The Day I Became Noble Consort

On the second day after I awakened memories of my previous life, the emperor made me Noble Consort.

Sunlight poured over the golden hall.

Countless mouths opened and closed around me, speaking words of congratulations.

I only felt my heart sink into an abyss.

Especially when I noticed Gideon Gong’s gaze drifting toward Selena Song.

Softly.

Secretly.

Like a man afraid someone would see where his heart truly lay.

“Yangyang,” Gideon said after the ceremony, hurrying to my palace and pulling me into his arms. “I cannot give you the title of empress, but I will give you honors no less than hers.”

I felt sick.

In my previous life, I had believed those words.

I wore the gifts he gave me.

Jewelry beyond my rank.

Robes beyond propriety.

I became arrogant from his favor and broke palace rules again and again.

Then officials impeached me.

Everyone called me a wicked consort.

Later, Gideon guided my hatred toward the empress.

So I fought Seraphina Chen with everything I had.

In the end, we became two corpses in the man-eating palace.

And Gideon, with his white moonlight Selena, became the final winner.

In this life, I would not repeat that path.

I had once loved Gideon.

My young heart had beat for him.

How could I not have fallen?

But that love vanished the day he demoted me to commoner status and sent poisoned wine.

I was the treasured legitimate daughter of a general’s house.

Raised in silk.

Loved by my family.

Yet for one man’s promise, I entered this deep palace and fought women to death for someone who never loved me.

I died.

My family fell with me.

And the world wept for the protagonist’s love while cheering the villainess’s ending.

No one ever wondered:

If Gideon had not designed my entrance into the palace, perhaps I could have had a peaceful marriage too.

I hated him.

“Your Majesty,” I said softly, lowering my eyes and leaning into his embrace despite my disgust, “to receive your favor is already my fortune. Titles and honors are worldly things. I do not care.”

The disgust in Gideon’s eyes flashed and vanished.

But I caught it.

“Yangyang is so understanding,” he said. “I am deeply comforted.”

Then he tried to lift me onto the bed.

I did not want his touch.

Never again.

I gently blocked his hand.

“Your Majesty, my monthly courses have been irregular lately. Today again…”

He paused.

“Then rest well.”

He dressed and left.

Only after his figure disappeared did I finally breathe.

I changed clothes and sat before the dressing mirror for the entire night.

I could not wait to be slaughtered again.

The next day, I covered my dark circles with three layers of powder.

On the first day after being named Noble Consort, I had to visit the empress.

In my previous life, I had relied on the emperor’s favor and deliberately skipped the visit to humiliate her.

This time, I went.

The empress was named Seraphina Chen.

Legitimate daughter of the prime minister.

Her father and mine were enemies in court.

They were also two thorns in Gideon’s heart.

Prime Minister Chen and my father had both followed the late emperor through war.

After the old emperor died, Gideon began thinking of killing the hounds after the hunt.

He brought Seraphina and me into the palace for one reason:

To control our families.

He made Seraphina empress but denied her love.

He gave me endless favor but denied me the title.

He wanted us to fight.

If we fought until death, House Chen and House Liu would hate each other.

Then he could reap the harvest.

But I had fought Seraphina for a lifetime.

I knew her better than anyone.

She was very intelligent.

I only needed to open one crack.

She would find the truth herself.