The Sword and The Shadow - Chapter 223 – First Time in a Battle

【Arranged Marriage, Love After Marriage+Sweet Pampering+Blessed Pregnancy+Clean Hands+Child Rearing Daily Life+CEO+Beloved Wife】Caden Hawthorne, the head of the Hawthorne Family, is a paranoid and domineering figure, ruthless and decisive in business battles, navigating both the underworld and high society. Due to his consistent wearing of Buddha Beads, he is known in the underworld as “The Patriarch.”Everyone says that the heir of the Aethelgard Circle's wealthiest Hawthorne Family is a faithful monk-like figure, sexually abstinent and cold, never tempted by beauty.Until the arrival of Vivian Lynch, the Lynch Family's adopted daughter, unloved by her parents and burdened with a leech of a spoiled younger brother.After their one-night reckless encounter, it was assumed their paths would not cross again, but surprisingly, a little over a month later, she was pregnant — with twins.She was brought into the Hawthorne Family, marrying Caden Hawthorne for the sake of their children, becoming the envy of all as Mrs. Hawthorne.Initially, Caden tossed her an agreement, coldly stating, “After the children are born, we'll get a divorce.”Later, her true lineage was revealed, and Caden was slapped in the face by his own actions, desperately clinging to her leg, crying, “Baby, I was wrong, please don't leave me.”One day, Caden was supporting a heavily pregnant Vivian in front of the reporters, announcing, “That's right, we're having a second child.”Vivian, aggrieved and holding her pregnant belly, her eyes tinged red, angrily retorted, “Get lost! Who wants to have your child, you jerk?”Henceforth, the abstinent Patriarch descended from his pedestal, transforming into a doting husband, insatiable in his affection.【Paranoid, abstinent heir of The Aethelgard Circle VS gentle, soft, truly blessed heiress】

In a world where most wolves her age have already found their mates and embraced their destined roles, one she-wolf remains unmated—not out of bitterness, but because a deeper calling stirs within her. Haunted by a vivid dream that feels more like a prophecy than a passing vision, she begins to question whether her life was meant for more than becoming someone’s Luna. As her family pleads for caution, she stands at a crossroads: remain in the safety of the familiar, or follow the pull of fate into the unknown, where purpose, danger, and destiny await.

WARNING! MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!!***Casey is a top event planner, planning events for the most elites in the city. She's now tasked with the career-defining job of planning her best friend, Kira's, wedding. However, her life turned upside down when she found out she was falling in love with Jace, her Kira's fiance!Jace is the CEO of Chillz streaming platform, one of the biggest in the country. He's also one of the most dashing bachelors, always on the news and always being hounded by paparazzi. In a desperate move too expand his company, he opted to get married to KIra. But it all changed when he met her best friend, and suddenly, even the future of his company couldn't stop him from wanting to be with her.As passion burns hot and the embers of love is fanned, Jace and Casey try to fight their growing attraction to each other to respect Kira. But with such intense feelings, there is only so much they can do. Will they be able to stay away from each other regardless of the mounting temptations? Or will they throw caution to the winds, finding happiness in each other's arms even while everything they've built and worked hard for goes up in flames?

I’m a high school student who became an author after debuting at Dengeki Bunko. After taking a year of hiatus from school to write my work, I transferred out to another high school to study, and met a girl called Eri Nitadori in school, a rookie voice actress cast as a character in the anime adaptation of my work.

In school, we treat our professions as a secret. However, Nitadori’s very popular in class, and I’m a loner…the only chance we get to talk to each other is when we take the Limited Express train together every Thursday, seated side by side as we head off for an anime, After Recording.

To improve her skills, she asked me questions regarding the profession. While I was answering the questions regarding the process–how did it end up like this.

This is what I last remembered before I lost consciousness, and the story of my near-death experience.