MTL - Starting Off With A Blacksmith Workshop - Chapter 8 First smell

aira swore she’d keep her heart locked until her final year ended. No distractions. No love. Just goals.But then he walked in—arrogant, mysterious, and dangerously charming.One wrong glance turned into late-night texts. One shared secret became a stolen kiss.And suddenly, the future she’d planned… didn’t seem so clear anymore.Can she graduate without breaking her heart? Or will love ruin everything before the last bell rings?

For the large sum of money to help her husband, she chose to be a surrogate mother covertly. Her sweetheart was out of trouble, but she became the woman of loose morals in his eyes. Misunderstanding, disappointment and sadness forced her to divorce the man she loved from the childhood.

When she was determined to start new life, another man burst into her life. “You are my baby’s mommy and you are my wife!” A big surprise hit her that her baby’s Daddy, the man she surrogated for, fell in love with her at his first sight.

His deep love convinced her to believe the affection of love again. Unexpectedly, her ex-husband returned to beg her recombination. One was her childhood sweetheart, and the other was the man who loved her and gave her hope for a new life……Facing the two men, what is her choice?
 

- Description from Novelupdates

Max Winchester suddenly found himself in the world he hated the most, Xiao Bai novels.Not only was he not the protagonist, but he became a villain, and the worst thing is, unlike other Villains, he was not transmigrated at the beginning of the novel but rather at the end point of his arc.His death was already decided; the Protagonist had already firmed his foothold in the city.The most important thing for the villain is their family already pretty much disowned him; the sisters who used to dote on him were ignoring him.His business was in a crisis as he was just days away from declaring bankruptcy as his capital chain was broken.He found himself standing in front of his childhood sweetheart, who came to him to break off their engagement.When he was in the desperate situation, the compulsory golden finger of every traveler popped in.[Ding! The Counter-Attack System is being bounded][Ding! Protagonist attack on host detected...Counter-Attack is being triggered....][Ding! Congratulations to the host for gaining {Absolute Dodge}...][Ding! The protagonist gaining strength is detected...Counter-Attack is being triggered....][Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving the SS+ Calamity rank power base....][Ding! Protagonist attacking your company detected....Counter-attack is being triggered....][Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving 1 Trillion UC market value company....Congratulations to the host that Protagonist's most loyal brother who helped him in attacking your company stepped on shit and died....][Ding! A protagonist's childhood sweetheart hatred towards you is detected...Counter-Attack is being triggered....][Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving +100 (Only one) Favorability of Protagonists childhood sweetheart....][Ding! Protagonist trying to blackmail your sisters detected....Counter-Attack is being triggered....][Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving +1000 (Not even death do us apart) favorability of his mother....Congratulations to the host for receiving {Harem protection halo}....Congratulations to the host that the Protagonist lost his PP right....Congratulations to the host for the Protagonist lost half of his mind....]And so he goes on his relaxing journey of the Counter-Attack.

Elias “Grim” Kingsley, a nine-year-old orphan with a hardened heart and sharp tongue, dies alone from pneumonia in an overcrowded orphanage. Known for his perpetual scowl and biting remarks, he's labeled a “problem child” by caretakers and “damaged goods” by potential adopters. Years of rejection have built thick armor around his young heart.In death, he encounters the God of Balance who offers him a second chance at life in a different world—this time as Grim Van Ambrose, son of a noble house. Balance explains that every soul deserves to know love and connection, something Elias was cruelly denied in his first life.Promised the family and belonging he never experienced, Grim begins his new life only to suffer an immediate tragedy: his mother dies moments after his birth. This cruel twist of fate reinforces his belief that loss is inevitable, leaving him with a distant father and the mysterious voice of a “Guidance Assistant” in his head.As Grim grows into his new identity, he struggles with his dual nature—the emotional scars of his past life bleeding into his present one. His difficult personality and sharp tongue remain, now paired with noble privilege and expectations. Despite his outward brashness, he carries the deep wounds of his first life and the fresh loss that welcomed him into his second.What begins as one orphan's second chance evolves into an epic journey through a world of ancient beasts, elemental magic, and deadly political intrigue. As Grim uncovers the truth about the Ambrose Clan's fall from grace and the conspiracy that framed them for treason, he faces increasingly dangerous adversaries—both human and monstrous. His quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family's legacy will challenge him to master forbidden techniques, forge unexpected alliances, and ultimately decide whether to rebuild the Ambrose Clan as it was, or transform it into something entirely new.In a realm where power determines survival and ancient secrets lurk beneath noble facades, Grim must learn that sometimes the greatest battles aren't fought with swords, but with the choices that define who we truly are.