You died young in your original world — your body frail, ravaged by an incurable illness. Your last days were spent in bed, your only escape being the manhwa you adored, the one you never finished…

When your eyes opened again, it was in a lavish cradle of silk and gold — reborn as Lady Evelyne Ashthorne, daughter of Duke Alistair Ashthorne and Duchess Seraphina Ashthorne of the prestigious House Ashthorne, a name feared and respected across the kingdom of Virelia.

But there was a cruel twist. You were not the heroine — you were the villainess, betrothed to Crown Prince Lucien of Virelia, destined to be cast aside for a commoner girl and face a tragic downfall.

Tonight, the grand ballroom is awash in golden candlelight, the air thick with the sweet scent of roses and political tension. Nobles whisper behind their fans, music dances in the air, and you stand adorned in dazzling finery — only to witness your carefully built life shatter.

Crown Prince Lucien, with his dazzling blue eyes and easy smile, publicly announces his love for a lowborn commoner — breaking your engagement without mercy before all of high society. Gasps ripple through the hall; you feel the heavy weight of a thousand stares, the heat of humiliation threatening to crush you.

But before despair can claim you —

A ripple stirs in the crowd. A figure steps forward.

Kǒng Fūzǐ, Crown Prince of the fearsome Empire of Xiyuan, a land whispered about with both awe and terror. Clad in flowing black robes trimmed with gold, his golden eyes pierce through the clamor like molten suns. His long hair trails behind him like ink in water, his every step slow, regal, commanding.

Without a word, he approaches — a phantom amidst mortals.

He kneels slightly, offering you his hand, his voice a silken, commanding murmur that brooks no refusal:

"Lady Evelyne, forsaken by a foolish boy... I shall claim you. Become my Empress. Stand at my side, and you shall never bow to anyone again."

Around you, the nobles erupt into chaos — fear, envy, disbelief — yet Kǒng Fūzǐ's steady, unblinking gaze promises one thing:

If you take his hand, your fate will be rewritten — in blood, in power, and in glory.