When the son formally took over as head of the family and became the Grand Duke, Lev, who had become the former Grand Duchess, announced that she wanted to be called the Princess, as she had been before marriage, rather than the Grand Duchess Clément. Of course, the Emperor, having no other sister than Lev, had no reason to object to returning his earlymarried younger sister to the royal family. As soon as she received official approval for the title from the Emperor, Princess Lev, not wanting to stay in an empty house without her son, left the capital and went down to Clément territory.
At first, it seemed that she was working hard to manage the territory on behalf of her son, who had gone to the battlefield. But soon she began to leisurely wander around the territory. From the beginning, she was not particularly worried about her son.
Then she left for a trip abroad altogether. Of course, visiting other countries as a princess, it seemed she enjoyed luxury treatment as a national guest. For a while, she often sent letters and gifts from that country. But it stopped abruptly four years ago, and only occasional short letters came until, abruptly, two years ago, even the news of her son’s anger couldn’t bring her back home.
“Mother said she caught a native disease last time. If she had passed away or the disease had worsened, a message would have come. It’s strange that her whereabouts are unknown.”
It’s the disappearance of the sister of the Emperor himself. It was unusual that there were no expenses from the Clément family’s account, which must have been used if she had traveled. Moreover, it was highly implausible that Lev, who inherited Oder’s blood, mentioned the disease. One of the promised characteristics of Oder’s blood was none other than exceptional physical strength and health.
“Didn’t His Majesty the Emperor look for Mother during this time?”
“It seems that the royal family has sent a few letters to Her Highness the Princess to return to the country where she is staying, but Her Highness says she is moving too quickly to receive a reply.”
This happened while Illeon himself wandered the battlefield, having lost an eye and become less than human. Mother, Princess Lev, disappeared.
There had been a time when he discussed with Bernar whether he should find his mother, halfjokingly.
Princess Lev was also an extraordinary mother, with more than average affection for her wellraised child.
If she found out that she was disliked in the Duke of Uter’s family, there could have been a big fuss.
But it was strange that he couldn’t find any trace of his mother like this.
“We need to find out where Mother is.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After finishing his report, Cedric bowed and retreated.
“Hoo.”
Illeon looked at the large velour box on one side of the desk.
It was a box containing a tiara and necklace sent by Oje Jewelers.
“Mother should have been here.”
He never thought he would proceed with the wedding so quickly when he was talking to Bernar about the whereabouts of his mother.
All of this was because of Elysia.
Even now, every time Illeon saw her, he felt an urgent longing that he could not bear for a moment.
“What is it? Are you saying you like me now?”
“Yes.”
“Gasp.”
Recalling the woman’s wideeyed face, Illeon’s smile naturally appeared.
“Heh.”
He hadn’t expected to confess so feebly.
No, being with Elysia was always a series of those moments.
He discovered himself in ways he didn’t know and had experiences he never thought of.
His feelings for Elysia meant change, and discovery.
“I never thought I’d want someone like this.”
Such a question to ask me if I believe in fate was utterly foolish.
How could I not believe?
Fate brought Elysia before me like a surprise gift through Elleon’s destiny.
She was a woman who had served the gods all her life.
Elysia, who lost her memory and wandered after an accident on the way to the sabbatical year in Glerosa. It was no coincidence that she ended up at the grand duke’s residence. The odds were so implausible that it could only be considered a miracle.
Looking out the window, it was pitch dark as it was midnight.
“You’re up late again today.”
I can visit Elysia when the sun rises.
Since Lona disappeared, Elleon has never slept comfortably. After finding Elysia, her, Lona, the thought of being able to meet her once the night receded kept him from sleeping.
Elleon’s longing was deepened with a sigh as the night grew.
(This is a time separator.)
The next day, Elleon went to the Duke of Uterus with a proposal letter. It was early enough not to be caught off guard by social etiquette.
Elleon, who was led to the reception room, struggled to relax.
“Me, nervous?”
It was funny. A feeling he had never felt since birth. Oder was so physically superior that he had no need to be nervous. Wasn’t this blood given by the gods to rule over humans?
However, unusually, the heavy ring case in his pocket made Elleon feel his shoulders stiffening.
“Will she accept?”
What if she doesn’t like it?
On the battlefield, whenever there was a chance, the men talked about love. Some of the married ones emphasized the importance of the proposal ring.
「The thicker the stone, the better.」
「What are you talking about! It’s important to choose a design that fits Lady Mana’s heart.」
「You don’t know anything. Proposing is done with face and figure. You kids.」
During the day, those who ran on the bloodflowing ground like a stream turned into foolish talk as they drank at night.
They seemed to consciously escape from the madness of murder and the emptiness of war.
On one hand, he considered those who attributed meaning to such trivial matters as fools, wondering why such a trivial ring was so important, comparing proposal experiences to stories of valor.
But joining the ranks of the fools directly didn’t feel so bad, and it was satisfying.
The ring that Lady Oje painstakingly made was thick in stone and beautiful in shape. It satisfied Elleon’s aesthetic sense as it sparkled like a work of art.
“I’m bothered that I only brought one.”
It was then that he thought he should have brought five or ten proposal rings so she could choose the one she liked best.
“Your Highness.”
At the sound of the beautiful voice of the beloved woman, Elleon quickly rose from his seat.
No matter how many times he experienced the moment when the woman he yearned for all night appeared before his eyes, it was only ecstatic.
It felt like a dream.
The fact that he could see Elysia with his eyes.
While still being in a dreamlike state even with his eyes open, Elleon greeted Elysia affectionately.
“Did you have a good dream?”
“I don’t know.”
Looking at the woman who replied ambiguously, Elleon quickly held out the proposal letter.
Giving the proposal letter was almost the starting point of the wedding preparations if it was a marriage between nobles.
Elleon, who did not want to delay even for a moment, was ready to simplify the rest, even if it meant breaking the imperial etiquette, as soon as he handed over the proposal letter.
“Please accept it as it’s sincere.”
Elysia looked at it blankly. A complex, unidentifiable expression crossed her face, which showed no reaction.
Elleon, watching her not immediately accept the proposal letter, was puzzled.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t accept this.”
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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