Don't Pick That Flower (2 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 1
The dark underground prison was filled with the distinctive musty stench of moss and mold.
Though he had worked here for a long time, the jailer wrinkled his nose at the smell that still refused to grow familiar and stared at the woman occupying the innermost cell.
Thick silver hair, as if molten moonlight itself had been poured out, cascaded carelessly down to her chest.
Her snow-white, flawless skin, straight nose, small crimson lips, and clear eyes that seemed to hold the ocean within them—
the woman was as mysterious and beautiful as a fairy from a storybook.
Though her clothes were somewhat shabby, they could not conceal her stunning beauty.
“Wake up!”
When the jailer, half-entranced by the woman, stood there dazed, his fellow guard sharply jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow.
“You mustn’t fall under a witch’s spell! If you do, you’ll be burned at the stake as her accomplice!”
“Oh, sorry. She’s just so beautiful—I didn’t even realize I was…”
“That’s exactly how witches operate. They enchant you with their looks, then use dark magic to turn you into their puppet.”
Right. The jailer nodded in agreement with his comrade and shot a wary glance at the witch.
“I heard that witch claims she’s Olben’s daughter?”
“Yeah. Tsk tsk. Desperate as she might be, making up such an absurd lie…”
“Exactly. Everyone in the village knows Olben’s daughter died long ago.”
This was a small territory with fewer than a hundred households.
Villagers knew each other so well that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they even knew how many spoons their neighbors used.
So when a woman no one had ever seen before suddenly appeared, claiming to be Olben’s daughter who had lived in this village for over twenty years, it was utterly ridiculous.
“Still, she seemed to have done some research. She even knew the name of Olben’s dead daughter.”
“True. What was her name again?”
“Irene.”
Regardless of the guards’ chatter, Irene—who had been burying her face between her knees—lifted her head at the sound of her name and looked at them.
“Uh… uh… What’s for lunch today?”
“W-well… Ah, I’m hungry.”
The moment their eyes met hers, the guards flinched in surprise, feigned nonchalance, and quickly left the cell.
Left alone, Irene gazed down at the moss-covered floor with slightly unfocused eyes.
“She really is his daughter…”
It wasn’t something she had wished for.
She’d simply been born as his daughter, and because of that, she’d been forced to call him “father” against her will.
Yet the villagers unanimously insisted she couldn’t possibly be Olben’s daughter.
She didn’t fail to understand why they thought so.
After all, none of the villagers had ever seen Irene before.
Nor had she ever seen them.
Having stayed inside her house her entire life until now, she’d never met anyone besides her parents.
So while she understood why they didn’t recognize her, other things were simply untrue.
For instance, that she was the one who murdered Olben and his wife and set the village ablaze.
Thus, she couldn’t possibly accept being labeled a witch.
It wasn’t that she denied it out of fear of being burned—she truly hadn’t done it.
She didn’t know who had set fire to the territory or killed Olben, but she did know who had killed Olben’s wife—her mother.
It was Olben himself.
Her mother had tried to stop him while he was drunk and violent, only to hit her head on the edge of a table and pass away pointlessly.
When I saw that… what did I do?
Irene slowly blinked, trying to retrace her memories, but nothing came to mind.
After confirming her mother’s death, she’d lost consciousness.
When she came to, she was walking aimlessly through the flames.
Eventually, the villagers found her and dragged her to prison, branding her a witch.
‘I’ll be dead soon.’
Witches were always burned at the stake.
Her long eyelashes grew damp.
Tears soon rolled down her cheeks, and she covered her face with both hands.
Though death frightened her, at least she’d be reunited with her mother.
‘And I won’t have to suffer anymore.’
Irene felt relief at that thought, yet sorrow over the fact that she had to find comfort in such a grim reality, laughing and crying like someone who’d lost her mind.
*
To burn a witch, one needed the sacred flame maintained by the temple.
Baron Silas had sent a servant to the temple to borrow that flame.
With all preparations complete, all that remained was to wait for the servant’s return with the flame.
But then, an unexpected visitor arrived, causing Baron Silas to sweat so profusely it felt as if his back were weeping.
He wiped the cold sweat not only soaking his shirt but even dampening what little hair he had left, and looked across at Carlos.
Carlos Duen Esper.
The presence of a middle name signified his extraordinary nobility—and indeed, Carlos was the undisputed ruler of the North, head of the Esper family, and the empire’s sole Grand Duke, a man even the royal court dared not provoke.
Facing such an eminent figure naturally made him nervous; his head bowed involuntarily.
Yet he kept stealing glances at Carlos, whose appearance was so captivating it drew the eyes of men and women alike.
Jet-black hair like pure darkness, thick eyebrows, violet eyes reminiscent of amethysts, a straight nose, and thin, crimson lips—
he was less “handsome” and more “beautiful,” a term that suited him far better.
Society claimed that when God crafted him, He had bestowed upon him all the beauty in the world.
But his overwhelming aura kept everyone at a distance, leaving them to admire him like an unattainable painting.
His violet eyes were another reason people hesitated to approach him.
Purple was commonly regarded as the color of demons and thus considered ominous.
Since Duke Esper possessed violet eyes, rumors quietly spread that demon blood might flow in his veins.
Even without that, terrifying tales clung to him like shadows—stories that he’d execute anyone who angered him, even infants, with a single stroke, or that he relished human flesh.
Nevertheless, befriending Carlos guaranteed a path to the capital’s elite, so Baron Silas couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
“What brings you to this humble place, Your Serene Highness?”
Whatever he desired, Silas was ready to offer it all.
Thus resolved, Baron Silas—
“I heard a witch has appeared in this village. I’d like to see her.”
—was startled by Carlos’s next words and widened his eyes in shock.
Carlos tilted his head slightly, irritation flickering in his violet eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing at all. I’ll bring the witch here immediately.”
As Baron Silas ordered his servants to fetch the witch, he chuckled inwardly.
Normally, witches were burned immediately upon discovery, but he’d heard rumors that sometimes they were kept alive for noble entertainment.
Carlos probably wanted to see her for that very reason.
Though his tastes were as eccentric as his fame, this actually worked out well for Silas.
He could use the witch—who was going to die anyway—to win Carlos’s favor.
“As the weather grows hotter, I wonder how it is in the North…”
Baron Silas, harboring ambitious plans, filled the silence with small talk while waiting for the witch’s arrival.
“…”
But Carlos ignored him completely, staring out the window without offering any response.
Embarrassed, Silas fell silent, and a heavy, oppressive quiet settled over the reception room.
The baron longed to flee the room but, facing a Grand Duke, could only fidget nervously with his teacup.
This was the very moment he wished to see the witch who’d ruined his territory.
How much time passed like this?
Knock knock.
“My lord, the witch has arrived.”
“Oh! Yes! Bring her in at once!”
Overjoyed at the arrival of the person he’d been eagerly awaiting, Baron Silas leapt to his feet.
Carlos’s gaze, fixed on the window until now, shifted toward the door.
Creak—the door opened, and Irene, shackled and dressed in rags, was led in by the guards.
“This woman is the witch.”
Baron Silas, standing beside her, introduced her as if presenting a commodity.
Yet Carlos still showed no reaction, merely staring blankly at Irene.
“Why aren’t you bowing and greeting His Serene Highness properly?”
Embarrassed, Baron Silas snapped impatiently at the innocent Irene.
“…!”
Only then did Irene lift her head—and froze instantly upon locking eyes with Carlos.
An inexplicable chill shot up from her toes, her mouth went dry, and cold sweat gathered in her palms.
No. I’m scared. I have to run.
Her face turned deathly pale, confronted by a presence more terrifying than death itself.
In contrast, a satisfied smile spread across Carlos’s lips.
It was so fleeting that no one saw it.
Leaning back lazily against the sofa like a predator sated after a feast, Carlos pointed with his chin toward the sofa where Baron Silas had been sitting.
“Sit.”
Assuming the command was for him, Silas began to sit—but before his backside even touched the cushion, a sharp rebuke rang out.
“Who told you to sit?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Startled, Baron Silas sprang back to his feet.
Carlos shot the baron an annoyed glance, then turned his eyes to Irene.
“Sit.”
Only then did the baron and guards realize the order was meant for her, and they all stared at Irene.
Already terrified by the Grand Duke’s mere presence, Irene shrank into herself like a turtle under the weight of everyone’s stares.
“I told you to sit.”
It was already the third command.
Though Baron Silas disliked the idea of seating a witch on his sofa, he had no choice but to order the guards to seat her immediately.
The guards forced Irene onto the sofa.
Now facing the Grand Duke at close range, Irene clasped her trembling hands tightly and kept her head bowed low.
“What’s your name?”
A voice neither gentle nor harsh, merely calm, drifted through the air.
But Irene, still terrified of Carlos, remained silent, lips pressed shut like a tightly closed shell.
“His Serene Highness asked for your name—why aren’t you answering?”
Baron Silas scolded her fiercely, eyes bulging.
Irene swallowed hard and finally managed to part her heavy lips.
“My name… is Irene.”
“Irene.”
Carlos repeated her name several times as if savoring it, then smoothly curved his lips into a smile.
“My name is Carlos Duen Esper. I look forward to our time together.”
It was a smile so breathtakingly beautiful it hurt to look at—and yet utterly chilling.
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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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (2)
Carlos’s violet eyes, fixed on her, swirled with a tangled mix of longing, urgency, and anxiety
He knew her???
Carlos closed the distance, grasped her shoulders, and ran his fingertips down her bare back.
is this smut???
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Blairwoods
So, is this story about a witch and a demon??? and I wonder why is Korean author always choose silver as witch’ hair?