Trapped by the Emperor's Toxic Love

Chapter 1

For ten years, I was the sharpest blade in Jeremy's hand.

When he ascended to the throne, he ordered me to die.

Later, he came to see me.

I lowered my gaze and said, "Let's not meet again."

But he leaned in close, his eyes dark and menacing.

"Not meet again? Justine, you belong to me. Don't ever think you can leave."

...

War erupted at the border, and the army suffered defeat after defeat.

After the city fell, the once grand Powell Residence was looted and then set ablaze.

The large family of over a hundred members perished in the chaos.

Overnight, the number of beggars in the city multiplied, and the people were displaced, living off begging.

During the turmoil, some turned their attention to the young children.

With a tasty treat or a piece of candy, they could easily lure the naive children away and sell them to the whorehouses.

So, I secretly smeared dirt on my face, swapped my luxurious silk for tattered clothes, and took refuge in the abandoned temple.

I lived there for almost two months.

Living in the open, with tattered clothes and little to eat.

Those days were particularly hard to endure.

But later, when I looked back, I couldn't remember much of it.

I only remembered how he walked into my world.

It was like he came against the light, not very clear.

I forgot when exactly it was.

I only remembered that day was a dark blue, with a steady drizzle. He came with a blue bamboo umbrella, stepping gracefully into the light.

He probably came around noon because the light was especially bright then.

His gaze lingered on me, and those boots embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread came into my view.

Then he squatted down and gently wiped the dirt off my face with a handkerchief.

I stared at him in a daze, and he seemed to smile and asked me,

"What's your name?"

I just shook my head and didn't speak.

"No name? That's okay." He paused, then continued, "Would you like to come with me? I can give you a name."

During my escape, others had asked similar questions.

Some even tried to take me away by force.

Luckily, I managed to slip away halfway and followed the refugees here.

I had learned to be smart, knowing that those people only cared about children with fair and pretty faces.

But this person in front of me was different.

He didn't look at me as if I were an object, nor did he speak rudely. He was patiently waiting for my answer.

I thought, maybe I could go with him.

So I nodded.

The tall young man relaxed his brows and spoke gently.

"My name is Jeremy."

"From now on, you will be called Justine."

When the golden wind meets the jade dew, it surpasses countless earthly encounters.

Chapter 2

In recent years, the emperor had increasingly relied on the guards. Many officials in the court were secretly monitored by the guards, and many officials lost their positions, and even their entire families faced severe repercussions.

Naturally, those who performed their duties well earned the master's favor. Miss Collins, the leader of the guards, was a highly influential and feared figure of the time, with a status unmatched by anyone.

And that Miss Collins was me.

At this moment, I had been standing at the entrance of the Imperial Study for an entire hour. The sunlight was still pleasant, enveloping me in its glow. The official attire was always heavy, and within a short quarter of an hour, I was drenched in sweat. When the wind picked up, I couldn't help but shiver.

But the chill in my heart was even more severe.

I had served Jeremy faithfully for ten years. Watching him climb from an unfavored prince to the emperor, I couldn't fail to understand the meaning behind his actions. The power held by the guards had grown so immense that their influence surpassed even that of the emperor. It was said that it was safer to anger the emperor than to cross the guards, which spoke volumes.

Jeremy, always a suspicious man by nature, now that he sat on the emperor's throne, his distrust had only intensified.

"Summon Miss Collins to the Imperial Study-"

The eunuch's voice was sharp and high-pitched, snapping me back to reality. I immediately stepped forward. Having stood for so long, my vision momentarily darkened. When I pushed open the door and entered, Jeremy was in the middle of a conversation with someone beside him. Upon seeing me, he immediately put on a gentle smile, his expression somewhat regretful.

"Look at me, engrossed in conversation with Mr. Davies, leaving Miss Collins waiting outside."

He brushed it off lightly, but what people outside said was another matter entirely.

I knelt down, "I wouldn't dare."

"Leah, you are already twenty years old, aren't you?" He smiled as he leaned forward to help me up, speaking as if casually, "If I remember correctly, Elaine is about the same age as you."

I had heard this line countless times. Every arranged marriage in the court began with these words. But now, it was directed at me.

My pupils contracted, and I looked at him in disbelief.

"Your Majesty..."

He met my astonished gaze, his expression becoming somewhat complex.

"It was merely a joke, no need to be so tense."

His tone was light and casual, as if he had merely made an offhand remark, "I'm tired. You all may leave."

I dared not say more, and after a proper bow, I retreated.

The sunlight outside was no longer as warm, but standing there, I felt the warmth slowly returning to my body. I was acutely aware that Jeremy was wary of me, and I knew that what he had just said was not a joke. It was precisely because I knew that hearing those words felt like falling into an ice cellar.

My fingers were still trembling, brushing against the warm jade at my waist. The jade bore the name he had personally engraved. What had he said when he gave it to me?

He had said, "I will always trust you."

Yes, it was my own folly, indulging in his past words and forgetting. Trust from the royal family was the most fleeting and unreliable.

Chapter 3

After years of intense training, I was in incredible shape. So, when I returned to the Powell Residence feeling utterly exhausted, it was naturally attributed to overwork. My uniform had dried in the wind, but my inner garments, not exposed to the breeze, still clung to my body. My eyelids were so heavy, and all I wanted was to crawl under the covers and sleep. I decided to sleep in my clothes.

In a hazy state, I seemed to dream of the past, of Justine and Jeremy. It was probably a pleasant dream. Back then, I was the only child Jeremy personally brought back to Green Mountain and even gave a name to, so my treatment was entirely different. The other children were grouped together and taught martial arts and the skills to win favor with high-ranking officials. In essence, they were pawns for Jeremy to win over influential ministers.

I initially thought I was one of them. But I wasn't. Jeremy personally instructed me. He taught me how to exploit others' weaknesses to achieve my goals, how to deliver a fatal blow to an enemy, and how to kill without leaving a trace. He even taught me how to understand the emperor's mind. However, he never taught me how to please others, let alone how to sell my body.

Indeed, Jeremy was an excellent teacher. He was gentle and patient, never punishing me for mistakes. Instead, he would softly tell me how to do better next time. When I did well, he would bring me some delicious pastries from the city. In those three short years, that was my only treat.

In the fourth year, Jeremy took me away. Before that, I had thought he was just a rich kid or the child of some official, which was why I was so eager to climb up and stand out. But I was wrong. It was then that I realized his identity was far more complex than I had imagined. He was a prince, but not a favored one.