The Empress's Harem and Other Unwanted Side Hustles
Diana Hinsdale had once been a fool. A jealous, arrogant, blind fool who ruined her life for a man who never truly loved her.
In her first life, she was the Empress, married to the Emperor, and mother to their son, Lucien. But instead of cherishing all that she had, she spent her time chasing after power, throwing tantrums, and—most embarrassingly—insulting a certain commoner consort named Liliana.
Spoiler alert: It did not end well.
Banished to the frontlines, trained into a warlord by a crazy master, and eventually stabbed to death, Diana’s first life was a long, miserable disaster.
Now? She's back. And this time, she’s over it all.
She doesn’t care about the throne, the emperor, or any of the court drama. She just wants to raise her son in peace... and maybe find her old master so she can punch him in the face for good measure.
But, of course, life had other plans.
First, her handsome dragon contractor showed up, reminding her of their deal to stop an otherworldly invasion.
Then, the Underworld King made a dramatic entrance, bringing classified intel... and tripping over Diana's freshly cleaned rug in the process.
Next, the Magic Tower Master dropped by to discuss alchemy... and yes, also tripped onto her. It was like the universe had it out for her rug.
Meanwhile, her ten-year-old son, Lucien, watched it all unfold with innocent curiosity, his calm demeanor giving the impression that he was completely unbothered.
"Mother, are you divorcing Emperor Father?" "...What?" "Can I follow my stepfather?" "Which stepfather?!"
And that was only the beginning.
Before Diana knew it, rumors exploded across the empire:
⚔️ The Empress has a harem! ⚔️ The Empress is stealing all the powerful men! ⚔️ The Empress is more attractive than the Emperor!
The Emperor, who had suddenly started visiting with suspicious frequency, finally confronted her: “Are you cheating?”
Diana, deadpan, replied, “You cheated first.”
At this rate, Diana just wanted to teach her son swordsmanship in peace... but the empire seemed determined to make her accidentally overthrow the Emperor instead.
And her son? He was happily compiling a ranking list of his ‘stepfathers.’
The universe was certainly having a laugh at her expense.