The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 17: Isadora and Bernard

He was once the most feared villain in the empire, a master of manipulation who wove chaos from the shadows. Ruthless, untouchable—until the day he was betrayed and executed by the very man he sought to control.But death is not the end.He awakens in the body of Lady Elara Valcrest, a fragile noble girl doomed to be a pawn in political games. Stripped of her former power, she is forced into an arranged marriage with none other than Cairon Everhart—the man who once killed her. He does not recognize her, but she knows him. And she will never forget.To survive, Elara must play a new game. One where deception is her only weapon, and trust is a dangerous illusion. She must outmaneuver her enemies, uncover the truth behind her execution, and reclaim the power she lost. But as she navigates the treacherous world of court intrigue, one question lingers—Was Cairon truly her greatest enemy? Or had she been blind to an even greater threat?Time is running out. The villain has been given one last chance. And this time, she refuses to lose.

A young man, killed because of his sister's identity as a Psychic, was reborn into a parallel universe's version of himself and began a new life.The growth path of a true villain boss. In the past life, he was ordinary and powerless to resist, but in this life, he awaits the moment to turn the tables

When the Terminally Ill Noble Allenbert woke up from his fever, he realized that he was the reincarnation of Karzan, the mad dog who roamed the underworld.…But something about this place doesn’t feel right.“Allenbert, nobles need secrets and darkness.”The sinister and chilling schemes of his brother, like a snake, are suffocating him from all sides.“You’ve been causing quite a stir lately.”The powerful and authoritative eyes and ears of the head of the family are hidden everywhere, watching him.“…When will I see Mother?”Meeting his mother, who has secluded herself due to a mental illness, seems impossible.“But it’s okay.”Karzan failed, but Allenbert’s journey is just beginning.“Two lives, two revenges.”There’s no mercy.I’ll pay back with interest, and make sure it’s done properly.

A full dive VR game has been released, A New World. While it is not the only VR game in the world, this one has one advantage over others:

Being able to play it even while sleeping.

Like one would think, many people jumped to try and claim the first headsets. Mostly gamers, but some other types of people too. Our MC, Eldrian, is naturally a gamer who could not wait but to try it.

Quickly he and everyone else who bought the headsets found themselves in a world, not just a game. While realism is nice and all, the amount they were given was just too much...

Players started taking emotional tolls from playing the game, and when the company made a shocking announcement. This was amplified.

--------------------------

AN:

I started this(July2020) just about a year ago now(June2021) as a newbie writer, and am proud with what it has become.

I will warn people that the game and real-world is truly integrated, as well that the story is slow.

Things don't magically happen for the sake of the story, I always try to figure out what would happen if this was reality. (Though I might fail sometimes in achieving this.)

I also try to be interactive with my readers, maybe too much... So do comment, I read all the chapter comments and most of the paragraph ones.