‘I might go bald at this rate.’

Pellio thought it wouldn’t be impossible these days, since he pulled at his hair every time he met Ermedillin.

“My lord. Why are you acting like this? Is the food not good?”

Ermedillin, who was bothered by Pellio not eating, asked as he didn’t touch his fork.

“No, the food is quite excellent.”

Pellio finally scooped a small bite into his mouth.

Honestly, he couldn’t even tell what it tasted like.

“I know it’s an orphanage, but I’m really curious about how the trial preparations are going. I know it’s a secret, but can you tell me now?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ermedillin bowed her head and started to shrug her shoulders.

Apparently, he would have to endure this joke for a while.

“It’s no secret. The trial preparation is proceeding thoroughly.”

A moment later, Ermedillin’s face held a mischievous smile.

“If my teasing is too much, just say so. I’ll stop right away.”

They may have been joking, but the two of them were not very close.

Ermedillin was worried that she might have gone too far.

“Sto…”

Pellio, who was about to say to stop right away, closed his lips.

He wished, for a moment, that the smile on Ermedillin’s face would not fade.

However, contrary to his wishes, the words that came out of his lips were this.

“I am not a person who cares about such trivial jokes.”

Pellio deliberately made a gruff expression and stuffed a thick slice of meat into his mouth.

‘How cute.’

But Ermedillin, who was facing Pellio headon, caught the true intention that even Pellio himself didn’t notice.

‘He has a surprisingly kind side. I’ll tease him more often!’

“I will eat dinner separately tonight.”

Unless very busy, they always ate breakfast and dinner together.

It wasn’t anything special, as the two of them always woke up and fell asleep in the same bedroom.

If, on top of blatantly rejecting overt temptations, he said he would also eat separately, Valiere would certainly be disappointed.

But now, with his mind extremely complicated, Henri did not want to meet anyone, not Valiere or anyone else.

He just wanted to sit quietly and gather his thoughts.

Henri had thought of Ermedillin as a convenient pawn.

A good means to make himself, one of many bastards, the emperor, a piece to be discarded when no longer needed.

He had even secretly considered how to divorce this dreadful woman, but her piling up evil deeds were a boon to him.

He had planned to strike at her with the Batistian family, who held a great grudge against Ermedillin, once evidence was collected, and her power was no longer needed.

Henri had been eagerly awaiting the day to dispose of that inhuman, cruel woman and welcome Valiere as empress.

With the recent epidemic and the collection of evidence for the evil deeds he had committed, Ermedillin’s behavior had changed.

A woman who had lived like a wild mare that knew no moderation suddenly said she would build an orphanage, as if she was suddenly aware of her notoriety.

A wellreputed empress is hard to deal with.

Therefore, Henri had planned to depose the empress immediately, even if it was reckless, after striking the Count Fransuare.

If possible, even kill her.

But now, a very good hand had come to him.

Her hidden son, Ferdant.

The devilish woman had tried to give up the property of the Fransuare family for the safety of her son.
That moment seemed to inspire Henri with the solution to a difficult problem.

‘With this child, it will be easy to use the Empress to my heart’s content and then dethrone her.’

Of course, the child is being raised safely, but that too is nothing but a pawn to move the empire for himself.

Ermedillin and Ferdant too, those who hold no personal meaning to Henri.

But today, the witch cried.

Just like a child, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to hold back her emotions.

After crying for quite some time, she found her son.

Henri recalled the transparent droplets formed at the corners of her desperate eyes.

“Sigh…….”

As if the threat of bandits crossing the border lately wasn’t enough to break his head, adding emotional worries made Henri feel like his head was about to explode.

‘Huh? Really. What’s this? Am I in a bad mood? Am I in a bad mood?’

Not only did Ermedillin seem pitiful, but his expression also changed for a moment when he saw Pellio in her bedroom.

He knew it was for official business and that Pellio’s ultimate goal was to handle Ermedillin, but he still felt bad.

‘What does it matter to me who is in that woman’s bedroom?’

He had never cared when she was out meeting all the handsome men in the capital, yet now he felt a change in his emotions over a few tears.

‘I really was a worthless human being.’

Feeling contempt for himself, he was about to start eating alone when a noisy sound was heard.

“Move aside.”

“You can’t. No one is allowed in.”

“Move. I have a message for His Majesty.”

“You can’t. Please visit again later.”

“Don’t you know who I am?”

“I know. But even if the Empress comes, you cannot defy the royal command.”