Nightfall: The Night of the Kill

Have you ever wondered?

When rebels storm the imperial palace, what happens to the "servants" at the bottom of the food chain who escape instead of either throwing themselves in front of a blade or being forced to take one? Where do they go? How do their stories end?

Few people know.

They have never been popular choices for protagonists.

Now, in a distant dynasty, rebels pour into the palace.

A young palace maid of the Lun Kingdom picks up a blade and vows to fight her way out!

This is the story of an ancient underdog. [Underdog: someone at a disadvantage, or someone no one expects to win]

The female lead is the only protagonist.

[Blurb One]

The day he usurps the throne is also the day she decides to kill him.

No matter how many years it takes, how much of herself she must give, or how many bones she must break.

She will do it.

She'll see it through.

She absolutely will.

[Blurb Two]

The rebels have broken through!

Chu An, who lives in the Cold Palace and looks after a concubine in poor mental health, swiftly deals with the rebel soldiers. Then, out of sheer loyalty, she decides to take everyone from the Cold Palace and escape together.

But there's a problem: not one of her companions is there. How can she save them?

Chu An glances at the bodies of the rebels on the ground.

If you can't beat them, become them!

With a grave expression, she changes into a rebel's uniform.

She picks up a knife and begins the longest night of her life.

[Please note]

1. Plot-focused, with an extremely slow pace! The timeline is explained in the author's note at the end of Chapter 1. If you want to get straight into the story, you can skip to Chapter 2.

2. This is a fictional setting, and a very fictional one. It contains many original interpretations and is not based on real people. The writing isn't classical and includes modern expressions. If that's not for you, please don't read on.

3. The characters in the blurb are not a couple.

4. The female lead is the sole protagonist, with two male secondary leads. She has an unrequited crush early on. If that's not for you, please don't read on.

5. The main story takes place over the course of a single night during a palace coup, with scenes from the past and future interspersed.

6. This is not a matriarchal story, but women are treated as the default gender in the narration. For example, it uses "don't worry about the frost on another woman's roof." Whenever women are present, the third-person plural pronoun is "they" referring to women; this is not a typo. Women are named before men. Please let me know if I missed anything. If that's not for you, please don't read on.

7. The story is tagged "strong female lead": the protagonist is a palace maid, but she never thinks of herself as inferior. She fights her way to survival on her own. Her greatest source of support is herself. Even when she lacks certain skills, she makes plans and marshals resources; there is absolutely no "she's saved entirely by men" plotline. She learns the skills she lacks as the story progresses.

8. The other female characters all have their own strengths; they aren't just props. Some come from humble backgrounds, others from noble families. Some are good, some are evil, and some are complex figures who move between light and dark. If you can't accept female villains, please don't read on.

9. [Major spoiler warning] The rulers of the dynasty are first male, then female. If that's not for you, please don't read on.

10. The author's writing, perspective, ideas, and abilities are all limited, and I still have a lot to learn. If anything is poorly written or thoughtless, please offer your advice. I sincerely welcome all civil and rational criticism. Emphasis: civil and rational.

11. The inspiration dates back to 2019. The first version of the blurb was written in 2021. The novel began on November 2, 2021.

Theme: Life is full of difficulties. Stay calm when circumstances change.