I Was Banished from Heaven, Now I'm the Demon King's Stepdad?! - Chapter 29 – “The Clone Who Forgot What Love Is”

Cairn is a prince who is already tired of ruling. Faced with an imminent coronation and an overbearing father, he wants nothing more than to drown his responsibilities in cheap liquor and poor decisions. With the help of his sister, he hatches a plan to escape the clutches of the throne once and for all. It all goes terribly wrong, and Cairn finds his priorities shifting in the face of unimaginable tragedy. The change of heart comes too late, however, and Cairn dies. He reawakens to find himself transported ten years in the past. He immediately begins to plan for the future, only to discover his killer has somehow followed him. To succeed, Cairn must unite the kingdom and discover the motivation of his killer, using as many tries as it takes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I exhausted pretty much every time loop story ever written and decided to write my own. You'll see a few similarities here between this story and some existing stories, at least initially. There's a lot of inspiration drawn from both MoL and Re:Zero, though in terms of pathos and darkness, this story leans more towards the latter. Be warned, it is something of a slow burn. The main character will grow and become powerful, but a theme of this story is that power comes slowly and often at great cost.

Divorced, disowned and down on her luck, Shui Anluo was determined to move on and live a peaceful life… That is, until her ex-husband somehow managed to find out about her baby. Now, he’s insisting that she should move back in with him.

Soon, he realizes that he cannot live without her… But the road to marriage is bumpy, and Shui Anluo isn’t too willing to go through with the heartbreak again.

Can she take back everything that belongs to her? Will she find the courage to jump in and fall in love again?

- Description from Novelupdates

Nora is shattered a month before her wedding when she uncovers her fiancé's deceitful affair. As she manages this betrayal, she discovers a deep ploy to hinder her from claiming her rightful inheritance. Devastated but determined, Nora takes a daring step to regain control of her life. Enter Demetri 'The Demon' to those who know him, a formidable man barely known to her, who offers her protection and support in return for a contract marriage to satisfy him. In a twist of fate, Nora marries Demetri to claim her inheritance and fight those who plotted against her. But as she battles her own family and Demetri's many rivals, will she be able to keep from falling for the man known to crush people beneath his booted heel.Excerpt:She had forgotten that the man was intimidating and directly challenged him.Rather than speaking, Demetri rose from his seat and approached her deliberately. Although it was a mere few steps, time seemed to stretch for Nora. When he was almost within touching distance, his hand gently landed on her knee, moving it sideways. His touch moved with a hint of a caress, and he stepped between her open legs. Nora sat there in frozen silence, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.Catching her chin between his fingers, he tilted her face upwards and spoke unhurriedly,“ You are my wife.”She nodded her head slowly in affirmation while his thumb slowly traced her lip. “I have given you time to gather your emotions.”Another nod. Nora's nervousness made her lick her lips, acutely aware of his intense gaze fixed upon them.“Your reason for the marriage was to secure your inheritance and get away from under your mother's thumb.”“Yes...” Nora whispered in confusion. Her confusion was not about his statement but about the bewildering sensations coursing through her. What was happening with her?”It's time for you to fulfil your end of the contract, yes?“ He continued.”Yes,“ Nora whispered breathlessly. Why was she breathless? Had the oxygen level in the house dropped? Was the air suddenly thinning?Abruptly, his hand left her face, and she watched as he drew closer. It was then that Nora comprehended what was unfolding. All those tantalizing, heart-pounding kisses she had read about in novels were about to possibly become her reality.But the anticipated kiss didn't happen. Instead, he paused near her and commanded, ”Kiss me.“

Ryzel, a nineteen-year-old guide, was expecting to marry Dwight, but the man changed his mind a month before the wedding.“I’m sorry, Ryzel.I wanted a nice and compassionate wife, so I am going to marry Sean instead.Unlike you, who were usually preoccupied with other things, he always showed concern for me.Not to mention how highly compatible we are with one another.I've actually met him before, but he persuaded me to date you because he feels sorry for you.”Without even waiting for Ryzel's response, the man left.Ryzel, who was left behind, can't even bother caring about his heart because he's been dealing with a lot of issues as a result of the sudden rejection.He was turning 20 in a month, which meant he had to be married according to the federation's laws.After he reaches the age of 20, the government's assistance will cease, leaving him to fend for his own expenses.If he is not married to a powerful sentinel, he will not be able to reclaim his inheritance and will be forced to die on the front lines.He instantly began looking for solutions, but his hope kept dwindling as his birthday approached without a proper solution to his problems.On the day he felt all hope was lost, his ex’s superior, General Lewis, proposed to him.“I'm not gentle and kind; my priority probably won’t be you; our compatibility may not be high; do you still want to marry me?” Ryzel questioned, fixing his gaze on the general.“It's okay, I don't need my wife to be gentle and kind. Our compatibility is also high. You can focus on your studies, job, or dreams. As long as you remember that you are my guide.”“Okay, let’s get married.”------------------------This is the story of Ryzel's advancement in career and love life, even with all the troubles surrounding him.