Ouroboros Record ~Circus of Oubeniel~ - Chapter 55: Portrait of Linus Oubeniel (1)

This is the love story of the 2nd brother of the Dragon Family. He is one of the most successful businessman in the capital and one of the Emperor’s favourites – he is the most eligible bachelor in the capital and every lady in town wants to marry him.

The story starts with the female lead, Ju Mu Er, a blind teacher of guzheng, who goes to pay a visit to Long Yue to ask him to build an awning on his popular business street so her friend, a flower seller, will not get wet and fall sick. Long Yue laughs at her (because he loves money and is calculative) and she makes a bet with him that she can allow him to escape from a pesky female suitor without making it obvious.

She successfully wins the bet and from then on, Long Yue constantly makes her life a trouble (since she costs him so much money)…. not realizing he is slowly falling for her.

- Description from Novelupdates

Suddenly pulled into a world filled with Specters, Fang Xiu woke up with a unique ability: Reset. Every time he died, time would rewind to the moment before he was killed.In this strange and dangerous world, Fang Xiu could have chosen to hide. Instead he announced to the world, “Yes, I’m a prophet. I can see the future!” As his predictions kept coming true, his title of the Prophet spread around the world.His words became the truth. They became the future.“I have seen the future,” he announced, attracting people from all around the world.His followers took it to the extreme, declaring, “Should the Prophet decree your demise one day, don’t waver, don’t question, just obey. For hesitance only leads to a far graver fate.”During a B-level Specter event, known as [the Spawning]A teammate warned, “The creature is hiding among these villagers. We need to be careful.”Fang Xiu pointed to the last row and commanded, “The one in white. Yes, you. Come out!”In an A-level Specter event, called [Lantern Heads]One teammate warned, “This area is crawling with thousands of Lantern Heads. If they shine their light on you, your head will fall off. The scariest part is the Lantern Heads float unpredictably. It’s impossible for anyone to get across safely. Wait, where’s Fang Xiu?”Another stuttered, “He, he…he’s on the other side!”The first teammate exclaimed in disbelief, “What?! How did he get across?”The other replied: “He…he just walked over.”

“The masterminds are cooler than heroes,” I mutter as I stare at the chess pieces before me. It is easier to be the one who sits in the shadows and moves the pieces, likewise deciding the flow of the game.Heroes will foolishly sacrifice their lives for the good cause and villains will sacrifice the world for their own gain, but masterminds will use both the heroes and villains to their own benefit.Why, you ask? Well, that's because I've lost my life once while trying to be a hero so, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather be a mastermind who molds the world as per my convenience and live peacefully. Because, why not?***[Defender of Divine Glory says you are the hope of this world.]What?[Goddess of Wisdom believes that you will be the one to save the world.]Wait, what?![Propose the Grand Duke the idea of a fake marriage.]And, why would I do that?![Stop the assassination of Prince Eric.]Why would I save him?![The candidates for the throne are:... Who will you choose?]Ah! I give up...It seems like a curse that anyone who wishes for a slacker life in Isekai will have to go through the most troublesome things.In my past life, I died because of one rookie mistake but after being transmigrated in the world of fantasy I've gotten an opportunity to start afresh, but unlike the protagonists who look for their love and glory, I'd rather make money and live a life of a slacker.I have magic, I have power and I have money, what else do I need?Well, that was the plan but this damn system is getting on my nerves. I mean who in their sane mind would want to mess with the complicated royal family and political affairs? But that's not all though.I've also become the saviour of this world. Things just can't be anymore worse!Besides, the penalty of failing this quest is...[Failure: Destruction of the World.]It seems like if I screw up in selecting the right person then the destruction that is going to befall the world won't be stopped.If I speak of my reward then it's this vague thing.[Reward: Fulfillment of any wish.]“If that's the case then, I'd rather choose the person who would be the best fit for the throne.”And that's how I decided that I would become the Kingmaker.

In a world where Lycans and werewolves are sworn enemies, Eve Valmont is a werewolf cursed by a prophecy and framed. Betrayed by her own pack and imprisoned for years, her fate takes a darker twist when she is offered to the Lycan King, Hades Stavros—a ruler feared for his ruthless conquests and deadly prowess. Bound by an ancient prophecy and haunted by the ghosts of her past, Eve is now at the mercy of the one being she should hate and fear the most—The Hand of Death himself.Hades, a king carved from blood and his own soul's decay, determined to avenge his family's slaughter and rid his people of the werewolves. He believes Eve is the key to his victory. To him, she is nothing but weapon foretold by prophecy, a tool he will wield to destroy the opposing forces threatening his pack. Yet, he finds himself craving this powerful yet broken woman. Leaving him questioning if she is truly his weapon or the one destined to unravel his carefully laid plans.***He stalked toward me, a predator closing in on its prey, his eyes dark and unreadable. “So, you laugh?” His voice was low, dangerously soft, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how difficult it had become to breathe. “Hades, I—”“But you only laugh at other men's jokes,” he interrupted, his gaze piercing, devoid of any humor. “Not your husband's.” The accusation in his tone was sharp, slicing through the air between us.A nervous chuckle escaped me. “You can't be serious... He’s your beta, for Goddess’ sake.”In an instant, he closed the distance between us, so fast it left me breathless. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me flush against his body, the heat of him making my skin tingle. I gasped, but before I could say a word, his lips crashed onto mine, claiming my mouth with a force that sent shockwaves through me. The kiss was punishing, hungry—I couldn't breathe, couldn't think.When he finally pulled back, I was trembling, my chest heaving as I struggled to regain my breath. His eyes, dark and stormy, searched mine with a possessive intensity. “You can’t laugh at my jokes...” he whispered, his voice a dangerous rasp as his fingers trailed lower, sending a shiver down my spine, “but you’ll come with my fingers.”I shivered, heat pooling low in my belly at his words, his touch. The world around us blurred, fading into nothing as his hand slipped lower, drawing a ragged gasp from my lips. The look in his eyes told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me, and there was no denying the primal connection between us in that moment.“I don’t need your laughter,” he murmured against my skin, his breath hot on my neck. “I’ll have every other part of you instead.”