Once a Bride, Loved by Eight Overlords

Chapter 1 Moonlight spilled softly through the hazy night, brushing over the tender buds that stood quietly in place, poised to bloom. In a lavish seaside villa, crystal chandeliers glittered above a mess-strewn floor. A young woman in a milk-white sleeveless dress curled her legs beneath her, her skin pale as fresh cream. Her delicate makeup had been blurred by tears, leaving her with a dazed, heart-wrenching fragility. “Madam… why put yourself through this? Mr. Reed finally came home, and now you’re arguing again. Harmony is the key to a marriage,” Aunt Zhang murmured in a small voice. “Leave. I want some time alone.” The housekeeper gave her a look filled with pity, sorrow, and helpless frustration. She quietly gathered the shattered porcelain pieces from the floor before slipping out of the hall. Serena Vale exhaled slowly, her eyes turning in quiet wonder as she surveyed a world completely removed from the ocean’s depths. Ancient legends claimed the deep sea hid mysterious beings—human above the waist, tails shimmering beneath, breathtakingly beautiful, masters of song and seduction. When drastic environmental changes ravaged the oceans, the last remaining sea-sirens were forced ashore in search of survival. Serena Vale was one of them. At twenty-one, she was considered fully grown by human years. But among the long-lived siren race, one only shed their tail for legs at twenty-five, gaining the right to walk the human world. One by one, her kin had departed, leaving her—the youngest—trapped beneath the waves. Bored and restless, Serena readily signed a contract with a so-called System 384. Travel to different worlds, replace the original soul, fulfill their impossible wishes, harvest the breath of their spirits, and exchange it for her own legs. She could even learn human laws and customs ahead of time—nothing but profit in her eyes. {Ding! New world reached. Transmitting original host’s memory…} {Original host’s wishes: Leave Ethan Reed with her innocence and dignity intact. Care for her parents and ensure their peaceful, happy lives.} A sudden rush of memories made Serena’s head spin. The original host shared her name—Serena Vale. Born into privilege as the cherished only daughter of a powerful family, she had grown up spoiled, straightforward to a fault, impulsive, and prone to offending others. Ethan Reed was her arranged husband. They had been married for two years. He did not love her, yet she adored him—her childhood sweetheart. Tonight was their anniversary. She had prepared a candlelit dinner, waiting sweetly for her husband’s return. But Ethan, a newly crowned Best Actor with a flourishing career, lost track of time amid endless social gatherings. He staggered home past midnight. She confronted him; he grew irritated. The argument escalated until the villa lay in ruins. Ethan stormed out, leaving the original Serena sobbing alone on the sofa. What followed grew hazy in her memory—only that Ethan soon became entangled with a rising young starlet. Rumors exploded across the internet, and before long, the two appeared together openly. Her own husband, entwined with another woman—how could someone with her fiery temper endure? She loved Ethan, so she refused to hurt him. Instead, she targeted the starlet, Lu Rourou, using family influence to pressure her into retreat. But every attempt backfired—Ethan caught wind of everything, resenting her more each time. In the end, he used leverage over the Vale family to force a divorce, while the internet shredded the original Serena’s reputation. Under immense pressure, she crashed her car and died. The cheating husband and the mistress walked away cleansed and blessed. Before Serena arrived, the system had already filled her with human moral and legal knowledge. Faced with such a warped storyline, she felt mildly offended on a spiritual level. {A divorce, hm?} Serena’s lips curled, revealing perfectly aligned white teeth. {I’ll be sure to treat my dear husband well.} The system looked to the heavens in silence. {…} Serena wiped away the smudged lipstick and swayed up the stairs. She washed off her makeup according to the host’s memories and studied her reflection—delicately carved features, cherry-red lips, porcelain skin like solidified snow, and bright, almond-shaped eyes carrying a hint of sinful allure. A true, breathtaking beauty. {I really am stunning.} System 384: {…} Serena didn’t expect it to answer. After cleansing her face, she slipped into a smooth silk nightdress and drifted to sleep in utter satisfaction. Over the next two months, she absorbed the original host’s memories like a sponge, learning everything about the human world. Her greatest strengths quickly became beauty, makeup, and styling. As a woman, such instincts were practically inherited. The system finally snapped. {The mission! The mission!} Holding a makeup brush in one hand and a palette in the other, Serena smiled at her reflection—enchanting, elegant, and dangerously charming. {Why panic? There’s plenty of time.} Ethan Reed had already cheated. Catching him in the act would be far more satisfying. She stared at a drawer full of lipsticks, each shade more tempting than the last. {384, which color should I wear today?} To a deep-sea creature, human “high-tech cosmetics” were mesmerizing enough to cause worshipful devotion. The system: {…} Serena rolled her eyes playfully, her expression both pure and provocative. {Forget it. I’ll choose myself.} Her pale fingers finally selected a pink-peach shade. After twenty minutes of blending and touching up, she perfected a trendy gradient lip. Sunlight filtered warmly through the July breeze as Aunt Zhang entered the room with an anxious expression, holding a phone. “Madam, the assistant called. He said Mr. Reed was in a car accident.” “Is he dead?” “…Probably… not?” Aunt Zhang stammered. “Oh.” Serena waved lazily. “If he’s alive, it doesn’t concern me.” She had momentarily hoped the heavens had taken care of him for her. Aunt Zhang’s heart ached more fiercely. She had served the Vale family for decades—practically watched Serena grow up. Since the last argument, Serena had locked herself away, skipping her social events and doing nothing but read, shop online, and experiment with makeup. A drastic change. Too pitiful. “Madam, shouldn’t you see him? There’s no obstacle a married couple can’t overcome,” she suggested cautiously. Serena sighed, reluctantly putting down her phone. She rummaged through the wardrobe. “Fine. Call the driver.” The original host could drive—she could not. “Yes, madam.” The weather was warm, so Serena chose a simple black slip dress, revealing her delicate collarbones and long alabaster legs. Unsatisfied, she switched her lipstick to a blazing orange-red, adding a hint of wicked charm to her purity—like a mythical temptress whispered about in old tales. The sea-sirens had once used their beauty and voices to lure sailors not for flesh, but for trade. Over time, the stories twisted into claims they ate humans. Ridiculous. Why would anyone choose bloody meat when the deep sea offered such sweet, tender fish? Upon crossing worlds, her borrowed body would gradually shift toward her true form—growing more beautiful by the day. Truly delightful. As Serena descended the stairs, Aunt Zhang froze. It was still the same face, the same person—but somehow… more radiant. Illusion. It had to be an illusion. She shook it off and returned to washing vegetables. The hospital buzzed with cold, sterile chaos. The scent of disinfectant hung heavily in the air. A young nurse leaned over the counter, chatting sleepily with her friend, until someone tapped her shoulder. She turned—and saw only a sharp, elegant jawline. “Yes, how may I—” Then she caught sight of the woman’s full face. A stunning, seductive beauty. “How do I get to room 308?” Poised, unhurried, regal without arrogance. The nurse felt she could eat an extra bowl of rice just looking at her. “Straight down the left corridor.” “Thank you.” Serena retrieved her purse and swayed away, her steps naturally graceful—an old habit from her siren days. The nurse blinked, cheeks burning. “A-amazing… Did you see that? She’s as gorgeous as a movie star.” Then she stiffened. “Wait—308? Isn’t that… Ethan Reed’s ward? But I remember there was another woman inside… This is—” Her friend glanced back. A battlefield. The hospital’s soundproofing was mediocre. Serena had barely stepped up to the door when a soft, fragile female voice floated out. “Mr. Reed, I can’t accept this money. I only pulled you out of the way. I don’t deserve any reward…” “But that single pull saved my life,” Ethan replied gently. “You deserve it.” Serena glanced through the c***k in the door. Well, well. Lu Rourou, the delicate little white lotus— So they’d begun this early.