I Possessed The Immoral Empress - Chapter 44

The sudden embrace from Ermedeline didn’t immediately register in Valliere’s mind, but she quickly understood her intentions.

Fortunately, tears were already streaming down her face.

Valliere added a touch of emotion as she wept, thanking Ermedeline for showing concern toward her.

In her own way, it was the greatest performance of her life.

Then, as a closing remark, with eyes still moist from unshed tears, she looked at Henry and said:

“Your Majesty, I apologize for failing to understand your heart.”

In response to Valliere’s abrupt change in demeanor, Henry raised his hand as if in agony, his forehead furrowing in silence.

His hand, initially intended to wipe away Valliere’s tears, instead descended into the warmth of his own embrace.

“Wipe it.”

Henry handed her a neatly folded handkerchief instead of using his own touch, then turned and left his office.

Valliere, left behind, blankly stared at the handkerchief she had received, then brought it to her cheek.

‘It’s warm.’

Ermedeline found this sight so unfamiliar and oddly intriguing that she left Valliere, who was wearing a rapturous expression, alone and quietly slipped out of Henry’s office.

Only Valliere remained in the Emperor’s office after both Henry and Ermedeline had departed.

She stood there for a while, feeling Henry’s residual warmth on the handkerchief.

“I, um, you don’t have to leave now…”

“Hmm?”

Only after the maid spoke did Valliere realize what she was doing.

Startled!

The handkerchief Valliere had thrown carelessly fell weakly to the floor.

“Uh, I, I mean… I didn’t mean to do that on purpose…”

In place of Valliere, the maid picked up Henry’s handkerchief, stammering as she tried to explain.

“Give it to me!”

Although she had thrown it impulsively, Valliere found it uncomfortable to see the maid’s hand touch Henry’s handkerchief.

Snatching the handkerchief from the maid’s hand, Valliere quickly returned to her own quarters.

‘Why am I acting like this? It’s just a handkerchief.’

Valliere was flustered by her own behavior but couldn’t help but recall Henry’s white and elegant fingers as she handed over the handkerchief.

Henry’s beauty was truly splendid.

It wasn’t just about being splendid; it carried the appropriate dignity befitting a ruler.

His bright, sun-like golden hair was blinding, and his blue eyes gave off a sense of reverence as if one were facing a vast, deep ocean.

Moreover, their eyes meeting had the power to make one kneel instinctively and feel a sacred allure as if they wanted to worship him.

Indeed, he possessed the kind of looks that left no room for disappointment when it came to being the male protagonist of a romance fantasy.

Young Valliere thought he was beautiful at first sight.

Despite the burden of having a man she had never seen before pouring his heart out to her, she couldn’t help but acknowledge his stunning appearance.

However, no matter how handsome he may be, it was a challenging task for a girl with zero dating experience to suddenly open her heart.

At first, Valliere was bewildered by the idea of possessing a character from a novel so she pushed him away. Then, she found it amusing to toy with his unchanging love for her, even when she rejected him.

Ultimately, the role of a woman unconditionally loved by the emperor filled her vanity with a satisfying sense of accomplishment, so she continued to push him away.

However, whether it was because she pushed him away too much or not, when Valliere finally decided to spend the night with him, this time he rejected her.

Valliere was taken aback.

She had thought he would come running to her like a puppy if she just extended her hand, but he had dared to push her away.

She was well aware that losing his favor would put her in a difficult position, reduced to nothing more than a mistress. However, her pride wouldn’t allow her to approach him first.

‘I’m the protagonist of this novel. It should be everyone loving me! Does it make sense for me to beg for love?’ she thought.

If only she could truly maintain objectivity, she would have set aside her pride and acted in the way that was most advantageous to herself. 

But this immature woman had become excessively immersed in her new life, in the relationship that had formed overnight.

‘Damn it! Why her? What does she have that I don’t? She’s treating me, her lover, like this!’

The feelings she hadn’t even fully realized were constantly fueling her anger toward the wrong girl.

‘If it weren’t for her! If it weren’t for her, Henry wouldn’t be acting like this towards me!!’

Crash!

An expensive crystal water glass shattered into pieces, scattering in the air.

‘I don’t have time. This time. I must use every means possible!’

Valliere stayed up all night, contemplating immediate ways to resolve this situation.

But killing Ermedeline turned out to be more difficult than she had thought, and finding evidence to bring her down all at once proved to be elusive.

‘I must… I must have a child!’

Valliere believed that was the only way to hold onto Henry’s heart.

‘Yeah. Last time, I was too subtle with my seduction. This body belongs to the woman he loves. Can you resist me?’

With her decision made, Valliere arranged for a carriage as soon as the day broke.

“Where are you going so early in the morning?” the maid asked.

Valliere replied with a meaningful smile, “I have somewhere to go.”

Meanwhile, Ermedeline had a busy morning ahead of her. She would receive a progress report from the mask artisans in the morning and planned to set up a schedule for the canal maintenance in the afternoon.

“Your Grace! Thank you for visiting at such an early hour!” she exclaimed.

Ermedeline greeted Rooney and Félio with a warm smile, considering them to be the only comfortable people in this place.

“It’s a busy day today, isn’t it? Of course, we need to hurry.”

While Ermedeline was meticulously inspecting the progress with Félio, artisans from the workshop began to arrive at the palace one by one, each carrying completed masks.

The masks piled up like a mountain were not only visually stunning but also comfortable to wear, the exquisite works of skilled craftsmen.

Thanks to a generous budget allocation, the work progressed faster than expected.

“This should be enough for Foundation Day! Well done, everyone! You’ve truly done a great job!” Ermedeline shook hands with each artisan, expressing her gratitude for their hard work.

“Your Majesty, um…”

Among them, the eldest craftsman, the one who had applauded Ermedeline first back in the shop, handed something to Ermedeline—a small, modest wooden box.

“What is this?”

“It’s a mask specially made for Your Majesty. It has the sincerity of all of us put into it.”

“Is that so?”

With anticipation, Ermedeline opened the box. To her surprise, instead of the modest packaging, a stunning and elegant mask appeared, radiating extraordinary beauty.

“This… this is… so… so beautiful. It must have cost a lot…”

“We each contributed to cover the cost. We couldn’t afford expensive gemstones, but we each worked on what we were best at.”

As the craftsman spoke, it became evident that despite having only one amethyst at the center, the intricate engravings, gold leaf, and graceful curves on the mask all made it a top-quality piece.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind piece made with Her Majesty the Empress in mind.”

“I see. I can tell just by looking at it. It’s so beautiful. Thank you. Really, thank you! I’ll definitely wear it on Foundation Day!!”

Upon hearing that their work would be worn, the artisans smiled with innocence and nodded in gratitude.

“But, what about His Grace’s mask? In reality, most of the work was handled by Sir Félio here…”

Ermedeline inquired about Félio’s mask, acknowledging his significant role in the process.

Feeling guilty for receiving gifts alone, Ermedeline glanced at Félio and noticed another craftsman discreetly offering him a box.

“Of course, we made one for Sir Félio as well!”

Félio’s mask featured a sleek design with a deep blue sapphire at its center. It was undoubtedly a mask that would complement Félio exceptionally well.

As Ermedeline watched, she suddenly recalled the brooch she had given as a gift.

‘Come to think of it, why hasn’t he ever worn the gift I gave?’

After the artisans had all left, Ermedeline cautiously called Félio.

“Your Grace.”

“Yes?”

“The mask you received as a gift would suit you very well.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

“Do you think it would look even better if you wore the brooch I gave you with it?”

It was a roundabout way of asking why he hadn’t worn it yet.

However, when Félio heard the question, his face didn’t suddenly turn red, but rather it seemed to become instantly flushed. It was as if his cheeks were about to drip blood at any moment.

“Your Grace, I didn’t mean anything else. I just thought it would really suit you… If you don’t want to wear it, there’s no need to force yourself! I really mean it!”

Ermedeline was flustered by Félio’s reaction and started pouring out words to calm him down, not knowing what else to say.

“I don’t know your preferences, so I shouldn’t have said anything like that… So, um… since it’s already a gift, you can do whatever you like with it! You can even sell it if you don’t want to wear it! I’m not the kind of person who gets upset over something like that!”

She rambled on, not even knowing what she was saying.

She hadn’t done anything wrong, but Félio’s expression was getting increasingly serious. She couldn’t understand why she felt like a sinner.

Why did she feel so hurt by just his flushed face and uncomfortable expression?

Seeing Félio still silent, Ermedeline grew even more desperate.

“I’ve done something unnecessary! It’s my fault for not thinking deeply… Who would cherish a gift from me…”

Her true feelings slipped out in her desperation.

Since giving him the brooch, every time Ermedeline met Félio, she discreetly checked his shoulders.

Had he worn it today? Would he wear it tomorrow?

After several days, Ermedeline finally realized.

That brooch would never adorn Félio’s shoulder.

‘Well, it’s because I gave it. It would be ominous if he wore it. Receiving something from me is hardly a blessing.’

Blaming herself and trying to forget, she noticed the mask again by chance.

She had mentioned it only in passing, out of curiosity, but seeing him so flustered was unexpected.

To Ermedeline, everything she had done, from giving him the gift to uttering those words, suddenly felt like an imposition.

“No.”

When Ermedeline’s self-loathing had finally lessened, Félio took out the brooch that he had carefully kept in his possession.

“I liked it. I have no intention of selling it. I just…”

“Just?”

What should he say? Just what?

Could she say that she always carried it with her, unable to discard or sell it, even though she couldn’t bring herself to wear it?

No, she couldn’t say that.

“I simply kept it as a precious gift from Your Majesty the Empress.”

It felt like someone was poking his heart with a sharp knife, causing excruciating pain, but Félio quickly composed himself and came up with a plausible excuse.

On the other hand, this time Ermedeline’s face began to turn red.

She felt embarrassed for making such a fuss over something trivial.

‘Why did I do that just now? It was so over-the-top. I made a big deal out of nothing.’ She scolded herself silently.

“Um, please forget what I said. I’m really grateful that you kept it as a precious gift.”

Ermedeline’s shoulders slumped. She had become tired from inexplicably expending so much emotion.

“Well, it’s a bit hard to just forget, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“Seeing you react so strongly makes me suspicious. Did you really put a curse on the brooch or something?”

Félio narrowed his eyes and asked in a teasing tone.

‘Oh, he’s just trying to lighten the mood,’ she thought.

Ermedeline, who had experienced him to some extent, realized that Félio was teasing her in his own way.

“Alright, I confess! I cursed it! I cursed it because you seemed so full of yourself, and now I won’t be able to see you wear it!”

Though her expression remained cool, and her tone was composed, Ermedeline’s violet eyes held an unbelievably warm sparkle as she looked at Félio.

“If that’s the curse, it’s all in vain. I’m already humble enough. I don’t go around saying I’m the handsome and brilliant all-powerful magician.”

“Huh? Félio, are you in your right mind right now?”

Seeing Félio’s confident expression, Ermedeline burst into laughter.

‘How much of this is he being serious.’

“I’m perfectly normal, so why don’t you go ahead and finish your paperwork.”

The two were soon back to discussing the waterway maintenance project.

And as Rooney watched them, she alternately looked at Felio of Ermedilin’s face with a subtle expression, as if she were solving a difficult riddle to which she had no answer.