Ascendance of a Bookworm - Chapter 41 - Hairpin Delivery

There was nothing left to lose in his life.He had lived as a hero. He had started at the bottom and worked his way up to the top, at the end he become the best, yet he had always been betrayed by those he had tried to protect.Humanity did not deserve his protection.When everything went out and he could no longer even hope to beg for his life, he could do nothing but look up at the blood-red sky among the corpses of demons and angels.He wished for one more chance, just one more chance.And when that chance was given to him, he swore that he would change everything. He would no longer be a hero to save people, but an anti-hero to save the world.Sacrificing hundreds of people to save an elf, poisoning hundreds of people to save a group of half-demons.He didn't care about any of that anymore, he would protect those he cared about and send everything else to hell.Not even the gods or goddesses could stop him.

Madeline Celeste d'Aumont is the first daughter of Duke Aumont and Duchess Louise-Marie d'Aumont who has been engaged to the Second Prince of Pays Des Abrutis since she was a child. The Second Prince decided to marry a woman closer to his own age and broke off the engagement to Madeline who was left with a broken heart and a reputation as being an unwanted woman even before she was an adult. The Duke decided to help his daughter regain her confidence and reputation by sending her to the Academy de L'échec.

Ito Aoi was the son of a Kendo master who ran a dojo in downtown Tokyo. One day while crossing the street to get some Yakitori, Aoi was hit by a delivery truck and woke up as the trash first son of Duke Montfort, Guy de Montfort. Duke Montfort also sent his son to Academy de L'échec only Aoi instantly recognized that he was now living in the world of an Otome Game that his sister loved to play and talk about all the time. Aoi recognizes that Madeline is the villain from the game. Aoi also recalled his sister saying that Madeline was terrible in the game, but is she really?

Lenora, an orphaned omega, has always known her place: at the bottom of the pack, toiling away in the kitchen while enduring constant insults. Headstrong and unyielding, she often speaks up for what is right—earning her the ire of her packmates, especially the ruthless Lycan King, Jax, and his confidante, Claire.On her twenty-first birthday, Lenora’s life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that Jax is her fated mate. But instead of joy, the revelation brings humiliation. Jax, embarrassed by their bond, demands secrecy and rejects her outright. When a cruel setup orchestrated by Claire forces Jax to banish Lenora and her closest friend, Noah, tragedy strikes, leaving Lenora shattered and determined to abandon her werewolf roots.Haunted by his actions, Jax tries to bring Lenora back, but she is no longer the omega he once disregarded. Found and manipulated by Jax's estranged brother, Luke—a vengeful outcast—Lenora must navigate a web of lies, uncovering truths about her mate and the dark secrets that threaten to tear the pack apart.As power struggles ignite and betrayal cuts deep, Lenora must rise above the chaos to protect what remains of her heart and her pack. But when love and revenge collide, will Lenora and Jax find their way back to each other, or will their bond be forever broken?