All Chapters of I Became the Empress' Perfect Regret: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

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

Chapter 2

Josiah's POVBella hadn't set foot in my palace for a year, three months, and four days, but today she finally graced me with her presence.Before her feet even crossed the threshold, she spoke up impatiently. "Josiah, I came across a premium emerald bracelet today. I thought you might like it, so I brought it over straight after morning court."With that, she signaled the attendant beside her to present it.As the sunlight caught the bracelet, I could tell at a glance that the quality was decent.Unfortunately, it was made from the leftover scraps of a larger piece. If I wasn't mistaken, the bracelet crafted from the finest part of that emerald was probably on Harry's wrist right now.I couldn't help but think, "Josiah Gentry, you really are pathetic. Even when you get gifts, they're just someone else's leftovers."Yet, I kept a warm, gracious smile on my face as I accepted it.Seeing me finally crack a smile, Bella struck while the iron was hot. "Josiah, I actually came to di

Chapter 3

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

Chapter 4

Josiah's POVThe biting wind howled, freezing me to the bone.I kneeled quietly before Bella and Harry, completely numb to the mocking stares of the onlookers surrounding us.Suddenly, Bella hurled a cup straight at me in a fit of rage. I didn't dodge in time, and it struck my forehead, sending a stream of blood trickling down my face."You venomous creature! Harry stepped back at every turn and genuinely treated you like a brother, yet you harbor such a wicked heart!"Beside her, Harry covered half his face. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. He looked the absolute picture of a fragile victim."Josiah, I know you've always loathed me, but how could you be so cruel…"With just a few words, the two of them had already pronounced me guilty. They didn't even give me a chance to speak.After Bella finished venting, her chest heaved heavily. "What do you have to say for yourself?"I raised my head and looked her dead in the eye. "I didn't do it."Bella didn't believe a wor

Chapter 5

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

Chapter 6

Josiah's POVI had no way of knowing what happened after that.All I remembered was the icy metal of the blade and the sheer, suffocating terror of death closing in on me."No!"I screamed, bolting upright in bed. Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly.As I stared at my familiar bedroom, my heart was still hammering against my ribs.Did I… make it back?"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"Before I could process anything, Mom pushed the door open and walked in. Her expression softened with concern as she pulled me into a tight embrace. "What on earth did you dream about? Look at you. You're drenched in sweat."Staring at the woman I had spent years yearning to see now standing right in front of me in the flesh, I still couldn't believe it.Hesitantly, I reached out and touched her cheek. "Mom… is it really you?"Mom rolled her eyes and immediately slapped my hand away. "What kind of question is that? If I'm not your mom, whose mom would I be? You must have sl

Chapter 7

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

Chapter 8

Josiah's POVBella's sudden emotional outburst startled me.I tried to twist out of her grip, but she only held me tighter, as if trying to merge me into her very flesh and bone.It wasn't until I began to suffocate and frantically slapped at her arms that she finally released me. Her eyes were bloodshot and wild."Josiah, from now on, you are the only one I will ever have by my side. Never abandon me again, okay?""Like hell I will," I thought.But looking into her eyes, I nodded anyway.I hadn't forgotten my task. Only by calming her down could I get home sooner.Glancing at Harry, who was still bound to the pillar behind her and looking on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, I frowned. "Since I'm back, untie him and let him go."Truth be told, I didn't hate him. At the end of the day, he was just another tragic casualty sacrificed at the altar of imperial power.If Bella hadn't enabled him, he would never have dared to treat me with such disrespect.When Bella fancied

Chapter 9

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

Chapter 10

Josiah's POVBella's reckless decision to elevate me to emperor in defiance of public opposition quickly triggered a massive backlash.Rebellions erupted all across the nation, with every faction marching under the banner of executing the demon consort.At first, Bella managed to handle the unrest, but as the rebel armies multiplied, she clearly began to struggle.The sheer exhaustion left deep, dark circles under her eyes, and she lost a shocking amount of weight in a matter of days.Despite the chaos, she still insisted on coming to my palace every single day to keep me company.I set down my cutlery and looked at her. "Bella, is it really worth throwing away everything you have just for me?"She froze and forced a faint smile. "Josiah, I had absolutely nothing when I first met you. Now that I am giving up this throne for you, can you finally forgive me?"Smiling, I picked up a piece of meat and placed it on her plate. "Bella, there is actually something I never told you."S

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