When Shi Yue opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the smell—heavy incense, faint blood, and too much sandalwood. The second thing was the sharp pain in his back.

“System, where the hell am I?” he asked mentally, keeping his face perfectly blank.

> [Ding!] Welcome, Host! You have entered World 1: ‘Palace of Ashes.’ You are currently inhabiting the body of—”

“Let me guess. A tragic cannon fodder who dies for no reason?”

> “...Yes.”

Shi Yue sighed and sat up. He was in a lavish side chamber of some palace, draped in silks that screamed wealth—but the kind of wealth reserved for decoration, not power. There were no guards, no attendants, and a sharp chill in the air. Yeah. Definitely a forgotten concubine.

“Figures,” he muttered aloud, lips curling into a lazy smile. “At least I’m pretty.”

He stood up and caught his reflection in a bronze mirror. Pale skin, shimmering peach blossom eyes framed by thick lashes, soft lips with a faint natural pink tint—and right below his lower lip, a small, seductive mole.

“Damn. I’d fall for me too.”

> “Host! Please remain in character! You’re supposed to be quiet, submissive, and tragically lovestruck! You cannot go OOC or you’ll fail the mission!”

“Calm down, you desperate calculator. I’m acting in my head. My face is still tragic as hell.”

> “You have three main objectives! 1: Fulfill the last wish of your body. 2: Make the world ML and FL fall in love. 3: Get the villain—who is a soul fragment of your destined one—to fall for you.”

“Completing all three will earn me precious mission energy! I’m going to evolve into the most powerful sub-system under the main system’s domain!”

“You’re just a glorified pest with dreams of grandeur.”

“Also—why do I have to make the villain fall for me just to hook up the actual couple?”

> “Because true soul fragments only respond to emotional resonance. If he doesn’t fall for you, the fragment won’t integrate. And you can’t leave the world until the main couple ends up together.”

“So yes. You must suffer.”

“...I already hate this world.”

---

Three Hours Later — Imperial Court Garden

Shi Yue knelt silently in the snow, an ornamental food tray at his knees. He’d snuck into the kitchens to steal an extra bun, only to be caught and punished—again.

His stomach growled.

He wasn’t technically hungry. He just liked eating. It soothed his nerves. His expression remained cold and stoic, just as the host would have behaved. But inside, he was screaming.

“System. I swear if I don’t get something sweet in the next hour, I’m throwing this mission into the fire.”

> “Focus, Host! Your target approaches!”

Heavy boots crunched through the snow. The energy around them shifted like frost crackling across glass. A man in dark armor came into view. Towering. Emotionless. Dressed in black with a long scar across his jaw—he was death incarnate.

The infamous General Li Zhen, Minister of War. The villain of this world.

He stopped in front of Shi Yue. A long silence. Then—

“You. What are you doing here?”

Shi Yue raised his head slowly, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, voice soft and broken:

“I… I stole a bun.”

Li Zhen stared at him.

Something flickered in his eyes. Not pity. Not interest. Something darker.

“Stand.”

Shi Yue obeyed, shivering as he rose.

Li Zhen leaned down, gaze sharp, breath cold.

“Pretty little things like you shouldn’t lie in the snow.”

He reached forward and wiped a drop of blood from Shi Yue’s cracked lip.

“You’ll catch cold. Next time, steal more.”

He walked away.

> [Ding! Villain Favorability: +3]

Shi Yue blinked.

“…System.”

> “Yes?”

“Was that flirting?”

> “I—I think so.”

Shi Yue groaned.

“I hate this. I hate this so much. He’s totally my type.”

> “Host!”

The palace garden was dressed in early spring frost, delicate plum blossoms blooming against the pale sky like bloodstains on white silk. Courtiers strolled beneath curved pavilions, careful not to step too loudly. After all, the Crown Prince and his Princess Consort were present.

Shi Yue knelt on a stone bench, silent and poised, pouring tea into fragile porcelain for the Crown Prince’s favored concubines. He was one of them—on paper. In practice, he was decoration.

“System, remind me again what the host’s final wish was?”

> “To make sure the Crown Prince and Princess Consort fall in love... and to die with dignity instead of being poisoned by jealous consorts.”

“Fabulous.” Shi Yue’s mental tone dripped with sarcasm. “Basically: babysit the royals and die gracefully.”

> “Also, you must increase General Li Zhen’s favorability while keeping everyone else convinced you’re harmless and forgettable.”

“Easy, right?”

“You absolute parasite.”

Just then, the Princess Consort—Lady Xiyan—turned to him.

“Yue-er, bring me more of those candied lotus roots. You always pick the sweetest ones.”

Her tone was soft, almost teasing. She wasn’t cruel like the rumors suggested. Just wary. Isolated.

Shi Yue stood with a quiet smile and obeyed, his steps as light as snow. When he returned and gently set the plate beside her, she met his eyes. For a moment, something shifted. Curiosity, maybe. Or empathy.

> [Ding! Female Lead’s Alertness: -2 | Affection: +1]

“One step at a time,” he mused, smiling politely.

Then—thunder rolled beneath silk slippers.

General Li Zhen arrived.

He was not dressed in finery like the others. His black armor gleamed dully beneath a crimson cloak, and his hair was bound in a no-nonsense topknot. He bowed to no one, simply nodded at the Crown Prince with the barest hint of restraint.

The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed.

“General Li. A rare honor.”

Li Zhen gave a half-smile. “The battlefield is quieter than the court these days. Thought I’d enjoy some… peace.”

His gaze flicked to Shi Yue—brief, unreadable, intense.

> [Ding! Villain Favorability: +2]

Shi Yue’s hand didn’t tremble, but he wanted to scream. “Why is this demon gaining points for staring?!”

> “He likes your face. It soothes his murderous intent.”

“Unbelievable.”

“Concubine Shi,” the Crown Prince suddenly said, his tone light but laced with steel. “You’ve caught the general’s attention. I hope you’re not trying to charm the court’s strongest sword.”

A few concubines tittered, delighted to see Shi Yue in trouble.

Shi Yue lowered his head, voice sweet and trembling. “Your Highness jokes. I wouldn’t dare breathe without your blessing.”

That got a laugh—cold and hollow.

But Lady Xiyan's smile faltered.

She was watching now. Not cruelly. Just... trying to understand.

Later, when the others left, she caught his sleeve.

“Tell me, Yue-er. Do you believe men like General Li can feel affection?”

Shi Yue paused.

Then, he smiled, just a little. “I think... even blades have sheaths, my lady. If not, they’d rust.”

> [Ding! FL Favorability: +2 | Alertness: -1]

She let him go without another word.

As he left the garden, Shi Yue could feel Li Zhen’s stare on his back. Not possessive. Not hostile.

Just curious.

Shi Yue was not a fool—he knew the kitchens would be empty at this hour, and no one would see him sneaking in for an extra bite of the lotus cakes that had been stolen from the evening banquet.

He moved quickly through the corridors of the palace, the soft rustle of his robes the only sound breaking the silence. His stomach growled loudly, a reminder of how little he'd eaten earlier—despite the generous spread laid out in front of the Prince. He didn’t care. The lotus cakes were too dry, the tea too bitter, and, honestly, he had to find something sweeter.

As he reached the kitchen door, it creaked open.

“Ah, perfect,” Shi Yue murmured to himself. He slipped inside.

The room was cool and dark, the smell of fresh rice cakes and spices hanging in the air. He quickly grabbed a small bowl of sticky rice, dipping it into honey with practiced hands. He was so focused on the treat in front of him that he didn’t hear the sound of heavy boots approaching.

The first clue was the sudden shift in temperature—the air around him chilled. A familiar, suffocating aura. Shi Yue froze, a half-eaten rice cake in his hand.

He slowly turned around.

“General Li…”

Standing in the doorway was none other than General Li Zhen, his black armor gleaming dully in the low light. His gaze fixed on Shi Yue, sharp and unblinking, as if sizing up every move he made.

“You know it’s dangerous to sneak around in the middle of the night, Concubine Shi,” he said, his voice low and rich with unspoken layers.

Shi Yue blinked, attempting to hide his startled expression behind an impassive smile. “I… I was just grabbing a snack, General. Nothing dangerous about that.”

The general’s eyes narrowed. “Nothing dangerous?” His voice dipped lower, barely a whisper. “Are you sure about that?”

Shi Yue shifted uneasily, his fingers tightening around the sticky rice. “If I’m a danger, General, then I’m a danger to no one but myself.”

Li Zhen took a step closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over the smaller concubine. His presence was imposing, suffocating, but there was a strange, almost amused glint in his eyes.

“Let’s test that theory, then.” With a flick of his hand, he reached out to steady Shi Yue, whose foot had slipped on the smooth floor.

It happened in an instant.

Shi Yue stumbled, his body colliding with the general’s chest, sticky rice falling from his hand and splattering across their clothes. He blinked in surprise, his face now flush with both the fall and embarrassment. His hands pressed against the hard, unforgiving material of Li Zhen’s armor.

He caught his breath, his heart racing. “I—I’m so sorry!”

Li Zhen’s hands, large and surprisingly gentle, cupped his shoulders and helped him straighten. His eyes never left Shi Yue’s face, and there was that small, infuriating smirk pulling at his lips.

“You have a habit of falling into trouble, don’t you?” he murmured. His tone wasn’t mocking. It was… something else.

Shi Yue’s mind raced, but all he could focus on was the sensation of his face inches away from the general's. The warmth of his body against his own, the strength of his grip holding him steady. He felt small, like a fragile bird caught in the talons of a predator.

“I… I didn’t mean to.” His voice came out softer than he intended. “Really, General, this was… an accident.”

Li Zhen leaned in slightly, his breath brushing against Shi Yue’s ear. “Careful, Concubine Shi. One wrong move, and you might find yourself in far more than a mere accident.” His words were coated in warning, but there was an undeniable undercurrent of something else. Curiosity, perhaps. Or something darker.

Shi Yue felt a shiver run down his spine, his mind racing. The proximity was overwhelming, and his heart was thundering in his chest. He couldn’t stop the rush of heat flooding his cheeks. “I—I understand, General.”

For a long, unbearable moment, neither of them spoke. Shi Yue could feel the tension thickening between them, like the air before a storm.

Then, with a final glance, Li Zhen straightened and let go of him, stepping back just enough to allow Shi Yue some space.

“Do be more careful next time, Concubine Shi.” His voice was cool, but the flicker of amusement in his eyes lingered.

Shi Yue swallowed hard, trying to regain his composure. He was so aware of the sticky rice still clinging to the front of their robes. “Yes, General. I’ll be more cautious in the future.”

As Li Zhen turned to leave, his gaze met Shi Yue’s once more.

“You have potential, Shi Yue. Don’t waste it.”

The door closed behind him, and Shi Yue was left standing in the quiet, still feeling the heat of the general’s touch on his skin.