《The Author's Will》06 | Newborn
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As the days went by, much to her dismay, Irene found herself seeing her father much more often than she liked. Almost every two days, the duke would summon her to his office, and a maid would bring her there to play with him.
Irene herself thought that he would continue to pester her, but it appeared that wasn't his intention. Rudien would simply let her crawl around the room and explore her surroundings, as he worked. Then at moments where he wanted to take a break, he would sit with her on the sofa and put her to sleep.
Each passing moment, Rudien was starting to look more like a father than Irene had expected. She couldn't tell from his perpetually emotionless visage, but she was sure he was starting to develop a fondness for his daughter. And so, Irene decided to test him a little bit.
On one of the days she was at his office, Irene crawled around happily, as usual. She ensured she was within his line of sight, before approaching one of the bookshelves surrounding the room. Irene picked out the shiniest, most important-looking book from the bottom shelf with all her strength, before it fell in front of her with a light thud.
As a bookworm, this feels illegal... But it's okay, since it's Rudien's.
Rudien noticed this, and glanced in Irene's direction. Although she couldn't read and was pretending to be unaware of what books were, she started to pat the cover excitedly, as if she were playing with it.
Look at me, ruining one of your precious books! Irene cackled in her head. You're not just going to sit there and watch me destroy something so valuable, right?
She side-glanced at her father to see if she had his attention, which she did, before attempting to open the book and rip out its pages. It was then Rudien sighed and stood up from his chair, walking over to his daughter before kneeling on the floor beside her, as she started to put paper in her mouth.
"That's not a toy," he told her, taking the paper out of her hands and then picking her up. Irene had expected him to at least be annoyed at her for ruining the book, but rather than that, his eyes roved over her little body with concern. "...There's no papercuts, right? Don't tell me she swallowed the paper..."
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Huh?
He's actually... Worried about me?
Irene blinked at him in awe, amazed. Not so bad, father! Looks like you're finally getting into shape!
She giggled, deciding to reward him for finally showing his fatherly side, by tackling him with a hug. "Dada!" She called out, followed by her baby babble, and Rudien exhaled softly.
"Seems you're alright then," he sighed in both relief and slight annoyance, before calling out toward the door of his office. "Eirwen! Can you call some of Irene's maids here?"
"Yes, my lord!" A male voice responded from outside the room, and Irene gazed up at her father as he carried her securely in his arms, and took a seat at the sofa nearby.
Irene never imagined her father would actually start to care about her. Him showing this protective side was unusual, since he was either ignoring or messing around with her whenever they met. But it seemed with the time they spent together, he was starting to develop an attachment toward his daughter.
If I recall, in my story before, Rudien had ignored Irene since she was born. She thought, trying to remember how things originally played out. I'm pretty sure they never had this routine. Rudien never spent time with Irene as a child, so this is definitely an improvement from the original novel.
With this, Irene was sure she could develop a good relationship with her father. One that could potentially save her mother as well. Although she wasn't completely aware of what would drive Sarah to suicide in three years, all Irene knew was that she needed to mend the bond between her parents.
Rudien paid almost no attention to his wife. It seemed that their marriage was loveless, and he had only wedded her because she was the woman his father, the previous duke, had chosen for him. Despite this, Sarah had love for her husband, and wanted to be able to spend time with him.
But as of right now, Rudien didn't even see her as a priority. In a way, it was understandable. Taking care of such a big empire with no ruler, was no easy feat. Even if the work was distributed among the four dukes, managing the entire military on his own was difficult.
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It was only while considering this, that Irene gazed up at her father, and noticed the bags forming under his eyes. Although he didn't appear tired at all, and was able to maintain his elegant and calm composure, the little infant in his arms was able to notice the fatigue leaking through.
When I see him like that, I feel a bit sorry for him... She thought to herself. If only I could lift the burden of his work, somehow. I am the one who made him like this, in a way.
A father who was always too busy and cold-hearted to have time for his children. Instead, to avoid his daughter's temper tantrums, he would give her as many luxuries as she liked.
That was the kind of father Hanna had aimed for the man to be. In a way, he was a reflection of her own father, who was just the same. A man who felt like more of a stranger to her, in her previous life.
But now, living as Irene, the small fragments of emotion this man showed became pleasant, in a way. It was like he was developing outside of his initial character - just as she had wished.
Just then, a few figures entered the room, breaking Irene out of her thoughts. It was the maids who had been taking care of her as nannies, perhaps here to pick her up from her time with Rudien. Alongside them, was an unfamiliar young man, with neatly-combed brown hair and sharp almond eyes. He's pretty handsome. That must be Eirwen, Rudien's right-hand man.
"Amy, clean the mess over there," Rudien instructed, turning toward the torn book on the floor. "Irene probably thought it was a toy. I don't want my daughter to touch anything that could be dangerous, so Eirwen?"
"Yes, my lord." The brown-haired man nodded.
Irene glanced up at her father, who's deep, scarlet eyes were now fixated on her. "Bring me a catalogue from the best children's toy shop in Laydel, by tonight. And have some men clear a corner in my office, so she can have a place to play while I work."
Woah — wait wait what?
That's a little much! I really don't need all that...
Irene tried to signal to her father that she didn't need him to go that far, but it seemed like her efforts were ignored. Rudien kept complete composure despite the squirming child in his arms, before handing her over to one of her maids.
"Blaeehh!!" She tried to protest, but unfortunately, no one was going to understand the language of a 7-month old baby.
And just like that, Irene was taken back to her nursery, dumbfounded. He's going to make me a corner to play in his office...
Why?! Does he plan on bringing me there that often?!
Irene wailed, as the maids gazed at her in concern. "What's wrong with the miss? Do you think she's hungry?"
"No — I'm sure she just misses her father! The lord has been taken by her cuteness as well, it seems!"
"Right?! I can't believe he's going to buy her toys!"
Buying me toys... It just feels like what he did in the original story!
He's just trying to avert my attention so he doesn't have to deal with me, isn't he?
Just when Irene thought she could change his attitude, Rudien was showing signs of his regular character. If he was going to occupy her with toys, he would just start ignoring her and spoiling her blindly as he did before.
I won't let that happen. Irene thought, rolling over in her cot. Rudien, you'll be unable to escape me!
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Manipulation
Kelly really didn't want to go first. It didn't seem fair, Anne had four extra years to come to terms with herself surely she could be the one to test the waters? Well, perhaps she just needs a nudge? Or perhaps an accidental mention in a document no one is meant to read? Something her mum might happen to find? A companion book to Instrumental, can be read as its own story but I think really works best after reading the first book.
8 149Kairos
Time travel is legal and Ada Blum is looking for love. But what happens when one of her charming bachelors from the past makes his way to the present? ***** Time travel isn't just possible, it's been legalized by the US government. Many industries have capitalized on the trend, including dating agencies. Now anyone can travel to the past for their own Regency romance or wild west affair-for the right price. Ada Blum is no exception. Often dubbed an old soul, Ada finally has the chance to explore relationships with men who are more up her alley. What she doesn't expect is for her new beau to be a part of the 1920s gang scene in New York. And when she smuggles him into the 21st century to keep him safe, all hell breaks loose. Jealous lovers and glitches in time make for deadly enemies, but can Ada have her happy love story after all?[[word count: 90,000-100,000 words]] Formerly "The Kairos Temporal Matchmaking Service."Cover designed by Lydia Carr
8 369The Boy in Black
Mattie Noelle is a simple girl that only knows of school, dance, and her overbearing mother that keeps her hidden away in the walls of their "perfect" home. She believes she's invisible and that no one could look twice; then comes the captivating boy next door Jaxson Maddox, a disturbed high school senior with a dark look and an equally dark past that stalks Mattie and has an end goal of keeping her all to himself; no matter what it may take. RATED MATUREHighest Ratings thus far:#1 in Stalker#3 in Horror#3 in Bad boy next door#8 MatureAudience
8 173Chasing Rain ✓
Rain Carter unintentionally brought her little heaven to hell.Damien Black intentionally brought his hell upon the little heaven.But as we know hell and heaven can't stick together for long and when the underworld is involved, well happiness is a mirage and the only thing that is destined to come is death. ~*~Damien had scars on his body but his past was forgotten and Rain had scars in her heart with a past to relive. ~*~Meet Rain Carter, a caring single mother to her beautiful mute daughter Amber. She already has a fiancé whom she plans to marry maybe not out of love but for her daughter. But all her plans came crashing down when her daughter is in the operation chamber and the father's bone marrow is required.Meet Damien Black also known as a beast of a man, a ruthless billionaire tycoon and the king of underworld. He has no plans of settling down. But when the same woman who he had slapped four years ago comes back to his office, on her knees, begging to give her daughter his bone marrow. All his plans come crashing down. Now Damien is more than shocked when his DNA matches with Amber's. Now wanting his woman and daughter back. We need to see how far the beast can go. ~*~When you think the story has ended that is the place it will all start again from.
8 185Choosing His Luna (bxb)
This is a story I have published on Inkitt and I thought I'd post it on here too since I've started to update it again. 😅 I hope to continue to do so although the updates will probably be only once or twice a month.The chapters are a little shorter than what I normally post on Wattpad but I hope you enjoy them all the same.‐-----------------------------The fateful day had finally arrived, the one which I had been preparing for since birth, one which my parents had been preparing for since I'd been conceived. Well, that wasn't exactly true, my parents had been preparing, and I on the other hand had been mostly unwilling with the whole affair. See I was a werewolf, my whole family was, or pack if you will. It was tradition for all those of marriageable age to gather on the strongest werewolf pack in the world, to try and impress the next Alpha to be, the most powerful werewolf in the world. It was a major honour to be chosen by the Alpha, for the individual and their whole pack. So here I was, packing a bag for the journey and time I would be spending at the strongest pack in the world, which was called the Stentorian Pack and was located deep in the mountains surrounded by forest. My parents thought I had a chance, they'd told me what to eat, how to act, and how to look all my life, needless to say, it had gotten old pretty quick. All the lack of control I'd had over my life had boiled down to this day, it had all been for this day. I had to be the most attractive, smartest, and likeable... you get the idea, and I couldn't help but feel inadequate.
8 134There Will Always Be Protagonists With Delusions of Starting a Harem
**NOT MY ORIGINAL TRANSLATION OR STORY, for offline reading purpose only. Credits to original author and translator. Read original through novelupdates.com**DescriptionSuddenly, the unmarried twenty-year-old Ye Zhizhou had many more relatives, yet it was too late for him to clearly understand the circumstances as he nearly died in a car accident. After that, he somehow managed to survive and was even forcibly bound to a Salvation System.How is it salvation?Harems destroy worlds! Preventing a harem will save them!. . . .Ok, prevent harems. After seeing the entire system introduction, the corners of Ye Zhizhou's mouth twitched. In order to return home safely, he decisively began his risky journey-he'd just treat it as if he was playing a large-scale strategy game.Since then, the people the protagonist would rescue, he rescued first.The businesses the protagonist would make, he made first. The little brother the protagonist would take in, he took in first. The cliff the protagonist would jump off of, he jumped off of first. The gay s*x the protagonist would have, he'd have. . . . Wait wait, can't do this one, change it, let me change it.???: No, you can do this one.Ye Zhizhou (alarmed): Who's speaking????: Your husband.Ye Zhizhou: . . . .Associated Names:APDSHLuôn Có Vai Chính Vọng Tưởng Mở Rộng Hậu Cung總有主角妄想開后宮Language: ChineseAuthor(s): Can't Play Chess, 不會下棋Artist(s): N/AYear: 2017Status in COO: 170 Chapters (Completed)Licensed: NoCompletely Translated: NoOriginal Publisher: jjwxc
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