Sang Ruo rested her forehead against the glass, the view outside the window a boundless sea of stars.
This starship was heading toward K-189, a trash planet on the edge of the galaxy. No one knew why Her Majesty had suddenly issued such an order, and no one dared to question it.
【Host, are you all right?】
After a long silence, Sang Ruo replied, “…This headache is truly killer.”
It wasn’t just the headache ailment. She had been in this state ever since she finished thoroughly reading and digesting the original timeline.
In the original story, after the Academy of Sciences provided the list of matching pheromones, they informed the tyrant of one more thing: this method of treatment would create a pheromone dependency. In other words, once the bond was formed, the tyrant would be subject to the Admiral’s influence.
This was something no monarch could tolerate.
Consequently, the tyrant proceeded to clip the Admiral’s wings, stripping her of everything and imprisoning her within the imperial palace. Only when she was on the verge of losing control would the tyrant visit the Admiral’s chambers to draw a bit of soothing pheromones.
The Admiral lost her friends, her confidants, her freedom, and her future. Like a bird locked in a cage, she became silent and depressed, withering away in a short span of time.
However, the tyrant’s attitude was actually detrimental to her own recovery. Her decrees and style remained brutal, leading to widespread public outcry and brewing resentment among her subordinates.
As the discontent grew, the tyrant’s younger sister, the kind and gentle female lead of the original story stepped forward, secretly gathering a group to oppose the tyrant’s rule.
The Admiral was one of them.
During the operation, the Admiral’s attempt to coordinate from the inside failed. Upon being discovered by the tyrant, she chose to self-destruct.
Not long after, the tyrant was overthrown by the female lead. Every year, the female lead would bring a bouquet of baby’s breath to the Admiral’s grave to commemorate her.
Rationally, Sang Ruo could accept these events; she understood they were logical within that narrative. But emotionally, she could not.
This world was different from the last. The person who had hurt her close friend was… her own self?
【It happens like that sometimes,】 the System said.
Only then did Sang Ruo realize she had muttered her thoughts aloud.
The System continued: 【I’ve reviewed many records of your incarnations and the mission targets. In most worlds, you are in a state where you never meet or know each other. In a few, you have a connection but remain strangers. In some worlds, you are even archenemies who fight to the death.】
The System paused, its mechanical voice managing to squeeze out a touch of gentleness: 【The two of you in the Source World… are a miracle.】
In that world, they met, knew each other, and became best friends. It was like a singularity had been created; now, all other predetermined endings would undergo massive shifts.
Sang Ruo remained silent for a long time, finally finding peace with it.
Regardless of the original timeline, it wasn’t going to end that way this time.
The starship docked, and Philippa came for instructions.
Sang Ruo said, “No need to search. Tell them all to follow me.” She stood up, lifting her skirts, then suddenly remembered something. She turned to Philippa. “The folk customs of these waste planets are… ‘rustic.’ Don’t forget to clear a path.”
Philippa didn’t doubt the Empress’s judgment for a second. In her heart, Her Majesty was omnipotent and knew everything. Even the entire Imperial Guard shared this confidence.
The previous King had died young. When Violins and her sister were children, the government had been controlled by the Finance Minister for a time. Ultimately, it was Violins, just after her coming-of-age ceremony, who reclaimed power with an iron fist. Since then, the regime had been stable, and the Empire had become the leader of the star sector.
Surrounded by her entourage, Sang Ruo walked down the ramp. The mountain-like piles of trash were gone, replaced by a wide, clean road carved out by force.
However, because the trash had been there so long, a faint, lingering odor still clung to the air.
The captain of the guard looked ashamed: How could the noble Empress be allowed to stay in such a filthy environment!
In the distance, daring locals and undocumented residents peeked out to see what kind of woman she was.
Surrounded by numerous guards in crisp uniforms, the golden-haired, red-eyed beauty walked forward with a cold face and hurried steps. Her skin was fair, her lips a fiery red, and her white formal gown made her look like an angel—as if a small rose had suddenly bloomed on this barren, dead trash planet.
They couldn’t help but wonder why such a noble person had come to this desolate star.
—Sang Ruo was here for her friend, Xue Ji.
Sending subordinates to search would take too long. Sang Ruo simply exchanged a few energy points for clues and headed directly to her friend’s location.
In the original timeline, Xue Ji was the tragic female supporting character, and Violins was the evil villain. The villain had found Xue Ji’s family and promised them immense wealth. Xue Ji’s elders, blinded by greed, sold her out, which led to the marriage contract.
By sheer coincidence, this news was overheard by the female lead—Violins’ younger sister.
The female lead was a person of immense justice and compassion who couldn’t stand her sister’s actions.
Thus, while Xue Ji was in the dressing room, the female lead abducted her, wheelchair and all. Violins treated her sister quite well and had given her many permissions, allowing the female lead to leave the Imperial Capital Planet with Xue Ji without hindrance.
Originally, the female lead intended to hide Xue Ji on a habitable planet. But she was a “trouble magnet”; her ship was caught in the crossfire of a pirate battle, and she and Xue Ji were forced into separate escape pods.
The sister was luckily picked up by a merchant fleet, but Xue Ji drifted to the trash planet.
What kind of place was a trash planet? It was filled with undocumented residents and murderers, thugs and lowlifes. Those who weren’t ruthless couldn’t survive.
And Xue Ji? Her legs had been injured in battle, and biological toxins had invaded her system; she was still dependent on a wheelchair.
By the time the tyrant found her in the original story, half a month had passed. Although Xue Ji had used her intellect to become a minor leader in a local gang, she had lost an arm and become gaunt. Because of the toxins, her health was already poor and required quiet recovery; after that half-month on the trash planet, she was as thin as a sheet of paper.
Furthermore, for a mecha pilot, the flexibility and precision of the fingers are paramount. While medical technology could restore her injuries, her control over her hands never returned to what it once was.
In other words, Xue Ji had to watch as her pride as a General and a top-tier mecha pilot was trampled and utterly destroyed.
How much pain must that have caused? Just thinking about it, Sang Ruo found it unbearable.
Now that she was here, she would not allow it to happen.
The System dutifully led the way while loudly explaining the rules: 【Host, the official world has restrictions on you. You cannot OOC! Do you know what OOC is?】
“I believe I saw it in the manual. It means ‘Out Of Character’, I cannot deviate from the character’s original behavioral patterns to the point where those around me notice an anomaly?”
【Correct! The monitoring system tolerates an OOC value of up to 30%. If it hits the threshold, an alarm will trigger. The God of the World is watching us like a hawk; if we violate the rules, it will surely take the opportunity to sabotage us. So, you must control your behavior!】
【For example, when the tyrant knows the target has escaped, her reaction should be fury, punishment, or indifference. Even if she comes to catch her, it must be with malicious intent.】
The System carefully watched Sang Ruo’s expression: 【Do you understand?】
In a small alley, Xue Ji lay in the muddy water as a fist carrying a fierce wind fell toward her.
“A big shot from a high-tier planet, eh? Good birth, right?” The man spat. “Little brat, on my turf, even a dragon has to coil up for me!”
“What dragon? She’s just a cripple! A piece of trash!” someone sneered, kicking her leg.
It must have been very painful, but Xue Ji only coughed muffledly. Her lashes were lowered, and a mist covered her dark eyes, making it impossible to see her expression.
It looked like indifference, or perhaps numbness.
After that battle, she had lost control of her legs. The military didn’t keep useless people, so she was dismissed, retaining only the honorary title of Admiral. Her former subordinates were also implicated; some were demoted, others transferred far away.
Her youthful sharpness had finally been ground away. Standing alone amidst a sea of infamy, she suddenly realized her own powerlessness. Yet, life had to move forward.
At that time, her stepmother didn’t despise her. She even invited her to live at home, saying it would be easier to look after her.
Her stepmother had treated her well since childhood. Though they weren’t blood-related, she felt more like family than her father, who spent his days chasing women. Unable to refuse the kindness, she moved in.
That was a brief and peaceful time. As the glamour faded, she was able to examine herself and slowly change, learning to restrain her edge and acquire other skills to make a living.
Unfortunately, such times are always fleeting.
She was inexplicably kidnapped and taken to an engagement ceremony. It was only after asking the makeup artist that she learned her stepmother had decided her future without ever asking her, “selling” her to the current Queen under Imperial law, parents held that power.
Knowing the tyrant’s temperament, she knew life after marriage would not be easy.
She messaged her stepmother on her optical link. After a long silence, her stepmother replied with a few lonely words: “Her Majesty said she could give Wencheng a spot in the First Military Academy.”
When she was a child and fell ill, her stepmother would coax her and cook a bowl of hot soup for her personally. She had remembered the taste of that soup for many years and truly regarded her stepmother as family. Even when her stepmother’s three children targeted her and spoke rudely, she endured it for her stepmother’s sake.
She knew her stepmother would always love her own children more, but she hadn’t realized that her own weight didn’t even equal a single admission slot.
Her stepmother immediately sent a communication request. Xue Ji stared at it blankly for a moment, then pressed “Decline.”
Setting down her optical link, she found the makeup artist had finished her work and quietly left.
Then the door moved. Someone pushed it open and walked in. Xue Ji looked up to see snow-white hair and blue eyes, it was the Omega Second Princess, the King’s sister, known as the “White Rose of the Empire,” Lois.
Lois said she wanted to help her.
Xue Ji shook her head and refused.
Running away from a wedding would shame the royal family and cause their prestige to decline. This was a matter of state, not a game, and certainly not something to be done on a whim.
The Second Princess, however, claimed she had been “brainwashed by imperial power,” and forced her away, stuffing her into a spacecraft.
Having accidentally crashed onto the trash planet, she felt only exhausted nothing else.
An itch rose in her throat again. Xue Ji felt as if her entire chest were aching, and her consciousness began to blur. Memories from her childhood surfaced uncontrollably.
At that time, her biological mother had not yet died of illness. That woman was delirious all day. When she was normal, she would cry and hold her, calling her by her nickname. When she was possessed, she would whisper “good child” while strangling her neck.
Xue Ji didn’t blame the woman because she knew that all the woman had ever craved was a pure, complete love. But she had entrusted herself to the wrong man. After discovering her husband was cheating on her like an octopus, the woman went completely mad. Xue Ji turned from a crystallization of love into a testament of pain.
But not blaming her didn’t mean she hadn’t been hurt.
That childhood experience made her incredibly long for a normal love.
She thought she had found it with her stepmother. Today, she finally knew she hadn’t.
“Ugh!” Xue Ji’s back slammed hard against the wall.
The men grabbed her hair and pulled her up. A malicious voice rang out: “Ho, this woman’s hands are quite pretty. Boss, do you think we should destroy them?”
“Beg us. If you beg, we’ll let you go.”
The pain brought a flicker of consciousness back to Xue Ji. She curled her lips into a smirk and spat at the man.
Then, she closed her eyes.
She expected the next thing she felt to be a bone-shattering agony. Her eyelashes trembled against her cheeks, but instead, a blinding light erupted—a brief, intense flash that stimulated her retinas even through her closed eyelids.
The hand gripping her hair suddenly lost its strength. She slumped back onto the ground. Her legs were useless; she leaned against the wall, barely maintaining her balance.
Xue Ji opened her eyes in astonishment. At the mouth of the alley, a slender figure walked toward her against the light, a laser pistol held in her hand.
The man who had just been yanking her hair was now collapsed on the ground, a heavy thud splashing up a large puddle of mud. Looking closely, one could see the man’s eyes bulging, a hole pierced through the center of his forehead with the acrid scent of charred flesh wafting from it.
“I’d like to see who dares touch my things,” the person said slowly.
It was actually a very beautiful female voice—deep and melodic like elegant piano keys—yet it carried an indescribable undertone of tyranny. Combined with the lethal weapon in her hand, it was enough to make anyone shudder.
Xue Ji recognized the woman. It was the ruler of the entire Sukia Empire, her fiancée: Violins Joan Noah.
The woman had actually rushed here still wearing her formal engagement gown. Her brilliant golden hair was loose, faintly revealing the curve of a fragrant shoulder. Beneath her long, curled lashes, her eyes were cold as ice, appearing to be misted with blood.
The aura of a top-tier Alpha unfolded, saturating the air.
Everyone present froze, unable to move. When a common prey encounters a peak predator, intense horror floods the heart.
Click, clack. The sound of high heels drew near, like the rhythmic falling of a Reaper’s scythe.
No one wanted to wait for death. As Violins approached, the lead thug struggled through his tremors, let out a furious roar, and swung a fist the size of a mallet at her.
Violins tilted her body slightly to evade. In a fluid motion, she tucked the gun into her waistband and delivered a whip-kick to the leader’s weak point. He crashed instantly to the ground.
As the pristine white hem of her skirt was stained by the splashing mud, Violins’ lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure.
At that moment, the rest of the gang charged at her.
Xue Ji blinked, the pain and high fever making her vision blur. She thought she saw Her Majesty seize a man and hurl him against the wall; her white-gloved fists were swift and powerful, drawing blood instantly. The air was filled with wails of agony.
After that, Xue Ji no longer had the energy to pay attention.
An indeterminate amount of time passed. In a state between sleep and wakefulness, she felt herself being picked up. It was warm—so warm she couldn’t help but crave it.
She instinctively reached out her hand and gripped that source of warmth.
Sang Ruo was conducting an experiment.
The manual stated that the OOC (Out Of Character) threshold was essentially designed to prevent native characters from becoming suspicious and to reduce interference with the world. Therefore, one could construct a logical chain. Within that chain, as long as an action could be justified in the eyes of the natives, it should remain within the critical limit.
So, Sang Ruo made an assumption: Xue Ji is my property.
They had a marriage contract; thus, in the tyrant’s eyes, Xue Ji naturally became her possession. Given the tyrant’s possessiveness, if someone tried to damage her property, she would inevitably be enraged and exact punishment.
Sure enough, after she uttered the line, “Who dares touch my things,” and proceeded to take action herself, the screen before her eyes flashed with red exclamation marks, but the OOC value fluctuated safely below 30%.
The test was a success.
Wrapping Xue Ji in a heavy coat, Sang Ruo picked her up.
The weight in her arms was far too light. The biological toxins had clearly done significant damage to Xue Ji’s body; she would have to find a way to eliminate them later, Sang Ruo mused, her mind wandering.
As she carried Xue Ji out of the alley, the Captain of the Guard stepped forward. “Allow me to do that for you…” Before he could finish, he retreated under Sang Ruo’s frigid gaze.
Startled, he bowed quickly in apology, feeling annoyed at himself for kissing the wrong part of the royal boots.
At that moment, the semi-conscious Xue Ji murmured something, seemingly trapped in a nightmare. She raised her hand and gripped a section of the fabric at Sang Ruo’s collar.
She was covered in mud and her hands were filthy; a black stain quickly appeared on Sang Ruo’s immaculate gown.
The Captain of the Guard watched, terrified.
Her Majesty had a slight case of mysophobia. Unless permitted, anyone who touched her would suffer severe punishment. There was once a maid who, through clumsy work, accidentally splashed water on the Queen’s sleeve; Her Majesty had her dragged out and beaten immediately.
Surely the Queen will explode with rage now?
But the Captain waited and waited, and no trace of anger appeared.
The cruel monarch merely knit her brows and looked down for a second. Then, as if silently accepting it, she carried the woman onto the starship as if nothing were amiss.
The Captain escorted Her Majesty back, appearing solemn and professional on the outside, while his inner mind was a surging sea of shock.
He had served the Queen for over a decade. When had he ever seen her treat anyone so specially?
…It seemed he would have to re-evaluate Xue Ji’s importance immediately.