Chap 20

"I see. I won't let this go, so go back for now."

After Ermedillin left, Vallière arrived at Henri's office.

Apparently having run there after being summoned by the steward, he was out of breath.

"You seem busy lately."

"Yes?"

"I really thought you were sick. You were begging for an alliance, and then you refused."

"What are you talking about?"

"I tried to understand that you were following the Empress. But biting the guards of the Empress's Palace goes too far."

"What, what are you talking about?"

"I know you've been exchanging letters with Count François."

Henri's cold blue eyes froze Vallière on the spot.

"That, that was just information about Her Majesty the Empress…"

"Yes. That's why I've been overlooking most things. But even you can't destroy the discipline inside the palace. A mere government dares to take away the guards from the Empress's bedroom; do you think that's acceptable?"

Just like this.

Usually, he acts as if he would give the world to you but suddenly pressures you to know your place.

The government is the government, and the Empress is the Empress, he said.

So, if you want to be treated like the Empress, you must become one, he said.

Therefore, Vallière clearly saw, but could not grasp, Ermedillin's wrongdoings and worked to gather evidence.

He spent money, time, and effort to collect evidence to dethrone the Empress.

But Henri, the very one who spat those words, does nothing.

All he needs to do is take the initiative to clear the suspicions related to the Empress, but he never takes the initiative to investigate anything.

He just watches quietly and, if he feels a line has been crossed, calls and presses to remind you of your place.

Halfresigned, Vallière bowed his head, his face filled with a bright smile.

"I was shortsighted. I inadvertently agreed to the overbearing request when Count François said that he needed his blood to collect evidence. I apologize."

One must never defy when being pressed.

Just let yourself be stepped on as he wishes, and he'll soon calm down, but if you resist, he'll crush you to death.

That was the way of Henri, who has been guaranteed the life of the master of the Tribean Empire since the day he was born.

"Hmph."

Henri flashed a faint, satisfied smile as he looked at Velia, who promptly admitted her mistake.

"Why apologize? I simply wish for your swift recovery."

Henri saw off Velia from his office, smiling a captivating smile that anyone, young or old, couldn't help but gaze at.

Velia also gave a submissive smile, relieved that it had passed without incident.

But the moment she turned the corridor and entered her room, Velia's face hardened.

"I feel terrible. Damn it."

A curse that kills the fetus, and it's asking to kill a child that's just about to be born.

She wanted to argue, asking what kind of person he takes her for, but Ermedillin sent the Countess of Elion back, using purification as an excuse.

"Ah, really… They won't just kill the child, right? An unborn child… What kind of person would do such a thing for money? Eh?"

A feeling of selfreproach crept in. Ermedillin was angry at her own reflection, grand and beautiful in the mirror.

"Are you out of your mind? No matter how desperate for money, who uses a curse for it? Honestly, even I think you deserve to die like this. Why did I have to possess you… Ah!! It's so annoying!"

From the depths of her soul, a hatred towards the original owner of this body welled up.

"Can I really survive? Even before the story really begins, it's severe enough from what's written in the diary… Can I really live?"

For a moment, she wondered if attacking her father so impulsively was wrong.

"If my family falls, won't I be executed all at once? Ah… I just wanted to save that little one! Am I being punished for not being able to save the child? But I died too? I really wanted to save them but died because it was beyond my ability? Do I have to be punished for that too?"

Ermedillin felt wronged and miserable.

She had not only been abandoned by a lover of seven years and died but had also ended up in this worst situation.

But this time, she wouldn't die in vain.

She had finally acquired a glamorous appearance and a noble status, but she didn't want to die for a crime she didn't commit.

Ermedillin looked at her diary with determined eyes.

She pricked her finger, drew a little blood, and opened the diary, writing down the names of the Countess of Elion she had visited today and the Earl who had requested the curse, along with the Princess.

"I don't know why they didn't use this list in the original story, but I'm not like that. Even if I die, I won't die alone. I have no allies, so I must use everything I can!"

The next morning, as soon as the day broke, Pellio came.

"The lawsuit preparation is complete. Thanks to the detailed information you provided, all we had to do was find the witnesses, so it ended quickly."

"I see. Thank you. I don't have money at hand right now, but as soon as I get the debt back, I will certainly pay the retainer fee…"

"No need."

Pellio sharply cut off Ermedillin's words.

"What do you mean, 'no need'? What, what are you talking about?"

In an instant, Ermedillin's heart shrank to the size of a bean, fearing that the words "Duke François, it's your turn next" might leap from Pellio's mouth.

"That baby, did it not live thanks to Her Majesty the Empress? I'll take the baby's life as payment for the ransom."

"No, saving the baby was not something I expected a reward for, so I will certainly pay the ransom."

At Ermedillin's response, Pellio momentarily rolled his eyes but soon nodded.

"Then as you wish. And Her Majesty the Empress."

"Huh?"

"How did you know that the epidemic could be transmitted through body fluids?"

Pellio was staring intently at Ermedillin with his transparent silver eyes, slightly lowering his chin, as if he would insist on a convincing answer.

"Why? Because I spread the epidemic, I knew the cause of the secondary infection. Is that what you want to say?"

Ermedillin chose a straightforward approach. She has a nature that dislikes beating around the bush.

Although caught off guard, Pellio also showed no signs of being flustered.

"About half of that is the correct answer."

"Half?"

"Yes. In reality, when I instructed them to avoid contact with body fluids, the infection rate decreased. If Her Majesty the Empress really wanted to throw the capital into chaos, you wouldn't have obediently told them how to prevent the infection, would you?"

"The other half?"

"But now the situation is different from usual. Isn't it the moment to attack your most powerful ally, your birth family, Her Majesty the Empress? It might be wise to quickly eliminate anything that could be a weakness."

"I see."

Ermedillin fumbled with the neatly arranged indictment that Pellio had prepared, just as neat as her own personality, and her lips twitched.

"Believe as you wish. No matter what I say, you won't believe me anyway, will you?"

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