A Soldier's Life - Chapter 174: Good Cooks Are Hard to Find

“Just leave, boy. I have arranged a marriage for you, and she's a stunning beauty. Consider yourself lucky!”With his master fleeing with the money, Lin Chen, filled with sorrow and anger, left the mountain to find his fiancée. However, on the way, he was abducted by a beautiful woman who forced him to pose as her fake boyfriend. The most important thing was, this woman looked exactly like his fiancée.

“Get your filthy hands off my wife!” Ford’s commanding voice boomed through the room.Mrs. Johnson, stunned, released Elena’s wrist immediately.Ford stepped forward, his eyes sharp and unyielding. “I chose her. I need her. She’s mine. Don’t ever think you have a right over her again. Consider this your only warning—to you and your daughter.”Taking Elena’s trembling hand in his, Ford led her away. His grip was firm yet reassuring, and for the first time in years, Elena felt protected.Sitting in the car, tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe someone had stood up for her. Then, as her emotions overwhelmed her, Ford gently turned her face toward him kissing her with passion gradually Elena melted to his touch breaking her walls for the only man who stood by her.For a fleeting moment, Elena felt hope.What happens When Ford learns of Elena’s hidden son.As their love shatters after finding Elena’s Secret, he sends her packing.What happens when Ford finds out that the child born was from a mistake he made years ago while drunk.Will he be able to gain back Elena’s love?Would Elena find it in her heart to forgive?

Hi guys, this is my second novel here, and for you that have been reading my previous novel 'Is this really A Game?!' this one will be quite different. First of all, the system elements are light compared to my previous novel as the world I am writing about is one that had magic and monsters before the system arrived and is available to all. You should expect a dark story with a protagonist that acts like a villain at times and is quite calculative in his endeavors. Anyway, hope you enjoy it, and here is the synopsis.

Lyle was an orphan, he knew not of who his parents were and only had memories of his mother from a long time ago. After being discovered by a mysterious man, Lyle joined the assassin organization and rose through the ranks thanks to his hard efforts, talent, and mysterious origin.

The world suddenly changed during one of his missions, what was supposed to be a slightly more difficult mission became a hard one, and then the change occurred.

Mana ran rampant and the many monsters of the world became stronger, more of them appeared and suddenly the inhabitants of the world that had suppressed monsters for so long were forced to fight the more powerful monsters once again.

For Lyle, it was a chance, however. The system came into his world and he received an opportunity to become more powerful.

Ding!

[ The system has scanned the host and has concluded that the bloodline can be activated. ]

[ Will you activate the bloodline? ]

[ The host will have to sacrifice all the power he has and will be back at level 1 upon doing so ]

“My bloodline, will I finally be able to track him down after doing this?”

“System, activate it.”

[ The host has activated his bloodline ]

[ The host has been marked by the Empress of the Night, it is advised that you become powerful quickly, otherwise, you might get captured ]

“Huh?”

……………………………………………………………

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Akashi was a boy so beautiful it seemed the gods had sculpted him with a touch of mischief and a dash of fragility. He wasn’t handsome in the rugged, masculine way of knights or warriors. No—his beauty was softer, captivating in its innocence. His frame was small, almost delicate, and his pale skin looked as if it had never known hardship, kissed only by the gentle sunlight of his village fields.With wide, striking black eyes that shimmered like obsidian under moonlight, and hair the color of a calm, endless ocean, Akashi possessed a charm that defied age, status, or reason. He didn’t know it, but his very existence pulled at the hearts of those who saw him—like an untouched gem waiting to be claimed.And yet, he had been untouched for a reason. Akashi had never known life beyond the boundaries of his village. He grew up surrounded by warm smiles and familiar voices. Every elder knew his name. Every child wanted to play by his side. His days were simple, his heart untouched by cruelty.But peace is a fragile thing.One night, it shattered.The sky turned crimson. Screams tore through the quiet air. Fires devoured homes. Demons—twisted beasts of shadow and rage—descended without warning. They killed with a hunger that could not be reasoned with.By morning, the village was gone.Ashes, corpses, and silence were all that remained.And Akashi… Akashi was alone.The last heartbeat in a graveyard of memories.He wandered for days, hollow and dazed, until rough hands seized him. Chains replaced freedom. Smiles were replaced by cold appraisals. And so, the boy once adored by all became something else—something to be sold.A slave.At the capital's grand auction house, he was stripped, washed, and displayed like merchandise. His beauty caused a stir. Whispers spread like wildfire.“Look at those eyes...”“That hair... Is it dyed? No, it’s real...”“So delicate... Is he even human?”To them, he was no longer a boy with a heart, but a prize to possess. A fantasy in fragile form.He stood on the stage, trembling slightly, barely able to process what was happening. The voices of the crowd blurred together—hungry, leering, filled with desire and greed. The auctioneer’s booming voice called out the bids as if Akashi were nothing more than a fine vase or a rare jewel.The numbers climbed quickly. Too quickly. Akashi’s knees weakened beneath the weight of invisible eyes drinking him in. He stared at the marble floor, trying not to cry.Then, suddenly, the room fell silent.A voice—deep, commanding, and heartbreakingly beautiful—cut through the air like silk over steel.“Fifteen thousand gold.”Time seemed to pause.Every head turned.At the back of the room, standing beneath the golden chandelier, was a woman unlike any other.She wore a flowing red gown that hugged her form like it was crafted by the gods themselves. Her long, golden hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading over her shoulders with effortless grace. Her eyes, cold and blue as a glacier’s heart, stared ahead with quiet power.Even the nobles drew back. This was no ordinary bidder.It was one of the Princesses of the Three Great Kingdoms.Whispers erupted anew—but no one dared challenge her offer.Who would?She stood like royalty incarnate, a goddess who walked among mortals, and she had just claimed Akashi as her own.The boy raised his head slowly, unsure of whether to feel fear or relief. His eyes met hers—just for a second—and something in his chest shifted. She didn’t smile. She didn’t leer. Her gaze was unreadable.But it was powerful. Absolute.And it made his knees weak for an entirely new reason.He didn’t know her name. Not yet.But she had bought him.And somewhere deep inside, something told him—his life was never going to be the same.