Male Lead's First Wife (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 026
Raymond raised his glass.
Was it because the woman before him was sweetness incarnate?
Strangely, the tea, long cooled, tasted as sweet as if heavily laced with sugar.
The sweetness coating the tip of his tongue felt particularly unfamiliar. He wore a composed mask, despite the intense sweetness flooding his mouth.
“Our talk has gone on too long.”
“No, not at all. Thank you for speaking with me.”
For a moment, she failed to notice the flicker of blue in his eyes.
Currently, Yerpi’s entire attention was fixed on Dante.
Raymond’s story had ended.
Yet, her worries seemed no lighter, her emerald eyes darkening with deep contemplation.
“But it’s strange. The Dante I’ve seen was timid, but exceptionally gentle. He might have rebelled briefly, but I can’t bring myself to believe he’d act so violently.”
They had met only a few times, and each encounter was brief.
But the Dante Yerpi had seen was a timid child who would rather hide than cause trouble.
He wasn’t the type to create chaos without reason.
A vague unease settled in her chest.
Her determination to investigate the matter surrounding Dante grew even stronger.
As if sensing her thoughts, Raymond offered advice.
“Don’t push yourself too hard because of my request. He’s extremely sensitive—he might lash out at you.”
The concern hidden beneath his indifferent words—was it directed at her, or at someone else?
Surprised by the unexpected kindness, Yerpi pondered his words once more.
Then, she smiled, her eyes curving gently.
Her cheeks flushed like ripe fruit. Her green eyes, resembling fresh leaves, contrasted beautifully with her pale skin and deep-colored lips.
Just moments earlier, the fragrant, peach-like smile she had dropped in surprise now etched itself deeply into Raymond’s golden eyes.
It lasted only an instant.
Yet, despite appearances, his voice came out slightly sharp.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because you’re kind.”
He wasn’t merely the man who had abandoned his first wife—there was kindness in him after all.
Seeing this other side of the cold Raymond, the man before her now seemed different.
‘Perhaps, during my stay here, we could maintain a good relationship?’
It was the first time since meeting him that such hope had stirred within her.
Her nightmares were echoes of someone else’s past.
But she had no intention of repeating those mistakes. Perhaps, this time, their relationship wouldn’t be bad at all.
Yerpi now gave the answer to the question Raymond had asked earlier.
“I’ll do that.”
Had the conversation deepened?
Beyond the window, opened just wide enough for a fist to pass through, the sky was tinged with violet.
Yerpi glanced at the setting sun behind Raymond and thought it was time to take her leave.
“I’ve taken up too much of your time. I should retire now.”
Rising from the sofa, Yerpi slightly bent her knees before him.
Just as she turned to leave, Raymond’s voice caught her by the ankle.
“Wait a moment.”
Did he still have more to say about Dante?
When Yerpi turned her head, the twilight outside had deepened, spreading in rich red hues.
Raymond stood with his back to the fading light, his eyes fixed on Yerpi.
“There should still be duties remaining for a wife.”
Ah.
With that brief utterance, Yerpi suddenly remembered what day it was.
‘It’s the day we’re meant to share communion.’
Raymond rose from his seat and stood before Yerpi.
The wind around them was steeped in the colors of sunset.
Facing him, Yerpi mentally counted the days since she had crossed the barrier.
Adding up the long yet short journey and the time spent at the castle, it had already reached the date specified in their marriage contract.
‘He remembered.’
She had nearly forgotten something she told herself to remember, yet Raymond had clearly pointed it out.
Indeed, he was a man who valued contracts above all.
“Should I just hold your hand?”
At Yerpi’s question, he gave a slight nod.
Her outstretched hand was met with a black glove. The opaque, glossy leather resembled that of a dark panther.
Beneath it, his wrist was visible—veins prominent, harmonizing with the lean muscles of his arm.
Suddenly, she recalled the moment when she had tightly shut her eyes to avoid a branch.
The strength that had swept her into an embrace, the very moment he caught her when she opened her eyes.
This chain of memories surfaced unconsciously.
Her bare hand, brushing past the glove, had already grasped his wrist.
His fingers gently curled around hers. Seeing him slightly furrow his brow, Yerpi lowered her gaze.
“To commune, our bare skin must touch.”
“…I know.”
His reply sounded as if it were merely a brief lapse in memory.
He removed one glove and placed it on the side table. The vivid blue veins and bones on the back of his hand appeared both aesthetically beautiful and strong.
“I’m sorry for acting so presumptuously before.”
Before Raymond could even respond, a small, soft hand slid down his wrist and covered his.
To increase the contact area, her delicate, slender index and middle fingers carefully slipped between his slightly parted fingers.
Through the point of contact, Yerpi could glimpse into his inner self.
If she had to describe it with an image—
‘A small universe.’
Raymond’s body resembled a world, a cosmos teeming with countless living stars.
In this beautiful world, all Yerpi could do was help ensure the glittering stars continued to shine brightly.
Compared to their first communion, handling the power felt less unfamiliar.
“He’s in better condition than before.”
That was her assessment after observing his inner state.
The more one wielded dragon blood’s power, the higher the contamination. But contamination could also intensify from severe psychological trauma, beyond mere use of power.
How long had she been holding Raymond’s hand?
Her hand, warmed by his radiating heat, was now completely unlike its usual perpetually cold state.
‘His mind seems to have stabilized now.’
Raymond’s inner self had grown clearer, glowing brighter.
Yet, the grip on Yerpi’s hand showed no sign of loosening.
‘Strange.’
She had been the one to initiate the handhold, yet now Raymond was firmly holding her hand.
In the tense silence, where even breathing felt cautious, the gradually rising temperature was the only thing embracing the still air.
She expected him to let go any moment.
Or perhaps he would subtly signal it was too much and gently push her away.
But he was moving in a direction entirely different from her expectations.
“A little longer.”
It was Raymond who grabbed her hand as she began to pull back.
Her hand was drawn forward, and Yerpi leaned toward him.
What she ended up touching was the embrace of dragon blood.
The sudden burst of mint fragrance jolted every nerve in her mind.
Her wide eyes and stiffened shoulders within this unfamiliar embrace lasted only a moment.
As communion deepened, a sweet honeyed scent began to tint the surroundings in gold.
It was a thick, intoxicating fragrance—so strong it nearly numbed the tip of Yerpi’s nose, the very source of the scent.
Yet, the fragrance of the one offering his embrace was cool, like mint, blending with the intense sweetness to create an entirely new aroma.
As if she had never been tense at all, her entire body relaxed.
Yerpi sank into a hazy, dreamlike trance within his arms.
‘Is it because dragon blood experiences communion more intensely?’
His heartbeat was different from an ordinary person’s—larger, faster.
It throbbed so strongly it resonated in Yerpi’s ears like a steady drumbeat.
Just as spice users gained new sensations through communion, so too would dragon blood.
At this moment, with their bodies touching, Raymond seemed as gentle as a lamb.
No—more like a fierce predator concealing its true nature, feigning docility.
Of course, this was only when she wasn’t clinging to him out of affection. Still.
Yerpi grew curious about the man named Raymond.
Had their gazes met once more?
Raymond flinched, startled by the emerald eyes silently gazing at him.
He seemed unaccustomed to such closeness, as if only now realizing he was still holding her.
The man who had first requested communion abruptly pulled away.
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 (12)
Hah finally my poor heart has found peace and tranquility this poor lil baby needs loads of 💕
Guys, i feel soo mean still not liking the ml😭 i mean, he hasn’t done anything good so far, just the bare minimum
Pepe, noooooo😭😭😭😭😭 i think maybeee the duchess needs to go?? I still dont quite get what is happening there
Inline Comments (49)
"And also, I need to understand her relationship with Dante."
Yeah, gather information then strike the maid, she has brain
Had her startled retort offended him?
Which one?? Umm where did she even retort against him??
Perhaps that was why his body felt unusually warm.
You did not believe it previously?? I guess it is frustrating to know that are going to have an arranged marriage to a random woman
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Pache98
Good that they talk. I hope he spend more time reflecting on his mistakes