Forge of Destiny - Interlude: Dance

Power comes with a cost... and it was something she was willing to trade her soul for.A few nights before her wedding, Lauren sought a way to break her fourth engagement. Known for her bad reputation as the rebel princess, she was the only lady who had the guts to step foot on the Everston mansion, the house of a notorious warlord, in the middle of the night.She offered him a wicked alliance that the entire kingdom did not see coming: a marriage.A vixen pretending to be a damsel in distress and a man whose crimson eyes screaming for bloodshed. Could something blossom in this treacherous dance of lies and deception?--“Are you upset?”She eyed him sharply. “Should I be honored that I got tricked by you, milord?”He drank the remaining wine in his glass with one gulp and put it on the wooden table.He stepped in front of her. His hand was on the rail on her side while his other hand grabbed her glass and finished her wine before putting it down.The way his Adam's apple moved with his every violent gulp made her feel a tickling heat around her nape.When he brought his attention back to her, he licked his lips to wipe off the trace of wine.“How shall I make it up to you then?” he asked with his deep voice, like a seductive devil asking his victim how she would like to be killed. Dangerous yet… enthralling.

I turned my assassin into my maid with the power of money! Money is all-powerful!

It was a world full of swords and magic; Lawrend was the son of the wealthiest merchant in town. Since the age of 7, he had been having dreams. A dream about a past life in a modern civilization where monsters are nonexistent, and humans dominate the world. Lawrend saw Iron birds, Magical bricks that display moving paintings, Thunder wielding, and many more.

There was a scene in one of the dreams that made Lawrend’s heart beat fast. A row of a dozen maids bowing in front of him. Each dressed in a french maid outfit.

Something awakened inside Lawrend when he had that dream. A fervent desire to have his very own Maid Harem!

Two women visits Dong Fang Ao’s home. Both women claim to be his betrothed. The first woman wants to break off their betrothal but she lost the betrothal gift. The second woman is holding the betrothal gift and demands Dong Fang Ao to marry her.

Dong Fang Ao keeps both women as guests in his home to find out who is his real betrothed. He is curious about the secretive Cao Zi Yun. If she is his real betrothed then he wants to keep her by his side forever. But her secret is capable of separating them forever.

That afternoon, Roland received the most absurd gift imaginable—his stepmom handed him a System literally.That’s right. Not a game console. Not money. A real, cheat-like System... the kind usually reserved for transmigrators and chosen ones.Except Roland had transmigrated eighteen years ago, and nothing remotely “chosen” had ever happened since—until now.The catch? It wasn’t just any System. It was the “Mother's Little Tasks” System, formerly owned by his doting (mysterious) mother. And its first mission?[Mission: Go on a blind date.][Target Options: Yukino Yukio (Mom), Yukino Haruno (Elder Sister), Yukino Yuki (Younger Sister).][Warning: Once locked, your chosen girl can never marry anyone else.][Reward: 1000 Points, one self-selected supernatural ability from Mall]Roland: “...What kind of twisted matchmaking app did I just inherit?”After reading the mission, Roland was stunned. An arranged romance at 18 was already bad—but a binding rule that prevented the chosen girl from marrying anyone else? What if he failed the mission? Would she be alone forever?“And this is supposed to be a System?”“Mom! What the hell is this mission?” Roland asked, his face darkening.“It finally triggered! All those Points I spent transferring the System weren’t wasted,” his mother replied cheerfully, ignoring his outrage.“You set this up? Why?”“You’re nearly an adult and you’ve never even dated. Of course I’m worried.”“I’m only eighteen! I have college entrance exams next year!”“Exams don’t matter. But youth without love isn’t youth at all.”“...Is that something a mother should say?” Roland muttered. Most mothers pushed their kids to study harder—his acted like grades were irrelevant.“What kind of mom does this to her own son? And why is Aunt Yukio even on the target list? That’s just insane!”“Well~, I don’t know what kind of girl you like. The Yukino family has all three types—mother, elder sister, and younger sister—so I gave you options.”