“What if Lady Viella is being accused as the one behind this?”

“Her Ladyship might be able to avoid the worst, but it will be quite miserable. She’ll be banished to the most dangerous borderlands without anything to her name.”

“What about the boy?”

“If it’s proven he was just an unwitting accomplice, he might avoid the worst of it. He’ll likely be imprisoned for life, though.”

From a rational standpoint, giving up on the boy was the right choice.

But, contrary to her head, Ermedeline’s heart couldn’t make the decision so easily.

“Are you hesitating? our father is now a mere duke in name only. Do you really want to completely break ties with the Ilyenian Dukedom in this situation?”

“Don’t they hate me enough to want to kill me anyway?”

“That was before they were caught, isn’t there a difference between buying an illegal reagent and trying to kill the Empress themselves?”

Though it seemed like he was leaving the decision to her, Henry was subtly pressuring Ermedeline to choose the Ilyenian Dukedom.

If she chose the dukedom as Henry wished, he could demand anything from him, and they would form a joint front against the situation.

Ferdant would also continue to receive protection as he did now.

‘What do you want from me?’

The next day, early in the morning, Ermedeline summoned Felio to the palace.

“Are you in your right mind?”

Felio’s composed face crumpled awkwardly as if he had heard something he couldn’t bear.

“Completely in my right mind?”

“Well, didn’t you get stabbed with a poisoned knife just yesterday? I heard you fell, but…”

“Yeah, I did fall, but I’m so sturdy that I just shook it off and got up.”

That’s right.

Even in her previous life, she wouldn’t be able to survive with a frail body, being the troublemaker she was.

After all, in a harsh world, being able to digest a triangular kimbap that had expired for more than two days should be manageable without any major issues, which is why Ermedeline raised both her hands to show off her well-being.

Felio, looking bewildered, burst into laughter when Ermedeline lifted her hands, trying to showcase her vitality.

She had never noticed it before, but his usually expressionless face concealed a boyish and innocent side when he smiled.

“You should smile more often, even in normal situations. This side of you looks much better.”

“It’s fortunate that Your Majesty the Empress is so strong, but if you were an ordinary person, that poison would have been fatal. Do you really want to defend the boy who almost killed you because of that poison?”

“You do know that the poison, and the dagger it was applied to, are things an ordinary boy couldn’t obtain, right?”

“Of course, but if that’s the case, then the one who provided the poisoned dagger to the boy should be exposed.”

Henry had said he would respect Ermedeline’s choice, but in reality, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to grasp the weaknesses of the Ilyenian Dukedom.

He proposed a negotiation to Ermedeline, who was leaning towards choosing the boy instead of the lady.

“Let’s make a deal then. We’ll assign a capable lawyer to the boy to help him avoid the worst. And we’ll leave that behind-the-scenes figure undisclosed.”

“What about the servant girl?”

“What? Empress, now that I think about it, you’re more compassionate than I expected. Don’t worry. That servant girl should remain alive to be of use, so we’ll hide her in a place where the Duke won’t notice.”

“Understood.”

“However, choose the lawyer yourself. If, by any chance, your chosen lawyer proves to be incompetent, and the boy receives the worst punishment according to the country’s laws, you must accept it.”

“I will do so.”

Ermedeline, finishing her recollection, sighed deeply as she looked at Felio.

“You can’t reveal who’s behind it?”

Certainly, the phrase “the empire’s top talent” didn’t seem to be an exaggeration.

‘He’s incredibly perceptive.’

“That’s right. We can’t uncover the behind-the-scenes figure, but I want to save the boy.”

“Why? It seems like you had quite a favorable deal with that behind-the-scenes figure?”

‘Ah, there it is again. The sarcasm. Should I just give him a good smack?’

Suppressing the urge to raise her hand, Ermedeline gave a wry smile.

“If you really wanted a favorable deal, wouldn’t it be more advantageous to have a lenient trial and spare the boy’s life?”

In reality, Henry had offered to handle the evidence related to the Duke for Ermedeline. In other words, if she chose to save the boy, it also meant that ‘she’ wouldn’t be able to demand anything from the Duke.

“Ah? That’s true. Quickly killing him and sealing his mouth would be advantageous no matter who the behind-the-scenes figure is.”

“Exactly. I truly want to save that boy. But there’s only Your Excellency who is a knowledgeable lawyer…”

“Either way, when you’re looking for the best, you’ll eventually come to me. Unless it’s at that level, you won’t be able to avoid the worst in a trial like this.”

‘What’s going on? Why is he so self-assured?’

Felio, with a slightly arrogant expression, nodded his head. He seemed a bit unfamiliar. When they first met, he was either cold and expressionless or filled with disdain in his gaze. But lately, Felio has become more talkative and had a wider range of expressions. Perhaps he was more audacious than she thought, as he showed no signs of retracting his statements in the face of Ermedeline’s displeased expression.

“That’s right. It’s fortunate that the only lawyer I know is also the most capable.”

Ermedeline’s words, uttered as if she had conceded, made Felio’s expression even more triumphant.

“But, Empress.”

“Yes?”

“What do you plan to do if we save the boy? Even if he avoids the worst punishment, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to live freely. Maintaining intact limbs for that boy might also prove to be challenging.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Moreover, he’s an orphan, isn’t he? Even if he goes to an underground prison with that young body, he won’t last long.”

“Understood for now. I’ll think about how to deal with the boy’s punishment. For now, just make sure he avoids the worst.”

Ermedeline’s firm voice stopped Felio from further questioning, but he left the palace with a curious look in his eyes, gazing at her.

‘What’s going on with that witch? Has she actually grown fond of the boy?’

Fond of him, perhaps that could be the case. In truth, given the situation where she was desperately trying to avoid the death penalty, it was normal not to discriminate. However, the Ermedeline from her previous life wasn’t so cold-blooded as to be unable to empathize with the heart of an orphaned boy. The circumstances had changed, but that didn’t mean she could become a completely different person.

Already dead and soon to inhabit the body of someone who would soon die, Ermedeline had made the choice to protect her former self’s existence.

At that moment, Valliere was having a slightly early breakfast with Henry.

“Your Majesty. I heard that Her Majesty the Empress summoned Duke Felio again. It seems like her illness is getting worse.”

Valliere gracefully picked up a glass and touched her lips as she spoke.

“I’m aware that he visited her as well.”

“Why would she summon a young man to the palace this early in the morning? Before, they used to meet outside…”

“Duke Felio probably had some business to attend to. It’s none of your concern.”

“Business?”

“Yes.”

Henry didn’t offer any detailed explanation in response to Valliere’s questions.

Valliere became anxious not knowing what Ermedeline was up to, but she couldn’t pry. Lately, Henry’s attitude had noticeably become more cold and distant. Initially, even if he rejected physical affection, he would gaze at Valliere with a sincere look of concern, but now he didn’t even attempt any casual contact.

‘What’s going on? Business, he says? What kind of scheme are they cooking up together?’

Every time Ermedeline and Felio met, events unfolded differently from the original story.

First, there was the incident where the Empress accused her own father, and then there was the Empress deciding to establish an orphanage with her private funds.

Valliere now trembled at the mere mention of Ermedeline meeting Felio.

Despite becoming the heroine, she found herself with very limited options when it came to the novel’s events. No matter how much she received the love of the male lead, she was ultimately a mistress. Until she became the Empress, she was just the illegitimate child of a lowly viscount.

So, even if she wanted to close the gap between her and Ermedeline, she repeatedly hit a wall of social status.

That damned Empress title seemed to justify all her misdeeds.

‘I’ll do whatever it takes to become the Empress! I must become the Empress!’

Suddenly, Valliere recalled the words she had heard from the viscount, her older brother, not long ago.

‘You should hurry up and get pregnant.’

Just thinking about those words sent shivers down Valliere’s spine, and she tightly closed her eyes.

Moreover, if she were truly going to use that method, she should have done it at the beginning of her possession, before things got so awkward with Henry.

It felt like she was surrounded by towering walls.

The high and sturdy walls had no escape, and they seemed to be closing in on her.

Valliere’s whole body started to break out in a cold sweat as she was seized by a momentary, overwhelming restlessness. It was a dreadful anxiety she had felt a few times before, even before taking the college entrance exams.

‘Why now!’

Valliere forcibly picked up some food to put in her mouth, trying not to show her current state, but she couldn’t completely stop her trembling fingers.

Henry, who seemed to be engrossed in his meal, suddenly stood up and approached Valliere.

“Where does it hurt?”

The gaze that lowered to check on her, was a genuine concern one might have for a loved one.

The moment Valliere saw his gaze, she thought this was her chance.

During the celebration dinner for her first older brother’s first-place achievement in the national college entrance exams, and again during the celebration dinner for her second older brother’s top rank in the prestigious university entrance exams, she experienced panic attacks.

And every time, her family had put everything aside to care for their youngest daughter, their youngest sibling.

There was no need to fake it; panic attacks were a real illness she had.

When she surrendered to these symptoms, that was all there was.

“Heuk… heuk… hah… hah…”

Her breathing became labored, and her head started to feel numb.

She couldn’t think of anything; there was only overwhelming fear enveloping her body.

However, even in such a state, Valliere’s eyes noticed Henry’s face, which had turned contemplative as he worried about her.

“Immediately! Call a priest right now! Hurry!!”

In the midst of her anxiety, Valliere heard Henry’s voice as he urgently called for a priest.

Overwhelmed, Valliere lost consciousness.

Once Valliere’s breathing had stabilized, Henry returned to his office.

Then, he leaned against the door and sat down, feeling completely drained.

At that moment, Henry felt a sudden detachment.

He had loved her innocent and carefree demeanor, but now he found himself disheartened by her elegant table manners.

Guilt weighed on him.

Among the many illegitimate children, he was one who hadn’t even grown up in the palace as a child. Pushed aside in the fierce struggle for imperial power, he had lived on the secluded estate of a minor viscount, struggling to survive. The maids and guards sent from the palace to look after him had resented being displaced to this place because of him. So, young Henry had to live each day as if he were already dead, constantly wary of the adults who were supposed to care for him.

But then he met Valliere.

In a world where everyone, especially his blood-related half-siblings, seemed to wish for his death, she had felt like the only one on his side.

Being a child of a minor viscount, she had not received proper education, but he had found Valliere’s pure and lovely demeanor endearing. So what if she couldn’t use a fork in the right order? Her face, beaming with joy as she filled her mouth with dessert, had been adorable.

But what about her recent behavior?

Not only was she obstructing the Empress’s efforts to establish an orphanage, but she was also using all the budget allocated to her for luxury. True, it was money given to her, but the old Valliere had always lived modestly and used the remaining budget to support the orphans in the capital. She had a special fondness for children and, no matter how much she was advised against it, she always went out to the streets to personally care for the poor. So what has changed recently?

Normally, Valliere should have rushed to comfort the crying baby, and Ermedeline should have looked down at them with a disapproving expression. Henry even jokingly considered the possibility that the two souls had switched places, although he didn’t really believe it. But the truth was, he had grown distant from Valliere due to her radically different behavior.

Furthermore, watching her today, gracefully lifting her glass, he felt as if his love for her had completely cooled off.