Chapter 1

Three years after I transmigrated here, I finally completed the system's mission.

I gave up on the idea of going home and chose to stay, spending the rest of my life with the man I love most in this world.

Kingston Johnson held my hand, his eyes filled with deep affection. "Kylie, I swear I'll never let you down for the rest of our lives."

Five years later, the system reappeared: [Original plot detected. Mission restarted.]

Margaret, my half-sister who once eloped with a poor scholar, returned to the capital after her husband's death.

She wore black, her eyes brimming with tears, looking delicate.

Kingston seemed to forget the five years of deep love we'd shared.

"The Queen is barren and jealous. The Imperial Consort enters the palace, now standing as the Queen's equal in all but name."

I sat in the lonely night at Phoenix Palace when that familiar voice echoed in my ears.

The system rebooted: [You can go home in seven days, but you'll have to endure pain and torment.]

On the seventh day, blood poured from my mouth as I collapsed at Kingston's feet.

The only thing left in my sight was the endless blue sky.

Kingston was nowhere to be seen.

*****

That winter came early in the fifth year of Kingston's reign.

I stood in the main hall of Phoenix Palace, the place feeling cold and desolate.

The eunuch's sharp voice rang out in the empty hall.

"Margaret of the Wilson family, gentle and virtuous, is hereby appointed Noble Consort. She will manage the affairs of the six palaces, reside in Phoenix Palace, and her rank shall be equal to the Queen in all but name. By imperial decree."

When the decree ended, the only sound left was the crackling of candle flames.

The eunuch waited for a while, his expression turning icy when he saw I still hadn't moved. "Your Majesty, please accept the decree."

Kingston and I had been giving each other the cold shoulder for two months, and everyone in the palace was waiting to see which way the wind blew.

With the decree making Margaret the Noble Consort, it was obvious I, the Queen, was bound to fall out of favor.

Who would still respect me now?

I lifted my head, fixing him with a cold, distant stare.

The eunuch's smile faltered, and he sheepishly pulled his hand back.

I slowly looked up, glancing toward the door. Phoenix Palace was still as lavish as ever, but a strange sense of sorrow hung in the air.

"Your Majesty." The eunuch lowered his voice. "The King's decision is final. Please... don't make things difficult for me."

I took the imperial decree, my fingers brushing against the bright yellow silk, still carrying the lingering warmth of imperial incense.

"Please inform Kingston," I said, "I accept the imperial decree."

The eunuch looked as if he'd been let off the hook, and hurried out with his attendants.

As soon as the doors shut behind them, my strength gave out. I grabbed the table for support and sank into a chair.

Amara rushed out from behind the screen, holding me up, her eyes already swimming with tears. "Your Majesty, why didn't you stand up for yourself? You've ruled the palace for five years, working so hard and never slipping up. What right does that woman have to take your place?"

I just smiled and said nothing. Why her?

Because she was Margaret.

Because she was the one Kingston would always hold in his heart, his one and only, the one he could never let go of.

Kingston was the hero of this story, hopelessly devoted to Margaret for his entire life.

And me? I was just someone who got pulled into this novel.

I was supposed to finish my mission and leave this world behind, but I fell for him, and so I stayed.

I was just the expendable side character, the cannon fodder girl stuck between the hero and his true love.

My name was Kylie.

Before I transmigrated into this novel, I was just an ordinary office worker named Kylie. I died from working overtime, and when I opened my eyes again, I was the legitimate daughter of a marquis, the so-called villainous big sister to the story's heroine.

I'd read this story before.

Kingston was the prince, Margaret was his half-sister from a concubine, and they were childhood sweethearts—totally devoted to each other.

Later, Kingston fought his way to the throne and became the King.

But Margaret, born to a concubine, was never accepted by the Dowager Empress, Aletta. Aletta schemed against her, forcing her to run off with a penniless scholar.

Kingston spent years searching for her, and when he finally found her, she was already widowed, with a kid in tow.

After everything they went through, Kingston and Margaret finally got their happy ending, deeply in love, growing old together.

Yeah, in the original story, Kingston's wife should have been Margaret.

But something changed.

Me.

I ended up as the so-called cannon fodder, the legitimate daughter who was never meant to matter.

The original Kylie was spoiled and overbearing, always picking on Margaret. In the end, Kingston grew to despise me, banished me to the Cold Palace, and I died there, forgotten and alone.

The Wilson family was implicated because of me. The entire household was wiped out.

The Wilson family was renowned for their loyalty and valor, so that brutal ending outraged countless readers.

The system sent me here with one mission: to make sure both the expendable girl and the Wilson family made it safely to the day Kingston ascended the throne.

The first thing I did after arriving in this world was to rewrite my story.

I didn't pick on Margaret, and I kept my distance from Kingston.

I stayed out of trouble, played the role of the legitimate daughter, and just waited for the mission to finish so I could return to the modern world.

But fate always has its own plans.

The year Kingston was crowned prince, Margaret eloped with a penniless scholar.

Kingston searched for her like a madman, but no matter where he looked, she was nowhere to be found.