Sonnaught slightly raised his eyebrows. Revealed between the lights was Prince Le’an, crossing his legs on a chair. As their eyes met, Le’an sighed and muttered regretfully.
“I hoped you would choose me.”
At his sides stood other royal guards. However, Hyacinth was not there. Detaching his gaze from the familiar faces of his subordinates, Sonnaught asked Le’an.
“Where is Hyacinth?”
Sonnaught didn’t think Hyacinth lied. The problem was just that Le’an had discovered the letter Hyacinth left for Sonnaught first.
“I’ll take you to the same place. Seize him.”
At Le’an’s command, the sound of swords being drawn from their scabbards echoed simultaneously. The ‘swooshing’ noise made by several people simultaneously was intimidating enough to be frightening, but Sonnaught calmly drew his own sword.
[This is the time separator]The next morning, after finishing her meal, Latrasil, thinking she might find traces of the strange monster she had recently encountered, went into the maze garden with Carlein.
However, when no trace of the monster could be found no matter where they looked, Latrasil asked while sniffing the scent of lavender sticking out from the organized bushes.
“Do you think the Black Forest assassin met Tasir?”
“I don’t know. But those professionals are likely to deliver the message at any time.”
“I suppose so. And Sir Sonnaught?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps Sir Sonnaught has returned to the palace by now?”
“If I can get in touch with Tasir, I’ll have to try persuading Ranamun or Guesta. Ah, and the chancellor as well.”
“…The chancellor? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Wouldn’t the chancellor rather help clear my name?”
However, while they were having this serious conversation and walking, they reached the edge of the maze garden. As they stood before the expansive landscape, Latrasil stopped speaking.
Instead, looking around, she couldn’t help but admire and say, “It’s quite beautiful,” about Karisen’s scenery. Then, she asked the question that had been bothering her all along.
“But, are you really a stranger to Queen Ainy?”
“Are we talking about that again?”
Carlein seemed to dislike Latrasil talking about Ainy, his already stern expression growing even more tense.
“Hey, don’t get angry.”
Seeing this, Latrasil elbowed Carlein’s side, but Carlein extended his arm, pulling Latrasil closer to him and stating firmly.
“If you keep saying I’m angry, I’ll really get angry.”
“Let me see. Yes, let me see.”
However, as Latrasil kept teasing with a smile, Carlein made sure Latrasil faced him directly. Then, as if finally letting go of something he had been holding back, he began to seriously nag.
“Honestly, isn’t this a bit too much?”
“What is?”
“Who is Queen Ainy?”
“She is the queen of Karisen.”
“She’s a stranger.”
“…Well, technically you could call her that.”
‘We’re not close.’
“But this stranger keeps glancing at me and asking to see me alone. And that’s in front of you.”
“Hmm. That’s true.”
“Who am I?”
“…A familiar man?”
“I’m your lover.”
“!”
Latrasil awkwardly laughed at the mention of ‘lover’, but as Carlein continued with a stern voice, seemingly intending to really get angry, he continued his scolding.
“But a stranger is throwing herself at your lover right in front of you, and you’re sending signals like ‘Should I step aside?’ Isn’t that wrong?”
“When, when did I ever step aside? Why are you making up things?”
“Yesterday morning.”
“!”
“You may not have said it, but you must have wanted to. I saw it all.”
When had he seen that… Latil regretted unnecessarily provoking Carlein. She had just teased him because he was quiet and said nothing. She didn’t expect him to bring up what happened yesterday morning.
‘Carlein is usually silent, but it seems he keeps all the words he wants to say in order. Then, when the opportunity comes, he lets it out.’
“Aren’t you worried I might look at other people?”
“You’re going to look at others?”
“I won’t, but I would appreciate if you paid some attention.”
“Understood.”
“I wish you’d be on guard even if other women just come around me. After all, I’m a handsome man.”
She didn’t think he would. It seems he knows well that he’s handsome. Latil grumbled, feeling she had failed to recover her initial investment.
“But wouldn’t you feel restrained then? I’m doing it out of consideration. Because I trust you.”
“I like being restrained, my lady.”
“!”
When Carlein suddenly whispered into her ear, Latil got goosebumps and stepped on his foot.
With that, Latil stumbled, Carlein immediately hugged her shoulder, and easily helped her regain balance with incredible strength.
Latil waddled like a penguin for a while, then coughed and carefully stepped on Carlein’s foot again.
“What are you doing?”
“Restraint of the toes.”
“……”
Seeing that, Carlein sighed as if to say ‘childish’, and a bashful Latil pounced on him haphazardly.
“Why are you sighing like that? You asked for it. You said you wanted to be restrained.”
But Carlein did not back down at all, he just stood there no matter how much Latil attacked.
Because of that, she kept pushing herself into Carlein’s arms alone, so Latil stopped pushing him away and stood in her place.
When Latil glared at him with her arms crossed, Carlein finally stopped pretending to be angry, smiled faintly, and teased Latil.
“I guess you don’t quite guess what kind of restraint I want, my lady. Maybe I should show you an example if you want.”
“An example?”
“Shall I show you?”
“Try it.”
As soon as he got permission, Carlein put his hands on Latil’s shoulders and naturally went down her shoulder and arm and grabbed Latil’s wrists.
In the blink of an eye, he made sure Latil’s hands were in the middle, so they were not hurt when overlapped, then smiled.
“I’ve got you, my lady.”
“!”
Latil, who was watching to see what he would do, stared at Carlein with wide eyes.
“You like this?”
“Yes.”
“So every time other women show interest in you, I… have to do this?”
When Latil swallowed dryly and asked, Carlein, who couldn’t stand it, let go of Latil, bit his lips, suppressed his laughter, and shrugged.
Seeing that, Latil finally realized she had been completely teased and opened her eyes wide.
“Look here, King of Mercenaries.”
Even when Latil called out irritably, Carlein just kept shrugging. Latil shook her head and pulled Carlein’s arm.
“Stop laughing and let’s go.”
But how far could they have walked? Suddenly, the sound of rustling bushes could be heard, and someone approached at a fast speed.
Because she was just the envoy of the Emperor of Tarium here, Latil quickly let go of Carlein’s arm and looked towards the sound.
Unexpectedly, the person walking at a fast speed was Ainy. No, it was not just a fast pace. She was almost running.
“What’s the matter?”
Latil murmured in surprise, Ainy, who had come right in front of Carlein, pushed Latil away, grabbed Carlein’s collar, and yelled.
“What are you doing! Look at people properly, you fool! Please!”
Eyes filled with tears, unusual tone for an empress. A pitiful voice.
Latil, who was flung aside, stared at Ainy with wide eyes. Just before, Carlein had asked her to take care of him when this happened…
‘No, it looks like there’s really something!’
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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