I Possessed The Immoral Empress - Chapter 42

With a sigh, Fèlio unconsciously bit his lip upon hearing Louise’s response.

It reminded him of the night he had spent in fear, keeping watch over his father’s attempted suicide.

The suicide attempt by Duke Batistian had left indelible scars on both the Duke’s body and soul, but it had also etched itself as a haunting memory in Fèlio’s mind.

It was the first time he had realized how one could be so sorrowful and terrified that one might wish for death.

However, to resort to such actions to threaten someone, especially to do so to the Emperor and, even more painfully, to his first love and long-time partner, Henry, left Fèlio grappling with how to process this shocking revelation.

“Is His Majesty… all right?” 

“Well, His Majesty is known for hiding his emotions, is he? There didn’t seem to be any outward change, at least.”

“I see. Thank you for answering. I will make sure to keep this information to myself for now.”

“I have no intention of telling anyone else either.”

Louise’s face still bore a serene smile, leaving one to wonder what she was thinking.

Even after her son’s death, she had been able to withstand it well, and since her husband’s death, she had become a full-fledged priestess of the temple.

She had given up all worldly positions.

She had been appointed as the exclusive priestess of the palace with an attitude that seemed completely unaffected as if she had let go of everything without a hint of resentment. However, Fèlio knew the real reason she had entered the palace.

It was to exploit the weaknesses of Ermedeline, who was both her father’s enemy and her own enemy.

Therefore, no matter how relaxed Louise appeared to be with her gentle smile, Fèlio knew that beneath it, the sharp blade of revenge was poised.

That’s why, until not long ago, she had undoubtedly been firmly on Valliere’s side.

Fèlio asked cautiously, “What are your thoughts on Miss Valliere?”

Louise responded evasively to Fèlio’s question, “I am currently studying the will of the gods.”

“Yes?”

“I have come to realize how easily humans can change, and how meaningless the word ‘absolute’ is. I still have much to learn and improve upon in my practice.”

“Ah…”

At first listen, Louise’s response might seem to mention Valliere, but Fèlio immediately recognized that she was referring to Ermedeline as the will of the gods.

“Do you truly believe that people can change?”

“I don’t know. So I’ve decided to watch with a humble heart.”

“You mean you’ve decided to simply watch?”

“That’s my determination.”

For a moment, Fèlio imagined how wonderful it would be to have this conversation with his father.

But the situation between Louise and himself was different.

Louise’s husband’s death and Ermedeline’s incident were seemingly unrelated events, with no visible evidence of a connection.

However, the symptoms his mother exhibited were a curse that could only be associated with House de Françoise.

So, even if his father gave up on revenge, it wouldn’t change the fact that Ermedeline might be linked to his mother’s tragic death.

At that moment, Louise gently pulled Fèlio, who was gazing at the ground in helplessness, into an embrace and whispered softly.

“Your Grace, humans have very little they can do as they please. They cannot even control their own hearts.”

“!!”

Startled by Louise’s words, Fèlio focused his gaze on her, but Louise remained silent, saying nothing more.

Fèlio also wanted to ask Louise what she meant by her recent statement, but he kept his mouth shut, uncertain of what response he might receive.

If Louise were to provide the correct answer, he felt he might die of shame on the spot.

***

‘Hostage,’

As usual, Henry lay down at the appointed time, but his troubled mind made it difficult for his eyelids to close easily.

It was Valliere, who had witnessed his suicide attempts twice.

Each time, she had wept and poured out her resentment to the point of thinking that he might die before her.

Realizing that his actions had caused deep wounds in Valliere’s soul, Henry had made a solemn oath before the gods that he would never do such a thing again.

That promise had been etched into both of their souls like an indelible mark.

‘Hostage drama. Did she really go through all that not because it was difficult, but to threaten me?’

Old wounds began to sting again.

The day he’d decided to die at the hands of his father and mother and the murder of his half-brothers. It was Valliere’s sincere tears that dredged up his soul.

Because of her, Henry thought, I can still live, I am worthy of being alive.

But then Valiere threatened him with her life.

She opened Henry’s wound, the one she had stitched up so long ago, with her own hands.

His wounds seemed to have healed on the outside, but not at all on the inside.

The tightly closed wound was festering and flesh was rotting away.

Blood oozed from the gaping wounds, and Henry sometimes felt as if he were choking on the stench of his own soul.

The long hours spent with Valliere, who had once covered up that foul odor, had now started to allow memories to seep through and reopen the wounds.

There had been times when he firmly believed that he wasn’t alone.

There were moments when he found solace in the idea that he was walking this difficult and lonely path with someone else.

Tonight would be a long night for Henry.

A long night where he would have to accept that he was alone again.

His loneliness had just begun anew.

In Ermedeline’s bedroom, a quiet night had also arrived as everyone had departed.

Inadvertently, Rooney’s nighttime nursing, which Ermedeline used to call “Kyung,” had caused a commotion, and Ermedeline had issued a strict order forbidding Rooney from entering her bedroom after bedtime.

Today, for some reason, the moon had not risen, and the room was shrouded in darkness, relying on a small swaying lantern.

It had been a day filled with intense emotions.

“Has that woman returned safely?”

It was eerie to have a man disappear from the streets after leaving his bleeding lover, but the Empress couldn’t interfere even in the love affairs of her subjects.

Ermedeline had nothing more to say to the weeping woman besides offering words of encouragement to endure.

‘Endure? Endure.’

Suddenly realizing her own emotions, as the time of solitude approached, Ermedeline’s soul was seized and shaken to its core.

Standing in front of the Han River to end her life, that frozen wound in late winter caused terrible pain in directly to every pore of her soul.

Not just the soul, but actually the body.

‘My friends, my lover, my family.’

The only thing that kept her going in a world where she was alone.

Only now, only now, does it finally dawn on her that she is all alone in this world.

It was for this reason that she tried to die that day.

She felt suffocated by the terrible loneliness.

Joy, pain, happiness, and sadness—without someone to share them with, they become meaningless.

Where exactly does one find a reason to keep on living?

The vivid fear of being alone started to engulf her once again.

But Ermedeline would soon shake it off.

Just as she had found a new purpose back then, she had a new goal now.

‘Yes. Let’s survive for now. Save my own life, and ensure the safety of the people from the rampant epidemic in the capital!’

The next morning, Ermedeline devoted herself to magical research from an early hour.

Today was the day Ermedeline finally decided to perform the curse magic for real.

She couldn’t risk testing this dreadful magic on a living being, so she decided to conduct the experiment using a freshly bloomed rose from the garden.

“I’m sorry. You bloomed so beautifully… I might make you wither. I’m truly sorry.”

Even as she hesitated to steal the vibrant life from the alluring rose, she couldn’t fathom what could have driven the person who had created this curse.

‘The theory is perfect. Now, all I have to do is bring it to implement it.’

Ermedeline closed her eyes and tried to sense the dark magic flowing within her own blood.

At first, she couldn’t grasp the sensation of feeling magic, but now, it seemed she was gradually starting to understand what it meant.

‘Now’s the time!’

At a single moment, she felt the circulating magic concentrate at her fingertips and immediately recited the incantation.

Surprisingly, the rose that had been fresh just moments ago quickly decayed and withered into a black mass.

It wasn’t just taking away life; it had completely rotted, turning into a black lump.

“What is this? It’s not just taking away life, is it? What is this?”

Ermedeline, who had never thought she could do this much as a novice, looked at the forlorn expression of the rose that had disappeared in frustration.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I didn’t intend for it to go this far. It clearly said it was magic that took away life!!”

It was an expected result if one thought about it.

Even though her body was overflowing with the Archmage’s magic, her soul was that of a complete novice. Trying to control it precisely in one go would be an oddity.

“It seems that the power I can use right away isn’t something I get just from studying. I guess I’ll have to practice for a while.”

But the thought of turning beautiful roses into this mess again was already giving her a headache.

‘Should I just not do it? Surely, no one would try to kill me again?’

She didn’t hesitate for a second.

Ermedeline immediately immersed herself in practicing magic again.

‘Yeah, they’ll probably try to kill me! Not just once, but multiple times! It’s really annoying!!’

***

Meanwhile, Valliere had been waiting for Henry’s visit all morning.

She thought that after putting on such a splendid performance yesterday, Henry would surely come in a submissive posture today.

However, the morning had passed, and there was still no word from Henry.

“Hasn’t anyone been sent by His Majesty to check on my condition?”

“Yes, there hasn’t been anyone sent.”

 

A maid lowered her head apologetically, as if aware of the situation.

‘Has he been greatly affected? Just over a wrist injury…’

Valliere, feeling magnanimous, decided to visit Henry himself. He wore the mask Henry had left behind as if it were a heartfelt gesture.

Henry didn’t avoid Valliere and welcomed him directly.

“Your Majesty, how are you? Does it suit me?”

He had made a gesture of reconciliation in his own way, but Henry’s reaction didn’t seem very enthusiastic.

“Yesterday, Your Majesty must have been greatly shocked because of me, right? I didn’t realize my emotions were getting so intense… I apologize for causing concern.”

If one goes out strongly, one must also know when to weaken appropriately.

Valliere looked at Henry with a pitying expression.

“No, there’s no need to apologize. I’m just glad you’ve recovered.”

Henry smiled faintly and gently stroked the tip of Valliere’s hair.

He was smiling on the surface, but the depths of Henry’s blue eyes were filled with dark clouds as if a heavy rain was about to fall.

“I’ll make sure to wear the mask. I realize now that I was too short-sighted.”

“Indeed. Whether you wear the mask or not, your beauty will never be concealed.”

As if he had resigned himself, his tone was soft.

But Valliere took it as a signal that Henry was trying to calm down and accommodate him.

“Thank you. Your Majesty always speaks so beautifully.”

Feeling better, Valliere gave a sincere compliment that had been a long time coming.

However, Henry furrowed his brow, bit his lip slightly, and nodded his head in response.

“I’m really looking forward to Foundation Day! I’ll do my best to prepare for the event so that it lives up to the reputation of the Trivian Empire!”

“Good. I believe you’ll do well.”

With Henry’s words of trust, Valliere’s mood improved even more.

“Of course!! I will definitely successfully host Foundation Day!!”

As soon as he returned to his office, Henry collapsed onto his chair as if he were falling.

He acknowledged that all emotional responses were now meaningless, but despite that, his heart still raced at the sight of his lover’s happy smile.

His first love is dead, and Valliere from that time no longer exists, He has told himself countless times. But despite that, in the smile that still closely resembles the person he loved, he crumble and shatter.

Even though he loves Valliere, his breath gets caught, and even thinking about parting leaves him breathless.

Henry just stood there, numb, on a shaky rope bridge, both ends blocked, waiting for the inevitable moment of falling.