Valkyrie's Shadow - Chapter 18Before the Storm: Act 5,

After dying a pathetic death as an overworked office drone, I woke up reincarnated as Archer—the bastard prince of the Brutish Empire.My existence is a royal secret as My father, the King, would rather pretend I don't exist. My half siblings get royal treatment while I'm hidden away like a dirty secret.But I have a secret of my own. I was OP.By age two, I realized monsters flee from my stupidly OP mana. By age ten my mana could level cities—if I dare to unleash it.When my half-sister is kidnapped by the demon king, I finally decided to step out of hiding to become the strongest in this new world.

In ancient times, there were seven types of evil thoughts, each of which possessed the power to confuse, and muddle, people’s hearts. Every single person that came into contact with one of the seven, would inevitably undergo a sudden change in personality and temperament, and commit the unforgivable crime of murder.

Determined to rid the world of these seven evil thoughts, Lao Zi forced the seven evil thoughts into seven separate bamboo strips and secured the opening of such bamboo strips with the Phoenix Lock, and, in so doing, finally succeeded in sealing the evil bamboo strips.

But who would have thought, that the evil bamboo strips would, in due course, reappear on the surface of the Earth……

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In the year 1368, at the end of July, deep crimson shall descend from the heavens.

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It’s been 11 years since I’ve lived for others and not for me.

The moment I cried out wanting to get away from my exhausting life, I opened my eyes in the body of some Count’s 20-year-old daughter.

Since this happened, I decided to live my life freely as a single woman.

But…

“I need a lady to act as my fake wife for a certain period of time.”

“A contract marriage?”

“The term is one year. When the time is up, I’ll give you divorce with no strings attached.”

The Duke of the Empire whom I had happened to meet at a ball was hitting on me.

Turns out he’s no other than the Emperor’s beloved brother, Duke Scade!

Hold on, it’s just going to end in a clean divorce with no strings attached?

“You should also give me alimony. Give me one of the best lands of the Ducal household with 10 years’ worth of profit.”

“…..What?”

“If you don’t want to do that, then we cannot get married.”

This time I’m going to live a life taking care of the things I need first!

***

“I’ll escort you since it’s late.”

Where to? My bedroom is just around the corner.

“Tonight, I’ll do my best.”

No, I don’t need you to do that.

“Did you just look at that man?”

Excuse me, Duke, you said it’s for a limited time only, so why do you keep obsessing over me?