I Possessed The Immoral Empress - Chapter 29

In the face of Valliere’s recent changes, Henry took some time to reflect on his own actions.

Hasn’t he himself undergone significant changes since becoming Emperor?

Therefore, he absolutely wanted to avoid having his feelings change just because of his lover’s transformation.

So he contemplated.

Through numerous ponderings and assumptions about Valliere’s changes, he sought ways to maintain their relationship firmly.

However, amid all these thoughts, there was one thing he didn’t consider at all,

that was Valliere’s changing feelings towards him.

Even if it’s a selfish perspective that knows only oneself, there’s nothing to be said.

However, the reason Henry truly pushed aside those thoughts was not due to his selfishness. 

It was simply because the mere thought of his lover’s feelings changing was as painful as his heart being torn apart.

His mother’s humiliation as she handed over the power to decide her son’s life and death on the brink of death, his father’s cruelty in urging him to survive amidst threats of murder from his stepbrothers after attempting suicide—none of these had hurt Henry as much as this.

His heart felt like it would stop at any moment due to the pain, but there were still piles of documents awaiting his approval.

Henry bit down on his anguish and went on to read the documents in front of him.

He thought he needed some time to distance himself from Valliere and sort out his thoughts.

***

For the next few days, Ermedeline was quite busy.

In the midst of all this chaos, Ermedeline was immensely grateful for Félio’s presence. She needed to hire trustworthy mercenaries to find her father, who was attempting to kill her and had to get things in order regarding the orphanage construction that had begun.

With the imminent trial for the attempted assassination of the Empress, Félio was proving to be a significant help in preparing for it and handling the other tasks.

Henry had offered to cover the trial defense costs, and Félio had refused any payment for his assistance with matters related to the orphanage, citing it as his duty as a noble.

Helen’s situation, as a sorcerer capable of cursing and killing people, was also something that couldn’t be left unchecked, and she was voluntarily helping to resolve it.

Therefore, Ermedeline was accumulating a deep sense of gratitude to Félio, bit by bit.

“How about this one? It shouldn’t be too different from your usual taste, right?” Ermedeline asked, lifting up a high-quality, gray cloak.

“Do you really think so? It looks like something that would suit Your Majesty just right,” Rooney replied.

“Huh? Suits me?”

She had chosen it thinking it looked luxurious, but upon hearing Rooney’s comment, it somehow seemed a bit plain.

“Yeah. You always wear plain, monochrome clothes, so there’s probably no need to add more.”

Ermedeline and Rooney were currently visiting the largest and most luxurious boutique in the capital.

To purchase a thank-you gift for Félio, who had been refusing money from them, Ermedeline and Rooney went shopping together.

At first, Rooney had disliked Félio for his arrogance, but recently, she seemed more than willing to help select a gift for him.

“How about this?” Rooney pointed to a brooch adorned with a deep, vivid sapphire.

“Oh, it’s a bit similar to the color of His Grace’s hair, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and it shouldn’t clash with the plain clothes His Grace usually wears.”

Certainly, the design seemed like it would create a reasonably harmonious blend when worn on Félio’s favored white and gray cloak.

“Wow! You’re really good at picking these things,” Ermedeline gazed at Rooney with admiration in her violet eyes.

“Hehe, I’ve always had a bit of a sense for this sort of thing,” Rooney said with her cheeks puffed up, clearly pleased with the compliment.

Looking at her plump cheeks, it was clear she was a charming nineteen-year-old girl.

‘Indeed, she’s adorable.’

Ermedeline looked at Rooney with a contented smile, thinking of another young woman she knew, who had just turned twenty.

The woman who would have been a college student by now was currently known as Valliere, even though she was deceased.

‘How can they be so different? The Rooney who had entered as a servant of the fearsome villainous Empress still maintains such a warm and affectionate heart, while she says she grew up as the heiress of a conglomerate. Of course, an untimely death could be unfair, but how did she grow such a personality in such a good environment?’

“Your Majesty, should I go with this one?” Ermedeline, who had been lost in thought for a moment, snapped back to reality at Rooney’s question.

“Yes, let’s go with that. And…”

“?”

“Pick one for yourself as well. You helped me choose a gift for His Grace, so I want to repay you…”

“Oh! No, thank you! It’s my job to assist Your Majesty, not the other way around! It’s unthinkable!”

Knowing when to decline appropriately, Ermedeline playfully triggered Rooney, who protested vigorously.

“Well, that means you don’t want it?”

Deliberately narrowing her eyes and giving Rooney a scrutinizing look, Ermedeline noticed Rooney’s complexion growing paler.

“Oh! No, it’s not that I don’t want it! It’s just that the items here are too extravagant for me to accept…”

Rooney, with a sensitive heart, was afraid that her refusal might hurt Ermedeline’s feelings, so she trailed off at the end of her sentence.

“Extravagant? Do I seem so narrow-minded that I’d consider this level of gift wasteful?”

“Oh… no, it’s not like that… Your Majesty, of course, you’re generous and understanding…”

Without listening to Rooney’s excuses, Ermedeline rushed to a corner and picked out a pretty silk hat, placing it on Rooney’s head.

“I’m not giving you a reward because I’m narrow-minded, but as a punishment. You have to cherish this hat until you die as a penalty!”

“P-Penalty?”

Rooney was momentarily bewildered, but seeing Ermedeline tying the hat’s ribbon and her mouth curling into a sly grin, she realized she had fallen for it.

“A penalty? What did I do to deserve such an extravagant penalty?”

Like for like.

In response to Rooney’s witty remark, Ermedeline, who had finished tying the ribbon, subtly raised her head and winked at Rooney.

“A cute crime, perhaps?”

As their antics had them giggling and elbowing each other playfully, someone slowly approached them, amused by their behavior.

“Your Majesty, is that you here?”

When they turned their heads to the unfamiliar voice, they saw another nineteen-year-old girl standing there with a cold expression, as still as a statue.

“Princess Viella. It’s been a while.”

In response to the Empress’s greeting, Princess Viella politely raised the hem of her dress.

The girl’s green eyes, which would have once radiated a pure light, now emitted a dark and intense glow. However, her manners were impeccable, without a single flaw.

The memories of that day at the funeral home were still vivid for her. She had known she was taking on the role of a despised villainess, but it was during that incident that she first realized the stark reality of people who genuinely wanted to kill her.

When she noticed the knife’s blade, Princess Viella’s face had remained expressionless. However, her gaze, in the midst of the chaotic situation, had been fixed on Ermedeline with unwavering determination.

The same intensity in her eyes from that moment was present in her gaze now, exactly as it had been then.

Certainly, Ilyenian Duke youngest’s death was, in part, Ermedeline’s responsibility. But it wasn’t solely her fault.

At present, Ermedeline is a completely innocent soul in this new world. An entirely innocent burden she had to bear.

Ermedeline had no desire to offer any justifications or excuses to the young lady who had just lost her brother. Instead, she simply wanted to offer her sincere condolences.

Ermedeline cautiously approached Viella.

“It is truly regrettable what happened to His Grace. I sincerely hope that you and your family can find the strength to get through this difficult time, my lady…”

“Sincerely?” Viella turned her head and let out a mocking laugh.

Her audacious and impolite words momentarily stunned not only Rooney but also the boutique’s staff.

“Yes, sincerely.”

“Tomorrow, there’s going to be a trial for the boy who attempted to assassinate the Empress, isn’t there?” Viella asked provocatively, her chin held high while looking directly at Ermedeline.

Given that it was clear who was behind the attempt on the Empress’s life, Viella’s attitude was unbelievably reckless and rash.

“Yes,” Ermedeline replied.

“It seems like it won’t be a difficult trial after all. Attempting to execute a Trivian Empire noble will surely result in a severe sentence,” Viella remarked.

“Well, I hope not,” Ermedeline replied.

A momentary flicker of unease appeared and disappeared on Viella’s haughty face.

“Currently, it’s believed that the boy acted alone, isn’t it? They haven’t found any accomplice who provided him with the knife,” Viella boldly stated, her ignorant bravery explained by this very fact.

She must know something about some sort of arrangement between her father, Duke Ilyenian, and Henry.

“Yes, they haven’t found any accomplice. He disappeared without a trace, leaving no evidence behind,” Ermedeline confirmed.

“Well, if you’re eager to uncover any accomplice, it might be necessary to spare the boy’s life,” Ermedeline deliberately emphasized each word in her final sentence.

Viella suspected that Ermedeline’s reason for wanting to spare the boy she had stabbed was a form of pressure directed at her.

‘People with twisted minds are hard to deal with. But with an attitude like this, no wonder someone tried to assassinate her. Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d give her a good slap!’

Of course, Ermedeline knew perfectly well why she had become this way. As a sister, Viella would never look at her the same way after losing her brother.

So even knowing that the blade could turn on her, she had picked up the knife.

Since there was no point in arguing with Viella when anyone with eyes could see that she was the culprit, Ermedeline held back her anger and concluded the conversation.

“Well, whether it’s necessary or not, the punishment will be determined by the one presiding over the trial.”

***

“What’s this?”

Félio, who had entered the palace that late afternoon to finalize the preparations for the trial the next day, looked quite puzzled as he tilted his head.

“What is it? Can’t you tell just by looking? I even added such a large ribbon,” Ermedeline replied.

Regardless of Félio’s perplexity or reluctance, Ermedeline persistently placed a small box in front of him, pushing it insistently.

“So, why are you giving this to me?”

Once again, he hesitated.

‘There’s a way to handle this.’

“A penalty.”

“A penalty?”

Handing him the gift box while calling it a penalty left Félio utterly confused.

‘Is this also a characteristic of women?’

“Giggle.”

Félio suddenly heard a burst of laughter, and when he turned to look at Rooney, she averted her gaze as soon as their eyes met.

“That’s right. His Grace is currently receiving this penalty, which he must treasure for the rest of his life.”

“I refuse! Why should I be penalized when I haven’t done anything wrong?”

Determined and resolute, Félio, who had decided not to back down any longer, admonished with a firm tone.

“Why haven’t you done anything wrong? Haven’t you glared at me in a scary way  when I’m the Empress, and even cheekily answered back?”

The box in front of him was a gift, not a punishment, so of course he expected something nice to come out of Ermedline’s mouth, but when she suddenly brought up something he’d really done wrong, Felio’s mind went into overdrive.

“Yes?”

“This is not the end! The biggest mistake of all is…”

*Gulp.*

Félio’s Adam’s apple visibly bobbed up and down, causing Ermedeline to almost burst into laughter.

“The crime of making me laugh.”

While Félio was still stunned, Ermedeline quickly took his hand and handed him the box. She then looked at him with a triumphant smile.

“How will you make me laugh this time?”

Ermedeline’s mischievous tone and playful gaze were positively wicked.

“Uh… well… I… uh…”

Félio’s mind suddenly went blank, and his vision seemed to turn white. He couldn’t tell if he was in a dream or if this was reality.

Félio struggled to come up with any kind of response with his currently non-functioning brain. Despite his efforts, his mind remained completely blank, utterly ignoring his pleas.

Ermedeline found the sight of the frozen Félio amusing, and she leaned even closer, her face now inches from his, wearing a wicked smile.

“Well, aren’t you going to make me laugh?”