I Possessed The Immoral Empress - Chapter 48

Rooney followed Ermedeline into the bedroom, leaving only Felio, Bellest, and Liena in the reception room.

“Is it really true? You weren’t lying?” Liena nodded, looking towards the direction Ermedeline had disappeared.

“About what?” Felio inquired with a serious expression, and mischief danced in Liena’s eyes as she responded.

“Didn’t Roberto say that Her Majesty the Empress doesn’t seem as bad as he thought?”

In her childhood, Liena, who was Roberto’s only close friend, had been acquainted with Felio.

“I heard you told Roberto that Her Majesty the Empress might not be as bad as he thought?”

“When did I ever…!”

Felio shouted back, his face turning serious.

Felio often visited his close friend, who lived near the capital, after marrying the daughter of a small landowner. Despite their families’ opposition, the newlyweds’ home was modest but filled with happiness.

Felio had never confided his feelings for Ermedeline to even his closest friend, but he sometimes found himself imagining Ermedeline with him when he saw his friend and his wife together.

He had thought he had concealed his secret desire well, but catching a cold and falling in love were things that were difficult to hide. It seemed like he couldn’t avoid mentioning Ermedeline at all.

“What’s all this fuss about? He said that your thoughts have changed a bit since you started working together recently!”

“Ah… yeah, that’s right.”

He had reacted strongly, fearing that he might have inadvertently revealed his feelings, but it didn’t seem like Liena had any such intention.

“Actually, seeing her in person, she doesn’t seem as wicked as I thought. I’m a bit more…”

Liena became aware of their surroundings, realizing that they were in the Empress’s reception room, and she lowered her voice.

It wasn’t a suitable place to openly discuss how he had thought Ermedeline was like an evil demon spreading curses that could kill people.

“Anyway, let’s head back now. We have a lot to prepare for Foundation Day tomorrow.”

As Liena continued to speak, Felio realized that there was little to gain from further discussion. He reluctantly ushered the two of them out and tried to calm his racing heart.

The intense afternoon, filled with preparations for Foundation Day, passed by. Ermedeline retired to her bed late in the evening, her exhausted body finally finding rest.

In her previous life, the goal had always been survival, and she had never had the chance to travel. There had been moments of inner conflict, where she wondered if she should use her meager savings to go on a trip, even to somewhere nearby. However, she had always deferred it for the future.

In reality, it was these savings that allowed her to move to a new apartment after seven years.

During her university days, one of her fellow part-time workers had mentioned the Carnival in Europe as they worked together. He was a Korean literature major, and he vividly described the event as if it were unfolding right before her eyes.

Thanks to that, Hyeyoung could never see the Carnival in person, but she could still enjoy it by picturing the scene in her mind.

However, tomorrow she will actually be attending the exotic festival. She would dress up in colorful attire and wander through the streets among people who came out just to enjoy themselves.

Despite her concerns about the pandemic, Ermedeline’s heart couldn’t help but be filled with excitement. She found herself eagerly looking forward to tomorrow, which she thought was contradictory, and she couldn’t help but burst into giggles.

‘May tomorrow be a joyful day, and may the pandemic not start spreading again.’

After a busy afternoon preparing for their respective events, the day of Foundation Day finally arrived.

The festivities were set to begin with a city parade featuring the imperial couple and the nobles. Henry and Ermedeline stood in front of a lavishly decorated carriage.

Usually, Henry would naturally accompany Valliere in the carriage, but this year, it was decided that Valliere would ride separately in a carriage following them.

“Masks have been distributed at all the entrances to the capital.”

“Yes. I heard the soldiers worked quite hard for several days. We sincerely appreciate your cooperation.”

“What’s there to be thankful for? The people the Empress trying to protect from diseases are also my people. It’s only natural.”

With Ermedeline adorned in subtle ash-gray and violet and Henry wearing a dazzling white robe with a golden cape, they looked like symbols of both the imperial couple’s dignity and the prosperity of the Trivian Empire to anyone who saw them.

Forced to ride in the following carriage, Valliere watched their procession from behind and felt her blood boil.

She had dressed as beautifully as possible, but it was all in vain. After all, Ermedeline had taken the seat next to Henry. What’s more, it seemed she hadn’t even paid much attention to her attire, as she wore a plain dress that lacked any sophistication.

‘You said you rode the same carriage every year! Why on earth are you riding with that wretched woman this year!’

If it weren’t for the impending ceremony that would follow the parade, Valliere would have stubbornly insisted on riding in the same carriage as Henry until the end.

‘Soon… Soon! That seat will be mine. I won’t let you take anything from me, not the Empress’s seat, not Henry!’

As they waited in front of the castle gates to depart for the palace, Ermedeline noticed Felio boarding his carriage.

Without even realizing it, Ermedeline glanced at his shoulder with a sidelong glance.

‘Oh, he’s wearing it!’

Finally, the deep and rich blue color hanging from his shoulder brought so much joy to Ermedeline that she forgot her composure and broke into a bright smile, even to the point where her upper teeth were visible.

Wearing the mask was such a relief.

However, the mask didn’t cover her eyes. Because of that, Ermedeline kept unintentionally squinting her eyes and flashing her eyes in a playful manner.

“What brings you such delight?”

Henry, who had been watching the scene, asked.

“No, I’m just a little excited.”

“I see. I suppose that’s understandable since you’re riding in the same carriage as me for the first time since we were married.”

‘Huh?’

What kind of self-consciousness talk is this?

Ermedeline resisted the urge to shout that she honestly didn’t even know she was riding in the same carriage as him until this morning, much less wonder.

“There’s no need for the people to know that there’s a feud between us, and what a comfort it would be to see the Emperor and Empress firmly united, so I’m only slightly amused.”

Now, Ermedeline had become quite accustomed to her role as the Empress and could conjure up a plausible white lie on the spot.

After responding to Henry’s somewhat detached words with a casual tone, Ermedeline looked at him nonchalantly.

Seeing her, Henry cracked a faint, bittersweet smile.

It wasn’t just Valliere who was harboring some resentment while standing at the front of the procession, where the imperial couple would receive the loudest cheers.

Felio, who had taken his father’s place in the carriage, also listened intently despite knowing he wouldn’t hear their conversation every time they exchanged words.

In Felio’s eyes, there was a moment when Ermedeline frowned slightly in response to something Henry said with a mischievous expression, and then she immediately looked directly ahead.

Seeing Ermedeline’s somewhat chilly demeanor, a smile involuntarily appeared on Felio’s lips.

However, when Ermedeline turned her head, Henry’s wistful smile appeared immediately.

Felio couldn’t see it up close, but something about that smile felt unsettling, and his heart began to race.

‘They’re a married couple. Jealousy won’t do me any good.’

Deciding it might be better not to see them together at all, Felio tightly closed his eyes.

Just as he was trying to find inner calm, the booming sound of trumpets signaled the start of the procession.

It was a sight she had never seen before, something she could only have imagined in a country like South Korea, where there was no such grand festival.

As they entered the procession, it was even more splendid and vibrant than Felio had imagined.

Against a backdrop of majestic yet lively music, a blizzard of flower petals filled the air to the point where one couldn’t see ahead, and the cheers from all directions felt like they would burst not just eardrums but hearts.

The streets were adorned with seasonal flowers and colorful flags, making it feel like they had entered another world.

But it wasn’t just the scenery that had changed. The faces of everyone attending were filled with unmistakable anticipation and happiness. It truly seemed like those who had endured the hardships of everyday life were being rewarded with a moment of joy.

‘So, this is why it’s difficult to cancel the event. Certainly, without such a festival, there would be nowhere to relieve stress.’

Fortunately, most of the gathered crowd had worn masks, although there were some who hadn’t. However, when the imperial couple appeared wearing masks, those without masks naturally began to put them on.

‘Oh, God! No, whoever called me here, please, I beg you. Please let today pass without incident. Please ensure that everyone gathered here can safely enjoy this day.’

Originally, Foundation Day, which usually spanned three days, had been shortened to just one day at Ermedeline’s suggestion. She fervently prayed that everyone here could return to their daily lives with only excitement and happiness stored in their hearts.

‘What’s this?’

As Ermedeline slowly made her way through the city, she felt a powerful gaze on her from somewhere. While she was used to being the center of attention, the sensation she felt now was different.

It was a persistent and sticky gaze, like being caught in a complex spider’s web that she couldn’t shake off. Following the gaze’s direction, she turned her head slightly and saw a man staring intensely at her from behind the crowd, a little way off.

He had flaming red hair and striking golden eyes that seemed to burn. Only his eyes were visible above the mask, but their intensity was impossible to ignore.

‘Could it be another assassin? Even with the guards surrounding us, could he really be planning something so brazen?’ Ermedeline wondered.

At that moment, Ermedeline remembered her previous declaration that if someone had a grievance with her in court, they should come and confront her directly.

She thought, ‘I should have just told him not to come at all. I want to live for a thousand years without any trouble. Why did I say such things…’

At the time, she had felt a sense of satisfaction in making that statement, but now, in hindsight, she regretted her unnecessary bravado.

But since she couldn’t turn back time, all she could do was be cautious. As her anxiety grew, Ermedeline unconsciously looked for Felio.

She could easily turn around to see him, but it would seem unnatural to suddenly look back. Instead, her attention focused on the carriage where Felio was riding, as if there were eyes on the back of her head.

Even though she couldn’t see him, she knew that he was wearing a sapphire brooch with a blue hue on his shoulder and was following behind her.

Just the thought of his presence made Ermedeline feel at ease, and a relaxed smile returned to her face.

Meanwhile, at the exact same time and place on this beautiful day, Valliere was in a completely different situation from Ermedeline. No matter how long she had been Henry’s lover before his marriage, her official position was still that of a mistress.

When she rode in the same carriage as Emperor Henry, no one dared to cast disdainful glances at her. But now, riding alone in her carriage, it was a different story.

The distance between her carriage and the one ahead was just about two meters.

In the narrow gap between carriages, the experience of the festival was entirely different for Ermedeline and Valliere. While people cheered passionately and sent admiring glances toward the imperial couple, the applause abruptly ceased as Valliere passed by. For a few seconds as the Emperor’s procession went by, complete silence enveloped the area around her.

Ermedeline, who was at the front of the procession couldn’t see this, but the nobles following Valliere’s carriage witnessed the scene. Until last year, it had been Ermedeline who had to endure all kinds of insults and humiliations alone in the trailing carriage, but the situation had completely reversed.

Henry would undoubtedly bestow the title of marchioness, which was quite an overstatement for a governess from a bastard lineage, upon Valliere today. However, on this auspicious day, he had ordered her to ride in the trailing carriage.

Nobles who observed this scene from behind were trying to piece together the puzzle, combining rumors to understand Henry’s intentions based on their own circumstances.