The First Betrayal
The grand chamber was cloaked in shadows, the air heavy with unspoken tension. Alisha, now Jiao Mei, was contemplating her situation. Her unspoken thoughts were disrupted by the hoarse, yet calmer voice of the emperor.
"Jiao Mei" he began, his words cutting through the silence like a blade, "tonight's encounter marks the beginning and the end."
Alisha's heart sank at his words, her hands trembling beneath the layers of silk that enshrouded her. She had hoped that the arrival of this night would mark a change in her fortunes, although the notification about her TASK for this story had already hurricane her decision making capacity and now this sudden confession by the emperor. She felt this marriage as an opportunity to forge a connection with the man she was destined to be bound to for this life but now it seems that, both, the TASK and the storyline, won't be allowing Alisha, or Jiao Mei, to smoothly move forward with the story.
As he looked at 'Jiao Mei', his gaze held a detachment that pierced her soul. His voice, cold as the marble that adorned the palace, broke the silence.
"Jiao Mei, tonight I have come here out of obligation, not desire."
"I... I, your majesty, I am not able to comprehー"
The emperor, annoyed, cuts her off and goes on, "ーI! ...", then lowering his voice he confessed, "I mean, I will never visit your court again, and especially to your bed. My heart belongs to my royal consort, and therefore there's no space for another woman."
The confession was both a blade and a wound, leaving Alisha shattered and humiliated. Her dreams of love and happiness crumbled, replaced by a heartache she hadn't anticipated.
With a cold detachment, Emperor Zing's words cut through the air, "Rest for tonight, I will take my leave". She watched as he turned away, his figure fading into the shadows, leaving her alone. His words were like a scripted performance, devoid of emotion.
Left in solitude, Alisha's mind raced. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. The Mei family's lieutenant, Jiao Mei's father, had incurred the emperor's ire. The personal and political entanglements had shaped Emperor Zing's attitude towards Alisha, a consequence of circumstances beyond her control.
Resolute, Alisha wiped away her tears, her determination unwavering. She vowed to win the emperor's heart, to mend the fractures in her dreams, and find a semblance of happiness. Yet, the sinister truth lingered – her ultimate goal was to assassinate the emperor, a path she had to forsake for now to ensure her existence as Jiao Mei as she told herself that she would rather regress again and kill the emperor in the next regression since in this life she has no strength or heart to be able to become a successful murderer of Zing empire.
As she looked towards her uncertain future, the weight of her dual tasks weighed heavily on her. The emperor's heart was not an easy conquest, and her path was fraught with obstacles she had yet to confront.
"For now let's go to bed, and navigate this world tomorrow. I need to prepare myself with, at least, a night's sleep, even if it won't be peaceful. Tomorrow marks the ACTUAL beginning of the palace life."
All night Alisha's heart was yearning and recalling the connection that rejected her, and also of the TASKS assigned to her by the system. Finally as the moon drew closer she was able to embrace sleep, unknown to the challenges ahead that were as treacherous as they were enticing.