“Oh, if you’re talking about the murderer, His Majesty conducted the inquest personally…”

“What?”

As soon as she heard the word “inquest,” Ermedeline sat up abruptly.

“Where is he? Where did he go?”

“Your Majesty, you need to calm down first. While the purification is complete, the poison that was on the dagger is very dangerous…”

“Poison?”

“Yes. When I heard that Your Majesty had collapsed, I rushed over, and you were already in a significant state of poisoning. It’s a highly dangerous poison that even lower-ranking priests couldn’t detect.”

“Oh… So that’s why my body…”

“Such a poison isn’t something an ordinary child could acquire. Therefore, the Emperor is personally taking the child to investigate the mastermind behind this.”

When Ermedeline heard that the boy was being interrogated, her already pale face turned even whiter. She knew that medieval interrogations often involved torture.

“Where is it?”

“Pardon?”

“Where is the interrogation room?”

Ermedeline’s repeated questions left Louise in a difficult situation, and she looked at Rooney and Felio for help.

“I will accompany you.”

“Very well. Be cautious, as your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

After Louise left, Ermedeline, supported by Rooney and Felio, headed for the interrogation room where Henri was being held.

“No one is allowed in,” the guard said firmly as they descended countless stone steps.

“Step aside. Do you dare block the way before the Empress?” Ermedeline replied assertively.

“Even if you are the Empress, you cannot pass through this door without the Emperor’s order.”

Due to the faint smell of blood in the air, Ermedeline, who was already anxious, finally shouted.

“Step aside! Move!”

In her haste, she rushed towards the palace guards, but at that moment, she heard Henry’s voice from inside.

“What’s going on outside?”

“The Empress has arrived.”

After a brief silence, the heavy iron door creaked open, making a grating noise.

“I’m sure you’re not feeling well yet, and you’ve come by to interrogate him in person? Don’t worry, no matter how much we pretend like a couple, this is the man who dared to try to kill the empress. I’ll definitely find out who’s behind this, so go back to your room.”

“What about the child, how is the child?”

“What do you mean? What are you talking about?”

Ermedeline ignored Henry’s question and went straight to the unconscious boy tied to the chair.

“I’ve done everything I can, but there hasn’t been much progress. Someone leaked information that the Empress would attend the funeral and handed him a dagger. He confessed, but he couldn’t remember who that person was.”

Ermedeline didn’t seem to hear Henry’s words properly.

The child appeared to be unconscious, and it was unclear where he was injured, making it difficult to lend a hand.

“P-Priestess! Fetch Louise!”

In response to Ermedeline’s request, Rooney and Félio hurriedly rushed into the examination room.

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

“No, not me. I need you to attend to this child immediately!”

“What?”

Rooney looked perplexed, furrowing his brow as he alternated between glancing at Ermedeline and Henry.

Henry nodded slightly, sending the bewildered Rooney over to Louise.

“It’s not as bad as it looks. No life-threatening injuries, just unconsciousness.”

Henry casually wiped the blood on the soles of his shoes onto the floor, as if it were of little consequence.

“That’s right. He’s still alive.”

 

“Even if we heal him, there’s nothing more to learn. Well, it seems that due to the family’s loss from the epidemic, they believed in the rumors about the Empress. Many who harbored resentment towards the Empress for this reason could have easily been incited to commit the crime and leave no traces behind.”

The young boy, who was not yet of the age to make sound judgments, seemed to have been swayed by someone and ended up thrusting a knife into the Empress’s body.

“The dagger, the poison smeared on it, and the location where the boy received the dagger are all under thorough investigation. We’ll soon catch the culprits. So there’s no need to make any changes; just use it as the Empress desires.”

“Sigh, Your Majesty.”

Ermedeline, who had been quietly listening to Henry’s words, let out a deep sigh and then spoke.

“I won’t use him after fixing him.”

In response to her words, Henry turned his back with a wry smile, as if he had expected that.

“I will treat and care for him.”

Just as Henry was about to take a step outside the examination room…

“What did you just say?”

“Isn’t he an orphan who lost his family to the epidemic? We’ll treat him and care for him in the orphanage we’re setting up.”

Orphan—a painful word for Ermedeline, full of deep sadness.

She knew all too well the hatred that builds up in a heart that has nowhere else to turn.

But Henry couldn’t comprehend Ermedeline’s words at all.

“What?”

Henry felt a shiver run down his spine as he watched Ermedeline crouching in front of the boy as if he were witnessing a ghost that should not exist in this world.

‘Oh, is this going to be a problem? Is my conscience suddenly bothering me? Well, I have Ferdant with me, so let my conscience do as it pleases.’

“Do as the Empress wishes.”

After Henry left, Louise was quickly summoned to the examination room.

“Today must be a busy day for you because of me. But this boy’s condition looks serious…”

“Did you really call me to treat this culprit?”

“Yes, I did. Didn’t I convey that to you?”

Ermedeline’s question was met with an enthusiastic nod from Rooney.

“Yes, you did convey that!”

“Then, why are you saying that? Please, start the treatment.”

Ermedeline firmly grasped Louise’s hand with a pleading look in her eyes.

“At least the internal injuries don’t seem to be too severe, despite the trauma.”

*Flash.*!

A divine light emanated from Louise’s body, momentarily illuminating the dark underground space as brightly as daylight before returning to darkness.

“Is it… is it done?”

“I’ve treated all the injuries for now. If he’s well cared for, he should regain consciousness soon.”

“Ah, thank you! Thank you so much!”

Ermedeline, still kneeling, took out a handkerchief from her bosom and gently wiped the boy’s face.

“Ah, there’s blood all over his eyes. It must have been really uncomfortable.”

Unaware that her newly tailored, high-end dress was getting soaked in the boy’s blood on the floor, she was completely focused on cleaning his face.

“That’s amazing.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ermedeline momentarily halted her actions and turned to Louise at her unexpected words.

“I’m a priestess of the gods, but in reality, I don’t believe in miracles.”

“After saving me today and treating this boy, what’s with the sacrilegious talk?”

Ermedeline’s voice lightened slightly as she heard the boy’s steady breathing.

“Yes, you’re right. Thanks to this power, the priests believed in the existence of the gods. But maybe I was wrong.”

“Wrong about what?”

“It seems that the gods sometimes work miracles in ways humans can never understand.”

“Miracles? What are you suddenly talking about?”

In response to Ermedeline’s question, Louise gazed at her with subtle eyes and replied.

“A witch turned into a human overnight. If that’s not a miracle, what is?”

Ermedeline briefly showed a surprised expression at Louise’s words, but soon her face became inexplicably complex as she looked at the boy again.

Meanwhile, Félio, who stood quietly behind them, gazed at Ermedeline with an even more ambiguous expression than she did.

A cough.

For a moment, Louise and Félio’s eyes met.

Félio cleared his throat needlessly and averted his gaze to the opposite side.

Human.

As someone who had never been treated as human since arriving here, even Louise’s somewhat sarcastic words were heartwarming to Ermedeline. Thanks to this, Ermedeline was wearing a cheerful smile on her face. However, on the face of Rooney, who sat beside her, there was nothing but discontent.

“Does this make sense? This culprit… I mean, the boy tried to kill Her Majesty the Empress!! Can it be justified to care for him personally?”

“Haven’t you seen how he trembled in fear and hesitated to stab me?”

“Even so, daring to… Her Majesty the Empress…”

“He lost his parents and sister to the epidemic in just one month. He couldn’t think rationally.”

“Even so, I don’t like it! When he wakes up, I want to give him a good scolding at least!!”

“Hehe. You?”

“Yes! Do you know how strict I am? Even when my younger siblings misbehaved, they quieted down after I gave them a good scolding.”

“I see. When he wakes up, he should take responsibility for the attempted crime. We can’t let him grow up as an adult who wields a knife just because someone incited him.”

“It’s an imperial decree! If a formal trial is held, it’s an automatic death penalty! The Duke’s case is different…….”

Excitedly, Rooney quickly covered his mouth with his hand and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty the Empress!”

“No. It was only a few days ago, and you can’t even speak your mind? Yes. The situation with the Duke is different. I’m not going to put this kid on trial. I’m going to put the man who gave him the dagger and allowed him to walk into the funeral home on trial.”

“Then, what responsibility does this little one bear?”

“First, we need to help him overcome the grief of losing his family. And we’ll educate him on how violent methods are a barbaric way to solve problems. Maybe a hundred pages of reflection essays should do?”

“Reflection essays? That’s not nearly enough! When he wakes up, I’ll scold him thoroughly and give him a good lecture!”

Ermedeline knew that it wouldn’t be that simple, but in response to Rooney’s words, she only managed a faint smile.

It had been a tumultuous day.

Ermedeline fell asleep just before dawn.

***
Deep within the palace, where everyone except the duty guards was asleep, Duke Batistian, the father of Félio, and Priestess Louise met.

“I’ll stop.”

“What happened to that sharp-edged resentment of yours? Weren’t you determined to have her executed?”

“That’s right.”

“Even though there’s no solid evidence, you know that Her Majesty the Empress was the one who cursed, don’t you? Are you really going to stop?”

“Yes. I want to remove myself from the task of eliminating Her Majesty the Empress.”

At Louise’s words, a hint of unease flickered in Duke Batistian’s silver eyes.

“May I inquire about the reason for your sudden change of heart?”

“While my faith may not be deep, I am a disciple of the gods. I want to witness firsthand how the gods can turn the impossible into the possible.”

“Do you believe it’s possible to redeem that dreadful witch?”

“In my eyes, yes.”

“She may be putting on a convincing act. That woman…”

Duke Batistian’s eyes, referring to Ermedeline as “that woman,” suddenly radiated a cold, hateful glare.

“An act… that’s possible. However, the former Empress, in any case, was incapable of considering the feelings of others in her words and actions. She couldn’t even contemplate how her words and actions might affect others. To be able to act, even if it’s an act, represents a tremendous change.”

Louise’s assertion left a tinge of regret in Duke Batistian’s eyes.

“We’ve lost a formidable ally.”

“Aren’t there many others who want to remove Her Majesty the Empress even without my involvement? The government itself is one such group.”

“Oh, well… that woman…”

Duke Batistian let out a bitter laugh and trailed off.

‘Whether it’s an oblivious government or a foolish Ilyenian Dukedom, they’re equally useless.’

“The sun will rise soon. You should return now.”

The Duke, having bid farewell to Louise, took out the pocket watch from his pocket and stared at it in silence.

‘Worry not. Even if everyone in this world forgives that woman, I will never entertain such a thought.’