Ermedeline had overslept.

She had been exhausted from the effects of the poison and from nursing the boy who had attacked her until late into the night.

“Where’s the boy?”

Looking around, she realized that the boy who should have been in her bed was gone, and in his place, she found herself lying there.

“He went to wash up. And is it reasonable for some unknown little rascal to use Her Majesty the Empress’s bed?”

Rooney tried to calm the bewildered Ermedeline and handed her a basin of water for washing.

“What time is it now? How long did I sleep?”

“It’s almost noon?”

“I slept quite a while.”

To waste half a day in sleep, even when she had been so busy, made Ermedeline feel pathetic.

“Um, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Seeing Ermedeline sigh in self-reproach, Rooney cautiously spoke up.

“Why? Is something the matter?”

“There’s a garden party scheduled for the afternoon.”

“A garden party? Out of nowhere? Here?”

“es, here.”

“What? In my palace?”

“Yes. That woman…… I mean Lady Valliere invited the nobles who donated to the orphanage this time.”

“…”

Though she had no idea what that scruffy kid was thinking, it seemed like she was scheming something. Ermedeline had no desire to attend, but she didn’t want things to happen in her absence.

“Since the nobles who donated will be meeting me soon anyway, let’s attend.”

“Yes, I’ll convey that.”

The jet-black hair was adorned with vivid amethyst decorations that matched the color of the eyes perfectly. The luxurious jewelry, combined with black pearls, emitted a noble radiance that suited Ermedeline very well.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit too much?”

Ermedeline had a modest appearance in her former life, and she had never seen such extravagant jewels, so she couldn’t quite get used to it. In response to the somewhat uncertain Empress, Rooney furrowed her brow, as if questioning what she was saying, and replied.

“I want to add more, actually. Your Majesty, you are already so radiant and beautiful. A few more jewels won’t even be noticeable.”

Ermedeline playfully pinched her, although her smile indicated that she was not entirely serious. The reflection in the mirror, adorned with jewels, resembled nothing less than a goddess of the moon descended upon this world.

She wore a pale gray dress with a deep violet robe adorned with silver threads on top. Despite the lavish embroidery, the robe had a silhouette that exuded elegance and dignity. Ermedeline wore only the Empress’s sapphire ring on her hand, symbolizing her royal status. She chose to forgo a necklace or earrings, deeming a headpiece to be sufficient for the light garden party.

“Your Majesty, just one more necklace, please?” pleaded Rooney with a hint of disappointment. However, Ermedeline remained firm in her decision.

“Isn’t this a gathering with the nobles who donated to build the orphanage? This should suffice.”

Ermedeline deliberately arrived a bit late to the garden party. She didn’t want to be the first to arrive, as it would draw unnecessary attention and create a sense of unease among the guests. Instead, she preferred to arrive after most of the others had already gathered.

As she entered the garden, the lively chatter and commotion that had been present earlier faded away. The assembled nobles had been gossiping and speculating about the Empress’s condition, but now that she had arrived, they were at a loss for words. They couldn’t help but scrutinize her, trying to discern any signs of her recent ordeal.

‘Phew. Let’s pull myself together.’

Ermedeline replied to the formal yet polite greetings of the noblewomen and looked around, but she couldn’t see Valliere anywhere.

‘Has the host not arrived yet?’

Even as she sat on the designated seat guided by the maids, Ermedeline couldn’t help but feel a sense of displeasure at Valliere’s absence.

And as soon as Ermedeline took her seat, Valliere arrived in the garden.

She had the beautiful Henry by her side.

“Oh my! Your Majesty!”

All eyes turned towards the beautiful pair.

Although it was thought to be a gathering of noblewomen, it was only natural that everyone’s attention would be drawn to the sudden appearance of the Emperor.

Dressed in matching pristine white attire, the two, like a painting, slowly approached and took their seats beside Ermedeline, piercing through the gazes of the nobles.

Unlike the palace, there were no raised platforms in this garden.

It was indeed peculiar that someone as insignificant as Valliere was sitting in the same place as the imperial couple. However, while there was a considerable distance between the Emperor’s and Empress’s seats, Valliere’s chair was placed right next to Henry’s.

‘Oh, how juvenile. Is it because she’s still young? Or is this her true nature?’

Ermedeline found herself dumbfounded by the situation, but unlike before, she didn’t flare up in anger.

The reason she refrained from getting worked up over her unconventional behavior was that she had come to know that inside that aloof expression was a young woman who had never experienced social life and had merely graduated from a local high school.

‘Yes, I’m an adult. I should endure this.’

“Thank you all for attending!” Ermedeline resignedly turned her head, and Valliere, with a bright smile on her face, offered her greetings.

‘Yes, since you’re the host, do as you please. I’ll just say what I want and leave.’

“Today is an occasion to honor those who have generously donated to the orphanage established by Her Majesty the Empress!”

Murmurs of approval filled the air.

Valliere’s words had suddenly stirred up the previously quiet garden. Most of the attendees seemed unaware of the purpose of this garden party.

‘As expected, why did they attend this place with such a haughty attitude after donating money like that?’

Ermedeline wondered what Valliere would come up with this time, so she rested her chin on her hand and fixed her gaze on Valliere.

“Her Majesty the Empress’s decision to establish the orphanage is truly commendable, but we had no idea that so many of you would generously join in the donations.”

The faces of the noblewomen were rapidly changing colors, but Henry and Ermedeline remained seated at the Emperor and Empress’s table, observing the events with impassive expressions.

“So, I would like to join in and contribute to the generous individuals’ intentions.”

 

Valliere held up a blank check with a significant donation amount and showed it to the noblewomen before handing it over to the maid standing beside her.

“Your Majesty the Empress, please use it for your noble cause. Of course, my household is not as affluent as some here, so the amount may not be substantial.”

Ermedeline remained seated, quietly glancing at the check that was now in the maid’s hand. It was a quite substantial sum.

‘She really spent some money, didn’t she?’

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’re taking the initiative, and I’ll make sure this money is used transparently where it’s needed.”

“No, not at all. I am delighted to be of assistance to the Empire. However, Your Majesty…”

“Yes?”

“So many people have generously contributed, haven’t they? How about we list the names of donors in order of their contribution amounts and place them in the cornerstone of the orphanage? I may not have a place of honor, but…”

Valliere smiled humbly, tilting her head slightly as if in submission. There was no hint of mockery or disdain in her expression.

However, due to her shrewdness, Ermedeline could see right through her true intentions.

‘”Ha, so that’s what you were going for, and by the way, you’re pretty good at managing facial expressions, but you need to work on your brain.’

The reason for gathering the noblewomen was precisely for this.

To emphasize how isolated the Empress was by mentioning the donation amounts and imprinting the image of a generous person who donates large sums to the actions of such an isolated Empress.

‘Where did the donation come from?’

In reality, the list of donors wasn’t exactly a confidential document, so if someone set their mind to it, they could easily leak it.

Ermedeline gazed at Henry in silence.

Henry, as if disinterested in this matter, tilted his head slightly and then personally extended his hand, passing the floor to Ermedeline.

“Why wouldn’t there be a place? Judging by the amounts, I’d say Her Majesty’s position would be around third place, wouldn’t it?”

“Third place? Me?”

Ermedeline widened her eyes as if she genuinely didn’t know, wearing a pitiful expression on her face, and a sense of weariness washed over her.

‘Ha. At least she’s still in high school, so it’s not like it’s a huge operation. I don’t think she’s got the acting chops yet.’

“Well, yes. Moreover, except for a few, many have not contributed an amount that would even purchase a single cornerstone, so there should be quite a few places left, I suppose?”

Ermedeline’s remark made some noblewomen fold their fans and bow in delight, but most of them wore slightly embarrassed expressions, showing no signs of great disturbance.

‘Are they planning to collectively ignore me?’

At this point, frustration started to build up.

It seemed like Valliere wanted to humiliate her, but for Ermedeline, who had grown up in an orphanage, this situation didn’t bring her much humiliation. It was somewhat amusing, and she was just slightly annoyed.

“But does the amount really matter? What’s important is that they participated. It’s not that the noble pillars of the Empire lack love for the common people, is it? It’s just that they may have lacked respect for me as the Empress. It’s my own lack of virtue.”

Ermedeline slightly lowered her head, sitting with a somewhat melancholic expression.

‘Thank you. I was already wondering how to respond when I saw the donation amounts, but you’ve made it quite clear.’

In the few weeks since she had been possessed, Ermedeline had learned one thing about her husband, Henry: he could be very authoritative.

Usually, Henry was quite lenient. He didn’t pay much attention to minor mistakes.

However, there were moments when he became extremely strict, and that was when matters related to the authority of the royal family arose.

At such times, he wouldn’t show favoritism, even to the woman he loved dearly.

Naturally, Valliere, who had possessed Ermedeline, must have known this fact. Yet, she still went ahead and organized an event that could provoke Henry. What thoughts were brewing in that clever mind of her?

As expected, Henry rose from his seat with a disdainful expression.

The intense warmth that usually shone like the sun in his demeanor had completely disappeared without a trace in the face of his cold expression.

“Is what the Empress said true?”

At Henry’s question, the noblewomen, who had been peering at the Empress while hiding behind their fans, finally put their fans down.

“May I see the list of donors?”

One of the attendants hurried to the treasury and brought back the list. They were keen to ensure that not a single coin was misused, even if it was a small amount.

“Hmm. Did Marchioness Gillian attend?”

He asked the question, but Henry’s blue eyes were already fixed on Marchioness Gillian.

“What’s this amount?”

“Well, I don’t know…… that kind of thing, the Marquis is in charge of…….”

“Is that so? Should I summon the Marquis and ask directly? What about Lady Viella? Lady Viella, what are your thoughts on this amount sent in the name of your family?”

At Henry’s question, Viella opened her lips as if she had been waiting.

“Do we have assurance that Her Majesty the Empress won’t use this money for personal reasons? Frankly, I find it hard to trust.”

Although it was a bold statement that left everyone in a bit of shock, all the other noblewomen nodded in agreement with Viella’s words.