I Possessed The Immoral Empress

Before Felio could finish speaking, Arvian, having descended from the tree, began running in a particular direction.

The darker and less populated, the better.

The souls of other people, especially the spies, were so murky and utterly different from the radiant brilliance of Ermedeline’s soul.

As they climbed the tree, Arvian’s eyes, slightly unfocused in the darkness, spotted a place emitting a faint light.

Arvian dashed without hesitation, following the glow emanating from Ermedeline’s soul.

However, Felio had no clue about this fact.

“What do you know that you’re running for? If something happens to Her Majesty the Empress…”

“I don’t want anything to happen to her, no, I don’t want anything to happen to the Empress either! Don’t be silly, follow me!”

‘No wonder that priest’s soul seemed murky. I should have kept a better watch!’

Blaming his dulled senses after entering the Grand Temple, Arvian increased his speed.

Felio, having received knight training, was confident in his physical abilities. 

However, Arvian, being accustomed to growing up in the woods, effortlessly sprinted through the dark forest as if there were no obstacles.

“Ah, wait for me!”

Thanks to that, Felio had to sprint with all his might until his breath was almost out.

After running for a while, Ermedeline appeared in the distance.

“Empress…”

Felio attempted to rush out to stop Ermedeline, who was visibly walking into what seemed like an obvious trap at the center of a magical circle, but Arvian held him back.

“Let go. That’s a magical circle over there…”

“I know.”

“Can’t you go right now?”

“No, I can’t. Wait. You know that as a priest, my abilities are most needed in this situation, right?”

Felio couldn’t argue with Arvian’s valid point.

If Ermedeline were to suffer any physical or internal injuries within the cursed magical circle, having a priest nearby would be immensely helpful.

“Why do you insist on letting her go?”

In response to Felio’s question, Arvian, with a composed expression, looked at Ermedeline and replied.

“I want to confirm what I’ve seen.”

“What?”

While Felio wore a bewildered expression in response to Arvian’s answer, Ermedeline had already reached the girl standing in the center of the magical circle.

“Damn it!”

Upon witnessing this scene, Felio pushed Arvian aside and immediately rushed towards Ermedeline.

And in an instant, the girl standing at the center of the magical circle thrust the dagger she had been holding into Ermedeline’s abdomen.

The sharp metal piercing through flesh—a sensation familiar yet never become accustomed to—a severe, excruciating pain.

Ermedeline could have reflexively repelled the magic, but she chose not to do so. 

She knew this was part of Ermond’s deal: that she must endure this curse to spare the girl’s life.

Even though he didn’t possess Merciful Eyes, Ermond also had Francoise Duchy’s blood flowing within him. 

The potent curse from that blood spread, causing a more intense agony that felt more tearing than the blade itself, coursing through Ermedeline’s entire being.

“Ah.”

Afraid that screaming might repel the curse, Ermedeline swallowed her scream and let out only ragged breaths.

The girl before her was smaller and thinner than Helen. 

Resentment and regret streamed from her blue eyes, identical to Helen’s.

The girl seemed unable to believe she had actually harmed someone, tears streaming down her face as her hand trembled.

“I’m okay. I’m fine. It’s not your fault.”

That’s right. 

There had never been a time when it was her fault.

From her birth to abandonment, as a late-teen girl who knew nothing, learning the ways of the harsh world alone, she never blamed herself for wanting to resent someone.

However, she blamed herself.

She despised her clumsiness and weakness.

Hiding her fragile heart, she pretended to be kind, always attributing everything to her own fault.

It was easier on her mind to blame herself than to resent and hate strangers who weren’t even her unknown parents or family.

Now, as Ermedeline’s entire body began to falter, she understood what Helen’s eyes, the only ones shining blue amidst the collapse, meant.

Having returned as a sacrifice for her family, she couldn’t bear the regret and self-blame of the girl who couldn’t truly offer love to others.

As the curse gradually overwhelmed her body, fighting back a choking sensation rising within, Ermedeline urged the girl, ignoring the feeling and trying to communicate with her.

“This incident and all the misfortunes you’ve experienced are not because of you. It’s not your fault. It’s my fault for not finding you.”

Ermedeline decided to shoulder all the guilt, hoping this moment wouldn’t remain as a past she wouldn’t want to confront, at least not for the girl before her.

She struggled to raise her hand and pointed towards the Grand Temple.

“Do you see that large building over there? Run towards it… Quickly, run…”

Eventually, unable to overcome the tremendous pain, Ermedeline collapsed on the spot, hemorrhaging profusely.

“Hurry, hurry, and run!”

Summoning the last of her strength, Ermedeline’s trembling voice spurred the shaken girl to start running towards the palace from her position.

And soon, the desperate cry of Felio was heard.

“Your Majesty!”

However, before Felio’s voice could draw closer, the assassins lurking around drew their swords and approached Ermedeline.

“No!”

Thinking that the swords wouldn’t reach her, blue flames erupted from Felio’s hand and flew toward the assassins.

Swoosh!

As one of the assassins caught fire and they panicked, Felio managed to reach Ermedeline, who was barely conscious.

“Your Majesty! Please snap out of it! Where’s Arvian? Arvian!”

While holding the fading Ermedeline in his arms, Felio desperately searched for Arvian.

“Stop calling for me.”

Arvian, outwardly displaying a composed demeanor, seemed quite nonchalant, but his desperate touch reaching towards Ermedeline was trembling uncontrollably.

“Purify! Purify the curse!”

“Oh, okay!”

Instantly, a brilliant light emanated from Arvian’s body, filling the surroundings with an overwhelming glow.

“Did… Did it work?”

After the light faded away, Felio looked down at Ermedeline, held in his arms, with a worried expression, shedding tears profusely.

“Why? Why isn’t she opening her eyes? Did you properly purify her?”

“I did it properly!”

“Get immediate treatment! Treat her! You’re a priest! Your power should be necessary!”

At Felio’s outcry, Arvian concentrated once again to activate his divine power.

However, the assassins did not give Arvian any chance to heal Ermedeline’s physical body.

Felio drew his sword to confront the assailants charging at him.

“I’ll handle these guys, focus on Her Majesty!”

Desperately using his magic, Felio fought against the assailants, but they were still under the curse, rising back up even after receiving fatal injuries.

“Damn it! Who do these crazy people think I am?”

Felio’s silver eyes sparkled as he ignited his sword with blue flames. 

Calmly wielding the enchanted sword, he slowly regained his true strength.

One by one, the assailants caught fire, their limbs severed, all falling down.

After defeating all four assailants, Felio turned to Ermedeline, realizing her expression had unexpectedly eased.

Looking at Arvian sweating profusely beside her, it seemed that the divine power had indeed worked.

“Thank goodness… Urgh!”

At that moment, suddenly, Felio collapsed in agony, clutching his entire body.

As Felio surveyed his surroundings, searching for the cause of the pain, the clouds parted, revealing Ermond’s figure standing in the darkness.

With a sinister smile on his elegant face, so reminiscent of Ermedeline, Ermond slowly approached the magic circle.

“How surprising, isn’t it? The Ice Prince and a priest aiding a witch?”

Felio, recognizing Ermond, bit his lip in self-blame, regretting his incompetence. 

He felt a profound regret for the wasted weeks spent trying to trap Ermond discreetly, preventing his allegiance to the enemy from hindering Ermedeline. 

He reproached himself for his negligence in securing at least the identities of Helen’s family members.

At Ermond’s gesture, the entire magic circle emanated a violet light. 

Even Arvian, now a priest, began to feel the pain.

“Protect the Empress.”

Fellio clenched his teeth tightly, enduring the spreading agony throughout his entire body, as he struggled to rise.

“Oh? You’re enduring that?” Ermond smirked, watching Fellio slowly approaching him, each step laborious, and murmured something with a sardonic smile.

“Ugh!” Although he had thought that nothing could be more painful than this, a more intense wave of pain washed over Fellio. 

Nevertheless, he desperately persevered.

“Of course. Without Merciful Eyes, it’s only this much. Compared to the curse of Francoise Duchy, it’s bearable, isn’t it?” 

When the term “Merciful Eyes” slipped out of Fellio’s mouth, Ermond’s face lost its amusement.

“How pathetic. If you had the kind of Merciful Eyes that Empress had, even without these magic circles, I would have dealt with it easily. But your lack of Merciful Eyes allows me to endure this to some extent.”

“Is that so? But what about it? Her Majesty, the Empress, lies unconscious over there,” Ermond sneered at Fellio, glancing sideways at Arvian, who stood beside Ermedeline.

“What are you doing? Why are you protecting Ermedeline?” 

Ermond questioned, receiving no response from Fellio. 

Suddenly, without any warning, Fellio conjured blue flames at the tip of his sword and hurled them towards Ermond.

Unaware that Fellio could even use magic in that state, Ermond, staggering, found himself vulnerable as Fellio closed in.

“Ah!” However, Ermond’s curse was quicker than Fellio’s sword.

Fellio felt an excruciating pain as if someone were squeezing his heart as if about to burst at any moment. 

He desperately tried to stifle his screams to avoid disturbing Arvian, but the subsequent incantation contorted his legs, causing a cry to finally erupt from his lips.

“Aaaargh!”

“Your, your Grace?”

At the sound of Fellio’s scream, Ermedeline finally regained consciousness.

Turning her sweat-drenched head to Ermedeline’s inquiry, Arvian glanced toward Fellio.

“What’s going on?” 

Ermedeline’s eyes caught sight of Fellio writhing in immense pain, spewing blood at the edge of the magic circle.

“The magic circle is too powerful. It’s appalling how much blood has been spilled on the ground,” Arvian said, shaking his head with disgust.

“The magic circle? Do we just need to handle this shining thing?” Ermedeline asked.

“That’s right. But in your current state, it’ll be difficult. Your injuries haven’t fully healed yet,” Arvian replied.

“Is now the time to bring that up? I’ll handle that guy; you take care of the magic,” Ermedeline demanded.

“It’s not possible right now! If you forcefully use magic in your current condition, you might end up dead before your injuries completely heal!”

Arvian, believing Ermedeline was being arrogant due to her lack of knowledge about magic, rebuked her.

“If he dies, I die, so stop nagging and save him first!”

Ermedeline’s voice was tinged with a metallic edge due to her still strained vocal cords.

Arvian wanted to restrain her, seeing her tone as overly stubborn, but he lacked the energy to stop her.

“You finally show up. Unbelievable! A priest saving a witch!” Ermond taunted Arvian, barely conscious in the center of the magic circle, struggling to catch his breath.

“This is a problem for the two of us to solve. Send the rest of the people away,” Ermedeline demanded.

“Agreed. I never even dreamed that those two would come to save you. I never intended to kill them in the first place,” Ermond replied.

As Ermond lightly flicked his fingers, Fellio’s convulsions finally ceased.

Seeing Ermedeline’s gesture, Arvian crawled closer to Fellio.

“This is quite strange, isn’t it? What are you all doing? Don’t you know who this woman is? She’s the Empire’s most powerful witch, a witch! The plague that took the lives of numerous people was also initiated by this witch. Do you really not know this?” 

Ermond, eyeing the two men who remained steadfast by Ermedeline’s side, frowned disapprovingly and began an incantation.

“Ugh!” 

With the curse resuming, a clash of divine power and the curse’s energy within his body caused Arvian to start vomiting blood alongside Fellio.