My Family in the Novel? - Chapter 16: Truthful Rewards

When Yao Ling saved a handsome man, she never thought that there would be a day she would propose a marriage to him.

The royal bastard of House Vasquer, Argrave, changed after his stay studying magic at the Tower of the Gray Owl.

The sickly man's awkward posture and cruel behavior have been replaced with a neat dignity and acerbic wit.

Though once listless, he now strives towards his goals with a life-or-death tenacity.

Most come away thinking he seems to know too many details about too much. Few can claim to know his motives or his goals.

Yet behind that confident appearance, the primary contributor for an open-world RPG's wiki battles existential dread and things far beyond his ken as he struggles to adapt to a grim, gothic fantasy world mirroring his favorite game.

The prospect of fighting against a world-ending calamity loses all of its appeal when it transitions from entertainment to reality.

Argrave is spurred towards unwanted heroism to preserve his life as he struggles desperately to keep this sinking ship afloat.

“I cannot come to you with my problems when you have the weight of the kingdom on your shoulders. I would rather suffer in silence so I do not bother the king-”“Your husband,” Tobias corrected Hazel, placing his hands on her shoulders to comfort her as her eyes filled with tears. It pained him that he had not noticed how much the palace had been slowly breaking her. “I am your husband first. Do not hide your sadness from me,” he said, wiping away a single tear that slipped away with his thumb.…Hazel Wallace never thought she would make it far when she was picked to enter the selection for the next queen. In a surprise turn of events, she finds herself tangled up with the future king, Tobias Castro.Hazel once thought she would be strong enough to survive living in the palace walls. As queen and with Tobias by her side, she had nothing to fear. That was until the crown was placed on her head. Soon she realised the dangers in the palace and how not even the queen was safe from scheming men and women.Each day she spent in the palace, Hazel felt like a piece of her was slowly breaking away. Eventually, Hazel wanted nothing more than to run out of the palace, but after betrayals from people she thought she could trust, Hazel sought to become the person she was before entering the palace and get revenge on those who sought to take away her crown.Tales of Castro Nobility story timeline order -The King’s Unbreakable WifeThe Knight’s Mysterious MaidThe Duke’s Masked Wife

“Evil God of the Universe, You are in every space and time. Present in every dimension of reality and govern the darkness of our world.Oh, almighty Atticus! Hear our plea and grant us your presence tonight, awaken my Lord!”The rain had completely stopped and the strong gale had subsided into the fading raindrops. The night had turned eerily silent and only the sizzling and cackling of the fire entered their ears.Suddenly, they all felt like floating from their feet despite setting foot on the watery, hard ground, as if they were traversing into space. The darkness of the night gradually turned darker, enveloping them, morphing into everyone, like a void eating them slowly. Sequentially, their breathing turned oddly slower. Despite exaggeratedly inhaling air to breathe, it was to no avail, as if a higher entity was limiting them from breathing.Nolan felt his throat and tried to open his mouth to gasp more air but failed. Everyone but him was in a state of indignation and panic as they struggled to breathe to fill their lungs with air. Nolan tried to calm his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped inhaling air in pure panic, instead, he put his heartbeat and breathing into a rhythm. It was hard at first, but after a minute, he found his breathing gradually went stable.His whole being was in pure anticipation of what was going to happen next.After a couple more minutes, the storm completely subsided, the night turned to normal. Nolan remained standing, taking in his surroundings with his eyes closed. Everything turned silent. The eerie atmosphere and the crackling of the fire from the hay figure didn’t even enter his ears. Nolan waited for a couple more minutes, his breathing turning normal. He was reluctant to open his eyes, afraid he might ruin their ritual.“It’s alright now, Young Master. You can open your eyes now.”Nolan’s breathing hitched. He jolted on his feet as he fluttered his eyes open.“Atticus? W-why are you here?”The butler, standing in front of him, a raincoat hung on his arm, smiled. “I am everywhere, Young Master, in order to best serve you.”****Atticus, a demi-god from the underworld, was cast out of his parents' realm and banished to the human world. The reason? He had yet to give them any grandchildren.Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is purely the product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real people, events, or beliefs is entirely coincidental. The intention is not to disrespect or diminish any faith or tradition, but rather to explore ideas within a fictional context. Reader discretion is advised.