QT: Against My Will

364 6.02 – Her Second Lifetime – The Wheel Of Time

+— Author’s note —-+

Edited by Psycho S.

+—————–+

° When Dai An saw the Emperor for the first time, the disappointment she felt at that moment was immeasurable. All the rumors she heard were false or wildly exaggerated. She thought that any eunuch would make for a better Emperor, except keeping the bloodline part.

° The palace wasn’t crowded with people starving and drowning in the filth of the streets, which she had expected. After all, this was a place that was situated behind high walls, far away from the filthy streets and the horrible less-than-commoner world. The palace also wasn’t a freezing field with cold steel running through soldier’s intestines. The palace smelled nice and it was aesthetically pleasing, but like any other palace, it had some very twisted drama which was very much to her liking.

° Every day, there was something new for her to discover. During one of her many outings to the shrines with the empress, she had a brief encounter with a priest that apparently lived on thin air and sun’s rays. Maybe she should have become a nun instead.

°In the time it took for only a second to pass, a decision was made.

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

° It was to be expected that the time it would take to plan a grand plan would take longer to accomplish because Dai An had no knowledge of the future and had no system to help her. At the moment, she only had herself to rely on.

.....

° A few years passed by and before Dai An could do anything that was too drastic, she decided to stay blended in the background for a little longer so she could observe the situation. She felt that something was wrong. Something that shouldn’t have happened... happened.

° The hook had done more damage than a blade. The sharp steel end had hooked into the Emperor’s neck and pulled out his carotid, ripping it mercilessly into two. His red blood had poured as easily as water from a garden hose in a steady stream of red blood that gradually died out in a horrific rhythm.

° “His blood is no different from a pig... and it’s no different from my own blood too,” Dai An never felt warmth enter her body so fast as it did in that brief moment. Someone... had the same ambition as her. But the question is, who?

° Walking along the hidden passage that everyone else had yet to discover in the chaotic mess, she recalled that bloody scene and patted her heart that had stirred for half a second, recognizing the feeling instantly. Who knew falling in love so fast and so out of the blue could be so exciting?

° She wanted to meet the organization that was responsible for some of these large-scale murders. She found a new idol that she could learn so much from. They were very direct, and even though they were quite fearless, they made sure that each murder that had been comitted was swift and efficient. Never would she have thought that it was all one person’s doing.

° If Ru Quan knew that he stole his future wife’s heart so easily, without even showing his identity, he would have definitely revealed himself sooner. He was so focused on repaying the wrong he caused to Bai Meili that he didn’t notice how somebody important was searching for his whereabouts.

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

° Wearing a pair of thick gloves, Dai An snapped an unruly part of a bush. The gardens required more care than she wanted to give them. Stupid flowers. They caused her to be punished more than she deserved. The Empress Dowager’s gardener was who she became now. In other words, she was a spy.

° After taking out her feelings on the innocent flowers for the whole day, she headed towards the Empress’s storage to appreciate and sort out the arrival of the beautiful gowns and fine art. Who cared if the gowns were uncomfortable to wear or not? Surely she didn’t care. This imperial robe, ah, it was so pretty... It was a good idea to befriend the empire’s best tailor. In the future, she would be the best-clothed nun for sure.

° “Dai An...” the Crown Prince came to her side, and enveloped her body. Placing his lips near the crook of her neck, he kissed her skin and deeply breathed in her scent, “I went to visit the prime minister’s daughters.”

° “How was she?” Dai An’s fingers went through his hair in a gentle caress. Midway her gentle stroke, she pulled his hair back harshly, making him groan in surprise. She had yet to locate the empire’s traitor, and the Empress’s son needed to cool off the thing in between his legs. (The crown prince is not Xuan Mu.)

° ‘When did his affection for her, reminiscent of his love for his mother, change into troublesome lust?’

° “She wore such a gaudy dress, I could barely see her skin through the thick layer of powder. I can’t believe they chose her for my fiance,” thinking of that annoying girl, there was disgust in the crown’s prince’s eyes, “Her sister is like a water lily. She seems to be a much better candidate.”

° “Fool...” Dai An teased his lips with her fingers. This guy had such strange fetishes. She wrapped her hand around the youth’s neck, stopping him from undressing her. She leaned over for a farewell kiss, before shoving him to the floor. A bye-bye before he got bored of her too.

° Dai An would like to depend on somebody, but the crown prince’s recent behavior endangered both of their existence. Fearing the emperor’s murderer, she was becoming more and more paranoid. If she used the crown prince as bait, and made history repeat itself, she might be able to lure the traitor out.

“Young lady, just who do you think you’re touching?” There was no need to lure anyone out now since that invisible ‘traitor’ was currently trying to find out how to wipe Dai An’s mouth clean. Feeling like an invisible ghost again, Ru Quan bit his lips, trying as hard as he could to not get emotional. He was remembering how this woman brought fruit to his rotten body during his second lifetime.

° She wanted revolution; she wanted a change. In order to get rid of the big shots, she started with the weakest members. Spreading false rumors around, she was the real culprit behind Bai Meili’s and his ex’s family deaths; it was neither the crown prince or the step sister who was the cause of their downfall.

As if Ru Quan wasn’t a part of her world, Dai An didn’t seem to notice his presence and continued to tease the crown prince while many thoughts occupied her mind.

° ‘They allowed the prime minister’s daughter to show up as a useless fool in front of the crown prince...’

° ‘Do they want to keep the crown’s prince fiance for someone else?’

° Looking at the laying prince from above, Dai An used her foot to step on the crown prince’s chest. She could ask no more as the handsome youth stopped thinking straight with every touch she made, “Showing fancy to another woman in order to protect me... will never result in a good thing.”

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

° There came a day when Dai An’s existence was totally wiped off of the earth’s surface in order to protect the Empress’ safety from the enemies lurking in the dark.

° Sitting on a sturdy tree branch, Dai An’s fingers tried to turn a page of the book soundlessly. Unable to catch the light of the stars above, she closed the book and looked up at the cloudy night. It was about time she gave him a visit.

° Feet dangling downwards, she patted her restless heart. Out of all people, why did it have to be him? She had hurt him far too much, so it was near impossible for him to forgive her. But she so dearly wished to know him... to see him and talk to him. She had to decide. It was now or never.

° Dai An swiftly climbed the tree down, and sprinted to her maid’s chambers through yet another secret passage. Searching around her room, she looked for any presents she could give him. Her eyes halted on her altar. The Empress should have left behind some food as an offering to her spirit. Packing everything up, she sneaked out of the palace.