Sweetheart Substitute: I never gave up loving you

A major event had occurred in Calderon.

Caius, who was appointed Crown Prince at the age of three, conspired with the Kingswell Family to usurp the throne. They were defeated and surrounded.

After their defeat, they were besieged.

The Crown Prince committed self-immolation and died, all the male members of the Kingswell Family were executed and the women were sent to the Inner Palace, where the Emperor's concubines, wives and female relatives lived.

As the youngest daughter of the Kingswell Family, I had been a slave for nearly a year. During this time, I had devoted all my energy to being a diligent and considerate servant, ensuring everything was handled properly and showing respect and warmth to everyone.

My former maid, now a favored Consort, initially moved me to her side with the intention of tormenting me. However, she soon realized that I performed my duties well and could be easily abused, so she started to delegate many tasks to me.

I lie in wait like a venomous snake, biding my time for the opportunity to push her into the abyss.

The Emperor's birthday celebration had arrived and all the dignitaries were gathered in the Haven Palace for a feast. A new development occurred at the banquet. The regional governor introduced a soothsayer to the Emperor, claiming that his skills in divination and alchemy were extraordinary.

Initially, the Emperor was skeptical, but to his surprise, the soothsayer demonstrated a profound understanding of the Emperor's thoughts, displaying charm and eloquence. This greatly pleased the Emperor, who immediately decided to keep him close as a constant companion.

In just a few days, the soothsayer had gained the level of intimacy where he traveled with the Emperor. Hearing the palace servants' discussions, I began to devise my own plans.

This person had just arrived in the capital and had few vested interests. If I could have gained his support, it would have made my revenge plan progress more smoothly. Soon, I got my chance. The soothsayer was going to Treasure Palace that day to find a book and would pass by the vicinity of Elysian Palace.

I was penniless at the time and the only thing I could rely on was my body. So, while the Consort went to see the Emperor, I quickly washed and dressed up. I bit my lips hard to add some color to my pale face, then waited by the flower path. Before long, I saw a graceful figure approaching.

It was him.

I straightened my hairpin, hurriedly walked over and deliberately bumped into him, letting out an exaggerated "oh" before dramatically falling to the ground. This was a trick the Consort had used before and I figured most men were fond of such acts. If it didn’t work, I would switch to another approach.

With feigned weakness, I struggled to prop myself up, raising my tear-streaked face pitifully. My eyes had been prepped with onion juice, so with a single blink, a tear rolled down. “Please forgive me, my lord... this servant...”

However, just as the act had begun and before I could finish my line, I was struck as if by lightning, frozen in place.

The sorcerer’s eyes.

He was completely indifferent to my impropriety, smiling as he extended his hand. “I’m not lord. You may call me Nero, Miss.”

Without hesitation, I knelt up and grabbed his hand, turning it over to examine those familiar marks.

Caius’s hands bore the calluses from years of practicing calligraphy and archery, but his hands—long and soft—were completely free of any such marks. Refusing to give up, I pulled up his sleeve.

There should have been a scar on his arm, one he got during the spring hunt when he shielded me from a wild animal’s claws.

Nothing. Still nothing.

His skin was smooth and fair, without a trace of the marks that should have belonged to Caius—except for those eyes, which were identical to his. The absence of the familiar signs left me shaken, my emotions in turmoil. I collapsed onto the ground, staring blankly at him.

My intrusive actions hadn’t angered him. He calmly smoothed his sleeve and crouched down, meeting my gaze. “Did you mistake me for someone else?”

I could only nod. “You and someone I once knew share the same beautiful eyes.”

A flicker of an unreadable emotion passed through his beautiful almond-shaped eyes as he leaned down to help me up. I quickly composed myself, recovering from the shock and resumed my original plan. I leaned softly against him, feigning weakness. “My lord, I’ve twisted my ankle and can’t walk.”

Nero chuckled again. Pressed against his chest, I could feel the rumble of his laughter, as though he found something quite amusing.

I didn’t understand why, but before I could react, he suddenly scooped me up into his arms. Startled by the unexpected boldness of this seemingly gentlemanly man, I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, whispering anxiously, “My lord!”

He held me even tighter, as if afraid I might fall. “I’ll take you to rest.”

Rest? What kind of rest? Surely, he didn’t mean that kind.

I admit, I intended to seduce him, to make him work for me, but I hadn’t planned for things to move so quickly. Everything was happening far beyond my expectations. I began to squirm gently. “Lord Nero, I don’t think my injury is that serious. There's no need for you to carry me. Please put me down. I... I can just sit on that stone over there.”

He glanced down at my embarrassed expression, showing no intention of letting go. “We’re almost there.”

Nero, with practiced ease, found a secluded and unoccupied palace room, gently placing me on a small couch.

That strange feeling came over me again. I probed cautiously, "My lord, you haven’t been here long, but you seem very familiar with the place."

He smiled slightly. "I come from a small, remote town, so naturally, everything in the palace seems fascinating to me. When His Majesty allows me to roam freely, I take the chance to explore and I stumbled upon this spot by accident."

As he spoke, he crouched down and touched my ankle. "Is it here that hurts?"

"Ah, yes."

He gently began to massage my foot. Though my ankle wasn’t actually sore, all my attention was on his movements. His excessive attentiveness, coming from a stranger, made me feel a bit uneasy, like a shiver running down my spine.

"That's enough. Thank you, my lord."

I reached to pull his hand away, but as the fabric slipped up, it revealed a section of my arm, which he grasped with his other hand. "What’s this?"

The arm was far from attractive, marked with old scars and fresh wounds. There were punctures from hairpins, cuts from knives and the latest wound, just scabbed over, was from a horsewhip gifted by the Emperor, used by the Consort.

Sometimes, using a man could lead to pity, which often lasted longer than affection.

I felt a pang in my heart and immediately let my eyes fill with tears. I tugged at my sleeve, saying, "Please, my lord, don’t look. It might offend your eyes."

His expression hardened, a hint of anger simmering beneath. "Who did this? The Consort?"

"I've often failed in my duties and angered my mistress, so it’s only natural that I am punished," I said, blinking back tears as I looked up at him.

Nero’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to suppress his emotions. He then gently wiped away my tears with the soft pads of his fingers. “Did you come to me today to help you avoid some of the punishment?”

“No, I accidentally bumped into you,” I replied.

He pinched my cheek. “Be honest. Don’t put on an act.”

His affectionate gesture made me deeply uncomfortable, but I had to endure it for my purpose. I grasped his sleeve and gave it a gentle shake. “Please, my lord, help me.”

Nero pulled out a small pouch of medicine from his sleeve and placed it in my hand. “This powder is colorless and odorless. Just use a small amount daily and others won’t notice anything.”

“What is it for?”

“This will make it very easy for a woman to conceive.”

“What?” I was initially puzzled, but then I realized and asked, “Can the pregnancy be carried to term?”

“Naturally not.”

Tears still glistening in my eyes, I laughed with satisfaction. “Thank you, my lord.”

Nero’s gaze softened, but his words were chilling. “That alone is not enough. There will be other measures, just wait and see.”

“Will it make her wish she were dead?”

“Her life and death are entirely in your hands.”

I was taken aback by how the seemingly refined Nero could be so ruthless. It was, in fact, just what I needed.

He then took out a small vial and said, “It will be a bit painful. Bear with it.”

He was gently applying medicine to my wound, taking great care. From where I was lying, I could only see his long eyelashes and it made me feel like I was back in a carefree, private space.

I suddenly said, “Caius.”

He continued his work without stopping, his eyelashes didn't even flutter. Calmly, he asked, “The old friend who looks a lot like me, is that the deposed prince?”

“Yes, that's right.”

"I heard that the Emperor is extremely disgusted with him and has forbidden anyone from mentioning his name. Miss, for your own good, don't bring it up again and look forward."

His reaction was flawless and I couldn't help but laugh at myself, perhaps my longing had driven me a bit mad. "I have a name, it's Yelena. From now on, you can call me that."

"Alright, Miss Yelena."

When I returned, the Consort was fuming over a trivial matter and immediately threw a cup at me upon seeing me. "You little wretch, where have you been hiding to slack off?"

I knelt down and bowed deeply. "This servant knows her mistake."

My humble and submissive posture always pleased her. She instructed, "The flower garden outside irritates me. Go and turn the soil. Oh, and by the way, my flowers are delicate, so you'll have to use your hands."

Without any emotion, I bowed and slowly backed away. Under the scorching sun, I knelt in the garden, inch by inch, turning the soil with my bare hands.

There were many roses and brambles in the garden and the sharp thorns on the stems tore at my hands, feet and clothes. Blood mixed with the dirt, making it impossible to tell their colors apart.

"Yelena, you have always been pampered," the Crown Prince's voice echoed in my mind, filled with laughter.

Hidden among the flowers, I thought of Nero's eyes and at last, a tear fell.

Crown Prince, was that really you?

Back when the Consort was at the Kingswell residence, her beauty was outstanding, otherwise, the Emperor, who was traveling incognito, wouldn't have noticed her at first glance and brought her back to the palace.

She cherished her beauty greatly and ordered me to wake up early every day to pick rose petals covered in dew, which were then crushed to make hand-soaking liquid for her.

Recently, the weather had been hot and dry and no matter how early I rose, it's hard to find dew-covered petals. Her trusted attendants couldn't wait to catch me making a mistake, leaving me with no chance to cut any corners.

When I carried the pitifully small amount of flower juice into the hall, the Consort immediately flipped over the copper basin. Just as she was about to hit me, a eunuch’s long-drawn-out voice called from outside. "The Emperor has arrived."

Her attitude changed in an instant and she put on a charming, sweet expression as she went out to greet him.

I kept my head down, cleaning up the mess on the floor. It was Zephyr Jameson, the head eunuch by the Emperor’s side, who had colluded with the Consort to force the Crown Prince and the Kingswell Family to their deaths.

The mastermind was so close and the overwhelming hatred made my hands tremble uncontrollably.

Afraid of losing my composure, I hunched over and planned to slip away quietly. But to my surprise, the Consort and the Emperor had already entered the inner chamber and they called out to me. "Mara, you will serve here today."

The Emperor glanced at me indifferently. “This servant’s name is quite odd. Which ‘Mara’ is it?”

“The one that means to die before reaching adulthood.”

“Why would someone serving by my side have such an unlucky name?”

“Lowly people deserve lowly names; it helps them survive.”

The Emperor no longer paid attention to me and continued flirting with the Consort on the couch. At first, I didn’t understand why they had made me stay, but soon it became clear.

"Your Majesty." The Consort’s voice was soft and breathless, "How do you have the time to visit me today? Isn't today the Crown Prince’s memorial day?"

The Emperor replied coldly, "What Crown Prince? Caius was just a commoner. After his death, he had no heirs, no posthumous title and he won’t be buried in the imperial tombs. There's no need for any memorial."

“If no one honors him, his soul will remain restless after death.”

“Justice has been served. Do not mention this rebellious and unfilial matter again.”

With her back turned to the Emperor, the Consort smiled at me with a cruel and triumphant grin. “Yes, I will follow Your Majesty’s commands.”

I looked back at her, my expression as calm and unmoving as still water, as if Caius were merely a stranger I had never met.

Once the Emperor and Consort were alone, I quietly slipped away and stood in the corridor, keeping an ear out for any noise from inside while wondering why the Consort hated me so deeply.

Her original name was Selma Zenola. She had been in the Kingswell Family since she was a child. She was quick at work and beautiful, so she was placed beside me as a maid.

She was very clever. A year ago, she had fallen in the garden and by sheer coincidence, she fell right in front of the Emperor, who was visiting the Kingswell Family in secret.

She just happened to twist her ankle and weakly leaned against the Emperor, which made him feel a surge of pity and immediately take her back to the palace.

Before she left, I gave her five hundred taels of silver as a parting gift. After that, we never saw each other again.

It didn’t matter. Human hearts were like the underworld, they changed rapidly, so I just needed to send her to hell in the end.