Writerszai

In her previous life, Lina Riley harbored an unrequited love for the Fifth Princess, Victoria Ashwood. Lina sacrificed everything for her—securing her place on the throne, protecting her borders, and losing her arm and sight in the process. Yet, her loyalty was repaid with a goblet of poisoned wine and the execution of her entire family.

Victoria despised her, accusing Lina of cruelty and of orchestrating her elder sister’s death, deeming her unworthy of love.

When the poison took effect, Lina closed her eyes in despair, only to awaken back in the moment they first met. On that fateful day, Lina had stumbled upon Victoria being beaten by palace maids, an encounter that set everything in motion.

This time, Lina turned away, choosing a different path, but a faint fragrance of plum blossoms lured her in. One reckless night led to a moment of despair when she awoke to find the coldly beautiful face of her bedmate—Lucille Everard, the Princess Regent.

Lucille, while outwardly uninterested in court affairs, was notorious for her swift and decisive actions that had seen emperors replaced with alarming frequency. Compared to Lucille’s power, Lina’s past dealings with Victoria seemed like mere child's play.

As Lucille stirred awake, Lina's nerves were frayed. “Given the circumstances, Your Highness, what do you think of me now?” she asked, resigned to her fate.

To her surprise, Lucille chuckled softly. “I think you’re wonderful.”

Stunned, Lina could only manage a confused “Huh?”

From that moment, everything veered off course. Lucille's palace soon bloomed with roses—Lina’s favorite. Amidst the swaying blossoms, the resolute Princess Regent would gently take Lina’s hand, her once-frigid gaze warm and tender. “My dear Lina, you are the finest woman in the world.”

In her new life, Lina often dreamed. She dreamt of someone leaving a bouquet of roses at her grave, their robes trailing the light fragrance of plum blossoms. They sipped wine with a wry smile, murmuring, “Silly girl, I avenged you.”

Victoria Ashwood was reborn too. She hadn’t expected that killing Lina would provoke her aunt’s ruthless revenge. Determined to avoid a similar fate, she resolved to feign affection for Lina, even if it took a lifetime.

At a palace banquet, Victoria was taken aback by Lina’s beauty. Draped in fine silks, Lina was a dazzling sight, so different from the weathered woman Victoria remembered. Drawn to her, Victoria was about to approach when she noticed Lucille at Lina’s side, gently wiping her lips with a soft smile. “Take it slow,” Lucille murmured.

Lina paused, then chuckled as she adjusted a strand of Lucille’s hair.

Victoria’s heart twisted in fury. When her desperate attempts to win Lina back failed, she demanded, “Why won’t you love me?”

Lina sneered. “Show some respect, Fifth Princess. You should address me as Aunt. Besides, your hypocrisy and cold-heartedness make you unworthy of love.”

Years ago, a young Lucille Everard encountered a lost girl in the palace gardens. The girl declared that Lucille was beautiful and promised to marry her one day.

Thirteen years later, a fateful misunderstanding during a bout of poisoning entwined their paths. What began as teasing quickly turned Lucille from a hunter into prey, helplessly ensnared by the woman she never forgot.

Tags:
1. Cold yet protective Princess Regent × Reborn and resigned noblewoman
2. Nine-year age gap (Princess Regent is older)
3. Alternate history, non-patriarchal setting
4. Puppet empress, regent princess ruling behind the scenes
5. Two lifetimes of love, slow-burn romance

Marked by the Ruthless Princess

Unlike last time, this room was lit by daylight, and the Crown Princess had magnanimously permitted Lina Riley to keep her eyes open. Lina suspected her future dreams would be even more vivid. But that was a worry for another time. Right now, she was off the bed, gathering her scattered clothing. After painstakingly piecing together a set of garments, Lina looked at the still-sleeping figure on the bed and felt as if she were in a dream.

In this life, the person most entwined with her fate happened to be her mortal enemy from her past life. If she could speak to her former self and say: "You've marked the Crown Princess—twice." Her past self would have stared in utter horror.

Just picturing that was amusing, and Lina actually chuckled softly.

Chapter 025: Selfhood