The Duke's Masked Wife - Chapter 40

He, without doubt hates her.
What did she do to deserve his hate?
The person who she treated well like a brother did not even bother to notice it...

Years passed…

He needs to get married.
He needed a wife.
So she offered herself.
It was a marriage that will benefit both parties he said.

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.

Cao Ju, after transmigrating to the end of the Han Dynasty, became Cao Cao’s eighth son.Starting from the rescue of the dying Han noble, Xun Lingjun, who was given an “empty food box”, he embarked on a path to contend with the other sons of the Cao family and vie for supremacy against the Sun and Liu clans.However, a practical problem lay before Cao Ju:Cao Pi inherited Cao Cao’s cunning!Cao Zhang inherited Cao Cao’s valor!Cao Zhi inherited Cao Cao’s talent!Cao Chong inherited Cao Cao’s wisdom!When it came to him, what could he inherit from Cao Cao?Could it be that he would truly descend to inheriting the remaining hobbies of Cao Cao, actively promoting the martial spirit of Wei, and making contributions far and wide?Daqiao and Xiaoqiao: If the young lord arrives in Jiangdong, we two are willing to form a bond with the young lord and welcome him together!Cao Ju: You all may question the character of my old Cao family, but you absolutely cannot insult the aesthetic sense of the Cao family!Cao Cao: The eighth one like me can indeed carry on the family legacy!

A chilling air swept across the desert as a figure in a black cloak and obsidian crown walked toward the advancing army of House Elyria.With a raise of his hand, the sun turned black, plunging the battlefield into darkness. The wind ripped away the sand, revealing an ocean of skulls, and from it, thousands of undead surged, surrounding the army.Blood spilled, and with each death, the army grew—undead rising even before their bodies hit the ground. The figure stepped onto the shoulder of a massive giant, its molten eyes burning as it crushed entire squads with a single swing.As the black sun set, only the general remained. Kneeling, he glared.“You think this will go unanswered? House Elyria is one of the strongest forces on the continent!”The figure smirked. “Your House will answer soon enough. I’ll be visiting it tonight.”With a wave, the undead surged, swallowing him whole.--After his death in an accident, Roye awakens in the midst of a dark sacrificial ritual, surrounded by hundreds of lifeless corpses inside the body of Roye Valdrin—a disowned noble, the forgotten younger brother of a ruthless villainess, and the discarded ex-fiancé of a destined heroine.Worse yet, he has transmigrated into the world of Valoria, a dark fantasy realm where humanity began reclaiming its place on the surface only eight hundred years ago, after living underground for millennia with no idea why they were forced to hide in the first place.A world where gods and ancient emperors still influence the living from their graves.A world where politics run amok.A world where evil hearts and questionable morality lurk beneath a beautiful facade.Could he even survive in such a brutal world?Core Bloodline Acquired—Special Inheritance Gained: Apostle of Death.(Rank- Unknown)Roye doesn’t know if he will survive, but he knows one thing: he’ll do whatever it takes. Messing with the plot, killing main characters—nothing is off-limits.If the world wants to destroy him, he’ll burn it down first.