Chapter 27. What Kind of Taste Would You Be?
2023.10.27.
Yuan quickly hid her expression, afraid someone might see it.
And after hastily glancing around to check whether any commotion had occurred, she hurried back to Clade’s side.
***
“What a lovely pair.”
“Isn’t it? Don’t they look perfectly matched?”
The first prince, Bollonico, eagerly answered.
Emperor Igor wiped his beard with chicken grease–stained hands and grinned slyly.
His yellowed teeth fully exposed, he nodded and gulped down wine like cheap liquor.
Indeed.
His nephew, who concealed his rotten half of the face, was a beautifully tall and elegant man, like a sculpture.
And the petite woman beside him was as beautiful as a watercolor painted by a renowned artist.
A lovely pair, indeed.
“Pelliese. Pelliese……”
The first prince Bollonico scrutinized his father’s face, which seemed lost in thought.
There’s something about Pelliese.
There must be some secret behind the Pelliese name.
Bollonico observed the emperor carefully, trying to uncover something, but ultimately found nothing.
The fleeting glint in the emperor’s icy blue eyes vanished as quickly as it came, and the longer Bollonico stared, the more the emperor resembled nothing but a drunken ruffian, as always.
“The taste wasn’t bad at all.”
The emperor replied in a hoarse voice.
Bollonico briefly showed irritation through his eyebrows, but immediately smiled like a doll.
“Then please eat, enjoy it.”
After all, he had plenty of time.
Even if he didn’t get the reaction he wanted, watching something amusing would suffice.
***
The party, somewhat wild and free like a hunter’s gathering, had progressed quite deeply.
Even though it was a bizarre party without dancing or music.
As the emperor’s close aides, drunk, began disappearing one by one into guest rooms, Emperor Igor declared he needed to “empty his stomach”—meaning he was heading to the restroom—so Yuan was shocked to see him loudly announce this while leaving the hall.
She kept making eye contact with her uncle.
It was suffocating. And it was equally unbearable to feel her aunt’s glare, who sat beside her, staring as if she wanted to kill her. Not to mention her cousins lined up beside her aunt.
Frederic still didn’t even nod once when their eyes met, continuing to treat Yuan as beneath him. Regina, seemingly satisfied with the harsh words she had just poured onto Yuan, sipped a non–alcoholic drink with an enchanting smile.
Yuan no longer had any reason to endure their bullying or put up with them, but she thought it best to avoid confrontation if possible.
In the emperor’s presence.
Even the host of the mansion, Clade, remained seated quietly—so if Yuan caused a disturbance, she would be in serious trouble.
As severe stress brought on a headache, Yuan decided it would be better to pretend to be drunk like the other nobles and excuse herself to rest.
When she asked the butler, he said the welcoming party was essentially over, so leaving early wouldn’t violate etiquette.
The emperor, of course, had temporarily left, and even Clade had stepped away—so her uncle might sneak up beside her at any moment, suggesting they share a drink.
She had already dealt with Regina, and Frederic was just a fool—encountering him would only make her feel worse.
The emperor’s subtle gaze she had faintly felt throughout the party.
The suspicious upward curve of the first prince Bollonico’s mouth, who kept grinning for no reason.
Having to watch Clade, who sat like a doll without speaking a word, while evading her uncle’s relentless attempts to lock eyes with her—her vision spun dizzily, and she had no choice but to leave.
As the butler offered to call Hille for her, Yuan gave a fragile smile and stepped into the corridor.
When she reached the familiar hallway leading to the main hall, she finally felt she could breathe again.
So much had happened in just one day.
The emperor, the princes, high–ranking nobles…… Still, the only fortunate thing was that her uncle, Count Pelliese, hadn’t easily approached her.
‘If I can just endure one more day like this, staying close to Clade……’
Just as she thought that.
From the darkened corridor, a massive hand suddenly wrapped around Yuan’s waist and pulled her in.
Startled to the point of breathlessness, Yuan looked up to see the source—and icy blue eyes stared down at her, pinning her in place.
“Where are you going, carrying such a delicious scent?”
It was the emperor, Igor Euphris.
In the dim corridor.
Trapped helplessly in his snare, in this damp, secluded corner far from the noise, Yuan could do nothing but endure his gleaming gaze.
“Y–Your Majesty?”
“Hmm?”
“W–Why are you doing this—?”
She had known even before today that Emperor Igor was a ruffian.
Many had suffered under his tyranny, and her uncle, even while maintaining neutrality, had vividly described how Count Pelliese had been forced to curry favor with his son, Bollonico.
But this—this was…….
“I—I am His Highness Clade’s……”
“Dare you speak of ownership to the emperor?”
The emperor’s strength was overwhelming.
He looked about five times Yuan’s size, not fat like her uncle, but solid and brimming with power.
His large, hairy hand boldly groped her waist.
His reddened nose rubbed against her nape.
Hot, alcohol–scented breath gushed out, stinging her nose.
Yuan held her breath and glanced around the deserted corridor.
“Hmm? Don’t you like it here?”
‘Can I even scream and say I hate this?’
Recalling newspaper clippings she’d seen of people executed for falling out of favor with Emperor Igor, Yuan trembled violently and nodded.
“I don’t like it. I don’t……”
“But I like it here. It’s beautiful. My dark, enormous trophy. A grotesque ornament. And……”
The emperor grinned slyly, staring straight into Yuan’s confused eyes.
“A delicious meal as well.”
“I was supposed to guide you back to the party hall……”
At the words “delicious meal,” Yuan recalled the emperor devouring food greedily and struggled to escape his grasp.
Emperor Igor laughed, his lips stretching wider as if watching a cute animal’s tantrum. It was the smile of a madman.
“What kind of taste would you be?”
His icy blue eyes roamed over her teary eyes, delicate jawline, and tangled black hair.
“How would you cry?”
What would happen if she screamed?
Would her mouth be sealed shut and swallowed whole?
Or would she simply be dragged away helplessly?
Was there anyone who could save her from this man—whom even Marquis Companni, Marquis Rev, and even the master of this mansion, Clade, couldn’t oppose?
Yuan bit her lips hard and desperately tried to free herself by pretending to support the drunken emperor.
The accumulated sorrow that had built up ever since the emperor first bit her hand like he wanted to devour it began forcing its way out as tears.
And just as the emperor leaned his face toward her, as if he had been waiting for those tears.
“Your Majesty.”
Suddenly, Clade’s voice cut through the darkness like a lie.
The same as always. Painfully calm and low.
How dearly she welcomed that voice she had once thought indifferent!
“Oh, you’re here. Clade.”
The emperor grinned slyly, his nose buried in Yuan’s hair.
He showed not a trace of embarrassment, even though caught in such a vulgar act.
With despair and a sliver of hope, Yuan desperately looked up at Clade standing right beside her.
She held herself tightly, trying to block the emperor’s hand that kept creeping upward.
And while resenting Clade, she felt disgust welling up inside her for being forced to rely on him, and called out.
“Your Highness.”
Emperor Igor was not sane. He was a ruffian, a tyrant to whom reason did not apply.
Yuan struggled like a small animal caught in a swamp.
“Your Highness……”
Yuan called her husband desperately once more, her voice trembling with moisture.
For a brief moment, Clade’s eyes held Yuan’s desperate face—then it was gone.
That was all.
Without another word, Clade walked past them and headed toward the bright, noisy party hall.
As if it were none of his concern.
Staring at his long, stretching shadow, Yuan felt as if the world had ended.
She knew better than anyone that she had no right to shout at him, demanding why he wasn’t rescuing his wife right now.
The more Yuan despaired, the more satisfied the emperor looked, grinning as he tightly pulled her against his shoulder.
And then.
“Your Majesty.”
A large hand firmly gripped Emperor Igor’s shoulder and yanked him back.
The emperor’s low chuckle instantly froze into stiffness.
Yuan clenched her trembling jaw and looked up past the emperor’s massive shoulder.
It was Clade.
Clade had come back.
With an utterly indifferent expression, he spoke to Emperor Igor.
“Did you know?”
“Clade. Are you here to save this woman?”
The emperor’s face immediately brightened into a smile.
His eyes bloodshot.
“Hmm? To save your beloved wife?”
Yuan felt the hand holding her tighten with such force that blood could barely flow.
Clade, having silently observed every detail from the shadows, let out a soft, silent laugh.
As if to say, “How could that be?” Once again, he didn’t even glance at Yuan.
Yuan watched the emperor scrutinize her nephew’s face and felt a strange chill.
“Is there anything more entertaining than this?”
Igor’s thick, massive hand suddenly seized Yuan by the waist, lifting her up, then openly buried his nose into her nape—right in front of Clade.
Yuan shuddered.
Thick tears continued to fall down her already wet face.
For a moment, Clade’s purple eyes, shadowed by the light from the party hall, gleamed like fake jewels.
And an even faker smile briefly flickered across his face.
“Yes. There is.”
And then, the half mask that Clade had worn since welcoming the emperor—never once removed—was taken off by Clade’s own hands.
As the pitiful face beneath turned directly toward the emperor, the iron grip that had seemed never to release Yuan slowly, silently loosened.
It was late into the night.
Although the duration of its manifestation had been gradually shortening.
The writhing, painful mass in his throat would soon cover Clade’s entire body and take control—it was only a matter of time.
Wiping her wet face, Yuan shook her head.
No. No.
Before she could say anything, Clade led the emperor toward the end of the corridor.
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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