prologue

📖 PROLOGUE: THE VILLAINESS'S FINAL MOMENTS

The prison cell was damp, cold, and reeked of decay. The once-glorious noble lady of the Gu family, Gu Qingyan, lay motionless on the filthy floor, her delicate hands stained with dried blood. Her once-luminous eyes had lost their light, replaced by a deep, soul-crushing despair.

Footsteps echoed through the empty corridor.

She lifted her head weakly as the heavy iron doors creaked open. A familiar figure stepped inside, his royal robes pristine, his golden eyes filled with indifference—Crown Prince Xu Minghao.

Behind him, a woman in a soft pink dress entered, her face carrying a gentle, sorrowful expression. Gu Ruoyun. Her beloved cousin. Her dearest sister in everything but blood.

The very person who had betrayed her.

Gu Qingyan had once been the most respected noblewoman in the empire—elegant, intelligent, and betrothed to the Crown Prince. As the daughter of the powerful Gu family, she was raised to become Empress. But her position made her a target.

Gu Ruoyun, the soft-spoken and delicate cousin she had always protected, secretly envied her. Playing the role of a gentle and innocent beauty, Ruoyun manipulated the Crown Prince, high-ranking officials, and even Gu Qingyan's closest allies. With the help of Prime Minister Xie, an old enemy of the Gu family, Ruoyun orchestrated the perfect downfall.

Gu Qingyan was accused of poisoning the Crown Prince's tea, the evidence conveniently found in her personal belongings. A letter bearing her seal was discovered, making it seem like she had been colluding with an enemy nation to sell military secrets. Witnesses, either bribed or blackmailed, testified that she had plotted to overthrow the royal family.

The Crown Prince, already blinded by Ruoyun's lies, condemned her without hesitation. The Emperor stripped her of her title, her family was shamed, and she was thrown into prison to await execution.

She had spent days in darkness, tortured and abandoned, with no one left to plead her case.

And now, the two people who orchestrated her ruin stood before her, basking in their victory.

Xu Minghao knelt before Gu Qingyan, tilting her chin up with gloved fingers.

"You used to be beautiful," he mused, his voice filled with mockery. "Now look at you. A pitiful wretch."

Gu Qingyan let out a hoarse chuckle. "Tell me, Your Highness, was it satisfying?"

The Crown Prince smirked. "Very."

Gu Ruoyun sighed, crouching beside her with a look of pity. "Oh, Sister, I warned you, didn't I? You were too proud, too foolish… If only you had listened."

A sharp pain stabbed through Gu Qingyan's chest as Ruoyun's hand pressed against her wound.

Her cousin leaned in, her gentle facade cracking. "It was so easy to turn everyone against you. Did you really think you could be the Empress?"

Gu Qingyan's vision blurred. Her body had long given up, but her mind burned with hatred.

She had given everything—her love, loyalty, even her dignity—only to be betrayed like this.

But if there was a next life…

She would never be a fool again.

A bitter smile graced her lips as the darkness swallowed her whole.

Then—

[Ding! 999x Cheat System Activated.]

[Rebooting… Sending Host Back in Time.]