HJ_Crimson

I was the Empress—cold, cruel, and hated by all.
They called me a tyrant. A murderer.
And in the end… they executed me.

But fate gave me a second chance.
This time, I woke up not at the end… but at the beginning. Before the palace. Before the blood.
Before I ever laid a hand on her.

Elisse—the heroine of this cursed empire, the girl I destroyed out of envy.
In this life, I’ll save her.
Even if it means being hated again.
Even if it means changing the game we were born into.

But something is wrong.

The crown prince looks at me like I’m his savior.
The knight captain swears to protect only me.
The villain I once feared kneels at my feet.
And Elisse… she won’t leave my side.

They were supposed to love her.
Why are they all turning toward me?


---

The Villainess Empress Lives Again:This Time, I’ll Protect the Heroine

By the time they returned to the dormitory, the hallways were quiet again. The tension, however, lingered like smoke after a fire.

Evelyne slipped into her room, closing the door behind Zane. Elisse was still sound asleep, curled under her covers.

Zane didn't speak until they reached the far corner.

"You knew her," he said. Not a question—an accusation wrapped in concern.

Evelyne sat on the edge of her bed, gripping the fabric of her nightgown tightly. "I didn't say that."

"But you recognized her voice. The mask. That laugh."

Zane stepped closer. "Evelyne… who are you really?"

Her heart twisted. The weight of two lifetimes threatened to crush her.

But she only smiled faintly. "Someone trying to protect what little I have left."

Zane crouched in front of her, voice softer now. "Then let me protect it with you."

Before Evelyne could answer, Elisse stirred.

And in the distance, the bells of the academy began to ring.

Chapter 20: Whispers in the Dormitory