Beauty and the Thief [BL]

Tao Hua's life is fucking miserable, and that misery somehow earns him the title of "Village Disgrace." In order to cope with the awful treatment, he often retreats into words untold, dictated by the flip of a page. These worlds leave him with the dream of escaping this piece of shit town. To his utter dismay, his wish comes true, but not in the way all those fairytales promised. His saviour is a man he becomes enthralled with and whom he names “Lord No-Name.” This male lead is a touchy man with many faces. And for lack of a better word, Tao Hua can’t decide if he’s either the story’s love interest or villain. But the two share a common sentiment. This prince, alike Tao Hua, is also fucking miserable. But arguably worse! And instead of coping like a normal fucking person, he does the opposite. He doesn't escape. He doesn't cope. He just tries to fight against the already fated truth of his demise. 0/10, worst prince ever written. Misery aside, this fateful encounter will force Tao Hua to make a choice, leaving him with only one question: "What was one mean-spirited beast to a town of people who despise a beauty's entire existence?" ──── ୨୧ ──── Beauty and the Thief is a slow-burn, stop to smell the roses, type of novel. That being said, the roses are beautiful, and upon closer observation they’re less floral than once thought. It follows the POV of Tao Hua, as he tries to navigate his new life in a place that actually values him, and the prince of this story’s mood swings. ──── ୨୧ ──── !!!!Disclaimer!!!! EXTREMELY SLOW PACED! Character driven, before plot! This story borrows the premise of Beauty and the Beast, by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont, relying heavily on the trope while also twisting it to smithereens. The beast element is exchanged for a power dynamic, and the curse differs from the original story. The narration borders on sarcastic and self-aware, while also targeting deeper topics. It often breaks the fourth wall as a stylistic choice. A lot of the work will be edited over time, but the bones will remain the same. ──── ୨୧ ──── There are occasional illustrations littered throughout the novel drawn by me (slowly commissioning to get others done), usually found in the comments! !!CREDIT!! Cover Art by @Sayoto (VGen) Illustrations by me (@meowssey) and zaza (@zazhah) (Both commissioned artists are amazing to work with and I highly recommend their work!)