I Possessed The Immoral Empress - Chapter 153

Ermedeline regained consciousness around the time the day’s battle had wound down and the sun had set.

Though she had regained her senses, Ermedeline found it difficult to discern if this was reality or a dream as she stared blankly at the ceiling of the tent.

‘It’s not the palace, so I guess it wasn’t a dream.’

How she wished it was a dream—something she could simply wake up from.

Grabbing her excruciatingly painful head, she tried to sit up on the bed when Arvian, who had been standing guard nearby, entered the tent.

“You’re awake now?”

“Yeah.”

“You were the only one who fainted. The other novices cried and vomited, but you were the only one who passed out.”

“Ugh, damn it.”

Without the energy to maintain the facade of an empress, Ermedeline swore under her breath as she rubbed her face dry.

“You said you were strong. Said you could beat someone as weak as me? Said you’ve done it all?”

“Hey!”

Arvian, seizing the opportunity, mocked her by reminding her of her previous boasts, but Ermedeline lacked the strength to respond.

She managed to calm her churning stomach and tried to get off the bed, but Arvian pushed her shoulder with a finger, causing her to collapse back onto the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Just stay down. Where are you going?”

“Where do you think? The battlefield.”

Ermedeline glared at Arvian and tried to sit up again.

“It’s over.”

“What?”

“Today’s battle is over. The sun’s already set while you were snoring away, Your Majesty.”

“What?”

Just when she had mustered the resolve to return to the battlefield, hearing that the battle was already over made her let out a hollow laugh.

“Just rest for today. Collect your thoughts. You need to be truly helpful starting tomorrow.”

“Sigh. What about Felio?”

Ermedeline asked about the one she had been searching for since she woke up.

“Oh, he returned a little while ago…”

As soon as she heard Felio was back, Ermedeline tried to dash out of the tent.

“What’s wrong?”

The horrors she had seen during the day flashed through her mind, mixing with her concern for Felio, and her voice grew louder as Arvian blocked her path again.

“He’ll come here on his own soon enough. Just wait.”

Arvian, now with a serious expression, stared at her, devoid of his usual smile.

“Just move! What’s the matter with you?”

Determined to see Felio, Ermedeline shoved Arvian aside and ran out of the tent.

At that moment, she understood why Arvian had tried to stop her.

Between the tents, lit sporadically by magical lights, the air was thick with the smell of blood and an even more overpowering stench of despair.

“Ugh.”

Ermedeline gagged at the overwhelming stench she had never encountered before, covering her nose and mouth with her hand.

“Why don’t you ever listen to me? This is why I told you not to come out. Come on, get back inside!” Arvian tried to usher Ermedeline back into the tent, but she didn’t budge.

“Where’s Felio?”

She couldn’t move because the sight of the severely injured soldiers around her made her even more worried about Felio.

“I only know that he returned. He’ll come to report with the commander soon enough. So, just…”

Before Arvian could finish his sentence, Ermedeline heard a familiar voice and started running.

“Ah, she really doesn’t listen!” Arvian chased after her, but Ermedeline, with her long legs, quickly reached the tent where Felio was lying.

“Gasp!”

Ermedeline had expected the daytime battle to be fierce, but seeing Felio sprawled out in an unrecognizable state shocked her to the core. 

Most mages fought from the rear, providing support, but Felio was different. Being an excellent swordsman, he knew that nothing worked better against cursed soldiers than his sword imbued with magic.

Thus, he had charged into the front lines, fighting all day, and this was the result.

His usually pristine clothes were torn to shreds, and his hair and skin were covered in sticky red blood.

As Ermedeline staggered and nearly fell backward, Arvian arrived just in time to catch her.

“The bruises have been mostly treated. He is currently recovering from internal injuries. He will regain consciousness soon, so please return to your tent, Your Majesty. Your presence here makes the soldiers uncomfortable.”

“Ah…”

Only after hearing Arvian’s words did Ermedeline notice the resentful, no, hateful glares from the soldiers and priests.

It was only natural, given that the sister of one of the main culprits, Ermond, was standing before them.

With reluctant steps, Ermedeline returned to her tent.

“Wow, I’m really pathetic.”

Completely drained by the series of shocking scenes, she dragged over any chair and slumped into it, letting out a sigh.

“Indeed, fainting like that. Tsk tsk.”

“How did the battle go?”

“I don’t know either. I was stuck here because of you.”

“Sigh.”

Feeling utterly useless, Ermedeline rubbed her face vigorously and took a deep breath.

“The commanders will come to report soon. Even if you were unconscious, you are still the supreme commander here.”

“Oh… right…”

She, who had never experienced war or even played a shooting game, was the supreme commander. She, who had been unconscious for most of the battle, was the supreme commander.

The absurdity of the situation made her chest tighten, and she felt queasy despite having eaten nothing.

But there was no time to settle her stomach.

Because she had wandered outside the tent, the commanders and mages, knowing she was awake, flocked to her tent to report.

“Your Majesty, you’re awake?”

The middle-aged commander, who had been responsible for the troops until Ermedeline arrived, gave her a barely respectful nod, his expression filled with disdain.

“I apologize for not being of any help today.”

The commanders, as well as the mages who mainly provided rear support, were in no better shape than Felio.

Seeing their condition added to Ermedeline’s sense of shame and self-loathing, causing her face to flush.

“Thanks to the mages’ support, we were able to hold the front line today. However, the losses were too great, and I don’t know how much longer we can hold out.”

“I see.”

“I never realized how powerful curses could be. The blood of the Francoise Duchy is indeed potent.”

An old woman standing behind the commander glared at Ermedeline with icy eyes. Her wrinkled face and hunched posture, supported by a cane, were marked with bloodstains.

‘A mage, too. It looks like they’ve summoned everyone from the young to the elderly.’

“I am inexperienced with the battlefield…”

“Cease your disrespectful remarks.”

Just as Ermedeline tried to apologize again, Felio, who had appeared out of nowhere, stepped in front of her, growling.

“Enough…”

Ermedeline, more accustomed to respect for elders than military hierarchy, reached out to stop Felio, but a clear voice interrupted from further back.

“Disrespectful? Lady Rosalyn was merely praising the bloodline of the Francoise Duchy.”

The voice belonged to a boy who seemed barely thirteen. Seeing his small and frail body, Ermedeline felt even more disheartened than when she saw the old woman.

“Shut up! What do you know…?”

“Enough!”

Sensing the situation could escalate into an endless emotional fight, Ermedeline cut Felio off with a firmer voice and stood up.

“I will ensure that I stand on the battlefield tomorrow and be of help. Priest Arvian will not be confined to the tent because of me, so he can assist as well.”

“The most urgent need now is for more priests. Can we get more support?” the commander asked.

Arvian tilted his head, puzzled.

“I was under the impression that the Grand Temple had already sent support and that the Central Temple had also been requested for help. Are you saying they haven’t arrived yet?”

“Not only have they not arrived, but there has been no response to our request. Even a direct report to the Emperor has yielded no reply,” the commander said, deliberately looking at Ermedeline when mentioning the royal family.

“I will personally request support from His Majesty. Though I cannot guarantee he will respond…”

Even as Ermedeline spoke, she could feel the silent mockery from everyone in the tent.

‘Of course, Henry would never heed my request.’

“It’s fortunate that tomorrow, Her Majesty the Empress, a grand mage, and Priest Arvian, the candidate for the next High Priest, will return to the front lines.”

After the briefings concluded, the middle-aged commander left, but not without a parting remark. His critical gaze left Ermedeline feeling deeply uncomfortable and unable to lift her head.

“Disrespectful remarks must be punished. What insubordination is this on the battlefield towards a superior?”

Even while receiving the reports, Ermedeline struggled several times to calm Felio, who seemed ready to set the entire tent on fire with his fury.

“Insubordination? Everything they said was true. It’s not like they fabricated anything. The fact that I fainted and was of no help on the battlefield, and that my brother committed treason—all of it is true.”

“But…”

“Enough, enough. The truth is, I didn’t understand half of what was reported. If you at least understood the details, that would be helpful.”

By shifting the topic, Ermedeline managed to quell Felio’s anger, though he was still simmering with rage.

“I’ll summarize the reports on the troops and supplies and provide you with a separate briefing.”

“Oh, yes. Supplies… Thank you. I can’t tell you how fortunate I am to have you here, Felio.”

In a rather unexpected turn, Felio smiled shyly at Ermedeline’s offhand compliment, a smile that seemed out of place given the situation. Although he quickly masked his expression, Arvian, who had been observing them, caught it.

‘Why is that old fool smiling like that? Disgusting.’

Arvian found Felio’s reaction to a simple compliment nauseating, but he was determined not to lose to him.

He wasn’t sure why he felt this competitive urge, but he knew he had to best that sly man.

“I will also be of help. From tomorrow, I will focus on cleansing the curses on the battlefield.”

“Ah, yes, you can purify curses, can’t you?”

Ermedeline’s gaze, filled with hope, shifted from Felio to Arvian.

Arvian lifted his chin confidently and glanced sideways at Felio, assessing his soul.

Deep within, Felio’s soul resembled a dense, dark forest where sunlight barely reached, filled with deep green hues of a forest shrouded in mystery.