Rise of the Unfavored Princess
I had thought that my life couldn't get worse when I walked in on my fiancé cheating on me with my best friend. But after a series of unfortunate events, I opened my eyes in a world that I had only read about in a webnovel, the Erudian Empire, ruled under the domineering, bloody reign of Emperor Helio. The worst part? I'm not even the main character! Reborn as Winter Royberg de la Erudian, I am the pitiful side character who is discovered to be a royal bastard princess due to a certain physical trait only the imperial bloodline possesses. But I know the end of Winter's story and the unwanted royal punching bag is framed as a witch and killed at age 16 on the guillotine due to the scheming of the cruel empress. An aloof, murder happy father? Check. Psycho half-sister? Check. Meddlesome author who wants me to follow the script? Double check! I don't want to die an early death again, so I'm determined not to ever be discovered as a royal again. But before I know it, I'm trapped in a palace of blood and opulence playing tricky games of power, games I have no clue how to win. How will I survive to adulthood in the imperial palace and get my happily ever after? And am I really the only person who fell into this world? *UPDATES 1-2 TIMES A WEEK* *1500 TO 3300 WORDS PER CHAPTER*
Ch. 186: The Nightingale's Song
A trail of blood was slowly being covered by the falling snow, the icy flakes gentle across the face of the future Duke of Amarellius. He was the emperor's right-hand man, the famous Mad Dog, and the captain of the royal guard, yet he lay dying in the backwoods of the north with not even a single witness to his passing.
The Mad Dog rolled onto his back, the icy snow seeping into the exposed wounds on his back. Bare tree branches littered the view above. If he could sit up, he would probably only see trees as far as the eye could see, evidence that he had gotten away from whatever had just gravely injured him. He couldn't have ever predicted such an end for himself. For as long as he could remember, he had always counseled the young knights he taught to never let their pride get ahead of them, to approach every battle with the possibility of losing. And yet, Lord Wolfgang Amarellius now realized, he had never truly taken that advice for himself.