Chapter 1

My best friend, Eleanor Clark, and I both get transported into an ancient world.

After completing our system task to help the regent take the throne, the system whisks me back to the real world.

Eleanor, however, chooses to stay behind with the regent.

[Isabel, theoretically the system cannot interfere once a task is complete, but your friend Eleanor has gone missing. Can you go back one more time?]

My chest tightens, and I agree to the system's request immediately.

Disguised as a palace maid, I catch sight of Eleanor from afar, looking blissfully happy as she holds a child.

Relieved, I decide not to disturb her and head back to the teleport point to report to the system.

As I pass the old city gate, I spot a woman's corpse hanging high on the wall. Every inch of her skin has been flayed away, and her face has been completely disfigured. Even her blood has run dry.

Driven by caution, I look closer.

Her pelvis is dislocated. It is obvious that she was brutally tortured before she died.

As I scan the contours of her face, I feel a sudden sense of familiarity.

Dread creeps over me. My eyes drop to her right hand, where the pinky finger has been severed.

My blood turns to ice. Her frame matches Eleanor's perfectly.

If this corpse is…

Then who is the empress sitting beside the emperor that day?

Chapter 1

Having hung there for days, the corpse was reeking of decay.

Her leg bones were thoroughly shattered, the splintered fragments held together only by dried, clotted flesh.

Who would dare do something so brutal right under the emperor's nose?

After returning to a modern society grounded in law and order, I'd almost forgotten the mindless violence of this world.

A wave of helplessness washed over me, and I softly called for the system.

I woke it up and asked for a status update on my best friend, Eleanor Clark, to confirm that she was doing well.

Before it could even ask why I was skipping the pleasantries, it let out a sharp screech. [I-Isabel… this corpse looks kind of familiar.]

My heart instantly leaped into my throat.

Fortunately, the system immediately changed course. [I'm probably just overthinking it. It's a good thing you saw her in person today.]

I refused to entertain the worst-case scenario.

After taking a deep breath, I turned back, determined to give the woman a proper burial.

I ordered the system to cut the rope, but my heart pounded like a drum.

Back in the modern world, I handled corpses all the time while solving criminal cases. Ancient or modern, a body was still just a body. There was nothing to be afraid of.

I crouched down and reached out to lift the corpse into the carriage.

But the moment I cupped her neck, my eyes fell on her left arm, and I froze solid.

A 45-degree angle—a telltale mark of a fractured bone that had healed.

It had been knitted back together so cleanly that it was almost seamless. Except the person who set it had botched the job, leaving a subtle misalignment.

No one would have noticed the flaw without looking for it.

But I would. Because I was the one who pieced that arm back together when I barely had any experience.

Years ago, when Declan Shaw was still a teenager, Eleanor and I infiltrated a bandit stronghold to rescue the regent.

We had just dragged his unconscious body out when the bandits ambushed us.

A blade came swinging toward my back.

Eleanor had swallowed her terror, raised her sword, and saved my life.

The bandit's blade sliced into her arm instead, tearing through flesh to expose shattered white bone.

Imperial guards arrived just in time, but on our three-day journey back, we couldn't find a single physician.

Watching Eleanor slip away, I held her, crying hysterically.

Only when her fever spiked out of control did I grit my teeth and shove the broken bones back into place myself.

When she woke up, she comforted me with a smile, saying, "Keep crying like that, and my arm will heal itself."

I didn't dare consider the worst possibility. I stood there, frozen, unable to snap out of it.

My mind raced back to this morning, when I had disguised myself as a palace maid and waited outside Serenity Palace.

Declan was now the emperor, and Eleanor had achieved her dream of becoming the empress.

They even had a child together—a picture of pure, family bliss.

The other maids had murmured that Declan demoted every minister who dared suggest taking concubines. He doted solely on Eleanor.

If this corpse was Eleanor, then who on earth did I see that day?

Chapter 2

Eleanor and I ended up in Daeryn after a car accident, bound to a system.

She was a sweet-natured history teacher, tasked with guiding Declan—the regent—to the throne.

As for me, a forensic science student who needed two extra years just to graduate, my mission was to win over the brutal villain.

I had the system drop me at critical plot points, so wrapping up my mission didn't take much effort.

Eleanor, on the other hand, spent years meticulously planning every step to secure Declan's path to the crown.

Along the way, she couldn't help but fall completely in love with him.

It was a brutal journey. She was framed, suffered a miscarriage, and was thrown into the dungeon before she finally reached her happy ending.

By the time our tasks ended, she was pregnant again.

Only then did Declan finally realize how much he loved her. Clinging to Eleanor, he wept as if his heart were breaking. "Don't go. Please… stay for me."

She had a child with him, a bond she couldn't bring herself to sever.

I understood her choice back then. But now, doubt gnawed at my chest.

Encouraging her to stay might have been the worst mistake of my life.

Forcing down my panic, I continued examining the body.

A forensic examiner could estimate a victim's age by checking the pubic symphysis, usually within a two-year margin of error.

This female corpse was roughly Eleanor's age.

But that alone proved nothing.

Then my eyes moved lower, and my breath hitched.

Her pelvic structure was wide. She had given birth before, and more than once.

Worse, the horrific trauma around her lower body made it clear that she'd suffered unspeakable abuse before she died.

At this thought, I couldn't bear to look at the body.

After putting on my gloves, I pressed down on her abdomen. Instead of being completely sunken, it had a faint curve.

When I pushed deeper, a chill ran straight down my spine.

There was a fully formed fetus inside her womb.

A wave of dread washed over me.

As I turned the body over to inspect it, I noticed her severed right pinky finger.

My breathing faltered. No. This wasn't right.

Before we were transported here, Eleanor had thrown herself over me to protect me from the car crash. Her right pinky had been crushed and severed by the tire.

The surgeon had told us that we were lucky to get there in time, or she would've lost much more than just a finger.

Desperate, I pried open her right hand and felt along the bone. Sure enough, there was a surgical pin embedded inside.

Eleanor's hand had been so badly shattered that the doctor had inserted a pin to stabilize the bone while it healed.

Something like that couldn't possibly exist in a world like this.

Cold sweat drenched my back.

It really was Eleanor. This rotting corpse was actually her.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I sobbed hysterically as tears flooded my face. "No!"

It was my fault. I never should have let her stay in this place!

I held her tight, consumed by suffocating regret.

I thought she'd found her happily ever after. But the man who had begged her to stay had betrayed her.

His self-righteous, hypocritical face flashed in my mind.

I forced myself to calm down and called out to the system hovering nearby.

The system's logic processor was fried. It stumbled over its words when I snapped it back to reality. [Isabel… I'm so sorry for your loss…]

I was eerily calm as I wiped the tears from my face with the back of my hand. "The woman in the palace is an imposter. I have to go back. I'm going to get justice for Eleanor."

I gathered her frail remains into my arms and stepped into the carriage.

As the wheels began to turn, my thoughts sharpened into a single focus. "Declan Shaw, I'm going to make you pay for this in blood!"

Chapter 3

The system drove the carriage at breakneck speed, but by the time we reached the palace gates, an entire night had passed.

The pain of my nails digging deep into my palms did nothing to quell the panic clutching at my chest.

Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Eleanor covered in blood in this world.

In five years of dissecting countless corpses, I had never been this terrified of identifying a body.

I couldn't bear to imagine the horrors she must have endured.

As I stood before the palace gates, my heart hammered like a war drum.

Yet, a desperate part of me kept clinging to hope. Maybe the body wasn't Eleanor after all.

The real Eleanor would be overjoyed to see me back, smiling as she introduced me to her child.

Forcing down the murderous intent surging inside me, I pulled out the white opal pendant Eleanor had given me before I returned to the modern world.

Back then, knowing we might never see each other again, she had wiped a glistening tear from the corner of her eye and pressed the pendant into my hands.

"Isabel, remember to come back and visit me," she had said. "With this pendant, you can enter and leave the palace freely. Don't forget me."

How could I ever forget her?

Imperial guards barred the palace entrance. I held up the lustrous white opal pendant carved with a phoenix pattern.

"By Her Majesty's decree, no one enters the palace without a royal summons!"

The guard commander placed his scabbard in front of me, blocking my path.

"This pendant represents Her Majesty herself! Don't you recognize it?"

His pupils contracted sharply, but he didn't draw back his blade.

Instead, he slashed downward. I instinctively dodged to the side, but the wind of his blade struck the pendant.

With a sharp crack, the opal shattered into pieces across the ground.

Just as I was about to order the system to strike back, a maid hurried over. "General!"

After whispering a few words to the guard, she turned and bowed to me. "Her Majesty is awaiting you inside."

My eyes locked onto the familiar embroidery on her collar. It was Eleanor's favorite pattern.

Carrying the corpse wrapped in white cloth, I followed the maid into the inner palace, unimpeded all the way.

As the wind blew, palace maids sweeping the paths stole glances at what I held. A single look was enough to turn their legs to jelly.

Before long, the servants who sensed that something was amiss dragged them away.

I kept walking without stopping. Begonias lined the paths on both sides.

It was peak blooming season, but with every step I took, my heart sank deeper into ice.

Eleanor was allergic to pollen. After helping Declan take the throne, he had ordered every single flower in the imperial gardens ripped out.

Halfway there, a servant took over as my guide, leading me to a secluded courtyard.

I didn't get to see the imposter or Declan. Instead, I ran into their son, Jaylon Shaw, first.

A child in a royal-gold doublet peered through the crack in the door. It was none other than the crown prince.

When I left, he was only three, so it was normal for him not to recognize me.

Just as I tried to search for a flicker of familiarity in Jaylon's eyes, the courtyard door was thrown wide open.

Jaylon stepped into view. He was practically carved from the same mold as Declan. Yet, that young face was twisted with a cruel malice entirely unbefitting his age.

Eleanor's child would never have eyes like that.

"You wench! How dare you bring such a filthy object into the inner palace! Who gave you the nerve to defile sacred imperial grounds?"

He mimicked the reprimanding posture of an adult, but his words dripped with unvarnished venom.

The last flicker of hope inside me was utterly extinguished.

Eleanor would never raise a child to be like this.

I took a deep breath to suppress the murderous rage threatening to erupt. "Your Highness—"

"Shut your mouth!"

Jaylon whipped around toward the pale-faced old servant behind him and barked fiercely, "Morgan Hudson! This wretched woman is out of her mind! I command you to execute her on the spot! Do it now, or I'll have you beaten to death alongside her!"

The old servant stumbled from a kick and dared not hesitate any longer. "Guards! Kill this woman where she stands!"

Before the words fully landed, four imperial guards instantly surrounded me, their killing intent razor-sharp.

Every shred of sanity and restraint burned away in an instant.

The system's voice rang cautiously in my ear. [Isabel, you can't kill anyone! If you disrupt the balance of this world, you won't be able to go back!]

I couldn't kill, but beating Jaylon up to teach this inhumane brat a lesson on Eleanor's behalf should be well within bounds.

I carefully laid Eleanor's body beneath the shade of a tree.

"You brat, I should teach you a lesson on your mother's behalf!"

Just as I was about to strike him, a familiar voice echoed nearby, "Isabel, stop!"

Chapter 4

That voice, filled with a concern and panic I hadn't heard in years, cut straight through me.

I pulled my strike back instantly.

A woman in a magnificent gold-embroidered gown rushed in, sweat glistening at her temples. She had clearly run all the way here.

That face looked identical to the Eleanor in my memories.

"Jaylon!" Her voice trembled as she pulled the boy tightly into her arms.

Jaylon sobbed against her while pointing an accusing finger at my nose. "Mother! This crazy woman barged in with a dead body and tried to kill me! She disrespected the imperial family!"

"Silence!" Eleanor snapped sharply before softening her tone as she turned to me. "Isabel, I'm sorry I'm late. It really is you! You came back!"

As she spoke, she gently nudged Jaylon in her arms forward. "Jaylon, apologize to Isabel right now! She's my best friend. How could she ever hurt you?"

Prodded by her, Jaylon begrudgingly muttered an apology.

I gave a faint reply, my focus completely on observing Eleanor.

The face and voice in front of me tore violently at my sanity. It was Eleanor, yet the expression didn't belong to her at all!

Almost on instinct, I reached out and took the hand she offered. The warmth radiating from her palm was so real.

Five years of built-up longing and worry threatened to burst into tears right then and there.

"Eleanor…" I forced the words out, my voice raspy and dry. "I-I thought…"

I thought she had died, and in such a horrific manner at that.

I bit down hard on my lip, forcing the rest of my words down before they could leave my mouth.

Seeming to understand what I left unsaid, Eleanor squeezed my hand tightly. "This is no place to talk. Isabel, come to my chamber with me. We have so much catching up to do!"

She naturally took my hand and led me toward Aurelia Court, where the empress resided.

Her palm remained warm, and my eyes drifted down to her right pinky.

My mind settled slightly. Maybe I really was just overthinking things.

Once we returned to Aurelia Court, the maids took Jaylon away to settle down.

Eleanor poured a cup of tea and handed it to me, her smile gentle and graceful.

Even though she felt familiar, my heart kept pounding out of control.

"I remember you used to be horribly allergic to pollen. But this entire garden is filled with flowers…"

At my words, her hand holding the teacup stiffened for an imperceptible second before her smile returned.

"It's all thanks to His Majesty. He searched high and low for famous physicians. Last year, he finally found a shaman from the southern border who cured my ailment."

She lowered her eyes, her tone carrying a carefully measured mix of shyness and devotion.

Curing a severe pollen allergy? Even modern medicine could only manage the symptoms.

Besides, the way she covered her nose seemed natural at first glance, yet carried a subtle hint of affectation.

If Declan had gone to such lengths to cure her, why wouldn't he just remove the triggers in the first place?

Back then, he had every single flower in the imperial gardens ripped out solely for her.

The thought of that female corpse pierced my heart like a thorn.

"Is that so? That's wonderful then."

I forced down the rising suspicion and managed to squeeze out a faint smile.

As if sensing my gaze, she pulled her hand back into her sleeve, looking uneasy.

At that moment, a horrific thought slithered into my mind.

My fingers shot out, gripping her right hand with absolute precision. I pressed down hard.

No!

In an instant, every single one of doubts surfaced.

I stared dead into that face—the face that was identical to Eleanor's—and growled out word by word, "You're not Eleanor. Who are you? What did you do to Eleanor?"

The woman's expression froze, replaced instantly by sheer terror.

Before her panic could settle, Declan walked in, draped in his royal-gold imperial robes.

The moment he noticed the trembling woman, his gaze turned dark and menacing.

"Isabel Gibson! I permitted you into the palace to visit an old friend out of respect for the past! How dare you attempt an assassination!"

Watching this sickening display of devotion and remembering the skinless body beneath the white cloth, I let out a bitter scoff. "Declan, you'd better take a good look at this."

I summoned the system and brought the body out into the open.

Under everyone's horrified gazes, a sudden gust of wind swept away the white cloth covering the corpse.

Her face had been flayed clean off, exposing bare bones and dried flesh.

I took a step forward and enunciated every single word, "Declan, look at her! If the woman in your arms is the Eleanor who bore your child and gave you everything…"

I raised my hand, pointing straight at the corpse. "Then who is she? Declan, if you really killed Eleanor, I swear I will tear your empire to pieces and leave your royal line in ruin!"