No, I…
A hot sensation spread over my bound wrist. Whether it was due to the heat or not, my mind momentarily went blank.
As I hesitated over what to say, Ian spoke first.
“It was a slip of the tongue.”
His expression, rigid for a brief moment over his somewhat anxious face, overlapped with Ian’s. Labeling it a slip of the tongue and moving on was troubling, given his expression.
Had he been offended?
Well, I did touch his face, which was that of a prince, quite unabashedly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it might make you uncomfortable.”
“Don’t apologize.”
“No, this is my fault…”
“I was not… uncomfortable.”
Ian’s face, as he fumbled with my cheek, looked somewhat flustered. He blinked his eyes several times in apparent confusion before focusing his gaze on me.
“Is the wound okay?”
“It’s fine.”
As our eyes met, Ian skillfully glanced down and responded. His long, quivering eyelashes cast a momentary shadow over his face, carved as if from a sculpture.
Where in that face could anyone see a vague impression?
Ian’s handsome face, accentuated by a solemn atmosphere, was enough to leave one’s mouth agape.
Could he perhaps not objectify himself?
“And your impression isn’t vague at all. The confusion at first was because I have some memory issues…”
“I didn’t know I had such a lengthy aftertaste. I suppose I want to leave a deep impression as a junior, at least to you, senior.”
Indeed, Ian was more sincere than anyone in the duel, and he wanted to continue dueling with me.
So he would have wanted to look better.
“I haven’t confused you with anyone else since then.”
“Then why only me…”
Ian, who had been speaking with a dry expression, suddenly closed his mouth. It was because the doors to the practice hall burst open.
“Rose?”
The one who appeared was Edwin. As he brushed his surprised heart, he came closer, his cape fluttering.
“What are you two doing here?”
“We were dueling.”
Without any excuse to beat around the bush, I candidly told him, and Edwin’s eyes widened.
“You were dueling? With Klein?”
“You’re sleeping in the dormitory today, right, Ed?”
“Yeah, but…”
I picked up the fallen sword and put it in the scabbard, then headed straight for Edwin.
“Let’s talk as we go. We’ll go first, freshman.”
“Hold on, Rose. You need to take your cape.”
I took the cape Edwin handed me and did not forget to admonish Ian, who was standing dumbly.
“Make sure to treat your wound.”
After confirming Ian’s faint nod, I moved out of the practice hall.
“What happened? Dueling? You don’t duel with the members.”
“That’s…”
Edwin, who quickly followed me outside, gestured hurriedly with his hands, as if urging me to speak quickly.
I briefly chuckled at his flapping gestures and explained to Edwin what had happened.
“Aah, so there was a separate confessing party, and Klein requested a duel, but you mistook it for a confession?”
Edwin, who had stopped in his tracks, clutched his stomach and cackled.
I knew you’d react like that.
“Quiet, Ed. We’re in front of the dormitory.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I missed the timing.”
Edwin wrinkled his nose as if to say that couldn’t be all.
“Okay, I was too embarrassed to say it right away. Satisfied?”
As if he had expected that, Edwin’s eyes suddenly sparkled while stroking his chin.
“Klein must be quite skilled.”
“Huh?”
“You wouldn’t have accepted the duel just because you misunderstood Klein.”
Well, that’s true.
I nodded without hesitation.
“Objectively speaking, Klein’s skills are in the upper ranks within our knight order.”
“Really? I have to work harder if you say so.”
I was about to respond but closed my mouth. In front of Edwin, I couldn’t bring myself to say that Ian’s skills were better than his.
Had he sensed the meaning of my silence, Edwin jokingly clenched his fists as he stepped back.
But somehow, his walk didn’t look quite comfortable. As he stepped on his left foot, it seemed like he hesitated momentarily.
“Why are you walking like that?”
“Of course, Rose can’t fool your eyes.”
“Are you injured?”
“Just a little twist.”
During the last monster subjugation, Edwin had injured his left ankle by the monster.
Fortunately, the treatment wasn’t delayed since it was on the way back after finishing the subjugation, but he had to focus on recovery, taking a break for two whole months.
Could it be that the pain from the injured ankle at that time has flared up?
“Don’t overdo it since there’s subjugation soon.”
“Yes, yes, I understand. Then I’m going in.”
“Your Highness, you’re late today.”
“You were still here?”
“Shouldn’t someone handle the work that Your Highness has left behind?”
Nayson muttered like a sigh, glancing over the stack of documents.
“That’s true.”
Nayson, who had been caressing his deepset eyes, pressed his forehead as if he was flabbergasted.
“Is that all you have to say? You should at least say some words of encouragement at times like this….”
Ian’s hand, undoing the uniform button, stopped. For some reason, Nayson’s voice seemed to get closer and closer, and he suddenly looked up.
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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