Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 20 - , Conspiracy

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

******

“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.

It’s said that the prince of virtue had almighty martial arts. It’s said that the prince of virtue had the most handsome appearance in the world. It’s said that the prince of virtue was brilliant. But all was legend! A fire ruined his wonderful appearance and his legs. Even the talented bride under their marriage agreement were replaced furtively. Ye Liu-li was his bad-luck substitutive princess. She went a long way to graduate from Medical University and had her internship with pain and joy. Who knew that in order to save a suicide patient, she fell off the building and crossed time into a “chessman” of prime minister. She had also been married to the disabled prince replacing her elder sister. On the wedding night, when most other couples were having their romantic night, she was thrilled. It didn’t matter. Revenge never came too late. She would never let go of any of them who entrapped her or harmed her.

- Description from Novelupdates

Some say he is the bad apple in a basket, that he’s rotting everything around him with disgrace and corruption.

Some say he is the biggest scum of the South Zhanbu Continent, that he’s colluding with the dark sects to cheat, steal, and commit all manner of atrocities.

Some say he is the most wanted playboy. “Lock your daughters at home to keep Fang Xing away!”

To all of those people, “That’s right, I am that big rotten apple. Any problem with that?”

This brand of anti-hero is a young orphan with poor prospects and nothing more than the keepsakes of his uncles. He plots, schemes, and orchestrates all manner of villainy in his quest for power and revenge, unafraid to live precariously and make enemies out of those he really should not.

- Description from Novelupdates

This captivating novel is also adapted into a comic available on Webnovel.----------------------------------Cultivating inner strength with the Nine Yang Energy and training the body to an indestructible state, the Golden Back Nine Rings Saber sweeps across with a forty-yard long silver-blue blade energy. With force sinking into the dan tian, charging left and right, the Descending Dragon Palm bombards everything in sight.There's the Way of the Heart Demon Seed... Self-Forgetfulness... Sunflower True Power... Flying Dagger in the Void... Cassock Subdues Demons... Seven Forms of the Dragon... Palm of Buddha, War God Shattering! All are part of a riveting and blood-pumping journey in the world of martial arts!...The mighty and robust Village Leader, Jiang Dali, sits quietly on his ornately carved pearwood chair, draped in a tiger skin coat over his bulging, strong muscles. His eyes are cold and tranquil as he surveils the newly recruited players sitting on both sides.Flattering praises from these players are incessant.'Mighty Village Leader, invincible against swords and spears, an unmatched Iron Palm – please teach me your martial arts expertise!''Village Leader, can someone with sensitive skin practice the Iron Shirt technique?''Brother, spare the slick talk. The Village Leader is well-known for his ruthless and merciless nature.'A player, who had just resurrected at the City God Temple, makes a grimace, 'Ignorant at first, I didn’t grasp the hidden meaning in his words. The second time I listen, I'm already a soul under the knife. The Village Leader's word is law; asking the same question twice will get you sent on your way. I have no f**ks left to give.'In essence, this is all about a muscleman wielding a big saber, traversing through the thrilling and varied martial world without a female lead. A domineering and decisive tyrant, an Iron-Boss with player characters flowing like water....