Starchild Escapes Arranged Marriage - Chapter 9: The Gatekeeper of the Dark Forest

In a romance novel called “The Secret Lovers of the Academy” the male lead would often torment his fiancée–but wait, why did she cross into this world to become his fiancée, the villainess, instead of the heroine?

“Kill them all - every last member of House Grim must die tonight!”That was the last thing Renard heard before his world turned to ash. One night was all it took for him to lose everything - his family slaughtered, his home burned to ashes, all because the other Great Houses branded them traitors.They thought they wiped a noble line. Instead, they created a monster.Rising from the despair of losing everything, Renard became the beast Sovereign. He embraced the darkness and rose to the position of the 7th commander of the dreaded demon army.Leading an army of Demons and monsters, he brought three legendary Heroes to their knees and crushed four Great Houses to dust. But just as revenge was within his grasp, the champion of Humanity - Klean Weaver's holy sword pierced his heart.Renard thought that was the end.But something impossible happened.He woke up in the past, in a time when his family still lived and House Grim stood strong among the Eight Great HousesA second chance!A chance to change everything.That wasn’t all.For unknown reasons, he inherited the Legacy of the Devourer, a power that lets him consume the strength of his enemies.Was it a curse? Or a blessing? He didn’t know. But for Renard, it is simply a tool to protect what's his.The Lords of the Great Houses think they're untouchable in their high castles. They have no idea what's coming.This time, the Beast of House Grim hunts first!!

On their wedding night, she gnashed her teeth, yelling, “Your Highness, that’s shameless!”

Set off by the flickering light of red candles, he curved the corner of his mouth into a wicked grin, “Actually, I can be more shameless…”

…

When they met for the first time, he was the young prince who lived in his day of brilliance, while she was the pampered princess of the adjacent state.

When they met again, he became the crippled underdog suffering from frustration, while she became the lackluster hostage stranded in an alien land.

In his mid-life, he was defeated in the fight and had his legs broken; his wife passed away and he didn’t have anything left except his father’s detestation… After constant blows took the edge off his spirit, all he wanted was nothing but serenity.

In her teen-age, her state perished and her home lost; she lapsed into an awkward situation after being abandoned and having her marriage annulled… As endless hardships isolated her from happiness, everything she wished for was no more than peace.

…

“Lu Zhishan, when I first met you, I didn’t think I’d marry you…too old,” after years passed by, one day, she lay on his laps mumbling, with a kind of hazy beauty on her boozy face, “and lame.”

“Mu Nanzhi, you have the wrong memory. At our first meeting, I’m neither old nor limp.”

“…When was that?”

“When people were celebrating your first birthday,” that man assumed all gentleness and joy crept on his eyes and brows, “On that day, you were ‘drawing lots’ in the rear hall. I also sneaked there to have a look. But, out of my expectation, you directly grabbed my true-love knot.”

…

How vivid the red love pea is embedded in the exquisitely carved dice,

Just as my feelings for you deep in my bones.

- Description from Novelupdates

The little snow fairy Tan Mo was about to complete her transformation into a human when she was picked away and reincarnated as the Tan family’s beloved daughter. Only then did she realize that she had become the tragic cannon fodder who died a miserable death after serving as her green tea cousin’s stepping stone for marrying We Keli, and whose life she had once seen before in her master’s mortal world mirror. Her parents seemingly aged overnight, and her three older brothers all suffered ignominy after their attempts to seek revenge for her. Yet with her here in this life, nobody should even think about harming her family! Tan Mo: Wanna play green tea with me? I’ll give you a taste of master level green tea art today!Reporter: Young Master Wei, what do you admire the most about your wife? Wei Zhiqian: She’s kind, cute, pure-hearted, and unpretentious. Reporter: Director Tan, your new work has been praised as a masterpiece. How did you create such an amazing script? Older brother Tan: There’s nothing of the sort. Truthfully, I didn’t write the script. It’s just that the true author is too low key to reveal her true identity. Reporter: Lord Tan, your new song has come out and immediately became the number one hit single on the charts. The lyrics are ingenious. Second brother Tan: You flatter me. The person who came up with the lyrics is someone very important to me. Without her, the song wouldn’t have been successful. Yet she’s too low key to reveal her identity. Reporter: Artist Tan, your painting was sold at a ten-figure price as soon as it hit the market. Where did the inspiration come from? Third brother Tan: It’s all thanks to her. Reporter: …… Oldest brother Tan, second brother Tan, third brother Tan: Our younger sister had always helped us without asking for anything in return. Wei Zhiqian: Without my protection, she would be ruthlessly bullied by those pretentious and innocent-looking Machiavellians.Everyone: Pfft! Who is the one bullying who!