I Possessed The Immoral Empress

Ermedeline headed to the palace garden first.

The garden was already filled with nobles gathered for the ball.

Each of them, dressed in pastel-colored, vibrant gowns, looked like walking bouquets.

‘They all look beautiful,’ Ermedeline thought to herself.

As Ermedeline took her time to appreciate this dream-like scenery, soft music soon reached her ears, and Henry and Valliere made their entrance.

Traditionally, the first dance to kick off the social season was performed by the imperial couple. However, this year, as always, Henry made his appearance alongside Valliere.

In truth, Henry had only prepared the event, and it was Valliere who was in charge. Furthermore, he couldn’t leave a pregnant woman alone, which is why he felt obligated to accompany her.

‘Hmph, yes, let them all look.’

Finally, Valliere, who had grown tired of wearing the mask, appeared in front of the people and wanted to savor this moment.

Before entering, she looked in the mirror for a moment, and the image of Henry, dressed in ivory, and herself, looked like a pair of butterflies.

Feeling the admiring gazes of everyone, regardless of gender, Valliere experienced a tremendous sense of satisfaction.

‘Yes, this is it. I’m perfect today. The preparations for the event were perfect, and my appearance was perfect! Such a response is only natural.’

With her self-esteem soaring, Valliere received the greetings of the nobles, and she looked for Ermedeline, who might be feeling upset.

‘Is she already mingling with the commoners? Well, who could blame her? How much you would dislike such a sight?’

As Valliere momentarily thought about how she believed she had won today and tried to hide a smile of self-satisfaction, she caught sight of Ermedeline, surrounded by Felio and the ladies-in-waiting.

But no matter how she looked at Ermedeline, there was not a hint of shadow on her face. She was laughing heartily, seemingly engrossed in a fascinating conversation, and even had her arm around someone’s shoulder.

It was a stark contrast to the misery Valliere had sensed from her in front of her residence not long ago.

Valliere felt that sense of inferiority creeping up again.

“Empress!”

Henry called Ermedeline without any hesitation.

“The garden is truly beautiful.”

Ermedeline’s face, as she greeted with a bright smile, reflected nothing but pure praise.

“The palace square in front of the palace has been quite nicely arranged as well. The people will surely love it!”

“I did my best in my own way, but it seems that there’s no comparison to the dream-like spectacle here.”

It’s clearly a compliment, so why does it feel so unpleasant? Valliere couldn’t bring herself to smile even in the face of Ermedeline’s praise of the dream-like spectacle.

“Well, since the palace already had excellent landscaping, there wasn’t much to prepare. In fact, it’s more impressive that the Empress beautifully adorned an empty square.”

Henry, on the other hand, never acknowledged her own contribution throughout.

Valliere found it increasingly difficult to maintain a casual expression.

“To be honest, I have no talent in this field at all, so I received a lot of help from them.”

Felio and the ladies by Ermedeline’s side nodded in agreement, bowing their heads slightly towards Henry.

For a brief moment, Henry looked at the brooches on Ermedeline and Felio’s shoulders with a sharp expression.

“You guys have taken such good care of the Empress, I can’t even express how grateful I am. Well done.”

‘What’s going on?’ Valliere wondered.

It was as if saying a simple “well done” to her was such a difficult task, yet it came out so easily when addressing them. Valliere’s sense of elation was steadily declining.

“Before the Empress goes to the square, I have something to announce.”

“Yes?”

Henry hadn’t even started the first dance yet, but he left Valliere behind and extended his hand to Ermedeline.

Ermedeline, not understanding his words but sensing from Henry’s expression that it was nothing bad, obediently climbed onto the platform set up in one corner of the garden.

“The swift end of the epidemic that afflicted Trivian is all thanks to everyone’s efforts! Regardless of rank, today’s event is prepared to recognize and honor everyone’s contributions! And I want to express special gratitude to one person today.”

At Henry’s signal, one of the servants brought a splendid box to him.

“To Empress Ermedeline, who has shown remarkable leadership in providing masks to prevent the spread of the epidemic, I offer a special gift!”

Henry’s impromptu action caught Valliere off guard, and not just her, but the faces of most of the nobles observing this spectacle froze stiff.

“What have I done…” 

“You have the qualifications. Please accept it.”

Henry’s face bore an impeccably gentlemanly smile, but a silent pressure emanated from him.

As Ermedeline opened the box with a less-than-willing heart, she observed the disapproving expressions on the nobles’ faces.

Inside the box was a large brooch adorned with a prominent amethyst, a design quite similar to the one Felio had presented.

“Now, this brooch was specially custom-made for you, so please wear it!”

In such a public setting, it would be unwise to decline a gift that was given with such insistence.

Ermedeline wanted nothing more than to throw the brooch and the whole charade away, but for now, she reluctantly removed Felio’s brooch from her left shoulder and replaced it with the one given by Henry.

Despite the simple act of exchanging a single brooch, she felt extremely uncomfortable. She couldn’t help but wish she could wash away the entire left shoulder and replace it with the brooch Felio had given her.

“Now, shall we start the ball?”

As soon as the music began, Henry, looking at Ermedeline with satisfaction, turned to Valliere and took her hand as he had always done.

He gave her a gift, spoke as if he were looking for the next Empress, and danced with the government.

Count Hallstein, who had known him long enough to realize how calculated Henry’s behavior had been today, shuddered for a moment at the chill that came over him.

He worships this inhuman thoroughness and makes him his emperor, but sometimes he wonders how tiring such a life must be.

Meanwhile, to Ermedeline, who had only known Henry for a short time, and who found him unpleasant and took no interest in him, his uncontrollable behavior seemed like the childish antics of a child.

‘I feel terrible. I must change it as soon as I leave.’

Ermedeline sent a discreet signal to Felio and the ladies, indicating her intent to leave the palace. But just as she was about to depart, she felt a light touch on her shoulder.

She turned her head and was surprised to find Leopold standing there, wearing a gentlemanly and cheerful smile, as he asked her to dance.

“Would you honor me with the privilege of sharing a dance, Your Majesty?”

“Um… I… well, that is…”

As Ermedeline looked around, she saw curious glances from onlookers.

Here she was, with the Emperor dancing with Valliere, and now the Emperor’s younger brother was asking the Empress for a dance. It was an unexpected turn of events.

Ermedeline wanted to escape immediately but didn’t want to provoke Leopold, so she ultimately accepted his request.

“You look absolutely stunning today.”

Despite his dazzling appearance, Leopold’s voice and gaze were warm and affectionate.

“Thank you. You look quite handsome too.”

Unable to say he was beautiful, she blurted out the first compliment that came to her mind, and Leopold chuckled softly.

“I’m fortunate that I look good in the Empress’s eyes. I put in a little extra effort today.”

The warmth of their conversation contrasted with the grandeur of the event, creating a unique connection between the Empress and the Emperor’s brother.

Leopold, wearing a dazzling red uniform adorned with golden accents, was proudly showcasing his striking beauty.

Ermedeline was nervous, unsure of what Leopold was going to say. He had maintained silence ever since he sent her a letter with significant content hinting at his relationship as Ferdant’s heir. So she couldn’t guess his intentions behind requesting this dance.

She might not even have been stepping to the right beat, given that she had learned the steps forcibly from the ladies. But contrary to her worries, Leopold didn’t speak up during the dance, maintaining a tender gaze upon her.

It was only as the music came to an end and their hands were about to part that he whispered softly, “I missed you.”

***

Valliere was not pleased with Henry’s attitude. She had prepared such a beautiful ball all on her own, and he suddenly drew Ermedeline into the spotlight without a word, seemingly mocking her for the trouble she had gone through because of the epidemic. Then he came back, asking for a dance.

It was as if he was derisively reminding her of the embarrassment she faced due to the epidemic. Nevertheless, he once again approached and requested a dance.

Valliere’s earlier moment of fleeting satisfaction from their entrance with Henry had completely dissipated. But she had no choice but to take Henry’s hand and start the dance.

As the music began, and the two of them moved gracefully, the attention of the crowd was once again drawn to them.

Despite Henry’s unpleasant demeanor, this kind of attention was always welcome. Valliere enjoyed the moment of basking in the envious gazes of the nobles. However, just as she was savoring the jealousy in the eyes of the aristocrats, she suddenly felt a commotion in the surroundings.

‘What’s going on?’

Valliere glanced over Henry’s shoulder and saw Leopold and Ermedeline dancing together. Furthermore, it seemed that Henry was entirely focused on that, not even looking at her.

‘What is a married woman doing? And now she’s involving her husband’s brother? This is getting ridiculous,’ Valliere thought to herself.

She tried to focus on herself, even if it was forced, and ignore the couple dancing nearby, but regaining her concentration was proving difficult.

Just like Henry, her gaze kept drifting towards them.

Leopold was as handsome as Henry.

With his dazzling blond hair and vivid blue eyes, Henry had a divine charm that seemed to symbolize the majesty of the gods.

Leopold, the Prince, with his flaming red hair and mysterious golden eyes, radiated a sense of danger and vulnerability. Yet, his beauty was so captivating that it was impossible to tear one’s gaze away. Moreover, he was known as the Emperor’s son here and the Princess’s son in the Ballius Empire. Unlike Henry, who was merely the son of a marquis’s daughter, Leopold’s family connections extended to both the ruling and noble classes.

Ever since receiving a massive pile of gold and treasures as a gift, Valliere had been curious about Leopold. Although her inquiries were mostly limited to what Countess Elion told her, she had learned that Leopold was an incredibly wealthy bachelor.

‘Hmm… now that I look at it, he’s quite impressive too. His face bears a striking resemblance to Emperor,’ Valliere thought as she discreetly glanced at Henry.

The man she had first fallen in love with seemed to pay her no attention. His gaze was fixed entirely on Ermedeline. In contrast, what about Leopold?

Leopold continued to gaze at Ermedeline with a warm and affectionate expression as if there were no one else in the world.

‘He seems far more passionate and affectionate than Henry. Would it have been better if he were the Emperor instead of Henry?’ Valliere pondered as she briefly imagined herself in Ermedeline’s place.

She envisioned herself basking in his affectionate gaze, embracing the wealth and power that radiated from him. The idea of having Leopold’s endless adoration sounded tempting.

As soon as the music ended, Ermedeline hastily turned and left the garden.

The warm glances that had captivated everyone had become a threat to Ermedeline. If she continued to receive such looks from Leopold, it felt like everyone in the room would notice their peculiar relationship.

Leopold left behind, stood for a moment, and watched Ermedeline’s hurried departure.

Leopold had no intention of threatening her. As long as Ermedeline remained in Henry’s palace, he would never consider revealing their relationship.

He simply wanted to savor the warmth he had missed for so many years, even if it was just for a brief moment. The sensation of Ermedeline’s lingering warmth on his hands was a reminder of her.

The softness of her skin, slightly cooler than his own, created a sense of reverence whenever he touched her. Countless nights were spent tossing and turning, unable to believe that he had touched her.

While the strict surveillance at Francoise Castle made it challenging to be physically intimate with her, there was one unforgettable night. Leopold could never forget that single night when the icy, lifeless woman had taken his heart.

That night, for Leopold, was not merely a moment of pleasure; it felt like salvation. He had never truly wanted anything in his life.

He was the Emperor’s son, the prince, and later, the Emperor’s grandson through the princess. Born with many titles and responsibilities, but life had been gradually slipping away from him in various ways.

He had never aspired for much more than making do with what he had and living his life without making too much noise. His life was filled with complexities, being the Emperor’s son yet also the son of the Princess. Born with everything, yet everything slightly askew.

However, when Ermedeline accepted his heart, he found purpose in his life. He resolved to live for her and even die for her if necessary.

He thought to himself, ‘I won’t let her go this time! I won’t be as foolish as I was seven years ago! No matter what happens, I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world!’