After Fulfilling My Sister's Dream to Be the Saintess of Vexwood Frontier

After Julius Valerius ascended the throne, the court was still without an Empress.

And the most likely candidate for Empress was his childhood sweetheart, Sylvia Crestwell, daughter of the Great General.

Relying on her status, Imperial Consort Crestwell was utterly domineering within the palace.

In my past life, she not only poisoned me but also beat a maidservant to death for no reason and forced the other consorts to copy sutras as punishment...

I once told Julius Valerius, hoping he would punish Imperial Consort Crestwell in some way.

But he just sighed and said, "Let her be."

One day, I was watering the flowers in the Serenity Hall.

Lira Arden had been busy studying that spider recently, so she hadn't had much time to punish me.

I glanced at the petals, beaded with water droplets, as butterflies flitted among the blossoms.

It was a peaceful scene, except—

"Help, help!"

I heard faint cries for help coming from outside the Serenity Hall.

I set down my watering can.

I followed the sound until I came to a lake.

Someone was struggling in the middle of the lake, sending ripples across the water.

The sounds gradually died down. The person seemed to be running out of strength.

Strangely, there was no one else around.

My sleeve fluttered, and a butterfly flew out from within.

My finger tapped its wing.

'Don't get wet.'

With that, I jumped into the lake without a second thought.

I forced my eyes open, searching for the person's figure underwater.

Come to think of it, I had Imperial Consort Crestwell to thank for my ability to swim.

If she hadn't pushed me into a lake, I never would have learned.

'Found him.'

It was a handsome young man.

I grabbed the corner of his robe and struggled to drag him to shore.

Thankfully, he could still be saved.

But while he was unconscious, I quickly fled the scene.

It is improper for a man and woman to be so close.

Especially when both of us were soaked to the bone.

When I returned to the Serenity Hall, Lira Arden was standing at the entrance.

"What's this? Did you fall in the water?"

She looked at me mockingly, flanked by a few young maidservants who were snickering behind their hands.

'It seems they saw me jump in to save someone and reported it to Lira.'

"I need to change my clothes."

"Hold on."

She reached out and grabbed my arm.

"Lira, what are you doing?"

She waved her hand, dismissing the young maidservants.

"What you gave me wasn't poison, it was a Love Scourge, wasn't it?"

She was right.

That little spider was neither venomous nor harmful.

I couldn't bring myself to kill someone, nor could I let Lira do it.

"You want me to plant the Love Scourge on His Majesty?"

I nodded.

Lira grabbed my chin.

"But Sister, if His Majesty finds out I used a Love Scourge on him, what do you think he'll do to me?"

"If you handle it properly, no one will ever know."

"Exactly, Sister."

As Lira spoke, she revealed a dagger from her sleeve.

It was just as sharp as the one in the dungeon from my past life.

She grabbed my neck with one hand and held the dagger in the other.

Her smile was brilliant.

"Besides me, you're the only one who knows. So, I'm afraid I'll have to wrong you, Sister."

I struggled to break free.

But the suffocating pressure on my neck only grew stronger.

I saw the glinting dagger lunging toward me.

Just then, the voice of a eunuch from outside the hall shattered Lira's intense killing intent.

"The Emperor arrives—"