I Possessed the Wicked Empress (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
“You used to come nearly every day, but you’ve been quiet the past couple of days?”
At Runi’s question, Ermedilin gave an awkward smile.
“Is that so?”
She wasn’t sure who exactly Runi meant by “you” visiting every other day.
“Last time, too, she came with that innocent face and scraped right at Your Majesty’s heart. She pretended to be generous, inviting you to admire the precious flowers blooming in her palace, but really just wanted to boast that the Emperor had obtained rare bulbs for her.”
‘Ah, she’s talking about Valière.’
“Would she have had any other intention? She probably just wanted to share something nice with you.”
Distracted by analyzing her diary, Ermedilin replied absentmindedly to Runi.
“…….”
An awkward silence instantly filled the room.
Realizing her mistake, Ermedilin looked up—only to find Runi frozen like ice, staring at her with disbelief.
“Your Majesty is more… Ah, of course, truly magnanimous.”
Runi hastily changed her words, grabbed the dry cloth in her hand, and hurriedly fled the bedroom.
‘Ugh, even by common sense, that reaction? So frustrating. Who would believe the person inside this body isn’t Ermedilin but someone from another world? Maybe I should just act according to the character’s personality—pretend to reflect on my past actions a bit.’
Because Hye-young had lived so fiercely, she couldn’t be endlessly kind—but she had always tried to stay within her own moral boundaries.
She valued thinking and acting within the bounds of common sense, never causing harm to others.
‘Right. Since I’ll eventually leave this palace and start a new life anyway, I might as well begin managing my image carefully from now on. If I keep this up, everyone will get used to it.’
“Your Majesty, it’s time for the audience.”
Just as she resolved to change her behavior, the Emperor’s valet arrived to escort Ermedilin.
Normally, audiences with the common people were conducted jointly by the Emperor and Empress, but Henri had been visiting the audience chamber with Valière for some time.
Though this obviously undermined the Empress’s authority—even before the nobles and commoners—Ermedilin hadn’t particularly minded, given how many people already resented her.
“Audience?”
The valet nodded silently at Ermedilin’s startled question.
“Yes. His Majesty the Emperor gave the order personally.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Ermedilin suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Not fully understanding the situation here was already troublesome enough, and the nobles openly showed her contempt.
It was obvious without even looking how hostile the commoners’ reactions would be.
‘Why all of a sudden? Ugh, I don’t want to go.’
Though her feet felt glued to the floor, she couldn’t openly defy the Emperor’s command.
As she forced herself up to head toward the audience chamber, Runi leapt in front of her, blocking the way.
“You can’t possibly be planning to go dressed like that?”
Though she was Empress, her account balance was zero—she was practically destitute—and all that remained in Ermedilin’s wardrobe were a few dull, drab dresses.
Ermedilin herself didn’t want to wear those outfits, so she’d searched the closet, but it seemed the previous owner of this body had quite a pine-tree-like taste.
‘Wearing only such dull clothes all the time, no wonder people call me a witch.’
Though, admittedly, she really was a witch.
“How about this one?”
The dress the three maids had agonized over choosing was made of black velvet, lavishly embroidered with silver thread.
It was so ornate she’d never considered wearing it for daily use.
“Won’t the people think it’s too extravagant?”
With the plague raging in the capital, the people’s lives were surely wretched.
Even if Ermedilin’s balance was zero, she couldn’t compare her situation to theirs.
Indeed, even during the brief carriage ride to meet Pelio—despite being near the Empire’s most prosperous imperial palace—she’d seen countless people suffering from illness.
Thus, Ermedilin had no doubt about her concern.
Yet the maids’ reaction was strange.
“Extravagant? Your Majesty is the supreme being of the Trivian Empire—who would dare think such a thing?”
Seeing even Margo and Helen nodding in agreement with Runi, it seemed they were all sincere.
She’d just resolved to act sensibly, yet the common sense of the world Ermedilin came from and this one seemed slightly misaligned.
“I see. Then let’s go with this dress.”
Reluctantly entering the waiting room in the dress chosen by the maids,
she found Henri standing there, clad in a formal uniform of white fabric adorned with elaborate golden embroidery.
With his abundant, curly blond hair, he truly resembled the brilliance of the midday sun.
Ironically, Henri’s attire contrasted perfectly with Ermedilin’s black dress embroidered with silver, creating a curious harmony.
It was as if the god of the sun and the goddess of the moon had descended together.
Even the maids—and Henri’s own attendants—gazed at the picture-perfect imperial couple with bright, admiring eyes.
Glancing quickly at the mirror beside the door just before entering, she had to admit they did look like a well-matched pair.
Though it was a political marriage, under different circumstances they might have genuinely made a good couple.
Of course, Henri had his first love elsewhere, and Ermedilin was an irredeemable villain incapable of loving anyone—so it was hopeless from the start.
From the moment Ermedilin entered, Henri didn’t spare her even the briefest glance.
Yet, when it came time to enter, he courteously extended his hand to escort her.
Knowing eyes were watching, Ermedilin responded politely, placing her hand atop her husband’s.
Trying to hide her uncontrollable trembling, her movements naturally stiffened.
The audience chamber was already packed with nobles and commoners.
Seeing the rows of people, Ermedilin began trembling so badly she could barely breathe.
‘Ugh. I really hate being the center of attention. Is this really happening?’
Biting down hard on her teeth to keep from fainting, she took a step forward—and promptly tripped.
She nearly cried out, but managed to stifle the sound just in time.
As she stumbled, she caught sight of Valière’s faint smile near the throne.
Though she’d only wobbled slightly, Ermedilin quickly regained her balance and took the next step.
But her already stiff body, now tensed further by the unexpected mistake, caused her to misstep again—this time badly.
Her whole body swayed.
‘Oh no!!’
Bracing for the disaster of falling in front of everyone, Ermedilin squeezed her eyes shut.
Yet strangely, her off-balance body didn’t crash to the floor.
“Are you alright? What’s got you so nervous?”
“??”
Opening her eyes, she saw Henri’s face—radiant enough to justify his title as the Empire’s most handsome man.
His blue eyes held both concern and mischief, almost resembling those of a kind husband.
“Ah… I was just a bit nervous.”
Ermedilin barely managed to straighten herself and sat down on the elevated chair prepared for the Emperor and Empress.
Everyone else stood with bowed heads—except the Emperor and Empress—and in that moment, Ermedilin finally understood what “looking down upon” truly meant.
‘Huh? Sitting here naturally makes you look down on everyone.’
At the Emperor’s signal, the people in the audience chamber slowly raised their heads.
All wore expressions of awe at the striking, contrasting harmony of sun and moon.
‘It’s as if we’ve been oddly matched together.’
As Ermedilin scanned the crowd’s faces, her eyes met Valière’s, who stood nearby.
A gentle smile graced Valière’s lips, but deep within her hazel eyes lurked unmistakable, dark-green jealousy.
If it came to fake smiles, Ermedilin had her own expertise.
She’d perfected that skill working the counter at convenience stores and serving at bars—dealing with difficult customers without offending them.
‘Here it is again. Yeah, I get it—you must feel awful. She’s your first love, but you couldn’t marry due to status differences. And now the wife of that first love is the worst villain imaginable. But in the novel, you ultimately win, so just hang in there a little longer. I have absolutely no attachment to this position.’
She whispered sincerely in her heart—but silent sincerity never reaches the other person.
Soon, the audience began.
Perhaps because the plague was still rampant, the Emperor and Empress listened to petitioners from a considerable distance.
First came the nobles who had traveled from the provinces.
From their accounts, it seemed even provincial nobles—not just those in the capital—were suffering due to the plague and unrest along the borderlands.
Since the novel mainly focused on palace affairs, events at the border were rarely described in detail.
Henri had only mentioned them in passing a few times.
‘So there really are serious problems.’
It seemed bands of thieves had also settled along the border, possibly spurred by enemy military provocations.
“They acted like a trained army! They weren’t just ordinary thieves! People believe they’re deserters from the capital!”
Every petitioner looked only at Henri, the Emperor, as they pleaded their cases.
Not a single one glanced toward the Empress.
‘Well, in the novel too, people avoided her, claiming even eye contact could bring a curse.’
At first, Ermedilin had felt a bit wronged by this, but she’d grown used to it—and even found it easier.
With so little real knowledge, she didn’t need to react at all; she could just focus on listening intently.
‘I was worried at first, but this audience is actually quite helpful. Opportunities to hear such diverse opinions aren’t common.’
“Deserters from the capital?”
At Henri’s question, a viscount from some province broke into a sweat, glancing nervously at Ermedilin.
“W-well… because of the plague… desertions have been increasing…”
His words sent an instant hush through the audience chamber.
Though everyone turned their heads away, Ermedilin could clearly sense who the hidden blame in their silence was directed toward.
‘Again, it’s me. I’ve already searched through every diary and spellbook! There are many ways to cause a plague, but nowhere did I find a way to stop it. I’m genuinely frustrated too!’
Breaking the suffocating silence enveloping the chamber, Henri asked in a leisurely tone.
Leaning deeply into his throne and casting a sly glance, his attitude clearly signaled he was testing her.
“The people have spoken thus. What are your thoughts, Your Majesty?”
“…….”
Ermedilin was struck speechless by Henri’s question.
It was true—the initial outbreak had indeed started when she cursed the well.
Of course, she didn’t know the exact cause of the subsequent second and third waves of infection.
But she certainly couldn’t confess to a crime she hadn’t committed here.
“It is deeply regrettable that the plague continues to spread throughout the capital. Despite purifying the cursed water source, infections persist, which greatly concerns me.”
“So then, Your Majesty—what do you propose we do about this crisis?”
His challenging gaze openly asked: You started this—surely you know the solution?
‘I really wish I knew how to end this. I can’t exactly suggest developing a vaccine!’
“Given that we don’t yet know whether it spreads through bodily fluids or the air, we should first avoid gathering large numbers of people in such crowded spaces. Maintaining cleanliness and avoiding unnecessary contact with others would significantly slow the infection rate…”
“Did you just say… bodily fluids?”
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
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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