Lord Preston's Secret Tutor (47 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 26
They were not the stars of the banquet; as per custom, they played their instruments behind the curtain so as not to disturb the nobles’ amusement.
Occasionally, the conductor peeked through the curtain to check the situation outside, but the musicians themselves remained completely out of sight.
They welcomed the guests with cheerful melodies until every noble had entered. Piano, violin, flute—along with various other instruments—all blended together in a beautiful harmony.
Suddenly, Windsor narrowed his eyes, as if trying to pierce straight through the curtain.
At that sight, a young lady let out a hushed gasp of admiration. Covering her mouth with her fan, she whispered softly,
“Look over there—that’s Lord Preston. Doesn’t he look like a sculpture crafted by an angel?”
“If you recall his nickname, perhaps ‘sculpted by a devil’ would be more fitting than ‘by an angel’?”
“That’s not the point! How can I get him to ask me for a dance?”
“Remember, Lord Preston has never danced with anyone before. The chance of him asking you is extremely slim.”
Windsor Preston was a figure who inevitably drew attention, whether for good or ill. Perhaps that was precisely why so many rumors swirled around him.
Just as many sought to belittle him, an equal number admired him deeply—especially considering his heroic deeds during his naval service, which truly merited the title of “hero.”
Moreover, the atmosphere surrounding him differed markedly from that of ordinary nobles—a taut, almost suffocating tension.
This aura both amplified Windsor’s allure and served as a barrier, preventing anyone from approaching him too casually. Thus, the young ladies could only watch him from afar.
“The guest of honor for tonight’s banquet, Master Benjamin Preston, makes his entrance!”
At the servant’s announcement, the music shifted. William, standing atop the staircase, gently nudged Benjamin’s back and whispered, “You may go now.”
Abruptly,
Benjamin, unintentionally pushed out from behind the wall, stood at the top of the spiral staircase.
The boy swallowed hard, looking down below. Brilliant lights poured onto the red carpet.
He could feel countless invisible eyes raining down on him from every direction. Suddenly, his legs trembled; his feet felt glued to the floor, refusing to move.
“Master Benjamin, you must go now.”
William, hidden behind the wall, urged the child anxiously. The music swelled grander by the moment, and the soft murmur that had filled the hall had abruptly ceased.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed upon Benjamin Preston, heir to the Preston marquisate.
I have to go. I mustn’t disappoint Uncle.
Benjamin forced strength into his trembling legs. He lifted one foot, then another. The guests cheered at his appearance.
Gulp.
At the thunderous applause, Benjamin swallowed hard again.
His heart pounded as if he’d just sprinted the length of the garden—so fiercely that it threatened to leap from his chest at the slightest lapse in focus.
Suddenly, tears welled up. Everything terrified him—the hundreds of eyes watching him, and the crushing weight of expectation where even a single misstep wouldn’t be forgiven.
Don’t cry. Uncle is watching.
Just as Benjamin bit his lower lip and unconsciously turned his head—
“Huh?”
His eyes widened in surprise—he had made eye contact with the person playing the piano behind the curtain.
The orchestra at a banquet was like the herbs in a dish: it enhanced the flavor but could never be the main course—a remarkably similar role.
Though invisible from the hall, the orchestra was clearly visible from atop the staircase. Benjamin realized the pianist’s face looked very familiar.
“…Miss Somerset?”
The boy murmured, dumbfounded. Jacqueline brought a finger to her lips and whispered, “Shh.”
She gazed at Benjamin with gentle eyes. Lively piano notes sprang forth from her white fingertips.
The rippling melody seemed to nudge him gently from behind. Benjamin gave her a small, grateful nod.
I can do this! Miss Somerset is watching me.
Benjamin lifted his chin slightly and took a step forward. The piano melody floated through the air and settled lightly on his shoulders.
Jacqueline Somerset was Benjamin’s governess—more precisely, his thirteenth governess.
But she was unlike any of his previous governesses. How so?
She was fun!
With that thought, Benjamin took another step. His legs, which had just moments ago felt stuck fast to the floor, now moved naturally.
He remembered gathering cicada shells with Jacqueline. He also recalled drawing freely on a huge wall.
With every step down the stairs, more enjoyable memories surfaced. Benjamin subtly turned his eyes to look at Jacqueline once again.
When their eyes met, she made a comical face—but Benjamin didn’t laugh. He had been taught that a gentleman pretends not to notice a lady’s slip-ups.
So, no matter how odd Miss Somerset’s expression might be, he shouldn’t acknowledge it.
The piano melody matched his pace, and Benjamin made his entrance with grace and confidence. Finally reaching the bottom of the spiral staircase, he stood firmly in the center of the hall.
Though Jacqueline was no longer visible, her piano melody still lingered beside him—bright and warm, just like her laughter.
The conductor, who had been peering outside the curtain, hastily lowered his baton, and only then did the music finally stop. Benjamin, looking solemnly nervous, surveyed the adults around him.
The lines he’d rehearsed so many times with Colin slipped smoothly from his lips.
“Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday.”
Baron Haines burst into hearty laughter.
“As befits the heir to House Preston—you’re remarkably composed. Completely different from my own children.”
“Thank you, Lord Haines. Someday, I’d like to meet Thunderbolt.”
“Good heavens! You know Thunderbolt! Of course, absolutely! Tomorrow, if Lord Preston would just…”
“Happy birthday, Master Benjamin.”
Viscount Jeffman cut off Haines, who had started to ramble, and offered his own congratulations. Benjamin remembered to thank him as well.
At that moment, Count Saltrein spoke in a voice dripping with mockery.
“Whether or not he truly becomes heir to House Preston remains to be seen. Will Lord Windsor Preston actually hand over his title to his nephew—or will he simply swallow up House Preston whole?”
“…”
He had doused the mood yet again. Viscount Jeffman let out a hollow “Hahaha,” as if it were merely a joke, but his forced laughter only made the atmosphere more tense.
Glancing sideways at Windsor, Viscount Jeffman added,
“Lord Saltrein must be drunk already—he’s been drinking champagne nonstop.”
Only then did Benjamin realize the ill-tempered man was Count Saltrein. His eyes took on an uncharacteristically sullen look.
Miss Somerset had clearly warned him not to get involved with such people.
“Drunk? Who’s drunk? Everyone’s thinking the same thing anyway. Stop pretending and speak honestly for once.”
“Enough, Lord Saltrein.”
Viscount Jeffman tried to intervene, again stealing a glance at Windsor. Benjamin also peeked worriedly at his uncle.
Windsor quietly tugged at the corner of his lips. It was a smile—though cold and utterly devoid of warmth.
Windsor Preston was a man of great patience—enough to endure and overlook mockery directed at himself.
But here, too many eyes were watching. If he remained silent, Saltrein would grow even more arrogant, and people would take his words as truth.
Moreover, this was Benjamin’s birthday celebration. As his uncle, Windsor could no longer stand by while Saltrein ruined the evening.
—“After all, there’s no need to turn a small enemy into a big one.”
Jacqueline’s words echoed in his mind. Windsor let out a faint, derisive chuckle.
You’re still wrong, Miss Somerset. Small enemies must be crushed before they grow into big ones.
Just as Windsor was about to speak—
“It’s been a long time, Lord Saltrein.”
A voice laced with faint amusement drifted from behind. Both Windsor and Saltrein turned their heads.
Jacqueline stepped out from behind the curtain, wearing a sociable smile. Saltrein stared at her intently before finally nodding slowly and saying,
“Ahh… so it’s the daughter of Earl Somerset. Though ‘Earl’ hardly suits him these days. But why were you back there…?”
He trailed off momentarily, then burst into scornful laughter.
“Ahh! Now I see—you’re not only a governess but doing double duty as a performer as well. How pitiful, truly pitiful.”
Ha.
Windsor cracked his neck left and right, the joints popping audibly. Watching this, Benjamin’s eyes sparkled.
The Devil of the Black Fleet!
Just as Windsor took a step toward the impudent guest, Jacqueline smoothly passed right by him, her face lightly smiling.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“Oh my, isn’t that Miss Jacqueline Somerset?”
“You mean that impoverished noble girl?”
“They say when a rich man falls, it takes three generations to recover—but Lord Somerset lost everything. He’s utterly destitute now.”
“They say if you shake him, only dust comes out.”
Ignoring the whispers directed at her, Jacqueline greeted Saltrein politely.
“Has it been three years? Or four? It’s been so long, yet you haven’t changed a bit.”
At this, Saltrein puffed out his chest proudly, inhaling deeply as if to showcase his fine appearance.
“Hmm. When one eats well and dresses well…”
“Especially that trouble-seeking mouth of yours. I still remember vividly—just like yesterday—how you caused a scene at Duke Butler’s banquet and got thrown out, after which no one invited you anywhere for quite a while.”
“You—you…!”
Saltrein glared at her, his face flushed red, but Jacqueline never lost her serene smile.
“But seeing you unchanged puts my mind at ease. Had you changed, I’d have been upset. After all, they say people only change right before they die. I’m glad you’ll live a long life—thanks to all that fine food, of course.”
“You—you…!”
Saltrein, utterly speechless with outrage, could only sputter, his face turning red then purple. Somewhere nearby, someone stifled a giggle—a clear sign of agreement with Jacqueline’s words.
“If you recall Lord Saltrein’s nickname, ‘the outlaw of banquets,’ Miss Somerset’s words aren’t wrong at all.”
“Just counting the banquets ruined by him alone, you’d run out of fingers!”
“At one of my own banquets, he drove every guest away. How mortifying! Now, whenever his name appears on a guest list, some guests refuse to attend altogether.”
“No one’s dared say it openly until now—but Lord Saltrein really ought to show some restraint.”
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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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (97)
best gift ever😁😁😁 way to go Windsor, good thing you listened to Jacqueline.
Our ML might feel jealous with FL ex-fiancee(• ▽ •;)
They’re bullying her 😭 … Go for it Jackie😌
Inline Comments (1302)
“You’ve turned a small enemy into a big one, Miss Somerset.”
Ahahhaha, but a large enemy is easier to see coming than a small one. Windsor will handle the matter soon.
For a moment, Windsor froze. He’d never seen this side of Benjamin before.
Remember this moment, my lord. So Benjamin can be happier in the future ❤️
“But what can he really do to me? I’m already just a penniless young lady. Would
This is sooo saaad. My girl deserves a better life 🥺❤️
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Ashiel_26
Nice one FL😆… But still it hurts me reading it as they mocked her as the impoverish noble girl.. I felt the range of windsor😭