“Exactly how much will it take to settle the debt owed from the Duke…”

No matter how much Félio complained, the money coming in was soon to become his lifeline.

Ermedeline paid no attention to his disrespectful attitude whatsoever.

“How extravagant can a Duke be? Selling just a few of those paintings on the walls should quickly resolve the debt.”

Ermedeline, who had expected the Duke to be impoverished due to his enormous debt, concealed her surprise.

‘They turn their daughter into a beggar and indulge themselves with that money?’

In any case, thanks to their indulgence, they had amassed an enormous fortune, so it was a stroke of luck.

“Did you already know that Ferdant is under His Majesty’s protection?”

“I’m the one who rescued the child the Duke de Françoise had in the first place.”

“You?”

“Yes. Anyway, it’s a child who has nothing to do with the affairs of adults, isn’t it?”

‘What does the child look like? How old is he? Is he looking for his mother?’

Suddenly, a barrage of questions flooded into her mind.

“But why would HIs Majesty…”

“His Majesty is not one to be taken lightly. Naturally, both I and His Majesty knew how he would move in advance. Legally, He is the husband of Your Majesty, and thus, the guardian of that child. He couldn’t refuse the demand to hand over the child to his care.”

“Ah… I see. Thank you. I will pay the fee immediately…”

“No need. I’ve already received it from His Majesty.”

“His Majesty?”

Upon the unexpected response, Félio recalled the conversation he had with Henry last night.

“Isn’t the birth mother Her Majesty the Empress? It’s only right to hand the child over to the birth mother.”

In response to Félio’s firm answer, Henry chuckled as if he had expected it.

“The birth mother? Do you know how fond that woman is of young children?”

“Excuse me?”

“They say the younger, the purer the blood, the better for using as materials for curses.”

“Well, I’ve heard such rumors, but she is the child’s birth mother, isn’t she?”

“Hmm. How about we make a bet? Whether that woman truly loves her child or not.”

“A bet?”

“Yes. If during the trial, she decides to drop the lawsuit for the sake of the child, I’ll take the Empress’s side. I’ll even cover the fee. But if the Empress ignores the child’s welfare and proceeds with the trial, you won’t charge a fee. Instead, you’ll follow in your father’s footsteps and work for me in the palace. How does that sound?”

Félio reluctantly agreed to the bet, not wanting to gamble with the innocent child’s fate. However, he agreed to it in order to extract a firm commitment from the enigmatic Henry that the child would not be harmed.

“Very well. But if I win, there’s one more thing I’ll demand. Truth be told, I care more about the child than Her Majesty the Empress. Promise me that if I win, you will never harm the child.”

“Haha. What would I do with the child? It’s merely for the purpose of monitoring the Empress.”

Félio couldn’t return the child to its birth mother, but perhaps this would be enough?

In a situation where he had no confidence that Ermedeline would make a good mother, Félio believed he had made the best choice.

‘If that witch really decides to give up the Duke’s wealth for the sake of her child, what will happen tomorrow at the courtroom is something to look forward to.’

“Yes, His Majesty has already paid, so you don’t need to worry, Empress.”

“Oh, is that so? But why did His Majesty…”

‘Didn’t you hate me?’

“He did it because you’re human.”

“What?”

“Because you’re not a witch. Because you’re human. That’s why he paid the fee.”

“What are you talking about…”

In truth, even when Félio made the bet with Henry yesterday, he had not known that Ermedeline would actually try to stop the trial for the sake of the child. He had simply placed a very small hope for that little one in the clutches of the Emperor.

However, the witch, or rather the Empress, had truly been willing to give up the Duke’s wealth for the sake of her child. Félio’s firm conviction that he had always believed Ermedeline to be a witch that was worth to die was slowly beginning to crumble.

As his own heart began to soften, Félio, surprised by the change within himself, left without saying another word, leaving Ermedeline standing there, frozen.

After Félio departed, Henry approached Ermedeline.

His piercingly blue eyes briefly met Ermedeline’s violet eyes.

It was a fleeting moment, but Ermedeline felt as if he had seen deep into the depths of her soul.

“So, you’re human too?”

“Yes?”

Ermedeline looked at Henry who had suddenly approached her with an enigmatic gaze, repeatingFélio’s words.

“So, you’re human too.”

Valliere, standing right beside them, was staring at them with eyes cold enough to freeze the air, but Henry paid no mind. He gently tucked a strand of Ermedeline’s hair that had fallen out of place behind her ear.

Looking down at her from just below, Ermedeline felt her breath catch as she realized the meaning behind his words, even as she was captivated by Henry’s divine beauty.

Because she wasn’t a witch but a human, because she was a human with a wavering heart due to her lineage, that’s why he had helped her. Humans with weaknesses were easier to manipulate.

‘Then again, it’s unlikely he helped me without any ulterior motives.’

For a moment, Ermedeline was overwhelmed by the impulse to rush over to Valliere, who was looking at her with full sympathy, and tell her to mind her own business. The man who was born an Emperor seemed to classify everyone around him based on whether they had any utility for him or not.

She wonders if he really loves his lover, who is standing back there, burning with jealousy.

‘What do I know? Whether they truly love each other or not. All I need is to divorce quickly so I don’t owe them barbecue.’

Ermedeline’s mind was eager to use the newly acquired wealth to improve her reputation and proceed with a peaceful divorce. The romance was just a luxury for those who were already on the way to getting barbecued.

She forced a reluctant smile, determined not to take action.

Even standing before the incredibly handsome man who not only received love but the adoration of the entire empire, smiling naturally was still challenging.

“I’m just… grateful for His Majesty’s generous treatment.”

Nonetheless, effort never betrays her, and Ermedeline manages to successfully face her husband with a smile.

And to those observing, it appeared like a beautiful sight akin to a saintly vision.

Even under the bright midday sun, the combination of the dazzling Henry, who was like the very sun of Trivian, and Ermedeline, who shone alone like the moon in the black night sky, was enough to represent not just authenticity but also the authority of the imperial family. Their appearance alone was more than convincing.

Yet, the two of them, the imperial couple, harbored different feelings inside. But at that moment, they were the most beautiful couple in the world.

Valliere felt drained.

She felt too drained to even notice that she was in a bad mood. But she had to feel jealousy.

While Henry disliked people who stepped over the line, he also believed that without jealousy, there was no charm. He subtly taunted those who didn’t get jealous.

As Valliere clenched her body and put on a stern expression, Henry slowly approached and placed his hand on her waist.

“Wouldn’t the authority of the imperial couple be essential for the stability of the Trivian Empire?”

Although it sounded like an excuse, Valliere just wished for Henry to detach himself from her body.

And Henry immediately noticed Valliere’s subtle mood. They hadn’t spent over a decade together for nothing.

“Is your health still not good?”

In response to Henry’s question, Valliere weakly nodded. Fortunately, one thing to be thankful for was that Henry wasn’t the type to casually touch someone who didn’t want it, despite being the Emperor at the peak of power.

While at times she doubted whether this man truly loved her, seeing him readily remove his hand and gaze at her with concern like this made her think that maybe his feelings were genuine.

“I should offer a prayer at the temple myself so that you can recover quickly.”

***

After the trial had ended, Ermedeline, feeling relieved, locked herself in her bedroom for the entire day, avoiding contact with anyone.

Although she had come into a significant amount of money that was difficult to gauge in terms of its original value, she didn’t feel particularly happy. She had resolved that if she ever became wealthy, she would indulge in luxuries she had never experienced before. However, at the moment, she had no desire to spend the money.

Her main concern was the well-being of the child named Ferdant whom Henry was taking care of. She had only seen a small photo inside the pendant, and she had no actual memories of giving birth to the child or raising them. Still, strangely, as soon as she realized that it was her child, a sense of longing and sadness had welled up within her.

‘I’ve never even been married… and suddenly I’m not only a married woman but also a mother?’

During the trial, she had been scared of the impending death due to the accusations, but she hadn’t felt this heartache.

‘I need to work. Work! Yes, that’s it. Let’s do some good work! As Empress, let’s do some good deeds and cleanly go through with the divorce! I’ll sort out my situation and provide the right nurturing environment as a mother to the child!’

As she focused her thoughts in this direction, Ermedeline began to plan how to use the money she had gained.

‘Right. First, an orphanage… Oh, these days, they call it a daycare center, don’t they? But this place doesn’t really have the concept of daycare.’

It seemed like managing such a large sum of money would be quite a task.

Furthermore, to avoid the witch trials, she couldn’t afford to spend a single penny carelessly. In her previous life, she had never seen such a large sum of money, so Ermedeline felt that she needed professional help to manage it.

However, the only person she knew who was capable of handling such large amounts of money was the lawyer who despised her. There were also other issues to address, so Ermedeline had no choice but to reach out to Félio.

‘He may be stuck up, but at least he seems like a rational human being.’

Although she worried about what would happen if he didn’t come, Félio immediately responded to Ermedeline’s summons.

“What’s the matter?”

“I called you because I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“But before that, I have a question…”

Ermedeline hesitated to speak first, and before she could, Félio answered.

“Is it because of Helen?”

“Oh! That’s right! I was curious about what happened…”

Ermedeline was surprised by Félio’s ability to see through her thoughts, and she furrowed her brow at herself for answering and then became more surprised by his reaction.

“Is that surprising?”

“I asked just in case, but I didn’t expect the Empress to really care about a servant.”

‘Oh, there it is again, the sarcasm.’

Ermedeline barely contained her anger.

‘I wish I could just give you a good smack.’

“Anyway, she wasn’t a child who worked under me. Do you know what happened to her?”

Ermedeline didn’t want to engage in a lengthy conversation, so she concluded with a question.

“That child stole some valuable jewelry and items belonging to the duke and fled.”

“Fled?”

“The title has been retained, but all that remains of the Duke is a small fortune and a few family emblems, and he is said to be on the run, claiming that a ring was stolen from him by a maid, which he claims was given to him by Her Majesty the Empress?”

“Well, that’s a way to put it.”

Ermedeline shed tears as she recalled Helen confessing to being a spy.

‘Ha, do I still lack discernment?’

“Anyway, what is your request?”

Félio, it seemed, had no intention of staying for long and wanted to get straight to the point.

“Oh, I’ve come into some money recently. Money I don’t particularly love.”

Ermedeline intentionally laced her words with sarcasm, as if to say, “Take a hint.”

“I see. You must be quite delighted.”

“Yes, I am. I’m feeling so good that I thought about doing something charitable.”

“Charitable?”

“I was thinking of establishing an orphanage to take care of children who lost their parents due to the recent epidemic outbreak in the capital.”

It wasn’t the kind of statement one would expect from a notorious villain, so Ermedeline spoke with caution as if she were testing the waters.

‘Think of it as a sudden change of heart. Please.’

But to her surprise, Félio stood there as if he were witnessing a divine revelation, completely at a loss for how to respond.

Ermedeline hoped he would just accept it. However, Félio seemed dumbfounded by her statement.

“Is that so? Are you concerned about your reputation as the Empress?”

“No, it’s, well, something I want to start caring about from now on.”

Ermedeline tried to brush it off, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Felio’s gaze.

“Reputation?”

‘No, but why is he so surprised? It’s kind of bothering me.’

“Yes! Reputation! I’ve decided to care about my reputation too!”

“Huh?”

Felio slumped into a nearby chair as if he had lost all his energy.