In the later part of the novel, one of the prominent families leading the attack on the Empress alongside Valière was the Batistian House. In truth, Ermedeline stayed up all night searching through her diary in the hope of finding even a single weakness of Félio’s. However, disappointingly, no matter how thoroughly she combed through the pages, she couldn’t find anything incriminating.

Félio, from her previous experiences, was not the kind of person who could be swayed by threats or clumsy persuasion. Ermedeline didn’t want to hastily respond and reveal her vulnerabilities for no reason. Her early start in social life in her previous life had taught her the basic skills of social etiquette.

When you don’t know something and are in a disadvantageous position, it’s best to choose your words carefully.

Félio tilted his head briefly as if pondering something in response to Ermedeline’s vague response, but soon he straightened his head and looked down at Ermedeline with a dignified demeanor.

“Then let’s go submit the legal documents now.”

***

‘Of course, I knew you’d come.’

Ermedeline wore an exasperated expression as she watched Duke de Françoise, who seemed itching to cause a scene but was blocked by the guards, unable to do anything.

Henry had replaced all the guards in the Empress’s palace, and the new guards were faithfully carrying out their duties.

“Do you dare to think you can behave like this and get away with it? Are you truly ready for Ferdant’s death?”

Previously, Duke de Françoise had always been cautious when mentioning the name Ferdant. But now, it seemed there was no restraint left in him, as he found himself cornered.

“Yes, that’s correct. From now on, I’ve decided to be concerned only with the security of the nation as its Empress.”

“You heartless woman! Fine! This grave is of your own making! Soon, you’ll regret it and be consumed by remorse!”

“Before I regret it, Duke, you should refrain from speaking, for you are the one who will be tried for daring to lay a hand on an imperial family member. The guardsmen who are standing outside listening to this conversation are not the ones the Duke recruited; they were handpicked by the Emperor himself.”

Duke de Françoise felt a mix of intense hatred and anger towards his defiant daughter, but for the moment, he had to acknowledge her words. It wouldn’t be in his favor to continue making unfavorable statements.

He lowered his voice. “Since Her Majesty the Empress has come out like this, I have nothing more to say. I too shall demonstrate my intentions through my actions.”

It wasn’t clear what he intended to demonstrate, but the Duke turned and left the Empress’s quarters.

“Phew.”

Even though Ermedeline had stood her ground confidently, as soon as the Duke disappeared, she felt her legs go weak. She took a hesitant step back and lowered herself into a chair. Rooney, with a worried expression, approached.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty the Empress?”

Ermedeline nodded slightly to indicate that she was fine, but she placed her hand against her forehead.

“Where is Helen?”

“Pardon?”

“Find Helen for me.”

“She was with me just a moment ago.”

“Still, please find her. Quickly.”

Ermedeline had a foreboding feeling, and she urged Rooney urgently. 

With a puzzled expression, Rooney went off to search for Helen. After a short while, he returned with a bewildered look on his face.

“She’s gone! She’s not the type to suddenly disappear, but she’s nowhere nearby.”

Once again, there was no escaping the persistent sense of impending doom.

“Find out if the Duke went alone to the magic circle guarded by the soldiers,” Ermedeline instructed, her tone serious. Rooney nodded with a determined look in his eyes and hurried to the underground chamber in the palace where the magic circle was located.

***

“What do you mean?”

“The Duke didn’t use the magic circle.”

“Then?”

“He left in a carriage… with one young maid with red hair accompanying him.”

“What?”

*Crash!*

Ermedeline, who had been listening to Rooney’s words, suddenly jumped up, causing the heavy chair she had been sitting on to topple over.

“When did he take her? Did he forcibly take her?”

“I don’t think so. If that were the case, the guards wouldn’t have stayed idle.”

“So, she went after him on her own?”

“Well, I’m not sure about that part…”

‘Was she coerced? Or did she never intend to betray the Duke in the first place?’

It was unsettling. If Helen had left on her own because she was blinded by the rewards the Duke had offered, there might be no need to worry. But what if she had been threatened into leaving?

Regardless of the circumstances, it was certain that Helen had gone with the Duke. Ermedeline shuddered as she remembered Helen confessing her role as a spy. She had started this work out of a desperate desire to survive, but she never wanted to take lives just to save her own.

Before the possession, she had been a person of common sense.

Ermedeline briefly considered contacting Duke de Françoise immediately but changed her mind.

“Request an audience with Félio,” she instructed instead.

Before Ermedeline’s words were even finished, Rooney informed her that Félio had arrived.

“Oh, I was just about to contact you. What brings you here?” Ermedeline asked.

“Don’t you know?” Félio replied.

“What are you talking about?”

Ermedeline looked puzzled as she watched Félio appear suddenly and speak cryptic words.

“I heard an interesting story after parting ways with Her Majesty the Empress this morning,” Félio said.

“What story are you referring to?”

“Do you know about Ferdant?”

That name again. It kept resurfacing at the most unexpected moments.

“Why that name?”

“I hear the Duke is closely monitoring that child.”

“Is that so?”

It was easier to feign ignorance since she truly didn’t know anything.

“They say the child who was confined beneath the Duke’s estate is heading to the capital.”

“…”

Given how Duke de Françoise kept mentioning that name, it was evident that the child held some significance to her former self. However, the current Ermedeline knew very little about the child, only the name and a small portrait she had seen.

She was clearly not related to the child in any way.

When Ermedeline remained silent, Fèlio gave a cold smile, as if he had expected this reaction, and drove a dagger into her heart with his words.

“Indeed, the title of ‘witch’ is well-deserved. You value borrowed money more than the safety of your own child.”

“Child?”

“Don’t play dumb. Ferdant, isn’t he the illegitimate child you bore before entering the palace?”

“??”

Ermedeline was genuinely taken aback. In the novel, her nickname might have been the “Immoral Empress,” and she might have had numerous lovers, but a secret child? This was a story that had never been mentioned in the original work.

She was so shocked that she couldn’t muster any response. Fèlio, thinking that her reaction was just an act, intensified his tone, his words cutting deeper.

“Duke de Françoise has been handling that child with such caution that it raised suspicions, so I conducted a thorough investigation. There’s no need to play dumb. But even without an investigation, one look at the child’s face is enough to tell the truth. That child shares the bloodline of the Empress. Yet, you pretended not to know… I truly don’t know how to react.”

Fèlio’s icy gaze and sharp voice pierced Ermedeline’s heart, inflicting even greater wounds. He turned away as though he had finished his business, collecting his documents.

“Since it’s a child born before becoming Empress, it may not amount to treason, but the Emperor should have known this fact before the marriage.”

It felt more like someone was digging into her mind with razor-sharp fingernails rather than a mere blow to the head with a hammer.

Ferdant.

She had tried to ignore it, but every time she heard that unfamiliar name, her heart raced despite her owner’s indifference. Her usually stoic heart, which hardly reacted even when she was angry or surprised, went wild as if about to explode when that name was mentioned.

‘A child…,’ Ermedeline thought, finally understanding why her heart had such an intense reaction to that name.

It seemed that even though her soul had left her physical body, her feelings for her son were imprinted on her flesh-bound heart.

“Ugh, this is driving me insane.”

A hidden son, concealed by the Empress. And to think, he was an illegitimate child.

It would have been nice if the author had provided more detailed information about the past of the antagonist, perhaps to elicit some sympathy from the readers. However, it seemed that the author didn’t want to evoke any sympathy for the antagonist, as Ermedeline’s past actions were hardly mentioned in the original novel.

‘I wish such an important matter had been described in the original novel.’

But there was no use complaining, as the author likely never anticipated that one of the readers would end up in the shoes of the antagonist, of all characters.

Fortunately, the original setting of the novel was in medieval Europe, where noblewomen often engaged in strategic marriages. However, Ermedeline wasn’t an ordinary noblewoman; she was the Empress. Even in a place where strategic marriages were common, having an illegitimate child would undoubtedly lead to a major scandal.

‘Does Henry know about this?’ Ermedeline wondered.

If he did, it might not be such a problem. But if he didn’t know, or worse, if he knew but pretended not to, then the Empress’s image, which was already tarnished, would be irreparably damaged.

‘Surely, they wouldn’t harm the child? They must be bringing him to the capital for negotiations.’

‘No, even if it’s illegitimate, isn’t he his own grandson, and you raised him in a dungeon?

After briefly considering her own safety, Ermedeline’s concern shifted back to the child. The Duke had made menacing threats concerning the child on multiple occasions, making her worry even more.

“I mean, it’s his grandchild, would he really do such a thing?”

“Contact the Duke. Ask him to return to the palace.”

Ermedeline, who had been trying to feign ignorance, finally gave in to her racing heart and decided to speak with the Duke again. The Duke promptly returned to the palace, as if he had been waiting for the summons.

“How dare you…”

“Where is he?”

“What?”

“Ferdant, where is he?”

“Where is he?”

Doubt flickered in the Duke’s purple eyes.

“You brought him to the capital?”

“Ah, well, yes. I brought him.”

“Is he hurt in any way?”

Ermedeline felt her forehead tense as the Duke scrutinized his daughter as if searching for something.

“Not yet. I’m still deciding whether to slit his throat right in front of your eyes or make him a witness in court.”

Ermedeline felt her temples throbbing. Regardless of their dysfunctional parent-child relationship, it was outrageous to even consider slit his own grandchild in front of her.

Ermedeline couldn’t help but pity the child who had lived under such a monstrous parent, especially in confinement.

“If a single finger of the child is harmed, it won’t end with just losing your wealth.”

“Is that so? What can you do? You’ve lost your leverage.”

“I can do plenty. After all, it’s family business, isn’t it? Duke, you must know that there are many curses that can make life more miserable than death.”

Indeed, it seemed that the original Ermedeline, despite being an antagonist, didn’t shy away from curses. The Duke’s eyes, which had been defiant just moments ago, began to tremble at Ermedeline’s threat.

“Curse? Yeah. That’s all you can do. Go ahead, try it. If you don’t care what happens to your son.”

“Ugh!”

After Duke de Françoise left, Ermedeline screamed into her pillow. She felt a genuine surge of frustration from the depths of her heart.

It was truly infuriating that a father would abuse not only his daughter but also his own grandson.

‘Why? Why did I get caught up in this ridiculous role? What am I supposed to do?’

Meanwhile, Felio, having parted ways with Ermedeline, did not leave the palace immediately, but went to Henry.

“Did you know?” Fèlio couldn’t wait any longer and asked, frustrated, as he noticed Henry’s lack of reaction to the contents of his report.

“Is that important?”

“It’s important. If the Duke mentions that child in court tomorrow, public opinion…”

“Ah, I’ll handle public opinion. You can go now.”

Henry dismissed Fèlio, seemingly unbothered by the potential repercussions of the Duke’s actions.

“You’re just going to let it slide?”

Fèlio’s persistent questioning caused a brief flicker in Henry’s elegant eyebrows.

“You don’t need to know. The Empress is my wife, and I’ll handle my family’s affairs.”

It was a well-known fact that Emperor Henry harbored a strong hatred for the Empress. Of course, people don’t know the full story that the Emperor was forced into a loveless marriage with the Empress in exchange for keeping the secret that the Emperor used the curse of House de Francoise to get rid of his stepbrothers who are his rival for the throne.

However, there was one thing everyone knew for sure: Henry had never shared a bed with the Empress throughout their marriage.

Valliere had been discreetly dropping hints, so this fact was not exactly treated as a secret. True to the rumors, Emperor Henry always had Valliere by his side at state functions, ceremonies, and even on their wedding anniversary, while openly ignoring the Empress in public.

So, it wasn’t much of a secret when it came to the report of the Empress having a child out of wedlock. Henry had shown no reaction to it. However, Henry’s sudden dual attitude, referring to the Empress as his wife, left Fèlio feeling perplexed.

Fèlio had many more questions he wanted to ask, but when the Emperor refused to entertain further inquiries, he had no choice but to withdraw quietly.