“I can’t take it anymore, I just can’t.”
In the deep night, as if the evil spirits had also fallen asleep, a woman in white muslin pajamas appeared in a quiet corner of the imperial palace corridor. Her entrance was so abrupt that it seemed like she appeared out of nowhere, like a ghost.
She breathed heavily, clutching the corridor wall, and slowly took steps forward.
Even after everything was over, her nauseating nightmares refused to stop. Ines reassured herself that she was fine and, as usual, raised her hand to clutch her throat. But no matter how hard she tried, today was worse than any other day.
If she endured a little more, the dreadful fear would pass, and she would find stability in her breathing. Although she knew it in her head, every time she struggled to breathe, Ines couldn’t help but think she would die.
The place where she stayed was on the same floor as the Emperor’s bedroom.
Her room was hidden in a place not visible from the outside. Just like the rooms of the servants and maids who stayed to listen for the Emperor’s urgent needs, it was not visible from the corridor. No one wanted to see the shabby side hidden behind the dazzling splendor of the powerful empire.
Even Ines, staying in that room, felt the same.
In the empty space between the walls, Ines pulled herself out and slowly approached the Emperor’s room.
Emperor Carson von Raymond had allowed Ines to enter his room at any time. He, who knew her situation better than anyone, cared for her more than anyone else amidst the overwhelming accusations and panic that rushed in.
As Ines approached, a knight guarding the front knocked on the Emperor’s door. It was the wee hours of the morning, but the response came immediately.
“Let her in.”
With a frightening silence, Ines entered the room, and Carson began to rush to the door as soon as he answered. The figure of the man, dressed entirely in white, armed with new light, looked like a door to heaven to her.
Ines slowly lifted her steps towards her safety. She did not miss the moment he reached out his hand.
His long fingers would soon grasp her arm. His broad chest would soon embrace her shoulders. His beautiful lips would soon assure her that everything was okay.
With just that expectation, Ines’s breath gradually eased. She looked into his eyes as if there was only this man in the world.
“It’s okay, Ines.”
As he reached out familiarly and tightly pinched her nose with his fingers, Ines looked into his eyes, breathing heavily through her mouth. Although her pupils were dilated, her convulsively trembling body gradually stabilized.
Carson led her to his bed. As she sat down, he embraced her, comforting her back.
It was a simple and pure gesture without any hint of ulterior motives.
How much time had passed? Breathing heavily as if the last person alive, Ines slowly separated herself from him.
There were no ceremonial words apologizing for coming so late, asking if she was okay. After carefully examining Ines’s eyes, Carson, satisfied that she was fine, walked to the table with a water bottle.
The sound of water pouring filled the silent room.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
In a determined voice, Carson laughed suddenly.
“What now?”
The sound of falling water, whether it was half-full or falling, sounded a bit dull.
“I will be the closest to Your Majesty for the rest of my life. A place that will never be separated.”
With a splash, just as the water stopped falling from the bottle Carson was holding, his back stiffened slightly.
“But, you’re not ready to be my…yet.”
“I will become the head maid. Definitely!”
Surprised, Carson, without realizing, turned his body to look at Ines. Water had already overflowed onto the table.
“What…head maid?”
“Head maid.”
“Did you become a man behind my back?”
For her, it was a serious consideration, but she also knew that it might sound amusing to the emperor. However, she remained consistently serious. If the person closest to the empress was the head maid, then the person who could be closest to the emperor was the head eunuch.
“There’s nothing in any document or law that says the head eunuch must be a man.”
“Have you ever thought that it’s such a natural thing that it doesn’t need to be specified in the law?”
Besides the fact that she was a woman, there were other obstacles. The biggest problem was undoubtedly Ines’s status. Even the previous emperor had chosen his seventh cousin, a distant relative, as the head eunuch, and he soon received the title of a count.
“I’d rather be the empress.”
“Mock as you wish. When I first said I would become a palace maid, people said the same things to me.”
The emperor’s mouth closed at Ines’s words. Her words were true. No one predicted that Ines, starting as a sinner, would rise to become a temple servant, then a palace maid, overseeing internal affairs of the palace. Unofficially, she was a person of influence.
“Ines, I would never mock you. Admiration… maybe, but not mockery.”
At his words, she raised her head, sparkling eyes. His words seemed to imply permission, and she smiled widely.
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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