"Eyes filled with pure, unconditional trust. You usually only see that in beasts, don’t you think so, Miss Rian?"... more>>

The name Rian felt unfamiliar. Though she had lived just as many years as Rian as she had as Jiah, the name still felt like it belonged to someone else.

“You must have mistaken me for someone else.”

She brushed it off with a reply she’d given countless times before. Like a machine, she repeated the same line. Jiah had no intention of becoming entangled in his life ever again.

“I never said it was a person.”

“...Pardon?”

When she furrowed her brows slightly, Tristan’s lips curled into a smile right before her eyes. She thought she had walked straight into a wordplay trap.

“I lost the beast I once raised. I thought you might be able to find it.”

She couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious. Jiah didn’t answer right away this time. She took a moment to choose her words carefully.

“I’ve never raised an animal before.”

She had never raised one, never lost one, and never tried to find one either.

“Let’s find out. I believe someone like you could, Miss Rian.”

The certainty that he would never know the truth wavered slightly. <<less

“Getting hit by the reincarnation truck? Sounds like a worthwhile experience.”... more>>

My tedious past life ended when I was struck by a reincarnation truck. But now I'm told the accident prevents immediate reincarnation? As compensation, I’ve awakened inside a mature, reverse-harem, dark fantasy game. I was ready to indulge, but why must my character be a virtuous wife? Even worse, deviating from this persona incurs penalties, potentially even death. Yet, even in a crumbling world, there's always a loophole, and I found one.

[Open Bastian Belmond’s route?]

“You shouldn’t have provoked me.” Barely concealing the twitch of my lips at the warmth radiating from Bastian’s large hand, I firmly pressed [YES] . Time to begin conquering these characters, one by one, for my polyamorous happy ending. <<less

Countless letters, invitations, love notes, and marriage proposals circulate through the Empire’s high society.... more>>

Not a single one has passed without first going through Countess Lehinar’s ghostwriting office.

One day, a request arrives from the Bulow Ducal House, known as one of the Empire’s pillars.

“I’m so overwhelmed with love letters that I can’t focus on my work. I’d like to hire you, Countess, to write the replies.”

The contract is set for two months, the time the Duke intends to search for a fiancee.

But he doesn’t seem to have any intention of actually finding one.

“Countess Lehinar, the weather is lovely today.”

“Countess, if your work is done, shall we go for a walk?”

As the two months draw to a close, the Duke calls for Countess Lehinar.

“Countess, would you enter into a contract with me?”

“Aren’t we already bound by a contract?”

“Not that one. I mean a different kind of contract.”

A fake engagement to fend off love letters, and an old secret that lies within the Bulow family.

The key to everything might just be Countess Lehinar.

Female Protagonist: Dennis Lehinar — The sole survivor of the Lehinard Count family, known for offering truthful counsel to the king. She became the Countess of Lehinard at a young age, inheriting only disgrace. After the fall of her family, she now runs a ghostwriting business and has earned a reputation in high society.

Male Protagonist: Dietrich Bulow — Head of the Bulow Ducal House, a pillar of the empire known for his unmatched martial prowess. Not only is he highly skilled, but he also possesses strikingly handsome features admired by all. Yet, he curiously avoids high society. There is a reason for his self-imposed isolation: he is under a curse he wishes to keep hidden. <<less

Do Heewon (31) – Illegitimate son of the LK Group Chairman, Omega... more>>

“This is my scent. No matter where I go, you have to remember it. Got it?”

A rare case: someone who initially presented as a dominant Alpha but is now transitioning into an Omega. He’s so handsome, people can’t help but turn their heads when he walks by. Due to his mysophobia, he avoids physical contact and holds himself to perfectionist standards at work. He hides his secondary gender, and though he has a strong sense of pride, he’s burdened with many insecurities.

Handsome Bottom | Older Bottom | Capable Bottom | Prickly Bottom | Domineering Bottom

Shin Geonwoo (29) – 3rd-year researcher at LK Electronics, extremely dominant Alpha

“Team Leader, you told me to remember, no matter where you were. So I always did.”

A golden boy who excels both professionally and socially. So dependable and attractive that he was even featured in LK Electronics’ internal magazine. Though he looks as gentle as a puppy, he’s cold toward everyone except Heewon. Like a dog, he’s incredibly sensitive to the scent of others. <<less

Me… a frog monster?... more>>

The very night he reunites with his ex-lover of two years,Bipa is struck by a bizarre and twisted curse.

To break it, he must reconnect with Geonryeon...

“Is that really all you came to say? Don’t ever show your face in front of me again.”

“Screw it! I’m done! Eat well, live well, you bastard!”

A shamelessly straightforward uke vs. a stubborn, emotionally walled-off seme

A constant push-and-pull romance full of bickering and drama <<less

Due to a friend’s betrayal, Yang Yohan ends up in the worst dungeon of all, the Abyss. In this monster-infested dungeon, Yohan encounters Lee Hyunmuk, once considered the strongest Awakened in Korea, who had gone missing in the Abyss years ago.... more>>

“Mr. Lee Hyunmuk, please don’t kill me, okay? I’m human…”

“Human…”

“Yes, I’m human… and so are you, Mr. Lee Hyunmuk.”

However, Lee Hyunmuk has been half-driven mad by the influence of the Abyss. Yohan struggles to survive alongside him, tending to wounds and foraging for food, during the rare moments when Hyunmuk regains his sanity.

“Every few decades, a certain phenomenon occurs here. And I call it a ‘Flood.’”

“A Flood?”

“The closer the Flood gets, the worse the contamination and madness become… just like how I was moments ago.”

But when an unexpected Flood strikes, Hyunmuk loses his mind completely…

“You’re a sheep, so why don’t you cry?”

“I-I’m not a sheep, I’m Yang Yohan…”

“My little lamb-lamb.”

A brutal environment, a festering wound on one leg, terrifying monsters howling as they attack,

and now the erratic behavior of a deranged Hyunmuk…

Thus begins Yohan’s tear-filled escape from another world! <<less

Han Joohyuk, the most admired student on campus.... more>>

His glances sometimes lingered on Yeseo — was it just coincidence?

As fate would have it, a series of moments alone together revealed a different side of him — warm, gentle, kind.

Yeseo, bright and pure like sunshine despite her hidden emotional wounds, couldn’t help but fall in love with him.

“I like you, really.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve never thought of you as anything more than a good junior.”

Three confessions. Three rejections.

But one day, after seeing her with another man, the very person who rejected her picks a fight.

“I never said you could move on to another guy so fast.”

“You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either… is that it?”

Han Joohyuk was a walking red flag.

He said he couldn’t date her, but got jealous and lustful when she was with someone else.

“Every time I see you, I get hard. I want to hold you. I want to sleep with you.”

Torn and shaken by his unpredictable and obsessive emotions, Yeseo begins to realize the painful truth:

To her mother — who favored her twin brother and gaslit her — she was always the lesser child.

And to the man she loved — she’s something too precious to give away, but never cherished enough to keep.

Will she finally accept the truth — that he never really loved her? <<less

HOTEL NAPOLITAN

When the restaurant I worked at went under,... more>>

and I was mindlessly scrolling through job sites—

I found this listing.

[Now Hiring: Sous-Chef Assistant]

— Room and board provided —

・Double the standard salary

・Promotion to sous-chef after 1 year

・Bonuses and overtime paid separately

Applicants unable to follow workplace rules will be rejected.

“Too good to be true?”

“Of course it is.”

On my first day,

I realized I’d stepped into something truly dangerous.

"There are rules you absolutely must follow

if you want to survive working in this hotel."

Hotel Napolitan – Restaurant Staff Code of Conduct

6. If the guest isn’t human, act normal. Continue service.

7. ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒.

8. After closing, sterilize all dishes with salt.

(Do not use regular salt. Only use what’s provided by the supply team.)

9. If you hear a woman’s voice from the freezer—never open it.

Memorize the rules. Follow them.

That’s the only way to stay safe here.

HOTEL NAPOLITAN

“Leave if you want.

But you won’t make it far.” <<less

The revenge against Valter and ‘Gram’, who killed her father—that was the only force driving Diana forward. ... more>>

“A sword is not a tool to rule people with fear.”

“Diana, you must never create such a sword.”

Was it because she had forgotten her father’s advice?

The sword she forged could not surpass ‘Gram,’ and in trying to protect it from Valter, Diana met her end.

And when she opened her eyes again…

【Diana Isla, are you sure you’re okay with killing Amin Wilhelm?】

Not only could she now hear the voice of her sword, but she also found herself as a bride plotting to kill Amin, Valter’s older brother, to escape a marriage she despised.

“If you can stab me with that, I’ll nullify this marriage for you. For reference—my heart is right here.”

Diana glared at him and said,

“What if I no longer wish for your death but someone else’s instead?”

“Like who?”

“Valter Kainen.”

“…”

“The Emperor of this Empire.”

Given a new life, Diana seeks to achieve the revenge she couldn’t fulfill before by teaming up with Amin.

But Amin’s unexpected demeanour keeps stirring up Diana’s heart.

“So, what do you think? A son or a daughter, my dear?” <<less

Like a dandelion seed floating on a spring breeze, pickpocket Yoongyeon had been living however he pleased. Then one day, he was caught red-handed for stealing a wallet from someone he should never have targeted and ended up imprisoned in Dojae's house until he could pay back the money.... more>>

It was imprisonment alright, but he was given a place to sleep and food to eat without any shortage. Should this be called "imperial imprisonment"?

Despite having a warm back and full stomach, having lived his entire life doing whatever he wanted, Yoongyeon follows his instincts and tries to escape whenever he gets the chance.

Even as he keeps getting caught and running away again, the malice they had toward each other somehow transforms into curiosity and a love-hate relationship, and just when a strange atmosphere seems to be forming between them, the two end up easily crossing a line they shouldn't have!

From creditor and debtor, now they've become lovers, boyfriends... no, anyway, it seems like Yoongyeon and Dojae have become "that," and Yoongyeon's heart is in turmoil.

Meanwhile, instead of embracing Yoongyeon with the warm and mature charm of an older man, Dojae charges at him like a runaway train!

"Haah, you're so cute I could kill you."

"P-please don't... kill me."

“Huh? Why the hell would I kill you?”

“Just now you said…”

'For my first and last boyfriend... lover, at least he's decent-looking, so that's fortunate.' <<less

“Vasilisa, you are a truly lucky child.”... more>>

Born destined to inherit all the gold in the world, baby Vasilisa was kidnapped by the village’s Count and Countess, who mu*dered her parents to seize the fortune for themselves.

Unaware of this truth, Vasilisa grew into a beautiful woman, pursued by countless suitors. While the Count’s family enjoyed the wealth and prestige that rightfully belonged to her, a turning point arrived.

“A dragon, isn’t he a fitting match for someone as beautiful as you?”

She was offered as a sacrifice to the dragon. How fortunate she was, to repay the village’s kindness with her life. But Vasilisa’s thoughts had changed.

“Dragon Koschei, hear my plea!”

Even if the dragon treated her like a worthless fly, Vasilisa was determined to plead with him and achieve her revenge. <<less

Becoming engaged to the Crown Prince had been Edna's lifelong dream, proof of her worth in her own eyes. Achieving it, however, led to the Prince's plunder, her family's ruin, and finally, her own treasonous end. ... more>>

Reborn, Edna found herself facing an unexpected proposal—from Duke Ian Lombardi, the very man to whom she'd entrusted her dying breath. Powerful, handsome Ian Lombardi. The more she learned, the more her heart ached for him.

The Emperor's bastard. The Empire's shield. Despite his grand titles, he lived in abject poverty, constantly scorned and mistreated. Edna resolved to accept his proposal, not out of love, but out of a desperate need to protect her family and herself.

'This time, may we both survive.' <<less

Seo Jae-ha—someone who effortlessly charms everyone he meets and lives a life seemingly free of obstacles. One night on his way home, he stumbles across a stray dog and, unable to just leave it, decides to take it in.... more>>

But the next morning, what he finds lying beside him isn’t a dog— It’s a naked man…?!

“What are you?”

“Ju Hae-hyun.”

“No, I mean what are you?”

The man, Ju Hae-hyun, insists that he was the dog from the night before and that he’s a descendant of the mythical Haetae. When Jae-ha refuses to believe him, Hae-hyun transforms into a dog right before his eyes. He then proposes that they live together, promising to cleanse the strange aura clinging to Jae-ha.

To make things worse—or better—Hae-hyun even saves Jae-ha from drowning in the campus lake.

After a literal near-death experience, Jae-ha finds himself unable to completely believe… or dismiss what’s happening. And right in front of him, watching only him, is the “dog”—or rather, the Haetae descendant, Hae-hyun.

But there’s something odd about this guy. The way he clings, the strangely familiar affection, …Could it be? Does he… like me? …He does like me, doesn’t he?

Is Jae-ha right about his hunch? What exactly is in Hae-hyun’s heart…?

***

“Ju Hae-hyun, why are you so damn pushy?”

At those words, Hae-hyun flinched and turned to him, looking a little shocked.

“Why are you calling me Ju Hae-hyun?”

“…Isn’t that your name?”

Their words volleyed back and forth like ping-pong as Hae-hyun’s steps slowed. Now walking beside Jae-ha, he grumbled in protest.

“Why are you calling me by my full name? Don’t add the surname. Just call me by my first name.”

Was this guy a 21-year-old college student or an 11-year-old kid…? He had to know what kind of look Jae-ha was giving him, but he stood his ground.

“I don’t like it when people use my surname. Call me just by my name.”

The drama was real. Jae-ha stared at him and teased with a light jab.

“You don’t even listen, but now you’re giving orders?”

“I’ll listen well!”

That mouth sure didn’t quit.

“You think I don’t know you were moping around the house in dog form just to rebel?”

“That’s… Sunbae, seriously, don’t you think that was a bit much? How could you not once try to comfort me? I was literally curled up as a puppy!”

Suddenly, Hae-hyun unleashed a flood of complaints. They came pouring out so smoothly, Jae-ha almost thought he was listening to a home shopping host.

***

“Just break up already!”

The sudden shout echoed down the stairwell, making Jae-ha’s heart lurch. The voice, full of raw frustration, reverberated off the steps.

“If breaking up is the solution, just do it! Why can’t you do even that? You used to call them your perfect partner—now you’re taking it all back?”

Thump, thump. His heartbeat quickened. Everything blurred, and Jae-ha clenched his fists. He didn’t want to process what he was hearing—refused to.

“Whatever. Until you sort things out, don’t contact me. I’m not picking up.”

Jae-ha recognized it instantly—he could, because he’d heard it so often and paid so much attention. That firm tone was laced with a strange sort of clinginess. Just like the way Hae-hyun spoke to him.

“That’s not what I meant…”

Hae-hyun’s voice felt far away. Jae-ha’s eyes drifted into space as he stumbled backward, slowly at first, then faster—like he was fleeing—until he was speed-walking down the hallway. The sunlit corridor quickly fell silent, as though no one had ever been there.

“Just break up already!”

“You used to call them your perfect partner—now you’re taking it all back?”

Even after leaving the scene, the words kept ringing in his ears. It felt like he’d been punched in the chest.

There was nothing concrete to identify who the other person in the call was. But Jae-ha’s instincts whispered to him—screamed at him—it was option 1.

So all that time Hae-hyun hadn’t been contacting that girl… It wasn’t because Jae-ha had asked him to, or because he liked him.

“Until you sort things out, don’t contact me.”

Was it all just because of some fight with her?

After that, Jae-ha wandered aimlessly. His mind was blank, like it had been scorched black. Betrayal, sadness, resentment—a storm of emotions swirled violently inside his chest.

How— How could you? <<less

"Good heavens, can a face even be that horrifying!" ... more>>

"Never, ever take that mask off."

Princess Ariel of Charden becomes the attendant to the Crown Prince Ludwig of the Romanov Empire due to an accident caused by her twin brother.

A failed transformation spell, meant to conceal her identity, leaves Ariel with a severe burn scar on her face.

Despite Ludwig constantly mistreating her because of her unsightly appearance, Ariel steadfastly continues her life as the attendant Rapunzel to the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, there are people around. I think I should wear the mask."

"Isn't this good enough?"

When did it start?

The moment Ludwig began to feel his heart race when seeing the bright and quirky Rapunzel.

Amidst his intense narcissism and conflicting emotions, he comes to realize his affection for the monstrous attendant.

"This is a mask I've made just for you."

His large, warm hand touched her cheek, replacing the cold mask.

The warmth that made her heart flutter endlessly also began to stir Ariel’s feelings...

Will Ariel, transformed into a monstrous attendant, be able to return to Charden? And what will become of the narcissistic Crown Prince's love? <<less

A man who, since childhood, had been handed business cards with the question of whether he ever thought of becoming an actor. ... more>>

Moon Chaehyuk.

Two years ago, in the rain, a man named Seungho, drenched and desperate, leapt into his arms, and in an unplanned twist of fate, they spent the night together.

When Chaehyuk woke up the next morning, the person who had been lying next to him was nowhere to be found.

All that remained was 30,000 won and... “this”?!

What on earth made him leave this behind?

Chaehyuk couldn't help but wonder, puzzled, frustrated, and intrigued. Soon, it was embedded in his memory.

Now, this mischievous man who came back looking for him, Chaehyuk finds himself unable to stop wondering what's going on inside his mind.

But this cheeky little puppy, who’s completely forgotten about him, feels uncomfortable and scared by the presence of the large, intimidating superior.

Two years ago?

What in the world happened back then?

***

“Seungho, do you... not like me?”

“Pardon?”

Moon Chaehyuk slowly turned the pages of the book he was holding and placed it on top of the pile of books Seungho had stacked.

As his sharp features tilted slightly, the defined line of his jaw became apparent.

The slight smile on his face didn’t seem angry, but there was something about him that made people feel strangely intimidated, like a thug coming to collect on a loan.

His height and build only added to the pressure.

Seungho found himself trailing off involuntarily.

“Sir, what do you mean by that...?”

“I was wondering if you threw that book because you didn't like me.”

“No, no, that's not it! Why would I... misunderstandings, that's all!”

Seungho hurriedly explained, not understanding why such an assumption was made.

Moon Chaehyuk lightly lifted the neatly stacked books and stood up.

Seungho quickly rose to help, but Chaehyuk casually dropped the pile of books onto the desk.

“If it wasn’t because you disliked me... then is it because you like me?” <<less

※ Please note that this work contains elements such as confinement, self-harm, coercive acts, and depictions of violence.... more>>

Baek Na-eon lost his beloved partner of five years in a tragic car accident. Just as he was barely beginning to process the grief, he was soon overwhelmed by harsh realities: his younger sibling’s medical bills and problems stemming from his father’s work.

Then one day, a man who looks exactly like his dead lover suddenly appears before him—Choi Ki-won, the younger brother of Ji-won.

Ki-won offers a suspicious kind of kindness to Na-eon, who is already struggling to survive each day.

“Wanna date me? If you go out with me, I can take responsibility for your brother’s treatment.”

“I dated your brother for five years.”

“Perfect. His face? His money? You probably liked that stuff, right? I’m pretty similar, aren’t I?”

Eventually pushed to the edge, Na-eon takes his hand—without realizing that what he’s grasping is poison.

“If you behave, I’ll keep treating you nicely. So, how about you take it off for me?”

“…What?”

But the salvation Na-eon thought he’d found, turned out to be a rotting lifeline, and by the time he realized Ki-won’s true nature, it was already too late to run.

“I told you I want us to have a good relationship. Why aren’t you answering me?” <<less

Top: Ki Yujin (28 years old), 189cm. A famous actor of Canadian descent with gray eyes and light brown hair.... more>>

Bottom: Seo Namwoo (28 years old), 178cm. A South Korean police officer.

When to Read: When you want to see vivid horror unfolding around the survival of people in strange and eerie places, and the love that blossoms within it.

Memorable Quote: “Don’t let him lie down just anywhere.”

Namwoo, who had lost consciousness due to an earthquake, woke up in a tilted building. The lower floors of the building were submerged in water, and outside the windows, thick fog obscured everything. He gathered people scattered across the floors to wait for rescue, but no rescue team came. And with a power outage, the nightmare began.

※This is a sequel to Nobody Knows.※  

※You can enjoy it without reading the previous work.※ <<less

Virtual reality game... more>>

I fell into the game I made!

It took me a moment to realize what was happening

The main quest popped up in front of me.

[Tutorial: Your first steps as a GM :)]

[Correct the errors and restore the world to normal]

[Reward: Wishing Power♥]

I was about to quit out of boredom, but my muttered words were accepted without question.

I was a GM I didn’t ask for.

I met the characters I had created, my children.

“Take care of me there, Hannah.”

Aram, who didn’t get the ending he wanted.

“What the hell did you do?”

Karl, a character I loved and couldn’t let go of.

And so many other lovely, lovely, lovely characters.

I love you guys!

I’ll save the world for you!

Hannah, the bug-fixing, incident-causing heroine.

The people around her ooze her personality.

Will she be able to save the world? <<less

Kim Soon-young's last summer in Chungmu.... more>>

Seventy years old, nearing the end of her life.

She, too, had a love so painful that she could never forget it.

Yoojin, who bore a resemblance to her daughter but had a completely different expression on his face, got out of the car.

"Yoojin!"

I ran out, startled.

The Yoojin who had once been a little girl was now a grown woman, standing tall and looking back at me.

"Grandma!"

Taller than Ji-yoon by a hand's breadth and with longer strides, Yoojin quickly walked over and took me in her arms.

The scent of a vibrant, seductive perfume lingered, along with the firm, youthful beauty of her smooth body.

I felt as if I were holding a bouquet of flowers, as if I had gathered wild summer flowers, full of life and beauty, at the foot of a midsummer mountain.

Ah, this child...

How could she be so young, so full of life?

The youth that once burned in all of us like a raging fire, tormenting and consuming us, had somehow left me and now seemed to dwell in her.

"Have you been well?"

Yoojin, who had just held my frail, withered body in his arms, looked up at me.

Her smooth, radiant face glowed with youthful energy and she looked at me like a goddess of youth herself.

I reached out and brushed my hand across her face.

My granddaughter's face.

The face that carried the essence of my daughter.

It was as if the face of my own child, born from my own flesh and blood, was reflected in hers.

" Grandma, I missed you so much!"

"Yes... yes, I missed you too."

Every day, every moment, I thought of you.

You and your mother.

"And... that person?"

I glanced over Yoojin's shoulder at the black car coming to a stop in the car park.

Could her fiancé be in that car?

"Grandma, I'm so nervous."

"I can't believe this day has finally come for me.

"I never imagined it either, but seeing you so happy fills me with joy."

And I meant every word.

If this child could be happy - if she could find true happiness - I wouldn't ask for anything more.

The car parked at the harbour, the engine shut off with a soft click and the driver's door slowly opened.

A tall man stepped out into the sunlight.

And at that moment, time seemed to stop.

No - was it my breathing that had stopped?

He was...

This man was... <<less

The Wolf of Paitan... more>>

The Beautiful Warmonger

The Incarnation of the Devil

These terrifying nicknames belong to Carlos, the Grand Duke of the northern Duchy of Paitan, a man feared by all.

When he, who had sworn never to marry her, changed his mind, Margaret believed it was her destiny.

"If you don't want to die, you'd better follow me quickly."

Even on their wedding night, when he left her with just those words, she found herself thinking, "Interesting."

When they met again and he showed interest in her maid, Margaret still didn't mind. She had planned to leave quietly soon anyway.

"What were you taught to do on the wedding night? I’m sure you learned everything."

Even when the Grand Duke reached out to her seductively, she remained unmoved.

"Just stay like this for a moment."

Even as he touched her body longingly, she felt that their bond was never meant to be hers.

"Until you die, or I die, or until we both die, we can never part."

However, upon discovering the secret he had been hiding,

"Because it’s a fate that has bound us for a very long time."

She realized she had been mistaken.

Everything had been wrong from the beginning.

From the very start, their marriage was destined to end in death. <<less

I died at twenty-two.... more>>

Yet I woke up at sixteen.

First by accident, then once more as an experiment.

By the third time I died and awakened,

I accepted the truth—my miserable life as Princess Aira of the Empire kept repeating.

"Please marry me."

In my first life, desperate to escape the Empire, I proposed a contract marriage to the King of the Archipelago.

The King welcomed me warmly and loved me, but it ended in tragic failure, and I became consumed by vengeance.

Even after completing my revenge, I found myself starting a new life again.

"Marry me."

This time, I proposed a contract marriage to a Republic Admiral who had helped with my revenge before my regression.

I needed to find a way to end this endless cycle.

"I have no interest in children."

Jens Will, merely a naval lieutenant at this point, rejected me outright.

Clearly, this strategy was flawed. Seeing me contemplate my next move, Jens offered an alternative:

"There are better options than outdated solutions like marriage. You can seek asylum and protect yourself from the Empire through a different path."

"?"

"Enter the Republic's military academy. You're still sixteen, aren't you?"

Me—once the Empire's princess and Queen of the Archipelago—becoming a Republic cadet...? <<less

A boy who survived a horrific battlefield—Baek Sahyeon.... more>>

Having lost even his master, he arrives in the mighty nation of Pasa, driven only by vengeance.

There, he becomes the teacher of Dan Ijae, the 8th prince who has no interest in the fierce struggle for succession.

To earn the king’s favor, Sahyeon must teach an insufferable student—one who disrespects his teacher and cares little for learning.

Even if doing so means shattering the life he tried to lead, away from the royal feud.

And yet, somehow…

“Strange… Why is it that when you're near, that scent disappears?”

The more he learns about Dan Ijae…

“Yeonju is not a place fit for living.”

Sahyeon's eyes stung. He closed them and squeezed out the tears left clinging to the corners.

“It’s far too cold.”

…the more he begins to desire something different.

“I cannot live like that. No, I must not live like that.”

He must not waver from the warmth of kindness—

For he carries the weight of those who died by his side.

But what if it’s not kindness?

What if Dan Ijae truly deserves to carry out Sahyeon’s revenge?

Then… might he be the one Sahyeon could stand beside—

And look upon the throne together? <<less

When she reunited with the boy who had grown into a man,... more>>

Aila's heart pounded despite being consumed by guilt and fear.

She longed to conceal her deceptive sins and remain by his side, feigning ignorance.

Yet, past mistakes lingered unforgiven, and as she found herself burdened with another sin, Aila felt everything slipping away from her grasp.

Her body, mind, and the very depths of her soul were completely ensnared.

Aila's voice quivered uncontrollably, heavy with shock.

"That my... my transformation into an omega... it was all because of you, Your Grace..."

"Indeed," Dantalion replied cheerfully, casually smoothing back his hair. His tone suggested a complete lack of concern.

"And what, pray tell, seems to be the problem?"

The alpha gently lifted his weeping omega's chin, tilting his head with apparent incomprehension.

"Now you can stay in my embrace forever, exactly what you wanted." <<less

When a pet dies, aren’t they supposed to wait beyond the rainbow bridge? ... more>>

Though I wasn’t expecting a river of pet milk or trees bearing treats, I never imagined that such a bleak cityscape awaited.

After sending off his black cat, Kamangi, in tears, Baek Rokdam fell asleep.

But upon waking, he found himself in the afterlife for pets.

Unlike what he imagined, the gray buildings stretched endlessly, a harsh and lifeless world beyond death.

Before he even had a chance to be disappointed, he was thrust into grueling labor and unrelenting hardships.

One day, amidst his exhausting life, he stumbled across a tiny egg on the street.

Thanks to his gift of seeing things others couldn’t, he noticed that this seemingly ordinary rock actually held life within.

Unable to just walk past, he picked up the egg…

“So, could I ask why the kitten over there keeps glancing this way?”

But it seems that three divine beasts are searching for the egg I possess.

* * *

The little one, who was barely the size of Rokdam’s arm, had a smooth, black shell on its back.

Despite its tiny and adorable appearance, this one was a full-fledged divine beast, a black tortoise, born for the first time in twenty years.

The little black tortoise giggled as it nestled in Rokdam’s arms, reaching up to touch his face with its soft, chubby hand.

As he caressed the baby’s plump, soft hand, Rokdam smiled brightly in return.

You’ve already grown a lot in just one month.

“Ma.”

“I’m not your mom; I’m your uncle, okay?”

In just a bit more time, it was said that this little one would fully grow into an adult form, but for now, it was hard to imagine this small baby turtle ever growing big and mischievous like the others.

“Ma, waah. Ma.”

Unable to call him “Mom,” the little tortoise furrowed its round eyes in frustration, its pouty lips sticking out.

Rokdam chuckled helplessly at the sight, realizing there was nothing he could do.

“All right, all right. Call me whatever you want.”

“Mm, Ma. Food.”

‘Mom, uncle—whatever makes you happy.’

Rokdam patted the little black tortoise and rummaged in a pocket under the cradle.

“Ah, geez.” <<less