MTL - My Stepmother is Soft and Charming - Chapter 2 The general returns

Roy died during a war against the Evil God Cult, but somehow, he returned back in time to 30 years in the past where he was just a boy who awaken his summoning magic.

On the distant Tianxiu Planet, there exists a group of unusual and intelligent beings. They consist of neither children nor elders. They have neither birth nor real death. They are born into the world through an extremely special process and have managed to keep their fundamental memories of survival through their endless reincarnations.

They are the Tianxiu people.

For every Tianxiu person, if they find someone they like and want to bind as partners with each other — then they would have to go through a life or death Adult Ceremony. The winner of the ceremony will become the absolute dominant in this spousal relationship.

While the defeated one will be referred to as — Qizi.

- Description from Novelupdates

As the leader of bandits, Yan Jinyi has been a bully for twenty years, and she ended up causing her own death. The next thing she knows, she wakes up and finds that she has become the Second Young Mistress of the Huo Family. Wielding her knife, Yan Jinyi starts to throw her weight around conceitedly again. Young Master Huo says, “If I’m still single, I’ll probably marry my sister-in-law.” Third Young Master Huo says, “If I could turn back time, I would have vied with my brother to marry my second sister-in-law. Miss Huo says, “If I were a man, my second sister-in-law would be my woman!” A CEO says, “I thought I was roguish enough, but I didn’t expect Yan Jinyi to be more of a hooligan than I am!” The Best Actor says, “Huo Xishen, why are you still not divorced?” Second Young Master Huo points to Yan Jinyi and says, “She is mine.” Rumor has it that the second daughter-in-law of the Huo Family can beat a home wrecker up and is especially good at making money. Countless bigwigs are lining up to make a cuckold of Huo Xishen.

[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.