Blurb：
Delve into the shadows of Victorian England with “The Enigma of Lord Blackwood,” a haunting tale of forbidden love and dark secrets. Follow Isabella, a spirited heroine drawn into the mysterious world of Lord Sebastian Blackwood, a brooding aristocrat with a cursed past. As their passion ignites, they uncover ancient prophecies, hidden family legacies, and a sinister plot that threatens to tear them apart. Perfect for fans of gothic romance, this novel weaves together elements of suspense, supernatural intrigue, and timeless desire. Will Isabella’s love redeem Sebastian, or will the darkness consume them both? Discover a story where every page pulses with emotion and danger.
Content：
The Beast Nation sent our royal family two beast slaves as a token of goodwill after they were defeated.
My concubine-born younger sister took the tall and upstanding white tiger with piercing eyes, leaving me and the dying merman to look at each other.
In my previous life, I took the merman as my personal bodyguard and trained him out of compassion. I spent a fortune to treat his injuries, and I even bought his slave contract at the price of ten cities and set him free.
He also took great care of me, staying by my side day and night.
I thought we were both in love, so I turned down dozens of marriages and stood by him with all my heart despite everyone’s loud disapproval.
However, when the beasts attacked again and threw my sister and me into the surging river, I frantically pleaded with the merman to save me, only to be violently slammed under the water by his massive tail.
I watched helplessly as he carried my sister away.
I realized at that moment that he had only given himself to me to save his own life.
He had remained loyal to me even after regaining his freedom because he wanted to see my younger sister.
I struggled in the filthy river, eventually suffocating as my lungs filled with mud and sand.
When I reopened my eyes, I was transported back to the day of the beast slave selection.
Looking at the dying merman, I covered my nose and taunted, “Where did this dead fish come from? It reeks!”
Chapter 1
The moment I finished speaking, everyone went completely silent. The beautiful merman blushed with embarrassment.
Lyra Pendragon, my younger sister—her mother was my father’s concubine—did not expect me to be so resistant to this merman. She widened her eyes in shock. “Mirella, can’t you see that this merman is seriously injured? Why didn’t you offer to help him? I can’t believe you insulted him instead! I know you’re jealous that the white tiger chose me first, but you shouldn’t have taken your anger out on this innocent merman! I really didn’t expect you to be so cold-blooded!”
She scrunched up her face, her eyes brimming with concern for the merman.
Father held back his anger, his eyes brimming with disappointment. “I never expected you to be so incompetent. Despite being a princess, you’re so petty with your sister. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?”
The maids whispered to each other, their expressions full of contempt for me.
I remained calm and composed, watching the usually cold and composed merman lift his frail body and tilt his head to rub against Lyra’s palm.
I could not help but sneer, realizing how foolish I was to have never noticed that he wanted Lyra all along.
In my previous life, I thought I was kind-hearted to take in the merman. His name was Thalyx Stormfin, and I kept him by my side and carefully trained him.
I spent a fortune getting the top doctors of the Beast Clan to treat the poisonous wounds on his body.
Worried that Thalyx might harbor resentment toward me, I used the ten cities under me as leverage, exchanging them for his flimsy slave contract to set him free.
To prevent anyone in the palace from looking down on Thalyx’s beastman identity, I knelt for seven days and seven nights, begging my father to grant him a promotion and a title.
I thought Thalyx and I were both in love, so I gave him my whole heart.
I never imagined that Lyra and I would both be thrown into the surging river when the Beast Clan attacked again.
I cried and begged Thalyx to save me, but I watched helplessly as he jumped into the water and held Lyra instead.
Though I was heartbroken, the will to live kept me clinging to Thalyx’s tail.
Clinging to a last glimmer of hope, I asked, “Why didn’t you save me? I’m your master.”
Thalyx seemed to have just noticed me. His cold eyes glanced over me as each word pierced my heart. “I was forced to stay by your side as a slave. Lyra is the only one who truly understands me. If you hadn’t insisted on owning me, I wouldn’t have been forced to watch miserably as the woman I loved fell for another beastman. You’re surrounded by lackeys, and you have people you can count on. You don’t need me to save you, but Lyra is different. As a concubine-born daughter, she’s looked down on and has no support. I’m the only one she has now.”
The icy river water seeped into my bones. I could not believe what I was hearing.
Thalyx’s eyes held no hesitation. Seeing me about to be swallowed up by the water, he impatiently huffed his cheeks and used his massive tail to roughly shove me to the bottom of the river once again.
I had long lost the strength to struggle. I could only feel the mud and sand painfully rushing into my lungs, suffocating me to death in agony.
Even though I had been reborn, the excruciating pain still lingered for a long time in my heart.
Seeing Thalyx again, I felt more than just heartache—my body was consumed with hatred.
No longer wanting to be associated with him, I raised my eyebrows and faked a smile. “Since you care so much about the merman, take him back to your palace.”
Chapter 2
No sooner had I finished speaking than Thalyx excitedly wagged his tail.
Lyra panicked and immediately waved her hand in refusal. “That won’t work. If people found out, wouldn’t they say I’m bullying you again? Are you deliberately making things difficult for me? No matter how much you hate me, you shouldn’t have framed me like this.”
Father looked suspiciously at me as if he was ready to scold me for bullying Lyra.
I knew Lyra never did anything unless it benefited her. A minor concubine-born daughter like her probably could not afford the treatment costs for all of Thalyx’s wounds. Even if she wanted to take Thalyx away, she could not support him.
I narrowed my eyes and smiled. “I’m being sincere. You probably don’t know that this merman has abilities that other beast folk don’t have. As long as you raise him with blood for 999 days, he can fulfill any wish for you. Even if you wanted the moon, this all-powerful merman would be able to get one for you. I want to give this merman to you because you’ll be coming of age in less than ten days, so it’s the perfect gift.”
Lyra beamed with joy and held Thalyx in her arms, her face glowing with excitement. However, Thalyx, who had been looking forward to being taken away by Lyra, started to fiercely struggle.
I immediately went up and covered Thalyx’s mouth. Ignoring the look of shock on his face, I ordered sternly, “Someone, send this merman to Lyra’s palace immediately!”
The harder Thalyx struggled, the more heartache I felt.
One needed to drain blood from the tip of one’s heart and feed it to a merperson for 999 days if one wanted them to fulfil a wish.
He cherished Lyra and did not want her to risk his life for him.
In my previous life, I endured the pain of draining blood from my heart for 999 days, thinking I could finally get Thalyx to grant my wish.
While I begged him to resurrect my biological mother, who had passed away ten years earlier, Lyra caught a cold and made a fuss for warm chocolate chip cookies.
All my efforts over the last 999 days were wasted. Thalyx ignored all my requests and used the wish to get Lyra a pack of warm cookies.
I angrily questioned him, but he harshly rebuked, “You don’t understand how helpless Lyra is as a concubine-born daughter. Only I know how difficult it is for a delicate woman like her to survive in this palace. Why are you so mean? She’s your sister, yet you won’t even give her a pack of chocolate chip cookies.”
Every time I thought about this, my heart numbed from heartache.
Now that I had been reborn, I wanted to see if Lyra would make such a rash wish again.
Watching Thalyx being dragged away, I finally felt at ease and returned to my room.
I thought Thalyx and I would rarely see each other, but he crept into my room that night. He lay on my bed with a grim expression, the crimson blood from his tail soaking my blanket.
Looking at the web of wounds covering his body, I subconsciously reached out, but Thalyx pushed me away with a fierce look before my fingers could touch them. “Don’t touch me.”
His cold eyes were filled with disgust, and he raised his head proudly as if he were the owner of this room.
“I-I need treatment. Give me the medicine, and I’ll repay you many times over in the future.”
Seeing Thalyx’s arrogant expression, I knew he had been reborn like me.
He assumed I still loved him deeply, which was why he spoke to me so arrogantly and domineeringly. “Don’t tell anyone that you met me today! Lyra was just joking around. She had no intention of hurting me. If you spread rumors…”
There was a snap, and a painful groan escaped his throat before he could finish speaking.
After a few seconds of silence, Thalyx’s mouth half-opened in shock as he looked fearfully at the whip in my hand.
“Who gave you the confidence to speak to me like that? You came here to make a scene after failing to defeat the white tiger and injuring yourself. Do you really think you’re a guest in this house? You’re just a mere beast. How dare you challenge me! Do you have a death wish?!”
Thalyx gritted his teeth in pain, his eyes filled with unconcealed shock. “You’re so condescending. Don’t think I’ll get back together with you if you play hard to get! You’re nothing compared to her!”
Even though I had long since acknowledged that Thalyx had never loved me, hearing the aloof statement from his own lips still made my heart tremble with pain.
My mother died young, and my father never treated me well. Everyone thought Lyra was more talented than me and liked her more than me.
Even the merman I had spent decades training loathed me.
I felt pain and resentment, but even more, I felt helplessness.
Thankfully, all this would eventually end. My marriage was scheduled to take place in two weeks. This time, I would no longer refuse for Thalyx’s sake. We would now part ways once and for all.
I frowned and forced back the tears in my eyes. “If you don’t leave my palace, don’t blame my whip for being ruthless.”
Thalyx stood in place fearlessly like a spoiled child.
I gritted my teeth and lifted the whip again. However, the bedroom door was kicked open from the outside before the whip could touch Thalyx.
A cold breeze blew in. Before I could see who it was, a powerful slap landed on my face. “You shameless girl! You’re having an affair with your sister’s beastman. Are you trying to kill her?”
Chapter 3
Lyra’s eyes were red from crying. She coquettishly hid behind our father. “I don’t want your leftovers! If you like him, why give him to me? Do you just want everyone to know that you can take away what’s mine whenever you want?”
Our father’s eyes widened in anger. “You shameless girl! You’re as much of an embarrassment as your mother!”
The maids and ministers surrounded me, hurling insults my way, but Thalyx ignored my embarrassment. He wrapped his tail around my legs and gritted his teeth, threatening me to explain quickly. I had never seen him so anxious before. The force of his tail felt like it was crushing me alive. He was paranoid that Lyra would not want him anymore if I did not quickly speak up. “You can keep me here by force, but you will never be able to keep my heart.”
I would explain to them, but not to please Thalyx. It was because I knew that what happened tonight had affected my reputation and would affect my marriage in half a month. I could endure all the cold stares, but I couldn’t let this ruin my plans to escape the palace.
I said icily, “Father and all the ministers know that as the eldest princess, I sleep in a different room every night to prevent assassination. If I didn’t know where I was staying tonight, how could I have called Thalyx over? Lyra is close to the palace servants and often calls the ladies-in-waiting her good friends. She probably knows this residence better than I do. Could she have sent Thalyx over to ruin my reputation? Lyra, shouldn’t you explain? Why is your beastman here in my room?”
I was calm enough to silence those who were eager to watch the fun.
Lyra hesitated for a long time, unable to offer a clear explanation. “Today’s incident was just a misunderstanding. Mirella, don’t be angry. How about I give him to you as an apology?”
Thalyx looked reluctant to be offered. He looked like he was being threatened at knifepoint. “I’ll go with you. Don’t make things difficult for Lyra. I don’t have bad intentions.”
Thalyx scooted closer to me, eyes closed in humiliation. “I’ll take good care of you, but only if you don’t cause any more trouble for Lyra. Otherwise, don’t cry and beg me when I decide to leave you.”
Thalyx’s voice was barely audible, yet it gnawed at my heart like an ant. I had no idea what I had done wrong to make him hate me so much.
I ignored his outstretched hand and glanced up with a smile at Lyra. “Why should I take back a gift I gave you? If you don’t like him, just abandon him. Why are you teasing me?”
I signaled the maids to send him away. Thalyx had just felt so humiliated asking me to take him yet, but his face went blank at my resolute refusal. However, that expression lasted only a second before he turned his head away angrily. “Don’t cry and beg me to come back in half a month! I won’t come back to you!”
He scoffed and left with Lyra. He probably thought I was just mad at him and that he was not looking his best right now. He assumed that someone lustful like me, who only cared about appearances, would surely fall for him again once he had recovered.
Since Thalyx had never cared about me, he forgot how deeply he had hurt me in my previous life. He had only heard rumors of a grand celebration taking place in half a month. He was so obsessed with humiliating me that he was unaware that it would be my wedding day.
Time flew by, and half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day of the celebration, Thalyx volunteered to perform a song. As expected, his voice was melodious and his movements graceful. All his wounds were covered with gauze that was barely visible, making his performance even more captivating.
After his song, the audience erupted in applause. Knowing he had done Lyra proud, Thalyx held his head high even more smugly. As he scanned the audience, he pledged his loyalty to Lyra. “Don’t worry, Lyra. Even if your sister begged on her knees for me to go back, I would never say yes. My heart belongs only to you!”
He smiled ingratiatingly, yet his eyes looked around in panic.
After all, Thalyx had imagined I would step out and beg him to return to me, or I would at least play some tricks to give Lyra a hard time.
After all the waiting, I still had not appeared. Instead, all he heard was the servant’s high-spirited call. “The princess is getting married! Off we go!”
I sat in the carriage, looking at Thalyx’s disheveled appearance in the wind. My smile was not obvious, but my brow relaxed a little. I was finally leaving this place, and my feud with Thalyx should be over for good.
Amidst the countless people’s farewells, I closed my eyes peacefully. Just as I was about to rest for a moment, the steady carriage suddenly shook violently.
I hugged myself in fear and heard fierce fighting outside. I was about to peek out to see what was happening when a sharp, webbed claw suddenly slashed through my sandalwood carriage.
I met those familiar reddened eyes again and fell into a trance. They glared at me with a mixture of coquettishness and resentment. The usually arrogant voice asked with a hint of flattery, “Getting married was just a ploy to get me, right?”
Chapter 4
I froze to the spot and clenched my fists. However, Thalyx had quickly adjusted himself and regained his consciousness in just a few seconds.
Conflicted, he turned his head to look at Lyra before biting his lip and looking at me. “I’ve been rude. Forgive me.”
Although he was apologizing, his two webbed claws were still tightly grasping my sleeves. “Mirella, that’s enough. You shouldn’t joke like this with me. I know you haven’t forgotten me. Marriage is not a game. You don’t have to sacrifice the rest of your life because you’re sulking. I promise to visit you every two days from now on, so stop being so childish.”
He spoke to himself before looking up and getting up to signal to Lyra, hoping to get her consent. “The last time I was seriously injured, it was Princess Mirella’s ointment that cured me. I should regard her as my savior and serve her to thank her. I hope you’ll say yes.”
Thalyx nervously pursed his lips, while Lyra’s face darkened. “I knew long ago that this merman had feelings for you, but I had no idea that you would go to such great lengths to take away one of my servants. Is this ridiculous scene my punishment for not giving you a good wedding gift? Since you like him, I should let him go, even if it kills me completely. Well, Thalyx is yours. Are you happy now?”
Thalyx was in a dilemma, torn between us both. He did not want to watch me leave, nor did he want Lyra to abandon him.
Before he could even rebuke, I spoke first. “Somebody slap Lyra! Give my good sister twenty slaps. She used a lowly slave to openly humiliate me and defied a royal marriage. This cannot be tolerated!”
As soon as I finished speaking, the whole carriage fell silent. Without hesitation, the elderly servant who worked for me rushed forward and slapped Lyra. “Princess Lyra is ignorant and naturally deserves to be disciplined by her older sister. A lowly servant has made a scene. He deserves to be punished! Don’t blame me for being heartless!”
Lyra’s initial disbelief turned to tears after being slapped several times. She turned to look for someone to defend her. However, today was my wedding day. No matter how chaotic I made things, everyone would turn a blind eye.
As everyone hung their heads in silence, Thalyx once again defended Lyra. “Mirella, you’re so mean. There’s no need to make things so hard on Lyra because of me. I said I was willing to accept you. What else do you want?”
He sighed as he crossed his arms, blaming me for not being sensible.
I scoffed. “You think too highly of yourself. I’ve never cared about you.”
After hearing what I said, Thalyx burst into laughter as if he had just heard a joke. “Don’t you like me? I know you can’t let me go. Leaving me would be more painful than killing yourself. At worst, I’ll just leave Lyra and be with you. You put on such a good act. Why didn’t I realize before that you were such a good actress?”
Thalyx adjusted his clothes, preparing to squeeze into my carriage.
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