His Love Was Never Mine to Keep

We were married for ten years. As the system predicted, Pei Hao eventually fell—madly, irrevocably—in love. But not with me. To his destined heroine, he gave everything: the throne, his loyalty, his heart. To me, the empress who stood beside him through storms and sacrifice, he gave only silence… and betrayal. When he faced me again, his gaze was distant, his words like knives: “Relinquish your title, and I will grant you a consort’s name. You may live the rest of your life in peace.” I tasted blood at the back of my throat, but I smiled. Just like I did the first time I fell for him. “Very well, Pei Hao. I’ll set you free.” And just like that, I walked away—from the man I once loved...