I Became the Empress' Perfect Regret

Josiah's POVWhile Harry Johnston was parading my royal seal around the ladies' garden party, I was back in the palace practicing my calligraphy.People in the palace loved fawning over the powerful and kicking those who were down, so life for a fallen male consort was easy to imagine.Furious on my behalf, my personal attendant, Collin Todd, went to demand justice, only to be met with a barrage of mockery."Your master is about to be deposed anyway. Who are you putting on this loyal show for? Everyone in the palace knows the chancellor's son is Her Majesty's true love. You people are just shamelessly clinging on. Otherwise, they would have been together long ago!""Please, his seal is gone, so what's he still putting on airs for? He's nothing but an empty shell now. If I were him, I'd rather bash my head against a wall than stay here and be a laughingstock!"There were plenty of even nastier comments. Collin was shaking with rage as he repeated them to me.But I remained comple

Josiah's POVWhen I first arrived in this world, my one and only task was to prevent Harry from becoming the empress consort.Back then, I didn't understand why, but after spending time with him, the truth became clear.The man played the part of a saint, but underneath, he was utterly ruthless.Had I not witnessed him taking a dislike to a handsome attendant, fabricating an excuse, and having the poor soul dragged off to be sold into a brothel, I probably would have been fooled by him too.If a man like that ever became the empress consort, it would be an absolute disaster for the empire.I wasted the best years of my youth here, finally climbing to the one position every man under heaven coveted.Bella had proclaimed to the entire world that I would be her only empress consort, and should I pass away, the throne beside her would remain forever vacant.At the time, I genuinely believed I was the happiest man alive, which was why I ignored the system's prompt when it offered to

Third-Person POVBella still shook violently whenever she recalled that scene.Just moments ago, Josiah had been full of life, standing tall and condemning her heartlessness in front of everyone.How could he have turned into a cold corpse on the floor in the blink of an eye?It all happened so fast that her mind couldn't even process it.By the time she reached out and touched his lifeless cheek, it was already too late."Josiah… I command you to get up! Are you trying to win me back with a stunt like this? Do you think I don't see right through your little game?"No one answered her."Josiah Gentry! I am speaking to you! Who gave you the audacity to ignore me?"The entire palace was deathly silent.Not a single person dared to step forward and pull her away. They could only watch helplessly as she went mad over Josiah's corpse.Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Harry rushed to her side. "Your Majesty! Don't scare me! Josiah… Josiah is already dead!""No!" Bella viole

Josiah's POVThe memories Bella had carved into my mind were so deeply painful that the mere sound of her voice made me scramble backward in retreat."Bella, what is the point of this?"As my sigh echoed in the room, the figure before me finally came into focus.Though it had only been two weeks since I left, Bella looked like an entirely different person. She had lost a shocking amount of weight, and her once-expressive eyes were completely bloodshot. It looked as though she hadn't slept a wink in days.It was impossible to connect this haggard soul with the high-spirited empress she used to be.Noticing my startled gaze, Bella frantically smoothed down her robes and adjusted her hair."Josiah, I'll go back and clean myself up right away. I'm not ugly. Please don't hate me, okay?"The sight instantly brought back a memory. Years ago, when I was struggling by her side through her darkest days, she had asked me why I chose to stay with her.Naturally, I couldn't tell her the tr

Josiah's POVEver since my faked death and temporary departure, Bella had crossed into a state of sheer paranoia.Not only did she place countless eyes around me to monitor my every move, but she also refused to go anywhere without me. She even forced me to sit right beside her on the throne during morning court while she debated matters of state with her ministers.Eventually, some of the officials couldn't stand it any longer."Your Majesty! This flies in the face of all propriety! His Majesty's presence here is a blatant interference of the state affairs!""Indeed, Your Majesty! You disregarded all objections to replace the statues of the gods with His Majesty's face. Combined with his sudden resurrection, rumors are already spreading among the commoners that he is a demon!""Your Majesty! For the sake of the empire, we implore you to execute His Majesty!"The ministers' protests came in relentless waves. I sat high above them, listening to their demands for my head.Instead