The New Gate (LN) - Vol 5 Chapter 2.1: Chapter 2 Part 1

Leon Thorne was the disgrace of his house, overweight, softspoken, and dismissed as a failure before he ever picked up a sword. Mocked during the Awakening and branded an F-rank, he was expected to fade quietly from the halls of power.But he didn’t.Because this wasn’t his first life.In another timeline, Leon watched House Thorne fall, shamed, scattered and erased from history. Powerless to stop it then, he’s been given one chance to rewrite it now.Stripped of excuses and reshaped by hardship, Leon claws his way forward—through blood, sweat and silence. Now, leaner and sharper, he enters an academy where only strength speaks and legacy decides your worth.But Leon carries no crest. No backing. Just scars, a sword, and the will to shatter fate itself.He’s not looking to be acknowledged or praised.He’s going to rewrite everything.NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES.

It’s been 11 years since I’ve lived for others and not for me.

The moment I cried out wanting to get away from my exhausting life, I opened my eyes in the body of some Count’s 20-year-old daughter.

Since this happened, I decided to live my life freely as a single woman.

But…

“I need a lady to act as my fake wife for a certain period of time.”

“A contract marriage?”

“The term is one year. When the time is up, I’ll give you divorce with no strings attached.”

The Duke of the Empire whom I had happened to meet at a ball was hitting on me.

Turns out he’s no other than the Emperor’s beloved brother, Duke Scade!

Hold on, it’s just going to end in a clean divorce with no strings attached?

“You should also give me alimony. Give me one of the best lands of the Ducal household with 10 years’ worth of profit.”

“…..What?”

“If you don’t want to do that, then we cannot get married.”

This time I’m going to live a life taking care of the things I need first!

***

“I’ll escort you since it’s late.”

Where to? My bedroom is just around the corner.

“Tonight, I’ll do my best.”

No, I don’t need you to do that.

“Did you just look at that man?”

Excuse me, Duke, you said it’s for a limited time only, so why do you keep obsessing over me?

Follow Kairi Izumi—a quiet, eccentric, and somewhat conspicuous girl— who never felt like anything but an NPC in a story. Working behind the scenes, unnoticed by others had always been part of her daily life, dwelling with medicine and toxins.So, it's not surprising that she wasn't tad attractive according to others.That is, until one day... that guy, he confessed to me.Wait a minute—doesn't that mean I'm a heroine now? Hang on, how is that even possible? Me? Heroine? No way! I’m just a girl from a small village who likes to help others. I don’t particularly stand out, and compared to the other girls, I’m not even that attractive.And so, a question lingers, driving the unfolding of this dumbfounding narrative forward:Wait, what do you mean I got reincarnated to be a heroine?That's weird because usually a heroine is not strong let alone smart - they are usually dumb, cute and pretty. Definitely not me. I mean, how is that possible? Me? Heroine? No way!

One day, Song Shuhang was suddenly added to a chat group with many seniors that suffered from chuuni disease. The people inside the group would call each other ‘Fellow Daoist’ and had all different kinds of titles: Palace Master, Cave Lord, True Monarch, Immortal Master, etc. And even the pet of the founder of the group that had run away from home was called ‘monster dog’. They would talk all day about pill refining, exploring ancient ruins, or share their experience on techniques.

However, after lurking inside the group for a while, he discovered that not all was what it seemed…