It must have been about half a day’s journey.
All around were gentle rolling hills and slopes. Tiny sprouts began to carpet the low and soft horizon like a tapestry.
Was the long winter passing?
I marveled to myself.
‘Beautiful. So beautiful.’
For the first time since receiving a new life, I felt at peace.
Just knowing that those leading the way were from the Northern Knight Brigade eased my breathing.
The knights were all on horseback, but since I wasn’t a knight, I had walked the entire half-day. Yet, I felt no pain in my legs.
Freedom.
I had gained my freedom.
Then, someone glanced back at me.
“How could he call such a hideous thing ‘the only thing he wanted’?”
“That girl apparently tipped them off about the South using poison.”
“Hmm, even so… If it were me, I would have asked for the pink diamond mine.”
The voices of two soldiers discussing could be heard clearly by me.
And it wasn’t just them. Among those who remained silent, there were those who glanced back at me now and then.
‘They probably don’t like me.’
Why had the Duke chosen me, who wasn’t even an option?
It was a mystery to me too.
The Duke had his reasons for needing talent, but it wasn’t quite convincing.
There were many better choices available, like asking for a diamond or gold mine, or seeking favor from the Emperor.
Choosing one of those would have been far more beneficial for the current Duke of the North. And how could he know if I would be an asset or not?
‘Perhaps he took a special liking to me?’
I shook my head vigorously.
No way, that’s impossible.
Although it’s a pleasant thought, it’s just wishful thinking.
The Duke had said he still didn’t trust me.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, we arrived at the Ibeyern Plains.
A few hours’ ride from the Southern Duke’s castle, the Northern Knight Brigade’s camp lay on the wide, green plain. About a dozen large white tents stood majestically on the verdant field. People rushed out towards the Duke and Arcadia, who were at the front.
“Your Grace, we heard you were poisoned, are you alright?!”
“We were about to storm in when you told us not to!”
Shouting their concerns, the Duke showed them a breezy smile.
“I was worried you’d come. It would’ve started a civil war.”
“Oh, Your Grace, that’s too much!”
“Did you give those Southerners a good beating? If not, let’s go right now!”
Men with rugged appearances wailed.
Especially a middle-aged man with a thick beard that made him look like a brown bear seemed particularly distressed.
It was amusing to see such a man act this way, and perhaps he noticed me looking, as he turned my way.
“Who’s that masked woman? Is she burnt?”
He pointed at me.
The Duke turned to look at me.
“……She’s the person who saved me.”
Our eyes met, and I quickly bowed to the Duke, who then said to me.
“Have your friend taken to the medical tent for treatment. Arcadia, please.”
“Huh?”
Arcadia looked at me, not just reluctantly but with a face full of suspicion and annoyance. He grumbled.
“Your Grace, I don’t even know this woman’s name. Although she’s said to have warned of the poisoning risk to Your Grace, I find it dubious. Especially since she was Medea’s confidante.”
Arcadia’s words stirred unrest among the crowd.
“Medea’s confidante?”
“Why bring such a woman?”
‘Arcadia, do you dislike me?’
It was a logical conclusion, yet it felt a bit disheartening.
But there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t say, ‘I’m the person who saved you from the Black Worm.’
That would reveal my identity as an assassin and might lead to even greater suspicion.
“Her name is Estelle, Arcadia.”
Sion Bellfast said.
The name he spoke aloud, Estelle, pierced my heart softly.
‘Estelle, my real name.’
Arcadia wore a sulky expression, which didn’t suit his proud platinum blond hair, resembling a petulant child.
“And Mobius.”
The Duke called out to the man with the bushy brown beard.
“The half of her face that this lady revealed… it’s just my guess, but it might not be a burn scar, rather something like black magic. We’ll need to take her back to the North and have Adrian examine her for more details.”
“Black magic?”
Mobius, the man, asked in surprise.
“Yes. Probably something she endured in the South. Considering her master did such a thing to her, it’s likely she helped me, right, Arcadia?”
The Duke spoke in a light, spring-breeze tone.
‘The Duke is protecting me.’
My heart felt tight, both happy and a bit startled.
‘Black magic, not a burn?’
But Arcadia wasn’t backing down.
“Still, a person who has betrayed once can betray again. I still feel uneasy about her.”
“I understand, Arcadia. I don’t trust her yet either.”
The Duke nonchalantly replied.
‘He openly says he doesn’t trust me, yet he still protects me.’
Complicated.
The Duke I knew in my past life might have been just a fraction of who he really is.
In fact, I realized I didn’t know much about the Duke of the North, this man.
Lost in thought, perhaps my expression became strange.
“What’s with that bizarre face?”
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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