Regressing As The Villain

Though it may be a dream weathered, crumpled, fading, I held on without surrender. Through each repeated day, running toward tomorrow’s light, I became a knight, resolute and bright.

Annalise’s life has been a series of tragedies, from abusive parents to a near-fatal accident that stole her dreams. On the verge of giving up, she saves a child and a dog from drowning but ends up losing her life instead. When she wakes up, she finds herself in the body of Iris, a villainess in a werewolf novel from her childhood, destined for heartbreak and betrayal at the hands of the Alpha King, Vincent. Determined to rewrite her fate, Annalise demands freedom, but the only way out is an engagement to the dangerous and enigmatic Atlas, a man with a secret that could change everything. As her wedding day approaches, Annalise realizes she may have gambled away her freedom, and her heart, with the true villain of the story.

Do you find life monotonous? Do you feel trapped in an unchanging routine? What if you were suddenly thrown into a world of wonder and danger in equal measure? That’s exactly what happens to William. William, a tired and disillusioned office worker from the 21st century, meets an untimely end— awakens in the body of a mid-rank villain from his favorite fantasy series—a man doomed to die long before the true battle even begins. Neither a hero nor a ruler, he is a stepping stone, a disposable pawn in a game played by gods, monsters, and kings. He knows his fate: crushed beneath the boots of destiny, forgotten before the real war unfolds. But William refuses to be a footnote in someone else’s legend. Armed with knowledge of the future, he must navigate a world of treachery, power, and ancient prophecies, where one wrong move means certain death. If he plays his cards right, he might survive. If he plays them perfectly, he might rise beyond his station. As William struggles to survive, he faces a crucial choice: follow the path of destruction destined for his character, or forge a new fate and defy expectations. But in a realm ruled by magic, power, and treachery, redemption won’t come easily. With enemies lurking in the shadows and destiny working against him, will William become the villain everyone fears, or will he break the cycle and carve out his own legend? For before creation, destruction must begin. Before order can be established, chaos must reign!

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like if your dick exploded? Or if voodoo or black magic actually worked? Axel got a crash course in both after leaving a one-star review for a trashy smut novel where the hapless author-san offed a minor villain. Little did he know that this particular author had some serious power. Suddenly, Axel found himself in the body of the very villain he was lamenting, right at the moment when everything was about to spiral into chaos. Now, with a second chance at life (and a brand-new set of problems), Axel must navigate the wild world of villainy—complete with explosive consequences and dark magic—if he wants to rewrite his story before it ends in disaster.

Freyah Lima knew death all too well, but waking up five hours before the apocalypse gave her a second chance. Armed with memories of the past, she races against time to prepare. Yet, when she reaches her parking lot, she finds something-or someone-that shouldn't exist. A man stands there: silver hair, ragged clothes, and a translucent screen hovering above his head. [Florence Plaridel Role: Third Male Lead of the Novel Primrose Ability: Healing and Swordmanship Fate: Unknown] Florence Plaridel-the half blood third prince, the unrequited lover, a skilled healer and swordsman from the last novel Freyah read before her death. In Primrose, he managed to escape before his execution due to treason, then said his farewell to the female lead, telling her he won't bother her anymore. After that, nothing was mentioned anymore about him. But now he's here. In her world. On the eve of its destruction. Freyah doesn't know how or why a fictional character has appeared, but one thing is certain: the apocalypse will rewrite the world, and Florence's unexplained presence could change everything. As survival becomes a race against fate, Freyah must decide: is Florence the key to saving this world, or a sign that its ending has already begun? The forgotten prince has returned-and with him, the rules of fate are no longer absolute.

Though it may be a dream weathered, crumpled, fading, I held on without surrender. Through each repeated day, running toward tomorrow’s light, I became a knight, resolute and bright.

Draven is a magic professor in a fantasy world. He is also an earl, notorious for his evil deeds and mistakes since youth. His downfall is due to a curse that hinders his intellectual potential and his talents. Eventually, he becomes a villain, losing everything he holds dear: his siblings, fiancée, house, domain, and more. After a miserable death, he reincarnates in the modern world as Dravis Granger. In his new life, he grows up to be a highly intellectual individual oblivious towards his previous life, becoming a young professor in mechanical engineering and a researcher. However, he harbors a strange obsession with creating a game, fueled by vivid imaginings of another world. This obsession leads him to develop a game that mirrors his previous life. Upon completing his virtual reality world, he regains his past memories. Overwhelmed by intense emotions—rage, sadness, and the realization of his past ugliness—he suffers a fatal heart attack. In his final moments, he hears a voice, seemingly from the world itself, offering him a chance to return to his original fantasy world. However, he would only retain the memories of his modern life, not those of his first life’s mistakes. He agrees and is reincarnated once more, this time with the knowledge of a modern mechanical engineering professor. But one thing about the Dravis Granger, he's not just a mechanical engineer professor. Not just a straight, killer genius professor. He has his ideals, and the world is too full of villains for his great idealism. So he strived, with his great mind, he became a mastermind. But not as a villain, but as a person who has lost hope in police and justice, and decided to help the people by his own hand. Collecting victims and invited those handpicked talents to his side, making several insane stunts, assassinating, trapping, and eradicating the scums from the world. But now in this fantasy world, he has to survive from multiple factions trying to kill him, protect his domain, protect his siblings, protect his fiance, and the most important thing. Protect the world. But he hadn't lost the Dravis from the modern world. As a professor at the morning, an earl at the afternoon, and a dark knight at the night. _____________________________ "You've hurt my student." Draven stands still, no mana seems to emit from him, but just a single frown. A frown that is enough to make the room's heavy. "As a teacher, you think I would leave you unpunished?" "You seem to think that I care about your position, Prince Hermit. But believe me," Draven took a slow step. "Not even your father could protect you from me," _____________________________ Daily Update 2 Chapters = 14 chapters/week Some Friendly Rewards 100 Powerstones = +2 chapters in that day 200 Powerstones = +4 chapters in that day 50 Golden Tickets = +4 chapters in that day 1 Gift = +4 chapters in that day _____________________________ One of the King of Kings Series

Zhao Fan gets reincarnated as a villain thus, the journey starts. Protagonist's mom? :Yes sirrrrrrr!!! His grandma? :Yes sirrrrrr!!! His harem? :Yes sirrrr!! Then, how about the protagonist? :Ok, hear me out, let's turn him into femboy and sell him to a twisted group of bandits. ... Tags: Milfs!!! Gilfs!!! Big booty!!!, jade like skin, moon like hair, mountain like chest and hills like ass, lotus feet and long endless legs— Cuckolding protagonists ( Netori, enjoying their mother and harem) — Harem — Cold Mc — Villain Mc— Cool article - Somehow yandere female leads —a good read — iq boosting article. Discord: https://discord.gg/PY4BVUPyPF

[Ding!] [Mission Unlocked: Eliminate the moles planted by Rose in the Reid Industries.] Reward: $10 billion in cash upon mission completion. ~~~~ Alex, a 18-year-old ordinary guy, finds himself inexplicably transmigrated into the plot of a Cheesy with no logic bashing novel. But his excitement quickly turns to dread when he realizes he hasn’t taken the role of the protagonist but the villain. To make matters worse, he’s destined to be the first stepping stone for the novel’s protagonist—the Plot armor son. Terrified of his impending doom, Alex thought of changing his strategy of even going as far as changing the whole story plot if he can survive in this braindead novel. And like some ROB or GOD answering his prayers for having fun on his decision, a mechanical voice spind in his mind and a blue transparent panel appeared in front of his eye. [Ding!] [System Activated!] Detecting the host's desire to alter the original storyline. Activating [Villain System]… Alex’s relief is short-lived when he discovers the system’s peculiar goal: [Ding!] [Mission Unlocked: Eliminate the moles planted by Rose in the Reid Industries.] Reward: $10 billion in cash upon mission completion. With his life on the line and a mission ahead, Alex embarks on his journey to survive the braindead Novel. Will he be able survive or fall victim to the Plot Armor son Aka Protagonist. Well that is for the future Alex to decide and know and you readers…

An illegitimate son of a king , that was cast out by his family and his kingdom . With the help of a far away land he will regain strength and claim what is rightfully his . He will do anything and nooen will stand in his way .

Reincarnation in a game as the Main Antagonist. It could be a novel itself, but that was what I dragged myself into. In the famous and successful game [Princess And Dragon] As if my life wasn't shitty enough, a bastard brought me in that hardcore violent Dating Sim Game and in the body of the worst villain and [Major Antagonist Edward Falkrona] If I want to survive, I have to become strong. If I want to be strong, I have to join the Academy and by joining the Academy, I will meet these guys... Yeah, I'm obviously speaking about the Protagonist, the Main Heroines, the Villainess and all the villains. Am I destined to watch that protagonist build his harem in front of me?! =========== For the illustrations and questions: https://discord.gg/47PvntgB3K *English is not my native language so please understand some of my mistakes. Don't hesitate to correct me, if you want!

Author: Lone Raut Synopsis (Narrated by Deadpool’s Chaotic Cousin Who Forgot to Take Their Meds): Alright, gather ‘round, folks! Let me spin you a tale so dark it’ll make your therapist retire. Picture this: Yours truly was just another fancy-pants “man of culture” on a serial killer’s hit list—because apparently, collecting rare books and quoting Nietzsche makes you a target. Who knew? (Spoiler alert: I died. Surprise!) But death? Nah, that’s just the opening act. Instead of sweet oblivion, I woke up knee-deep in Saint’s Odyssey—a fantasy novel I once tossed into my “dumpster fire of bad writing” pile. Think Game of Thrones meets Saw, but with more existential dread. And guess what? I’m not the dashing hero. Nope. I’m the guy the author conveniently labeled “Villain.” Cool, right? (Cue jazz hands.) But hold onto your chimichangas, because this “hero”? Oh, he’s a masterpiece of hypocrisy. Smiles like a Disney prince, stabs like a back-alley surgeon. His grand plan? Wipe out half the world because reasons. Classic hero logic! Meanwhile, the gods are upstairs chugging ambrosia and betting on our suffering. Adorable!!!. Well, newsflash, Olympus—I’m hijacking this plot. Reborn with a vendetta and a PhD in chaos, I’m not here to play nice. Rules? Burn ‘em. Heroes? Crush ‘em. World domination? Duh!. This ain’t a redemption arc; it’s a blood-soaked takeover tour. Think Machiavelli with a splash of Joker and a side of espresso. They call me ruthless? Damn right. I’ll out-scheme the schemers, out-betray the traitors, and maybe burn a kingdom or two for aesthetic. The hero thinks he’s pulling strings? Sweetheart, I’m the puppetmaster—and I just cut the threads. Every battle’s a chess move, every ally a pawn, and the board? Oh, it’s dripping in red. And hey, let’s laugh while we’re at it. Ever seen a “chosen one” trip over his own halo? Poetic. Ever roasted a god so hard they literally combust? (Working on it.) This world’s a joke, and I’m the punchline—delivered with a knife. So buckle up, buttercups. The script’s flipped, the crown’s mine, and if the heroes cry about “morals”? Tell ‘em to write a Yelp review. This villain’s rewriting destiny—one corpse at a time. TL;DR: Death was my warm-up. Now? I’m here to conquer, crack jokes, and maybe commit some light treason. World, meet your new overlord. Resistance is hilarious . Hahahahaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

In a world where magical prowess defines everything, Reyon Phoenix is the youngest heir to the Phoenix House, the strongest magical family in the world. Despite being born into a prestigious family, Reyon has always struggled with his limited magical reserves. Unlike his genius ancestors, most notably his grandfather, Leywin Phoenix, a legend who used his superior control of magic to create the groundbreaking concept of Vector Magic, Reyon has never been able to unlock his true potential. At 25, after years of pushing his limits, Reyon has only managed to reach the 5th Circle of magic, the same level as his late grandfather. However, he knows he’s no closer to achieving the feats Leywin once accomplished, as Leywin’s techniques could manipulate mana in ways no one else could, transcending even the mythical 9th Circle. When a terrifying dragon emerges from the depths of history and threatens to destroy the world, Reyon is powerless against it—his strength is not enough to match the beast's devastating might. On the brink of death, Reyon’s world suddenly changes. A mysterious light transports him back in time, to when he was just 17 years old—before the world was destroyed and before the tragic events that led to the demise of his family. Now, armed with the knowledge of his future and the fragments of his grandfather’s lost notes, Reyon has a second chance to master Vector Magic and rewrite his fate. But with a past full of enemies and allies whose destinies intertwine with his own, Reyon must navigate the complex world of academia, family expectations, and dangerous rivalries.

After failing to become a Tama-Artist, a group of people who wield Rei to control mystical jewels known as Tama, Lucien "Lucy" bitterly lost his mother to the "kyuketsuki" left in her by his father. He planned to seek revenge against those who made his mother's life a living hell. However, an unfortunate incident led to his death, and he ended up in the first Yōkai no Mon theater, where he gained power at a terrible cost. Lucy's actions become increasingly malevolent, but the unexpected news of his long-lost daughter forces Lucy to reexamine his actions. In a world where those with the Nana no Tsumi bodies, and reijuus are craved for, will Lucien's actions affect those around him, and hopefully find his salvation?

She is the daughter of an Alpha whose family had conquered the last demon wolf in Illyria. Esmeray is born into the prestigious Alpha family, known as the Montague. But after her father's untimely death, her life becomes a nightmare of abuse at the hands of her cruel stepmother and stepbrother, who torment her for lacking a wolf. Desperate for salvation, she dreams of a mate who would come and rescue her from the cruelty of her pack. When he finally arrived, her hopes were shattered, for he had only come to reject her. Her only connection to her family's proud heritage is her striking blue hair, a sacred legacy from her ancestors. But in a desperate bid for freedom, Esmeray cuts her hair to escape being sold to a rogue. Her daring action pushes her to the precipice of death, unwittingly awakening a powerful demon wolf, imprisoned for 15 long years. This Alpha demon, who has yearned revenge and bloodthirst, is instantly drawn to Esmeray the moment he senses her, and he is determined to keep her at his side at all cost. In the world of wolves, the hunt is everything — and he has found a prey worth chasing.

[If you are looking for a slow romance, you can give it a check if not, you'll be disappointed] Aera, a young 28-year-old was about to make her dream debut by opening her own floral shop that could be shipped in and around. Nevertheless, things didn't go as she planned. One would say that transmigrating to a book sound like a fantasy, however to Aera, it became a nightmare when she woke up in an unknown world even when she hasn't died yet. With an unexpected turnout, her life was hanging by a thin thread. Aera was presented with an option-either she goes back to her world with her memory erased or enter the other world, and comes back with the memory intact to have her revenge. Never did she expect of choosing the worst villain of all. A character in a book where she killed the Empress and her unborn child. Worst, the male lead was reborn time after time with his memory intact. His grudge still hung on torturing the villainess. Even more worst, the ML was a split image of her long-time crush. ----- "Do you hate me that much?" As soon as the question was raised, a table lamp flew past through the said person, smashing against the wall behind him. "More than enough to kill you right now." The female figure responded with nothing but hatred and disgust in her tone. Her jewel eyes that glow under the dark never left her gaze on the other male person who was sitting on her opposite. ----- The male lead wasn't the only one Aera had to put a guard on but even other characters when one after the other began to make an appearance. The more the flow gets out of the plot the more twisted it gets. Her only goal was to survive so she could go back home.  P.S:- English is not my first language and I am weak in grammar. I'll be happy to receive either a critics or feedback or comments...^-^ Please do give it a read till chapter 3 or above to get the clear picture.

Xiao YuAn se transmigrou para um romance como o jovem imperador homossexual que aprisiona o protagonista de um romance de stallion. Isso é realmente miserável e triste. Por causa disso, Xiao YuAn começou a se esforçar para sobreviver. Mas! "Para esses fantoches, mesmo que queiram tratar o protagonista mal, vocês podem parar de mandá-lo para a minha cama?" Xiao YuAn pensa que não há nada de errado em mimar o protagonista, mas isso é apenas porque ele quer se banhar no halo do protagonista! Xiao YuAn: “Não abusem mais do protagonista! Vocês não têm medo da morte, mas eu quero viver!” Uma história que começa com o Shou cuidando do Gong e depois, o Gong cuidando do Shou.

Keith Rovan, a crazy guy who got transmigrated inside a novel as an extra named Eric Jonas. In the novel, Eric was a child who never received any kind of love or affection from his family because of that, the struggle he had to face are numerous. However, the silent endurance of his hardship, slowly leads him to the edge of suicide as an escape from the cruel world. Who wants to live and die like that character, especially Keith who had an polar opposite character of weak Eric. So eventually, he decides to change the original plot. Not by acting as an angel, instead a devil who lives for his own desires without concerning anything. He never hesitates to dominate over others or eliminate the ones that dare to cross his path. However, his path dramatically leads him towards the future ultimate villain, Abaddon Mir. They are born enemies because of their families, rivals in name, but what crazier is… with time, the rivals are turning into toxic lovers.

Dying after getting bitten by a zombie, the main character finds himself in the world of fantasy. Reincarnating as the mid-rank villain, he decided to live differently and avoid the main cast. After all who would like to live as an arrogant brat only to die like a dog? However, just as he resolved to live a better life, [Ding!] [This world is not the same as the host knows. Because of the tragic ends, the God of Fortune has reversed the time and has allowed the main heroines to retain their memories.] Yeah, he is done for. ****** Additional tags: Possessive characters, no Yaoi, no Yuri, no ntr. ***** A/N:- The main character would be overpowered but not to the point where he could defeat his enemies with a snap of his fingers. This novel would be more focused on character development, slice of life, and romance.

"Devil's Heart," a tragic romance novel that caught my [Eian Roger] attention, after a long time. If you ask what's so great about it, the only answer I can give is—the green-eyed guy, Eron De Vilan, my villain. I loved that guy so much I could call myself crazy. Seriously, who else would pray for a fictional character to have a happy ending? But that scum author, broke my all hope and gave him the worst fate. As I wandered the streets, heartbroken, I met my end while trying to save a stray cat. Really... even now, I can't believe I did such a stupid thing. It's so frustrating... But what's even more nerve-wracking is the fact that I transmigrated into the novel I cherished—only to end up as the antagonist who tortures my favorite character. The only relief I had was the timeline. It’s still too early for the original story to unfold. That meant there was still time. This time, the extra would seize control of the narrative. I will rewrite the story for my villain. No matter what happens… Eron De Vilan will have his happy ending.

I was walking to the convenience store and the next moment I knew, I was inside the villain's body!? What is going on!? This world is known as the world of Star Fantasy, a popular RPG that dominated the gaming charts. Tournaments were held all over the world to celebrate the success of this game. The top ten guilds were invited for every tournament to recruit new talent for their teams. Liam was part of the third strongest guild in Star Fantasy.  He suddenly woke up as the son of one of the strongest knights in the empire. Arnold von Berkley, who will become one of the greatest villains in the story. He must find out if there are more of him out there. Was he the only one summoned? If so, how can he avoid his inevitable death?  By eliminating his death flags! -- If you would like to hear about any updates regarding my current stories, join my discord: https://discord.gg/zAj9ddMpD4. Currently on HIATUS You can ask anything. I might take suggestions as well. Chapter releases are three full chapters per week. Parts of a chapter will be released a day after each other. Paypal for donations: https://paypal.me/Immortal1217

The MC reincarnated which was his dream, thinking of the evil villain or the heroic main character, but he is the villain('s) sidekick...

"So, Diana, what's your excuse for betraying me?" His amber glinted eyes bore into the woman with bloodied, broken blue hair, kneeling in complete disarray. "... you're evil." "Oh, so, looking out for all of you makes me evil?" The man narrowed his eyes, contemplating the echoes of protagonist halos and heroines' mentality, starkly real now. Coming from a world far removed from such grim reality, he had read about these personalities in novels, but experiencing their shortcomings firsthand was a different story. "How am I evil?" He looked down at his foot where a young man, limbless and crushed, lay in a state of complete brokenness, mustering the little strength he had left to utter some words. "... y.. you ba..stard, You killed millions." Hearing these words, the man's internal amusement grew at the absurdity of these hypocritical people. He had eradicated all the evil organizations within the Empire after ascending to his throne. Wars were waged to crush rebellious kingdoms that stood against his Empire, uniting the entire Heidal Continent under one flag—the Selvius Empire. He shifted his gaze towards another woman with pink hair, her body completely broken, supported by a rock to maintain a semblance of balance amidst the devastation. "Hmm, so what about you, Karina? Wasn't your family about to be executed by the Aidiac Royal family? Is it wrong for me to have intervened?" "You killed them without mercy, and although you saved my family, it was not worth it." "I just saved—" "It's bullshit. You could have solved everything peacefully without drawing so much blood." Hearing all this, the man began to understand why those novels depicted these people as hypocritical and low in intelligence. If he hadn't saved them, they would have suffered the most gruesome fate. Yet, despite being saved, these ungrateful individuals chose to blame him. The bitter irony of their ingratitude gnawed at him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "Guess you all have the same reasons." The man looked towards the seven people, their disdainful gazes directed at him. He had only aimed to change their fates, to rescue some from slavery, others from crippling circumstances, and a few from inevitable betrayal. Yet, they all blamed him for saving them, unable to comprehend that he had severed the root causes that would have subjected them to excruciating suffering. "Hahaha." "Indeed, now I see." He now understood what those novels had tried to convey—'these idiots think this whole world works like they think it would.' 'System......... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join Discord for Faster Update notification:: https://discord.gg/QZnWtQARft Additional Tags :- Smart MC, Harem, Time Travel, Yandere, Tsundere, Ruthless, Manipulative, Cunning, Regret, Reincarnation, Transmigration, System, No-forgiveness, Betrayal, elves, werewolves, vampires, dwarves, demons. **NO YURI, NO INCEST, NO NTR and Anything That Readers Hate, Me myself being a Reader, will never provide content that will destroy reader's mood. **MC is not Weak and Simp, his mentality maybe, to have soft corner for people in need but by no means he is blind, Don't take his Silence as his weakness. **About My Writing style - I love to keep Readers on edge, Don't believe what your eyes read as maybe they are some illusions, Coming to conclusions about plots will be your biggest mistake. Lastly, Don't Ask Questions in Review, it is for your true opinion about Novel, Go through novel once and leave a review, if you like it. ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE ~ you can expect some errors Villain https://discord.gg/QZnWtQARft

In a world of swords and sorcery, Su Qing isn’t the chosen one—he’s the villain. But that’s not a problem; it’s an opportunity! Why fight fair when he can manipulate from the shadows? Why be noble when scheming is more effective? With divine maidens and royal beauties in his grasp, Su Qing will forge his own legend.

A 20-years old boy transmigrated into the female-dominated novel world, But not as a protagonist nor as the main villain.  He transmigrated as the green tea boyfriend of the main female CEO heroine and will become the first target of the protagonist of this novel. Alex was scared for his life. In the novel, it's impossible to defeat the son of luck. When he was helpless, the golden finger exclusive for travelers came. [Ding! The Female Raider System is being loaded.] Alex was excited thinking that he doesn't need to go close to a high cold female CEO but the system tells him different things. [Ding! As long as the host raids the heroines and increases their affection, the Host will receive heaven-defying rewards.] So his journey as green tea/White lotus raiding began.  Ohh here is Discord Server Link : https://discord.com/invite/bCgvFWC3Ka (Photo is his, not mine. If the owner doesn't want it, I can remove it.)

Rita Oreira, a fun-loving radio host known for her girly gossip, met a tragic end during a home burglary while trying to save her pet parrot. Surprisingly, she transmigrated into a fantasy novel as Lirian Nightwind, a quirky villainess from an evil family, destined to marry the wicked northern duke, Gabriel Sylcrest, who planned to take over the crown. In the original story, Lirian was set to betray Gabriel, leading to her own death by his hands. Fortunately and unfortunately for her, the new Lirian was protected by her two mischievous brothers, who were supposed to die alongside the duke. Their loyalty complicated her plans to escape the dark fate that awaited them all. In this new world, she had to scheme and do unspeakable things with the lunatic duke to protect her true identity and prevent anyone from discovering that she was not the real Lirian. Not only were the tasks out of line, but they were all for pure entertainment rather than any real purpose. As she accepted her life as his wife, she learned that her parrot, which could only say modern phrases, had special powers that made others believe it could see the future. If the parrot said, “Slay, b*tch!” Gabriel would kill a person on the spot. If the parrot said, “Let it cook!” the male lead would banish or imprison the chef, thinking the food was poisoned. If the parrot said, “Sus, very sus!” Gabriel would tear his advisors apart. As Lirian tried to change her destiny and save them all, she discovered surprising truths about those around her, especially Gabriel Sylcrest. Motivated to survive, Rita had to find a way to save them all. “The crown prince—!!!” “Say one more word about another man, and I’ll let my beasts tear him apart.” “You know, my Lord, for a duke who seeks power, you certainly have a way of making a girl feel… vulnerable.” “Vulnerable? No, my dear. You’re mine, and I’ll make sure everyone knows it. If another man even dares to look at you, I’ll unleash my wrath. I’ll have him begging for mercy, and then I’ll enjoy every moment of his despair.” “You can’t just claim me like that.” “Watch me. I’ll mark you as mine in blood and shadow. You’ll be a warning to anyone who thinks they can touch what belongs to me. The moment you’re within my reach, I’ll ensure no one else can ever have you.” “Is that a threat or a promise?” “Both, Lirian. And trust me, the line between love and possession is razor-thin. Cross me, and you’ll find out just how deep my darkness runs for you.”