The emperor had trouble fathering heirs, so he found me, a woman born with a womb suited for bearing children, and made me empress to continue his bloodline. But after carrying a child for ten months, I gave birth to nothing but a pool of blood. Meanwhile, the little palace maid who had once served me gave birth to a chubby, rosy-cheeked boy. I was absolutely certain I had delivered a healthy baby boy, but everyone around me insisted I had never given birth. After five pregnancies, the palace maid had given birth to one prince after another and risen to become a noble consort. I broke down and begged her to give my children back. But she carried a child to the emperor and claimed I had lost my mind, accusing my whole family of deceiving the throne. In a fit of rage, the emperor stripped me of my title and banished me to the cold palace. He also had my parents, who had sent me to the palace, beheaded in public. The palace maid rose to power through her son and took my place as the revered empress. She swaggered into the cold palace and forced a cup of poison down my throat. Only then did I learn that she was bound to a Child-Stealing System, which let her take every child I gave birth to. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the first day of my pregnancy.
