I Possessed the Wicked Empress (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
When Ermedilin, believing the line had been crossed, immediately attacked, the sly smile vanished from Countess Elion’s plump face.
“Your Majesty, that power is nothing to hide. Everyone pretends to despise the curse outwardly, but don’t you know how many noble houses desire the bloodline of Duke François? Yet no matter how closely one is related by blood, without those vivid crimson eyes, the curse loses its potency. Isn’t that clear proof you’ve been chosen?”
Goodness, the people here must have rather unusual morals—thinking such a repulsive ability is a sign of being chosen.
Ermedilin decided she must use this opportunity to firmly imprint upon everyone that she was no longer the same person as before.
“Countess Elion, listen carefully. My accusation against Duke François this time is solely to sever all ties with this cursed bloodline.”
In truth, it was about money—but why reveal the truth? She could always fabricate a reason.
“Oh… I see.”
“I no longer wish to be called an immoral empress. Nor do I like being called a witch. Do you understand?”
To emphasize her sincerity, Ermedilin locked eyes with Countess Elion, her gaze unwavering and steady.
For the briefest instant, a blank expression flickered across Countess Elion’s face before vanishing, replaced by a warm smile.
Truly, was she remarkably adaptable—or simply shrewd?
“I assumed you took pride in being hailed as the Empire’s greatest witch… But if Your Majesty says so, I shall henceforth believe as you say.”
‘So she took pride in being called a witch? Is that why Pelio reacted so fiercely to the mention of reputation?’
Apparently, the previous owner of this body had been a bold, carefree figure who never worried about reputation—but knowing that such behavior led to being burned at the stake, Ermedilin couldn’t afford to follow suit.
Even if she couldn’t make allies, she had to minimize enemies as much as possible.
“And please convey to Princess Biela that I will certainly attend the funeral. She must be heartbroken—I would appreciate it if you could comfort her by her side.”
‘Go in my stead to offer condolences and also keep an eye on Duke Ilenian’s household.’
Though she didn’t voice the latter aloud, Ermedilin trusted the astute countess would understand her meaning.
The incident occurred late in the evening.
Just as Ermedilin was about to retire for the night after finishing her daily duties, an unwelcome visitor arrived.
Valière entered the reception room, glaring at Ermedilin with a resolute expression.
“No.”
“What do you mean, ‘no’?”
“The capital is unquestionably the Emperor’s domain. How dare you establish an orphanage there without His Majesty’s permission?”
‘Ah, so she’s heard about the orphanage.’
“It will be a private orphanage funded by my personal donations. Why would I need His Majesty’s approval for a facility that uses no state funds?”
“Even if no state funds are used, not a single blade of grass or tree in the capital belongs to anyone but His Majesty.”
“Is that so? Then I shall speak with His Majesty myself tomorrow.”
Exhausted, Ermedilin had no desire to get entangled in this contrived dispute. All she wanted was to lie down in bed.
But Valière seemed unwilling to leave.
“That money—Your Majesty’s so-called personal donation—it’s the property of House François.”
“So what?”
“His Majesty would never permit an orphanage to be built with money stained by someone else’s blood and tears.”
“Is that so? Regardless, once dawn breaks tomorrow, I’ll speak with His Majesty directly. Guards!”
No longer wishing to hear another word from Valière, Ermedilin called out loudly for the guards, prompting Valière to leave the chamber on her own.
“Ah, finally gone. Even the angelic female lead gets sensitive when it involves the male lead.”
Prompted by Valière’s insistence, Ermedilin went straight to Henri as soon as morning broke.
It was still early, so Henri hadn’t yet left his bedchamber.
In truth, Ermedilin hadn’t planned to visit so early, but Valière had been waiting for her since dawn, leaving her no choice but to come sooner than intended.
‘Goodness, an orphanage would be a fine thing—why get so worked up over it?’
Upon entering the sitting room attached to Henri’s bedchamber, she found he hadn’t even dressed in his formal attire yet.
‘Hmm, do these two not share a bed? In the novel, they seemed to occupy the same room…’
Unlike Henri, Valière was already perfectly dressed in casual attire.
Clearly, to any observer, they didn’t look like a couple who had just shared a night together.
“What brings you here so early?”
Henri’s languid voice carried a hint of irritation.
Massaging his temples with long, elegant fingers and loosening his neck, his appearance radiated such allure that it could captivate anyone, regardless of gender.
‘Wow! He really is stunningly handsome. No wonder he’s the male lead.’
“Her Majesty intends to establish an orphanage in the capital without His Majesty’s approval.”
“I’m aware.”
“She plans to use funds from the ducal house to care for orphans who lost their parents in the recent plague.”
“That’s good. The Empress has made a bold decision.”
Clearly annoyed by the situation, Henri didn’t even glance at Valière.
“Your Majesty, the capital is imperial territory, is it not? Do you truly wish for an orphanage funded by House François’s wealth to be built on this land?”
At Valière’s words, Henri finally fixed his blue eyes upon her.
“Weren’t you the one pleading just recently that the capital lacked sufficient orphanages and demanding additional budget allocations?”
“Yes, that’s correct. But the tainted money from House François…”
“What’s wrong with that money? Money is merely a means to achieve a goal. How can money itself be dirty or clean?”
“Hah, but…”
In the novel, Henri had always sided with Valière.
Yet now, right before Ermedilin, Valière’s face instantly turned deathly pale as her opinion was rejected.
“And as you said, this is imperial territory. The Empress is my wife—the only person in this empire who shares everything with me.”
Having said this, Henri turned his gaze toward Ermedilin with a faint smile.
His relaxed, deep-set eyes—soft yet intense—were dangerously captivating, capable of stirring emotions even where none existed.
“Build the orphanage as you wish. However, once it’s established, the palace will conduct thorough and regular inspections.”
I’ll acknowledge your authority, but I won’t fully trust you.
Understanding Henri’s meaning, Ermedilin quietly nodded.
‘This much is already a win.’
She let out a short sigh and glanced sideways at Valière, who was staring at Henri with a face so pale it had turned ashen gray.
‘Ah, there’s going to be a scene. I’d better leave quickly.’
Though watching drama was entertaining, one had to be cautious—getting too close might cause sparks to fly.
Ermedilin swiftly slipped out of Henri’s reception room.
Just as Ermedilin had anticipated, after she left, a cold silence descended upon Henri’s reception room.
The two stood motionless for a moment, silently staring at each other.
Soon, Valière broke the suffocating quiet, speaking first.
“Why are you treating me this way?”
“You’re the one who should ask why.”
“What have I done?”
“Do you even realize how you’ve been looking at me lately? Have you ever looked in a mirror? Do you know what your expression looks like?”
“My gaze? My expression?”
Frowning in confusion, Valière shook her head as if unable to comprehend Henri’s words.
“Yes. Fine, I’ll accept that your injuries prevent you from touching me. But it’s not just your body—you’ve already left me in your heart.”
“What do you mean…”
“Do you know why I fell in love with you? It was because of your utterly transparent gaze—so clear you could see right through to your soul. Even in moments when I faced unbearable hatred alone, looking into your eyes made me feel there was at least one person in this world who loved me—someone who liked me without pretense.”
“…”
“I believed that no matter how filthy and ugly the world became, you would always love me with a pure heart.”
“My feelings haven’t changed. They remain the same even now.”
Valière denied Henri’s words with a desperate expression, but Henri’s face remained icy cold.
“Is that so? Do you truly believe that? Honestly, I’m not even sure if the person standing before me now is the one I once knew.”
She felt sick.
Back in her own chamber, Valière emptied the contents of her stomach.
“Damn it! Damn it!! Damn it!!!”
Leaning against the wall and gazing up at the ceiling, tears silently streamed down Valière’s cheeks.
“A transparent gaze you can see right through? How on earth am I supposed to do that? What more must I do?”
Overwhelmed by despair and helplessness from this unanswerable question, Valière stared blankly into space for a long while before abruptly rising to her feet.
“There’s no choice. It can’t end like this.”
“Again?”
Hearing that Valière had returned so soon after their recent parting, irritation surged through Ermedilin first.
“She says she has something urgent to discuss.”
Sensing Ermedilin’s mood, Runi relayed the message cautiously.
“Ah, fine then. Let her in.”
Feeling sorry for Runi’s anxious demeanor, Ermedilin allowed Valière entry.
The moment Valière entered the reception room and confirmed everyone else had left, she strode briskly toward Ermedilin, stood on tiptoe, and whispered something into her ear.
“Who are you? Where did you come from?”
“You almost said ‘virus,’ didn’t you? You should’ve been more careful. What if someone understood you?”
Staring up at her with arrogant confidence, Valière’s eyes made Ermedilin’s breath catch in her throat.
“No way…”
“Yes. After I died and woke up, I found myself here—of all places, stuck in this cheap novel, and as a mistress, no less.”
‘A cheap novel?’
Hye-young had stayed up all night reading it because it was so popular.
Calling it a cheap novel—even though she wasn’t the author—slightly stung Ermedilin’s feelings.
‘It’s certainly more chaotic than I expected, but it’s not exactly cheap…’
“I never meant to read this kind of novel. Seriously, it’s so frustrating.”
Valière plopped down onto a nearby chair and sprawled her legs wide.
“Hey, if I die again, will I go back to where I originally was?”
At Valière’s words, Ermedilin leapt up and grabbed her hand.
“I don’t know why you died, but since you’re here now, don’t even think about that.”
“Then what should I do? Because of you, the whole novel’s gone off track! Am I supposed to just live like this—as a second woman to a married man?”
“No, you don’t have to. I have no attachment to being Empress. I plan to divorce at the right time and leave the palace.”
“What?”
“In the original story, I die—burned alive, no less. All I need is to avoid execution by fire. I swear I have zero interest in being Empress—it just gives me a headache. I’d much rather be a wealthy, idle noblewoman.”
“What? You became Empress and now you want to be a rich layabout?”
“Yes.”
“Huh?”
Incredulous, Valière kept sneering as she glared at Ermedilin.
“It’s true. Not everyone lives with grand ambitions. I just want a comfortable, peaceful life.”
“Can I believe that?”
“Yes. It’s true. All I want is to divorce as soon as possible.”
“Really? Then maybe stop pretending to be so virtuous. To me, it looks like you’re clinging to the Empress title.”
“No! I just don’t want to be burned alive—that’s all!”
“Fine. Then I’ll take your word for now. We’ll see in time whether you’re telling the truth.”
As the reception room door opened, Valière offered Ermedilin an impeccably elegant bow.
“I shall take my leave now.”
She didn’t forget to greet the maids and guards with gentle eyes as well.
But as she walked down the pristine white corridor, her smile gradually faded.
By the time she reached the end of the hallway, not a trace of emotion remained on her clear, serene face.
‘Hmph. Fortunately, she’s a foolish girl. I can afford to let her live—for now.’
Tap tap—the sound of Valière’s footsteps heading back to her chamber grew slightly lighter.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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Wait what the hell. I lowkey hate henri but i feel bad for her to have to suffer with a loser like him omgn