Chapter 2

"She does not oppose it? That is not how it went in the novel," someone whispered.

"She must have read the book, right?" another person chimed in.

Yes. I had written the Empress Dowager as the antagonist. The one who opposed Theodore and Victor.

After all, she was not Theodore's biological mother. She just had villain vibes.

Just then, the Dowager Empress swept her gaze over us, and someone blurted out, "The Dowager Empress is wise!"

She left, satisfied.

As she departed, I heard her whisper to a palace maid, relief in her voice. "This is good. Now I have plenty of witnesses to prove I am not the villain."

It was time to find a new antagonist.

As I strolled down the street, I saw that even the veggie sellers and the old guys sipping tea were all chatting about Whispers Between the Throne and the Chancellery.

My heart leaped with excitement, so I plopped down next to the wine-sipping man and joined in their conversation.

One guy asked, "Hey, do you think Theodore really likes Victor?"

Another chimed in, "Of course he does. Otherwise, why would he sneak into Victor's mansion in the dead of night?"

A third added, "No way. The Dowager Empress isn't even against it anymore, but Theodore still hasn't made Victor his consort. He must not actually like him."

The second guy shot back, "Oh, come on. It's not just the Empress who's against it. There are so many enemies plotting against him that Theodore probably hasn't had time to deal with them all."

I couldn't help but laugh.

I turned to them and asked, "So, what do you guys think? Should they stay together or break up?"

This was a long novel, and I still hadn't figured out how to end it.

I had no idea if readers preferred a tragic ending or a happy one.

To my surprise, they all chimed in at once, almost like a choir: "They should be together! Definitely together!"

Well, I thought, if I ever decided to quit my job and ran away, maybe I'd write that happy ending for them.

That night, as I counted the silver coins sent by the publisher, my heart was soaring. I updated the next chapter in high spirits.

The next day, I was humming a tune on my way to court.

I stood in my usual inconspicuous corner, waiting for the meeting to adjourn.

In the office, I was the ultimate slacker.

My dream used to be to never have to work.

Now? I just want to never have to attend court sessions.

But today, Theodore was taking forever to call for dismissal.

Great, forced overtime.

Come on, no overtime pay? Don't make me stay late!

I was fuming, so I decided that once I got home, I'd write a few chapters filled with heart-wrenching drama.

Theodore would be dumped by Victor, then spend a sorrowful night drinking alone, waiting outside Victor's house in the rain until dawn.

I grinned to myself, proud of my new plot twist.

Suddenly, a voice broke through my thoughts. It was Theodore's—low and ominous: "Who here is Rich?"

I froze. Did he just call out my pen name? "Rich" was, of course, my pseudonym.

The room fell silent.

I held my breath, cautiously sneaking a glance at Theodore.

His veins were bulging. He looked absolutely furious.

I took a couple of steps back, just in case.

Theodore's voice rang out again. "Who the hell wrote Whispers Between the Throne and the Chancellery?"

I took a couple of steps back, just in case.

I gasped. What was happening? Was he about to come after me?

No one said a word.

Then, Theodore's gaze narrowed, and he snapped, "Rich, step forward. I'll reward you with a hundred taels of gold."

My eyes widened. A hundred taels of gold?

With that, I could retire on the spot! Who needs to write novels when you've got gold in hand?

But I didn't step forward.

I mean, I wasn't that dumb.

Instead, Victor stood up.

His face was flushed red as he scanned the crowd. "Rich has to be one of you. Otherwise, how could anyone know the emperor's and my private matters so clearly?"

The room erupted into whispers.

"Looks like Theodore and Victor are a thing after all."

"Victor standing up—does this mean he'll soon become the Empress?"

"So, are we supposed to call him Chancellor or Empress from here on out?"

I shot a confused look at Victor.

His ears were burning, and he was scrambling to explain himself.

"No, no. I didn't mean that." He hurriedly added, "I'm just saying, whatever's happening in the court, it's all innocent between me and the Emperor."