Ines had already settled her accounts with herself. She had saved her sister, and he had granted her immunity. If now she were to commit the crime of killing someone, then it would be a matter of him stepping in to save her.
Thinking of her killing someone made a smile escape his lips. Even as he thought it ridiculous, the irregular beating of his heart annoyed him.
(This is a time separator.)
Three days later, Carson had finally rescued Rena’s son. Count Graham had hidden the boy in the house of one of his followers. As rumors of Rena’s death spread throughout the territory, Count Graham made his move. He naturally ordered the child’s death. But
Carson had saved the child one step ahead.
“What do you plan to do with Rena Marier?”
At Noah’s question, Carson rubbed his chin without an answer.
He would hide her for a while, but she was a criminal who tried to assassinate the royal family.
But he couldn’t make a decision about Rena’s disposition. He was strangely seized by the feeling that he should get Ines’s permission for the decision regarding her new recruit.
“Postpone it for now. Deliver the child.”
Rena, who had received her son, would continue to be confined in a secret room with him. Although it was confinement, there was no particular threat to her safety, so for the time being, she would live in the basement of Count Raymond’s mansion, as a dead person, with the child she loved.
Carson had for now wrapped up that affair.
Since the perpetrator of the incident had died without leaving any words, his official stance was that he would no longer make an issue of this matter.
(This is a time separator.)
Meanwhile, the weather had warmed up a bit, and the new lord of Landhill had finally opened the doors of his mansion.
Afterwards, the nobles of Landhill were busy preparing a welcome party to celebrate the new lord’s arrival.
“People from the capital’s costume shop have arrived for the banquet preparations.”
Having finished various reports about the mansion, Noah, who had skipped breakfast and was buried in documents, again stressed his words to the young earl who gave no reply. Carson had to pay an enormous amount of money to bring the people from the capital’s costume shop to Landhill.
Their accommodation, the staff’s wages, and even willingly paying twice the costume shop’s income for the one month they would stay here.
“My lord?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“I will go and choose the clothes….”
“Just wear anything. I don’t care about my clothes, so strengthen the surrounding guard.”
Noah sighed softly behind the capricious earl. If he could wear anything, why on earth did they bring them to this mansion?
He had struggled to call the snobbish costume shop from the capital.
He was now resolving their complaints and hastily coming to meet him. Noah reflected on his life, listening to Carson’s indifferent answer.
Born the second son of a rural lord without a notable family name, he had to work twice as hard as others to become an aide to the royal family.
When he was appointed as an assistant to the royalty, he felt like he owned the world. He never thought he would be doing such trivial work.
“It would have been nice if you had said that earlier.”
Startled by the grumble that slipped out unknowingly, he met the eyes of the earl in midair, quickly bowed his head and took a step back.
“I apologize.”
“Did I? I’m sorry.”
Moreover, hearing an unexpected apology, Noah blushed with surprise.
“Oh, no. I overstepped.”
“Don’t bow so much. You and I will be together for a long time, and I need an advisor, not a servant.”
Although the tone was cold, the content was not. Thanks to that, Noah could not reply at all. He just stared at the head of his lord, who finished speaking and lowered his head to the documents again, for a long time.
Of course, he was a great negotiator and strategist, and his business acumen was tremendous. Just by looking at the enormous wealth Carson had secretly amassed, these aspects were guessable. But he was a human, after all, so he needed an advisor.
“Anyway, we need to call the dressmakers.”
“Yes?”
“Have Louis fit all new clothes. He will not have a single item from Graham House. I will buy everything anew.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And you know. What do you think…….”
At that time, Carson began speaking as if to ask Noah’s opinion, poking at a blank paper with his pen, without even lifting his head. Noah perked up his ears, waiting for the advice he would offer.
“No.”
“Yes?”
“I said no, leave now.”
“I’m fine. Please speak.”
He twirled his pen once, then met Noah’s eyes. Noah had not been in his service for long, but it was the first time he had seen him hesitate.
“What do you think? Would it be too much to send a dress to Lady Swelden for this banquet? Or could it be seen in some other way? Among the gossiploving ladies, I mean.”
“For example……?”
“A woman in marriageable age.”
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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