Sometimes, reality feels more like fiction than a novel.
There are usually two cases when this happens.
The first is being so immersed in romance that all of reality feels like a novel.
And the second is.
An unrealistic event happening right before your eyes that you’d only expect to see in a novel.
Odette Brunoa Celestine.
The fourth princess of the Celestine Dynasty, often referred to as the Royal Family’s waste, has always been careful not to fall into the first case.
Because when you live with the label of a bastard from the first memory, it’s quite possible to want to immerse yourself in romance and turn away from reality.
Yes, surely that was the case…
“Won’t you enter into a contractual marriage with me, Your Highness?”
…Could I be dreaming?
Odette blinked her almondshaped eyes as she looked up at the man standing before her.
Walter Ertman Duke.
The leader of the Ertman Duke family, a position that cannot rise any higher within the empire.
And a war hero who recently quelled a rebellion in the north and returned.
The terrace where they were facing each other was also part of the banquet hall to celebrate his victorious return.
He is a celebrity who should have no connection to someone like Odette, a princess considered as a mere weed that no one cares for.
‘Moreover, Duke Ertman has been linked to the third princess in romantic rumors.’
Yet that Walter, he proposed to me.
Using the word “contractual marriage.”
Odette questioned, doubting her ears.
“Excuse me, but you haven’t mistaken the person, have you?”
“Odette Brunoa Celestine. I want you.”
Oh, he’s not confused.
Odette, who was perfectly called by her middle name Brunoa, sighed briefly.
“I was rude. Since you haven’t been back in the capital for long, I thought maybe you were confused about the person.”
“If the leader of the Ertman family looked like a fool who can’t even properly choose whom to propose to, I would be disappointed.”
“That’s not what I meant. It’s just, it’s too sudden.”
So sudden that it seemed overly unrealistic.
‘Walter Ertman of all people.’
It felt almost like a dream.
But if it were a dream, Walter’s face before her was too detailed.
His deep green eyes staring emotionlessly at her.
His jetblack hair, praised so much in newspapers, and his rigid demeanor as if he never even feigned a smile.
However, all those static features only accentuated his statuelike face.
‘I couldn’t possibly remember Duke Ertman’s face this clearly.’
I had only seen him from a distance occasionally.
Odette had only just learned even the color of Walter’s eyes.
So surely this is not a dream.
Surely not…
‘…Contractual marriage?’
Walter was wearing an expression so cynical and weary that it seemed unbelievable that he had just proposed.
Is this the attitude of someone who proposed? Has the meaning of the proposal somehow changed without his knowing?
Odette became confused.
Everything about this situation was confusing, but what confused Odette most was precisely that.
Contractual marriage.
By some coincidence, the reason Odette was standing here was because of a contractual marriage.
The problem was that the other party was not just anyone[dash]it was Walter Ertman, who could never, ever, under any circumstances be the one,
And Odette had no desire whatsoever to be associated with Walter.
‘Marry the man who was romantically linked with the third princess?’
It’s nonsense.
Odette finally asked after some consideration.
“Did we ever meet before?”
“If you don’t remember, then we probably haven’t.”
“Then you wouldn’t know me well either. Why do you want to propose to me? If it’s not a convincing reason, I’ll report your rudeness to His Majesty.”
Odette’s eyes narrowed sharply, and she spoke firmly, causing Walter’s sharp eyes to relax.
As if experiencing something quite enjoyable.
“Is there a reason for the proposal? It’s because I want you.”
“You don’t even know me well?”
“That’s something we can get to know from now on, isn’t it?”
“What kind of sophistry is this…!”
“Sophistry or not. I don’t think it’s such a bad proposal.”
Walter cut off Odette’s words, and added, looking at her with his distinctive arrogant gaze.
“It has been widely rumored for days that His Majesty the Emperor will arrange the place of the second wife for a veteran general over sixty.”
It was a matter of course that the person for that position would come from among His Majesty’s children.
It was blatantly obvious who would be chosen.
A 4th princess, Odette Bruneau Celestine, without a mother to look after her, or even a cousin.
“If you don’t find a suitable marriage partner right away, won’t you have to go to the barren border to marry someone your father’s age, Your Highness?”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
In the end, Odette admitted her situation.
She had no answer if asked if she needed a marriage partner. It was true.
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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