Chapter 3: I woke up as the Villainous Empress?

"So… you're telling me that my name isn't Fang Li but Yang Ning? And I'm the eldest daughter of Lord Yang Luoyang, the Head Minister of Finance?" Fang Li repeated, trying to process the overwhelming information that Xiaowei had shared, hoping it would somehow trigger her memory.

"Yes! And I'm your personal maid, Xiaowei. Do you remember now, Miss?" Xiaowei asked eagerly, her eyes wide with hope that her lady's memory had finally returned.

"Hah… Ha… Hahaha!! What kind of nonsense is this? You… you guys are pranking me, right?" Fang Li suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, startling Xiaowei, who took a step back in fear.

"Miss, why are you laughing like this? You're scaring me!" Xiaowei's voice trembled, the idea of her lady losing her mind from the fever becoming more believable by the second.

"Who's scaring WHO? Why are you crying?" Fang Li grabbed Xiaowei by the shoulders, her voice trembling with disbelief. "I'm the one who should be crying! My life is turning upside down right before my eyes!" She scanned the unfamiliar room again, struggling to differentiate between dream and reality.

The situation she had laughed off as ridiculous earlier no longer felt like a dream. Everything was too real—too vivid.

And disturbingly familiar.

...

'Am I… in a f*cking novel? For real?' Fang Li's eyes widened as the realization hit her like a cold wave. Everything Xiaowei had just told her matched the plot of the novel she had been reading the night before.

The novel was called Eternally Together, and she had picked it up by chance while walking back to her dorm with a pack of beers. She had intended to use it as a temporary distraction, but she quickly became engrossed in the dramatic love story.

It had been the perfect escape from the toxic comments flooding her social media. Even though she wasn't a celebrity, her personal life had somehow become everyone's business. The novel became her refuge from reality.

.....

Last night, she had read a story about an Emperor who was strong, intelligent, and majestic. He ruled the royal court with wisdom, and beside him was a kind-hearted, hardworking nurse who captured his heart despite the difference in their status. The love story was so cliché, but it was exactly what she needed to distract herself.

But now… now she was living that story.

Yang Ning—the villainess—had married Zheng Liang, the Crown Prince, but their marriage had never been consummated. A year had passed since their wedding, and even when Zheng Liang ascended the throne and became Emperor, nothing changed. She was still just a political figure in his eyes, a pawn used by her father.

Zheng Liang avoided her chambers, treated her with cold indifference, and saw her only as her father's tool. Their relationship was distant and loveless.

Their marriage had been purely political, orchestrated by their families. Lord Yang Luoyang, the powerful Head Minister of Finance, had arranged for the union to secure his own influence over the royal court, using his daughter as leverage. For Yang Ning, it was a lonely existence, cast aside and deprived of any affection or respect.

Meanwhile, the Emperor's heart belonged to another—the female lead. The nurse was loved by everyone for her gentle nature and diligent work, while Yang Ning, driven by jealousy and pressure from her father, became the villainess.

Her father had pushed her into attempting something unforgivable—to poison the female lead and her unborn child, hoping to eliminate the woman who threatened her future as Empress. The plan had been crafted by her father, a desperate attempt to secure her position.

But before the plan could be executed, Yang Ning was caught.

Zheng Liang's tolerance for Yang Ning's and her father's schemes had reached its limit. He couldn't allow them to harm the woman he loved and his unborn child. It was the final straw.

.....

"So, you're telling me I'm engaged to the Crown Prince, and the wedding is in a few months?" Fang Li muttered, her voice emotionless, as the weight of her situation slowly began to sink in. She was Yang Ning—the future wife of the man who would one day execute her.

Xiaowei's face lit up, completely unaware of her lady's internal turmoil. "Yes, Miss! In just three months, you'll marry the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess. When His Highness ascends to the throne, you will become the Empress. Isn't it exciting? After your wedding, you'll finally leave this house!"

Fang Li's heart sank. The Crown Prince… Zheng Liang. The same man who had discarded Yang Ning in the novel. The same man who would one day expose her crimes and, in front of the entire royal court, slit her throat.

This was her fate.

"Please tell me you're joking. I beg you, please," Fang Li's voice wavered as she looked at Xiaowei, desperately hoping that this was all some twisted dream.

"Miss, why are you saying that? You should be happy! You'll leave this household and become the Crown Princess of the country," Xiaowei said, her voice full of excitement, trying to lift her lady's spirits.

"HAPPY MY FOOT! I DON'T WANT TO BECOME THE CROWN PRINCESS!!" Fang Li exploded, causing Xiaowei to stare at her in shock.

Sure, she had always fantasized about waking up in a fantasy world, becoming rich and powerful without lifting a finger. But this? This was far from the glamorous life she had imagined.

She hadn't just woken up in a novel—she had woken up as the villainess. The character is doomed to fail.

It would have been one thing to wake up as the female lead—the kind-hearted heroine adored by the Emperor. But no. She was Yang Ning, the villainess destined for a tragic and humiliating end.

She vividly remembered reading the scene where the Emperor, Zheng Liang, publicly slashed Yang Ning's throat in court. At the time, she had clapped, thinking the villain deserved her fate.

Now, though, it felt like she was clapping for her own death.

"Dang it!" she cursed, gripping the rough sheets as the crushing weight of her new reality settled over her.