chapter 1

I had known for a long time that the Prince of Qi’s cousin lived in a side courtyard of his estate.

I had known before Mother sent people to make inquiries after the imperial marriage decree—and in considerably greater detail.

So when Zhao Lang failed to appear on our wedding night, I was neither surprised nor concerned.

All that mattered was that the Prince of Qi would marry a daughter of the Shen clan as his princess consort. In time, that woman would become his empress. Whether he had a cherished cousin tucked away in his heart made no difference.

Yes, I knew the plot.

I also knew that I was one of its vicious supporting villainesses.

So what?

Life still had to be lived.

Besides, things were already different. My elder sister was the one who should have married Zhao Lang at this point in the original story.

This time, I had taken her place.

Zhao Lang came for me early the next morning. It was the first time I had ever seen him.

He was every bit as handsome and imposing as the story claimed. The dark shadows beneath his eyes after a sleepless night did diminish the effect somewhat.

Unlike me. I had enjoyed a perfect night’s sleep and looked radiant.

His face was cold, his voice stiff. “Come with me to the palace at once.”

From the look of him, he would never have come at all if we had not been required to enter the palace and offer thanks.

An ordinary woman might have fallen ill with rage after such treatment.

But I was not an ordinary woman.

Some people accepted an imperial marriage decree without protest, only to humiliate their bride on the wedding day. I, on the other hand, had chosen to marry him. I had no intention of sulking afterward.

I answered gently, followed him obediently into the palace, and conducted myself with flawless grace. Everything expected of a princess consort, I did to perfection.

As expected, both His Majesty and the Noble Consort praised me. I returned with a mountain of gifts.

On the journey home, Zhao Lang finally stopped glaring as though the world had offended him. It seemed to be my reward for knowing how to behave.

Ha.

I lowered my eyes and gave him a properly “bashful” smile.

The moment our carriage stopped outside the estate, Zhao Lang’s cousin Qin Ruo hurried out to meet us.

“Cousin!”

Her voice was soft and melodious, her features delicate and lovely. Illness had left her pale and drawn, but that only lent her a fragile beauty.

So this was the white moonlight Zhao Lang would never forget.

Even I could see why she inspired pity. Zhao Lang, of course, was beside himself with concern. He crossed the distance in three long strides and took her hand.

“You have not recovered yet. Why come out into the wind?”

Qin Ruo let him hold her hand and answered shyly, “I am much better.”

“You rushed to me last night without a thought for anything else and disrupted the Princess Consort’s wedding night. The least I can do is apologize to her.”

Zhao Lang nodded, his voice gentler still. “You have always been so considerate.”

When he turned to me, the warmth in his eyes vanished almost at once.

“Princess Consort, this is my cousin, Ruoruo. Though she is a guest in this estate, I consider her family. She has been frail since childhood and must be carefully tended. If you treat her with the slightest disrespect, do not blame me for showing you no mercy.”

Well, well.

The two of them were family, while I—the wife His Majesty had personally chosen—was the outsider.

Qin Ruo tugged coyly at Zhao Lang’s sleeve. “Cousin…”

But when she looked at me, triumph glinted openly in her eyes.

“It is all my fault for falling ill at such an inconvenient time and making Cousin worry. I hope you will be generous enough to forgive me, Sister.”

Her words were an apology. Her manner was a challenge.

As if anyone could fail to understand.

Infuriating, wasn’t it?

I was not angry.

Let other people rage if they wished. If I made myself ill, no one would suffer in my place.

I not only smiled and said, “Think nothing of it,” but asked with genuine warmth, “Are you feeling any better? I brought many excellent medicinal ingredients from home. Perhaps some of them will be useful to you. I will have Liufang bring them over shortly.”