I Possessed The Immoral Empress

After sobbing for a long time, Felio finally regained his composure.

He felt pity and sorrow for her, and because of that, he loved her even more. It saddened Felio that this lovely woman had forgotten how to receive love, buried under the empire’s contempt and hatred.

But he couldn’t afford to just cry.

If she didn’t know how to receive love, if she didn’t know how to accept unconditional feelings, then he would just keep sending those feelings until she understood. Of course, for that to happen, both he and she needed to stay alive.

Ignoring the worried looks from Roberto and Alicia, Felio pulled the bowl of soup in front of him and began to eat as if nothing had happened.

“??”

Roberto, who had been anxiously watching Felio, worried he might collapse, glared at his friend acting nonchalantly without any explanation. But Alicia, quick to understand, quietly poured warm water and placed it in front of Felio.

“No matter how you look at it,” Felio suddenly spoke while quietly eating his soup.

“Alicia is way too good for you.”

“What?”

Having been worried sick, Roberto’s irritation flared up at Felio’s infuriating remark.

“Honestly, look at it. Alicia is prettier, has a better personality, is much smarter. Why would she choose you over some unrequited love…”

“Hey!”

At the mention of her first love, which he had momentarily forgotten due to Felio’s crying, Roberto’s patience instantly ran out.

“Are you insane today? Obviously, she chose me because she likes me more than that old crush!”

Alicia gently placed her hand on Roberto’s shoulder, a subtle smile playing on her lips as he breathed heavily in frustration.

“Of course, my husband is the best. No other man in the world could compare to him.”

At Alicia’s affectionate words, Roberto’s defenses crumbled, and he smiled helplessly.

“Hehe, right? You like me more than that old crush, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

Felio watched the couple laugh and gaze at each other with a wistful expression. Once, Felio had vehemently opposed Roberto’s marriage due to their differences in social status. But the two had ignored all opposition and followed their hearts, achieving happiness.

It was a beautiful yet somewhat sorrowful sight. The beauty before him made him sad, sensing it could never be his. In this chaotic world, Felio sincerely wished for these two to be happy.

“Liena left today.”

After finishing their meal, during a simple tea time, Roberto mentioned, and Felio nodded quietly.

“Many other noblewomen and young ladies seem to be leaving too.”

“Still no news from your father?”

“Well, he seems to be recruiting near the capital… but we don’t know his exact location.”

Felio thought it was a relief not to know his father’s whereabouts. If his father appeared now, who knew what he might do?

“You should leave too.”

“What?”

“I’ll cover the cost of your escape. Take Alicia and get out of here.”

“Huh?”

They had once been comrades defending their homeland on the battlefield. Felio had been a loyal knight, ready to throw himself into the jaws of death for his country. Now, he was telling Roberto to abandon the capital and flee.

“Go. Find your happiness.”

In this endless mire where dry land seemed impossible to find, Felio was prepared to sink and drown. But he wished for his friend, who had already found happiness, to walk on solid ground.

“What are you saying? The citizens are still living in their homes, and you want me to abandon them and flee?”

To Roberto, who had also been a knight, Felio’s words were unacceptable.

“Yes, go. Run away. You don’t have anyone left in the capital. Please, just go. Have a couple of kids, run that school you’ve always dreamed of. Live that life, if not for me, then for yourself.”

Felio looked directly into Roberto’s eyes, hoping his friend would live the dream he himself could never achieve.

“The borders are under threat from Frianton, and Leopold has his eyes on the capital. And you want me to run away? You’re not the same person you used to be.”

“Right. I don’t care about my family or my country anymore. I just want to stay by Her Majesty the Empress for as long as possible.”

“Huh?”

Roberto scoffed at the words that would never come from a proud knight.

“You used to pledge loyalty to the royal family and live and die for your country.”

“And I still am loyal to the royal family.”

“Yeah, to just one person.”

Felio gave a faint smile at Roberto’s cynical tone.

“Yes. Now, if I die, it will be for her, and if I live, it will be for her.”

Usually, Roberto would have smacked the back of Felio’s head for saying something so cheesy. But seeing his friend’s sad and resolute expression, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“Try to stay alive.”

“Yes, I will.”

***

Meanwhile, after parting with Ermedeline, Leopold felt uneasy. He had boldly declared in front of her that he would give her the entire empire, but he knew, deep down, as a man in love, that his time was running out.

Not yet, he thought. Even if she was attracted to that suspicious man, their hearts were not yet united. But between him and Ermedeline, there were memories of love and, most importantly, their child, Ferdant.

“In this chaotic world, with assassination attempts occurring daily, she must have needed someone to rely on.”

‘It was just a coincidence that when you desperately needed someone, it was him by your side.’

Leopold called for Langen to shake off the gnawing anxiety eating at his heart.

“What’s the status?”

“Most of our forces have crossed the border into Trivian.”

Nothing was more important than Ermedeline’s life, but even if everything went according to plan, it would all be meaningless if Ermedeline chose Felio over him.

“When will they reach the capital?”

Leopold’s impatience sharpened his tone more than usual.

“The Emperor is also mobilizing troops gathered from the nobles towards the capital. If we want to avoid intersecting with them, it will take a bit longer.”

With the conscripted forces assembling in the capital, getting caught moving suspicious men was not ideal.

“And the supplies?”

“The supplies are being transported by soldiers disguised as merchants. It was easy to pass through the border with minimal forces, but the closer we get to the capital, the harder it will be to break through directly.”

This meant they would have to split into smaller groups and sneak into the capital.

“So how long will it take to gather sufficient forces in the capital?”

“Under the current conditions, even if we move quickly, it will take at least two months.”

Bang!

Leopold slammed his fist on the table in frustration. Startled by the loud noise, Rio whined and nuzzled his master’s knee.

Two months, two months was an eternity. Plenty of time for two people to fall in love. It hadn’t taken long for him and Ermedeline to become lovers, despite their seven-year separation. Those two months seemed like a lethal duration to Leopold.

“Send a letter to Ballius.”

“You can’t.”

Langen, who rarely objected to important decisions, flatly refused Leopold’s request.

“Even if the letter is delivered without being intercepted, it’s dangerous. The moment Ballius mobilizes their army, Henry will have a pretext to attack the prince.”

“That’s not what this is about.”

“What?”

“I’m not asking for military aid.”

“Then what?”

Leopold, looking very uncomfortable, picked up a pen to write a letter.

He was composing a message to his mother.

“Are you really going to do this?”

Seeing the letter’s content, Langen’s face hardened more than Leopold’s.

“This isn’t the prince’s way.”

“I know. I opposed it when Mother first suggested this plan.”

Langen, in truth, didn’t care about the means as long as his master emerged victorious in the end. He was willing to stain his hands with innocent blood for that goal.

But his master was never one for such tactics.

Leopold might seem light-hearted and easygoing, but he was, in fact, a stickler for principles. Even in jousting matches held for fun, he avoided exploiting his opponent’s weaknesses, favoring a fair and direct contest.

This adherence to fair play was evident in his preparations for the confrontation with Henri. Rather than requesting military aid from the Ballius Empire, he methodically prepared for rebellion step by step.

However, sending this letter would mean abandoning all the principles he had upheld. It would be the most vile and underhanded way of attacking his opponent’s weaknesses.

With a calm demeanor, Leopold signed the letter with a unique mark that only his mother, Innian, and he could recognize.

“I don’t want a hollow victory. I’m not after that filthy, blood-stained throne.”

Seeing Leopold’s resolute gaze, Langen took the letter without a word.

“A dishonorable victor is better than an honorable loser.”

The cunning glint in Leopold’s eyes began to resemble the sly gaze of the previous emperor depicted in the palace corridors. Langen felt a complex mix of emotions about his master’s transformation, but these were feelings of a friend or protector, not of a subordinate.

As a capable subordinate, he was pleased to witness his master finally becoming a ruthless winner, shedding any remaining softness.

A cool, slightly salty breeze blew in.

The sky and the sea were so dazzlingly blue that it was impossible to distinguish the horizon. Sunlight danced on the blue waves, shattering into fragments of light that fell like snow.

The man silently removed his hat and placed it on the woman’s head to shield her eyes from the bright spectacle. Though she did not react, a faint smile briefly graced her stern face.

They dreamt of crossing this blue desert-like sea and arriving at their oasis. A place where no one knew them, where they could live a simple life, content with just each other.

Even after parting from Ermedeline, Leopold dreamt of this for seven long years. Every time he woke from this dream, his pillow was soaked with longing for a future that seemed eternally out of reach.

But now, he no longer shed tears.

Determined to turn the cherished future he had envisioned hundreds, thousands of times into reality, he felt unstoppable.