The languid afternoon in Junggungjeon.
While Heegyeong was spending tea time with Minsangju, the voice of Sanggung was heard from outside the door.
“Mama, I’ve heard that Kim Taeseok of Na-Geumwi-jang is here.”
“Let him in.”
“Yes, Mama.”
Upon Heegyeong’s permission, Kim Taeseok entered.
The nearby courtiers were dismissed, leaving only Heegyeong, Minsangju, and Kim Taeseok.
“Have you dealt with the court lady from the Sedapbang securely?”
“Yes, I’ve dealt with her thoroughly.”
In response to Kim Taeseok’s answer, Heegyeong took a satisfied sip of her tea.
She seemed rather relaxed for someone who had orchestrated a life-threatening event.
In such situations, Minsangju appeared equally accustomed.
“Someone seems to have touched Mama’s nerves again.”
“It’s about facing consequences for dreaming beyond one’s station.”
Heegyeong lowered her teacup gracefully, a disdainful tone mixed with her words.
“Well! Even if my body is inadequate as a man…”
Since Lady Shin’s unfortunate death in the Gyeongbokgung Palace fire incident, Ilyul’s health had deteriorated to the point where he needed a stand-in for the rituals. Despite this, he continued to bestow promotions upon the court ladies.
If a court lady who received a promotion became pregnant, it could jeopardize Ilyul’s position as the Crown Prince.
In other words, Heegyeong’s mother’s position was also precarious.
It was easier for Heegyeong to prevent the birth of potential princes than to deal with born princes.
Just as Jinwol discreetly eliminated future threats whenever court ladies received promotions, Heegyeong had been secretly removing potential threats to the future throne.
However, the repeated situations seemed to irk Heegyeong, who pursed her red lips.
Minsangju, who had been watching, spoke up.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s okay. Mama is the only Queen Mother in this country.”
“Of course. I am the only Queen Mother in this country.”
Heegyeong chuckled, twisting one side of her mouth.
“And it has to be me.”
“Please wait a little longer. Mama’s world will come soon.”
“It will be the world of the Min family, won’t it?”
Heegyeong corrected herself, and Minsangju responded with a faint smile.
The master of the Min family, Minsangju, was someone who spared nothing to advance his family’s interests.
Although the breath of the Min family reached every corner of Joseon, Minsangju’s ambition was not satisfied.
Until the day when the Min family swallowed up this Joseon, whether by sister, prince, or king, anyone could be used as a pawn.
Heegyeong becoming the Queen Mother was just one piece in Minsangju’s grand plan.
Heegyeong didn’t mind being a pawn in Minsangju’s ambition if she could seize what she could in this situation. If it was such a deal, it wasn’t bad. Heegyeong’s gaze turned to Kim Taeseok, who stood beside her.
“Do you still have something to say? If you’re done with your business, leave.”
“Well…”
Hesitating at her dismissal, Kim Taeseok finally spoke.
“…I found a person named Park Myeongok.”
“!”
“!”
At the words spoken by Kim Taeseok, Heegyeong and Minsangju’s bodies stiffened instantly.
Heegyeong struggled to move her stiffened lips and spoke hesitantly, “If it’s Park Myeongok…”
“Are you sure?” Minsangju inquired.
“Yes. I confirmed it with my own eyes. Park Myeongok, the court lady who was taken from the Jungjeonsansilcheong twenty years ago, is certain.”
Heegyeong, as if in disbelief, asked Minsangju with a trembling voice, “You said it was dealt with twenty years ago, didn’t you?”
Bewildered, Minsangju began to explain the situation at that time in detail.
“I clearly saw Park Myeongok falling off the cliff at that time. Although the area below was a river, she fell with fatal injuries, so the possibility of survival was slim. After that, we searched for her but couldn’t find her, so we concluded that she was dead.”
Minsangju shifted his gaze to Kim Taeseok. “You handled it thoroughly, right?”
Unable to provide the answer Minsangju desired, Kim Taeseok lowered his head with a helpless expression.
“I apologize, but I couldn’t kill Park Myeongok as she was with Gwangho Army.”
“Gwangho Army?”
Minsangju’s thin eyebrows twitched. His sharp eyes became even more piercing.
At that moment, the teacup held in Heegyeong’s hand flew towards Kim Taeseok.
—Crash!
The subtly off-course teacup, now shattered, hit the wall instead of Kim Taeseok’s face.
Amid the sharp noise, shards of the broken teacup scattered in all directions.
Heegyeong’s harsh voice echoed within the Junggungjeon.
“What on earth have you been doing all this time?!”
“J-Jus-just kill me!”
Kim Taeseok lay prostrate on the now messy floor, sharp fragments embedded in his hands and feet. However, now was not the time to worry about minor pains.
Heegyeong, not appeased by just throwing the teacup, was still seething with anger.
“Don’t tell me that woman has blown up everything…!”
The day Myeongok opens her mouth, everything prepared so far will be in vain.
For the Min siblings, Myeongok was a person who must die.
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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