“An older sister from my neighborhood, who grew up with me, entered the palace as a maid and returned as a corpse. Her body was covered in terrible bruises, and people… they said it was the result of experiments with curses conducted by Her Majesty the Empress.”

Helen’s words carried a high likelihood of being true. Among the contents of the secret diary, there were entries detailing experiments with curses on maids, so it made sense.

“At first, I was really scared of Her Majesty the Empress, but as I spent more time with you, you seemed different from what people say. Saving the baby earlier and rescuing me just now… it all felt different.”

Ermedeline noticed that Helen’s impression of the Empress had quickly changed after spending an hour with her. While Rooney had let her guard down after receiving direct help that day, Margo was still cautious around Ermedeline.

“I have no intention of reproaching or killing you, and certainly not cursing you. So lift your head.”

Helen slightly raised her head, peering at Ermedeline with curiosity. Despite her slender body, her freckled face still retained a childish charm.

Ermedeline had revealed that Helen was a spy, but she didn’t want the young girl to be punished for her role. While Helen had served as a spy, Ermedeline believed that she could be redeemed or protected in some way.

Ermedeline unconsciously ran her fingers through Helen’s red hair, her gaze gentle. 

“Thank you for being honest with me. It must have been scary.”

Helen replied, “No, it wasn’t. I truly did something deserving of death. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to keep apologizing. If you’re truly sorry, you can start by telling me everything you’ve done as François’s spy.”

“Only a few words were exchanged. And… And I received this.”

“??”

Helen took out a small glass bottle from her embrace, containing red liquid.

“He  asked me to enter the underground cellar with this and retrieve Empress’s diary.”

“So?”

“I tried, but it wouldn’t open.”

‘It seems blood alone won’t do. Fortunately, this woman doesn’t seem like a fool.’

“So what did you do?”

“I informed the Duke, and he said he would go himself.”

“Himself?”

“Originally, he was going to come when Empress was in the Alchemy Room…”

“But?”

“Rooney blocked him. Since Empress wasn’t there, he decided not to let him in and blocked the door physically for the next visit!!”

“Ugh…”

Ermedeline’s diary contained evidence of various misdeeds and even a list of customers who would serve as excellent shields in the future.

It was something they absolutely couldn’t afford to lose, and he felt like they had been too careless with security.

“Luckily, indeed. It’s truly fortunate. I’m grateful to Rooney.”

“Yes. Margo immediately summoned the guards. Thank goodness she did; otherwise, the Duke would have actually invaded the Empress’s chamber.”

“Wait. But you said you summoned the guards? There were no guards in front of my chamber?”

While they needed to strengthen their security measures, the fact that there were no guards outside the Empress’s chamber was unacceptable.

Helen, unable to answer Ermedeline’s question, nervously rolled her eyes.

“Helen, the guards are people who receive a salary and work in the palace. If there was a dereliction of duty, I need to know. I can’t just let it slide because you’re covering up.”

Ermedeline spoke deliberately, in a firm and cold tone.

“Oh, um, well… that… only when Empress isn’t present, occasionally…”

As Ermedeline listened to Helen’s stuttering response, she couldn’t help but think that this situation wouldn’t yield much income for her.

“Alright, I understand. Ensure that no one enters this room without my permission. For now, I’ll let go of what you’ve done.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll make sure no one enters, I promise!”

Although she heard Helen’s desperate response, Ermedeline was still uneasy.

Attempting to break into the Empress’s chamber, could that even be plausible?

She didn’t think it could be overlooked, so Ermedeline quickened her steps towards Henry.

“What’s going on?”

Henry, who was busy with his work alongside his secretary, heard that the Empress had arrived but showed no immediate reaction other than a quick glance in her direction.

“What about my security?”

“Security? Is there an issue with the security at the Empress’s Palace?”

“It seems that today, while I was in the Alchemy Room, Duke de Françoise attempted to break into my chamber.”

“Your father, you say?”

“Yes, my maids barely managed to stop him.”

“Maids? What about the guards?”

“That’s precisely why I’ve come. There were no guards in front of my chamber.”

“Huh?”

Henry, who had been holding a pen, set it down on the desk with a loud thud and let out a scoff.

“That’s quite unusual. The palace guards at the Empress’s Palace are being paid regularly, yet there are no workers.”

After a brief moment of irritation, Henry whispered something to his secretary, Count Hallstein, who was sitting nearby, and then got up from his seat and approached Ermedeline.

“You must be surprised?”

His voice lacked the usual mocking tone.

Ermedeline involuntarily shrank back at the beautiful blue eyes that held innate authority but contained no malice.

“Rather than being surprised, it’s more like safeguarding the integrity of the palace is also part of the Empress’s duties.”

“I see. I won’t let this matter slide easily, so for now, you may return.”

After Ermedeline left, Valliere arrived at Henry’s office.

She seemed to have rushed over, as she was breathing heavily.

“Seems like you’ve been busy lately.”

“Yes?”

“I heard you were feeling unwell, so I thought that was the reason. You even refused the audience you had been begging for.”

“What are you talking about…”

“I was willing to understand you trailing the Empress, but beating the palace guards at the Empress’s Palace was going too far.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“I know that you exchanged letters with Duke de Françoise.”

Henry’s icy blue gaze left Valliere frozen in place.

“I… I was just gathering information about Empress…”

“Alright. So I’ve turned a blind eye to most things, haven’t I? But no matter who you are, you can’t just casually undermine the integrity of the palace. Do you really think it’s acceptable for a mere government official to overpower the palace guards protecting the Empress’s chamber?”

It was always like this. Henry acted affectionate as if he would give you the world, but then he would press you to know your place.

He had said, “Government is government, and Empress is Empress.” So, if you wanted to be treated like an Empress, you had to become one.

Therefore, Valliere had put in the effort to gather evidence of Ermedeline’s misdeeds, which seemed clear in her eyes but eluded her grasp.

She had invested money, time, and effort to collect evidence that could bring the Empress down.

But Henry, the one who had uttered those words, did nothing at all.

He could have taken the initiative to clear the suspicions surrounding the Empress himself, but he showed no intention of investigating anything on his own. He simply observed quietly and waited until someone crossed the line, then called them in to press them until they revealed what he wanted to know.

Valliere, somewhat resigned, smiled brightly and bowed deeply.

“I was shortsighted. I inadvertently granted an unreasonable request because Duke de Françoise said he needed her blood to collect evidence. I apologize.”

When he wants to press, one should never resist. If you simply let him tread on you as he pleases, he’ll quickly be in a better mood. But if you struggle, he will crush you completely. This had been Henri’s way of life since he came into power in the Grand Empire of Trivian.

“Hmph.”

Watching Valliere humbly acknowledge her mistake, Henry displayed a satisfied, faint smile.

“Do you really need to apologize so much? I only wish for your swift recovery.”

With a graceful smile that would enchant anyone, young or old, male or female, Henry saw Valliere off as he left the office.

Valliere, too, wore a compliant smile, relieved that she had come through unscathed.

However, as soon as she entered his room, her expression hardened.

“I feel terrible. Damn it.”

***

The curse was to kill the fetus, and she even begged to kill the child right before the month of giving birth.

As much as she wanted to confront Countess Elion and demand to know what kind of person would take money to perform such a curse, Ermedeline used the excuse of purification to send her away.

‘Ah, really… she wouldn’t actually kill the child, would she? At the month of giving birth… I mean, what kind of person would do such a thing for money? Seriously?’

Self-reproach flooded her mind. Ermedeline directed her anger at her own reflection in the mirror, even though it displayed her beautifully regal appearance.

‘Is she out of her mind? Even if someone is desperate for money, using a curse like that? Honestly, when I think about it, you’re not worth a life, even if you died… Why did I have to possess you… Ugh! So annoying!’

From deep within her soul, a well of hatred surged towards the original owner of this body.

‘Can I really survive this? Even though the story hasn’t fully begun, just based on what’s written in the diary, I’ve suffered numerous tortures and still managed to survive… Can I really make it out alive?’

For a moment, she questioned whether it was too rash to attack her own father.

‘Wouldn’t I be implicated if the Count’s family falls apart? Ah… I just wanted to save that child! Am I being punished because I couldn’t save that child? But I’m already dead, aren’t I? I really wanted to save him, but it was beyond my ability, and I died. Do I have to suffer for that too?’

Ermedeline felt unjust and miserable.

Not only had she been abandoned by her lover of seven years and died, but now she found herself in this worst-case scenario.

But this time, she wouldn’t die in vain.

Having acquired a splendid appearance and noble status, she didn’t want to die because of crimes she didn’t commit.

Ermedeline looked at her diary with determination.

With a resolute gaze, she opened the diary and wrote down the names of Elion, the Countess who visited today, the Marquis who commissioned the curse, and the names of the beloved children.

‘In the original work, I don’t know why they didn’t use this list until the end, but I won’t. Even if I die, I won’t die alone. I don’t have any allies anyway! I have to use everything I can!’

The next morning, as soon as the day broke, Félio arrived.

“The lawsuit preparations are complete. Thanks to your detailed notes, it was quick work to find witnesses to testify.”

“I see. Thank you. I don’t have money at the moment, but once I collect my debts, I’ll definitely pay the legal fees…”

“No need.”

Félio cut off Ermedeline’s words with a tone as sharp as a blade.

“No need? What do you mean?”

For a moment, Ermedeline’s heart sank, fearing that Félio might say, “After Duke de Françoise, you’re next.”

“That child, thanks to Empress’s mercy, was saved, wasn’t it? I’ll take the legal fees as compensation for saving that child’s life.”

“No, saving the child wasn’t done with any expectation of payment. I will definitely pay the legal fees.”

Although Félio rolled his eyes briefly at Ermedeline’s response, he soon nodded.

“Very well, as you wish. And about Empress.”

“Yes?”

“How do you know that infectious diseases can be transmitted through bodily fluids?”

Félio continued to gaze at Ermedeline with his transparent silver eyes as if he would only speak after hearing a satisfactory answer.

“Why? Because I spread the infectious disease, so I probably know the cause of secondary infections. Is that what you wanted me to say?”

Ermedeline chose to be direct. She didn’t like beating around the bush.

She hit the nail on the head, but Félio remained unfazed.

“About half of that is correct.”

“Half?”

“Yes. In reality, when we advised people to be cautious and avoid bodily fluids contact, the infection rate was reduced. If Empress truly wanted to cause chaos in the capital, you wouldn’t have willingly shared a way to prevent the infection, would you?”

“What about the other half?”

“However, the situation is different now. Isn’t this the moment when the Empress’s most potent power, your family, is under attack? It might be wise to swiftly eliminate anything that could become a vulnerability.”

“I see.”

Ermedeline sighed as she flipped through the neatly organized legal documents Félio had brought.

“Believe what you want to believe. Whatever I say, you won’t believe it anyway, will you?”