And just like that... another novel is officially done translating! (≧◡≦) ♡
This marks my first ever historical-ancient novel with strong royal and imperial themes. And honestly? It was a challenge—but a deeply rewarding one. Translating flowery palace language and rigid court etiquette isn't exactly the same as your average novel (￣▽￣*)ゞ
At first, I was confident when translating the Emperor's dialogue. I've known about the "Royal We" for a long time, so that part flowed naturally. But then came Yun Shu, using "Ben Gong" (本宫)... and I was stumped!
Back then, my knowledge was pretty limited, so I didn't understand why she used that kind of self-address. I thought it was only for the Empress, so most of the times I casually translated it as "I" instead of "This Princess." (´･ᴗ･ ` ). Of course I also did the same thing with other characters. (ノ<.)_
Let's just say—I was not ready for formal court dialogue...
Translating dialogue in formal court settings, especially in historical Chinese, was completely new for me. And yes, I confess: I usually rely on a Google Translate browser extension for casual reading.
Yeah. That one. You know how cursed it can be (ಥ﹏ಥ)
So my workflow looked like this: two tabs open for the same chapter—one with the original Chinese, and one using machine translation. When I hit a wall, I'd peek at the auto-translation to compare... and let's just say for a novel like this, that tool was a disaster. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
It couldn't catch the nuance, hierarchy, or the deeply layered court etiquette the author built into the dialogue. And of course, every self-address term just got flattened into "I."
That's also why the early chapters—maybe around 1 to 125?—feel a bit off. There's a kind of tonal whiplash. The dialogues were mixed with modern vibes, and the sense of hierarchy wasn't strong enough. I tried to polish what I could, especially for formal dialogue, but I hadn't found my rhythm yet.
When I finally realized what was missing, I started experimenting with styles that better conveyed status, rank, and tone. At first, the result was too stiff and awkward for me. But with time, I found a flow I liked—a balance between elevated and readable. When I started paying closer attention to how characters addressed themselves and others, the rest of the dialogue followed more naturally. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
So yes, thank you for enduring those chaotic early chapters with me... and no, I will not be going back to fix them! (¬‿¬ ) You'll just have to suffer through them with me lol (just kidding… kind of).
Anyway, whether you followed this novel from the start or just binged it recently, thank you so, so much for reading until the end! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
Since this is officially the end of this story, if you enjoyed it, I'd really appreciate any reviews, votes, or recommendations!
Even though I'm not contracted with Webnovel, your reviews really do help boost my account's visibility. Webnovel officially promotes only contracted authors, so for non-contracted translators like me, there are only a few "free boosts" available—like New Release, Fresh Stories, Potential Starlet, and Ongoing Originals. Out of these, I've only received three free boosts so far, and "Ongoing Originals" was only for I Became a Fairy And Lived Forever in the Fairy World.
Let me explain a bit:
New Release: For recently uploaded stories.
Fresh Stories: Highlights new content that Webnovel thinks might attract readers.
Potential Starlet: Stories that show potential for popularity based on engagement.
Ongoing Originals: A boost for serialized stories that are already being published.
Since my translations fall under the non-contracted category, I rely on things like your reviews, stars, and follower count to reach more readers. Even just a review or a star rating can make a difference in helping my account grow and reach a wider audience.
This is why your reviews are so critical:
Visibility: The most important thing is getting a visible star rating next to the novel's title, like the one you see on I Became a Fairy And Lived Forever In The Fairy World. To unlock this visible rating, a novel needs 10 reviews. That star rating significantly increases the story's credibility and visibility to new readers.
Platform Promotion: A high-quality star rating and consistent votes signals to Webnovel that a story is popular, which helps it show up more frequently in reader recommendations and searches.
Followers: Following my profile by clicking the little "Love" or heart-shaped button is another massive help! When the follower count goes up, it boosts my account's overall visibility, making the platform more likely to recommend my work.
Every review, vote, and follow directly helps this story reach more readers and keeps me motivated to bring you the next chapter!
How to help:
✨ On Web:
Scroll to the top of the novel's main page and click the blue "Write a Review" button near the bottom, under "You May Also Like." A pop-up will appear where you can rate the writing, characters, and world.
📱 On the App:
Tap the "Rate This Book" section (just below Fandom Rankings). A star rating box will pop up—add your thoughts and hit submit!
Honestly, translating is a labor of love for me. I spend almost all my waking hours at my laptop working on these stories. While I'm not trying to pressure you at all, I would be lying if I didn't say that the lack of job opportunities right now makes every bit of support a huge deal. Just to give some context—since I started uploading my translations here, I've only received two donations and one subscriber on the lowest tier of my Patreon. That's it.
Even if you can't—or don't want to—donate, leaving a review, giving a star rating, or following my profile still helps immensely. These actions help my account reach more readers and make the translation visible to a wider audience. Honestly, every little bit counts. Receiving a donation, reading a review, or seeing a new subscriber truly brightens my day, provides tangible support for all the time I invest and motivates me to keep translating more stories for everyone. You can support me directly here:
My [Ko-fi]! ☕️: https://ko-fi.com/rikhi
My [Patreon]!🎨: https://patreon.com/rikhi
As with all my work, this isn't a word-for-word translation. I try to go beyond just swapping languages and instead bring the heart of the story to life—expanding scenes when they need more weight, drawing out subtext, and making sure the tone comes through naturally. Over time, I've been refining my style bit by bit, learning how to make these chapters feel more like actual web novels in English, with smooth pacing, engaging dialogue, and no unnecessary stiffness. Don't worry though, my core translation principles will always stay the same. I just want each new project to feel sharper and more fun to read than the last.
If you've been with me for a while, you might've noticed subtle shifts in my style—this is all part of me growing as a translator. I really hope this novel felt as alive to you in English as it does in its original language.
And if you liked this translation style, feel free to visit my profile! Most of the novels I translate are tagged with things like #NoCP (No Couple Pairing- The MC is single) #Yuri #Infrastructure #FemaleMC #Xianxia #StrongWoman #Rebirth #Game #Counterattack #Transmigration #System #Apocalypse #BehindTheScenes #Entertainment #QT (Quick Transmigration) / Quick Wear and #Infinite Flow
You can also follow me by clicking the little "Love" or heart-shaped button on my profile! You'll know it worked when the number goes up and the heart turns white ♡
That way, you won't miss it when I upload a new novel—you'll get a notification right away~
Until we meet again in another story...
See you soon! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
—With love, your translator, Reiya (ฅ'ω'ฅ)