After Linking the Villainess and Male Lead (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 1
“Thank you, Helena. It’s all thanks to you.”
After Adelia and Calix’s wedding ceremony ended, just before getting into the carriage to head to their territory, Adelia hugged me and expressed her gratitude.
“You must be happy. Understand?”
“Yes. I definitely will be. And you too, Helena…”
Adelia stopped mid-sentence and stared off into the distance for a moment.
Then, meeting my eyes again, she continued with a bright smile.
“I hope you’ll be truly happy with the one you love. You know what I mean, right?”
The one I love…
Sadly, the one I loved did not love me back.
That’s why it was certain that Adelia’s wish—and mine—would never come true.
But…
‘There’s no need to tell that to Adelia, who’s standing right at the beginning of something new.’
“Yes, of course. So you just focus on enjoying your happy newlywed life with Calix.”
I gave a light nod and mirrored her gentle smile.
“I’ll be off, then. Take care.”
“Goodbye, Adelia.”
With those final words, the carriage carrying Adelia and Calix departed.
As I stood watching the receding carriage, wishing my friend happiness, memories from the past suddenly flooded my mind, and a tear quietly slipped down my cheek.
‘I actually succeeded in changing the future…’
Honestly, at first, I couldn’t be sure this plan would work.
After all, this was a world inside a novel whose ending had already been decided.
On an ordinary day at eighteen, after a life of utter normalcy, I woke from sleep and suddenly realized—
I had been reborn into the world of a novel.
Upon grasping this truth, I immediately gathered stories from newspapers and people’s conversations to investigate this world.
And I came to understand one crucial fact:
The main characters of this novel all had predetermined destinies.
Of course, they weren’t mere puppets reciting scripted lines or performing fixed actions like actors on a stage. Yet they never truly deviated from what was written in the original.
But I was different.
I was merely an extra—a nameless friend of the villainess who appeared only once in the book without a single line of dialogue.
At first, I was slightly disappointed not to be a protagonist of the story, but that changed as I studied this world. Precisely because I held almost no significance in the original plot, I realized I could freely pursue the life and goals I truly desired.
So, on the very day my suspicion turned into certainty, I left the capital far behind, determined to seek my own happiness without interfering in the novel’s storyline.
But I couldn’t ignore one thing—if the plot unfolded as written, Adelia, my dearest friend who was like true family despite no blood ties, would be falsely branded a villainess and meet an unjust death.
And from that incident onward, the Empire would be engulfed in war, and Kaern, her only brother and my fiancé, would also lose his life.
Of course, avid web novel readers might think, “Just prevent the incident that frames Adelia as the villainess, and everything will be fine.”
Sadly, whether by fate or the original’s cruel design, by the time I realized I’d been reincarnated, Adelia was already deeply infatuated with Calix Crayton, the original male lead.
Ever since her heart had been captured by Calix, she spoke of nothing but him all day.
Seeing that, I could only keenly recognize just how powerful the pull of the original narrative truly was.
If I simply stood by and watched, the Lavellion siblings’ future would undoubtedly unfold exactly as written.
‘I can’t let Adelia and House Lavellion follow the same tragic path.’
The Lavellion siblings and their family held a special meaning for me.
After my parents died in an accident and I was left utterly helpless, it was the Lavellion siblings who saved me, preserved my family name, and guided me to where I am today.
For Adelia’s sake—and for an alternative future—I carefully recalled the novel’s contents and meticulously laid out a plan.
Thankfully, since it was still before the original plot truly began, my plan greatly helped shape Adelia and Calix’s relationship in a positive direction unlike the original.
‘I merely prevented the incident that would have caused Calix to misunderstand Adelia and arranged for them to meet more often.’
It seemed trivial, but that alone allowed them to nurture genuine feelings for each other.
And now, I watched them depart, tears of relief and joy mingling in my eyes.
Just then—
I sensed someone nearby, and through my blurred vision, I saw a handkerchief offered by a strong, well-formed hand.
The pristine white handkerchief was perfectly crisp, without a single wrinkle.
I quickly wiped my eyes, lifted my head, and looked at the person who had handed it to me.
‘Ah…’
A familiar, handsome face came into view.
Kaern Lavellion.
Adelia’s older brother and the head of House Lavellion, even before reaching adulthood, had swept across battlefields with exceptional swordsmanship.
His army always brought victory to the Empire, and now his very name had become a symbol of fear among neighboring nations.
Thus, the people of the Empire respected and trusted Kaern and House Lavellion even more than the Imperial family or the Emperor himself.
And he was the man I’d secretly loved—the one who had become my fiancé to protect me.
But…
‘The atmosphere feels strange…’
His eyes were cold, his mouth set in a firm line—it clearly didn’t seem like he was in a good mood.
What could possibly have happened on such a joyful day? Why did he look like that?
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
I buried my worry deep inside and accepted the handkerchief he offered.
“…Why are you crying?”
“Huh?”
As I dabbed my eyes with the handkerchief, his deep, calm voice—perfectly suited to his appearance—reached my ears.
His tone was far more subdued than usual, making me wonder if I’d misread his mood.
Unable to immediately grasp the meaning of his sudden question, I looked up at him, and he asked again.
“I asked why my fiancée is crying right now.”
Only then did I understand his question. I finished wiping away the tears clinging to my lashes and smiled up at him.
“I’m crying because I’m happy—truly happy.”
These weren’t tears of sorrow, but of sincere joy.
Now I no longer had to fear that my one and only friend would, blinded by jealousy from unrequited love, make a fatal mistake and die.
On such a happy day, it was only natural to shed a few tears of emotion.
But this time, it seemed Kaern couldn’t quite understand my words, and I felt his peculiar gaze fixed steadily on me.
“Happy?”
“Yes. Of course I’m happy. Adelia just married the person she’s loved so deeply. I really…”
Ah—my eyes nearly welled up again mid-sentence.
I wasn’t usually this emotional, but today, my feelings were especially hard to control, and something inside me surged powerfully.
“I truly hope Adelia and Calix live happily together for the rest of their lives. I know how deeply they love each other, so I’m not worried—but still.”
After saying that, I beamed brightly at Kaern.
“You are the one who…”
“Yes?”
“No, never mind.”
I wanted to ask him why he’d cut himself off, but he pressed his lips tightly together, clearly refusing to say anything further.
Knowing he was naturally reticent, I didn’t press him any more.
But just now, I noticed Kaern’s previously tense expression had softened slightly.
‘Was he upset seeing me cry?’
After all, I was his younger sister’s closest friend—and technically his long-standing fiancée—so my tears must have troubled him.
Though outwardly aloof and indifferent, he was in truth thoughtful and kind.
That much was evident simply from the fact he’d stayed by my side as my fiancé for so long, just to protect me.
Perhaps it had been impossible from the very beginning not to fall for a man like him—gifted, handsome, and generous-hearted.
“Your Grace must also be happy that Adelia married the one she loves, right?”
Kaern gave a small nod, and afterward, we stood side by side, sharing a brief conversation.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
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Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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I knew it! The ML does have feelings for the female lead, he’s just an ice cube when it comes to speaking his mind hahaha. But the fact that he wants her in the garden whenever she wishes already says a lot, even more so now that he started calling her by her name. Helena’s reaction cracked me up hahaha.
Ugh, Helena is already starting to drive me crazy. I mean, I get that it might not be so obvious that Kaern is in love with her and all that, but she’s already starting with this whole breaking the engagement nonsense. And without even having a backup plan! Because if she has debts, it’s not like she’s going to pay them out of thin air hahaha.
“It’s a day I must never forget—no matter who threatens me with a sword and demands I erase it from my memory.”
What an odd sentence. Maybe it’s just me, but it just feels out of place, ike a foreshadowing moment. If I don’t see someone threaten her with a sword and demand that, I will be disappointed.