"You ungrateful brat! How dare you steal your sister's doll!" a young woman yelled angrily, causing a very pale little girl to flinch backward timidly.
It was young Bai Liu. She looked about eight years old, her hair cut very short and messy, her dress far too small for her body and patched in several places.
Far off, a middle-aged man watched without a hint of interest as tears rolled down her beady eyes.
Those eyes that had once made it difficult for him to break his promises no longer mattered to him.
Bai Liu was her mother's spitting image—the prettiest woman in the whole Huagu Nation.
She had died the year before after a sudden spike in blood pressure while pregnant, when she discovered her husband had brought his secret mistress into their home, along with her twins—a boy and a girl the same age as Bai Liu.
Ever since then, Bai Liu, once the beloved of both her parents, had become less than a servant.
"I… I didn't… I saw it… in my room," young Bai Liu protested.
The woman placed the doll on the lap of her luxuriously dressed daughter. The girl tossed it away immediately, screaming.
"It's dirty now, Mother! I don't want it anymore!"
The woman growled and rushed into Bai Liu's room. She dragged out an old, dirty rag doll and began chopping it apart with scissors.
Bai Liu cried as she watched the doll her mother had gifted her on her fifth birthday torn to shreds.
"Father, please tell her to stop!" she screamed, collapsing helplessly onto the floor.
Her father frowned and turned his back in disgust.
She knew he hated her. His new wife had given him an heir—something her mother had failed to do for years to continue his legacy.
Her mother had been barren for ten years, and Bai Liu had been their miracle.
Or so she thought—until her father brought in another woman.
The old maid had to drag her away and cradle her to sleep.
"Seventh Consort! Lady Bai Liu!".
A sharp voice startled Zhou Wei awake.
Her eyes snapped open. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep while soaking in the milky bathwater scattered with fragrant petals.
"Oh… how long was I asleep?" she asked, rising from the bath.
"A few minutes," Lin Yan replied, staring at her for a moment. "You were crying."
"Was I?" Bai Liu said softly, letting out a small chuckle.
She touched her face and felt the faint traces of tears.
Fragments of memories lingered in her mind.
The owner of this body had endured a childhood far crueler than her own. From what Zhou Wei had observed, Bai Liu had been a gentle, quiet soul—one far too soft for a place like this.
"Your dress is ready. The carriage will arrive soon," Lin Yan said, leaving Bai Liu standing before the mirror, clad only in a towel.
She studied her unfamiliar reflection.
Her skin looked flawless, almost like polished marble.
Why had she let herself go? Was it the pregnancy? Why had the Empress framed her—and pushed her?.
Questions swirled endlessly, unanswered.
But one thing was certain: she had already marked her enemies.
This palace was no place for a gentle soul like Bai Liu. No wonder she had died so early.
But she—Zhou Wei—was nothing like her.
Perhaps heaven had brought her here to avenge them both.
The maids brought in pale-colored garments and hung them beside her. Zhou Wei frowned.
They looked cheap—no better than what servants wore.
No fine jewelry. Nothing to match her beauty.
Her heart ached.
Her suffering hadn't ended at home—it had followed her into the palace.
They dressed her hair neatly, and within minutes, Bai Liu was seated in the carriage, heading toward the banquet.
"At least you get to attend a banquet today, my lady," Lin Yan said as the carriage began to move. "Make it memorable."
So this was Bai Liu's first banquet.
The urge to unlock more memories stirred within her.
The distance felt long. Bai Liu noticed her residence was located near the outer walls of the imperial palace—not within it.
So the Emperor truly despised her.
As the carriage stopped and she stepped down, her heart thudded violently.
Zhou Wei had once been the embodiment of confidence, yet now uncertainty crept in. She prayed silently not to make a scene.
"You'll be fine," Lin Yan whispered, holding her hand. "Raise your chin and ignore the other consorts."
How many consorts does this Emperor even have? Zhou Wei wondered. Am I truly the last?
To her, Lin Yan felt like Bai Liu's Bo Wan—someone who genuinely cared. Still, Zhou Wei knew better than to trust anyone completely.
The palace doors opened.
A loud voice echoed through the hall.
"Presenting the Seventh Consort, Lady Bai Liu of Huagu!".
Bai Liu stepped forward slowly. This body made walking difficult, but she lifted her chin and entered the grand hall.
Nobles and consorts sat around a long table.
Her gaze wandered—until it met his.
The Emperor.
He wasn't as old as she had imagined.
He was young… and handsome.
Well, fortunate for him.
After all, one of her many plans involved waiting for him to die—or speeding it up.
"Have you no respect for the Emperor?" a familiar mocking voice sneered.
The twin consorts chuckled, seated beside the Empress like loyal minions.
"Good evening, Your Majesty," Bai Liu greeted, performing the bow she had practiced for hours.
The Emperor rolled his eyes and looked away in open disgust.
She glanced around and noticed six women seated beside him—and one empty chair.
So she truly was the last consort.
As Bai Liu approached her seat, the Sixth Consort deliberately shoved her chair away with a scowl.
Bai Liu lowered her body carefully onto the wooden seat anyway. The food was served, and everyone prayed for good fortune for the Emperor before commencing the meal.
Zhou Wei observed the atmosphere. Everyone seemed to neglect her, but she didn't bluff. Determined to work on her weight, she selected vegetables and drank only water.
"The Seventh Consort doesn't look crazy at all. She looks so composed," a noble observed.
Bai Liu smiled faintly. She was doing well.
The Sixth Consort's nose lifted in disgust as she stared at Bai Liu eating.
She leaned toward the Fifth Consort, her voice low but sharp.
"I hate sitting beside a deranged fat woman. It ruins my mood."
Bai Liu paused, her chopsticks lowering slowly.
She turned her head, her gaze calm and innocent, as though she had only just noticed the comment.
"Sixth Consort, if you feel threatened by me… a deranged fat woman," she said softly, "then perhaps the issue is not me, but the fragility of your confidence."
Her eyes swept over the Sixth Consort, lingering for a brief heartbeat.
"And you look unwell too, Sister. You've thinned quite suddenly," Bai Liu added, her voice still gentle. Then she leaned closer, pretending to whisper. "In Huagu, it is said such changes rarely come from good fortune."
Silence fell.
The Fifth Consort stiffened.
The Sixth Consort's fingers tightened around her cup as she forced a smile.
But everyone had heard.
Bai Liu lowered her head politely, as though she had offered concern rather than insult.
The humiliation lingered far longer than her words.