

Julie Scott, once the revered princess of Xandar, is brought down by the very emperor she served. Fearing her growing influence, he betrays her, setting a deadly trap within the palace walls. Surrounded and outnumbered, Julie fights to her last breath. By her side, her devoted husband, Paul Murray, chooses to die protecting her. When Julie opens her eyes, she's reborn as the wife of a wealthy modern heir who looks exactly Paul but is cold and distant. To make matters worse, a scheming mistress challenges her at every turn. But Julie won't be defeated—she's determined to tame the chaos, build her own fortune, and handle her distant "husband" on her terms.

In their previous lives, the empress and the consort spent their whole lives locked in a bitter rivalry. It wasn't until their deaths that they uncovered the truth—they had both been pawns in the emperor's game. Their children were used to turn them against each other, and their families had all perished at the emperor's hands. Reborn, the empress returns to the very day the emperor falsely accused her of causing the consort's miscarriage. This time, she does everything she can to protect her former enemy. But before she can offer an explanation, she discovers that the consort has been reborn as well. Once they confirm their shared secret, the two women turn from rivals to allies, determined to take down the unfaithful emperor together. In their previous lives, the emperor's power was still shaky at this point, and he relied heavily on the political influence of both women's families. This time, the empress uses his greed against him and brings him to his own downfall. At the story's close, the consort embraces a life of peace while the empress ascends the throne with grace. For once, the women of the imperial harem live peacefully, free of rivalry. Who says a woman can't wear the crown?

Princess Anya Jyara of the defeated Kingdom of Jyara is captured by a notorious pack-horse caravan during her journey to a political marriage. She almost loses her virtue to the bandit chief Wyatt Igan. Through careful scheming, Anya manages to enter the imperial palace of the Kingdom of Eoghan, where she makes a shocking discovery: the bedridden emperor bears an identical resemblance to Wyatt. Meanwhile, Wyatt infiltrates the palace disguised as a eunuch to stay close to her. The Prince Regent, who holds actual power in the palace, desires Anya for himself. Caught in a web of palace intrigue and deadly power struggles, Anya strategically manipulates the men around her to survive. She uses herself as bait while he shields himself with his bandit identity, and together they battle from the bedchamber to the imperial court in a dangerous game of deception and ambition.