I Possessed The Immoral Empress

“Even if it’s the High Priest, we have our spies. Can’t we do something about it? I want to handle this before the curse is completed.”

Ermond brushed his jawline, creating deep creases on his composed forehead.

“Even if we have a collaborator, activating the curse will be difficult. The Grand Temple itself is protected from all kinds of magic, isn’t it?”

“It seems that way. It’s just that magic doesn’t work because of divine power. It’s annoying. Even if we attempt physical attacks, the priests will heal themselves quickly in the sanctuary.”

“What if we lure them out?”

“Lure them out?”

“After all, the sanctuary is protected only within the Grand Temple. The area around it is just a picturesque mountain, isn’t it?”

Ermond, as if contemplating something, briefly rolled his eyes and then glanced at the girl crouching in the corner.

“I might consider using her as bait.”

Seemingly satisfied with his own thoughts, Ermond flicked his finger and grinned with a sinister smile.

As a smile spread across Ermond’s face, bearing ebony-black hair and chilling features reminiscent of Ermedeline, the girl in the corner gazed at his smile with a reverent look.

It was a gaze that beheld an overwhelming mixture of terror and perfect beauty in a being of absolute authority.

***

Trying to steady his trembling hand, Felio squeezed his fist so tightly in his attempt to calm himself that his palm turned a pale milky-white color.

Having made all sorts of excuses to be at the temple with Ermedeline, in the absence of Henry and Leopold, he found an unexpected figure by her side.

‘A High Priest candidate? What are these two doing together? What could they possibly find so amusing to discuss?’

Ensnared by jealousy, Felio, with fiery eyes, looked at Ermedeline and Arvian, as Rooney stealthily approached his side.

“They’ve been sticking together since this morning. That arrogant guy was so rude yesterday!”

“Rude?”

“Yes! He was so irritating! I was planning to give him a piece of my mind later, but suddenly, they’re all buddy-buddy?”

With a flick of her tongue, Rooney carried the basket and headed back to the laundry room.

‘Just like that, they became so close in a single day? It took me months! Only a day?’

Having rushed over, unable to bear even a day of separation after being together for months, yet another man was by Ermedeline’s side.

‘Darn it! Yes! Ermedeline is beautiful, elegant, and refined. But this is too much! Just because we were apart for one day!’

Ermedeline seemed unaware of Felio’s burning jealousy, as her face displayed a relaxed and natural smile he hadn’t seen before.

Suddenly noticing Felio, Ermedeline reacted and rushed over to him.

“Felio! What’s going on here?”

Seeing him, Ermedeline felt a sense of fulfillment, as if the emptiness she’d been sensing in one corner of her heart since dawn was now thoroughly filled.

“Well, why did I come here?”

Despite his attempts to smile and run over, Felio seemed uncomfortable and avoided making eye contact with Ermedeline.

“Would I possibly know why you’re here? Perhaps you missed me?” Ermedeline teased Felio, feeling much lighter after confiding with Arvian.

Under normal circumstances, Felio might have found this side of Ermedeline endearing and would have struggled to contain the twitching corners of his mouth. 

But today, he was simply in a foul mood. 

He knew that this kind of playfulness only emerged when she was in a very good mood.

“I’m buried in work, but Her Majesty seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit?”

“Huh? Do you have that much work to do, or did you come here to get paid?”

At Felio’s obtuse response, a deep shadow fell across Ermedeline’s face in an instant.

“Weren’t you supposed to take your leave? When we return from the temple to the palace, I was going to find someone to assist you…”

“Hmm? Is this Sir Felio?”

Suddenly interjecting, Arvian stood beside Ermedeline, arms crossed, glancing up and down.

Felio didn’t take kindly to Arvian’s rude demeanor, even though they had barely met.

“Have we met before?”

While aware that Arvian was a candidate for the priesthood, Felio adopted an even more aloof attitude, pretending not to know Arvian beyond that.

“This is Arvian, High Priest Candidate, and this is Felio of the House of Bastian.”

Despite Ermedeline’s attempt to alleviate the awkwardness by introducing them to each other with an awkward smile, neither man made eye contact.

“It seems like Sir Felio has come for official duties, so perhaps we can continue our conversation later?”

Ermedeline, thinking she needed to dismiss Arvian for the time being, hinted subtly. However, Arvian, with an air of obstinacy, retorted sharply, extending his lower lip:

“You don’t seem very competent… Agh!”

Ermedeline, having already dealt with a situation where Arvian exhibited rude behavior despite his fair appearance, forcefully stomped on Arvian’s foot.

“Even the priest should have busy matters to attend to. You better be on your way.”

Had it just been the two of them, Arvian might have endured Ermedeline’s sternness and lingered, but now he had drawn too much attention from the surroundings.

Internally cursing under his breath and anticipating the next encounter, Arvian complied.

“Since Her Majesty the Empress kindly sees me off like this, I should take my leave.”

Watching Arvian disappear down the corridor, grumbling loudly, Ermedeline found herself unexpectedly releasing a deep sigh.

“Who is that guy? I’ve seen his face a few times, but to think he’s the next High Priest… Engaging in conversation with such a rude person, what were you discussing?”

Felio, feeling particularly upset, even let out a curse that he wouldn’t normally use.

“Nothing much, just discussing various matters related to the temple.”

“Were you having that much fun talking about the temple?”

“Not exactly fun… Your Grace, did you, by any chance… Were you watching me and Priest Arvian converse?”

Ermedeline’s penetrating question left Felio momentarily speechless.

“It seems you came here more because you wanted to see me.”

Right then, Ermedeline struck Felio with another verbal jab.

“Yes. That’s correct. I came because I wanted to see you.”

However, Felio, with an audacious and humorless expression, confidently parried her attack. 

This unexpected reaction, causing Ermedeline to anticipate an embarrassed response from Felio, instead left her flustered.

“Oh, I see, you wanted to see me.”

Seeing Ermedeline, usually poised, suddenly falter, Felio unexpectedly grew more confident.

“Yes. I missed you so much even though it’s only been a day. That’s why I came here.”

Sensing the lighthearted atmosphere, Felio felt it might be appropriate to subtly interject his genuine feelings amidst the banter.

“I, I see… “

Due to their proximity, Ermedeline’s face immediately flushed crimson. 

She stumbled over her words, unable to respond with her usual teasing retorts, nervously shifting her gaze around.

The morning sunlight streaming through a large window brightly illuminated one side of Ermedeline’s face, accentuating her blushing cheek.

Suppressing the urge to reach out and stroke her beautifully reddened face, Felio couldn’t help feeling jealous that even the sunlight dared to touch her cheek. 

Exercising extraordinary restraint, he gently cast a shadow over Ermedeline’s face with his palm.

Wasn’t it said that jests, slips of the tongue, and even sleep talk reveal one’s true feelings?

While gazing at the desolate scenery of dawn, she realized the true nature of that emptiness she had felt.

‘I missed seeing you. I’ve only been apart for a day, yet I longed to see you, Your Grace.’

The moment she realized missing someone.

In an ordinary situation, one might expect a heart-fluttering background melody to accompany the atmosphere, but Ermedeline’s inner world was far from that.

The fluttering was brief; soon, it was replaced by despair and self-loathing due to overwhelming guilt.

‘Are you really in your right mind? How did Felio’s mother die?’

‘What about your son? Are you insane after having an illegitimate child?’

‘What about Henry? He’s probably just plotting my death, and now you want to involve His Grace?’

She has intention to kill someone, no experience of bearing a child, and no marriage.

Yet now, a past she couldn’t recall is now her own.

‘I should keep my distance.’

As Ermedeline firmly bit down on this thought and composed herself, she lifted her head. Suddenly, she noticed the shadow of Felio’s hand on her own face.

Her gaze traveled from his fingertips, across his shoulder, to his face. 

A pair of silver eyes, aimlessly staring into space with a frozen expression on his pudgy face, met hers.

She couldn’t fathom why her emotions had been fluctuating so much lately. 

However, the various expressions that kept appearing on that ice-cold face of his were so intriguing, she couldn’t look away.

‘Keep your distance? Will that work? Will the desire to see vanish once he’s out of sight?’

“Your Grace. If there are documents requiring approval, please present them promptly. We need to handle them quickly and proceed to the prayer room.”

Ermedeline spoke deliberately in a cool tone, steeling herself inwardly.

***

Ermond’s eyes are a dull ash color, not purple, as he stares at Helen, deep in thought.

He was the eldest, the son, and the brightest, but these eyes kept him from surpassing Ermedeline.

Though he held the official title of heir, everyone in the Brunnian Region knew it.

The true heir to the House of François was Ermedeline, who had inherited Merciful Eyes.

His father, wanting a son to carry on the family name, had raised her to be abusive and imprisoned, but she had managed to become an archmage and eventually used her powers to rise to the position of Empress.

If it weren’t for the steady stream of money she sent home every month, the Duke of Francois would have killed her long ago.

He should have killed her when she gave birth to the coachman’s bastard child, but he was unable to do so because the bastard had inherited Merciful Eyes.

The Duke of Francois had abused his daughter from an early age, raising her to be his tool.

And when she had outlived her usefulness, he planned to get rid of her and raise Ferdant as another tool.

An emotionless tool to be used for his son, who was perfect in every way but one.

Ermond agreed with his father.

No matter how great a wizard he was, he could not defeat Merciful Eyes.

If one isn’t born with the Merciful Eyes, one can simply make someone with the Merciful Eyes their own.

Ermedeline was meant to be utilized for the Duchy’s benefit and was scheduled to be disposed of once Ferdant began to exhibit his magical talent.

‘Daring to gamble with a son isn’t enough; you’d even kill my father? Quite the idea for a vulgar woman who’s birthed an illegitimate child.’

Donning a cloak, Ermond stepped out of his quarters and traversed the dark corridor. At the end of the corridor, a massive iron door was partially open, and inside sat King Valros of Frianton on an iron throne.

“Bring me some soldiers.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Ermedeline is currently at the Grand Temple. I have good bait to use, but to cross the border, elite soldiers are necessary.”

“Last time, despite forcing the curse, didn’t you, like your father, also fail?”

The curse that was initially repelled was due to insufficient life force of the curse’s deliverer.

Previously, the curse itself was within the magic array at Francoise Castle, hence Ermedeline’s curse magic was significantly potent. 

But that’s not the case around the Grand Temple. 

Once he makes her lower her guard, all he has to do is lure her with the trap he’s prepared.

Even after listening to Ermond’s explanation, the King of Frianton wore an expression that was neither approving nor warm. 

Eventually, however, he agreed to his request.

“Do as you wish. But it shouldn’t hinder the ongoing affairs.”

“Is that a possibility? Trivian and Henry will soon shed tears of blood.”