Chapter 487 --487
She stood in front of her mirror, a small vial of high-grade painkillers in her hand. The Agency explicitly warned against using these specific suppressants. The chemicals were incredibly strong and actively toxic. Taking them frequently would rapidly damage the host body’s liver and kidneys, accelerating physical degradation.
Heena stared at the pills for a long moment, the dull, relentless throbbing at the base of her skull threatening to spike again.
She poured the pills into her hand and swallowed them dry.
What did it matter if the medicine destroyed her liver or her kidneys? She was already dying. The brain tumor was a ticking time bomb that was going to completely shut her body down in a year or two—maybe even less, given the rapid onset of her symptoms.
She didn’t have the luxury of prioritizing her long-term organ health. Instead of staying hidden in her room, crying over the pain, she needed a chemical crutch to maintain her flawless, untouchable mask. Because in the Imperial Palace, surrounded by the Empress and her venomous court, showing even a single second of physical weakness was far more lethal than any poison she could swallow.
The next day arrived in what felt like a single, disorienting blink. Heena opened her eyes, immediately grabbed her forehead in sheer irritation, and groaned at the sunlight streaming through the window. Why did the days in this world move so ridiculously fast?
Beside her bed, the System—currently in its glowing lion avatar—was casually munching on a massive bucket of popcorn. It paused, giving her a deeply judgmental side-eye.
’[Host, it is not that the days come fast,]’ the System noted, chewing loudly. ’[It is just that you sleep entirely too much.]’
Heena glared at the glowing feline. "Since when does a lion eat popcorn? If you want to sit there snacking on popcorn, then turn into a dog."
’[If I turn into a dog, then I cannot eat the chocolate drizzle on it,]’ the System shot back seamlessly.
Heena actually laughed at herself for a second. Why on earth was she even trying to logically reason with a digital anomaly? The System was just going to do whatever it wanted anyway. She pushed the heavy silk blankets off and stood up to start getting ready.
But as she walked past it, she couldn’t resist one last jab. "You are a lion. Go eat some meat, you idiot."
The System rolled its digital eyes, tossing another piece of chocolate popcorn into its mouth. ’[Well, if a certain someone hadn’t spent all my hard-earned money throwing gold ingots at male models yesterday, I might actually have the funds to buy digital meat.]’
Heena stopped dead in her tracks and leveled a lethal glare at the glowing lion.
The absolute audacity! She couldn’t believe this damn System. It had literally gambled away all of its own system points on useless digital lottery tickets months ago, and now it had the guts to blame her strategic bribery at the brothel?
Whatever. She waved a dismissive hand, entirely too exhausted to start a shouting match with a hologram before breakfast.
.
.
Getting ready for the Imperial Palace was a nightmare of political landmines.
Heena stood in front of her massive wardrobe, aggressively filtering through the silks. She ultimately settled on a deep, rich ’’wine-colored robe’’, tailored cleanly without any excessive draping.
The choice was entirely strategic, dictated by the suffocating, unwritten rules of the Imperial Court:
’ ’’No Red:’’ Wearing red would immediately spark rumors that the newly-registered Madam of the Marcuset Vanguard was celebrating her marriage, drawing unwanted attention.
’ ’’No Gold or Yellow:’’ That was the exclusive color of the Emperor and the Empress. Wearing it would be considered a direct insult to the throne and an act of treason.
’ ’’No Light Blue:’’ That was the standard uniform color for the lower-tier palace servants.
’ ’’No Light Pink:’’ That color was strictly reserved for the female court attendants and lower-ranking concubines.
’ ’’No Black:’’ Black was the official uniform color of the Emperor’s elite Shadow Guards. Wearing it inside the palace walls would be a massive security violation.
’ ’’No Floral Patterns or ’Ladylike’ Frills:’’ She was entering the palace under the guise of a Royal Tutor for martial arts and strategy. Showing up looking like a delicate flower waiting for a tea party would completely undermine her authority.
’ ’’No Gold Embroidery:’’ Even a small amount of golden thread woven into the fabric would give the corrupt ministers a reason to accuse her of overstepping her station.
No matter what she wore, Heena knew the aristocratic vultures in the court would try to find a reason to insult her or spark a commotion.
And that was exactly what she wanted to avoid today.
Thanks to the aggressive painkillers masking the brain tumor’s throbbing, her temper was currently hanging by a terrifyingly thin thread. She knew herself perfectly. If she walked into the palace and some arrogant, perfumed noble dared to shout at her or mock her family... she wouldn’t bother with political wordplay. She would simply beat them senseless right there on the pristine marble floors of the Imperial Court.
So, she smoothed down the deep wine-colored silk, ensuring her appearance was completely flawless, severely practical, and absolutely impossible to critique.
She stood before the bronze mirror, critically examining her reflection. The combination was striking: a sleek, light black under-robe completely enveloped by the deep, rich wine-colored silk of her outer robe. The dark contrast looked absolutely lethal. Pulling her long hair back, she tied it into a severe, practical ponytail that left her sharp features on full display.
Next came the makeup, which in this era was an absolute nightmare. She picked up a tiny, round wooden box containing mascara. Instead of a modern liquid wand, it was a semi-paste that looked and handled like wet charcoal. She had to use a tiny, stiff brush to apply it. Unsurprisingly, the moment she tried, it immediately smudged all over her eyelids.
Heena let out an irritated breath, wiped the black smears away, and grumblingly reapplied her foundation. The base makeup here felt like literal chalk dust against her skin, but she aggressively buffed it out until it looked flawless.
Then came her masterpiece. With meticulous precision, she drew out her eyeliner, extending the edges into sharp, seductive, ’’fox-like eyes’’. Why? Because pairing the dangerously dark wine-colored robe with an intensely calculating, fox-like gaze would look absolutely shocking to the conservative Imperial Court. It was a calculated visual weapon.
She picked up a small pot of red lip rouge, hovered it near her face, and then put it right back down. Her natural lips were already a perfectly healthy, rosy shade; caking them in heavy wax would just be a waste of time.
Floating beside her vanity, the System munched on its popcorn and let out a loud, digitized scoff. ’[Preparing so much... if someone didn’t know any better, they would think you are getting ready to go propose to the Emperor.]’
Heena didn’t even blink. She just met the glowing lion’s eyes in the mirror and shot back, "At least I am much better than a useless string of code who doesn’t even have a girlfriend."