A Stepmother's Marchen - Chapter 17

It was in the middle of the night that the woman who would be the Duchess came to see me.

She said my father and mother died, and my kind uncle became king.

She said it’s not worth it for me, the crown prince, to be living in hiding, too.

“A while ago, Your Highness had been hiding from me. With all due respect, is that for the sake of survival? Just because your parents died doesn’t mean you have no reason to survive. Actually, that fact alone made it all the more reason why you should live. If you die now…”

If I died now?

When I asked her while looking at her eyes, the woman eventually brought out the harsh truth with empathetic eyes.

“It’s like a dog’s death.”

“That’s rude….”

It’s been a long time since I said that. In a short while, he has been treated as a madman and beaten to death just by saying similar things. She loosened her arms that held me and I suddenly stiffened up due to it. Because I thought she might have loosened her arm to hit me. But she didn’t.

She knelt down with one knee in front of me, just like a knight.

“Hastred’s Sarian raised her salutations. May you accept it gladly.”

My first knight is beautiful and kind.

“Are you on my side?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It was all a lie.

With the advent of steam power, mankind has advanced and ushered in the industrial revolution. This is the age of steam locomotives, guns, and cannons, as well as curses, magic, artifacts, and the supernatural.

Hidden in the shadows are a group of extraordinary people who wield enormous power and strange abilities that normal people cannot even begin to comprehend. They are known as Transcendents!

Bryan lost his parents at a very young age and was forced to live on the streets. That is until his whole life turned around when he was shown the Path to becoming a Transcendent.

The Theft Path specializes in deceit and illusions. It can steal everything under the heavens. Even the powers, thoughts, and dreams of others.

Follow Bryan on his journey through this dangerous and treacherous world as he steals from gods and robs the mortals.

This is the story of The Deceitful One.

In order to be loved, she changed her whole personality, but all she got in return was a cold husband and her unrequited feelings.Now that she lost her memories and went back to her old self, she's determined to never love again. She wouldn't let anyone trample on her anymore.But then, why is her husband coming back around again - turning over a new leaf and wanting to take her back so desperately?“You should know well by now, my beloved wife. Didn't you change yourself for love...?” he muttered vehemently, voice low and smoky.His unwavering eyes are blazing with passion and a deep sense of endearment that she'd never seen before. This isn't her husband at all - instead of cold, his gaze appears to be on fire.“The same goes for me... So, love me, love me not - you're going to take responsibility.”---Impassive, strait-laced, stiff and very compliant - that's how everyone sees Cassidy Eleanor. She's an underdog wife who's desperate to gain her husband's affection and would even sacrifice her own freedom. Coming from an unknown background, she was neglected by her spouse, persecuted by his family, and misjudged in her workplace.That's all until it came to a point when she already had enough. In an effort to flee from the clutches of a loveless marriage and all the obligations that were forced on her, she got herself a ticket and boarded a plane.Little did she know that a bombing incident would ultimately ruin her plan to start anew.Then, before she knew it, she woke up to find herself with a type of amnesia that caused her to forget everything that happened to her when she's past the age of eighteen-years-old.To be exact, Cassidy had gone back to her old self - right before she met her husband, Adrian Millicent.---Cold, distant, steely and iron-willed - that's how everyone sees the owner of the country's richest conglomerate. Adrian is known to be a prodigious figure in a variety of fields and commerce, a prestigious individual with billions of assets, and a man of outstanding achievements overall.He used to be the most-sought-after bachelor of the country, but only to get in an arranged marriage by his grandparent - with a woman of unknown origin, to boot. He really couldn't care less, though. After all, he never needed love to begin with.That's all until Adrian found this reserved and amenable wife of his acting like a wild and boisterous teenage girl one day.

At the beginning, he became the most famous prodigal in America. Facing the danger of going bankrupt, how could Chen William turn the corner and become a big shot in the fame and fortune circle?

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