(Emperess Pov)

*Stab*

"Eh?"

My brain stopped working.

I was unable to make sense of what had just happened.

When he sprouted black blood from his mouth and was about to fall on the stairs, I felt a crack inside my head and it started to throb.

"Lei!" I scream, lunging forward to catch him before he falls, holding him in my arms as I lay him down, and gently placing his head on my lap.

I quickly pull out the dagger that was lodged in his shoulder and throw it away.

He coughed up blood a few more times and every time he did, the throbbing in my head would grow.

When he stopped coughing and was calmly lying on my lap, I wave my hand toward the entrance door and it burst open.

"Go and quickly get an elder from the medicine hall!", I order the person standing outside.

I would bring Lei directly to the medicine hall, but this poison spreads faster if the affected person moves around.

I expected the person standing outside to execute my command immediately but instead she was staring at me in shock.

Seeing her not move, I start to feel an emotion that I had not felt in a very long time.

Anger.

"Go right NOW!", I roar, my voice turning demonic.

I was in an agitated state so I could not control myself. The force in my voice was so strong that it sent the girl flying backwards.

But this was more than enough to wake her up from her shock. She swiftly recovered and ran away.

Seeing her go, I again turn my attention towards Lei and see if he was doing okay.

His eyes were closed and his face was pale, which were not good signs. The only good thing in this situation was that he had stabbed himself in the shoulder.

This way the poison will take more time to reach the heart and give him more time to be treated.

"Lei, please wake up!" I scream in desperation as I continue to lightly slap his cheek.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

My mind was a mess.

All my suppressed emotions were leaking through the cracks that had formed in the formation in my head.

(A/N: I'll explain this formation thing in her back story in the next chapter)

A maelstrom of anxiety, panic, and fear gripped me, making me imagine the worst possible scenarios.

Finally, he opened his eyes.

"Lei!" I cried, my voice shaking with desperation. "Just hold on a little longer. The elder will be here soon. Everything will be okay. Yes, everything will be okay." My words were barely audible through the lump in my throat, but I repeated them over and over, willing them to be true.

'No, not this time,

I can't bear to lose anyone else again.

If I lose Lei too, I don't know what I might do'

***

(Lei Pov)

I had lost consciousness for a few seconds because of the immense pain that suddenly came with the poison. When the knife entered my body, It was like a fire started moving inside me while slowly burning everything.

I turn my eyes to the empress and see that she was lost in her own thoughts. Her amethyst eyes were glowing and she was constantly muttering something under her breath.

'I need to act fast because this poison is no joke'

Even when I avoided my right lung and shoved the knife close to my shoulder, the pain was excruciating.

As the poison coursed through my body, I relied on my [Perfect Actor] ability to slow down my heartbeat and dull my pain receptors, in order to keep the poison from spreading too quickly and to ease the agony I was enduring.

I did try to completely turn off the pain receptors but the pain was only medicated. It was still somewhat painful but not enough to make me lose focus.

"What's... with... that... look?" I managed to speak out, my voice strained and raspy.

It felt like the poison had reached my throat, making it hard to even form words.

"...Why did you do that?", she said, her voice quivering.

"Why...do you...care?".

"..."

"Even if I die...it should not matter...to you...no? After all, you...are just doing this be..because of a silly...promise"

Her eyes twitch and the frown deepens

"You...don't actually care-"

"I care so much that it hurts!" she screams, her voice shaking with intensity.

"Of course I care! You...are my everything", she said and caressed my face.

'And that's all I needed to hear'

I don't know what exactly happened to her but she was showing a lot of emotions. She was completely different from that cold and indifferent person I was talking to a few minutes ago.

And from the way she is reacting, I can fully confirm that she really cares for me.

"Then why? Why...did you...push me away?"

I had achieved my goal and now just wanted to know the reason why she was distancing herself from me.

"I have no right to be by your side. I'm a heartless and selfish person seeking salvation in you, so I don't have to suffer alone."

"ah-"

I wanted to speak but the poison had already burned my throat and I was starting to lose consciousness again.

I wanted to know more about what she meant by salvation but I had no more strength to stay awake.

There was a certain fear in me that she would go back to her emotionless self and I not be able to know about her but I could do nothing about that.

"Sect Master! Elder Meifen is here"

I heard Qin's voice and saw the empress's face brighten up.

As I was about to faint, I squeeze the last bit of my strength to place my hand on her cheek and move my lips,

'Please..be...my...mother'

[Ding!]

[Hidden Achivement]

Tears of the Empress

Make the Shadow Emperess shed tears.

[100 Reversal Points Awarded]

[Major Plot Change]

[300 Reversal Point Awarded]

***

(Empress Pov)

When I observed his moving lips and understood what he was trying to say, tears started to fall from my eyes.

"Sect Master! What happened here?"

"Please, Mifen! Save my son!", the desperate plea escaped my lips as tears streamed down my face.