The prosperous successor of Duke Alanka was buried in the ground along with the funeral.
The moment his coffin closed, the incident itself came to a close. It seemed that the Alanka Duchy no longer wished to pursue the matter, or perhaps they couldn’t find sharp clues at the police station; everyone turned their heads away from the case, sighing.
Moreover, the Emperor, who appeared while dealing with the suddenly filled monster horde in the Eastern Sea, was accompanied by the Dragonlord, considered the protector of the Eastern nobility.
Naturally, the topic shifted in that direction. People were more interested in splendid banquets than unsolved murder cases that were messy but offered nothing new.
“Well… it’s not bad, I suppose, at this level.”
The Eastern nobles, who would immediately criticize any shabby and rustic corner but couldn’t close their mouths at the scale of the banquet held at the Aeseloth Palace, tried to express themselves clumsily.
A beautiful garden that harmoniously dazzled, publicly opened for the first time in centuries, and fountains splashed water into the air with a gurgling sound.
If it was too splendid, they would criticize it as vulgar, and if only the majesty of the Emperor was shown, they would criticize it as stiff.
Regardless of whether it was this way or that way, Hayden instructed to follow the most proper way. The Eastern nobles, who had thought they were the most sophisticated and wealthy, could no longer see Shalea as trivial.
“Oh, my goodness… Look at that ancient golden fountain that we only heard about!”
“Don’t make a fuss, dear. Shalea people are watching. But did you see the ruby embedded in the throne over there? It’s bigger than my two fists combined.”
“Quiet down. The Emperor might hear us.”
As those invited to the banquet entered to some extent, the door closed quietly. People’s gazes involuntarily turned towards the top of the banquet hall, toward the throne.
“The sun that rules the Grand Perseta Empire, His Imperial Majesty, is present!”
The chief steward, who gave strength to the ship, shouted with a resonant voice. Red banners and golden liquor shook.
As the dazzling white imperial flag descended, there were those who audibly gasped for breath. The complexions of the Eastern nobles changed.
Everyone remembered the day two years ago when that flag appeared in the northeast. The Emperor’s flag, which leisurely appeared to eradicate the monsters concentrated in the northeast, was both a threat and salvation.
On that day, the Emperor ruthlessly slaughtered the monsters, becoming their savior, but at the same time, he clearly stated.
If I set my mind to it, I can massacre you all just like these monsters.
Nobles who grew up in the peaceful and prosperous East, always bathed in warm sunlight, felt a vivid fear the moment they saw the horrifying blood.
They deeply bowed and paid their respects when the Emperor appeared, striving not to leave any flaws in their reputation as the most knowledgeable in etiquette and law in the world. However, despite their outward show of respect, an uneasy fear and irreverent rebellion lingered in their hearts.
“As always, the East is peaceful. It pleases me.”
A simple smile from the Emperor was enough to win the favor of not only the women but also the men.
He was excessively handsome and perfect today as well. While women admired the Emperor with a sense of fear, men, despite feeling envy, searched for a corner to emulate.
“Is he sculpted through horseback riding? Fencing?”
The Emperor didn’t talk much. As always, he looked down on everyone, showing almost no human-like expression.
So, if not the Emperor, the only option was to scrutinize others. The eyes of Eastern nobles went round and round to catch something.
For a banquet, what was needed was good-quality wine, a ballroom suitable for dancing, and the host’s reputation and the corresponding invited guests.
“Dragonlord and Lady Flachet, enter.”
The most important guest always appears last.
People opened their eyes wide when they saw the Western upstart noble, Dragonlord, and Lady Flachet, a figurehead from the Eastern region and a native of Calleta, appearing together.
The order of appearance was strange from the beginning. The Emperor, the host of the banquet, welcomed the Dragonlord, which meant he treated the East well. However, why did that young lady appear with the Dragonlord?
“Sister, is that all pearls, by any chance?”
“Shh, be quiet.”
Furthermore, Lady Flachet was adorned with pearls all over her body to the point that people among the crowd started murmuring.
Pearls were a symbol of wealth that divers had to spend a whole day retrieving just one or two of from the southern coast. Moreover, due to the complete closure of the southern sea 430 years ago, they were also a symbol of a prestigious family’s history. Even now, many people proudly displayed rings, necklaces, and other accessories adorned with a single pearl.
However, Lady Flachet had strands of pearls hanging from her head.
“Your Majesty, it’s an honor to be invited.”
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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