The Empress's Harem and Other Unwanted Side Hustles

Diana leaned back slightly in her chair, her golden eyes cold as she cut through yet another one of the Holy Empire's gracious suggestions.

"No," she said simply.

The Holy Empire's envoy twitched. "But, Your Majesty, surely—"

"No," she repeated, flipping a page in the documents before her, completely unfazed. "Next."

The Verdeca nobles barely concealed their amusement.

The Holy Empire's delegation, on the other hand, was beginning to lose patience.

Verdeca's Prime Minister, an elderly man with sharp features and a sharp mind to match, observed the exchange in quiet astonishment.

He had expected Diana to be a mere figurehead, a puppet in these negotiations at best. But this—

This was not the woman they had known for years.

This was not the Empress they had dismissed as weak and incompetent.

This woman was ruthless.

This woman spoke the Holy Empire's own dialect with flawless precision, effortlessly dismantling their arguments with sharp, cutting words.

This woman was a nightmare for the Holy Empire.

Was this magic?

Was she possessed?

Because there was no way the Diana Hinsdale they knew had turned into this

Cardinal Celline was barely holding back laughter.

She pressed her fingers against her lips, trying to maintain a neutral expression, but her blue eyes gleamed with amusement as she watched Diana shut down another attempt at extortion.

Cassian, meanwhile, was horrified.

He had wanted Diana to behave—he had wanted her to sit there, look pretty, and let him handle this.

Instead, she was annihilating the Holy Empire's demands in real-time.

And worst of all—

She was right.

Every counter she gave, every rejection, every icy remark—

It was flawless.

Where the hell did she learn all of this?!

Cassian inhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "Diana—"

"I'm sorry," Diana interrupted, turning toward him with a falsely sweet smile. "Did you have something to add, Your Majesty?"

Cassian's eye twitched.

He knew that tone.

He had suffered that tone in every single argument they had ever had as a married couple.

And he knew that if he said anything now, Diana would rip him to shreds in front of everyone.

So, with great difficulty, he clenched his jaw and remained silent

Liliana, on the other hand, was furious.

Why?

Why was it Diana again?!

Why was it always Diana standing in the spotlight, always Diana who turned everything upside down?

She had expected Diana to humiliate herself today.

Had given her that scandalous red dress, hoping she would show up looking like the seductress she had been accused of being in her past life.

But instead—

Diana was sitting there, effortlessly commanding the room.

Her navy and silver suit was regal yet intimidating, and her sword at her hip only added to her imposing presence.

And worst of all—

Liliana could tell that people were actually listening to her.

No.

No, no, no.

This was not how this was supposed to go.

This was supposed to be her moment.

She was the Emperor's chosen one.

She was the beloved Queen.

She was supposed to be the one people admired, respected, adored—

And yet, the more Diana spoke, the more the room seemed to turn toward her.

Liliana clenched her hands in her lap, her nails digging into her dress.

She refused to lose.

She refused to let Diana take away what was hers.

The Holy Empire's envoy cleared his throat, struggling to regain control of the conversation.

"Your Majesty," he said, forcing a polite smile, "perhaps we should take a moment to reconsider our—"

"No need," Diana replied smoothly, tilting her head. "We have already wasted enough time entertaining your unrealistic demands."

The envoy's smile stiffened. "I would not call them unrealistic—"

"Oh? You wouldn't?" Diana raised an eyebrow. "Then perhaps you would like to explain, in detail, how increasing our tithe by an additional fifteen percent benefits Verdeca in any way?"

The envoy opened his mouth, then closed it.

Diana continued, her voice smooth and sharp.

"We already fund our own relief efforts. We already manage our own borders. And yet, you propose we pay you—when it is your nation struggling with security?" She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "It sounds to me like a Holy Empire problem, not a Verdeca problem."

A long silence stretched across the room.

The nobles on the Verdeca side barely contained their smirks.

Even the Prime Minister, who had started this meeting with doubts about Diana, was beginning to feel a grudging respect for her.

Cardinal Celline, at this point, had completely given up on hiding her amusement.

And Cassian—

Cassian just looked tired.

Because he knew that the Holy Empire had no real counter to what Diana had just said.

And now, they were stuck.

The Holy Empire's representative cleared his throat again, clearly flustered. "Then... perhaps we can discuss alternative arrangements—"

"Perhaps," Diana agreed, turning a page in her documents. "I assume you have actual proposals to present? Ones that don't involve Verdeca being robbed blind?"

The representative paled.

Diana gave him a very polite smile.

"Take your time," she said sweetly. "I'll wait."

Silence.

Awkward, humiliating silence.

Even Cassian had to resist the urge to bury his face in his hands.

Because at this point—

Diana had already won.

And the meeting wasn't even over yet.

The air in the grand hall was heavy with the scent of tea and polished wood. The initial tension of the meeting had settled, replaced by a calm, diplomatic atmosphere.

The discussions had shifted from taxes and trade to culture and customs—an area where Liliana took center stage.

She spoke fluently about fashion, court etiquette, and the harmonious relationship between noble houses.

Her voice was gentle, her expressions refined, and she smiled at just the right moments.

As if she were the perfect queen.

The nobles from both Verdeca and the Holy Empire listened attentively, charmed by her grace.

For a moment, it seemed as though the tide had shifted.

Diana let it happen.

She sipped her tea, elegantly crossing her legs, her golden eyes half-lidded in thought.

She did not interrupt.

Did not challenge Liliana.

Did not make a single move to take back the attention in the room.

Because she didn't need to.

They would all remember.

No matter how beautifully Liliana spoke, no matter how much she tried to soften the atmosphere—

No one could erase Diana's earlier words.

Her brutal precision.

Her ruthless efficiency.

Diana had carved her presence into the meeting like a blade slicing through silk.

There was no forgetting that.

The discussions drifted again.

They moved on to territorial disputes, hunting rights, and the matter of border security.

It was a delicate subject, one that always sparked tension.

"The issue of monster hunts in the northern regions remains a priority," one of the Holy Empire's ministers said, adjusting his gold-trimmed sleeves. "We have lost many men, and reports suggest the creatures are growing in number."

Diana twirled her spoon in her tea, watching the ripples.

"How unfortunate," she murmured.

The minister nodded. "Indeed, which is why—"

"But," Diana cut in smoothly, "I fail to see how that is our concern."

The minister's mouth opened, then closed.

Diana tilted her head. "The Verdeca Empire has no jurisdiction over the Holy Empire's land. If your knights are insufficient to deal with your own monsters, then perhaps your training methods need improvement."

A barely concealed snicker came from the Verdecan Prime Minister's direction.

The Holy Empire minister turned red. "That is not what I meant. I simply—"

"You simply wish to use our resources for your benefit." Diana leaned back, setting down her spoon with a soft clink. "We already supply you with potions, healing artifacts, and mercenary contracts. Are you suggesting we send our knights as well?"

"No, that's—"

Diana lifted a hand. "If you have a formal proposal, I suggest you present it in writing. Otherwise, let's not waste any more time."

The room fell silent.

Cardinal Celline exhaled, the corner of her mouth twitching with amusement.

Cassian, on the other hand, rubbed his temples, already bracing for another headache.

Liliana's delicate fingers curled slightly against the tablecloth.

Why—

Why was Diana always like this?

Liliana had spent years carefully building her reputation as the soft-spoken, intelligent queen—

Yet Diana could walk in, say a few words, and suddenly she was the one commanding the room.

It wasn't fair.

Just as the conversation started to move forward again—

Diana set down her teacup.

And dropped a bomb.

"Speaking of monsters," she said casually, "I've heard an interesting rumor."

The shift in the air was immediate.

Several ministers behind Verdeca's table flinched.

Diana, of course, noticed.

She smiled faintly, fingers tracing the rim of her cup.

"A chimera," she said, her voice soft but unmistakably sharp. "One with divine power. In human form."

Silence.

A silence so thick it felt like the walls of the palace itself were holding their breath.

Cardinal Celline, who had been relaxed until now, froze.

Slowly, she turned her head, her sharp blue eyes locking onto Diana.

Cassian's fingers tightened around his glass, the sound of it creaking under pressure barely audible.

Liliana's delicate smile finally cracked.

The Holy Empire's delegates stiffened, their postures too rigid.

And the ministers behind Verdeca's table—

The ones who had flinched—

They looked terrified.

Diana allowed the silence to stretch.

She tilted her head, her golden eyes gleaming.

"Of course," she added, "it's just a rumor."

A murmur rippled through the room.

Several Holy Empire delegates shifted uncomfortably.

Cardinal Celline let out a quiet breath, but her gaze was still sharp.

A chimera.

With divine power.

If the rumor was true, then it meant someone had created a biological weapon infused with holy energy.

And that was not something to take lightly.

Because in her past life, Diana had learned the truth.

These so-called rumors weren't just whispers.

They were real.

The Holy Empire had been experimenting.

They had created chimeras—monstrous fusions of beasts and men, beings made of flesh and magic, crafted for war.

And in that past life—

They had been unleashed.

Diana had seen them.

Had fought them.

Had barely survived them.

She had witnessed entire cities burn under their power.

And now—

Here she was, watching.

Observing.

Taking note of who reacted.

Who knew.

Who didn't.

Because something was different in this life.

Cardinal Celline looked genuinely shocked.

As if she had no idea.

That meant something.

That meant the experiments—if they had started—were not public knowledge.

Not even to someone as high-ranking as a cardinal.

Interesting.

Diana leaned back, watching as the Holy Empire's envoy tried to regain control of the conversation.

But it was too late.

The damage was done.

The bomb had been dropped.