I Possessed The Immoral Empress - Chapter 46

Finally, tomorrow is Foundation Day.

Valliere, dressed in a splendid gown crafted solely for herself, adorned with expensive jewels, was entranced by her own resplendence.

‘Hmm, it suits me well. With this, I won’t be overshadowed by anyone,’ she thought.

As she gazed into the mirror, a mask placed on the table caught her eye.

‘If only it weren’t for that mask. But still, I have no choice but to cater to Henry’s preferences,’ she sighed.

Valliere had decided that tomorrow she would share her bed with Henry.

It was to be the day she became a marchioness, the most exhilarating day of her life. She planned to seduce him in the midst of that excitement.

She had read countless books on the subject and had purchased lingerie that would be suitable for seducing a man.

‘If I become pregnant, everything will change. I won’t have to worry about that X or tiptoe around like this anymore. I wonder if Duke de Françoise is doing well? I even went as far as to involve children who are more susceptible to the curse,’ Valliere thought.

However, the duke had already experienced a failure once, so she wasn’t too optimistic.

‘Well, what if it fails? When I become pregnant with the heir and become Empress, I can sort things out then,’ she reasoned.

As Valliere daydreamed about her impending ascent to Empress at the coronation ceremony tomorrow, Henry’s chief steward, Hallstein, paid her a visit.

“His Majesty has summoned you to the office.”

Though she didn’t know the reason, Valliere’s mood was at its peak, and without even changing her attire, she rushed to Henry’s office in a hurry.

“Do you summon me?” 

Gracefully offering her greetings and glancing around, Valliere spotted familiar faces: Marquess Ilyenian and another middle-aged man who seemed to be his contemporaries.

‘Shit,’ she thought. The moment had arrived when she would pay the price for her impulsive actions at the bookstore.

However, Valliere resolved to remain calm. Even if she was the duke’s daughter, she was soon to become a marchioness herself.

Moreover, isn’t the Emperor unquestionably higher in rank than a mere duke?

“Here, Duke Ilyenian and Marquess Bianst have something to give you,” the middle-aged man stated.

“Yes?” Valliere replied, bracing herself for a barrage of accusations. To her surprise, they handed her a single document.

“What is this…?”

What they had given her was a legal complaint.

“We will proceed with a formal lawsuit for assault.”

She had expected insults and humiliation, but a lawsuit? And for assault, no less?

Valliere felt her vision blur for a moment. The impulsive nature that led her to use violence against her classmates when she felt inferior had been a part of her since childhood. When things didn’t go her way and she became agitated, it usually stopped at breaking objects, but in severe cases, she had caused harm to those around her.

Of course, her parents had scolded her severely each time, but most of the time, they could settle matters by offering compensation.

As she grew older and entered high school, she had believed that this habit had disappeared. However, trapped in a corner, her past tendencies had resurfaced at the bookstore, resulting in this.

It was the first time in her life that she had received a lawsuit.

Valliere struggled to hold onto her composure and cast a lingering gaze at Henry. Her vision was still blurry, and she couldn’t make out his expression.

“You threw a heavy book with all your strength toward her head. If it had hit her properly, she would have suffered a serious injury. We cannot simply let this pass,” Duke Ilyenian’s voice was as cold as ice, sending shivers down her spine.

‘Should I pretend I don’t know about it?’ Valliere wondered, but there were simply too many witnesses, from other customers at the bookstore to Bellest and Liena’s maids.

“That’s right. If what’s written here is true, we can’t just let it slide,” Duke Ilyenian responded.

Feeling cornered and already overwhelmed, Valliere’s mind filled with a metallic ringing sound, and for a moment, darkness descended upon her.

Thud.

“Kyaa!! Lady Valliere!”

As she heard the maids’ screams and teetered on the verge of losing consciousness, Valliere had one fleeting thought: she wished that, like in her past life, when she opened her eyes, everything would be resolved.

***

“Whew. How do I look? Do I appear too extravagant?” Ermedeline asked herself, examining her reflection in the mirror as she tried on the dress she would wear to the orphanage groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow.

“What’s so extravagant about this? I heard that Your Majesty, the Empress, will be wearing a simple dress for Foundation Day! Besides, I saw Valliere’s dress earlier, and it was really magnificent and stylish,” Rooney, who had many complaints about Ermedeline’s outfit, replied with a somewhat irritated tone.

“Well, the purposes are different, aren’t they? Valliere will be receiving her marquess title that day, so she’s dressing grandly, whereas I shouldn’t overshadow the main focus, so I’m wearing a slightly modest dress,” Ermedeline explained.

“Main focus? Isn’t this event about Your Majesty the Empress founding an orphanage? Who else is the main focus besides Your Majesty?” Rooney questioned.

In response to Rooney’s question, Ermedeline stared at her calmly but not entirely without warmth in her eyes.

“How many times have I told you? Who’s the main focus of that day?” Ermedeline asked.

“Well… I mean…” Rooney hesitated.

“You mean?” Ermedeline pressed.

“You mean… it’s obviously the children who will enter the orphanage,” Rooney admitted.

“That’s right. So why do you keep talking about something else? I’m just attending. Just attending,” Ermedeline clarified.

“Yes,” Rooney replied meekly.

Reluctantly accepting Ermedeline’s words, Rooney’s face still wore a sulky expression.

Ermedeline’s outfit for the next day was a drapery dress made of elegant silver chiffon, with a purple taffeta robe matching the color of her eyes. Embroidered on the robe was the subtle and elegant emblem of House de Françoise, shimmering in silver thread.

After checking her reflection in the mirror, Ermedeline finally put on the mask that the artisans had presented her. It wasn’t overly extravagant but was a perfectly refined work of art without a single flaw. Perhaps only those with a discerning eye would recognize it—a masterpiece created exclusively for her.

As Ermedeline looked at her reflection in the mirror, she recalled the pair of masks crafted for Félio.

‘Would he wear the brooch tomorrow?’

***

In the early afternoon, just past noon, Valliere opened her eyes on her plush bed. After a nap, she felt her mood had improved, and her head was clearer. She was feeling so refreshed that she had almost forgotten about receiving a lawsuit due to the altercation the day before.

“Oh, you’re finally awake! As soon as you woke up, His Majesty requested that you visit his office right away!” her maid informed her.

“Again?”

“Yes.”

Considering that his lover had collapsed, Valliere had expected Henry to come to visit her. However, the formal request left for her as a notification made Valliere’s eyebrows twitch.

“He asked me to come to his office personally?”

“Yes.”

She was on the verge of letting out a frustrated sigh like, “Oh, really?” but what could she do? She had to go.

If she wanted her seduction of him to be successful tomorrow, she needed to create the right mood starting now.

Intentionally leaving her hair disheveled and wearing a modest indoor outfit, Valliere headed to Henry’s office.

“I came right after waking up.”

“Oh, I see. Please, have a seat.”

Henry’s demeanor was highly professional as he gestured towards the chair opposite his own.

“Once the trial begins, we won’t be able to proceed with the coronation ceremony tomorrow.”

“What?”

Suddenly, Valliere was taken aback. What was he talking about? Just because she had thrown a book, and no one was seriously injured, it seemed bizarre that the coronation ceremony would be canceled.

“Normally, during a trial, your status is fixed. If you officially become a suspect, your status cannot be changed,” Henry explained.

‘They’re supposed to confer the coronation by imperial decree! You can’t even handle something like this? You call yourself an Emperor??’ Valliere cried out in frustration, losing her composure. She had been eagerly awaiting the coronation ceremony, and the possibility of it being postponed was infuriating.

“This is truly strange.”

“What?”

Henry stared at Valliere sharply with his piercing blue eyes.

“Just a few months ago, wasn’t it you who said that the Emperor should be the protector of the law?” 

Under Henry’s penetrating gaze, Valliere’s heart momentarily shrunk before returning to its normal size.

“I’m not saying they won’t grant the coronation. It’s just that it may be postponed according to the law. After all, it was you who assaulted her, wasn’t it?” Henry’s tone had now completely changed, sounding more like a judge.

“Assaulted? The princess insulted me…”

“Insulted? The witness statements they signed don’t mention any insults,” Henry pointed out.

Before making excuses, Valliere calmly recalled the events. It was true; the witnesses hadn’t reported any insulting language from them.

In reality, they only refer to Valliere as the mistress and say that she has a lovely appearance. The moment that truly triggered Valliere was when they mentioned that the Emperor and Empress made a wonderful pair, but even then, it wasn’t an insult. After all, weren’t they actually a couple?

Valliere, who had been referred to as “that woman” after the mention of how well Henry and Ermedeline suited each other, had let her feelings of inferiority lead her to throw the book.

However, Valliere’s lips remained tightly sealed now.

She had thought that this time, she had truly become the main focus and that her feelings of inferiority wouldn’t lead her to do something foolish. But it seemed that her sense of inferiority was like a shadow that continued to follow her, no matter how much her world changed.

“I know how much you’ve been looking forward to tomorrow. That’s why I asked the Duke if they could drop the charges,” Henry explained.

“Really?”

Valliere’s eyes welled up with tears at Henry’s softened tone. No matter how much they had grown apart, her tears still had the power to wound Henry’s soul.

Henry made an effort to maintain his composure in the face of his lover’s tears and replied in the most businesslike manner possible.

“Yes. If you sincerely apologize to the two ladies for your actions and request to drop the charges, we will proceed with the coronation ceremony as planned tomorrow.”

With a gentle gaze, how could you say such cruel words?

It was only because she found it painful to be treated as “that woman.” Valliere felt her veins throughout her body expand with injustice.

Her heart raced so fast that she could feel each beat in every corner of her body.

However, Valliere decided to endure it, thinking of tomorrow.

It would have been better if she had been patient as she was now in the bookstore.

“Yes, I will apologize.”

***

“Your Majesty, the Empress!”

“What is it?”

While Valliere was just finishing the final preparations for the upcoming ceremonial event with Félio, Rooney rushed in with a bright expression.

Judging from her expression, it seemed that something had happened to Valliere again, and it was not a particularly pleasant matter.

“Today, the daughters of the Ilyenian Dukedom and the Bianst Marquessate entered the palace, and everyone was curious about what was going on.”

Félio, who had been listening nearby, frowned slightly when he heard the name “Bianst.”

“Is Liena here?”

“I don’t really know her name! Well, the reason for her visit was…”

Rooney tried to maintain a serious expression, but her eyes were already sparkling with laughter.

“Miss Valliere here threw a book at the Ilyenian Dukedom’s daughter.”

“What?”

Ermedeline couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of Rooney’s words at first.

“A book! A thick book! She threw it at the ladies!”

“What?”

Ermedeline was genuinely incredulous.

A thick book could indeed become a formidable weapon due to its weight and hardness.

Throwing such a dangerous object at someone was an action that Ermedeline couldn’t quite understand according to her common sense.

“Fortunately, the lady wasn’t seriously hurt as the book missed her, but it seems she’s considering pressing charges.”

“Charges?”

“Probably for assault.”

Félio, who had been listening silently, chimed in.

“If she formally becomes a suspect, her status will be fixed during the trial, so she might have deliberately come to press charges today.”

“Ah…”

Ermedeline sighed heavily at Félio’s words and sank into her chair. She had been contemplating how to gracefully exit the palace once Valliere became a Marchioness.

She knew that Valliere’s mental state had been unstable lately, but she never imagined that she would resort to throwing a weapon at someone.

‘Wow, this Lee Yerim is beyond imagination. No wonder why chaebol family’s exploitation becomes an issue.’

Ermedeline felt a headache coming on.

Even if she wanted to leave the palace, could she really hand over the position of Empress to someone like Valliere? She was already so unpredictable; what would she do as Empress?