MTL - Thrive in Catastrophe - Chapter 44

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

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“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.

Note: There's no magic in this novel. This was previously in the Realistic Fiction genre but it's not included in the choices. So I picked the closest one to it.

Onoda Ruki is just your ordinary high school student. He strived for being the Classmate A who's unimportant to the story.

Despite being the Classmate A. Onoda has a secret desire which he always had ever since young and that was to steal each and every girl from their guy.

Join him as he entered his high school days as he conquer and steal every girl he sets his eyes on. And along the way, the growth in his character and those around him.

*I do not own the cover photo. I will take it out if requested.

*DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious way. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Moreover, the ages of the characters appearing in this fiction are 18 and above.

Ryzel, a nineteen-year-old guide, was expecting to marry Dwight, but the man changed his mind a month before the wedding.“I’m sorry, Ryzel.I wanted a nice and compassionate wife, so I am going to marry Sean instead.Unlike you, who were usually preoccupied with other things, he always showed concern for me.Not to mention how highly compatible we are with one another.I've actually met him before, but he persuaded me to date you because he feels sorry for you.”Without even waiting for Ryzel's response, the man left.Ryzel, who was left behind, can't even bother caring about his heart because he's been dealing with a lot of issues as a result of the sudden rejection.He was turning 20 in a month, which meant he had to be married according to the federation's laws.After he reaches the age of 20, the government's assistance will cease, leaving him to fend for his own expenses.If he is not married to a powerful sentinel, he will not be able to reclaim his inheritance and will be forced to die on the front lines.He instantly began looking for solutions, but his hope kept dwindling as his birthday approached without a proper solution to his problems.On the day he felt all hope was lost, his ex’s superior, General Lewis, proposed to him.“I'm not gentle and kind; my priority probably won’t be you; our compatibility may not be high; do you still want to marry me?” Ryzel questioned, fixing his gaze on the general.“It's okay, I don't need my wife to be gentle and kind. Our compatibility is also high. You can focus on your studies, job, or dreams. As long as you remember that you are my guide.”“Okay, let’s get married.”------------------------This is the story of Ryzel's advancement in career and love life, even with all the troubles surrounding him.

Content Warning:This novel contains mature themes, including explicit sexual content, strong language, and adult situations. It is intended for readers 18+ only. Reader discretion is advised.______________________________________________________________________Haruki thought marriage would bring him happiness. He had been in love with Satomi since high school, and after years of struggling together, they finally built a stable life. But stability came with a price.Satomi was always busy. Work became her priority, and Haruki… was left behind. The warmth of their relationship faded, and intimacy became a distant memory. Nights felt colder, the bed emptier—even when she was right beside him.Loneliness gnawed at him.Then everything changed when Satomi’s family invited him to stay at their luxurious home.That was the first time he truly saw her mother.Kyouko.Beautiful. Elegant. Younger-looking than her own daughter. And for the first time in years, Haruki felt something awaken inside him—something dangerous, something forbidden.Living under the same roof, two lonely souls cross paths. And as Haruki struggles with his emotions, one question lingers in his mind:What happens when the one who understands you most… is the one you should never desire?