MTL - I’m Real Wine - Chapter 39

In a peculiar twist of fate, Lee Taeok, found himself in an extraordinary predicament. Little did he know that his scathing critique of a popular novel, ridiculing its blatant naivety and overly innocent take on romance, would set in motion a perplexing chain of events, ultimately leading to his unexpected rebirth as the delinquent character, Baek Taeyang, from the very same novel.“You should have taken better care of your girlfriend.”In the world of the Academy Sweet Love Diary novel, Baek Taeyang is destined to “rescue” the heroines.

Marcella Valemont was a villainess wrapped in silk and thorns.The alluring, selfish daughter of the High Priest, she was forced into a cold marriage with the Black-bellied Duke Berith Montclair. She longed for power and would stop at nothing to claim the crown, even if it meant seducing the incorruptible Crown Prince Lucian and clawing her way to the throne into becoming the Queen.Until it all burned.Her ruthless schemes led to betrayal, rebellion, and ruin-- an empire on its knees, a virtuous king destroyed, and a rebellion led by the man she discarded. Desperate and full of regret, she barters her life with the Duke to save Lucian.In an interesting turn of events, Marcella gets to go back in time to fix her wrongs, save the man who was ruined because of her and hopefully stop the bloodthirsty rebel Duke Berith.She finds herself reborn as her 18-year-old self with a chance for a do-over and vows to do better this time.But the past does not forget. Nor does the devil in her husband’s skin.Secrets long buried begin to surface, and Marcella discovers that her former husband is far more than he seems—a man cloaked in darkness, harboring a purpose that threatens everything she holds dear.They say second chances come with thorns and to fix the past, she must trust the devil who destroyed it.

Seventeen-year-old Aiden Rivera’s life changes forever on a dark, quiet night when he's attacked while returning from a bookstore. Just when all hope seems lost, a mysterious stranger emerges from the shadows—swift, powerful, and deadly. He saves Aiden and disappears just as quickly into the night. That stranger's name? Aiden doesn’t know. But from that moment, Aiden can’t stop thinking about him.Determined to find his silent guardian, Aiden scours the internet, describing every detail he remembers. To his shock, a face match reveals the stranger's name: Ryker Kane, heir to a powerful corporate empire… and a student at an elite, almost mythical academy. It’s not quite a high school, not quite a university—more like something in between. Something hidden.One of Ryker’s photos contains a strange symbol that leads Aiden to an encrypted link. It makes a bizarre demand: a drop of blood to apply. Aiden laughs at the absurdity of it—until curiosity wins. What could one drop of blood hurt?He sends it, expecting nothing.A week later, an ornate envelope arrives. He’s in.Eager to reunite with Ryker, Aiden travels to the secluded academy… only to step into a world straight out of a fantasy novel. Students with glowing eyes. Talking animals. Ethereal beings with pointed ears. Some even arrive through portals.Suddenly, Aiden isn’t just the new kid. He’s the only human in a school that isn’t meant for people like him. And all he can think is:What the hell did I just get myself into?

Childhood, upbringing, family background, social relations, traumatic experiences…

We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring the subtlest emotions driving them. It’s not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even forgive them; it’s not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it’s not to kneel down before the so-called “complexity of human nature”; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters.

We just want to have a fair trial – for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.

A seme thug specialized in dealing with various kinds of disobedience vs. a cowardly and dissolute uke descended from a rich family

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