The Path of Ruin - Chapter 32: The Orphanage’s Offer

Lorelai is an unwanted princess; a puppet in the hands of the royal family.Born weak and raised loyal only to her kingdom, she has no real power and is constantly abused by both her stepmother and her son.Her value lies in one thing only––marriage. Thus, she is to marry Duke Kalder, an old but powerful and influential man whose previous wives have all gone missing under mysterious circumstances.That is until she meets him.Tall, dark, strong, mysterious, irresistible, seductive.The King of Lycans. The King of Beasts. The Gypsy King.One who was once a slave now controls the biggest and strongest, most feared kingdom of the continent. And for some reason, he has his eyes set only on Lorelai.Important note: this is a historical fantasy novel and in its context, the word “Gypsy” is only used as a name of a nomad tribe and is not used as a slur.

I put all the warning tags to give myself creative freedom, but the story isn't filled with excessive gore or swearing.This is my first time writing other than for school projects. The gender-bender tag is only for the beginning because I wanted to try writing from a female's perspective and needed an excuse for why my MC reads a little tomboyish. The gender-bender fades into the background over the first few chapters; please don't let the tag keep you from trying out my story.Synopsis:Second chances are rarely earned and even rarer given. Follow a new life in a new world where anything is possible. Our MC wakes up, stuck as a baby, needing to decide how she will live her new life. Let's see what future she can forge when hard work rewards her with status points and skill levels.Author's Note: I'm currently slowly going back and rewriting my earlier chapters, so if you're starting to read this for the first time, try not to be alarmed if the quality suddenly goes down after reading a few chapters. I started writing this story almost three years ago, and I think I've improved as a writer since then. I appreciate your understanding; enjoy.

Jian Rushi, born in a rich family, was a college girl. Due to some economic reasons, her family went broke. Her father committed suicide under great pressure, while her mother ran away with someone else, leaving her alone in this world. As she tried to find some comfort from her boyfriend, she found that her boyfriend cheated on her. Feeling devastated, Jian Rushi thought of ending her life. But she wanted to do a crazy thing before that. Suddenly she remembered she was still virgin. So she decided to sleep with a man before she died. She went to a pub one day and saw a pretty man drinking there alone. She mistook him as a money boy and took him home. After they slept, she had no money to pay him. As the compensation, Jian Rushi became the mistress of that man, who turned out to be a golden bachelor. And a series of embarrassing things happened…

- Description from Novelupdates

Liu Sanniang was reborn. When she remembered her lonely end, she decided to get married in this life no matter what.

She only wanted to marry an average scholar, but who knew that the tall and striking future general, Chu Yan, took an interest in her.

The first time they met, she was too shy to look up at him.

The second time they met, he sandwiched her against the wall and said, “Are you afraid of me?”

The third time they met, he squatted down and said, “Come on, I’ll carry you.”

***

After meeting a few more times, he came to ask for her hand.

However, he was at least two meters tall and muscular. She feared that he might squash her to death!

Once they got married, Chu Yan strode over to her and ‘forcefully’ grabbed her hand, ready to pass his life savings to her. Yet, his delicate and beautiful bride fainted out of shock…

Liu Sanniang then realized that being with her ‘scary’ husband meant living peaceful and leisurely days, so her eyes narrowed as she grinned.