I Possessed The Immoral Empress - Chapter 30

Ermedeline’s beauty, devoid of any malicious intent, was indeed lethal. Even if she were called a demoness, she was undeniably the most beautiful woman in the Trivian Empire. The power of her beauty, seen up close, transcended Félío’s imagination.

Her long, glossy, and radiant hair seemed capable of absorbing every bit of light around it, resembling the black night sky with no stars. Contrasting perfectly with her dark locks, her skin was clear and translucent, as if it could reveal the veins beneath.

Beneath her long, dark lashes rested the renowned mysterious violet irises, known more for a different kind of beauty than their unique color. Rumor had it that gazing into their depths could curse a person with a terrible fate.

Their beauty had always been regarded with more fear and caution than admiration and praise.

Félio, too, found Ermedeline’s inhumanly beautiful appearance unsettling, not much different from them. 

No, in fact, except for the past few weeks, whenever he met Ermedeline’s dazzling beauty, he couldn’t help but think she was definitely not human, almost like a witch.

Félio had never even dreamt that he would one day find Ermedeline beautiful.

But now, Félio felt jealous even of the small dust particles that lightly rested on Ermedeline’s long eyelashes.

His mind was in disarray over his unexpected emotions.

He wanted to hide his agitation, but his reflection in Ermedeline’s transparent violet eyes was a complete mess.

“Your Grace, why do you sweat so much? This is just a small token of appreciation for all the various ways you’ve helped me recently.”

While Félio hadn’t thrown any blatantly offensive remarks, Ermedeline noticed that he was drenched in sweat as if he had turned into a stone sculpture, and she began to pick up on his unease.

“In my own way, I selected something that I thought would suit you… It’s not excessive compared to the help you’ve given me, so I would appreciate it if you accept,” Ermedeline said, trying to ease the tension.

As Ermedeline observed Félio’s reaction, her mood rapidly sank. Félio knew that his foolish reaction was the cause, but he regretted seeing the smile disappear from Ermedeline’s face.

“No, I will gratefully accept,” Félio replied, and after a storm of emotions passed through him, leaving his mind empty, he finally regained his composure.

Honestly, Félio wasn’t sure what he was thinking during the meeting. He knew that Ermedeline had been watching him closely, but apart from discussing the prepared case, he couldn’t find anything else to say.

It turned out that the thorough preparation he had done as a competent lawyer was coming in handy.

Indeed, diligence somehow found its reward.

Félio maintained his utmost professionalism and courtesy until the end.

“Thank you for the gift. I will see you tomorrow at the courthouse,” he said.

Ermedeline was bothered by Félio’s unyielding demeanor throughout, but in the face of his resolute attitude, she couldn’t say anything and simply dismissed him.

Inside the carriage on his way back home, Félio nonchalantly retrieved a box from his pocket and began to unwrap it. What emerged from the box was a brooch with a deep blue sapphire that closely matched the color of his hair.

He had never discussed his preferences with anyone, so he couldn’t fathom how someone had chosen such a gift that he found so pleasing. Félio had no way of knowing that the one who picked it was Rooney. Nonetheless, he felt an inexplicable excitement, as if he and Ermedeline had some kind of connection.

‘Excitement? Me? About that witch?’

Félio suddenly realized his own emotions and frowned, tossing the brooch onto the floor of the carriage. The swirling turmoil of emotions that he had been suppressing with reason suddenly overwhelmed him all at once.

Félio’s mother, who had been steadily deteriorating, had been unable to leave behind any final words.

As a family skilled in magic, members of the Batistian House generally had some precautions against magic. Therefore, Félio’s mother always carried small enchantments to nullify or reduce the effects of magic within her body.

That’s why it was even more puzzling that the curse spell took effect and killed the Duchess Batistian within minutes, rendering her efforts futile.

Unlike her father, who had strong ties to the imperial family, Félio’s mother came from a family with deep roots but was located in a remote region, largely disconnected from the political affairs of the capital.

She had always kept a low profile in politics, never engaging in external activities that could have caused any trouble.

But even so, she had succumbed to a curse spell, right within the heavily fortified Batistian Ducal Residence, on her own bed.

Faced with the unbelievable reality, the Duke Batistian left no stone unturned in his quest to find the culprit who had killed his wife.

After months of relentless investigations, he managed to uncover a slender lead. It turned out that his wife had attended the same social event as Ermedeline about two months before her death.

Since Ermedeline had been conspicuously absent from social gatherings and rarely attended such events at the time, the Duke became even more suspicious of her.

However, Ermedeline vehemently denied ever meeting the Duchess Batistian. The powerful curse magic, which could only be wielded by those with the talent inherited from House de Françoise within the Trivian Empire, except for her daughter Ermedeline, was indeed a circumstantial piece of evidence, but it was not conclusive.

Ultimately, under strong protests from House de Françoise, the death of the Duchess Batistian was quietly forgotten and the case was closed.

‘Am I going crazy? Finally? How could I even think of being infatuated with such a witch?’

Every day, his father, who shed tears of blood, gazed at his mother’s portrait and vowed revenge.

Félio, too, grew into adulthood with a burning desire for vengeance against Ermedeline and House de Françoise.

‘Snap out of it! That woman is your mother’s enemy!’

He tried to deny his emotions by slapping himself, but the surging feelings within him refused to be quelled.

“Damn it!”

In the end, as if determined, Félio stood up inside the moving carriage, having finally reached a decision.

The road appeared to be quite rough as the carriage swayed considerably, but Félio stood upright without wavering, gazing down at the brooch lying on the floor.

With a deep sigh, he raised his right leg and then, summoning his strength, brought it down towards the brooch.

“….”

However, his foot merely jolted the carriage floor, causing minor damage, but he couldn’t bring himself to shatter the brooch.

***

Ermedeline had been somewhat concerned about Félio’s reaction the previous afternoon, but she simply didn’t have the time or luxury to dwell on such matters.

Finally, on the day of the trial, the defense of the boy who had stabbed her, or rather, the empress, was more urgent.

Ignored and despised as a villain since her arrival, Ermedeline once cursed the unknown person who made her possess this role instead of just letting her die.

But there was one moment when she was grateful to have come to this world when she rescued that tiny baby..

If she had any regrets about her previous life, it was that she never got to see her ex-boyfriend, who had become so successful that he had abandoned her, and that she never got to save the child she had wanted to save even as she was dying.

That’s why when the baby’s breathing became steady again, she was so happy that she couldn’t help but smile through her tears.

Ermedeline steeled herself.

She wanted to save this child, even if it meant plunging a knife into her own body.

She wants to keep him alive and teach him that it’s wrong to use violence to solve problems.

She wants the child whose family has been killed and who is left alone to know that he is not alone and that there is someone who wants to see him grow up safely and become an adult.

The defendant soon appeared.

It would have been expected that the courtroom would have erupted in boos, but the courtroom was silent.

It was a public trial, and there were many people in the audience.

‘I guess they’re sad that I’m alive, but at least I didn’t hear any applause.’

Even though she was there to save the boy’s life, the situation is still bittersweet for Ermedeline.

It was a stark realization that she was now the public enemy of the entire empire.

Ermedeline kept her head high, trying not to show any emotion as she sat with a stoic expression. But then, Rooney, who had approached unnoticed, gently took her hand.

“What’s going on? Weren’t you just telling me a while ago that you shouldn’t stay here? You were complaining about trying to save a criminal.”

Ermedeline responded with a small, affectionate rebuke in a voice low enough for only Rooney to hear, “He’s despicable too, but honestly, their attitudes really get on my nerves.”

As the Empress, she couldn’t openly display her discomfort, but Rooney could. She scratched the itch precisely with her straightforward words.

The trial proceeded formally.

The prosecutor continued to interrogate, and Félio, acting as the defense attorney, repeatedly represented the boy.

The boy was a current offender, and not just any offender, but one who had attempted regicide by attacking the Empress.

The nobles, who had some understanding of Henry’s temperament, as well as the common people who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the witch’s face, all agreed that the boy would face severe punishment.

They were all simply curious about what dreadful penalty would be inflicted on the boy who had tried to kill the wicked witch.

Finally, it was the victim, Ermedeline’s turn to testify.

She calmly stated the facts in response to the prosecutor’s questions.

“Thank you for your testimony, Your Majesty.”

After the prosecutor had returned to his seat, it was now Félio’s turn to come forward, ready to question Ermedeline. Most of the nobles were curious about why a competent lawyer like Félio had been brought into such a formal trial.

“Do you admit that the poison applied to the dagger is the poison concocted by Empress, Your Majesty?” he asked.

There was a buzz in the room. The spectators, who had expected only routine questions, suddenly became interested in the trial process due to Félio’s bold inquiry.

“Yes, that’s correct. The poison I made,” Ermedeline admitted.

She knew only that she had survived because it was a poison she had made, and that in the case of Helen, she had used a similar magic, deflecting the curse of House de Françoise.

“That poison with the curse is quite expensive,” Félio remarked.

“Yes,” Ermedeline responded. She had been able to estimate the approximate price of the poisoned dagger by looking through her previous customer list.

“And how much would that be?”

“About the price of a four-wheeled carriage,” she replied.

Considering that carriages themselves were already high-priced means of transportation, and the horse-drawn carriages were even more luxurious, being a status symbol exclusive to the nobility, it was clear how expensive the poison must have been.

“So, it’s safe to say that it’s not an item that an ordinary person could afford?” Félio inquired.

“Yes,” Ermedeline confirmed.

“Then, do you happen to remember who purchased this poison?”

Upon Félio’s question, Ermedeline first cast a brief glance at Lady Viella. Then, maintaining her cold demeanor, she slowly surveyed the other nobles who might have their names written in her ledger.

“How could I possibly remember all those clients?” she replied. “I do not accept customers who do not match my reputation, so it is likely that there was a high-ranking noble behind this.”