Meilin's POV
I'm hiding in the library when Feng finds me.
"Your Majesty, you can't keep avoiding him," she says, closing the door behind her.
"Watch me."
It's been two days since the Emperor touched my wrist and remembered everything. Two days since he started sending me letters, gifts, requests for meetings. Two days of me refusing all of it.
Feng sits beside me. "He sent flowers this morning. Your favorite—"
"Jasmine," I finish bitterly. "Because now he remembers I love jasmine. How convenient."
"Your Majesty—"
"Don't." I close the book I wasn't really reading. "Don't tell me to give him a chance. Don't tell me he's changed. I've heard it all before—from myself, five times over."
Feng touches my hand gently. She believes me now about the rebirths. Took some convincing, but when I told her things only she would know—things from previous lifetimes—she couldn't deny it anymore.
"I'm not saying forgive him," she says quietly. "I'm saying you can't hide forever. You're the Empress. You have duties."
She's right. I hate that she's right.
"Fine." I stand up. "What's on the schedule?"
Feng hesitates. "The welcoming ceremony."
My stomach drops. "Already?"
"It's been three months since the wedding, Your Majesty. You knew she was coming."
Yes. I knew.
Consort Shen Yue. The Emperor's childhood friend. His "first love." The woman who helped kill me twice and betrayed me in three other lifetimes.
She always arrives exactly three months after the wedding.
Like clockwork.
"I'm ready," I lie.
The ceremony takes place in the main hall. I stand beside the Emperor's empty throne, wearing my formal robes and my Empress mask.
The Emperor arrives late, looking tired. He's been having nightmares, Xiao told Feng. Waking up screaming about executions and blood.
Good. He should suffer.
But when our eyes meet across the hall, I see something that makes my resolve waver—genuine pain. Not the cold indifference from before. Real, raw hurt.
I look away quickly.
Lord Wei announces the arrival. "Presenting Lady Shen Yue, daughter of Prime Minister Shen, granted the title of Imperial Consort by His Majesty's decree."
The doors open.
And there she is.
Shen Yue looks exactly as I remember—delicate features, gentle eyes, a soft smile that hides poison underneath. She's wearing pale pink robes that make her look innocent, harmless.
I know better.
In my second life, she poisoned my tea while smiling just like that.
In my third life, she pushed me off the tower while crying fake tears.
In my fifth life, she testified against me, claiming she saw me steal documents. The lie was so convincing even I almost believed it.
She walks forward gracefully and bows to the Emperor first. "Your Majesty, thank you for this honor."
"Rise, Consort Shen," he says formally.
Then she turns to me, her bow deeper, more respectful. "Your Majesty, I hope to serve the empire and support you in your duties."
This is the moment. In every other timeline, I've reacted with jealousy. Coldness. Once, I even refused to acknowledge her, which made me look petty and childish.
Not this time.
I step down from the platform and take her hands in mine, smiling warmly.
Her eyes widen in surprise.
"Welcome, Consort Shen," I say genuinely. "His Majesty has spoken highly of your friendship. I hope you'll be happy here."
The hall goes silent. This isn't how it's supposed to go.
Shen recovers quickly, smiling back. "Your Majesty is too kind. I look forward to serving you."
But I see it—the flash of confusion in her eyes. The quick glance at Lord Wei, who stands in the corner, watching with narrowed eyes.
They didn't expect this.
They expected me to be jealous, to cause a scene, to make myself look bad.
I'm not playing their game anymore.
"I've prepared chambers for you in the east wing," I continue sweetly. "I hope they're to your liking. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
"You're too generous, Your Majesty."
I lean closer, still smiling, and whisper so only she can hear: "I know what you are."
Her smile freezes.
I pull back, my pleasant expression never wavering. "Enjoy the welcome feast tonight. I'll make sure your favorite dishes are served."
I return to my position beside the throne, leaving Shen standing there, her mask finally cracked just a little.
The Emperor is staring at me like I've grown a second head.
Good. Keep him confused too.
After the ceremony, the Emperor corners me in the corridor.
"What was that?" he demands.
"What was what, Your Majesty?"
"You—with Shen. You were kind to her. Welcoming."
"Should I have been rude to your childhood friend?" I ask innocently.
"No, but—" He struggles for words. "In the memories, you hated her. You were jealous."
"I was a lot of things in those memories," I say coolly. "All of them got me killed. I'm trying something different this time."
"Meilin—"
"Your Majesty," I correct. "We're in public."
He flinches. "Can we please talk? Privately?"
"No."
"Why not?"
Because talking leads to hoping. Hoping leads to loving. Loving leads to dying.
"I have nothing to say to you," I lie.
"But I have things to say to you. About the curse, about Lord Wei, about—"
"I don't want to hear it." I start walking away.
He grabs my wrist—the same wrist as before.
Another vision slams into us both.
But this time it's not the happy garden.
It's a dungeon. I'm chained to the wall, bleeding. The Emperor stands in the doorway, face cold as stone.
"Please," the other me begs. "Please believe me. I didn't betray you. Shen is lying—"
"Enough," he says flatly. "I've heard enough of your lies."
"I'm your wife!"
"You're a traitor." He turns to leave. "The execution is scheduled for dawn."
"I love you!" I scream after him.
He doesn't even look back.
The vision ends.
We're both breathing hard, still touching. His eyes are wide with horror.
"I remember that," he whispers. "That was the fifth death. The treason charge. You begged me to investigate, but I—"
"Believed Shen instead," I finish, pulling my wrist free. "Yes. You always believed her."
"Because the curse—"
"The curse didn't make her lie. The curse didn't make her poison me, or push me, or frame me. She chose to do those things." I meet his eyes. "And you chose to believe her every single time."
"I'm sorry—"
"Sorry doesn't bring me back from the dead five times."
I walk away before he can say anything else, before the tears I'm holding back can fall.
Feng is waiting around the corner. She takes one look at my face and pulls me into a hug.
"I hate this," I whisper into her shoulder. "I hate that he's trying. I hate that part of me wants to believe him. I hate all of it."
"I know," she says softly.
"Why can't the curse just let me die permanently? Why do I have to keep coming back?"
"Maybe," Feng says carefully, "because you're supposed to break it. Not by dying. By living."
Before I can respond, a servant rushes up, bowing quickly.
"Your Majesty, there's been an incident. Consort Shen has fallen ill. The physician says—"
My blood runs cold.
"What happened?"
"She drank tea in her chambers. Now she's vomiting blood. The physician found poison."
No.
No, no, no.
This is from my second timeline. This is how it started—Shen was poisoned, blamed me, and I was executed for attempted murder.
"Where's the tea set?" I demand.
"Still in her chambers, Your Majesty. Lord Wei has ordered it preserved as evidence—"
I'm already running.
This is the trap. This is how it begins. Shen poisons herself just enough to get sick but not die, then blames the Empress. In my second life, I panicked, denied everything, looked guilty.
Not this time.
I burst into Shen's chambers. She's lying on her bed, looking pale but not dying. Lord Wei stands beside her, his face grave.
"Your Majesty," he says with false sympathy. "How kind of you to check on Consort Shen. Though I must ask—did you personally approve the tea sent to her chambers?"
The trap snaps shut.
Everyone in the room turns to look at me.
Because yes, I did. I said I'd make sure her favorite tea was served.
I just walked right into my own execution.
But I smile anyway.
"Yes, Lord Wei. I approved it." I walk to the tea set and pick up the pot. "In fact, I'll prove there's nothing wrong with it."
And before anyone can stop me, I pour a cup and drink it.
The room gasps.
If it's poisoned, I'll die.
If it's not poisoned, Shen is lying.
Either way, this changes everything.