Gilded Ashes: When Shadows Reign - Chapter 144: Window Seat

He rose from abjection and achieved eternity in glory.
He embraced the prettiest beauties and killed the strongest opponents.
He was able to shift the clouds into rain and cover the sky with one hand.
He could overrun the entire world and go anywhere as he pleased.
He pacified wars and held the world in awe.
He was matchless in the world.
However, his hair turned white overnight for his beloved woman and he was on the verge of death.
He was surrounded by enemies who were trying to take his life.
He struggled his way to become mighty and fought for everything he cherished.
For this age, he was the only king of the Dark World.
His name was a byword for might.
As a man living in the world, his only ideal was to pursue brilliance.

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?

After all the effort of climbing from a mere daughter of a concubine to the Crown Prince’s consort, before the veil was even lifted, I had become a “flower vase” actress!

Su Shen: “What? Acting?”

The people in the entertainment industry discovered something strange. The “flower vase” girl with the terrible acting suddenly improved! She was also proficient in all of the four arts (zither, Go, calligraphy, painting)!???

—— ——

Host: Miss Su, there have been rumours that Film Emperor Xie refused to act in this drama because your acting skills are not up to par. Do these rumours reflect your real-life relationship with him? Do you two not get along?

Su Shen: These rumours are all groundless, made up by netizens. He is a very good senior of mine and has given me many suggestions to improve on my acting. We do get along (smile).

Host: Then let’s contact Xie Yan on site.

The phone connected with a “beep”, and a lazy male voice suddenly came through, “When are you coming home, I’m hungry.”

Host: ???!!!

Audience: !!!!!!!!

Su Shen: ╮（╯＿╰）╭

- Description from Novelupdates

A bloodsucking mosquito with the soul of a student, seeking revenge, rose from being weak to powerful, step by step from this unassuming life planet 'Earth', becoming a powerful force in the entire universe!Literary version: Reborn as a larva, striving for self-improvement, and ultimately transforming into a terrifying giant mosquito. From then on, I roamed freely across the universe, traveling the vast universe's starry sky!Passionate version: You weak cosmic creatures! I'm using my mouthparts to consume the core nutrients of your mother star. What can you do about it?Funny version: You think I'm disgusting? You hate me because I suck blood? Want to swat me dead with one slap? Just wait, one day I'll stomp your house down!