“Take everyone away!”

“Let go of me! Let me go!”

“My lady, wake up! Please wake up!”

With rough shaking and a splitting headache, Elizabeth Townsend slowly opened her eyes. Her forehead was burning with pain, and her hand came away sticky with what could only be blood.

“My lady, thank goodness you’re awake! I was so scared… I thought you wanted to follow the general in death…”

A young maid in a pink robe stood before her, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clumsily dabbed the blood from Elizabeth’s forehead with a handkerchief, her hands trembling with panic.

Looking around, Elizabeth realized they were in a garden—rock formations, a pond, long corridor, lush willows and bright blooms, and rooftops peeking through the trees—like a living ink painting.

Too bad the whole scene was ruined by a wave of soldiers dragging people out roughly. The air was filled with crashing noises, cries, and chaos.

“Ping, host has arrived in World No. 21.”

That indifferent voice belonged to System 9527. Elizabeth and 9527 had been through more worlds than she could count, fixing broken timelines all over the Multiverse.

Was Elizabeth some kind of unstoppable genius? Not really. All she had going for her was her face.

Put simply, she was a walking weapon of mass distraction.

“Why are you just standing there? Move it!” A constable grabbed her roughly by the arm and yanked. Elizabeth stumbled but was caught just in time by the girl in pink.

“Don’t touch my lady! We can walk on our own!” the maid snapped, holding Elizabeth steady.

“A traitor’s daughter still pretending to be noble? Tch.” The constable gave her a disgusted look, then turned and walked off.

“Please, my lady, don’t think of doing anything foolish again. You’re the only hope left to clear the General’s name…” the girl said anxiously, gripping both her hands tightly.

Elizabeth gave her a soft smile. “Don’t worry. Let’s just say I’ve died once and come back. I won’t do it again.”

Hearing this, the young maid finally exhaled in relief.

Her name was Rose Blake. She’d served the original Elizabeth since childhood, and their bond ran deep. Now, she was beating herself up for not being there to stop her lady’s suicide attempt.

But this wasn’t the time for regrets. Rose quickly fetched a veiled hat and placed it carefully on Elizabeth’s head—the forehead wound was not something they could afford to let others see or gossip about.

With the veil in place, Rose helped Elizabeth move out with the rest of the group.

This world was called Da Qi. The reigning emperor was Edward Sinclair. The original owner of this body was also named Elizabeth Townsend.

Her father, Robert Townsend, had been the revered General of the Realm; her mother, the only daughter of the Southern Shen family.

Madam Townsend died during childbirth. Grief-stricken, the general never remarried, putting all his love into raising their daughter.

The Townsend family had been a military household for generations. Every male, when grown, was expected to serve in the army. The Townsend troops had guarded the borders of Da Qi with their lives for over a century.

But such honor came at a cost. The family tree had thinned over time. By Elizabeth’s generation, she was the sole heir.

Recently, northern tribes attacked. General Townsend led the army and successfully repelled them, but died on the battlefield.

Instead of receiving the nation’s gratitude, tragedy struck. News came that General Townsend had betrayed the empire—evidence of treason surfaced, and his trusted aide, Nathan Hunter, testified against him.

With the accusations considered irrefutable, the Townsend estate was seized. All members of the household were branded criminals; the men exiled thousands of miles away, the women sent to the royal brothel.The original host had refused to believe her father betrayed their country, and instead of submitting to humiliation, she chose to end her life by smashing her head against a stone pillar. When she woke up, Elizabeth Townsend had taken her place.

“System 9527, what’s my mission in this world?” Elizabeth asked without changing her expression, following the others silently.

“Uncover the truth behind General Townsend’s betrayal and live a complete life.”

The original host had accumulated great merit and died with strong regrets. If her unresolved wish remained, it could threaten the world’s stability.

The World Bureau’s job was to keep the balance across countless realms. Whenever something threatened that balance, a tasker would be dispatched—and Elizabeth was one of them.

Despite walking slowly, all the Townsend women were eventually brought to the Jiaofangsi in the capital.

The Jiaofangsi was an imperial performing arts house. Some of the women there were trained from childhood, while others, like Elizabeth, were daughters of disgraced officials.

Technically, they sold performances, not their bodies. But once inside, their status was locked as slaves—getting out was nearly impossible.

As Elizabeth stepped through the main gate, she immediately noticed the grand stage in front. Several women were dancing on it, while patrons sat at tables, sipping tea and applauding from time to time.

She looked towards the second floor—private rooms veiled with beaded curtains. Only hazy silhouettes could be seen from below.

Soon, they were led to the back courtyard to meet a stern-looking woman.

“Madam Meadows, I’ve brought the Townsend women, as ordered. They’re now in your custody,” the lead officer said politely.

“Appreciate it, officers. Da, take them to the front and offer some tea.”

“No need, Madam Meadows. We’ve got more to do. Thanks all the same.”

With that, the officers hurried off, leaving only the women, Margaret Meadows, and a servant in the courtyard.

The women stood in two lines. Elizabeth was front and center, her veil making her stand out.

“I’m the one in charge here. You can all call me Madam Meadows,” the woman addressed them coldly. “In this place, you earn your keep with talent. This is the imperial troupe—our main job is to perform at royal banquets, though private performances and daily engagements come just as often. If you’ve got no skills, you’ll be cleaning floors. Whether you become performers or servants depends on your own ability.”

Margaret’s sharp gaze scanned the group. “I don’t care who you were before. Noble lady or countess, it means nothing here. Leave your pride behind at the door.”

She stopped right in front of Elizabeth, eyes narrowing.

“Take off your veil.”

Through the sheer fabric, Elizabeth looked calmly at the woman. The air suddenly grew heavy.

“Hey, your face’s reverted to your original appearance. You better tread carefully,” System 9527 piped up cheerfully in her head.

No matter what body she inherited, Elizabeth’s powerful soul would always reshape it into her own appearance. It was only a matter of time.

Elizabeth might’ve relied on her looks for missions before, but showing her face always brought trouble. If she could stay under the radar a little longer, that was ideal.

“System 9527, stop enjoying the show and wipe anyone’s memory who’s seen my host’s old face,” she muttered inwardly.

“On it!”

Margaret raised a brow at Elizabeth's delay, already growing annoyed.

These noble ladies were always the same—used to high status, looking down on everyone, and completely unaware of their new reality.

It didn’t bother Margaret, though. However high their background, once they entered her realm, she always knew how to break them in.“We only keep obedient girls here. As for the ones who aren't…” Margaret Meadows lifted her eyelids lazily, her voice calm, “let’s just say, the methods we use, you'd rather not find out.”

“My lady’s just been ill, that’s why she wore the veil. I’ll take it off right away, please don’t be upset.” Rose Blake quickly stepped forward when she saw that Margaret was getting annoyed.

“Lady? What ‘lady’? No one keeps that title once they—” Margaret’s words cut off as her eyes widened and her expression froze mid-sentence.

Standing before her was a woman whose beauty could hardly be described. Her features were flawless, her skin like fresh snow, and her ink-black hair framed a face so stunning it almost didn’t seem real. That crimson mark on her forehead only made her seem more otherworldly. For a fleeting moment, Margaret thought—could the goddess Nuwa herself have taken the time to mould such a woman by hand?

She had worked in the bureau for most of her life. She’d seen every sort of beauty—the noble consorts, the princesses, the daughters of top-ranking officials… not to mention the endless stream of girls passing through the place. But not one of them could hold a candle to the girl in front of her.

Was it even possible that a human could look like this?

Margaret stood dumbfounded, only coming to her senses when she caught a hand reaching toward the young woman. With a sharp glare, she slapped the offending hand away.

“Daniel, you’re getting bold! Since when do you think the girls here are for you to touch?” she snapped at the young man beside her.

Apparently, Daniel had been so awestruck by Elizabeth Townsend that he’d briefly lost his mind and reached out without thinking.

“Madam Margaret, forgive me, I swear I didn’t mean to… I thought I saw a fairy from heaven…” His face turned beet red as he stammered an explanation. Margaret scoffed and turned back toward Elizabeth.

She was suddenly very glad it had only been the two of them who saw the girl’s face today. She snatched the veil from Elizabeth’s hands and carefully placed it back over her head, as if that delicate beauty needed to be hidden away at all costs.

The other women from the Townsend household, standing behind Elizabeth, hadn’t seen a thing. They were prepared to see their lady scolded or punished, but to their surprise, Margaret’s attitude had shifted completely.

Only Rose had caught a glimpse of that face, and she stood rooted in place, half in a daze. Was her lady always this stunning? Confused, she scratched her head.

…

Elizabeth had now been in the bureau for two weeks. If not for the different furniture, she would’ve thought she was still living in the general’s estate. Margaret hadn’t assigned her any work, nor had she placed her on the public performer’s list.

Here, every talented girl had her name listed so that guests could choose them to perform music or poetry. The ones without skills were reduced to serving the others as maids.

But Elizabeth didn’t have to do either. Margaret had even let Rose stay on as her maid and simply told her to rest and recover quietly in her room. The truth was, that small injury on her forehead had long since healed.

Her days were quite pampered now—good food, a bit of sneaking off to the second floor to peek at the performances below, and all in all, she lived quite comfortably.

Right now, Elizabeth was lounging on the second floor, elbows on the railing, watching the show downstairs with mild interest.

“Host, you’ve been here eating and lazing day in and day out. How are you supposed to fulfill the original host’s wish at this rate?” System 9527 couldn’t help but remind her.

“Relax. This place is crawling with rich and powerful men,” she said, completely at ease. “One of these days, I’ll pick the right one to use for our mission.”

She might’ve looked lazy on the outside, but Elizabeth’s mind was as sharp as ever. If she wanted to reopen the investigation into her father’s alleged betrayal, she’d first need to understand how power flowed in this city.

The girls in this bureau, constantly entertaining nobles and officials, were exposed to all sorts of secrets—a fact she hadn’t missed. She didn’t come here just to relax, even if she made it look that way.

“Hey, you see that one in the veil up front? That’s supposed to be the infamous Miss Townsend.”