I Regret The Kindness I Gave You (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 1
Merche was the sole candidate for heir to the Head of the Lupinus Family. There were no other candidates besides her. Thus, in effect, she had already secured the heirship.
Although Merche was not a direct descendant of the Head of the Lupinus Family but merely a branch-line blood relative, what truly mattered was that she alone had been chosen by the Head and raised within Lupinus Castle. That alone was reason enough for Merche to inherit the position of the next Head of Lupinus.
…Yet it seemed the heavens had no intention of readily offering their hand to Merche.
That day was just two months before the official announcement of the Lupinus heirship. While visiting a secret underground auction house to procure necessary goods as usual, Merche caught sight of someone imprisoned behind iron bars in a narrow alleyway.
Violet eyes flashing intensely through the darkness. A man, bloodied and slumped on the ground, yet unable to conceal his overwhelming presence—his mere gaze seemed ready to tear Merche apart.
“You’re making things awkward, standing there staring like that. Guess I’ve caught your fancy, noble lady.”
His vulgar, utterly crude manner of speech—precisely the sort nobles would despise—didn’t even register in her ears. Merche simply stood rooted in place, gazing at the man as if blinded. She couldn’t help it. Because… that man…
‘Merche, quite some time has passed since you came here.’
He bore an uncanny, chilling resemblance to the Head of Lupinus, who had spoken those very words to her that morning.
‘Merche.’
“But see, I’m not something you can buy.”
The Head’s voice calling her name overlapped with the man’s voice behind the bars, echoing in her mind like a hallucination. The Head’s eyes, gazing at her, melted into the man’s eyes. The man, who resembled the Head even in build and height, tilted his head up to look at Merche with a crooked smirk.
“…What is your name?”
She tried hard to steady her emotions, yet her voice cracked slightly at the end. Whether he noticed her agitation or not, the man showed not a shred of courtesy, lazily resting his chin on his hand. His fingertips traced his jawline as if playing a melody, then abruptly dropped.
“Not something a fine lady like you would know. Just call me whatever—this guy, that guy, doesn’t matter.”
“Do you perhaps… not have a name?”
The corners of the man’s lips stretched into a handsome grin. Unable to suppress his amusement, he finally let out a laugh, his broad back shaking along with it.
“Well now. Didn’t mean to erase a perfectly good name. That’s just cruel.”
With those words, the man lay flat on his back against the floor, clearly signaling his firm intention to speak no further.
Merche had no choice but to silently watch him lying there. His upper body was immensely larger and sturdier than hers. His waist was neither overly thick nor slender. His legs stretched out long and lean. Without conscious thought, her eyes roamed over him—and strangely, his physique contrasted hers in every way.
“Don’t you have any sense of tact?”
Even lying down, he somehow managed to cross his legs and sway them idly, then suddenly stopped. Startled by the abrupt stillness, Merche halted her gaze and held her breath.
“At this point, you’re supposed to take the hint and leave. Why are you staring at me like you’re measuring a slab of meat?”
“…I apologize if I offended you.”
“Just to be sure—are you deliberately complaining because I didn’t give you my name?”
“No. I swear, that’s not my intention at all.”
Merche’s eyes clouded as she denied it. Her head had felt strangely foggy since earlier. Why? What was wrong?
Ever since the moment she first saw that man, she had been endlessly cycling through that initial shock, horror, and a faint trace of despair. She’d even wondered if it was a dream—but she wasn’t foolish enough to mistake reality for a dream.
This couldn’t be an illusion. It couldn’t be denied. Though she didn’t understand how everything had tangled into this situation, Merche was certain of one thing.
‘This man is of Lupinus blood.’
Clang!
As that certainty engulfed all her thoughts like a tidal wave, the man—who had somehow risen to his feet—gripped the iron bars and let out a rough sound. He tilted his chin slightly, commanding her to come closer.
But strangely, their gazes didn’t quite meet. Merche instantly realized his violet eyes, clouded like stormy skies, were awkwardly searching empty space.
“…”
Merche, who had halted mid-step, slowly resumed walking. She approached until she stood close enough to the bars—and the man—that their breaths nearly touched.
“Do you know why I’m locked up here?”
He asked as if never expecting an answer, immediately continuing.
“A few days ago, I beat a few guys so badly they were nearly crushed to pulp. Ah, I wonder—maybe they’re actually dead by now? Not sure if they’re still alive. …Anyway.”
His hand reached through the bars. His knobby fingers touched Merche unimpeded, then gently moved toward her finely combed golden hair. His fingertips wandered between the delicate strands, fiddling with them before lightly grasping the ends—just enough not to hurt.
“Those guys kept annoyingly swaggering around. Their attitude really pissed me off. And since I absolutely hate it when people annoy me like that… well. That’s how it ended.”
“…I understand what you’re trying to say. I’ll leave now without further rudeness, so please let go.”
“You’ll do that? Should’ve done it sooner. Glad you’re not completely dumb, at least. Alright then—keep your promise and get out.”
His threat was blunt and unmistakable. Though his touch on her hair had seemed oddly gentle, it now felt as if his hand might strangle her at any moment, sending a chill through her. Merche offered another apology and turned away, leaving the man behind.
As she headed toward the stairs to return aboveground, she encountered the overseer loitering in the corridor—the same person who had granted her a brief moment alone to speak with the man behind bars. The moment he saw her, he hurried over, quickly scanning her as if checking her safety, then instantly broke into a warm, friendly smile as though nothing had happened.
“How was it? Did you have a good conversation?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I spoke with him sufficiently. However, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“Oh dear! Of course. Please, tell me anything.”
“How much would it cost for me to take that man?”
“Huh?”
The overseer’s eyes widened, and he quickly waved his hands.
“Ah, no. That one’s a slave who can’t be purchased. He, ahem… how do I put this? Truth is, his behavior is far too troublesome—”
“Would one million gheon be enough?”
“Wha—? How much did you say?”
“If that’s insufficient, I’ll pay more. Just let me take that man.”
After floundering for a moment, the overseer finally called his superior. Following skillful bargaining and a somewhat unreasonable transaction, the deal was concluded at four times the original amount.
As the high-ranking overseer turned away with an obviously satisfied face, declaring it an excellent deal, Merche stopped him.
“What’s his name?”
“Huh? Ah, I’m Dane, madam.”
“No. I’m not asking for yours. I want to know that man’s name.”
“The slave’s name?”
Why on earth would she care about that? The overseer rolled his eyes transparently and replied grudgingly.
“Lud.”
“…Lud. So that’s his name.”
It was an exceedingly common name—so common that roughly one in ten slaves bore it. Yet Merche repeated that ordinary name over and over, whispering it to herself.
Lud. Lud Lupinus.
Tacking on the familiar family name behind it came effortlessly. The combination sounded neither odd nor jarring, leaving her mind foggy once again.
For fourteen long years, she had endured—as the “arrogant branch-line girl blessed with undeserved fortune.” At the end of that patience, was this chance encounter meant to signify something?
…Ah. Perhaps it was the heavens telling her, a mere branch-line girl, not to covet a position she didn’t deserve.
Merche let out a hollow, low laugh. What could she do? If fate sought to drag her down, how could she possibly pretend not to see?
Such a choice had never existed for her. And so, Merche made her decision.
She would take him to Lupinus. If his rightful place was truly hers, then the place he belonged—where he ought to return—was surely Lupinus.
[This is the timeline separator]On December 4th, Ikerian Year 772, the heir to the Lupinus Family was officially announced at Lupinus Castle.
Surprisingly, it was not ‘Merche Ashtad,’ who had spent over a decade receiving heir training within Lupinus Castle, standing there clad in the extravagantly ornate violet garments reserved solely for the Head and their heir.
The one confirmed as heir was a man—tall, broad-shouldered by birth, and bearing a striking resemblance to the Head himself, Genovefa Lupinus.
“I hereby declare my son, Lud Lupinus, as the next Head of the Family!”
Genovefa proclaimed, clapping a hand on the shoulder of the man—Lud—standing beside him. Everyone in the kingdom knew the Head of Lupinus had recently rediscovered his long-presumed-dead biological son. The story was so sensational that Lud’s fame had already soared.
The attendees burst into applause the moment Genovefa finished his declaration—even ‘that’ Merche, who had nearly become heir before Lud’s sudden appearance. Everyone subtly scrutinized Merche’s expression, as if hoping to witness her despair.
Yet contrary to expectations, Merche remained calm. A faint smile graced her lips as she gazed up at Lud with an expressionless stare. It was strange—the very person who should have been drowning in defeat was smiling so serenely…
‘Doesn’t the heir seem to be staring at that branch-line girl?’
‘Indeed. Looks like he’s ready to devour her.’
Whispers spread among the crowd. Something was clearly off. Lud Lupinus, who had just been named heir today, and Merche Ashtad—had something happened between them? Lud, who ought to have been rejoicing, kept glaring intently only at Merche.
Some speculated he resented Merche for having occupied the position that should have been his. Others firmly believed Merche must have attempted to harm Lud.
But a select few—those gifted at discerning and understanding others’ emotions—saw something much closer to the truth.
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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