Captured Hearts: The Substitute Bride's Gambit - Chapter 45 - When do you want to see me

Mason was a mercenary, until the day he died on a mission after being betrayed by his unit.

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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Dear readers! Without any ads, maybe you will prefer .

When powerless, unfavoured Princess Soleia was arranged to marry the newly titled Duke Orion Elsher, she assumed they would find love eventually.Who knew that her father would send off her husband mere hours later to fight a war?Soleia was left alone to deal with an impoverished fief, a crumbling estate, and spiteful, vindictive relatives of the Duke who all wished to see her gone.She couldn’t leave― there was nowhere else to go. Soleia desperately wanted her husband to return so he could offer her a helping hand. However, when he did, he returned with Elowyn, a woman he claimed was his true love.A woman hellbent on taking her place as the rightful Duchess, no matter what she had to do to get Soleia out of the way.Mistreated, misunderstood, and miserable, Soleia was eventually thrown out of the estate she helped build.Fortunately, when one door closes, another one opens. Unknown to Soleia, a man more powerful than her husband had been watching her, waiting for the right time to snatch her into his gilded cage. Duke Elsher had been foolish to let go― but the crown prince of Raxuvia wouldn’t make the same mistake.***Prequel to Stolen by the Rebel King.

The land of Aleisterre is a world of might and magic, sword and sorcery, where wandering knights and mysterious gods shape the fate of kingdoms. Wang Yu, a resourceful and unorthodox protagonist, finds himself inexplicably pulled into Aleisterre, a place steeped in ancient powers and political intrigue. With little understanding of the magic and faith that underpin this realm, Wang Yu is thrust into conflicts he never sought out—yet must navigate carefully if he’s to survive.Official blurb:Dragons' wings cut through the sky. Knights charge forward, magic tearing apart everything before them. Wizardry distorts the fabric of reality itself. The steam revolution stirs in one kingdom; the endless seas echo with ancient, distorted calls. Gods rule from high above, and the dark abyss leads deep underground.Wang Yu, from Earth, arrives in this unfamiliar world of fantasy.Straightforward and practical to the extreme, Wang Yu hates politics, despises intrigue, and prefers to approach everything head-on. In his own way, he leaves his mark in this mad, chaotic world.“I don’t care to listen to or understand my enemy’s story.”“I'm the tank, and you're the carry. Together, we'll be invincible.”“A man’s got to have a sense of himself, more than anything else.”Armed with an iron hammer and unbreakable will, he smashes through every obstacle in his path.