Just moments ago, you were uncomfortable with the topic of magic, and now you’re offering to teach it?
Stunned by Jerdin’s sudden change in attitude, Irene blinked at him.
“Your Highness!”
Jesse too, perhaps surprised, raised his voice.
“What are you saying! Teaching magic to the lady?”
“What’s there to say. I mean exactly that. I’ll teach her magic.”
In contrast, Jerdin casually shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal.
“Though I’m only a 2nd circle mage, I’m capable enough to teach a complete beginner.”
“That’s not the issue here! The lady has to get permission from the master!”
“Then she’ll get it.”
When Jerdin answered lightly, Jesse frowned and scratched his head.
“The master is unlikely to permit it.”
“Exactly. He wouldn’t permit it if I asked, but he will if she asks.”
Jerdin turned to Irene with a meaningful smile.
“So, if you want to learn magic, ask your master to teach you. He will surely listen if you do.”
Evening time.
Having dinner alone with Carlos, Irene glanced at him.
‘Would he really allow me to learn magic if I asked?’
Carlos had said in the past that she could do anything except run away…but still.
Considering that Jesse claimed the master would never permit it, it was clear Carlos didn’t like the idea of her learning magic.
But relying solely on Jerdin’s words to ask Carlos was too risky. If Jerdin’s prediction was wrong, disaster would surely strike.
‘But…I want to learn.’
More precisely, she wanted to know why people kept associating her with magic.
Stabbing aimlessly at her salad, Irene finally mustered the courage to speak as dinner was nearing its end.
“Duke.”
His hand, lifting a glass of wine, paused. When his purple eyes met hers, Irene swallowed dryly and clenched her skirt tightly.
“I have…a favor to ask.”
It was rare for Irene to initiate a request, so Carlos raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued.
“What is it?”
She would have to comply with whatever she requested.
“I want to learn magic.”
Her resolve crumbled in less than a second. Carlos looked at Irene with a furrowed brow.
Seeing his clearly displeased expression, Irene’s eyes naturally lowered. Her grip on her skirt tightened.
“Why the sudden interest in learning magic?”
“I saw a book about magic in the library…and I got interested.”
Her interest in magic dated back to the day she first met Carlos and asked if he knew how to use magic.
Her curiosity had only grown since then as she heard more about magic.
But she felt she couldn’t mention that part.
“So while studying the magic book alone, Prince Jerdin saw me and said he would teach me magic, and all I need is your permission…”
Carlos caught on instantly that Jerdin had instigated Irene and clicked his tongue.
Thinking Carlos was displeased because of her request, Irene pulled her neck in like a turtle.
Seeing this, Carlos’s frown deepened. As much as he wanted to accommodate her wishes out of a sense of guilt, teaching her magic was a difficult matter.
Because she could use magic to escape. He generally didn’t want her to learn magic.
However, if he refused now, Irene would only get more disheartened.
Their relationship would grow even more distant.
And besides, he had said she could do whatever she wanted aside from running away, so he couldn’t refuse.
Swallowing a sigh, Carlos nodded.
“If you want to learn, then learn.”
Thinking he would obviously refuse, Irene was startled when permission was granted and looked up.
Just a moment ago, she was uncomfortable discussing magic, and now he’s offering to teach her?
Irene blinked in confusion at the sudden change in Zerdin’s attitude.
“Your Highness!”
Perhaps Jessie was also surprised; her voice rose sharply.
“What do you mean, you’ll teach the lady magic!”
“What do you think I mean? I’ll teach her magic, plain and simple.”
Zerdin, in contrast, shrugged as if it were no big deal.
“Although I’m only at the second circle, it’s sufficient to teach a complete novice.”
“That’s not the issue right now! If the lady wants to learn magic, she needs the master’s permission!”
“Then let’s get it.”
At Zerdin’s casual reply, Jessie furrowed her brows in frustration.
“The master will never give permission.”
“True, he won’t if I ask, but he will if she does.”
Zerdin looked at Irene meaningfully and smiled.
“So if you want to learn magic, tell your master you’d like to. I’m sure he’ll listen if you ask.”
Dinner time.
Irene, having dinner alone with Carlos, glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
‘Would he really allow me to learn magic if I asked?’
Carlos had once said she could do anything except run away, but… Well.
Considering Jessie’s concern that the master would never give permission, it was clear Carlos didn’t want Irene to learn magic.
Yet, taking Zerdin’s words at face value and asking Carlos was fraught with risk. What if Zerdin’s assumptions were wrong? It would surely spell disaster.
‘But… I do want to learn.’
More precisely, she wanted to understand why people kept associating her with magic.
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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