An Unexpected Proposal - Chapter 54

Sometimes, as we go about with our lives, we all happen to think of one specific thought at least once.

[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.]

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“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.

Welcome to The Last Step – A Tale of Fate, Power, and the Unforgiven.In a world where magic defines one's worth, three souls walk a path toward an uncertain destiny—each bearing a power that can shape the fate of nations.Lucas, the God’s Chosen Sorcerer, wields divine magic that bends reality itself, blessed by forces beyond mortal comprehension. A shining beacon of hope—or a harbinger of destruction—his path is riddled with expectations he never asked for.Celia, the Queen of Curses, commands a power feared by even the strongest mages. She carries the weight of a past filled with whispers and condemnation, but where others see a curse, she sees the strength to carve her own future.Kaiser, the Unwanted Void, stands apart. Neither blessed nor cursed, he is the anomaly that should not exist. In a world that measures worth by magic, he is a shadow in the light—yet, the abyss within him holds something far greater than mere sorcery.Together, they are bound by fate yet divided by their own battles. As war brews and forgotten gods stir, the lines between hero and villain blur. In the end, their choices will decide more than just their own lives—they will determine the very foundation of their world.This is their journey. This is their Last Step.

Su Li, an ordinary person who lived for 30 years, surviving on social welfare as a laid-back slacker.Occasional pointless complaining and self-defeating philosophical platitudes didn’t bring any meaning to his 30 years.Until he was transported to another world…Su Li, who had no elemental talent, Su Li, who was labeled as useless, lived an unremarkable life.One day, Su Li picked up a person in distress and told them: “The reason you think light is important is only because darkness pervades the world. When light fills the world, darkness will become important.”The Son of Light Saint who was betrayed by the Bishop of Light— He’s right!He is the sage who guides people forward, the signpost standing before the people, my faith, my everything!He is not a god, yet he far transcends gods.Su Li saved an injured mute bird. As birds sang outside the window, he told the bird: “The reason people like things that make beautiful sounds is only because they happen to understand that sound. Because of ignorance, there is no sin.”The Level 9 demon beast Raven, severely injured by the Mercenary Association:— All people are ignorant and foolish, thinking that ravens represent evil, even labeling me as a natural disaster. I hate humans the most, but he is the exception.If the world is what he wants, I too will aspire towards it.Su Li told his young friend who wanted to go to the big city to strive for success: “Moving upward is human instinct. If one day you fall due to reality, please don’t hate yourself.”The friend who eventually amassed enough gold coins to fill a city:I once thought that a child from a remote countryside would never understand everything I pursued. However, heaven blessed me, allowing me to witness true great wisdom…