Disgraced Princess's Gambit

A blade pressed against Sloane's throat the moment she opened her eyes, yet the disgraced princess smiled at the man sent to kill her. Kael, the empire's coldest High Guard, sees through every lie she tells. Instead of executing her, he gives her three days to prove she is more useful alive than dead. In a world where Mental Frequency determines rank, Sloane has no power, no allies, and no claim to the throne. But she understands fear, doubt, and psychological collapse better than any warrior. She turns every weakness into a weapon, every humiliation into leverage. Forced into dangerous proximity, Sloane and Kael clash through interrogation, betrayal, and forbidden attraction. His rigid control begins to crack under her manipulation, while Regent Augustus launches a final purge to erase the royal bloodline. Now Sloane faces a lethal choice: become Kael's pawn and survive under his control, or manipulate the entire empire into kneeling before her. Either way, one mistake will leave her mind shattered and her crown buried forever.