My Husband's Cinderella (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
A quiet room where only breathing could be heard. In that utterly dull place, Chloe stared blankly out the window.
Outside, a snowstorm raged. It was unlike the occasional snowfalls from her hometown that came sparingly throughout winter. The northern blizzard was so fierce it could freeze a person solid in an instant.
‘I wonder if he’s all right.’
Chloe, who had been gazing at the picturesque scenery, suddenly thought of someone.
Her husband—powerful enough to be utterly unfazed by such a disaster.
It had already been more than ten days since her husband left on an expedition to exterminate monsters. If he didn’t return even today, it would mark the fifteenth day of his absence from the manor.
Chloe, who had absentmindedly pressed her finger against the window, was startled by its icy touch. Hastily pulling her finger away, she saw a dark fingerprint etched onto the glass.
The spotless window, free of even a speck of dust, was so clear it was nearly transparent. The smudge left behind was the only blemish upon it.
Just like Chloe in House Arhen.
Chloe kept staring at the dirty mark until frost formed over it once more.
A view no wider than a single finger’s breadth. People charging forcefully against the blizzard, as if defying a natural calamity.
The one at the very front. The one riding a jet-black steed. The one displaying the proud banner of House Arhen.
Kalis Arhen.
The head of House Arhen and Chloe’s husband was returning to his hero’s domain.
‘That’s…’
Accompanied by an unfamiliar woman.
A celebratory banquet was held at the manor to honor the master’s return.
Yet the manor’s staff, who came to greet the duke, looked solemn rather than joyful. Chloe, who had been waiting solely for her husband’s return, felt the same.
“…She was definitely a woman, right?”
“Yeah. And right in front of the master…”
How dare they speak so crudely about the master! She ought to scold those shameless ruffians for their disrespect, yet Chloe couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Because she, too, was completely fixated on the subject of their gossip.
‘…A woman.’
It wasn’t the first time Kalis had brought someone back from a campaign. He often brought refugees under the guise of protection.
But the woman with him today was different.
Unlike those before her, she had traveled alongside Kalis. Not only had she ridden his steed, but she’d even been held protectively in his arms.
Just who was this woman to receive such excessive treatment?
‘Could it be there wasn’t an extra horse?’
Impossible. If that were the case, Kalis would have assigned another knight to escort her.
Unless…?
‘No. What am I even thinking?’
Her foolish thoughts were spiraling out of control.
Chloe forcibly shook off her distractions. Determined to ignore the mounting anxiety, she resolved to focus on the banquet about to begin.
“Everyone, it’s been a while.”
Amid swirling rumors and speculation, the evening’s guest of honor finally arrived.
Chloe rose from her seat as if nothing were amiss. Calmly approaching him, she gathered the hem of her dress and curtsied.
“I’m glad you returned safely.”
Now that her greeting was finished, it was Kalis’s turn.
The kiss that would normally have been given without hesitation was delayed today. Her pale hand, left hanging awkwardly in the air, trembled repeatedly from the discomfort.
‘…Why?’
Ever since ‘that incident,’ Chloe and Kalis’s relationship had completely broken down.
Yet they had still fulfilled all ceremonial duties—greetings, formal events—because they still had obligations to uphold as master and mistress of the house.
But now?
Even the most basic custom expected between spouses—or even between strangers of opposite genders—was not being observed.
It didn’t take Chloe long to understand her husband’s intention.
Someone slowly walking behind Kalis. Though the woman’s figure was barely visible, Chloe instantly recognized who she was.
The woman, leaning on a maid’s arm as she approached, walked with utterly graceless steps. No matter how splendid her new attire, she couldn’t shed the air of coarseness.
And yet, she was undeniably endearing.
Her cheeks, reddened from the cold; her thin frame, lacking proper nourishment; her long, unkempt hair—
“Kal!”
Even her warm smile, like summer sunshine, and her gentle voice—
All of it.
‘Ah…’
There was no mistaking it.
That woman was Kalis Arhen’s ‘her.’
“M-Mistress? How may I assist you?”
A woman’s voice cut through Chloe’s muffled hearing. As her sense of hearing sharpened, her vision grew clearer too.
Chloe snapped back to awareness and looked ahead. Two necklaces lay before her, beyond the mirror.
Ah, right—she’d been in the middle of dressing for the evening banquet.
Realizing the situation, her eyes abruptly dried. The softness in her expression cracked instantly.
The two necklaces held by the maid.
These were the ones Chloe had prepared days ago, full of anticipation for tonight’s banquet.
Even though her husband Kalis disliked her, Chloe had tirelessly tried.
Not because she wanted him to love her, nor because she wished to be seen by him as a woman like ‘that woman’—but simply to be treated as a human being.
Judging by his rudeness today, it seemed he didn’t even consider her human.
“…Just pick whichever one.”
How utterly embarrassing—to be striving so earnestly while unaware of that truth.
Chloe muttered, turning her gaze away from the necklaces as if weary.
The maid, suddenly granted decision-making power, glanced nervously before choosing the diamond necklace.
The dazzling diamond necklace settled onto Chloe’s slender neck, partially concealing her haggard appearance.
“Let’s go down now.”
Chloe, who always meticulously checked her attire, didn’t bother verifying anything today.
The dining hall she entered with the maid was completely empty.
Had he ever been someone who knew he’d be late? Chloe glanced at the vacant head seat and quietly took her place.
“…”
Something felt off.
Even after a long while passed, Kalis still hadn’t shown up.
“…Mistress, shall I have your meal prepared in advance?”
Even half an hour past the scheduled dinner time—
The butler finally approached and asked.
“I’m fine. Let’s wait a bit longer.”
Chloe shook her head, clutching her empty stomach.
Then, about an hour past the appointed time, laughter echoed from afar.
The two people who had been giggling merrily fell silent the moment they spotted Chloe.
Worse still, Kalis even glanced at the woman beside him for cues.
Only then did Chloe realize—Kalis had deliberately arrived late to dinner. They’d been waiting for her to eat alone and leave.
“The meal is already prepared. Please sit.”
Chloe concealed her fractured heart. Smiling calmly so as not to appear weak, she guided them politely.
“Go ahead, take your seats.”
Kalis then sat at the head of the table without a word, still busy attending to the woman beside him.
Chloe suddenly felt a pang of disappointment—she’d hoped for even the slightest apology.
“…So, who is she?”
Before the food arrived, Chloe seized the idle moment to start a conversation.
“Are you asking despite knowing? She’s my guest.”
“You didn’t even introduce her to me today.”
Chloe recalled the first time she’d met the woman.
The girl who’d run toward Kalis, calling him by a sweet nickname, had frozen like stone the instant she saw Chloe.
When meeting face-to-face, introducing oneself was basic etiquette. At the very least, Kalis should have introduced his guest.
Yet the two of them remained silent, as if perfectly in sync.
Now was the time to finally learn the woman’s true identity.
“I…”
At that moment, the woman—who had only been blinking silently—finally spoke. Her thin, melodious voice resembled that of a nightingale.
“My name is Helena.”
Helena.
A name Chloe knew all too well.
It clung to her like a second name, like a brand stamped onto her back.
Hearing the confirmation, her mind turned cold. Her heart, which had been pounding rapidly—thump, thump—suddenly slowed.
“…Pleased to meet you, Miss Helena. I’m Chloe Arhen.”
At Chloe’s introduction, Helena’s face immediately darkened. Kalis, who had been gazing fondly at his beloved, now looked at Chloe with reproach.
Chloe pondered what she’d done wrong and felt a bitter ache.
They disliked even the new name she’d taken—so much so that they despised even the hollow title ‘Arhen.’
‘…I suppose the two of them hate everything about me.’
She’d known it, yet she was still nothing more than an obstacle between them.
Chloe picked up her utensils without another word. As soon as her efforts vanished, so did the conversation among the three.
The meal continued, with Chloe alone excluded from the banquet. Helena and Kalis were lost in their own world, playing joyfully together.
Not only did Kalis explain the ingredients and origins of every dish as it arrived, but he even cut Helena’s meat and vegetables for her, given her clumsy knife skills.
Chloe had to endure watching that repulsive display all the way until dessert arrived.
“Helena will be staying here permanently.”
It was just as Chloe was half-heartedly finishing her meal, barely swallowing her food.
Kalis, who hadn’t once glanced her way the entire time, finally spoke.
‘No.’
At that moment, Chloe sensed a red alert. Anxiety overwhelmed her.
Glancing around, she saw members of the ducal household gathered nearby. They pretended not to care about the conversation, yet undoubtedly listened intently.
“I hope you’ll treat Helena kindly.”
At his next words, Chloe bit her lip. Even as the sharp pain brought a metallic taste to her mouth—
‘No. No. No.’
Those words must not come from his mouth.
It wasn’t just about the pain she’d suffer. There were too many watching eyes here.
For the sake of her dignity, for the sake of their shared past, Kalis had to swallow those words.
“She’s the woman I love.”
But…
The Kalis she’d loved had always been selfish to the very end. The ugly truth he’d spoken pushed Chloe right to the edge of a cliff.
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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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (6)
What incident? Please tell us. I am just glad that the jerk is not the ML
How did you even love such a duck??? I am more docked with you Chloe
I am still not convinced that he is the heir who stopped the war. I would more easily believe if he sold out the kingdom.
Inline Comments (36)
The problem, however, was that her dress matched exactly the one worn by the eve
Well done girl. Direct hit in the middle of the forehead.
He tried to rush into his next words, but shock left his mouth hanging open.
Yes, she is your mistress who revealed the secret. Helena proves stupid, but the Duke, as usual, will forgive her after two tears.
He tried to rush into his next words, but shock left his mouth hanging open.
Yes, she is your mistress who revealed the secret. Helena proves stupid, but the Duke, as usual, will forgive her after two tears.
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VKotaku28
Right off the bat, we have shameless a**es 1 and 2. Hold my phone for a sec. I need to go stab them.