After crying my heart out, I rubbed my swollen eyes and walked down the secret passage with the others.
The system of the secret passage was functioning perfectly, even though the exit at the “Angel’s Breath” jewelry shop had been destroyed, so I was relieved.
“Put me down now. I can walk on my own two feet.”
“Alright.”
“Hey, human Duke. Will you put me down too?”
“Fine. If your pride is hurt, I apologize.”
“What, what did I do!”
Luce and Benedict also freed themselves from being carried by Michael and Ashton, and walked on their own two feet.
I wanted to walk on my own as well, but my legs wouldn’t easily move, perhaps because I was mentally and physically drained from the series of events.
I tried to stand up after my emotional outburst, but I struggled, unable to find my footing.
“…Why can’t I stand up?”
Zero, apparently finding my head more comfortable than my shoulder, rolled around on my hair and spoke.
“You’re exhausted. The fatigue has reached its peak and it’s taking a toll on your body. You need to rest.”
‘I still need to arrive quickly on my own two feet.’
And I had no intention of being carried like luggage.
As I tried to get up using a water gun shaped like a sniper rifle as a cane, a hand reached out to me politely.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to escort you, Countess Keaton.”
The owner of the extended hand was Duke Ashton of Whitewood.
His face showed a hint of tension.
“…Now?”
“Yes.”
“Do I look like I need to be carried?”
I didn’t want to be carried around like a sack of potatoes. I’d probably throw up midway if I was carried in such an uncomfortable position.
“No. As you are a lady, Countess Keaton, I will be extra careful in holding you.”
‘I hope he’s not planning to carry me like a princess…’
I hoped that wasn’t the case. Even though Ashton did catch my eye, we had only met for the first time today.
Moreover, I am currently acting as a pillar leading many people, so I did not want to show weakness.
Most of all… Ashton, who had been extremely doubtful about his own existence, felt uncomfortably like looking into a mirror.
‘I’d consider myself lucky if he simply didn’t like me for nagging him to stay alive.’
His attitude suggested he didn’t dislike me.
But a refusal is a refusal.
“…I appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass. I’ll walk on my own.”
‘I’d rather do it alone.’
I should be able to do this much without anyone’s help…
Clang.
“Damn it.”
I tried to get up by leaning on the water gun and the wall of the passage but failed. I embarrassingly fell flat on my face, unable to lift my head due to shame.
Zero, who had safely descended from my head, chuckled.
“You’re too proud. You should have just accepted the help from the Northern Duke.”
‘Shut up…’
One day I’ll definitely bite him for being so annoying. A cute appearance isn’t everything.
‘Ugh.’
Because of the explosion, my makeup had long been ruined. If I wiped my cheek, black smears came off. My formerly bright outfit was now torn and dirtied.
The ground of the secret passage was soil, and since I had fallen face-first into it, I looked more disheveled than ever.
“…Ah, this is just bad luck.”
At that moment, I wished I had a wet tissue.
As I sat there, defeated, Ashton extended his hand to me again.
“Use this to wipe yourself.”
In his hand was a handkerchief.
It was made of plain, unpatterned, no-name fabric.
For a Duke, it was an extraordinarily modest item. The edges were even frayed. If any other noble had received this handkerchief, they might have slapped him, questioning his intentions.
But I quietly looked at the handkerchief and gratefully accepted it.
“…Thank you.”
‘Rejecting this small favor would be rude.’
Although he was a man with a 0% chance of being registered as a party member since he wasn’t even mentioned in ‘Road of Blossoms,’ he was still a person who could be helpful as a collaborator.
So, under the assumption that there was no need to overly avoid Ashton, and also due to the desire to not look disheveled, I had brought a handkerchief.
Swish, swish. It wasn’t silk, but it was enough to brush off the dirt that had gotten on me when I tripped.
‘I’ll get an earful from Lina when I get back.’
I had greatly exceeded the two or three hours I had initially planned. Since the sun was beginning to set, the servants back at the mansion would only be waiting for my return.
It was difficult to completely erase the signs of where I’d been, but my desire was to return looking as decent as possible.
I didn’t want to cause worry.
‘It seems the stains didn’t completely come off after all.’
“It would have been nice if it were damp…”
However, I couldn’t use Ruse’s magic for trivial things.
That would trample on Ruse’s pride. Moreover, Ruse had come to help me; he wasn’t someone I could treat as inferior. So, swallowing my regrets, I tried to get up again.
“I can help you…”
“If it’s a simple cleaning spell, I can do it.”
Interrupting what Ruse was about to say, Ashton offered to help me.
“…Really?”
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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