MTL - Cold Palace’s Abandoned Consort - Chapter 16 Can it be a woman?

“You are the Yan family's heir. From now on, you are a boy, not a girl.”From the moment Yan Xiuran could walk, those words defined her existence.As the eldest child of the Yan family, she was never allowed to be weak, never allowed to make mistakes, and most of all—never allowed to be herself.For twenty years, she lived as the perfect son—ruthless, brilliant, unstoppable.Until the day she was no longer needed.Her sickly half-brother recovered.Overnight, she was framed for crimes she didn’t commit. Branded a traitor. Disowned and exiled.“You were never my child. You're a bastard.”Stripped of everything, Yan Xiuran vanished.Five years later, she is no longer the forsaken heir but Li Xiyan, a nameless medical student with no past.But fate has other plans.Assigned to care for the fragile daughter of Shen Yuze—her family’s greatest rival—Xiyan is dragged back into the world she swore to abandon.Shen Rui clings to her.And her cold, calculating father? He refuses to let her go.“Stay by my daughter’s side, and I will give you everything your family took from you.”Her family abandoned her.Now, her enemy treasures her.

[From the Author of Author's POV...]

Emotions are like a drug to us.

The more we experience them, the more we become addicted.

The hardest part is not letting them consume us.

But it's already too late for me.

I've already been swallowed whole.

***

I had no knowledge of the game.

I was meant to have died.

And yet, I found myself in this situation.

A game I had never played before. A character I was unfamiliar with, and... A world that seemed to want to swallow me whole with every move I made.

What the hell is going on?

...and who am I?

……………………………………………………………

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(Third Person Limited PoV.)Betrayed by his fiancée, mocked by his siblings, and disowned by his family—that was Lev’s fate.Even when he regained memories of his life on Earth, where he realized that his world was strikingly similar to his favorite novel, it still didn’t help him change anything.How could it be?Because the protagonist of the story had already achieved his happy ending—gaining a beautiful wife and living a blissful life. Meanwhile, the world continued to move forward.What do people usually do with a novel that has ended? They tend to stop caring about the world within it, even if it falls into ruin, especially if the novel isn’t particularly popular.The world Lev Razanov lived in shared a similar fate—it was destroyed.[Hero’s System successfully installed.][Critical condition detected.][Do you wish to return to the past?]Lev was given a chance to return to a time when the story of his favorite novel had just begun.Although he was destined to become an extra villain—a pawn of the pawns serving the real villain, he vowed to end the lives of anyone who had caused him suffering: his siblings, his fiancée, the main character, or anyone else.[Hero’s System inherits your desire from your life on Earth—the desire to do good.]“Who said killing your enemies is an evil act?”

Zephyrine should have died that night. It was her wedding day, but it turned out to be a mourning day for her.She lost her parents, the Alpha and Luna, and worse still, she was framed for their deaths by the fiancé she was expected to marry.Zephyrine barely escaped death and promised herself to avenge her parents death. She became a queen—a fearless queen with a pack.She crushed those who stood in her way, even challenging great Alphas and those of high authority.Despite all this, little does she know that fate had other plans in store for her.She finally found her mate, and he was none other than the Lord of the Grims.She refused to let the mate bond tie her down and chose to grow stronger while protecting her pack.The Lord of the Grims was forbidden from having a mate following the betrayal from the werewolves that happened centuries ago. But despite it all, the Lord couldn't help but fall deeper in love with Zephyrine. He protected her and acted as a shield, refusing to leave her side despite how she pushed him away.Zephyrine and the Lord encountered different situations of life and death, bringing them closer.Unaware of his true identity, she began to fall in love with him.Those from each realm found out about this forbidden love and decided to put a stop to it.Zephyrine discovered his true identity, realizing what the werewolves had done to his kind.She chose to fight for love despite all odds.Because some loves are written in fate.And some must be fought for in blood.Will she be able to stand against the two realms and still fight for the one she loves?What other danger lay ahead in their love story?Excerpt from the book“You carry yourself like you're untouchable,” Caden said, his voice low and smooth. “Like no one can reach you. But I see right through that mask, Zephyrine.”I held my ground, unwilling to let him see how much his presence was affecting me. “If you think you can intimidate me, you're mistaken. I've stood against worse than you.”His lips curved into a faint smile, but there was something deeper in his gaze now—something that felt like fire. “You feel it, don't you?” he murmured.I stiffened, my wolf practically clawing to get out. I did feel it—the pull, the undeniable connection that tied me to him. My mate. The realization hit me like a tidal wave, and I hated how vulnerable it made me feel.“You're wrong,” I said sharply, though my voice wavered. “Whatever this is, I don't want it.”Caden's eyes softened, but he didn't back down. Instead, he took another step forward, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating from him. He raised a hand, brushing his fingers lightly against my cheek.“Deny it all you want, Zephyrine,” he said softly, his touch sending sparks through my skin. “But your wolf doesn't lie. You can feel it, just like I do.”I shivered, hating how my body betrayed me. My breath hitched as his thumb gently traced along my jawline. “I've been waiting for you,” he continued. “And now that I've found you, I won't let you go.”I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay firm. “I don't need a mate,” I whispered, though the words felt hollow.Caden's smile widened, but it wasn't mocking—it was warm, almost tender. “You may not think you require me,” he said, his voice steady, “but I promise you, Zephyrine, you'll want me. And when that time comes, you'll submit—not because I demand it, but because you'll choose to.”The way he said it made my heart stutter, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.Before I could respond, he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “You'll see, my queen. You can try to fight it, but you'll be mine in the end.”He pulled back, his intense gaze locking with mine one last time before he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, breathless and trembling.My wolf was practically purring, but I wasn't going to give in.Never.