I Possessed The Immoral Empress

Leo­pold’s cold gaze, which seemed capable of freezing everything, appeared for just a fleeting moment and then vanished, but Valliere saw it keenly.

So, feeling a bit flustered, unconsciously taking a step back, she received the greeting.

“Would you grant me the honor of dancing with you?”

Just as Valliere felt an instinctual fear and was about to flee, Leo­pold elegantly requested a dance.

‘I must have seen it wrong. What entanglement could there be between this person and her?’

In any case, Valliere’s intention wasn’t to win Leo­pold’s favor. 

She merely wanted to divert attention away from Henri.

Pushing away the gaze she had seen from Leo­pold a while ago, Valliere took Leo­pold’s hand, deliberately disregarding Henri and focusing solely on Leo­pold as she felt the gazes of the people around them.

Seeing his tremendous beauty up close certainly made a stronger impression.

‘Well, the portrait of the Late Emperor hanging in the corridor was quite magnificent, after all.’

Valliere once again sensed the envious glances directed towards her.

‘That’s right. No matter how hard you try to shine at different times, would any of you be a match for me?’

Undoubtedly charming and adorable, a heartwarming appearance that could easily draw affection from anyone.

Valliere was quite confident in her newly acquired physique.

She was extremely curious about Henri’s expression upon seeing her and Leopold, a pair that seemed to fit perfectly like a painting.

‘This is what it’s like to be the Emperor’s woman, to dance with the prince.

Leopold, who had shown no interest in any lady at the ballroom since Ermedeline’s departure, requested a dance solely from her. 

This fact heightened Valliere’s sense of pride in the sky.

“I received the gift you sent last time, thank you.”

Valliere gathered her courage and thanked Leopold.

Leopold merely nodded with a slight smile.

‘Hmm? Not even a hint of interest? Well, from head to toe, he’s draped in luxury; spending that kind of money must not be a concern.’

Handsome, noble in status, and most of all, generous with material things. 

The more one looked, the more mysterious this man became.

‘With the extravagant gifts and today’s dance request… Could this man possibly be interested in me?’

As the misconception began to form, Valliere’s thoughts raced.

‘I should at least be reasonably friendly for now.’

Henri, as Valliere started dancing with Leopold, glanced briefly in that direction at the murmuring reaction. 

In the past, even a passing glance from another man would have unsettled him, but at that moment, he felt surprisingly indifferent, almost to the point of being peculiarly emotionless.

It was irksome for Henri that the person she happened to be dancing with was Leopold, but apart from that, there was no trace of jealousy toward her left in him.

While Valliere was momentarily curious about Leopold, in reality, most of her attention was focused on Henri.

However, Henri was solely concentrated on their dancing partner before his eyes.

‘Hmmm. She’s about the right age, and her looks aren’t bad, so she’ll be a good bride from the aristocracy.’

‘Although her status is a bit lower, her family is involved in international finance. They might manage money with low interest rates until their status improves.’

Of course, calling it concentration was more about assessing conditions rather than focusing on the person in question.

Leopold generally had a kind demeanor towards women, but he simply couldn’t endure this particular woman in front of him.

His insistence on asking for a dance was because he sensed Valliere’s intentions toward him. 

He, too, wanted to ignite jealousy in Henri’s heart.

However, looking at Henri’s reaction, it seemed he had no interest in whoever Valliere danced with.

Leopold actually wanted to whisper gently in her ear, kindly expressing that if Ermedeline and Ferdinand weren’t under Henri’s control, he wouldn’t want to involve himself with an unclean woman like her.

However, despite feeling uncomfortable, he had to endure it, as revealing Ferdinand’s true identity to Henri, who killed both his half-brothers and even tried to kill himself, would seal the fate of the child. 

So, no matter how unpleasant, he had to endure it.

Yet, dancing with a woman who bore the child of Ermedeline’s husband – even daring to speak to her before the Empress, Ermedeline – made Leopold feel as though insects were crawling all over his body.

Of course, he was relieved that Henri had no interest in Ermedeline herself. 

He couldn’t express how much he felt at ease knowing that Ermedeline was untouched by those filthy hands stained with the brothers’ blood.

However, regardless of that, Leopold was concerned about the wounds Ermedeline might have received. 

Knowing Ermedeline, the woman before becoming a tool of malice was nothing but a soul filled with wounded sadness.

‘She’s already a woman with so many wounds… While you all live quite happily, treating Ermedeline, the true mistress of the palace, like a witch, are you truly content with the thought of killing Ermedeline and raising the child together? Keeping my son as a hostage!’

Contrary to his decaying and rotting insides, Leopold maintained a smile on his face, causing the muscles of his face to ache unbearably.

He wanted to push away the repulsive Valliere multiple times.

‘How dare she involve that delicate person in such horrible deeds and now try to withdraw alone? Do you think I’ll leave Ermedeline to be burned and let the two of you live happily?’

As the anger kept surging to the point where he could no longer contain it, miraculously, the music stopped.

Leopold gracefully greeted Valliere until the very end, but as soon as he turned away, he removed the white gloves he was wearing and tossed them out of the window.

Amidst the lively atmosphere, everyone gathered in the square, still feeling the unrelenting joy, enjoying the space. 

Yet, there was one man standing alone, tears streaming down his face as he gazed at the palace.

Having parted ways with Ermedeline, Felio walked through the quiet palace, passed the bustling square, and continued to walk endlessly. 

He knew well that time couldn’t be held back, yet he walked the streets endlessly, hoping this beautiful night wouldn’t end.

‘What am I doing?’

Being around her made his heart race as if it might burst, and seeing her dance with other men felt like his heart would turn to ashes due to the fiery jealousy.

When he asked for a dance in the deserted corridor, it was not only because he truly wanted to dance, but also because of the intense jealousy he felt when Ermedeline danced with Leopold.

As Felio watched Leopold assist Ermedeline with a composed demeanor, he felt a surge of jealousy to the point of agony.

He had thought he accepted that she was someone else’s wife, but seeing anyone other than himself touch her or even look at her was unpleasant.

He felt the desire to rip away the hands that touched her and pluck out the eyes that beheld her.

‘But what if Leopold is truly aiming for the throne?’

If Leopold took care of Henri, Ermedeline might easily gain her freedom.

‘If that happens, we could go somewhere no one knows us.’

“Hah.”

Suddenly, a laugh mixed with self-mockery escaped him.

He felt desolate as he imagined the future alone while not knowing Ermedeline’s feelings.

He can’t recall how much effort he put into not trembling.

He barely remembered how Ermedeline was, as he struggled to maintain a façade that felt like it could collapse at any moment.

‘Darn it.’

However, one thing he vividly remembers is due to constantly locking eyes with her.

It’s the ecstatic glimmer reflected in her enigmatic, purple eyes.

‘Good. Too good!’

Merely thinking about it makes his heart swell as if it might burst.

Surely, if these feelings were voiced, they’d turn into uncontrollable tears.

This fervent emotion, unable to be expressed to the other, filled every nook of his soul.

Now, he can’t think of anything or anyone else but her.

Felio’s steps circled back, heading once more toward the square in front of the palace.

He looked up, though she wouldn’t be visible, toward the direction where Ermedeline’s Empress’s Palace was presumed to be.

He could see the lights coming from the bedroom, along with a vague figure leaning against the window.

Due to the distance, he couldn’t see Ermedeline’s face clearly, but oddly, Felio considered it fortunate.

He was sure that the tender-hearted Ermedeline, upon seeing him in his current state, would surely ask what was wrong and why he was standing in the middle of the square crying.

‘Have sweet dreams, my love.’

Before the tears could steal away, Felio quietly murmured words he couldn’t dare utter aloud, not even in front of the crowd, or especially in front of Ermedeline.

It was a small voice unheard by anyone else, but he hoped it reached her as he offered a faint smile.

Then, he promptly returned to his duties, inspecting the guards with a brave attitude.

Just in case, Ermedeline craned her neck and looked down at the square.

She was pleased to see that the happiness of the people had reached this high up in the palace, but there was only one person she was looking for.

A gentle young man with deep navy hair and mysterious silver eyes.

However, amidst the multitude dancing in the square, it was impossible to spot one person.

Due to the Empress’s residence being situated high up, neither the elegant waltz of the palace gardens nor the lively music from the square could be heard.

It was quiet and peaceful as if it had nothing to do with the clamor of the world below.

He could return to the gardens to enjoy the rest of the ball, but Ermedeline didn’t want anything to spoil this mood.

All she wished for was that this strangely intoxicating night would pass slowly.

‘Goodbye. Thank you for your hard work.’

Finally giving up on finding Felio, she bid her farewell to the empty air. 

Only then did the scene of the square fully come into Ermedeline’s view.

Seeing from inside and from a distant part of the palace were distinctly different feelings.

Now, the dawn’s complete concealment had unfurled a deep crimson sky, leaving a strong imprint on this world like a watercolor painting.

Against the backdrop of that sky, the magical torches set up in the square began to flicker to life, one by one.

‘Wow! It was a good decision to watch from here!’

The scene of hundreds of meticulously prepared torches being lit one by one in preparation for the ball was undoubtedly a fantastic sight.

Gazing at the unfamiliar scene, Ermedeline momentarily recalled a beloved sight.

The high moon neighborhood was an inconvenient place, far from the bus stop and with weak water pressure, but it had one good aspect.

The steep uphill road leading home was the place to witness the most beautiful sunset in Seoul, set against the backdrop of rows of electric poles.

Hyeyoung loved that moment when the red hue in the sky gradually faded away behind the silhouette of the power lines, as the street lights flickered on.

That magical moment where day and night intersected felt like a gift for enduring another exhausting day.

Capturing that scene with her eyes, Hyeyoung always sent her support to herself for always working hard.

‘You did well today, Yoon Hyeyoung! Let’s keep going strong tomorrow too!’

It was a dreadful season.

That winter was filled with days Ermedeline didn’t want to relive, not just for herself but also for those who had always belonged here.

Due to the seemingly endless pandemic, countless people lost their families, homes, and livelihoods.

Even now, thinking about them, even though she might not have directly caused it, brings immense guilt that weighs heavily on her heart, tormenting her.

Ermedeline had always carried a tremendous sense of guilt in her soul for a crime she hadn’t committed, yet today, seeing this beloved crimson sight, she felt like it might be okay to cheer herself on for just this one day, as she used to.

‘You did well! Yoon Hyeyoung! You really worked hard!’

And the grateful faces that come to mind, and despite the sun setting, the people in the square who remained, enjoying this moment.

Her people, whom she wanted to protect.

No, not just them, but all those who had persevered through long endurance and suffering, safeguarding themselves.

Ermedeline felt a desire to support them all.

‘Everyone, you’ve worked hard! You did well! From tomorrow onward, I sincerely support all of your future endeavors that will start once again!’