“Anyway! Today’s banquet will be interesting. Rumor has it that the Emperor is incredibly generous, whether it’s genuine affection for his lover or an extravagant display of gifts. Who knows, there might be several women.”
In response to Jorbe Jazak’s words, Calis awkwardly smiled. Helena, who had been quietly listening nearby, had a noticeably stiff expression.
When Jazak claimed he had something to do, he left with the excuse that it was about time.
The two of them were left alone. Others had already arrived at the banquet venue, and the surroundings were rather empty.
Being a private event, lateness was strictly prohibited. The two of them had to hurry.
As Calis was about to leave, Helena grabbed the hem of his clothes. Delicately crafted diamonds dug into her nails.
“Why is that?”
“…”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“…”
With a nod that seemed to imply a negative answer, she lowered her head, her lips hesitating to speak.
There was no need to guess her words. Calis murmured with a slightly tired voice.
“We need to hurry. You know it’s not allowed to be late. Let’s talk once we get there. Okay?”
There was concern in her pink-eyed gaze as she looked up at him. Occasionally twitching lips still hinted at something she wanted to say.
At that moment, a distant knight’s voice was heard. The knight’s hearty cry signaled five minutes before the scheduled start of the banquet.
In a hurry, Calis, who became more impatient, grabbed Helena’s wrist and led her.
In the end, her worries did not reach him.
With the start of the banquet, the orchestra began to play. The grand resonance filled the space, adding a touch of sophistication to their conversation.
It was an awkward atmosphere with many unfamiliar faces.
Although there were some acquaintances, most were not easy to approach for Calis and Helena.
At that moment, two familiar faces approached them.
Rowan Edward. One of the nobles who invested in him.
“Viscount Edward.”
After a while, Calis politely greeted him.
Rowan, who had called several servants, handed two glasses of champagne to the couple.
“Haha, it seems the Duke exerted some effort today.”
“Yes. It seemed like an important occasion, so I intentionally paid more attention.”
“Good attitude. This place judges you by your attire.”
Viscount Edward, who had surveyed the surroundings like a hawk, had already grasped the ins and outs of the imperial palace.
Upon seeing Calis on the invitation list, he had sent a letter beforehand, and he even declared that he would contribute to the distribution of his goods in the empire.
“Anyway, today seems to be a really important occasion, as you can see.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind. But… does the Emperor’s banquet usually open so grandly?”
Calis glanced around surreptitiously. From foreign royalty to nobles claiming to be part of the empire. Among the nobles, it was truly a high-end party composed only of high-ranking individuals.
“Today, it seems they paid extra attention. But still, it’s not much different from usual.”
“I see.”
“Surely, you won’t be shrinking back, will you?”
Quick-witted Rowan jabbed at the heart of the matter.
“No, not at all. It’s just that this kind of gathering is my first, so I was momentarily nervous.”
He was no longer a Duke with only a facade. He was not the man who, in a moment, fell from a fallen noble to a commoner.
A businessman who would bring money to the nobility.
Realizing this fact, Calis, who had been somewhat discouraged, regained his confidence.
“Well, that’s fortunate. You know, people who have experienced handling money may have acquired a taste for it. On the other hand, there are also skeptical people now, opposing unfavorable things. It’s good to approach carefully, choosing the right target.”
Calis, who had experienced all sorts of banquets and met major figures in the kingdom, responded, having been taught by Rowan not to be treated like a country bumpkin.
It might be an old man’s peculiarity. Calis smiled cunningly in response.
“Um…”
At that moment, Helena, who had been quietly sipping champagne, opened her mouth for some reason.
Following her delicate voice, Rowan shifted his gaze. Soon after, Helena raised her hand to her chest, then bowed her head in greeting.
“Hello. Viscount Edward. I am Helena Arhen.”
“Oh, the Duke’s wife. But why do you seem to have a question?”
Rowan, showing off his experience, immediately noticed the other’s intentions. Helena, without hesitation, asked her question.
“By any chance, Viscount, have you also heard about the Emperor’s lover?”
Rowan and Jorbe Jazak had distinct personalities. It was possible that he might avoid such a topic, yet he unexpectedly threw a direct question.
Calis, surprised, grabbed her hand and gave it strength. If there were no eyes watching, what he held might have been not a hand but a limb.
“Where did you hear such absurd rumors?”
“Viscount, if my wife has been impolite…”
“It’s okay. Excuse her. Your wife might be quite curious. After all, ladies love such stories.”
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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