One Piece : Brotherhood - Chapter 221

The current Empress Dowager once gave birth to a daughter, Zhao Shu, before she was remarried to the Late Emperor.

A’Shu was renowned for her beauty in Hebei since childhood.

Before getting married, her elder brother and sister-in-law advised her that Liu Xun was a man of profound thoughts and schemes. Relying on her beauty, they fear that she wouldn’t last long.

A’Shu said, “Everyone says that this man is kind and cultured, winning the support and love of the people, but he is indifferent to women. He is still single at such an age. So even if I am to use my looks to gain his favor, I’m afraid I wouldn’t know where to start either.”

Only after the wedding did she discover that the rumor couldn’t be more wrong!

Kind and cultured he may be but indifferent to women??

Haha, she couldn’t see it at all!

Liu Xun’s elder brother recently died. Barely starting his mourning period, he married the daughter of his enemy.

In the beginning, they were as incompatible as fire and water. Who would have thought that before long, he would be brought down to his knees, worshipping the very hem of his wife’s skirt. From then on, the couple slowly overcame enmity and suspicion, gradually knew and cherished each other through the struggles of enduring humiliation and trying to turn the tides.

- Description from Novelupdates

I watch him, his green eyes brimming with concern as he gently massages my scarred leg. The sensation is both soothing and a stark reminder of my own inadequacy. The once-feared Crimson General, a symbol of power and invincibility, is now nothing but a frail shadow of his former self. I’ve been abandoned, left to decay in this forsaken place, my family and comrades long forgotten. Darkness had become my only solace, and I had resigned myself to it.Then he arrived, a beacon of light in my endless night. His presence, his care—it’s more than I ever deserved. Yet, I find myself clinging to him with an intensity that borders on madness. I hate that I need him so desperately, that his every action and word have become my lifeline. It consumes me, a torment I can't escape.“You don't have to do this. Please, don’t do this. I’m nothing. You deserve better. Leave. Please,” I beg, my voice trembling with raw anguish, the very words tearing me apart.He continues his work, seemingly unaffected by my pleas.“Why are you here? Look at me! I’m nothing.”Desperation and anger swell within me, mixing into a maelstrom of anxiety. I can’t comprehend the emotions coursing through me.“You're my alpha, where else would I be?” he responds softly, his gaze unwavering, as if my pleas were mere background noise.My heart races, torn between overwhelming relief and paralyzing dread. In that moment, I realize the truth: you would have to tear him from my cold, lifeless arms. I’m never letting go.General Thorne, betrayed and broken, finds new life and love with Omega Noelle, who nurses him back to health. Their deepening bond reveals Thorne’s softer side, offering a chance at happiness. Unfortunately, Thorne’s past soon catches up with them, threatening their newfound peace.

When the man in front of her tried to touch her hand, she instinctively took a step back from him—as she didn’t want him to get hurt. “Please don’t touch me for your sake,” she said to him. The man smiled a little and replied,” Don’t worry about me, Celestia! Nothing will happen to me.”She was startled as he had called her by her actual name. She had kept her identity a secret—as no one is supposed to know who she really is. “How do you know my…. real name?” she asked him nervously. “I know everything about you, Celestia,” he said and moved near her. “I know you better than you know yourself—”Her heart throbbed when his hand got near her skin. She thought that he would be thrown away from her and get severely injured—just like all the other men did.But surprisingly, nothing happened to him when his sturdy hand clasped her pearly white fingers. With his other hand, he held her chin and fixed his alluring gaze on her. “How... How are you even able to touch me?” Celestia asked him. “Because you are mine—” he answered in a deep tone. “Others weren’t able to touch you—as you only belong to me—”She winced slightly when he suddenly grabbed her tiny waist and pulled her closer to him. Then he leaned down and kissed her pale cheek. “Only I get to touch and kiss and make love to you! Because you are forever destined to live with me,” he whispered in her ear and made her shudder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~He is feared by everyone else in her kingdom. His powers are infinite, and he can do things beyond other’s imagination. Even though everyone considers him dangerous, Celestia sees a different version of him. He is ruthless and cold to others—but whenever he sees her, he surrenders himself to her.Despite the warnings of others, she finds herself slowly falling for him. Even after she becomes his lover, she is unable to predict his true nature.What are his true motives? And what circumstances are forcing him to join hands with the dark side?And why does he desire Celestia so much that he is willing to kill any man who even thinks of touching her?!

I Became Hades, the God of the Underworld from Greek and Roman Mythology