The portal spit Heena out onto cold marble floors. Her head spun as memories flooded in—not hers, but the body's. Empress Celeste Ravencourt. Five husbands. A crumbling empire. And a whole lot of baggage.
"Ugh." Heena pushed herself up, silk robes pooling around her. Heavy jewelry clinked at her wrists and neck. She caught her reflection in a nearby mirror—pale skin, dark hair cascading down, sharp features. Beautiful, but the eyes looked tired. Sad, even.
*Great. I'm the tragic villain.*
System 427 materialized as a tiny floating lion, barely visible. "Welcome to World 12! You're Empress Celeste, married to five powerful lords who control different regions. Your mission: stop them from killing you and the actual plot from collapsing."
"Five husbands?" Heena stood, testing the body. It felt weak, malnourished. "Let me guess—they all hate me?"
"Bingo! They despise you, actually. You forced them into marriage through politics and blackmail. Real piece of work, this Celeste."
Heena groaned, rubbing her temples. The original empress had been desperate to hold power, threatening families and using dirty tricks. No wonder everyone wanted her dead.
"And who do they actually love?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Lady Seraphina. A sweet, kind-hearted noble lady who volunteers at orphanages, heals the sick, and basically screams 'I'm the heroine' from every pore." System 427 pulled up a hologram. A delicate woman with golden hair and innocent blue eyes smiled back. "She's got that white lotus system you hate. The kind that makes men go stupid."
"Of course she does." Heena yanked off some of the heavy jewelry. It clattered on the floor. "So my five husbands are all simping for Miss Perfect while plotting my murder?"
"Pretty much. Let me introduce you—"
Five faces appeared in holograms around her.
**First Prince Kieran:** Silver hair, ice-blue eyes, warrior type. Cold and calculating. Currently commands the northern armies.
**Duke Adrian:** Dark hair, golden eyes, scholar and strategist. Controls the treasury and trade routes.
**General Lucian:** Scarred, rugged, battlefield legend. Loyal to his soldiers, not his empress. Guards the western borders.
**High Priest Raphael:** White-blonde hair, violet eyes, spiritual leader. Manages the temples and people's faith.
**Lord Damien:** Black hair, green eyes, the poisoner and spy master. Knows every secret in the empire.
All devastatingly handsome. All completely devoted to Seraphina. All actively working to overthrow Heena—or rather, Celeste.
"Fantastic," Heena muttered. "A reverse harem that wants me dead."
"Correction—they're meeting tonight to finalize your assassination. Poison in your wine at dinner." System 427 looked way too cheerful. "Original Celeste dies tonight, and they crown Seraphina as the new empress."
Heena stretched, feeling the weak body protest. The original had been starving herself, drowning in depression and wine. No wonder she was easy to kill.
"Okay, here's what we're doing." She walked to the wardrobe, pulling out simpler clothes. "I'm not playing the desperate villain. That empress? She's dead. I'm someone new."
"Ooh, personality switch? Classic!"
"Not just that." Heena stripped off the heavy robes, letting them fall. She found a dark green dress—simpler, elegant, less 'doomed empress' vibes. "If they want to kill me, they'll have to work harder. And if they're all obsessed with that white lotus heroine, then I'll show them what a real Black Lotus looks like."
She pulled her hair up, studying her reflection. The sadness was gone from her eyes, replaced with dangerous confidence.
"What about Seraphina?" System 427 asked.
"Let her play saint. I'm not competing for their love—I'm here to fix your mess and survive." Heena grinned, sharp and predatory. "But if those five think they can poison me at dinner? They're in for a surprise."
"That's my host!" The lion sparkled with excitement. "What's the plan?"
Heena walked toward the dining hall, her steps steady despite the weak body. She could feel eyes watching from the shadows—servants, spies, probably Damien's people.
"Simple," she said softly. "I'm going to that dinner. I'm going to drink that poisoned wine." Her smile widened. "And then I'm going to ask them which one of them tried to kill me."
System 427 blinked. "Wait, you're drinking the poison?"
"I have poison immunity from World 9, remember? The assassin emperor?" She touched her chest where the skill resided, carved into her soul from previous missions. "Let's see how they react when their murder plan fails spectacularly."