faking Royalty

Chapter 9: Who’s Reading Which Script?

That evening, Jessica invited Cecilia to her private garden gazebo for "tea and poetry."

The pavilion was surrounded by blooming plum blossoms, the scent sweet in the crisp winter air. Kiki served tea and quietly backed away, leaving the two women alone.

Cecilia sat gracefully, holding her teacup with delicate fingers, looking like a painting of a tragic heroine.

"Lady Cecilia," Jessica began smoothly, leaning back against her silk cushions. "Your soap invention is truly remarkable. I wonder... where did you learn such a rare formula?"

Cecilia let out a gentle, airy laugh. "Oh, it was merely an idea that came to me in a dream, Consort Michelle. Heavens grant wisdom to those with pure hearts, after all."

Jessica stared at her for three seconds, then raised an eyebrow. "Cut the crap, Cecilia. Which novel did you transmigrate into?"

Cecilia froze. Her delicate, saintly expression shattered in an instant. The teacup in her hand wobbled, spilling a few drops onto her white dress.

"...What did you just say?" Cecilia gasped, her voice dropping its high-pitched, sweet tone and becoming distinctly modern.

"I asked what novel you think you're in," Jessica said, pouring herself more tea. "Because if you think you're the main character in a lighthearted romance where you invent soap, charm the Emperor, and defeat the evil consort... I have bad news for you."

Cecilia stood up, her face pale. "You... you're a transmigrator too?!"

"Bingo," Jessica smiled coldly. "I transmigrated as Michelle, the villainous consort. And the 'tyrant Emperor' you're trying to seduce? That's Alex. He used to sit three desks away from me in a marketing firm in Shanghai."

Cecilia’s jaw dropped. "Wait... the Emperor is a modern guy too?!"

"Yes," Jessica said. "And we are currently in a dark, high-stakes political intrigue novel where Prince Jayson is trying to murder everyone, Lord Joker is trying to embezzle the treasury, and General Sketch has three thousand heavy cavalry stationed outside the gates. Your little soap recipe isn't going to save you when the palace siege starts in Chapter Twenty-Three!"

Cecilia stumbled back, clutching her head in total confusion. "No... no! That's impossible! I read A Thousand Trees Bloom at Night in the East Wind! It's a pure romance novel! I was supposed to marry the Emperor and live happily ever after!"

Jessica sighed, shaking her head pityingly. "You read the wrong book, sweetie. You transmigrated into a completely different story genre. Welcome to the real world—where survival requires spreadsheets, not soap."