I Possessed The Immoral Empress

“Hmm.”

Countess Brienta’s suggestion left Valliere in deep thought.

‘Certainly, having Leopold’s name alongside mine would make it look much more prestigious.’

With a poised expression, Valliere tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“I can’t possibly accept such a large amount of grain without recognition. Since the prince is the main sponsor of the event, his name should be on the invitation, don’t you think?”

Langen, despite having been humiliated by Valliere before, felt a mix of emotions as he watched her persist in maintaining her connection with Leopold.

‘Just like Linette, this woman is no different. Henry’s lack of loyal allies works in our favor.’

Langen bowed respectfully and accepted Valliere’s request with a formal tone, remembering Leopold’s instructions to support Valliere’s efforts to draw Henry’s attention.

“Then, I will gratefully accept the grain and the prince’s apology.”

After Langen left, Valliere rushed to the printing house to revise the invitations. While her name, Valliere Louise, remained as the host, a new line was added just below, listing Leopold’s name in the same size font, alongside the small print of ‘sponsor.’

Looking at the invitations that now seemed to imply a joint hosting, Valliere smiled in satisfaction.

‘Perfect. With these preparations, Ermedeline won’t have the audacity to show up uninvited and ruin my ball again. This will be the best night of my life!’

The apparent reason for the feast was to celebrate with the commoners, but the true purpose was to showcase her worthiness to both the nobility and the populace.

Valliere sent invitations to all the nobles who had been invited to her previous ball, excluding Henry and Ermedeline this time. However, with all the nobles in the capital receiving the invitations, it was inevitable that the news would reach Henry.

“Prince Leopold’s name is printed as if he were a co-host. What could she be plotting?” Count Hallstein remarked, not looking directly at Henry, who shook his head with a frown.

“Isn’t it just to catch my attention?”

With the impending threat of war at the borders, Henry could not afford to deal with Valliere’s antics.

“What is Leopold up to?”

“Other than sponsoring grain for Valliere’s feast, there haven’t been any notable actions. He seems to be staying mostly within his estate.”

“And military movements?”

Count Hallstein inwardly sighed before responding to Henry’s inquiry.

“There have been no significant movements detected within the capital.”

“I see.”

With soldiers from across the empire guarding the capital, the situation there could be controlled, but outside the capital, it was a lawless land. In some regions with few private soldiers, the lack of security was so severe that effective surveillance was impossible.

Both Henry and Count Hallstein knew this, but since there was no immediate solution, they chose not to mention it.

“What about the mercenaries?”

“We’re recruiting them as quickly as possible along the border with Frianton, but the budget is tight.”

“And loans?”

“As we’re classified as a nation on the brink of war, no one is willing to lend us significant amounts of money.”

“I see.”

Despite the gravity of their conversation, Henry maintained his usual calm demeanor, diligently drafting a document before him. When Count Hallstein saw what Henry was writing, his face momentarily hardened.

“Are you really considering going that far?”

“What do you mean, ‘that far’?”

Henry’s eyes, which had been calm, now sharpened like icicles in response to Hallstein’s question.

“Is it so extreme to demand loyalty from my vassals as the ruler of this empire?”

The atmosphere grew tense, but Count Hallstein did not hold back this time.

“You’ve already conscripted funds and soldiers by force. Most of them have titles or are heirs… There will be considerable resistance…”

“Ah, so that’s why your words are nonsense. Those with titles and heirs are naturally my vassals. Showing loyalty to the empire in times of war should be expected.”

Henry melted the wax himself and sealed the document before handing it to Count Hallstein.

“Announce it as is.”

***

The afternoon sun was still hot as summer fully set in, and people began to gather at Valliere’s estate. The garden quickly filled with commoners eager to enjoy the feast and receive free grain. 

Inside the mansion, a separate banquet was prepared for the nobles.

Valliere wore a light ivory dress. Though it appeared simple due to its lack of embellishments, the luxurious fabric created a fantastic silhouette reminiscent of a butterfly whenever she moved. 

Her hair was adorned with white bellflower blossoms, so that every time she moved, it seemed as if a white butterfly was fluttering.

The commoners, seeing Valliere with her benevolent smile, were reminded of the not-so-distant past. They recalled the pure image of her, once called the saint of Trivian, who had garnered everyone’s love.

Valliere reveled in their gazes, knowing her plan had succeeded. Public opinion could shift easily; give people something for free, and their opinions change just as quickly.

As Valliere basked in the success of her plan, the nobles began to arrive one by one.

Nobles dressed in refreshing summer colors mingled among the commoners in the garden and made their way into the mansion. Valliere, with a triumphant smile, slowly headed inside. She had spent a significant amount of the money she received from Leopold for tonight’s event, but she had no regrets. After all, money was meant for occasions like this.

Born into wealth as a third-generation heiress, Valliere had never worried about making ends meet and saw no problem in spending large sums to maintain her dignity.

With a refreshing smile that matched the cool breeze of a summer night, Valliere entered the hall, expecting the admiration and envy of everyone present.

“?”

However, the nobles’ gazes were nothing like she expected. They held small pamphlets, and a group of noblewomen glanced between the pamphlets and Valliere with open disapproval.

‘What’s this?’

As Valliere looked around anxiously, unsure of what was happening, Countess Brienta appeared beside her with one of the pamphlets.

“They’re distributing these in front of the estate.”

Without a word, Valliere snatched the pamphlet from Countess Brienta’s hand. As she read its contents, her hands started to tremble, the shaking soon spreading throughout her body.

“Who… who did this?”

“I’m not sure. There are so many people around the estate…”

“Could it be…?”

Realizing something, Valliere ran frantically to the garden. The commoners, like the nobles, were holding the same pamphlets. While the nobles reacted with frowns or sneers, the commoners were different. They threw the food they were holding to the ground and spat on it, glaring at Valliere with hatred.

Desperate, Valliere had to retreat back inside the hall. The nobles began to leave her now chaotic estate.

Among them, hiding her face with a fan and flashing sharp, vivid blue eyes, was Rubian. She had no intention of letting go of the insult she suffered at the hands of a mere bastard. Planning to exact revenge many times harsher, she waited for her moment.

Rubian had initially planned to distribute the pamphlets at the previous ball, but Ermedeline’s sudden appearance had delayed her plans. When she heard about Valliere’s grand feast for the commoners, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to ruin her.

Unlike Valliere’s pamphlets, Rubian’s contained no exaggerations or false rumors. They simply listed accurate facts: Valliere had neglected maids who died of the plague because of her, framed them for stealing earrings, and even attempted to kill them by staging self-harm.

But who could Valliere blame? She had brought all of this upon herself.

As the crowd in the garden grew more aggressive, they began looting the stacked grain. Public opinion had shifted far too easily, just as Valliere had feared. The crowd’s anger, fueled by the pamphlets, was now spilling over from the garden into the hall. 

The sound of breaking windows echoed through the estate, but Valliere hesitated to flee. This mansion was the last bastion of her crushed pride after being expelled from the palace. She had decorated it more lavishly than the palace itself, using it to maintain her fragile self-esteem.

Crash!

Now, even the windows near the hall were completely shattered. Countess Brienta, not wanting to lose her precious assets, had her maids hurriedly escort Valliere out of the mansion.

As the mob stormed into the hall, they were incensed by the opulence of Valliere’s mansion. There was chaos at the borders with the enemy, and the emperor’s half-brother was threatening civil war in the capital. Furthermore, due to the contamination of Brunnian, the empire’s most fertile region, by the witch’s brother, the food crisis had reached the capital.

The commoners’ anxieties had been building up, but the emperor and empress, protected by the high and sturdy palace walls, were too distant to be the target of their rage. Here, however, was a mistress abandoned by the emperor, a woman who had treated her maids’ lives as less than insects.

The mob looted Valliere’s mansion, then set it on fire. The luxurious curtains she had chosen herself were trampled, turning into rags and then black ashes.

Valliere, wearing a deep black cloak, watched the scene with a dazed expression from nearby.

At that moment, Langen appeared before her.

“Miss Valliere…”

“?”

“The prince has sent a letter.”

“A letter?”

“Yes.”

Valliere, with a blank look, opened the letter Langen handed her. The first line contained a conventional apology for not being able to attend.

Below that, Leopold’s letter, filled with polite phrases, stated that he had merely supported her noble character by providing grain and had no intention of being considered a co-host. He requested that his name not be mentioned in such a context again.

Valliere crumpled the letter and threw it into the fire. Her light brown eyes emptied of all emotion, and a wave of uncontrollable, deadly anger began to fill the void in her soul.

“Come, this place is dangerous. Please, take refuge at my residence for now.”

Unable to think clearly, Valliere followed Countess Brienta’s lead. An uncontainable glee was evident on the countess’s face, shining brightly along with the yellow flames in the background.