Félio had helped in preparing the necessary documents for establishing the orphanage. Since it wouldn’t be built as a royal institution, there was no need for the Emperor’s approval, making the paperwork process quicker than expected.

However, even as Félio diligently organized the documents, he couldn’t help but furrow his brow and glance at Ermedeline until the very end.

‘I’d rather stay expressionless.’

He sighed internally, but what choice did he have? To avoid being asked for another favor next time, he had to concentrate on sitting beside her and working on the documents, no matter how much he disliked it.

Félio didn’t set aside his suspicion of Ermedeline until the moment he left to submit the documents to the relevant department.

“Are you really submitting this?”

“I am submitting it.”

“If this gets approved and the money is really spent?”

“I am aware.”

Félio, taking another step, once again stopped and asked the same question.

“I am really going?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, please just go!”

It was only after Ermedeline’s loud outburst that Félio ceased his barrage of questions.

Félio, as cold and reserved as ice, was uncomfortable, but suddenly, even he didn’t find it very comfortable to speak out so freely.

“Phew.”

As a wave of mental fatigue washed over, Ermedeline let out a sigh, and at that moment, Rooney and Margo were seen approaching stealthily.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, um… is that…”

Seeing Rooney rolling his eyes and glancing around, it seemed like a difficult topic to discuss.

“Are you curious about Helen’s situation by any chance?”

“Yes.”

Despite the relatively short time they had spent together, it seemed that they had some concerns.

“You heard that Helen was a spy, right?”

Nods of agreement.

Indeed, actions spoke louder than words.

“She went out with Duke de Françoise and disappeared somewhere.”

She decided not to delve into the topic of theft.

“Oh, could it be that the Duke…”

“No, it’s not like that. I heard she disappeared during the journey.”

“Is that so?”

“They are searching for places where Helen’s family might be or where she could be hiding, so she will be found soon.”

“What will happen if she is found?”

Rooney asked cautiously with a worried expression.

“Well, honestly, I’m not sure. Even if Helen hadn’t suddenly disappeared with the Duke, I was determined to see this through to the end.”

“As expected, Your Majesty knows all along.”

“Yeah, she confessed. On her own.”

Despite trying her best not to show it, a bitter expression seemed to creep onto Ermedeline’s face.

Ermedeline recalled Helen’s freckled and petite face, with her bony wrists sticking out, despite her best efforts to not dwell on it.

‘She won’t be starving somewhere, will she…’

Lost in sorrow, Ermedeline was suddenly startled by Rooney’s face appearing before her.

“Oh, you surprised me!”

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Why?”

“I would never betray Your Majesty the Empress. Of course, at first, I was very scared, but not anymore. I like Your Majesty the Empress.”

Ermedeline could see Rooney’s face turning red all the way to the tips of her ears thanks to her fair skin.

The girl who had suddenly confessed seemed embarrassed by her own words, as she wrinkled her nose and took a small step back.

“Heh, heh heh, hehehe.”

Ermedeline found the sight so endearing that she couldn’t help but laugh, almost unconsciously.

Ermedeline recalled a large autumn leaf she had held in her hand one autumn day. It was like the small hands of her sister, who had cared for her all night, picking and choosing the red leaf for her.

“I love my sister the most in the whole world.”

Back then, the child’s face had been as red as Rooney’s is now.

‘Oh, if Eunyoung were alive, she would be about this age…’

Suddenly, Ermedeline felt like she might burst into tears and lowered her head.

“Yes, thank you.”

She spoke in a hushed voice, trying to hide her trembling voice as best as she could, though it might not have been completely concealed.

It was a quiet afternoon after lunch.

For the first time, three lady-in-waiting visited Ermedeline simultaneously. It seemed that yesterday’s trial had been quite fascinating.

The Countess Elion, whom Ermedeline had met before, appeared first, overflowing with enthusiasm.

“Your Majesty the Empress! I was truly surprised yesterday! I never knew the Duke was such a man!”

Nevertheless, having experienced it once, Ermedeline wasn’t greatly taken aback by Countess Elion’s enthusiasm.

“I showed an ugly side.”

“Oh no! To have embraced such a father all this time! Your Majesty the Empress, you’re truly an incredible filial daughter!”

It was unclear whether she was mocking or praising Ermedeline.

Her exceptional acting skills made it seem as if she were sincere when you only looked at her expressions and heard her voice.

“I appreciate your kind thoughts.”

Ermedeline replied with a touch of gratitude, and when she looked at the two lady-in-waiting who had come with the Countess, they simply nodded their heads in acknowledgment.

Ermedeline had been contemplating whether to call Countess Elion again to ask about what had happened to the pregnant woman from before. However, she felt hesitant to inquire due to the presence of the other two maids.

“It’s been a long time since we last met. Did you come to congratulate me on the trial’s outcome?”

For now, polite words were the best choice.

Weren’t these women who had not visited the palace until now, despite being maids?

In response to her pointed question, the young lady with striking green eyes, who had been standing at the back, finally spoke up.

Judging by her age, she’s guessing she’s Princess Viella of the Ilenian Dukes, the only unmarried woman among the lady-in-waiting.

“Are you serious, Your Majesty the Empress?”

Her eyes were as cold as if she had smelled something foul, despite her discomfort.

“What do you mean?”

“My sibling died this morning due to the plague, and I’m just stopping by to tell you the news.”

“…”

It felt like her mind had gone completely blank.

What could she say? The current her was innocent, but it was clear that the plague in the capital was the fault of her previous incarnation.

However, she couldn’t just stand there and give herself away as the culprit.

“I’m not sure what to say… My sincere condolences. I will do my best to assist with the necessary arrangements for the funeral…”

“Couldn’t you have informed us earlier? You know that the secondary infection occurs through bodily fluids. If you had told us a little earlier, we could have kept a closer watch on my sibling.”

Lady Viella’s words struck a chord, leaving Ermedeline at a loss for words.

“I only found out at that time, just like you did, about your sibling’s situation. If I had known how to prevent the secondary infection earlier, I would have announced it immediately.”

Ermedeline didn’t need to act to show a sorrowful expression. She genuinely felt a mix of intense resentment towards her previous self and sympathy for the deceased child.

“The funeral will be held the day after tomorrow. Please attend.”

Lady Viella simply bowed her head and turned away.

Marchioness Grania, too, shot Ermedeline a brief, resentful glance before following Lady Viella out of the room.

“Lady Viella seems deeply saddened. There are so many children dying from the plague, and yet, how dare she vent her anger on Your Majesty? You risked the danger of infection to save babies, Your Majesty.”

Countess Elion’s diplomatic words were supportive of Ermedeline, but she couldn’t bring herself to echo them.

“By the way, what happened to the young lady from that viscount family?”

“Oh, her. I introduced her to another mage. However, due to the curse she cast just before giving birth, she did manage to deliver her child. Unfortunately, the child died during childbirth, but the mother is perfectly fine. As payment for her services, the Marquess paid quite a hefty sum, and they immediately purchased a mansion by the coast.”

“…”

Ermedeline felt as if her blood was running cold in her head.

Ever since she had come to her asking to kill the unborn child, things had been strange. However, Ermedeline had never imagined that they would go to such lengths just days before giving birth.

She disliked both parties involved. No matter how long it had been since her old wounds, neither the father embracing a young woman nor the mother who eagerly entered into the Marquess’s title and wealth had any parental qualifications in her eyes.

Their circumstances may have clashed, but to request the death of a child just days before birth was unthinkable.

Ermedeline wished she could wash away such stories from her ears if it were only possible. She couldn’t understand why such matters had to be heard in a romance-filled novel. The original work, which mainly focused on Valliere, except for Ermedeline’s appearances, had a happy and tender atmosphere. It was astonishing how different the world where the protagonist and the antagonist lived in the same novel could be.

“Isn’t it a shame? The mage who cast that curse received a tremendous payment. It’s said that he owns several mines, and perhaps that’s why the Marquess’s pockets are quite deep…”

“Enough, please stop!”

“Yes?”

“At a time when the plague is rampant, and people are dying left and right, I don’t want to hear such stories anymore.”

Ermedeline’s firm words made Countess Elion cast a subtle expression as she glanced at the Empress.

‘Why would someone who caused the plague herself be like this?’

The unspoken words flowed directly into Ermedeline’s mind.

“What you, or rather, what people might be thinking, I understand. But no, I am not that person.”

While her previous self might have been that kind of person, she was not.

Certainly, her past self was not entirely without flaws. She had shown her face and displayed some wealth as well. At times, she judged people based on appearances alone.

However, she was, at most, an ordinary materialist.

She possessed a degree of kindness, not too altruistic, not too selfish, that prevented her from acting entirely selfishly in crucial moments.

“I am not that kind of person.”

Yes, the owner of this body had now changed.

There was no need to follow in the footsteps of the previous owner. She had to make it clear that she was a completely different person now.

Ermedeline’s mysterious, violet eyes stared unwaveringly at Countess Elion.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress is indeed different from those people.”

The skilled and tactful Countess lowered her head towards the Empress, her eyes twinkling with a bright glint.

“I am planning to use the inheritance from the recently acquired ducal fortune to establish an orphanage.”

“An orphanage?”

“That’s right. It’s a facility to care for orphans who have lost their parents to the plague.”

“What a splendid idea! Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Why not? I plan to establish it with my own donation, but it would be even better if we could gather contributions from other nobles. If Countess Elion could help with that, I would be grateful.”

“Of course. Such a noble cause should be spread far and wide.”

“Thank you.”

Obviously, a smart person is easier to deal with. Of course, you shouldn’t show weakness either, but she and the Countess don’t have a good relationship anyway.

“However, Your Majesty the Empress…”

It would have been nice if Countess Elion had left, but she seemed to have more to say, lowering her voice to continue.

“What?”

“The verdict was rather disappointing. To dare lay a hand on the body of a royal and not only avoid punishment but also maintain one’s title—it’s quite surprising.”

“What can I do about it? The verdict is not within my control.”

The original goal had been to collect the borrowed money. Ermedeline had initially tried not to dwell on the trial’s outcome, but this persistent lady seemed to have a different opinion.

“Indeed, it must be burdensome for the Emperor as well. Using the curse of the ducal house to kill half-brothers is not a public matter, is it?”

What on earth is she talking about?

Is the Emperor using a curse to kill his half-brothers? This was a completely new fact not found in the original story. 

It seemed that many events unrelated to the heroine’s narrative had been omitted from the novel. Even if it was considered a public matter, Ermedeline couldn’t entirely trust this woman’s words.

Ermedeline furrowed her brow, pretending to be unaware, as she gave the Countess a scrutinizing look.

“Healthy brothers suddenly dying under mysterious circumstances. Without House de Françoise, what magician could freely use such curses? I’m not trying to blame anyone. Thanks to this, we were able to remove the indecisive ones, and didn’t a true Emperor ascend to the throne?”

“You speak recklessly, Countess.”