Even inside the Duke’s estate, Rellian had heard rumors about the Princess.
She was said to possess beautiful golden hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. They even said she contracted with the spirits around her first birthday.
Furthermore, she was the princess of the esteemed Artina family. Maybe a weak and timid child like me wouldn’t be to her liking as a friend.
Just as Rellian was about to subtly raise her eyes to observe Evelia’s reaction,
“Friend! Friend! Nice to meet you!”
Evelia dashed towards Rellian, grabbed her hands tightly and started shaking them up and down.
Rellian’s face and ears turned a fiery red, as if they would burst at a slight touch.
The adults and elder brothers of both families watching this scene had smiles on their faces.
Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to become true friends.
In the future, Evelia and Rellian would often reminisce about this moment.
The moment they exchanged their first greetings. The moment they first made eye contact.
This moment when they felt an intuitive bond, becoming the best of friends without any reason.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]Duke Hugo and Kasis went up to the reception room to vent their unspoken frustrations, and Elysia and the Duchess headed to the greenhouse for a light tea party.
Naturally, the children, now having their free time, all went up to Ekrian’s room together.
As befitting of a mage’s house, the room was filled with thick magical books.
He didn’t neglect his sword training either, with a Shamshir [Star Icon](crescent moonshaped sword) neatly hanging on the wall right next to the bed.
Right in front of the window, Evelia and Rellian, who had already hit it off, sat facing each other, chatting away while sharing a brioche from which a delicious buttery scent wafted.
Well, if you look closely, it was more like Rellian was feeding Evelia, and Evelia was gobbling it up at a great speed.
It was the first time the younger ones made friends.
With their faces all mushy as if they could melt any minute, the three older brothers stared. The moment their gazes met, they scrunched up their faces as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have.
“Her Highness is really cute. Now I see why you guys were bragging all the time. I also understand that the rumors floating around the capital were not unfounded.”
Ekrian said, nodding slightly to Arkan and Cedric.
“And, how should I put it… she’s really bright, unlike our Rellian. Like a star. A peanut star.”
Peanut star. They sort of understood what he was saying.
“You, don’t you dare dream. Unless you want to meet your end by the hand of a friend.”
Arkan glared at Ekrian, brandishing a threat.
“I prefer older women. I like an older sister who can lead me skillfully, rather than a younger one who knows nothing. The princess is eight years younger than me.”
Ekrian said, shrugging his shoulders as if he was not worried at all.
This wasn’t something a mere elevenyearold should say, but it strangely suited Ekrian.
“Don’t change that mindset, Ian.”
Arkan’s eyes were still full of doubt. He looked like a farmer watching a fox trying to catch a chick.
“Whoever it is, I pity the person who’ll become the lover of the Princess. He’ll have to deal with you and another one just like you as his elder brothers.”
“Our baby’s lover! I don’t like it! I can never allow it!”
Cedric put down the chocolate cookie he was enjoying a moment ago and scowled, as if the mere thought was really unpleasant.
Arkan tilted his head to the side and made cracking sounds with his knuckles. Ekrian, who had been looking at the two brothers, shook his head.
Phew, really pitiful. Whoever it is, he’ll have to stake his life and his family just to date.
About two hours until the party starts.
Evelia and Rellian chatted away, eating their bread with alarming intensity, their words incomprehensible to anyone but themselves.
The three older brothers watched their younger sisters, losing track of time as they carried on their conversation.
Ecrian found it incredibly sweet that Evelia could make the usually quiet Rellian laugh so brightly.
It was as if they had gained another younger sister. It felt incredibly good.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]“Ladies and gentlemen, and young masters and misses, you should go over there.”
The servant who had announced the start of the party and guided the children pointed towards the garden.
It was common not to invite children who were not yet sixteen to parties.
When children were allowed to participate in adult parties, it would often result in a complete and unmanageable chaos.
Therefore, for occasions like the birthday party of the Duke of Cassis, which invited children, a separate party area was set up just for them.
The party area set up by the Duke of Cassis for the children was perfect.
Aside from the fact that the condition of the children attending was not normal.
The huge pudding that had been neatly laid out was already smashed and rolling on the ground, with some children crying at the sight of the fallen pudding.
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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