Xue Ji woke up and found herself lying inside a medical pod.
Looking out through the amber-colored nutrient solution and the one-way glass, she saw a ceiling of silver-white metal. She was clearly inside a starship.
The medical pod detected her awakening. The nutrient solution slowly drained away, and the nanofibers on her body reorganized into comfortable, close-fitting hospital garb.
The hatch opened. Xue Ji gripped the edge and sat up, taking a moment to assess her condition.
Her injuries were completely healed. The stifling pain and heavy sensation in her chest had vanished. Only the lingering biological toxins remained, sending a faint, itchy ache into the seams of her bones. However, she had long since adapted to living with them and could easily ignore the sensation.
How did she end up here?
Fragments of memories from before she lost consciousness surfaced in her mind. Xue Ji closed her eyes.
It seemed… Her Majesty had found her.
That would mean this warship belonged to the Royal Family.
Regarding Her Majesty, her memories were actually quite sparse.
Unlike the previous kings, Violins rarely granted audiences to her ministers. Her decrees were carried out by her loyal “hounds.” She did not place much trust in the military. In the few meetings Xue Ji had attended, Violins always sat high upon her throne, her beautiful red eyes filled with tyranny and playfulness. She would issue indisputable orders or punish those with hidden agendas—usually through torture.
That throne was built upon a foundation of blood.
Xue Ji allowed a faint, bitter smile to cross her face.
Now that she had been caught by Violins, regardless of the reasons behind her escape, the fact remained that she had fled. Her Majesty hated nothing more than those who defied her; Xue Ji anticipated that her life would not be easy from here on out.
One thing puzzled her, however: Her Majesty had actually been willing to heal her injuries.
The sound of a door opening echoed. Footsteps approached from a distance. Xue Ji turned her head and froze.
The woman with golden hair and red eyes—an aura of absolute authority radiating from her—walked in. She was alone. Once she entered, the hatch hissed shut behind her.
“Your Majesty.” Xue Ji instinctively tried to support herself to stand, but her legs had long since lost their strength. Despite her efforts, she remained seated in the medical pod.
Her clumsy movements seemed to amuse Violins. The wicked Queen narrowed her eyes like a cat, a trace of a smile lingering on her lips. Today, she wore a white shirt with rose-lace trim, which made her complexion appear even more fair and translucent, slightly softening her aggressive edge.
“Stay seated,” the Queen commanded.
Immediately after, Violins asked, “Do you have nothing to say for yourself?”
Xue Ji’s mind had just begun to relax, but it tensed up again at those words.
The interrogation had begun.
Xue Ji remained silent for a moment, lowering her eyes in a respectful posture. Her lips pressed slightly downward. “I have no defense.”
She heard Violins give a light chuckle. “No defense?”
Click, clack. The footsteps drew closer.
Violins sat naturally on the edge of the medical pod, positioning herself higher than Xue Ji. They were face to face. A fair, slender hand with well-defined knuckles reached out and gripped Xue Ji’s chin, applying gentle pressure.
Xue Ji did not dare resist and raised her head in accordance with the gesture.
“Your features are actually quite fine,” Violins appraised.
She had a slight impression of Xue Ji back when she was still an Admiral. The young commander had been sharp and full of youthful spirit back then. Violins had disliked people like that; youth meant recklessness and a lack of sophistication, making them easy to lose control over.
She disliked any existence that was full of variables.
Now, the woman in her grasp had lost her proud status and had suffered greatly, her sharp edges ground down.
Without that oppressive aura of sharpness, Xue Ji’s inherent elegance became more apparent. Xue Ji actually had a scholarly look to her; rather than a General, one’s first impression might be that she was more suited to being a teacher.
If nothing went wrong, Xue Ji would be very obedient in the future.
Yet, for some reason, Violins didn’t feel happy about this in her heart.
Her gaze swept across Xue Ji’s face.
Xue Ji’s long, dark lashes trembled slightly. She did not meet the Queen’s eyes, her gaze drifting down to rest on the Queen’s chin. To look a monarch in the eye was a sign of disrespect; Xue Ji was simply performing her duty as a subject.
Violins suddenly felt a lack of interest. She gave a cold laugh and released her grip. “There is no need to make excuses for my foolish sister. She will have to bear the consequences of the trouble she caused herself.”
Xue Ji looked stunned.
Violins didn’t give her time to react and immediately issued an order. “Once we reach the Capital Planet, you will return to the Imperial Palace with me.”
She turned to leave, but Xue Ji’s urgent voice suddenly came from behind her: “Wait, Your Majesty!”
Violins stopped and turned her head slightly.
Xue Ji’s lips moved.
In this moment, her feelings were incredibly complex. In her impression, Her Majesty was a monarch who loved collective punishment and was very indulgent toward the Second Princess, Lois. Even if the responsibility wasn’t entirely hers, Xue Ji hadn’t expected the Queen to investigate thoroughly. Even if the truth were uncovered, she didn’t believe the Queen would make a truly “wise” decision.
Yet the Queen’s current attitude made it clear she didn’t intend to hold Xue Ji accountable.
Facing the searing red in Violins’ eyes, Xue Ji found herself unable to speak for a long moment. Just as Violins’ expression began to show signs of impatience, she said, “Your Majesty, I cannot live in the Imperial Palace.”
Violins turned around completely, her expression one of curiosity. “Are you defying my orders?”
Her voice was unreadable, making it impossible to tell if she was angry. Xue Ji merely shook her head gently and said seriously, “I am making a suggestion.”
Violins found this somewhat interesting.
Xue Ji was her property, and even a tyrannical monarch would have a bit of patience for her own little pet. “Then tell me, why?”
“First, there is no precedent for a Consort living in the Palace before the wedding; it is improper. Second, everything happened so suddenly that I still have belongings at my family home that need clearing. I have another residence on the Capital Planet. Once we… are married, it will be the same when I move into the Palace.”
Her voice was calm and steady, like polished jade, and very pleasant to the ear.
Because of this, Violins did not interrupt her.
Once Xue Ji finished, Violins watched her for a while with a mysterious expression.
Not many people could withstand such a gaze, yet Xue Ji remained calm and warm, neither flinching nor looking away.
“You are… thirty-two this year, correct?”
In the interstellar era, the average lifespan was three hundred years. Thirty-two was still the prime of youth.
Violins scoffed. “How did you grow up to be such a little prude?”
Xue Ji was startled, but before she could speak, Violins leaned down. Her brows arched slightly, radiating a sense of overwhelming aggression. “You make a request of me. So, what will you give me in exchange?”
What to give in exchange?
Xue Ji thought seriously and realized she truly had nothing that could sway an Emperor.
“You are truly interesting.”
Xue Ji heard a low, soft laugh. Violins turned her back. “I don’t care what others think. I am the highest authority in this Empire, understand?”
“As for those things at your family home… I allow you to go back. You have three days. Take my attendants with you.”
Having said that, the sensor door opened, and Violins walked out.
A short while later, a female official named Yuna knocked on the door.
Sang Ruo returned to the command center and rubbed her temples.
Originally, she had intended to take Xue Ji back immediately. She didn’t think Xue Ji would run away again, and she wanted Xue Ji to be under her protection. However, Xue Ji’s words reminded her that the woman’s family was also an issue.
Having been suddenly sold out by her stepmother, Xue Ji needed time to handle her situation. Sang Ruo also needed to make arrangements to prevent that family from bothering Xue Ji again.
So, Sang Ruo let her go back.
Furthermore, during their conversation, the monitoring system showed that the OOC level fluctuated around twenty percent, proving that her direction was correct.
Next, Sang Ruo wanted to test whether subtler changes to the character’s personality would also be permitted by the system.
But before that, she needed to deal with the biological toxins in Xue Ji’s body.
Xue Ji was once such a brilliant young General. Regardless of whether Xue Ji was satisfied with her current life, Sang Ruo was unwilling to let her suffer.
Sang Ruo wanted to see Xue Ji back in the pilot’s seat of a mecha. That was where Xue Ji truly belonged.
The starship soon landed on the Imperial Capital Planet. Assisted by Yuna, Xue Ji boarded a hovercar. Her destination was her “home”—more accurately, the residence of her biological father and stepmother.
Her optical link was returned to her. As soon as she turned it on, numerous unread messages popped up. Some were from her former subordinates, but most were from her stepmother.
Once her “escape” was discovered, the Royal Family had immediately suppressed the news, claiming the future Consort was unwell and the engagement ceremony would be rescheduled.
The subordinates were unaware of these twists and turns; they were simply asking why she had suddenly become engaged to the Emperor.
…To be honest, she was also in the dark about this marriage. She could only guess that Her Majesty had her own reasons, but she had no way to provide an answer.
Her stepmother, having been questioned, was aware of the escape. From the messages, it was clear she didn’t know the Second Princess was involved; she assumed Xue Ji was simply dissatisfied and had sent many kind words, begging her to return.
It was exactly as Xue Ji had expected.
She understood her stepmother’s character quite well. The woman had been married by her father in the second year after her biological mother’s death. Her stepmother came from a modest family background, lower than her father’s, and had a soft temperament. While her father was out drinking and womanizing, she spent her days at home, keeping the household in order.
Overall, she was a gentle but short-sighted woman perhaps even a bit foolish.
Such a person didn’t even know how to lose their temper.
As she thought this, the hovercar arrived. Xue Ji looked at the familiar building and slowly closed her eyes.
It was time to bring those past matters to a close.