In the waiting room, Kasallin, being attended to with her attire, slightly lifted the curtain to look outside.
Guests from various regions, each with their own social agendas, were steadily arriving at the ballroom.
Kasallin keenly spotted Shallen and Isabella ascending the stairs side by side.
For some reason, their faces were brimming with bright smiles.
“Preparations are complete, Your Majesty the Empress.”
After pinning a brooch and fitting gloves, Loren Logia and the maids bowed and stepped back.
Kasallin thanked them for their efforts, took a short deep breath, and left the waiting room.
“Her Majesty the Empress Kasallin Escalo has arrived!”
The doorkeeper standing by the entrance shouted in a resonant voice.
All eyes in the crowded room turned toward one spot.
“Finally, she’s here.”
Shallen, who had been quenching his parched throat with champagne while eagerly awaiting Kasallin’s appearance, looked up.
The moment he saw her, Shallen felt an unexpected pang of embarrassment.
Despite her light makeup, merely adding a touch of color to her lips, and her simple attire without flashy ornaments, he strangely couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Today, Kasallin seemed somehow sharply poised, yet that cold, steely beauty drew his gaze.
Her refined, ballerina-like steps were particularly striking.
Her slender waist, which seemed like it could be grasped with both hands, and the way her black hair swayed gently, perfectly matched Shallen’s taste, sending chills down his spine.
Shallen, who had planned to approach her faster than anyone, had to pause to cool his fervor.
“By the way, why isn’t the Emperor by her side?”
Noticing the empty space beside her, Shallen glanced around.
The Emperor was nowhere to be seen.
Several others also seemed to find it odd that Kasallin had come to the ballroom alone, without the Emperor’s escort.
“As expected.”
Isabella remarked from beside him.
Shallen, still unable to tear his eyes from Kasallin in the distance, asked,
“What do you mean, Miss Isabella?”
“I don’t know the details, but it seems there was some trouble between her and His Majesty the Emperor.”
Shallen’s eyes widened.
As if he had anticipated this, a confident gleam flashed in his pupils like white light.
If that was the case, there was no need to delay any further.
Shallen set down his wine glass, lightly adjusted his attire, relaxed his tense facial muscles, and walked toward her.
Some quick-witted nobles realized he intended to speak to Kasallin and hurriedly cleared the way.
The crowd’s hearts swelled with anticipation, expecting this to be the most entertaining spectacle of the year.
“I greet the Empress of the Rnel Empire.”
Kasallin, who had been exchanging greetings with noble ladies, looked up.
Shallen’s brazen face, devoid of shame or conscience, was right before her.
Everyone was watching.
Kasallin gave a slight nod, just enough to acknowledge him without seeming rude.
“You’ve arrived. But where is the Queen?”
“The Queen said her preparations are taking a bit longer. She’ll be here soon. By the way, why is Your Majesty the Empress alone? Isn’t the Emperor attending the ball today?”
Shallen bluntly asked what everyone was secretly wondering.
He waited for her response, hoping to see a flicker of discomfort on her face.
“It’s the same. His Majesty the Emperor is delayed due to personal matters.”
“Oh, I see. I heard someone recently gave the Emperor a very special gift. Perhaps he’s delayed unwrapping it.”
Kasallin, unsure of what Shallen was implying but clearly uninterested, remained silent.
To Shallen, she seemed more relaxed than someone leisurely having breakfast on a late weekend morning.
He had expected her to be flustered, upset by the Emperor’s absence.
Glancing behind him, Shallen signaled to someone in the crowd.
“Today, I’d like to introduce Your Majesty to someone special. Or rather, a reunion, since you already know them well. Lord Jeffrey, come here.”
Kasallin narrowed her eyes at the man approaching with awkward steps, his hands clasped nervously.
It was Lord Jeffrey, the doctor who had treated her after a carriage accident that caused her miscarriage.
He looked like someone who had stolen an ill-fitting tailcoat, with his shirt stretched so tightly that the buttons seemed to scream in protest.
“My lady… I mean, Your Majesty the Empress, it’s truly an honor to see you again.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Thanks to His Highness Shallen’s gracious invitation. State guests are allowed to bring one companion, aren’t they? Who would’ve thought I’d get to see the palace?”
The nobles watching were intensely curious about the connection between this man named Jeffrey and Kasallin.
But through Jeffrey’s loose tongue, everyone present soon learned.
“I hope you’ve been well since then. I felt so responsible when your body suffered from that tragic accident.”
The nobles began to murmur lightly.
There was hardly anyone in the room unaware of the rumor that Empress Kasallin was unable to bear children and was concealing that secret.
“Yet Your Majesty always overcame it with such strength. Truly admirable. Though you may not enjoy the same happiness as others, there are always options, like adoption…”
“Lord Jeffrey, how dare you say such things?”
“What? Isn’t this something everyone already knows… or not?”
“Such ignorance. I’m truly sorry, Empress. Please forgive his reckless words.”
Shallen pretended to hush Jeffrey while subtly drawing more attention.
Kasallin calmly blinked, scanning the shocked faces of the crowd.
Marquis Clemens and his wife, unaware they were stepping into their own trap, stood with their mouths agape.
Kasallin looked directly at Shallen, feigning confusion.
“Options? Adoption? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Shallen was dumbfounded.
Despite the whispers around them, her pretense of ignorance seemed utterly foolish to him.
She had once been an honest, intelligent woman with discernment—how had she changed so much, he lamented.
He missed the shy, pink-cheeked girl he’d met at her debutante ball.
The girl who would come running to him with a gentle “yes” when called—he wanted to restore her to that original self.
To do so, Shallen believed he had no choice but to plunge her into despair and grief, only to save her with his own hands.
Kasallin continued.
“King Shallen, I trust you’re not here to insult me with baseless rumors.”
“What did you say?”
Provoked by Kasallin’s blatant challenge, Shallen raised his voice slightly.
“To speak falsehoods in this sacred social setting—has the Emperor truly told you nothing? Are you really trying to deceive everyone?”
“Deceive? What am I deceiving?”
A low, resonant voice came from the stairs above.
Emperor Parnes, who had appeared on the balcony, was slowly descending toward Kasallin.
Isabella, seizing the moment, stepped forward as if spurring a galloping horse.
“Your Majesty the Emperor, I’m reluctant to say this, but…”
“Speak. Explain the situation clearly.”
It was over.
Finally, she could fulfill her mother’s long-cherished wish.
Isabella glanced at Kasallin, standing like a frozen flower, then continued speaking to Parnes.
“Your Majesty the Empress lost a child in a tragic carriage accident and is said to be unable to conceive. Lord Jeffrey, her former physician, can confirm this.”
“…”
“Your Majesty, this is a grave matter concerning the future of the imperial line. Please make a wise judgment…”
“You fools must truly have lost your minds to seek death by my hand.”
Duchess Rudo, who had been leisurely observing from a corner, waiting for things to conclude, silently widened her eyes.
Isabella looked up, startled.
“Your Majesty?”
“How dare you say my Empress cannot conceive? That she deceives the people?”
“Something’s wrong.”
That single thought pierced Shallen and Isabella’s minds like an arrow.
“Your Majesty, please calm down. I will clarify this myself.”
Kasallin let out a heavy sigh.
Then, as if to silence the rampant rumors, she boldly took Parnes’ hand.
Their bond seemed even stronger than at their wedding, unbreakable by anything.
Kasallin looked at the confused crowd, especially Shallen, Isabella, and the salon nobles, one by one.
And she continued calmly.
“Everyone here, listen carefully. I am currently carrying His Majesty the Emperor’s child.”
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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