When the Divination Master Became the Villainess

"The divination reads 'Great Misfortune'—a death trap." Lin Xianyue uttered these five words as the copper coins in her fingertips still trembled. She stared down at these strange, pale, and delicate hands—just last night she was the 21st century's top feng shui master, and this morning she had become the villainess in this trashy romance novel. Worse yet, according to the original plot, in three hours she would be caught red-handed by the male lead, the Duke, for "attempting to poison the female lead," exiled to the borderlands, and die miserably along the way. A knock sounded on the bedroom door. The maid Ailin's voice called out: "Miss, the tea party is about to begin. Miss Evelyn is already waiting for you in the rose garden." Evelyn. The female lead of The Duke's Beloved Moonlight, a pure and kind commoner girl, who was about to drink the poisoned tea Lin Xianyue had prepared at today's tea party—of course, prepared by that foolish noble girl in the original story. Lin Xianyue stood up and walked toward the full-length mirror framed in gold. The girl in the mirror had brilliant golden hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a stunningly beautiful face that held a hint of pettiness—the standard villainess look. The intricate court gown she wore had eighteen laces, suffocating her like the rigidly stratified society of the Aurora Empire. "Ailin," she turned, her voice calm, "help me change. That tea party gown is too tight. I'll wear my riding habit." "But Miss—" "Do it." Ten minutes later, Lin Xianyue descended the spiral staircase dressed in a dark blue riding habit. The fitted jacket, tailored trousers, knee-high leather boots—in noble circles where women were required to wear dresses, this was nothing short of a provocation. But she needed freedom of movement because she wasn't going to poison anyone; she was going to break the script. The scent of the rose garden was overwhelming. Three noble young ladies sat by the long table. The one in the center with chestnut curls and innocent eyes was none other than the female lead, Evelyn. "Miss Lin!" a young lady in a pink dress gasped. "Why are you dressed like that?" Lin Xianyue walked straight to the empty seat and sat down. Her gaze swept over the silver teapot, bone china cups, and three-tiered pastry stand on the table. Her right hand subtly performed a calculation beneath the table—Kan position showed anomaly, Dui palace concealed malice. The tea was undoubtedly poisoned, and not just one pot. "Miss Lin, are you unwell?" Evelyn asked softly, her doe-like eyes filled with concern. In the original story, the villainess was provoked by this very look, publicly humiliated Evelyn, and then "accidentally" offered the poisoned tea. But now, Lin Xianyue merely smiled: "Miss Evelyn, would you please choose a pot of tea?" The atmosphere subtly froze. "Pardon?" Evelyn blinked. "Two pots of tea, one Earl Grey, one Darjeeling." Lin Xianyue pointed to the two teapots placed side by side. "I'd like you to choose first." This was step one in breaking the script—handing the choice to the female lead. Evelyn's slender fingers hesitated for a moment before reaching toward the left pot: "Then Earl Grey, please." Lin Xianyue nodded and personally poured the tea for her. The liquid was amber, steam curling upward. She carefully observed Evelyn's expression—no tension, only perfectly measured curiosity. Either she didn't know, or her acting was superb. "Won't you drink, Miss Lin?" the young lady in pink asked. "I have a habit before drinking tea." Lin Xianyue pulled three copper coins from her riding habit pocket—the only things she'd brought with her through the transmigration. "I cast a divination." "Divination?" The noble young ladies covered their mouths with light laughter. "Did you learn this trick from those Eastern merchants?" Lin Xianyue didn't respond, tossing the coins onto the table. Once, twice, thrice. Kun above, Gen below—the Mountain over Earth hexagram, Bo: Yin overpowers Yang, petty men gain power, surface prosperity, inner decay. She looked up toward the garden entrance. According to the original, Duke Elliot would appear in three minutes, claiming to be "passing by," but actually secretly observing whether Evelyn was being bullied. There was still time. "The divination shows," Lin Xianyue said slowly, "that someone means me harm today." The laughter died abruptly. "You must be joking—" Evelyn's words were cut off. Lin Xianyue suddenly stood, walked to the other teapot, and poured herself a cup of Darjeeling. She didn't drink it. Instead, she took a silver hairpin from her hair and dipped it into the tea. The tip of the pin instantly turned black. Screams nearly shattered the rose garden's tranquility. "Poison!" the pink-dressed lady pointed at the cup. "That pot is poisoned!" Lin Xianyue looked calmly at the silver pin. "Yes, there's oleander extract in the Darjeeling. Half a cup, and cardiac arrest within thirty minutes." She turned to Evelyn. "But what's interesting, Miss Evelyn, is why you specifically guided me to drink from this pot?" "I did not!" Evelyn's face went pale. "I chose the other pot!" "You chose Earl Grey, but when I indicated I would drink, you said, 'Miss Lin, won't you try the Darjeeling? I heard it's your favorite'—do you remember?" Evelyn's lips trembled. The noble young ladies present glanced at each other, trying to recall the conversation. "I didn't say..." "You did," Lin Xianyue stated decisively. "And when you chose the teapot, your right pinky finger subtly pointed toward the Darjeeling—a subconscious cue." These were all lies. Evelyn had never said that sentence; the subtle gesture was fabricated. But psychologically, when an accusation is specific enough, people fill in the memory themselves. Sure enough, the young lady in pink said hesitantly, "I think... I did hear Evelyn recommend the Darjeeling..." "I did not!" Tears welled in Evelyn's eyes, perfectly playing the helpless victim. Just then, steady footsteps sounded from the garden entrance. Everyone turned. Silhouetted against the light, a tall figure approached. A dark gray formal coat, a silver watch chain, black hair impeccably styled. His features were handsomely severe, with deep green eyes like a winter forest—Elliot von Hornberg, Duke, the most powerful unmarried man in the empire, the original male lead. "What has happened?" His voice was low, his gaze sweeping over the group before settling on the blackened silver pin. Lin Xianyue's heart pounded violently. In the original, the Duke witnessed the "poisoning scene," didn't listen to the villainess's defense at all, and convicted her outright. But now, the scene was completely different. "Your Grace," she spoke before anyone else could, her voice clear and calm, "someone has poisoned my tea. The silver pin test result is here, physical evidence complete. I request a formal investigation." Elliot's eyebrows rose slightly—the only sign of his emotional fluctuation. Clearly, the scene before him didn't match expectations. "Who prepared the tea?" he asked. "The kitchen prepared it, but my maid Ailin brought it," Lin Xianyue replied. "I've already had her wait over there, not to leave without permission." A watertight approach. The Duke's green eyes studied her for a moment before turning to Evelyn. "Miss Evelyn, are you all right?" Classic move—concern for the female lead first. "I... I'm fine," Evelyn sobbed. "Just frightened. Miss Lin said I made her drink poisoned tea, but how could I possibly..." "I didn't say it was you," Lin Xianyue corrected. "I said someone means me harm, and your words and actions coincidentally led me to choose the poisoned tea—this could be coincidence, or it could be a frame." A double trap: if Evelyn was innocent, this cleared her; if Evelyn was involved, these words cornered her. Elliot walked to the table and personally inspected both teapots. He picked up the Darjeeling pot, carefully examining the spout. "Oleander extract is bitter. The poisoner would need to add a great deal of sugar to mask it." He sniffed. "This pot is indeed abnormally sweet." He looked up at Lin Xianyue. "How did you know the tea was poisoned?" "Eastern divination," Lin Xianyue stated openly, showing the coins. "The hexagram indicated danger today, so I was naturally extra cautious." "Divination." The Duke repeated the word, his tone unreadable. "Your Grace, Eastern witchcraft is f*******n in the empire—" an older maid couldn't help but say. "This isn't witchcraft; it's statistics and psychology," Lin Xianyue interrupted. "A system of hexagrams formed from millennia of observation and summarization of natural laws and human nature. Just as you judge the weather by clouds, I judge fortune through hexagrams." This explanation left everyone present stunned—they were used to mocking Eastern "superstition," never having heard such a rational interpretation. Duke Elliot's fingers lightly tapped the table. "Seal the teapots. Isolate all involved for questioning. Miss Lin," he looked at her, "do you need a physician?" "No need, I didn't drink." Lin Xianyue paused. "But Your Grace, I suggest examining all participants, including Miss Evelyn." "Why?" Evelyn's eyes widened. "Because the poisoner might have hidden the poison on their person. If evidence is found, it proves guilt immediately; if not, it clears everyone's name." Evelyn's face grew even paler. Lin Xianyue noted this—in the original, the poison was indeed hidden in Evelyn's personal sachet, placed there by a servant bribed by the villainess in an attempt to frame Evelyn. But the foolish villainess was outmaneuvered by Evelyn, and the poison ended up in the villainess's room. Now, by proactively requesting a full search, Lin Xianyue had disrupted all plans. The Duke was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Proceed as Miss Lin suggests." An hour later, the results were in: the poison was found in the room of Evelyn's maid, Martha. Martha wept, claiming she was instructed by an "anonymous person" but couldn't name anyone specific. The matter was temporarily left unresolved, but seeds of doubt had been sown. At sunset, Lin Xianyue stood by her bedroom window, looking toward the rose garden. The immediate crisis was averted, but this was only the beginning. In the original, the Duke would ultimately fall in love with Evelyn, while the villainess's family would fall in political strife, and she herself would die a miserable death on the road to exile. "Miss," Ailin said softly, "His Grace sent someone with this." It was a deep blue velvet box. Lin Xianyue opened it to find a silver brooch shaped like entwined vines, set with a small blue sapphire at its center. "Note: Thank you for your vigilance today. The gem is specially treated to change color in the presence of poison," Ailin read from the card. Lin Xianyue picked up the brooch, thoughtful. Was this surveillance? A friendly gesture? Or a warning? She walked to the dressing table and tossed the coins again. This time, the hexagram was different: Xun above, Qian below—Wind over Heaven, Xiao Xu: dense clouds but no rain, accumulating strength, awaiting the moment. On the first day of changing her fate, she had survived. But the original plot was like a rolling wheel; the next crisis would come soon. She needed more leverage: understanding this world's power systems, making allies, finding a way home (if one existed). Outside the window, the moon of the Aurora Empire rose—the same moon as her homeland, yet so different. Lin Xianyue clasped the copper coins in her palm and whispered to herself: "The game begins."