The Aftermath of Having Slept with the Villain - Chapter 209: Stand-in Lover (21)

Ananya never expected death to bring her into another life.One moment, she was running her parents’ restaurant in the modern world.The next, she opened her eyes in silk robes, surrounded by hostile stares — the Queen Consort of the empire.But this body was cursed in everyone’s eyes.The Emperor loathed her.The mistress laughed at her.And the court whispered behind her back.Only she wasn’t truly alone.> “Finally, someone can see us!”“What kind of Queen Consort are you, so calm even with ghosts in your chamber?”“Shut up, Wei Rong, let her breathe. She looks like she’s about to faint.”Three ghosts — a stoic scholar, a brash general, and a mischievous noble girl — lingered at her side. They were invisible to all but her. And with them, she learned to survive the poisonous palace.When rumors spread that she was cursed, Ananya stood before the empire’s court.Instead of tears, she offered proof. Instead of fear, she offered dignity.> “If Heaven believes I am cursed, let the fire and smoke betray me. I will not hide.”And Heaven sided with her.Outside the palace, crises struck — starving soldiers, missing supplies, merchants growing fat from stolen grain. Inside, Lady Zhen, the Emperor’s favored mistress, grew bolder by the day, flaunting her beauty and mocking Ananya’s quiet grace.> “Sister, do you still dream of winning His Majesty’s heart? Look at you — plain, dull, unworthy.”“If simplicity is a crime, then let it be mine,” Ananya answered, unshaken.The Emperor indulged Lady Zhen openly… but in the silence of night, he tasted Ananya’s food, lingered at her table, and found himself unsettled by her calm.> “This is not palace fare,” he muttered.“It is lighter,” Ananya replied softly. “Easier to sleep after.”Step by step, conspiracy thickened. At a grand banquet, a poisoned cup was placed in Ananya’s hand. But a ghost’s laugh echoed in her ear — and the cup was swapped. A dancer collapsed instead.From that night on, the Emperor’s gaze changed. He began to notice the woman who never begged for favor, never fought for attention, yet always endured.Still, war brewed at the borders. Betrayals reached even the throne. Assassins crept through the palace halls. And the one person who seemed weakest became the calm at the center of the storm.Through whispered secrets, mischievous hauntings, and quiet resilience, Ananya carved her place in the empire.She would not simply survive.She would rise.And the Emperor who once despised her would one day whisper only her name.

Betrayed by his sister. Betrayed by chosen one's humanity. Betrayed by the Gods.That was how the life of Leonard, the Defier of Fate and the world’s greatest heretic, came to an end.When demons invaded human lands, he received a revelation from the Goddess. She commanded him to act as a spy, to infiltrate the enemy ranks and expose their secrets for humanity’s sake.To fulfill this mission, he had to sacrifice a part of his soul. He accepted a demonic contract, surrendered his soul, and became a demonic human. Risking everything, he provided critical information to the humans and helped them turn the tide of battle.But then, he had a shocking discovery.The war was nothing but a gambit between various gods and before he could act, the war was stopped out of nowhere.In an unexpected turn, humans and demons put aside their hatred and signed a peace treaty.Before Leonard could make sense of it, he was betrayed. Both demons and humans joined hands to kill him.“Fuck! If there is a next life, I swear I will tear you gods apart!”With this scream, he thought his suffering was finally over.But…When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the body of Kael Veydrin, the son of the Grand Duke of the Heizen Empire. But this new life was no different from the last.His sister wanted to get rid of him.Born with clogged vessels and no talent, he was nothing but a disappointment.A subject of fun and ridicule among the fellow nobles.Despite rebirth, nothing seems to change.The cursed fate.The distorted history smearing his name.A world that was against him.Leonard, now assuming the identity of Kael, let out a low chuckle.“Don’t worry, Kael. I will have revenge for both of us.”“They called me heretic right? I will show them how a true fucking heretic acts.”Follow Kael's journey, as he fights against the fates and injustices to drag the ones ruling above.

The day Louis discovered his girlfriend's betrayal, he died from a gunshot wound to the head. Fortunately, fate smiled on him and allowed him to be reincarnated in a magical world as the youngest son of an SSS-class family.That same day, he awakened his Class—an event that should have marked the beginning of his rise.Instead, it marked his downfall.[Ding! You have awakened an SSS-Rank Class.][Class: God of Money][Rank: SSS]A god? Yes, that's beautiful. But a god of money? In the eyes of his proud family, that title was a joke—an insult. The weakest, most useless Class imaginable.So, they banished him, stripped him of the family name, and cast him aside without a second thought.But they were unaware of his skill, abilities, and the potential that money could bring.He smiled as he saw himself banished and looked at the system.“If you fire me, it's okay. I'll keep creating missions even if I end up in a garbage dump, and I'll come back for your heads someday.”Two system messages flashed before him.[Your actions generate money, and money makes you stronger.][You have the ability to create missions.]Under the influence of his newly acquired Class, he will delve into all the magical paths this world offers, become embroiled in political intrigue, and conquer kingdoms on his own.“Money? I'm the God. Women?” That's fine—I have plenty.

Adeline Donovan thought she had the perfect marriage and the perfect husband until the night she walked in on her husband, Theodore, tangled in the arms of his secretary. Humiliated, she takes her young son and returns to her grandfather’s estate.But running from her marriage doesn’t mean she can run from responsibilities. For years, Theodore had been managing her shares in her grandfather’s powerful business empire. Now, with the truth out, Adeline steps forward to claim what is rightfully hers.She demanded to be divorced but her grandfather gave her a challenge instead; to make a proposal to Darien Hawthorne—a rival tycoon with a reputation as cold as the empire he built.Darien is dangerous, a rumored international playboy, and everything Adeline should avoid.How hard could it be?Unfortunately for her, she breaks a bottle of wine on Darien’s head on the first day they meet while in a drunken state.What seems to be a simple, yet nerve-racking business arrangement forms into a dangerous turn of events when family members turn greedy, enemies close in, and Adeline has to fight her feelings for Darien.As her world unravels, only one question remains; will she choose to stand by Darien, or walk away from the man who has become both her greatest rival and her most undeniable desire?And Darien, would he be able to fight his desire for the woman he’s loved since his teenage years especially when he has to make a choice, Adeline or his family?