Chapter 1

When my maid Dayna Buckley rushed in, panting and flustered, I sat at the vanity, applying makeup.

My hair sparkled with ornate pins, and my lavish gown bloomed with vibrant red peonies.

This empress ensemble felt stately yet dull.

Paired with my radiant smile, it commanded attention.

"What's wrong? Why the rush?" I asked calmly, dabbing blush on my nose.

Dayna muttered as she stepped forward to assist. "The emperor has taken the minister's youngest daughter Adelina Simpson into the palac, and she's demanding he spend the night with her. She knows today is your birthday, yet she... It's outright disrespectful!"

I stood, glancing at my reflection, my delicate features softened with a teary, wistful expression.

This look would surely make Rodger Robertson, the emperor with his harem of thousands, grovel with guilt and beg for forgiveness.

In the royal garden, I spotted two figures standing side by side from afar.

I quickly hid my smugness, adopting a meek demeanor, and approached them like a gentle lamb, curtsying.

"Your consort greets the emperor," I said.

Rodger, with his arm around Adelina, gave a curt hum as acknowledgment.

Adelina acted bolder, barely tilting her head in greeting, dismissing me entirely.

I discreetly tossed a prepared item into the corner of Adelina's sedan chair, then stepped beside Rodger. "Your majesty, tonight is my birthday. May I ask if you could dine with me?" I asked.

Rodger raised an eyebrow in surprise, then frowned, his impatience clear.

"Arrogant jerk," I thought. "I'm the empress of this nation, with just one birthday a year! Getting annoyed over a simple request? Pathetic!" my thoughts continued.

Rodger's voice sharpened as he whipped his head around. "Who's speaking?" he demanded.

I gasped, standing still, while the servants around us drew sharp breaths.

A cold glint flashed in Rodger's eyes, his jaw clenched.

"Empress, I won't join you tonight," he said.

I blinked, tears welling in my eyes. "But, your majesty, every year before, you spent my birthday with me," I replied.

"What a miserable fool!" my mind sneered. "Only charmed by the new, ignoring the old, huh? Open your eyes and look.

"The moment you focus on my face, my perfect tears will slide down at a flawless forty-five-degree angle," I planned.

Rodger, as if sensing my thoughts, stared intently at my face, his expression unreadable.

I tilted my chin, showcasing my ideal forty-five-degree profile, ensuring every tear caught his gaze.

I looked as fragile as a glass figurine.

Adelina, though cunning, twitched an eyebrow at my display. "Your majesty, the emperor is listening to me perform chamber music tonight," she said.

Chamber music?

I forced a dry laugh, my eyes reddening. ", then you should go with Adelina. If you have the heart to visit me, sitting alone until dawn, I... I'll always wait for you," I said.

"Ha, I know you're off to play the fool with your new Adelina," I thought mockingly. "Hope it wears you out!

With a harem of thousands, aren't you worried about burning out?

But I won't sit idle. I'll sneak out with Dayna to have some fun. The aphrodisiac is already tucked in your sedan chair's corner."