Chapter 2: The Art of Not Giving a Damn

Su Qing slowly turned her head, her heart racing against her ribs. Standing just a few paces away at the edge of the sprawling flower garden was a man.

Well, calling him a regular man felt like an understatement.

He looked straight out of the fancy historical manhwas she used to binge when she was free. He had deeply defined facial features, dark navy-blue hair swept back a pair of azure eyes that looked like frozen glaciers.

His attire practically screamed ’high-ranking imperial official’, a fitted black high-collared tunic accented with gold filigree, a heavy cream-colored cape with luxurious dark fur draped over his shoulders, and a gold chain sweeping across his chest.

He stood with a perfect posture, his gloved hand resting casually near his waist.

Su Qing’s eyes instinctively darted to the space behind her. She looked around, wondering if he had seen the floating white robotic space-cat.

But it looked like he didn’t. Cheshire had vanished.

Thank goodness.

Unfortunately, the navy-haired man stared at her like she was completely crazy.

To be fair, she probably did look insane. She was standing in the middle of a glowing flower bush, her blood-red hair tangled with sticks and leaves, violently clutching the skirt of a heavy burgundy gown while breathing like a cornered animal.

The man cleared his throat again. "Your Imperial Majesty," he spoke, his voice a deep baritone lacking any semblance of warmth. "Have you resorted to rolling in the imperial rose bushes to gain attention now? Truly, this subordinate is impressed by your......dedication."

Su Qing internally winced. Ouch. Even without her memories, she could taste the sheer mockery dripping from his words. Who the hell was this guy?

Before she could open her mouth to insult his ancestors, the man adjusted his fur cape and delivered his actual message. "His Majesty, King Leonidas of the Black Panther Beast Kingdom, Shadow’s Edge, has arrived at the grand pavilion. He demands an audience."

Oh... I see, Su Qing thought, her brain stalling out. Wait, a panther king is here?!

Cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. She had literally just dropped from the sky two minutes ago after a traumatic bathroom incident. She didn’t know the layout of this massive palace, she didn’t know the etiquette, and she definitely didn’t know how to act like an Empress Karina de Laurentis.

Her mind raced through a million different survival scenarios.

Should I fake a faint? Should I pretend the flower petals gave me temporary amnesia?

No. When in doubt, stall for time.

Su Qing straightened her back, trying her best to channel the regal aura of the heavy Renaissance gown she was wearing. She blew a stray leaf away from her nose and looked the navy-haired official dead in the eye.

"Tell him... I’ll be there shortly," Su Qing said, her voice remarkably steady despite her inner panic. She smoothed down her crumpled skirts indifferently. "I need some time to freshen up. Go on ahead."

The navy-haired guy looked shocked. His eyes widened by a fraction, his lips parting slightly as he stared at her.

Really? The clingy, pathetic Empress who usually burst into tears and ran barefoot to the palace gates the moment she smelled a hint of panther pheromones was now....calmly telling him to wait? And she wanted time?

Su Qing froze, wondering if she blew her cover. Did she drop the act too fast? Was she supposed to cry and scream ’Take me to my husband!’ right now?

But before she could panic further, the man recovered his professional countenance. He lowered his head, a complex emotion flashing through his gaze.

"Of course," was all he offered before bowing deeply and leaving without another word.

When his back disappeared behind the tall garden hedges, Cheshire popped back into her direct line of sight, floating cross-legged in the air.

"Mew he he he. That was so weird!"

"What the hell!" Su Qing hissed under her breath, swatting at the air. "Where did you go?!"

"I told you, physical or mental. No one can see my physical form unless I want them to." Cheshire did a little spin. "As I was saying, sorry, you’re stuck here till you do what you’re here for."

Su Qing glared at the space-cat, her brows twitching from irritation. "Not that again. What exactly am I even here for? I told you, I want to go back!"

Cheshire let out a mocking chuckle. "Go back? To what? After all, it’s not like you have anyone waiting for you at home. You’re an overworked, single orphan student who just had an explosive diarrhea in a men’s bathroom. Let’s be real, host."

Su Qing felt an invisible arrow pierce her chest. "Ouch. That was completely unnecessary, you mechanical demon."

"But whatever," she sighed, waving her hand defensively. "Fine. If I’m stuck in this crazy manhwa world, what is the actual goal here? What is the catch?"

Cheshire’s visor flashed, and a wave of foreign data suddenly forced its way into Su Qing’s mind. It wasn’t painful, but it felt like a heavy book slamming into her brain, unleashing the old memories of the former Karina.

The world layout settled into her thoughts. The Zyleria Continent. Her father, the late Emperor, had been a deeply spiteful and brilliant man. To ensure that the surrounding beast kingdoms wouldn’t tear the central empire apart, his dying decree forced Karina to wed all four of the most powerful beast kings simultaneously. It kept them locked in a permanent, bitter cold war.

Talk about spiteful!

And the four husbands? They were the elite: the lethal King of the Panther Beast Kingdom, the swift King of the Cheetah Beast Kingdom, the tyrannical Ruler of the Dragon Faction, and the venomous Sovereign of the Snake Clan.

The original Karina had been completely obsessed with the kings. Despite being the reigning Empress who held the literal crown of the continent, she was pathetic. She starved herself for their attention, begged them to stay in her bed, and used her pregnancies as desperate political traps. The kings loathed her for it, abandoning the capital to fight wars at the borders while the corrupt palace servants openly neglected her four fluffy toddler cubs.

"So," Cheshire cackled, hovering closer. "Your system is the Yandere System. Your ultimate mission is to turn these four cold, arrogant kings into obsessive, unhinged freaks who will weep at your boots. And how do you do that? By completely ignoring them! Treat them like garbage, focus on your life, and you’ll get modern perks from the system shop!"

Su Qing touched her flawless porcelain chin, a slow smirk forming on her lips. Ignore them? Be emotionally unavailable? Treat them like annoying customer service complaints?

"I see..." Su Qing murmured, her brain locked and loaded. "So basically, I just have to act like they don’t exist while I hoard the imperial budget and eat snacks? Very well then. I can do this."

"That’s the spirit. Good luck, host!" Cheshire chirped, vanishing into a pixelated puff of pink light as he retreated into her sea of consciousness. "By the way, that navy-haired guy from earlier? That’s General Aldric. He’s spent the last three years watching you pathetically cry and whine over the kings. He completely despises you. Have fun!"

~

"Whoa..." Su Qing muttered under her breath as she finally stepped out of the garden maze. "The palace is huge."

Towering before her was a massive fortress of white marble, gold spires, and waterfalls that looked like a literal fantasy kingdom.

As she walked toward it, trying to navigate the endless stone corridors, the reality of her new status hit her. Every single servant, royal guard, and high-born court lady she passed instantly halted. People kept bowing to her, lowering their heads so low their noses almost touched the polished floorboards.

Su Qing kept her head high, reeling it in.

Suddenly, she spotted the guy from earlier. General Aldric was standing at the entrance of the Grand Phoenix Pavilion, his arms crossed over his fur cape. When he saw her approaching, her hair miraculously cleared of twigs thanks to a quick finger-combing, his eyes narrowed.

Without a word, he turned on his heel.

He led her down a long hallway lined with heavy velvet drapes and golden statues, toward the private chamber where the Panther King was waiting.

Su Qing swallowed hard, her fingers tightening against her burgundy gown. Her heart was beating fast, but she forced herself to calm down.

It’s fine, she repeated like a mantra in her mind. As long as he’s ugly, or deformed, or looks like a literal monster, I’ll be fine. It’s easy to ignore a terrifying beast-monster.

Aldric stopped in front of two massive, black iron doors guarded by heavily armed panther soldiers. The guards bowed instantly, throwing the doors open.

Su Qing took a deep breath, stepped into the lavish chamber, and cast her gaze toward the giant man at the end of the room.