Chapter 2 Time doesn't help erase the pain, it only makes us get used to it...

"Time doesn't help erase the pain, it only makes us get used to it..."

The small courtyard was shrouded in a dull gray, and the intricate spider webs only made it feel eerily cold. Standing in front of the room that was both strange and familiar, Mo Thanh Thu chuckled softly. A second later, she broke into sobs.

Even she had to ask herself: "Am I going crazy?"

Today was her birthday... But unfortunately... her birth mother was no longer here, and the person who loved her the most was gone as well. She laughed bitterly. Fate truly played cruel games. The sun was slowly setting behind the mountains, and the beautiful scenery of the mortal world unfolded before her eyes. She collapsed to the cold ground, silently watching the sun slowly disappear behind the Yen Chi Mountains, as the silent night descended.

In the 6th year of Emperor Mo's reign, the noble consort Tần Shi, originally from the Tần family, tragically died in a fire. The Tần family, having been secretly sabotaged by enemies, grew weaker and weaker, becoming a target for other powers.

Alone, Y was left to wander in the cold, vast palace, becoming a princess who was not only unloved but also oppressed in every way. The cold Eastern wind howled through the barren pear trees, the snow falling from the sky, and the palace, which had always held a desolate air, now had a deep red bloodstain starkly visible against the bleak scene.

A voice rang out, and the sound of punches and kicks landing on a small body echoed through the air.

"Still daring to glare at me? Do you really still consider yourself a princess?"

Behind the servants stood a young girl, about 7 or 8 years old, with a mocking smile. A weak voice cried out:

"Yen Ni... sister Yen Ni... save me... save me..."

The little maid knelt in the cold snow, her knees turning bright red. Dark red blood flowed endlessly from her tiny feet, standing out starkly against the white snow. Her clothes were soiled, and her eyes were swollen, filled with tears. She desperately reached out to grasp the hem of the young maid's dress, whispering in a pleading tone:

"Shut up, I am not your sister."

The voice was sweet but cold. The young maid slapped her hand away. The weak, small child had no strength to resist and was knocked over onto the cold snow. Her vision blurred, and she faintly heard a sweet, mocking voice.

"You're nothing but an unloved little princess, taken in by my aunt, and yet you dare to dirty my shoes, dare to call me sister?"

Before she lost consciousness, Mo Thanh Thu felt the cold water soaking her to the bone and heard the sweet, sarcastic voice of Tưởng Yen:

"If you want to blame someone, blame your mother for being cruel enough to give birth to a cursed child like you."

Mo Thanh Thu fainted in the freezing cold, not understanding what she had done wrong, or why she had to be treated this way...

Living was exhausting, so hungry, so cold. She feared that one day she would become the animal that the servants wanted to see-throwing away all dignity just for a piece of food or a blanket. Every time she thought of ending it all, she saw her birth mother, holding her and whispering:

"Little Jiu, you must live... you must... live... live well."

Tần Anh Vũ struggled to speak each word, gently stroking her head, before fading away like flower petals in the lonely night, leaving her alone in the cold winter days. She didn't die... but her heart had already died long ago with this world.

The scene shattered into pieces. She saw herself standing in a pitch-black space, the fragments of memories flowing incessantly.

"Little Duy, Little Duy."

Mo Thanh Thu clutched her head and collapsed to the ground. The piercing cry echoed in her ears-both familiar and distant.

"Little Duy... Little Duy."

She was in so much pain, feeling as though she was dying and being reborn again. Sweat ran cold down her body. She remembered now. She remembered. She was Tạ Duy Cơ, Tạ... Duy... Cơ.

It turned out she had once had a vivid life, once had parents by her side, once had friends, once had... a future...

But now, she was nothing but a captive bird, locked in a cage, a toy for others. This world wasn't the one she was meant to exist in. Through the mist, she saw a gentleman in elegant black clothing, radiating a chill. He wore a jade pendant inscribed with the word "Ninh." He was gentle and refined, his face obscured by the mist.

From behind him, thousands of arrows rained down towards her. In that instant, she felt a warmth embrace her.

"It's okay, everything is fine now."

"Your Highness, Your Highness."

Mo Thanh Thu's eyes snapped open, her whole body aching. Though the voice was unmistakably her maid's, what appeared before her was the man in black from earlier, faint and misty, the jade pendant with the word "Ninh" carved into her mind.

Mo Thanh Thu was in a panic, her body wracked with pain. She used all her remaining strength to run, stumbling toward the wooden door. Her face pressed against the cold snow, she felt like a butterfly trapped in a spider's web-no matter how much she struggled, there was no escape. At that moment, a figure appeared before her, bringing her salvation...