Within a Hollow Heart - Chapter 57: Volume 2, : "Beneath Fraying Stars"

As part of the imperial family, every move by Chu Yuan in this game of chess is made with apprehension, fearing that with a moment of inattentiveness, the whole match will be lost in a single move.

Ascending to the throne at eighteen, not half a year passes before civil strife erupts in Yun Nan. Though the thoughts of the old guard at the imperial court are not exactly identical, they are all waiting to see how the new emperor will put an end to this.

Unexpectedly, before this side could make a move, a few thousand miles away, the King of Xi Nan, Duan Bai Yue, had already personally commanded troops to attack in all directions; not half a year had passed when peace was restored.

Sparse moonlight shines into the palace; Chu Yuan stamped the wax seal himself, and had a secret letter sent urgently to Yun Nan 800 miles away — this time, what must we(1) give in exchange?

Brush marks passed through the back of the paper; it almost can be seen, when writing this line, how angry the young emperor was.

Duan Bai Yue spread out a piece of paper unhurriedly, replying with only one word.

You.

Notes:
(1): Chu Yuan is using the royal ‘we’ here.

- Description from Novelupdates

Yuuta was the weakest, most average guy on Earth—barely surviving college, working a part-time job, and raised in a quiet orphanage with no real family to call his own. But everything changed the night he had a vivid dream... of marrying a stunning, powerful Dragon Queen from another world.He woke up thinking it was just a dream. Until she showed up in his room—with wings, horns, and a daughter who calls him Papa.Turns out, it wasn’t a dream. And now Yuuta’s life is anything but normal.With half her power sealed, the Dragon Queen—Erza—is stuck living in the human world, adapting to cramped apartments, dishwashing shifts, and the chaos of Earth. Yuuta, once a lonely soul, suddenly finds himself with a family, a responsibility, and feelings he never knew he was capable of.As fatherhood, monsters, magical secrets, and mysterious enemies creep into his life, Yuuta must rise—not as a hero, but as a man who has something worth protecting.

It all started with a Book review…[To Kill A Demon Lord…] had everything; It had Magic, It had action, it had an abundance of interesting characters and—probably most important of all—it had Vampires.Kevin (Username: Kevin_The_Man) enjoyed the read. Stayed up to date with every chapter update and it quickly became his favorite Webnovel… That was until the Author killed off his favorite character, Caius Von Helsing, A Vampire Spawn who spent most of the story frustratingly resisting his Vampirism so as not to ‘become a Monster’.Kevin quickly wrote a review expressing his dissatisfaction so naturally, when the Author replied and asked for Kevin’s help in making a revised edition of the story, he quickly accepted…… Only to fall asleep and wake up in the world of [To Kill A Demon Lord…] as none other than his favorite character, Caius Von Helsing, the Vampire Spawn.Kevin—now Caius—quickly discovers that there is so much more involved in making a ‘revised edition’ of a novel than simply writing it. And that there are powerful forces that especially want Caius to die and stay dead…… But that death is still quite in the future so Kevin—now Caius—is quickly optimistic.He has a mission now;To enjoy the wonders this world has to offer—as the original character never would—by fully accepting and evolving his nature as a Vampire.

She is the eldest daughter of the Zanying family, born noble, beautiful and beautiful, with a peerless appearance;

In the last life, she gave everything she had to help him win the world, but in return she got all her family killed;

In the last life, the person who killed her ascended to the throne of the phoenix, the mother of the world, the honor and wealth, but she was imprisoned in the cold palace and suffered all kinds of humiliation;

Reborn in elementary school, she is no longer a pawn at the mercy of others, she is the best in the world in medical skills, and she has a delicate heart to plan and plan the world;

In this life, she wants to protect her dear ones, to avenge her revenge, and to avenge her grudges;

In this life, she wants that young man who rides his horse and sings lightly, regardless of sword, light or sword, to live a long and safe life!