Maiana nodded absentmindedly. Jemero, seemingly indifferent to her reaction, nonchalantly refilled his own glass.
“You could tell at a glance that he’s very fond of the Duke. The Marquess’s wife passed away a long time ago, and the Marquess himself has been bedridden since around that time. Although his Excellency, King of Elmerat, showed concern for the young lad and provided him with accommodations in the royal palace, it couldn’t fill the loneliness.”
“The Duke couldn’t just stand by and watch. Am I right?”
Jemero blinked as if he understood, then slightly raised his eyebrows in agreement.
“His Excellency the Duke paid special attention to young Swan. Not so much out of a feeling like cherishing the son of a close friend or as a guardian cherishing the heir, but, well… how should I put it… it seemed like His Excellency and young Swan thought of each other in similar circumstances.”
Maiana furrowed her eyebrows.
“What are you saying? The Duke and that… child are in similar circumstances?”
Jemero stared at Maiana for a moment with a perplexed expression, then, as if someone who lost something and was flustered, rubbed his forehead and turned slightly.
After a moment, he looked at Maiana with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Can you believe it?’ and asked, “Didn’t you know? How the late Duke and his lady passed away?”
“How could I possibly know that?”
“I… thought his Excellency would have told you sooner.”
Maiana laughed as if asking what he meant. Suddenly, she felt a warm sensation in her stomach. It was undoubtedly the result of intoxication.
She tried to suppress the strange, floating feeling and took a deep breath. Even her breath smelled strongly of rum.
“I haven’t heard of it.”
Jemero slightly smirked. It seemed like he was about to whistle, but, of course, that didn’t happen. Instead, he stretched his lips as if practicing relaxing the facial muscles, then, in a low voice, said:
“The late Duke and lady passed away in a carriage accident when the current Duke was just ten years old. At that time, young Berbo, his brother, was only six years old, younger than the current Lady.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Maiana said, but it wasn’t as if she thought Jemero was lying. The story was just too shocking and unbelievable.
Maiana, who had been trembling her lips, as if casting a spell, repeated, “That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s a fact. His Excellency the King ensured that even at that time, the young Duke and Berbo were taken to the royal palace for protection. When the late Duke officially inherited the Valtamance title and returned here, he was only fifteen years old.”
Maiana’s eyes blinked slowly. It was a story she had never heard from Cedeloi before. His younger brother and Liria… She had heard all the secrets about Jocelyn, but she knew nothing about his parents.
Truth be told, she had never been curious about the former Duke and Duchess until now.
Jemero spoke, “Do you understand now? Why the Duke is in conflict over Swan? I understand the Duke’s feelings, as well as yours. Although Swan is generally gentle in temperament, if he formally inherits the Valtamance name and stays not as a temporary ward but as a rightful member, there will likely be many clashes with the Lady. And furthermore…”
“Furthermore, what?”
Jemero kept his wrinkled face even more furrowed for a moment in silence. It was evident that he was carefully choosing his words.
Eventually, he continued, “…I cannot guarantee that there won’t be anyone trying to exploit Swan.”
Instantly, Jocelyn’s housekeeper, Jocelyn’s face flashed vividly in Maiana’s mind. The person Jemero had in mind was undoubtedly Jocelyn.
Perhaps she might come to hate Swan more than Ariante. Without any connection to Valtamance, she could be seen as an intruder.
However, on the other hand, there was a strong possibility that Swan was more suitable to be Cedeloi’s successor.
If Cedeloi truly didn’t marry, either Swan or Ariante would inherit the Valtamance family. If Jocelyn, who clung to the nobility’s blood like a vampire, believed Swan was more suitable, it was natural.
Maiana’s shoulders shivered in a sudden chill that swept away the warmth of the alcohol. Goosebumps rose on her arms and she even felt a cold sensation.
She looked anxiously at the tightly closed door. Perhaps this issue wouldn’t be resolved with just convincing Ariante. It could be a bigger, more serious problem.
As Maiana received a glass of rum from Jemero, when Ariante, though stumbling a little, approached Cedeloi, it was a significant improvement compared to before.
“Father, did you call for me?”
Seeing Ariante innocently asking without knowing anything, Cedeloi felt the guilt that he had tried to bury rise again like thorns.
But Maiana was right, he thought. This problem shouldn’t be left to others.
Ariante’s desired affection, the target of wanting to be loved more than anyone else, was none other than himself. So, he had to be able to trust Ariante. A trust that wouldn’t break even if thrown and bounced back.
“Come here, Ariante. Come to father.”
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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