I Decline the Ex-Boyfriend of the Regretful Male Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
It’s like avoiding a fox only to run into a tiger.
Whenever I saw my husband, those words would suddenly come to mind.
The end of our contract marriage.
My husband had solidified his position as a duke, and I had become safe. Having fulfilled our purposes for each other, there was no longer any reason to stay together. So I asked my husband for a divorce.
“Let’s get divorced now.”
“How about having the greasy steak you love for lunch today?”
“Didn’t you hear me asking for a divorce?”
“No. You seem to have gained a bit of weight lately, so a salad with grilled chicken breast would be better.”
But my husband refused.
To be precise, he didn’t even give me a reason. He simply treated me with his usual endless affection. This wouldn’t do. Sensing the danger that I might fall for him if we stayed together any longer, I resolved to force a divorce.
‘All I need is his seal on the divorce agreement.’
In the dead of night, I was rummaging through his study, trying to secretly steal his seal.
A piece of paper sticking out from a book on the shelf caught my eye.
Among such a meticulously organized room, this one book looked unusually old.
As if drawn by an invisible force, I picked up the book.
“Marcava Academy… It’s a yearbook.”
It was the yearbook of the academy I had attended—specifically, from two years before my graduation.
Was my husband also an alumnus of Marcava?
My suspicion lasted only a moment. As soon as I opened the album, a pile of photos spilled out, slipping through my fingers. Among the photos scattered like cherry blossoms in spring—
“This… is my photo.”
There I was, from my academy days.
Instantly, goosebumps shot up my spine from my fingertips.
‘Why is my photo in my husband’s study?’
But before I could finish that thought, I heard the study door open.
I froze on the spot like a child caught stealing. Gripping my wildly pounding heart, I heard calm footsteps echo through the quiet study. Instinctively, I knew who had entered.
Just as I tried to forcefully suppress a hiccup while staring at the bookshelf—
“My Lady.”
A cold breeze brushed past my ear.
“What are you looking at right now?”
I suppose I really am trapped in the tiger’s den.
[This is the timeline separator]To explain how I ended up in the tiger’s den, I must go quite far back in time.
Originally, I was a loner.
Until ten years ago, I was waiting for death in a hospital room corner, suffering from an incurable illness. My only mother, unable to afford the medical bills, abandoned me when I was very young. As a child, I barely survived thanks to state support. But shortly after reaching adulthood, my condition worsened, and I met a lonely death. There was nothing to mourn—I was surely headed straight to heaven.
Yet when I opened my eyes, I found myself in another world. A strange room with no antiseptic smell or humidifier sounds. A light, unfamiliar body.
“Anette Leangberia…?”
This body with such a difficult name belonged to an eleven-year-old little noblewoman living in a luxurious mansion reminiscent of the medieval era. She had small, cute hands, fair skin, and striking emerald eyes. The moment I saw my new self in the mirror, I instantly realized I was in another world—evidenced by the unheard-of imperial name, strange maps, and shops selling magic on the streets.
“This must be inside a novel.”
But I never thought I was the protagonist. Though my face was beautiful enough to rival any female lead, my background certainly wasn’t fitting. Unlike typical novel protagonists, the Leangberia earldom was more peaceful and harmonious than any other noble household.
‘Protagonists are always destined for misfortune.’
Just like me in my previous life. In this life, I was confidently an extra or supporting character. And that was fine—I lived luxuriously under the care of a wealthy earl and his gentle wife. Perhaps being an extra was even better?
Thus, having forgotten my lonely past, I was enjoying a simple, happy daily life—until something happened when I was fifteen and attending the academy.
“Lian oppa collapsed?”
“Hurry to the infirmary. I’ve already contacted your parents.”
Lian, my two-years-older brother, had bloomed with the Belladonna bud. For those born of Leangberia bloodline, this mark was merely a simple pattern etched onto the body at birth—but as it bloomed, Lian’s fever worsened.
“The mark shows no unusual reaction. We can only explain the young master’s illness as an inexplicable fever.”
My family and clan members searched far and wide for a cure. But Lian couldn’t endure the prolonged suffering and passed away.
Grief was brief. The following year after Lian’s death, the Belladonna bud on my wing-shaped birthmark began to stir. Death’s shadow had fallen upon me as well. My body rapidly weakened, and people began calling it a curse.
‘Curse or not, I can’t die pointlessly again.’
Yet seeing my body weaken despite my efforts filled me with despair. Was I doomed to wait for death once more? It was during this powerless phase of my life that I met Serdis. The Crown Prince of the Reqies Empire had reached out his hand to me as I struggled with dancing at a banquet. He was like a solitary gem shining brightly in a lavish ballroom. Meeting his gaze, I realized—
‘He’s my savior.’
Standing beside him, I felt my breath return and my body grow lighter. It was a sense of liberation I hadn’t felt in years. I resolved to stay by Serdis’s side at all costs—because that was my only hope for survival.
To meet him, I constantly visited the imperial palace. Eventually, I seized an opportunity and saved Serdis’s beloved pet bird. Thanks to that, I succeeded in catching his attention.
“That was close. Thank you for your help.”
“If you’re grateful, buy me a cup of tea.”
I only wanted enough closeness to breathe freely beside him—but he blushed and shyly asked,
“…Would you go on a date with me?”
It seemed I’d drawn deeper interest than expected.
“I’d be happy to.”
Of course, I was thinking “thank you very much,” but—
[This is the timeline separator]“Achoo!”
Sitting on a café terrace enjoying tea, I quickly covered my mouth as a sneeze burst out.
“Are you cold?”
My body flinched as a warm jacket draped over my shoulders. My eyes caught the golden insignia on the jacket.
“I’m fine…”
“Fine, nothing. You came out dressed so thinly despite your frail health.”
My savior, Serdis, asked with concern.
“People might misunderstand…”
“Let them misunderstand. You matter more to me than anyone else.”
It felt as if the empire’s fully spread wing emblem had been pinned to my back. Yet my coughing wouldn’t stop.
“Cough! Cough!”
“This won’t do. Let’s go inside. I’ll have them bring warm tea.”
Because as he worriedly approached, my pain gradually lessened.
Serdis even picked up my bag and held out his hand. Unconsciously, I smiled with my eyes at the sight of his long fingers.
His golden hair was warmer than sunlight, and his eyes resembled plump pomegranate seeds. His wavy hair flowing along his long neck suited him perfectly. Meeting him often made me feel as if I were in another world—flowers seemed to bloom wherever he passed, and not a single dark cloud dared enter the path he walked.
It wasn’t just me—now an adult, Serdis had stolen the hearts of every young noblewoman.
‘He really is incredibly handsome.’
Even I, who had approached him just to survive, was enjoying the view.
“Is something on my face?”
Serdis asked, noticing my fixed gaze.
Indeed—his handsomeness.
“No, it’s just…”
Like a shy maiden, I pulled the blanket handed by the server up to my chin. Serdis smiled with crinkled eyes, propped his chin on his hand, and kept gazing at me. Under his persistent stare, I hid my face inside the blanket.
“Is something on my face?”
“I thought I was mistaken, but no.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“That you’re pretty.”
Ugh.
I nearly vomited the toast I’d eaten for breakfast.
‘Did he just call me pretty?’
True to a protagonist, he was even honest. Still, it was worth forcing myself into this pretty dress—Serdis had clearly noticed me.
“Thank you for seeing me so kindly.”
I replied with a bright smile and took a pill from my bag to swallow. It had no effect, but I did it to reassure the overly worried Serdis. Watching me, Serdis asked gently,
“But do you take medicine every time?”
“I usually take it once a day when it gets cold. My parents are overly cautious because I’ve fallen seriously ill so many times in winter.”
I lowered my eyes sorrowfully. The more he thought I was unwell, the more he’d worry.
“You said you’ve been sick since childhood. Is this medicine prescribed by your personal physician?”
“My usual doctor usually prepares it, but this time Father made it from a newly discovered herb. I’m trying it for the first time today—it’s very bitter.”
“You’ve been through so much, Anette.”
“It’s nothing. As long as I keep taking my medicine regularly, I won’t get sick. Maybe eating a macaron will cure me completely.”
I made a bitter face, then forced a brave smile. Seeing my pitiful expression, Serdis’s eyes filled with sympathy. Heh, how naive.
‘But why am I so dizzy?’
Since earlier, I’d felt as if my body were floating.
Was the medicine taking effect? That couldn’t be.
Though Father had brought this new herb, it shouldn’t differ from usual. Yet strangely, my heart pounded and my head ached.
‘If I say I’m unwell again, he’ll send me home.’
I gritted my teeth and endured it. Pinching my thigh to distract from the throbbing headache, I soon saw the macarons arrive.
Special macarons Serdis had ordered as thanks for saving his bird.
Studded with seasonal fruits, they looked delicious at first glance.
“Anette, enjoy them.”
But I couldn’t move a muscle before the macarons I’d so eagerly awaited. My ears rang so loudly I heard nothing. Then, after a sharp headache, suspicious memories flooded my mind like waves.
‘Why is this surfacing again?’
It was a memory similar to a nightmare I’d once had—a painful recollection of someone cruelly rejecting me. Could it be my mother from my past life, who abandoned me? It had already been ten years. Even memories I wanted to forget resurfaced, making my chest ache slightly.
“Anette, are you okay?”
Serdis gently held me as I swayed from the headache. Despite his warm embrace, a nauseating pain surged through my body as if my blood were rushing backward.
‘Why is this happening today of all days?’
My condition was serious. If I stayed like this, my symptoms would surely worsen.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm. Speak, Anette.”
Serdis still wore a genuinely worried expression.
“I think… I should go… home…”
Just as I barely managed to speak while holding onto him, my vision suddenly blurred—and the Serdis before me began to change.
“Your Highness…?”
The warmth in his eyes had vanished completely. Instead, cold red eyes, like the frigid northern air, stared down at me. Sweating palms and an anxious heartbeat began as I met a gaze I’d never seen before.
“I…”
“…Anette Leangberia is hereby exiled to the frontier.”
Huh?
What did he just say…?
The unspoken question painfully circled in my mind. This was no longer the Serdis I knew. The person before me now was…
“The entire Leangberia family shall also be stripped of all titles for their crimes.”
He was the one who periodically tormented me in my dreams. Why he tormented me became clear as a flood of old memories followed. If these were the memories that surfaced, I’d rather they never had. My vision flickered out as relentless headaches and memories overwhelmed me.
[This is the timeline separator]This wasn’t just a nightmare.
No—this cruel reality itself was the nightmare.
It had been nearly ten years since I transmigrated into this world.
Finally, I remembered which novel this was.
It was a typical regret story: the female lead, who had long adored Crown Prince Serdis, devoted herself only to be hurt repeatedly—until she turned away, making the male lead realize his true love and wallow in regret. The problem was that instead of quietly regretting and loving her, Serdis became a massive rolling boulder, causing trouble everywhere.
And the first person crushed under that eight-ton boulder was none other than Anette Leangberia.
Serdis’s frail first love—and the very body I had transmigrated into.
Serdis had adored Anette since their academy days.
Her ash-blond hair flowed down to her waist, and her eyes sparkled like embedded emeralds, stirring a young boy’s heart. Her long eyelashes, covering those eyes, fluttered elegantly like a noblewoman’s fan whenever she blinked. Combined with her delicate health, she exuded a melancholic aura that triggered protective instincts.
Serdis possessed a unique numbing ability that eased Anette’s pain. Drawn to each other, they shared a brief romance before parting. It would have been best if they’d parted cleanly—but unable to forget her, the male lead made a grave mistake with the female lead who loved only him.
‘Your heels aren’t pink like Anette’s.’
‘When Anette smiles, dimples form on her cheeks… You don’t smile prettily.’
He gaslit the kind-hearted female lead by selling my name.
Because of this, the gentle Violet developed extreme trauma toward me and later fainted upon seeing Anette at a party.
Eventually, regretting and floundering, Serdis mistakenly believed Anette’s existence tormented Violet—and sent her to marry an old, greedy border marquis. Already in poor health, Anette was neglected and met a lonely death.
If this is true…
I’m completely ruined.
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (14)
Serdis wasn’t naturally gentle. Behind closed doors, he was a rotten scoundrel who reveled in cruelty. Therefore, that innocent act was nothing but a facade to impress me.
What’s inside the author’ head, make them write a story with bad ML? 😭
Did violet already meet serdis? I wonder if violet was like crazy stalker or follower?
That offline was kind or not? Just my feeling, someone who likes abusive and rude person like cp kinda same character
Inline Comments (6)
Perhaps because I’m certain he’ll never love me.
Lol girl. You don’t know anything about him. He is obsessive 😂
“As I said before, I can only cast a forbidden ritual to remove divine abilities
Casting a ‘forbidden ritual’ to remove divine abilities sounds like practicing black magic. So Violet practices black magic? What is her true goal?
He collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Only the ring on his finger glimmered fa
I have quite a few things to say about the function of this enchantment. Right now though the main thing is that if the enchantment functions in this way…what happens if Anette dies while he has the ring turned on?
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
Blairwoods
‘Protagonists are always destined for misfortune.’ Agree!!! 😂
I just read novel like that, same regretful ML who loves other woman but at the end he regret to FL and vanished that woman he loved to frontier, the title is “Kina’s lover” wtf with those authors 😂