I Possessed The Immoral Empress

Excited at the prospect of attending the ball, Rooney was deeply disappointed to find out she couldn’t accompany Valliere, but she willingly decided to stay at the imperial palace, fearing she might hold Ermedeline back.

Ermedeline, dressed in a modest, inconspicuous dress covered by a gray cloak, quietly left the imperial palace.

Since Valliere’s residence was located very close to the imperial palace, there was no need to take a carriage.

Felio and Arvian vigilantly surveyed the surroundings to ensure Ermedeline’s safety, wary of any followers.

“Over there.”

Valliere’s mansion was unmistakable, easy to recognize at a glance.

At the mansion’s entrance, a line of splendid carriages had formed, but even just the front door, adorned heavily with roses and ranunculuses used at the palace’s own balls, clearly indicated who lived there.

Felio, with a tense expression, handed over an invitation they had secured in advance to the gatekeepers.

The gatekeepers, without proper verification, let Ermedeline and her party pass through.

That was because the people Valliere had hurriedly hired felt no particular duty to safeguard the mansion or its owner.

Upon entering Valliere’s mansion, they were struck by its sheer opulence.

Dazzlingly splendid yet elegantly tasteful due to Valliere’s preferences, the mansion did not look frivolous at all.

Ermedeline, seeing the scene unfold before her eyes, had to admit that Valliere’s taste was indeed superior to others’.

“Wow, she could make a killing as an interior designer. I’d hire her to decorate my place right away…”

For Ermedeline, who had never seen such a marvelous place in either her past or present life, it was genuinely astounding.

“Ugh, can’t you hide your curiosity a bit? Do you have to gawk so openly?”

Arvian, without a hint of jealousy or reproach, inwardly chided Ermedeline, who was purely awestruck by Valliere’s home.

And looking at Felio, it seemed he was no different, his purple eyes gazing at Ermedeline with the adoration of a love-struck boy.

“Tsk, tsk. The bodyguard’s letting his guard down…”

Arvian, feeling the responsibility to be vigilant in place of the naively enchanted duo, sharpened his senses and continued to scan the surroundings.

And then, his senses caught a soul ablaze with intense green jealousy.

Though there was no malice, the brilliance was so intense that it almost dazzled Arvian’s eyes in the dim interior.

The man, engulfed in a green fire of jealousy, glared murderously at Arvian and Felio as he approached Ermedeline.

However, before he could reach his destination, he was interrupted.

“Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the beautiful host of tonight’s ball, Lady Valliere Louise!”

Valliere, in sync with the graceful orchestra, descended the stairs leading to the hall from the second floor.

Leopold glanced at her briefly but soon lost interest and moved towards Ermedeline again.

Or, at least, he tried to.

“Oh, here comes my biggest sponsor who has been a great help in organizing this beautiful ball!”

At Valliere’s gesture, all eyes shifted from her to Leopold, who, despite the stares, wanted to approach Ermedeline but did not wish to draw undue attention to her as she stood quietly in the corner with her cloak.

Moreover, seeing Arvian and Felio in ill-fitting wigs confirmed they had come in disguise.

Leopold forced a smile, believing that once this cumbersome situation was over, he would have a chance to speak with Ermedeline.

Valliere, adorned with a white pearl necklace, was wearing an ivory dress that matched perfectly. The dress, richly pleated to create a voluminous silhouette and embellished with delicate embroidery and lace, suited Valliere’s elegantly updone hair excessively well.

Young nobles, well aware that she was a mistress recently spurned by the emperor, were momentarily mesmerized by her.

As she moved gracefully with a sheer shawl draped over her shoulders, it seemed as if a beautiful butterfly was lightly illuminating the dark room with its presence.

Valliere, feeling the nobles’ admiring gazes, reveled in a sense of superiority.

‘Look at me. This is who I am.’

Convinced that no one could treat her lightly anymore, Valliere approached Leopold to courteously greet him.

“Thank you for attending.”

The eyes of the nobles, hoping for a scandal, began to sparkle with interest.

Leopold nearly let out a snort at Valliere, who was straining to maintain dignity despite being a discarded mistress, but managed to avoid a faux pas thanks to a timely nudge from Langen.

“I am grateful to be invited to such a splendid event.”

Valliere’s eyebrows twitched at Leopold’s clipped tone, but she quickly regained her composure.

“Thanks to Prince Leopold, I was able to host this event. Would you honor me with the first dance of the evening?”

While the attendees’ eyes glittered as if stars had appeared indoors, Leopold was in no mood to dance. He was grateful for the distraction this elaborate event provided to Henry, but he needed to meet Ermedeline.

Leopold had no intention of wasting this precious opportunity dancing with someone like Valliere.

However, unfortunately, a lady recognized Ermedeline at that moment.

“Oh my! Her Majesty the Empress!”

“!!”

The sharp voice belonged to Countess Elion.

She had attended the ball to see Valliere, who had been rejected by Henry, but ended up recognizing Ermedeline, who was crouching quietly in a corner.

“Damn.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Ermedeline clenched her eyes shut as she felt the barrage of stares falling upon her.

“Why is Her Majesty the Empress here?”

Realizing there was no escape, Ermedeline sighed deeply and removed the cloak from her head. In that moment, another beauty, entirely different from Valliere, appeared at the ball. Ermedeline, with her neatly styled dark hair and a deep grey, plain dress, did not intend to stand out. Yet, paradoxically, the dress suited her cool demeanor perfectly, showcasing a frosty but dazzling beauty, in stark contrast to Valliere’s warm and lovely appearance.

Although entirely unintentional, Ermedeline became the center of attention at the ball.

Valliere’s gaze turned icy when she saw Ermedeline, who hadn’t responded to the invitation. Furious that Ermedeline had secretly infiltrated her home and stolen the spotlight, Valliere felt this was an outrageous overstep.

Noticing Valliere’s menacing expression, the nobles instinctively cleared a path to Ermedeline, half-expecting Valliere to physically confront her as at previous events.

Ermedeline, noticing Valliere’s displeasure, offered an awkward smile.

“I assumed you wouldn’t attend since you didn’t respond to the invitation?”

Valliere’s frosty demeanor hinted at a storm brewing as Ermedeline moistened her dry lips before replying.

“I was merely curious to see how you were managing. I was just about to leave…”

“Why would Her Majesty the Empress be curious about how I live?”

“Huh?”

“Perhaps you imagined me living a lonely and miserable life after being expelled from the imperial palace?”

“…”

Stung by Valliere’s twisted words, Ermedeline no longer wished to respond. Although she regretted not meeting Leopold, her initial aim, she did not want to provoke any further disputes.

“There’s no need for that. I’m glad to see you’re doing well. I will take my leave now. Please, continue to enjoy the ball.”

Ermedeline swiftly re-covered herself with her cloak and made to leave the ballroom. However, just then, Valliere spoke a shocking accusation that startled everyone.

“How shameless of a traitor to show her face here?”

The ballroom, abuzz with whispered speculations and stunned silence, awaited Ermedeline’s response to this public challenge.

“What?”

In a moment of intense fury, Felio threw off his wig and glared at Valliere as if he might kill her on the spot. Had Ermedeline not grabbed his wrist just then, he might have turned Valliere into nothing but ash.

Although most of the nobles present were not fond of Ermedeline, Valliere was merely a bastard from a minor noble family, technically not even entitled to use her family’s noble surname officially. She had audaciously accused the Empress of treason, despite Ermedeline’s status as a commoner and the charges not yet being proven.

The light in the eyes of the nobles, who had come to witness a scandal involving a jilted mistress lightly, faded. It was outrageous that a lowly woman had insulted someone at the very pinnacle of the societal hierarchy.

However, Valliere was unaware that the ballroom’s sudden chill was due to her crossing a line, not just because of Ermedeline’s supposed crimes.

“I do not wish for a traitor to roam freely in my house. Next time, please respond to the invitation…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to stop there?”

Before Valliere could finish, Leopold had stepped in front of Ermedeline.

“What?”

“Isn’t it quite rude to speak so harshly about someone, especially Her Majesty the Empress of Trivian, when the charges haven’t even been confirmed?”

“Rude?”

How is calling a traitor a traitor rude?

Valliere looked around pitifully, hoping for support, but the expressions on everyone’s faces mirrored Leopold’s disapproval.

“Her Majesty the Empress has only been implicated due to her brother’s betrayal. So, do not carelessly throw around the word ‘traitor’. Would you like it if everyone here started calling you a discarded mistress? Unlike Her Majesty, your nickname isn’t just based on suspicion but actual fact, isn’t it?”

‘Discarded mistress.’

That was exactly the label Valliere had hoped to avoid by hosting this lavish ball. And now, in front of everyone, she had to hear it spoken by Leopold, the very man who had funded the event.

“Teehee.”

“Giggle giggle.”

Soon, small bursts of laughter filled the room.

Ladies hid their faces behind their fans, and gentlemen turned away, trying to suppress their laughter, but it was hard not to laugh with Valliere trembling in red-faced fury right in front of them.

“Ahem, heheh, hehehe.”

“Ehehe, hihihi.”

Eventually, the laughter grew, completely overtaking the pride that had once filled the room, leaving Valliere overwhelmed and publicly humiliated.