Chapter 1: A Cold Bed and a Tyrant's Secret
The scent of burnt sandalwood hung heavy in the air, thick enough to choke a dying person. Jessica opened her eyes, expecting to see the harsh fluorescent light of her cubicle and the endless rows of unread spreadsheets that had kept her awake until two in the morning. Instead, her vision met gold-threaded silk draperies swaying gently in a draft that carried the faint, metallic tang of winter snow.
She tried to push herself up, but the sheer weight of her sleeves pinned her back down. Layer upon layer of crimson silk and heavy brocade wrapped around her limbs like a gilded straitjacket. Sitting at the edge of the oversized carved wooden bed was a young girl wearing a pale blue tunic, wringing her hands with an expression of profound terror.
"My Lady! You're awake!" the girl whimpered, dropping to her knees so fast her knees struck the polished mahogany floor with a sickening thud. "Mistress Michelle, please... His Imperial Majesty is on his way! Lord Joker strictly commanded that you must not displease him tonight, or..."
Jessica froze. Mistress Michelle? Lord Joker? His Imperial Majesty?
A sudden, sharp headache throbbed behind her temples, cascading a wave of unfamiliar memories into her mind. She wasn't in her office. She wasn't even in her own body. She had transmigrated into the trashy historical drama w*******l she had been hate-reading during her lunch breaks—The Devil’s Beloved Consort.
And worse, she wasn't the heroic female protagonist. She was Michelle, the notorious villainous consort—a puppet planted by her corrupt father, Lord Joker, to spy on the throne. According to the original plot, Michelle was destined to be framed by the scheming Prince Jayson, abandoned by Lord Joker, and ultimately executed by the tyrant emperor before Chapter Ten.
"Kiki?" Jessica blurted out, testing the maid's name from her newly acquired memories.
"Yes, My Lady! Kiki is here!" The maid trembled violently. "Please, let me help you apply your rouge. If Emperor Kelvin sees your pale face, he will think you look down on his presence!"
Emperor Kelvin. The bloodthirsty tyrant of the Great Realm. The man who executed three ministers before breakfast and decorated his inner courtyard with the bones of his enemies.
Jessica felt a cold sweat break out along her spine. I am going to die, she thought in total panic. I survived four years of corporate downsizing only to be beheaded in a fictional dynasty!
Before Kiki could even reach for the rouge jar, the heavy brass doors of the chamber swung open with a booming echo. Cold night air rushed in, snuffing out several tall candles in the silver candelabras.
"His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Kelvin, arrives!" announced a high-pitched, sharp voice from the doorway. Berry, the head eunuch, bowed low, keeping his face nearly parallel to the floorboards as he gestured for the imperial retinue to halt outside.
A tall man stepped across the threshold, clad in deep black robes embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons. His jawline was sharp, his brows straight and imposing, and his aura radiated terrifying authority. This was Emperor Kelvin—the ruthless ruler whose mere glance made the entire imperial court shiver.
Kiki pressed her forehead flat against the cold floor, shaking so hard her hairpins rattled.
Jessica's heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. Remembering the villainess role she was forced to play, she scrambled out of bed, knelt down, and pressed her hands together in a traditional greeting, lowering her head. "Converse... I mean, imperial servant Michelle welcomes Your Majesty."
Kelvin stood over her for a long, silent moment. The silence dragged on until the air felt suffocating. Slowly, he raised a hand, waving his long silk sleeves back toward the door.
"Everyone... leave," Kelvin commanded. His voice was deep, cold, and echoing with absolute authority.
Berry bowed instantly. "Understood, Your Majesty." He motioned for Kiki to follow him, and within seconds, the heavy double doors closed shut, leaving Jessica alone in the vast, dimly lit bedchamber with the feared tyrant.
Jessica kept her head bowed, staring at the polished boots approaching her. This is it, she thought, her mind racing through corporate survival tactics. Should I play dumb? Should I cry? Should I beg for mercy?
The boots stopped right in front of her face. Kelvin leaned down, his intimidating shadow completely engulfing her.
Then, the mighty Emperor of the Great Realm let out a long, desperate, deeply exhausted sigh—a sound that sounded less like a ruthless tyrant and more like a burnt-out middle-management worker after a twelve-hour shift.
"Man..." Kelvin muttered under his breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I am so done with this garbage..."
Jessica stiffened. The phrasing was strange. The cadence was odd. It didn't sound like ancient imperial court language at all.
Before she could process what she had heard, Kelvin slouched down onto the edge of the bed, completely abandoning his regal posture. He unbuttoned the stiff collar of his dragon robe with visible annoyance and muttered in a low, distinct voice:
"If one more minister asks me to review a policy report on grain taxation today, I swear to God I'm jumping into the palace moat."
Jessica’s head snapped up. Her eyes widened in utter disbelief.
Kelvin blinked back at her, suddenly realizing he had spoken aloud. His regal mask slipped for a split second, replaced by pure panic. "Wait... ignore that. I am the ruler of the nine heavens! I am—"
"Alex?" Jessica whispered, her mouth dropping open.
Kelvin froze mid-sentence. His eyes darted around the room before locking onto her face with terrified intensity. "...What did you just call me?"
"Alex?" Jessica repeated, her voice rising slightly. "From Marketing? The guy who used to steal my almond milk from the breakroom fridge?!"
The mighty Emperor Kelvin gaped at her. The terrifying aura vanished instantly, replaced by the unmistakable expression of an overwhelmed modern office worker caught in the middle of a mistake. He stumbled back onto the silk mattress, his jaw hanging open.
"...Jessica?!" he gasped.
