The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated - Chapter 21: The Decided On Path Forward

Theodora is the Queen of Polis, a city-state that lost the war against the most powerful empire in the continent.

She is sure that they'll execute her immediately but, somehow, she survives the meeting with the Emperor, and she finds herself... Married?

Tossed in a new world without connections and allies, she has to either accept her fate or lose the chance to help her people once again.

She soon finds out that her new husband knows more about her than she does herself, and that his purposes are often far from what she expects.

A fallen queen that doesn't know how to be anything else. A handsome Duke who's the cause of her ruin. And their efforts to find some happiness in a marriage that's been forced on them.

WARNING: there are contents not suitable for a sensitive audience.

The smut scenes are half-censored at the beginning, but the amount and details will increase after a few dozen chapters (according to the Queen's mood .-. )

***

«I'm sorry for lying to you, your grace...»

«You're a Duchess. No one will dare to consider your words a lie: if you say that you were painting souls, then it's the truth.»

«I will remember it.»

«No, you have to understand it, Theodora. You're not a prisoner, but my wife. I'll protect you when you need it, and I'll help you with any issue you have. You're not just a Duchess in the name. You're my Duchess.»

«It's hard to believe in such a short amount of time.»

«For now, stop shaking like a chicken. I won't hurt you.»

***

In a world where fate is dictated by prophecy, heroes are chosen by the gods, and Dark Lords are doomed to fall… Lucian Draeven refuses to play along.Once feared as the greatest Dark Lord in history, Lucian had the world under his iron rule—until the so-called Chosen Hero struck him down in a blinding flash of divine justice. The kingdoms cheered. The world rejoiced.Too bad Lucian isn’t actually dead.Having faked his demise and gone into hiding, Lucian watches from the shadows as a new Dark Lord rises, more reckless and incompetent than ever. Worse, the gods have selected another overly enthusiastic, sword-swinging Chosen Hero to bring “peace” once again.The problem? Neither of them have a clue how to actually rule the world.As kingdoms crumble, wars break out, and the balance of power teeters on the edge of collapse, Lucian comes to a horrifying realization:If the world is going to survive, then it’s up to him—the so-called villain—to secretly fix everything from the shadows.But there's just one little catch…Lucian’s legendary Dominions are still sealed, and the only way to regain his strength is by playing the role of a villain once more—spreading fear, manipulating his enemies, and pulling the strings behind the scenes.Now, as the oblivious Hero and foolish new Dark Lord battle it out, neither realizes that the true mastermind is watching their every move.Because if the world wants a villain…Then Lucian will be the greatest villain it has ever seen.

For decades, the brave warriors of the Northern Army fought to keep the world safe from the evil Silent Night. But when the fourth-generation leader, Jin Kwan-Ho is accused of colluding with the enemy, he is forced to disband the sect and commit suicide to protect his son, Jin Mu-Won. With no family and allies left, Mu-Won leads a dreary life under close surveillance… until a surprise attack from the Silent Night gives him a chance to escape to the mountains.

There, the young warrior trains to master the fighting techniques of his predecessors, before the mysterious disappearance of a loved one brings him back to the mainland. Follow Jin Mu-Won as he embarks on a journey to avenge his father’s death and take down the villains who threaten to plunge the world into darkness!

Alexis an outcast, a “Hunted” yet able to hide under their noses, desiring to live at every cost. Even if it meant pretending to be a man.But she was also once one of the moon goddess’s three pillars. She was in charge of assigning mates, but her curiosity into what it would feel like to have a mate, to fall in love was considered a breach of rules.The goddess’s three pillars do not fall in love! It was forbidden.So she was sentenced, removed and reduced to the status of a mere werewolf. Her memories were wiped and she no longer knew what she once was, not even after her rebirth.In a world of werewolves where shifting was a must, what would happen to her? A girl who never shifted? Never manifested.What would she do now, suddenly having found herself struck with a heat cycle—something she had never once experienced. She was abnormal, never manifested, yet, there she stood in the middle of hundreds of guests drowning in her sudden heat that one way or the other drew his attention.Keelion Fane. The one who should have never known.He is the leader of the pack, but he is feared—said to be cold-hearted and cruel. He is an alpha who hasn’t found his mate for so long that he had no choice but to find a substitute.But Alexis was stuck. With nowhere to run, in his grasp.She…was doomed.