It was Pippi, the bird that had helped her during her kidnapping.
Pippi, appearing in front of her, inexplicably rejected Cloe’s touch and flew away chirping ‘pi, pi.’ As if urging her to follow, Cloe helplessly moved forward.
Soon, Pippi stopped at a certain spot.
“Pi, pi!”
Then it loudly chirped, seemingly pointing to that place.
Beyond the transparent window of the greenhouse garden, a magnificent palace was visible.
Upon entering the Crown Prince’s palace, the usually empty interior appeared bustling.
Moreover, as soon as the palace inhabitants noticed Cloe, it was undeniable that this was the Emperor’s residence.
“The Crown Prince’s palace, which is usually empty, seems bustling.”
“…Yes, yes?”
“Since I will tell Her Majesty, may I visit the sleeping quarters?”
Since it wasn’t in her position to turn away the Empress, the maids eventually guided her to the Emperor’s location.
Kun was said to be using his former bedroom from his days as the Crown Prince.
As she walked through the interiors, tainted with traces of the past, she saw a man lying alone in the bedroom.
“Kun!”
Reddish burns resembling blossoming flowers were scattered across his body. Bandages were carefully wrapped around where the skin had torn.
“Because of me…”
It was heartbreaking to think that he ended up like this while trying to protect her.
She began nursing him, making sure not to strain herself too much.
During the care, she suddenly thought of giving him a gift when he woke up. She wanted to express her gratitude for his precious birth and celebrate the days of happiness ahead.
However, she couldn’t go to the town to prepare a gift, and he probably wouldn’t desire material gifts either.
As Cloe looked around, two items caught her eye.
Surely, even in an unused space, pens and paper would be essential.
It seemed meaningful that they were connected by letters. Moreover, since they hadn’t engaged in letter writing for a long time, it was a perfect surprise gift.
She brought the paper and picked up the pen from the tea table next to the bed.
“Hello, Kun. It’s Cloe.”
After a long time, it felt a bit awkward. Even though her hand lacked strength, she poured her heart into it.
“It’s nothing special, just reminiscing about the past after a long time.”
While writing the letter, she suddenly recalled the past exactly a year ago, Kun’s birth.
‘Would you allow me to introduce the woman I love to you as a token of gratitude for celebrating your birth? She helped me overturn my dishonorable past, and now, she’s the Cinderella of my life.’
The once disgraced Cloe, who had turned her fate around, becoming the Cinderella of the century.
And the two people who watched over that glorious sight, now no longer in this world.
Cloe wrote down the emotions she felt at that time on the letter.
“Do you remember?”
At that moment, even earlier memories overwhelmed her. Lost in reverie, Cloe, immersed in reminiscence, wrote the letter.
“The day Kun assured me that he would make me the Cinderella of the century.”
The day the sun of the world kneeled for me. Though the deep red eyes continued to flicker intimidatingly, the hand that swept away my disheveled golden hair was infinitely tender.
“Honestly, it didn’t resonate much at the time. What I wanted to regain was an ordinary daily life, not happiness. I never believed I could be happy again. However, now, I am incredibly happy. Enough to make happiness my ordinary daily life.”
In a gruff voice, the man who promised to rescue her from the shackles of unhappiness.
“Thank you, Kun.”
He implemented his well-founded arrogance into reality.
After finishing Kun’s nursing, Cloe spent time in a separate bedroom. Even alone, she took enough rest to avoid his scolding in the future.
While enjoying the night breeze on the terrace, Cloe suddenly checked the clock. Unbeknownst to her, there was not much time left in the day.
“Today, will he not wake up…?”
Kun, who rescued her as soon as it turned midnight, reached the imperial palace in the early dawn. As time passed until the next midnight, the news remained silent.
“But I still hoped he had a happy birthday.”
Eventually, it turned out to be a stained birthday, just like any other day.
Perhaps due to an indescribable bitterness, she gradually felt the chill. Even holding onto her shawl, the cold wind cut sharply.
It was about time to return to the bedroom for the sake of her health.
Warm hands wrapped around Cloe’s shoulders, and gradually, a large body embraced her.
Familiar embrace, the heartbeat heard faintly through the back of her head, and the sweet breath.
“Did you come all the way here even though you’re not feeling well?”
“That’s what I should be saying.”
“…I purposely came to see your face first when you woke up.”
“Don’t worry. You were the first person I faced when I woke up.”
Anyway, Kun knows her better than anyone else.
“Is your body really okay?”
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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