The Emperor had been so comfortable around the fortress that I found myself speaking more openly than I intended.
Knowing full well the Emperor wasn’t in his right mind.
“Yes.”
“Ha ha….”
“People change when they become intoxicated by power. Well, I have changed too. What can be done? Should I write a formal document? Or should I threaten that if you can’t hold up to your end, you won’t be let off the hook? Should I whine like a child?”
“No….”
Perhaps because of what I said, there was an unusual edge to the Emperor’s words.
“Yes. So, let’s try to trust each other. People need to trust people.”
“I hope the new elephant tamer is trustworthy.”
“Well, it’s better than before. Although I have no reason to meet you again.”
As he spoke with conviction, I downed the lukewarm tea in my mouth.
“So.”
“Yes?”
“What was the name of the last elephant tamer?”
I almost blurted out ‘Pig Shit.’
“Teslo.”
A name that didn’t suit his appearance.
The name of an elder councilman, Roywick, was too modern for his age, and Teslo’s name was too wholesome for a former elephant tamer of his size.
‘Come to think of it, I never asked for the child’s name.’
A child wearing a hood came to mind. For some reason, I felt like our encounter was not the end.
“Yes. Teslo. What he did wasn’t serious enough to warrant execution. Even if he’s the elephant tamer, embezzling the tamer’s funds alone isn’t enough for severe punishment.”
It had been the same in the past. The former elephant tamer. Despite being exposed for embezzling a large sum, he wasn’t severely punished. It was an internal matter within the elephant taming operation; we could just expel him.
Just when I was about to become disappointed, as if sipping on flat soda,
“But the crime he committed… fortunately, it wasn’t just that. He violated the law I created for children to grow up properly. Because of that, I, as the Emperor, can punish him. So, I give you the choice. Either we hand the punishment over to the elephant taming operation, or I will personally deal with it.”
“Ah.”
“Since you didn’t answer when I gave you an opportunity to do anything, choose one of the two.”
It meant to think about it in due course.
Which one would make him suffer more?
What happened to him in the novel?
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”
It’s a relief that I don’t have to think about it right now. If he asked me what I wanted to do to him, I would have felt like setting him on an infinite wheel.
“Then let’s call it a day.”
And the Emperor, as if he had said everything he wanted to say, started to rise. I hurriedly grabbed him.
“Your Majesty.”
“Why?”
“I have a confession.”
“A confession? It feels like the atmosphere for a love confession.”
As if to conceal my anxiety, I pressed my nails hard.
“Uh… it’s similar.”
For a moment, the Emperor’s body flinched.
“Are you confessing love?”
“No, no, that’s not what I mean… it’s that serious.”
“What could make you, who’s always confident, act like this?”
Indeed. I don’t know why I’ve become so timid. But what I did was not trivial. So I took a deep breath and opened my mouth again.
“I… sort of sold you out, Your Majesty.”
“Sold out?”
“When we were talking at the elephant taming operation… about Your Majesty…”
“Ah, I thought it was something else. It’s okay.”
“Is it really… okay?”
Caught off guard by his sudden words, I blinked.
“The reason I let you take the imperial troops was because you’re my representative.”
“Is it really okay?”
“Yes.”
“Even when you casually mentioned that you wouldn’t let Shasha and me off the hook if we told others?”
His shoulders twitched.
“I thought you’d take those comments lightly, so don’t worry about it.”
Having said that, he stood up from his seat.
“My throat is sore. I came to have tea, yet when I’m with you, I talk a lot.”
“Is that so.”
Although a response invited another, he only said what he wanted and turned away. I stared at the emperor, wondering if it was time to say something like, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for the delightful time.”
It seemed the emperor didn’t expect that; he slowly turned away and leisurely walked out of the garden. I returned to Shasha.
“Shasha, shall we go in now?”
“Yes! Sister.”
Even after the emperor left, his aide Tetel was still holding a large basket.
Hearing we were going in, he didn’t follow the emperor but sat down to put rabbits into the basket one by one.
“Is it alright if you don’t go?”
“I am Tetel, ma’am.”
“Oh, you’re Tetel, the emperor’s aide, aren’t you?”
“Perhaps. Yes, that’s correct.”
As if to say ‘not anymore,’ he gave a resolute expression and sighed deeply.
“That’s right. I was… an aide.”
“Yes.”
“Still, won’t he fire me if I’m doing this?”
“Fire you?”
“Yes, I want to be fired.”
What was he talking about? I tilted my head at him. Then, the emperor’s voice, which I thought had left, rang out.
“Tetel.”
“Sigh…”
“Tetel!”
“…I’ll go. Empress, ma’am…”
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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