Butterflies were talking like that, and my heart was swayed along with them. If contracting with the Great Spirit is a good thing for April… Shouldn’t I actively pursue it?
“You’re too young to make a contract with you, April. You won’t be able to handle the power of the Great Spirit. You know how much strain it puts on the body to accept great power, don’t you?”
Grayan coldly fired back in a sharp voice. His attitude never ceased to surprise me. Well, Grayan was always infinitely affectionate towards April and me.
{Don’t worry about that point. Until April is ready, I can just sleep inside her.}
“……You just have to sleep?”
{Yes. If I make myself small and crouch like a rabbit in a burrow, April won’t be harmed at all. I can swear to it.}
Nyx’s words must not be false. They say spirits can’t lie. But ‘believing’ and ‘reality’ are different. Just because Nyx believes April will be okay, it doesn’t mean it will really happen.
“I know you’re telling the truth. But when April contracts with you, we can’t know exactly what will happen. Isn’t that right?”
Grayan pointed out that very thing. Perhaps because there was nothing wrong with his words, Nyx did not refute any further, but only fell silent.
“……Please give up on contracting with April. We were swept into this labyrinth against our will, so please get us out―.”
“Squeal!”
Then, suddenly, April, who had slipped out of my arms, changed her appearance in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, April, transformed into a human form, looked straight at Grayan and me, and spoke with strength in her voice.
“Duke, Duchess. I want to contract with the Great Spirit.”
……Somehow, I thought it would be like this. April’s silence while we were talking to Nyx was suspicious.
“This is a onceinalifetime opportunity. Contracting with the Great Spirit isn’t something anyone, anytime, can do……!”
April’s words made sense. If she contracts with the Great Spirit, she will gain the power to protect herself and her loved ones. The strong power she has wanted so much. But……
“……What if something goes wrong with you, April?”
“Duchess……”
“Then I…… Why didn’t I stop you properly then? I’ll keep blaming myself. And I’ll be so sad and heartbroken. If something goes wrong with you, I will……”
I was speaking with a choked voice, and April’s eyes were moist. April bit her lip, and spoke in a guiltridden voice.
“I’m sorry, Duchess…… I was shortsighted. I wanted to be strong as soon as possible……”
Yes, I know. I nodded, holding back tears. I couldn’t blame April outright because I knew very well why she wanted to be strong, and what her heart was like when she said she would contract with the Great Spirit.
But there is something much more important than becoming strong. That April grows healthy within safe boundaries, becoming happy. The natural rights that every child should enjoy. I clasped April’s cheek with both hands and spoke with sincerity.
“It’s good that you want to be strong, April.”
“……”
“I understand your heart…… Really.”
“……”
“But…… You’re still at an age when you should be loved and protected a lot. Even though I know you’re a truly great child.”
I hugged April tightly with both arms. She was small enough to fit snugly into my relatively small frame.
This child, who swings a sword so skillfully, studies magic, and now even says she will contract with the Great Spirit……
Rather than feeling proud, my heart ached.
There is a term called child soldier. It means a young, immature soldier. I don’t think the world becoming familiar with this concept is desirable.
Children have free will to choose their own path, but that doesn’t mean they can walk the path of fighting in place of adults.
“I will…… work hard, April.”
“Duchess……?”
“I made a contract with the butterflies of the World Tree, didn’t I? I’ll strive to be an adult you can trust a bit more from now on.”
“I… My decision wasn’t meant like that.”
“I know. But, you’re still feeling uneasy, aren’t you?”
April flinched slightly. I patted the small back of the child and continued.
“The fact that you’re anxious about losing me… Honestly, it means I’m a failing adult, April.”
“That, that’s not…”
“I’m sorry I’m not a munchkin…”
“…What?”
I quickly fixed my unexpected outburst by saying, “Ah, it’s nothing.” This is why daily language practice is important. I spent too much time on the internet…
“And let’s trust Grayan as well. Even if I’m failing, Grayan’s not, is he? Your stepfather is a truly strong person!”
At my encouraging words, Grayan gave an awkward smile. Tiberi, who was sitting next to him, barked twice in agreement with my words. The more I look at that fellow, the more I like him.
Then, Grayan reached out swiftly and carefully took April’s hand. Gentle and soft emotions were visible in his grayish eyes as he looked at April.
“April, the reason I was worried about your hard training all this time… I thought you were overdoing it.”
“Your Grace…”
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
_____
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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