her as she was used to.

But, there was a reason she could not go.

I’m in love with you, Askal.

“Huhak!”

Every time she remembers the confession she saw at the beach, her face turns red.

“What should I do, what should I do!”

Sushia stamped her feet in frustration.

“How am I supposed to face them!”

She didn’t really have a reason not to.

It would be business as usual, barging into Askal’s office with boldness and snatching snacks.

However.

Something felt off.

Strangely, she found herself unable to move forward. Her heart was heavy and pounding.

This had never happened before.

Why in the world?

“It’s love.”

The head butler diagnosed simply, having heard Sushia’s predicament.

“What? Love? No way! Me, in love with the minister? That’s ridiculous! I was fine up until now!”

The head butler responded.

“It’s common even for people you’ve known for a long time to develop feelings due to the slightest trigger. Try calling Mr. Askal’s name five times.”

“Askal, Askal, Askal, Askal, Askal.”

She felt nothing.

Sushia exhaled a sigh of relief.

“So I was just imagining things. Phew! I mean, I’m fond of the minister, but not in love. Right? I should get back to the Evaluation Department.”

At that moment, Sushia’s heart began to beat again.

“Why the heck?”

“Hmm. This time, try saying minister.”

“Minister… Minister… Oh…”

All this time, Sushia had been referring to Askal not by name, but by position. So her body was reacting to the keyword “minister.”

‘No, this just makes me seem like a crazy woman obsessed with a title……’

Su-shia denied it.

“Regardless, this must be some sort of misconception or a temporary phenomenon. I need to cure this disease. Butler, prepare a matchmaker!”

The butler took out the letters from the trash bin.

“Understood. I will find a suitable candidate for your consideration soon, so please get yourself ready, Miss.”

“Heaven knows I could never fall for the minister who’s thickheaded, often foolish, and occasionally can’t read the atmosphere and gets serious? There are so many handsome men in the world.”

Denial.

But Su-shia didn’t realize.

She had entered the renowned five stages of death.

The former Duke of Senestia, Doppelganger, had established his position in the Allies. His continual successes had amassed quite a fortune, and he had formed substantial connections.

“But don’t you feel like we’ve lost our purpose? Leader.”

“Yes, we need to take our revenge on the Empire…”

Doppelganger replied, wiping the fireplace.

“But the Empire is now too strong. No gaps are visible. And we’ve also lost the powerful background of the Duke of Senestia.”

“How long is left until the next transformation cycle? Leader.”

“It’s soon. Just a week left before the next transformation is possible.”

Doppelganger could transform into anyone.

But once he did, he would have to wait for quite some time before he could transform again.

“What about becoming the commander of the Allied forces?”

“Hmm. Will we be able to infiltrate? That could be challenging.”

“You’ve changed, leader.”

The tracker vented his anger, washing the dishes.

“The previous leader used to be more confident than this. They never doubted anything, no matter how impossible it might be.”

“Even if you say so……”

The doppelgänger sighed heavily.

Legs scatter all around, and all that remains now is himself and the tracker.

He can’t see any possibility of crumbling the empire.

‘I wonder how Cecilia and Sushia are doing.’

He might not be their pillar, but they could be his.

‘I miss them.’

He had initially planned to use them and then discard them.

But, as time passed, the doppelgänger realized it wasn’t so simple.

‘I can’t see them ever again. After all, I deceived them.’

A fake husband and a fake father.

Are they cursing him right now?

Surely, after deceiving them for so long. It would be fortunate if they weren’t cursing him.

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“Could I get one skewer of meat, please?”

“Yes, sure. Coming right up!”

The thought paused momentarily.

The doppelgänger quickly grilled the meat upon receiving the order.

“Here’s your hot skewer. Enjoy your mea……”

The doppelgänger paused mid-sentence.

A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat, was slowly raising it, tears filling her eyes.

“Cecilia?”

Why, why is Cecilia here?

The doppelgänger was taken aback.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“I’m sorry for lying to you all this time.”

“No, not that.”

She pondered.

When did Cecilia realize she was a counterfeit?

Perhaps.

“Why did you run away alone? Leaving me behind to come this far, to endure all this hardship…”

Cecilia wiped the soot-streaked face of the doppelganger with a handkerchief.

“I wanted you all to be safe. I even wished you’d loathe me.”

“The latter was a success.”

Cecilia held the doppelganger’s face in both her hands.

And then,

“I really despise you.”

Ignoring his dirt-smeared face, she kissed him.

Her hat got whisked off in the wind, and Cecilia’s white hair fluttered.

The doppelganger had a wife.

Along with the wind, a pamphlet looking for the prince of the night inside the store floated in.