If she really had a fever, Deborah wouldn’t have hesitated to take a break. It was a duty that couldn’t be transferred to Diana or anyone else.
“…”
As Zen found it hard to believe Deborah’s words, he scrutinized her complexion with sharp eyes for a while.
‘It’s burdensome.’
Deborah resented herself for having distracted thoughts. However, just as she was frightened by the idea of blaming herself, another distracting thought occurred to her. Zen’s pupils, staring through her, were creating that feeling.
‘Mr. Baker is quite extraordinary.’
The majority of Gracians have brown irises. Blue eyes, green eyes… they exist but are rare. Golden eyes are one of the rare eye colors. Deborah’s black irises were probably as rare as Zen’s golden irises.
‘A beautiful pair of eyes that look dangerous like a wild beast and, at the same time, fragile like a child.’
The boy’s pupils were like that too. Even when he was young, there was strength in them.
‘Is it a characteristic of golden irises?’
Deborah couldn’t find the answer to that curiosity. Among the people she had seen so far, there were only a couple with golden irises.
“…It seems like your condition isn’t very good.”
Zen recited a warm sentence with his characteristic low and cool voice. Deborah, who felt a sudden surge of energy, hastily offered explanations that were not excuses.
“I’m sorry. My health is really fine; maybe I’m like this because I couldn’t sleep well.”
“Not sleeping well. Why? Was the bed uncomfortable?”
“No. It’s just because of the dreams.”
With a cautious smile, Deborah, shaking the end of her eyebrows, answered quickly. Despite Deborah awkwardly smiling at Zen, her gaze was sincere.
Zen swallowed a sigh at Deborah’s appearance and muttered, “So you had a nightmare.”
“No, it was a good dream.”
Deborah replied without hesitation. Although Deborah was awkwardly smiling at Zen, her gaze was infinitely honest.
Zen, recalling the thought that came to him, ‘Even she had a dream like that?’ that was pitiful, blurted out a different sentence to prevent it from coming into this world.
“…Even though it was a good dream, why can’t you sleep properly?”
Deborah, smiling sneakily at what seemed like a muttered complaint, later responded to Zen’s initial question.
“Miss is currently learning basic etiquette and simple culture. Although she seems to find everything difficult because it’s all new to her…”
Zen quietly listened to Deborah’s obvious answer. In fact, it wasn’t very important to Zen how Dia was doing. The person talking in front of him was what mattered.
In the end, everything is memorization. It was necessary to memorize even the way to greet someone for the first time. That’s how the world with fixed answers worked.
“Don’t bow too much. Inhale and count to 2. Just 2 seconds, then slowly lift your head.”
Irene, holding Dia’s waist and stomach and slowly raising her, said. Dia’s face, which had been embarrassed by the sight of herself constantly repeating simple movements, turned red.
“Now, try it alone.”
“Yes.”
Dia slowly bent and lifted her waist. Irene pressed her temples, grinning and tilting her head.
It was a very simple movement, and Dia wasn’t really making an incorrect greeting. Yet, why did Dia’s greeting look awkward?
“Mrs. Brown?”
Deborah, who had been quietly standing behind, watching everything, whispered affectionately to Irene.
“I think it’s a bit difficult for her because she’s only repeating the same movements.”
“Oh, I see.”
Irene nodded.
‘She seems less confident than before.’
It seemed good to learn something else while ventilating the surroundings.
‘Something simple… What would be good?’
While Irene was contemplating, Deborah pointed to the grand piano, an exquisite decoration in the corner of the room.
“Mrs. Brown, if you’re okay, could you play a piece for us?”
Light filled Irene’s face. Piano performance appreciation. It was a refinement that one must learn, and also a relatively straightforward education.
“Sure.”
Smiling brightly, Irene explained the occasional gatherings among the ladies.
“Ladies often host events like tea parties, poetry recitals, or simple concerts. Currently, most young ladies almost inevitably learn to play the piano, but…”
While Irene was explaining, Deborah brought a chair and offered a seat to Dia. Feeling sorry for sitting alone, Dia thanked her quietly and took a seat.
“Not all young ladies play the piano at an advanced level. So piano concerts are not that frequent gatherings, but they are gatherings that don’t disappear. Currently, the Countess Herz and Viscountess Dohn regularly host piano concerts.”
Deborah, smiling behind Dia, nodded slowly. Observing Deborah like that and Dia listening nervously, Irene continued.
“Besides the two Countesses who are quite advanced in age, there’s also a young lady who regularly hosts concerts among the younger ladies. The most famous one would be Lady Vane, the daughter of the Duke.”
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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