The Office Drone's Rise to Empress

Overworked to Death, I Opened My Eyes as the Good-for-Nothing Fourth Prince

Su Wan's last memory was the pale light of the office at three in the morning and the densely packed employee performance reviews on her computer screen. A twenty-first-century overachieving HR manager, she had finally fulfilled her (involuntary) vow to "give everything for the company" after working overtime for seventy-two hours straight.

"Dying from overwork... Does that count as a workplace injury? I wonder if my parents can get any compensation... Sigh, I haven't even finished the KPIs..."

As her consciousness sank into darkness, Su Wan's mind was still circling around the resentments unique to overworked corporate slaves.

When she opened her eyes again, the glaring sunlight had been replaced by the dim glow of palace lanterns. An indescribable smell, a mixture of medicine and incense, lingered beneath her nose.

"Gah..." She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain struck the back of her head, making her gasp.

"Your Highness! You're awake?!" A shrill voice, choked with sobs, rang beside her. "Thank goodness! You're finally awake! You scared this servant to death!"

Su Wan struggled to move her eyes. The first thing she saw was a pale, puffy eunuch's face, streaming with tears as he looked at her like a treasure he had lost and found again.

"Your... Highness?" Su Wan's voice was hoarse and dry, with a clear, youthful tone that wasn't her own.

Where was she? Was she filming a historical drama? The props were pretty convincing. Even the eunuch had the right feel to him.

She looked down and saw that she was wearing a bright yellow undershirt made of impossibly smooth fabric. She moved her fingers. They were slender and long, the hands of a young man.

An absurd yet unmistakably clear