The Free Consort of the Rear Palace: The Virtuous Consort Who Died from Overwork Solves Mysteries - The Lazy Consort is Born

My head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache. It was the kind of pain you get after pulling three straight all-nighters to finish a report. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and they just wouldn't open. (*Ugh, seriously... maybe I'll just skip first period today...*) Akari—no, what used to be Akari—drifted in a floating, weightless sensation, thinking those thoughts. The summer of her second year of university. She'd been studying desperately every day so she wouldn't fail her required credits. Working a part-time job, showing her face at club activities, and then, before she knew it, she'd collapsed. (*Wait, what happened to me again...?*) She remembered the library floor being terribly cold, her vision warping and twisting— And that was where her memories cut off. "...Oh, man." When she sighed, her own voice sounded strangely refined, with a girlish lilt to it. Maybe she'd caught a cold? No, even so, her body felt oddly light. And the pillow felt different. It wasn't the cheap pillow from her family home—it was something smooth and cool, like silk. Something was wrong. What was this? "...Huh?" She steeled herself and opened her eyes. What greeted her was a deep crimson canopy. It was embroidered with gold thread, and fluffy tassels swayed gently from its edges. Beyond it, a ceiling of beautifully grained wood stretched out. The beams were carved with intricate details—clearly not Japanese in origin. It was Chinese-style, so to speak. A lavish room, like something out of a Chinese historical drama. "What is this? Where am I...?" She tried to sit up, but her body had no strength. Her limbs wouldn't move properly, as if she'd been bedridden for a very long time. She somehow managed to prop herself up and glanced around the room. Soft sunlight streamed through the window, dyeing the room in shades of orange. All the furniture was made of dark, lustrous wood, and a blue porcelain vase stood in the corner. The air carried a faint, sweet scent of incense. (*What is this room? It looks expensive. Incredibly expensive.*) Her thoughts wouldn't come together. Or rather, where was she, and who was she? "Oh my, you're awake?" A voice suddenly called out to her, and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She looked toward the voice and saw a girl who appeared to be around middle-school age, standing there as if she'd materialized out of nowhere. She wore a pale pink robe, and her hair was tied up in two buns. The girl smiled, looking relieved. "You didn't wake up for three whole days, so I was worried. Lady Virtuous Consort." "Virtuous... Consort...?" "Yes, Lady Virtuous Consort. Oh dear, have you forgotten who you are as well? You must have been truly exhausted." With practiced hands, the maid brought a bedside table closer and offered a steaming teacup. "Here, have some tea first. It's called *baihe* tea—it's good for calming your nerves." Still utterly confused, Shu Rei accepted the cup. Her hands trembled faintly. Reflected in the clear, golden liquid was her own face. —The face of a beautiful girl she had never seen before. "......What?" She nearly dropped the teacup and hurriedly gripped it tighter. The trembling grew worse. The face reflected there was that of a complete stranger, bearing not even a trace of resemblance. Large amber eyes. Pale, round double eyelids. Fair, fine-textured skin, a small nose, and cherry-blossom lips. Long black hair spilled over her shoulders, slightly mussed from sleep. Who? Who was this? "Lady Virtuous Consort? Are you all right? You look unwell." "A mirror... do you have a mirror?" Her voice shook. It should have been her own voice, but it still sounded like someone she didn't know. The maid hurriedly brought a bronze mirror from the dressing table. The polished surface wasn't as clear as a modern glass mirror, but it reflected her face well enough. The person there was... Just as before, an unfamiliar, beautiful girl. (*Wha—what is this? Who is this?*) "Lady Virtuous Consort, are you displeased with your appearance?" "...No. I mean, that's not it." Her mind was in a state of panic. But making a scene here wouldn't solve anything. Her experience overcoming mountains of tests and reports in her past life—was that what she should call it?—barely managed to urge her to stay calm. (*Calm down, Akari. No, I guess I'm not Akari anymore. Anyway, first, gather information.*) She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "Hey, I want to ask you something." "Yes, what is it?" "Why was I... asleep for three days?" When she asked, the maid furrowed her brows sadly. "Have you forgotten? Three nights ago, you collapsed in your room, Lady Virtuous Consort. According to the medical officer from the Suiran Bureau, it was likely a collapse due to overwork. Truly, you were devoting yourself to events and studies without proper rest..." Overwork. That word pricked sharply deep in her chest. (*Ah, that's right. I, Akari, died from overwork.*) The memories came flooding back. In the library, writing a report. Staying up late into the night, then working a part-time job the next day. Before she knew it, she was collapsed on the floor, unable to breathe.—And then. "...I see." She began to vaguely understand what was happening to her. She had probably died. But her consciousness, which should have perished, was here now, like this. Inside the body of this girl named Shu Rei, in this world. In other words. This was what they called an *isekai* reincarnation. (*No way.*) She muttered in her heart. She'd seen it in light novels and manga, but she never imagined it would happen to her. And on top of that, the girl she'd reincarnated into had also collapsed from overwork—nothing had changed from her previous life. Which meant... "Wait a minute..." She looked around the room once more. This luxurious furniture. The presence of a maid. And being called "Virtuous Consort." "Hey, where is this place?" "This is the Rear Palace—the Kinkyu Palace—in the Imperial Capital of Roga, in the Zuiho Dynasty. You, Lady Virtuous Consort, are a consort of His Majesty the Emperor." The maid answered without hesitation, as if it were common knowledge in this world. (*Zuiho Dynasty. Rear Palace. Consort...*) Her brain went into overdrive, cross-referencing with knowledge from her past life. If she remembered correctly, a consort meant... An emperor's wife. And the Rear Palace was where a large number of wives lived. (*...Huh? What kind of troublesome place is that?*) In her previous life, she'd been a university student. A super-plain otaku girl whose years without a boyfriend equaled her age. And now, suddenly, she was the wife of a nation's emperor. The premise was too heavy. It was beyond her capacity. "Lady Virtuous Consort, are you all right? Perhaps you're still not feeling well..." "...Hey." She asked timidly. "What do I... do every day?" "Hm? Well, naturally, your studies in the accomplishments befitting a consort, morning greetings to Her Majesty the Empress, poetry gatherings, sewing, preparations for banquets..." The maid began counting on her fingers. As she listened to each item, Shu Rei's heart grew cold. Studies, greetings, gatherings, miscellaneous tasks— (*That's just a flag for overwork!*) In her previous life, she'd grown exhausted from days steeped in study and died before she knew it. And yet, to repeat the same thing even after being reborn—that was just too cruel. "...I've had enough." "Pardon?" "I've decided." She forced her still-heavy body to move and sat cross-legged on the bed. Then, looking the maid in the eye, she declared clearly. "I'm not going to work anymore. I'm going to live lazily, leisurely, and freely." The maid blinked, looking puzzled. She seemed to have absolutely no idea what Shu Rei was talking about. That was fine. In her second life, she would absolutely, never again, collapse from overwork. She swore it in her heart. And then— "I would advise against that." A quiet voice, yet one that pierced the listener's heart with cold precision, came from the entrance of the room. Startled, Shu Rei looked toward the voice. A woman stood in the doorway. She appeared to be in her late twenties. She had narrow, sharp eyes and long, beautiful black hair. Her hair was styled in an elaborate updo, and a golden hairpin shaped like a phoenix glinted sharply in the light. Her deep crimson robe was made of silk, its hem trailing along the floor. She wore a perfect smile. "...Your Majesty the Empress." The maid hurriedly bowed her head. The Empress. Meaning, the Emperor's primary wife, and the head of this Rear Palace. (*This person is Ka Rin...*) Even before the maid could tell her who she was, Shu Rei's instincts understood. "Shu Rei, it seems your complexion has improved." Ka Rin's voice was as smooth and cold as ice. "I'm sorry to have caused you concern." Shu Rei got off the bed and tried to offer a greeting somehow. But the Empress raised a hand to stop her. "It's fine. You're unwell, so you mustn't push yourself." Her eyes weren't smiling in the slightest. "But I heard you. Something about 'not working anymore.'" Shu Rei's breath caught in her throat. Crap, she'd been overheard. "This is the Rear Palace. As a consort of His Majesty the Emperor, you have duties to fulfill. You must not forget that." Ka Rin spread a fan in front of her face, hiding her mouth. Each of her movements was elegant, yet felt condescending. "U-Um...!" "You collapsed from overwork. I do feel sorry for you. But everyone is working just as hard. You are not the only one who is special." Shu Rei had no comeback. But if getting swept along by the atmosphere around you, "working hard" like everyone else, and then ending up "dead" was the result, then what was the point? "Also, you've likely heard this already, but I will tell you again." Ka Rin took one step into the room. Just that made the air in the room feel like it had constricted. "There are rules in the Rear Palace called the 'Three Prohibitions of the Rear Palace.'" "The... Three Prohibitions of the Rear Palace...?" "One: Private correspondence with the outside world is forbidden. Two: The possession of weapons is forbidden. Three: Entering the living quarters of other consorts without permission is forbidden." She held up three fingers and spoke clearly, like a judge reading a verdict. "If you break these, I will show no mercy. I will not forgive anyone who disturbs the order of the Rear Palace, no matter who they are." Each word felt like invisible chains wrapping around Shu Rei's limbs. "...I understand." She could only answer with her head hung low. "See that you do. Shen Fang, I leave the rest to you." Saying that, Ka Rin called over an elderly court lady who had been waiting behind her. The court lady looked at Shu Rei with cold eyes, then declared in a businesslike tone. "Lady Virtuous Consort. Starting tomorrow, you will participate in the morning greetings and the customary poetry gathering. I will bring you your schedule later." "...Huh?" "Surely, you won't refuse?" Shen Fang's sharp gaze pierced through her. Ka Rin, too, stared intently at her from behind her fan. —There was nowhere to run. After Ka Rin and the others left, silence returned to the room. But it wasn't the peaceful quiet from before. Deep in her ears, the sound of her own heartbeat pounded unnervingly loud. "...Haaaaah." She dove onto the bed. She buried her face in the fluffy futon. She felt like crying. (*What's with that woman? Her eyes weren't smiling at all, and she pressured me like crazy. I just decided to live freely, and this is what I get right away?*) But right now, she was just an eighteen-year-old consort, and her opponent was the Empress who governed this massive Rear Palace. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if she defied her

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Episode 1

Name: The Free Consort of the Rear Palace: The Virtuous Consort Who Died from Overwork Solves Mysteries
Author: Novelia

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