The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era - Chapter 548 - 547: Erya Falls Ill

Guys here is my pitch.....In the sprawling world of fantasy, we’ve often been treated to tales of heroes reincarnated with divine blessings, legendary powers, or cheat-like abilities, thrust into magical lands as shining saviors—or chaotic terrors. But what happens when the very concept of reincarnation becomes a curse? When the divine boon is a big fat joke, and the “cheat system” doesn’t quite… cheat?Enter John, the unluckiest reincarnate. Blessed by a god and thrust into a fantasy world, he dreams of glory, power, and adventure—only to wake up as a normal, utterly powerless bird. Not a mythical phoenix, not an ancient thunder eagle. Just… a bird.To make matters worse, this world is no ordinary realm. It's a land scarred by the devastating legacies of past isekai’d heroes and villains, whose reckless exploits piled skeletons into mountains and turned their cheats into harbingers of chaos. Fed up with these unruly intruders, the ancients of the realm banded together to create a world-shaking seal: all reincarnated souls are trapped in the bodies of harmless animals, confined to isolated sanctuaries that function more like fantasy zoos.Here’s the twist: this isn’t mercy. It’s a resource grab. The powerful beast tamers of this realm have turned these reincarnated souls into exotic pets, prized for their cheat-like potential.John finds himself at the bottom of the food chain in every sense. His cheat doesn’t work. His human form is gone. And his world is filled with predatory cultivators who see him as either a snack or a tool.But John isn’t one to give up so easily. What starts as despair quickly turns into cunning survival. With wings and wit as his only tools, John must navigate layers of misfortune, dodge fate’s sharp talons, and cheat his way through a world determined to keep him grounded.Get ready to join John on a wildly unconventional journey—one where reincarnation isn’t a ticket to greatness, but a death sentence he’s determined to rewrite. His story is one of humor, wit, and persistence, as he explores a world where he is the joke and his survival is the punchline.Main tags: reincarnation/isekai, beast taming cultivation system, comedy, action, adventure.Of course No-harem!

The big director of the Jiaye film company was widely known as the Ghost Talent. In the eyes of everyone, he was a famous workaholic who was rumored to be sexually cold. Even so, from the time he became a director until now, there were already many overblown s*x scandals attached to his name.

Then, one day, he suddenly got married.

Yi Ran thought that she married such a man. In any case, she had nothing to lose. Until the wedding night, when they suddenly rolled the sheets and she discovered that…her thinking was too simple.

Have you ever loved someone who turned out to be so different from what you expected? This incomprehensible relationship became an opportunity to change your life, making you unable to forget. Life will be filled with flowers, making you want to cling to his side and never let go.

A lifetime of care is the most long-lasting feeling;

Life with him became a journey that will forever be imprinted in your memory.

- Description from Novelupdates

I am a holy knight. To be precise, I am the Church of the God of Light’s Sun Knight…in training.

The Church of the God of Light worships and serves the God of Light, and theirs is one of the three largest religions on this continent.

As the whole continent knows, the Church of the God of Light has the Twelve Holy Knights, and each one has his own unique personality and features.

To be the Sun Knight is to have shining golden hair, sky blue eyes, a compassionate nature, and a brilliant smile.

…even the Sun Knight-in-training is no exception.

The 38th generation of the Twelve Holy Knights have completed their term of office, yet the time for the 39th generation to take over is still far in the indefinite future.

The Judgment Knight is brash and easily angered; the Storm Knight and the Leaf Knight are always fighting nonstop, day and night.

Since childhood, the Sun Knight-in-training has watched the others grow from kids into adolescents.

What must he do in order to become comrades, who will fight through thick and thin for each other, with this group of “younger brothers”?

“Benevolent God of Light, may I ask when I will complete my training that has taken more than ten years?”

“You shouldn’t have crossed this line, Elisha, if you didn’t want it to be like this.”

A sturdy arm wrapped around her swaying body. Her head became hazy and an intentional hot sweet sigh was pulled out of her.

‘How the hell did I get myself in this situation—’

Elisha recalled. This never happened before.

‘Yeah, I remember.’

Her future in which she would become the fake concubine to a demonic man from the same family, and would be eaten to death—even down to her bone marrow. A future in which the Cartier ducal family is embroiled in a power struggle and fragmented.

To avoid that future, Elisha threw herself at Lucerne, the archrival of her former life.

Yeah. There was no problem. She knew this man, before and after her regression. She already knew he was the most notorious maniac in the Empire.

20-year-old Elisha owes 30,000 gold coins (about 15 billion won in Korean currency or around 15 million in USD).

After going back in time, in order to avoid a hellish life because of debt, she becomes the most capable illegitimate child in the world and visits Lucerne, the archenemy of her master.

“What do you want from me?”

“Please lend me some money. And… make me your subordinate. I’ll give you all the information I have.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“I’ll give myself up as collateral.”

Lucerne listened to Elisha and watched her quietly.

“Okay. But I decide how to deal with the collateral.”

“…….”

“First of all, marry me.”

“…… huh?”

Elisha didn’t expect it either. That her information transaction would become a marriage contract.