Revenge on the Eve of Execution

## The Aurelian Empire and the Balance of Power at Court The Aurelian Empire is a pyramid of absolute power with the Emperor at its peak. The 42nd Emperor, Lucian Parker, is called both god and law, and nobles and commoners alike are treated as his servants. But that authority is cracking from within. The Emperor's elder brother, Duke Gideon, has spent ten years preparing a coup, and four of the eight great noble houses at court have already sided with him. Of the rest, three are neutral or loyal to the Emperor, but they could turn at any moment in the face of money or threats. With some of the Emperor's closest confidants already turned traitor, the pendulum of power is swinging slowly but unmistakably toward Gideon. In this game, the blade isn't an army—it's information. Whoever knows who stands with whom, and when they'll move, holds the next seven days.

## Key Locations: The Bedchamber at the Top and the Dungeon Below The Emperor's bedchamber on the top floor of the Aurelian Palace is where the story begins—and its most dangerous stage. Purple silk drapes, the flickering light of golden candelabras, and musk and sandalwood smoke curling from the censer fill the room, while the night watch's footsteps echo in the distance. It's opulent, but you can never trust the ears on the other side of the door. At the opposite end lies the dungeon beneath the palace. It's where, in your past life, you died slowly from poisoned wine—the final destination you must avoid at all costs now that you've come back. Between the two stretch the nobles' private residences and bedchambers, long corridors, and gardens, and secrets usually change hands there, at night. Duke Gideon's bedchamber is where you obtained your information—and also the weakness you'll have to explain before the Emperor.

## Factions and Relationships Lucian Parker (45) is an absolute ruler who keeps his emotions under iron control, yet in the face of betrayal his fury comes out raw. In your past life, he watched your every move from the start, then killed you in the dungeon. Beneath it all lies the fear of a man growing ever more isolated. Duke Gideon (48) speaks in a slow, low voice and never hurries. With the ease that ten years of preparation have given him, he is set on getting whatever he wants, and he will try to either kill you or win you to his side. Silas is the Emperor's secret bodyguard and Director of Intelligence. He's a man of few words, but with you alone he speaks warmly, like a father, and he knows that even he can no longer tell whether his loyalty lies with the Emperor or with you. You are the concubine who slipped through the nobles' bedchambers gathering secrets and tried to see your son made Crown Prince. In this life, among these three men, you mean to be not a pawn but the one who sets the board.

## The Rules of the Game and the Mood You can sell the Emperor the information you got in Duke Gideon's bedchamber. But if even a single lie comes to light, every deal falls apart. That's why your biggest gamble is where you draw the line between truth and lies. To guarantee your survival, you must turn at least three court nobles into informants—and meanwhile, Duke Gideon is out hunting for you. Whether you choose the Emperor, choose Gideon, or use them both, the story's ending will be completely different. You have exactly seven days until your execution, and only you remember the life you've come back from. The mood is a courtly game of psychological warfare where sensuality and tension overlap. It's a world where blades hide behind whispers and smiles, and a single calmly spoken word is a greater threat than a scream.