I Possessed The Immoral Empress

He couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad feeling.

For Felio, the fact that the people’s hatred had shifted toward Valliere was both satisfying and uncomfortable.

His determined vow to protect Ermedeline against everyone’s animosity felt futile.

Even on the way back to the palace, Ermedeline couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss, and she found herself stealing glances at the pretty dolls displayed on a merchant’s stand.

She’s not a child, she doesn’t know why she’s looking at those things.

What’s so appealing about a simple doll carved from wood, after all?

Hmph.

‘Indeed, who could possibly despise this lovely woman?’

“How much is this?”

Felio pointed to the cat-shaped doll that Ermedeline had been particularly interested in and asked, “What about this one?”

“No! I, I…”

Before Ermedeline could finish her sentence, Felio calculated the cost of the doll.

“Excuse me…”

“Yes?”

“Since you’ve already bought one, can you get me another?”

Although the cost of the doll was insignificant from Ermedeline’s perspective.

Even as she made such a request, her cautious and hesitant demeanor made Felio find her cute.

“Well, while I’m at it, I’ll also buy a catwood doll.”

In the end, Ermedeline couldn’t help but smile shyly as she acquired two cat-shaped wooden dolls.

She couldn’t quite explain what was so appealing, as she alternated her gaze between the subtly different faces of the two cats, all the while wearing a happy smile on her own.

“Why did you choose to buy two identical dolls?” Felio asked.

In response to Felio’s question, Ermedeline proudly held both cats up in the air, side by side, and answered, “One is for Rooney.”

Felio’s heart, which had been anxious just a while ago, found solace in Ermedeline’s innocent smile. It seemed like it wouldn’t matter how many people saw Ermedeline from now on.

‘Yeah. I’m the only one who knows about her adorable childlike side.’

***

Valliere stood in the corridor overlooking the garden, her sharp eyes inspecting the final details.

She was instructing the corrections, not wanting to leave a single flaw in the garden. She went through the details both within the garden and within this corridor.

It was her first official event without wearing a mask.

Valliere, well aware of Henry and the people’s hearts turning away from her, had staked her life on this event.

Most nobles maintained a neutral stance between the Witch Empress and the Bastard Mistress.

Many were simply stepping back, watching to see which side would bring them more benefits.

Valliere was determined to use this ball to conclusively prove that she was a more suitable match for the position of empress.

She didn’t care if powerless commoners hated her. 

After all, Trivian was a nation where the emperor and nobility held the real power, wasn’t it?

Although Henry’s heart had drifted away for now, having a child could always bring him back.

So, capturing the nobility before that might make it easier to ascend to the empress’s throne in the future.

“Over there, move the statue next to the second pillar a bit to the left,” Valliere instructed.

In response to Valliere’s orders, the servants, sweating profusely, had already rearranged the same statue for the third time.

“No, what if the statue’s face gets turned? Maintain the angle and only move its position. Can’t you even do this properly?”

The marble statue was so heavy that even burly men struggled to carry it, but Valliere seemed unaware of this fact.

Even if she knew, she wouldn’t have cared.

The servants, drenched in sweat, worked tirelessly, catering to Valliere’s every demand until the day turned into night and the moon hung in the sky.

***

‘As I expected, I knew she would like it,’ thought Ermedeline.

“In fact, it was bought by Sir Felio.”

“By the His Grace?”

“Yeah. I said I wanted to buy one for you too, and he willingly did it!”

“Oh, I see. I’m truly grateful.”

When Rooney bowed and expressed her thanks, Felio felt a bit uncomfortable and averted his gaze.

“Well, it’s not that great…”

“It’s not just about how good it is! It’s a token that Her Majesty the Empress thought of me when she saw this doll! I love it! Thank you both so much!”

“No need to get excited ahead of time. Once the stalls open tomorrow, I’ll buy you everything you want!”

“Really? I can’t wait! I guess I’ll have to skip breakfast!”

All the fuss over the small doll attracted the attention of the ladies-in-waiting, who had been conducting a final check with the guards at the stalls.

With Felio offering nothing but strange opinions, he was eventually assigned to security duties, leaving the ladies to handle the rest.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes! We’ve completed all preparations perfectly!”

Ermedeline felt reassured by Bellest’s confident response.

Bellest was in charge of the merchants at the stalls, Liena oversaw the guards, Viella handled the flower petals and fireworks for the ball, and Marchioness Grania was responsible for the magical lanterns to be lit in the evening.

They were all capable of effortlessly preparing for the grand events held at the palace, so Ermedeline was deeply grateful for their dedication to this modest occasion.

Even though the ball had not yet begun, Ermedeline’s heart was already filled with joyful excitement.

“You’ve all worked so hard! I’m sure tomorrow’s ball will be enjoyable, but I’ve already had a great time with all of you. Thank you for making it possible.”

Ermedeline graciously bowed her head towards the six important individuals.

“Your Majesty!”

Led by Rooney, they all straightened up and bowed more deeply to Ermedeline.

“Since we’re all bowing, how about we gather together?” Ermedeline suggested.

At Ermedeline’s sudden suggestion to gather, Rooney and the ladies discreetly gathered around her.

“Your Grace, come over here too!” Ermedeline called out.

Felio, who had been standing a bit apart with an envious expression, couldn’t resist Ermedeline’s warmth and joined the group.

“I’m going to share a very secret spell with you.”

“A spell?”

“Yes, but this isn’t a curse spell. It’s a spell used to empower oneself.”

“Is there such a thing?” Rooney asked.

In response to Rooney’s question, Ermedeline nodded with a big smile.

“Yes, there is. A very effective spell.”

“What is it?”

“Fighting.”

“Fighting?”

“Yes. It’s my secret spell, so only we should know about it! When I say ‘three,’ we all cast the spell together.”

Ermedeline signaled with her eyes, and everyone nodded with solemn expressions.

To Ermedeline, their actions looked incredibly adorable.

“One, two, three!”

“Fighting!”

Fortunately, the determined glances had an effect, and all seven people, including Ermedeline, were able to shout the spell at the same time.

“Now! With the spell cast, we’ll all have the strength for tomorrow!”

It had been so long since she felt this way. After leaving the orphanage, she never had the opportunity to be part of a team. She was always struggling on her own, so she had forgotten how wonderful it was to have colleagues working together towards a common goal.

Despite shouting “Fighting” with enthusiasm, she couldn’t help but feel a lump in my throat. In a hurry, Ermedeline sent Felio and the ladies away.

As she sat quietly, looking at the cat doll, Rooney approached her gently.

“Empress, I admit I sometimes feel jealous, but I’m okay with it.”

“Hmm?”

“At first, I really disliked that people didn’t know about your true feelings, Empress. But these days, I sometimes envy the closeness between Sir Felio, the ladies-in-waiting, and you.”

“Envy?”

“Yes. But on the other hand, it’s also comforting to think that you’re no longer lonely.”

Realizing her own words might sound strange, Rooney scratched the back of her head.

“There’s nothing to envy. Aren’t you my first?” Ermedeline replied.

“Your first?”

“Sure, the first comrade who acknowledged me. First ally. Even if more people join me in the future, that fact will not change.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! It’s true!”

In response to Ermedeline’s firm answer, Rooney, with a shy, girlish smile, shuffled her body and backtracked her way out of the reception room.

It seems like she’s going to get ready for bed.

Ermedeline’s eyes caught sight of the cat doll that Rooney had placed neatly on the table.

It’s been a while since she’s felt this emotion of not being alone.

She’s come a long way from the times when everyone she faced feared and despised her.

‘Well done, Yoon Hyeyoung. You really held up well. Fighting, seriously!’

Ermedeline, once again, muttered an incantation to herself and closed the window, blocking the chilly night breeze from creeping in.

***

Finally, on the day of the ball, there was no empty space left in front of the palace square.

The crowd had gathered to witness the Emperor’s declaration of the end of the epidemic.

From the stage set up in the square, Henry finished the declaration and raised his mask high.

It might be an expensive item, but what’s the cost, really?

Following him, as people in the square raised their masks all at once, the masks Ermedeline had prepared with her savings became nothing but trash.

“Don’t worry. I’ll collect all the masks and return them to you.”

Henry noticed Ermedeline gazing down at the square with a subtle expression in her eyes and thought she regretted the money spent on the masks.

“No need to return them. Clean them and store them in the palace. Hopefully, we won’t need them again, but if the need arises once more, please use them.”

Ermedeline, without even looking at Henry, focused her gaze on the faces of the people, not wanting to miss the joy and elation that was painted there.

In the original novel, despite many more lives being sacrificed, the epidemic was not eradicated until the end. Since the ending was a lavish scene of Henry and Valliere’s wedding, as a reader, it was hard to sense the atmosphere of the capital. But now, having directly possessed her, she understood.

If the epidemic had continued for a few more months, just as beautifully described in the novel, the background of the ending of the novel would have become a land engulfed in death.

It’s uncertain how many of the people gathered here are still alive.

But even amidst this joy, Ermedeline was well aware of one fact: her sins would not be washed away by this.

Unless the people who had died came back to life, it would never happen.

Naturally, she thought she would be happy, but her mind became more complex than she had anticipated.

It was all because she had changed the stories of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people by possessing this villainess’s body.

‘Why did I have to possess the body of such a villainess? If someone wanted to change the background of a terrible novel, they could have done it without altering the original work to this extent. Wouldn’t it have been quicker if I had possessed Valliere’s body instead?’

She had been too busy adapting, and now, as the story reached a turning point, the questions she had set aside in a corner of her mind resurfaced.

‘Sigh, I guess it’s fortunate that at least that thoughtless girl didn’t become the Empress…’

While standing on the stage amidst the common people, Ermedeline couldn’t help but let out a sigh as she observed Valliere, who appeared completely disinterested in the end of the epidemic.

In the moment when she was briefly contemplating how her own fate would unfold, she noticed a familiar face among the countless crowds. Due to the sheer number of people, it was difficult to distinguish one face from another, but the face of a particular child stood out vividly.

The child’s father held his young son high above his head as if to show him to Ermedeline.

“Ha…”

The baby she had saved during the epidemic.

The baby, who had grown considerably since then and could now move his arms and legs quite skillfully, beamed at Ermedeline with gratitude.

While the baby was only laughing because he found the motion of being raised up and down by his father amusing, for Ermedeline, that smile meant so much more.

In her past life, she couldn’t save him, but here, she had her second chance, and she had saved a life for the first time.

To stay alive and to change her pitiful future, Ermedeline had struggled. At that moment, she felt like she could somewhat understand the inexplicable intentions of higher beings.