Wales Rowe wept as he held the corpse of his dead daughter.
He blamed himself, saying if she had spit out the jewel she wouldn’t have died, that his decision not to send her to the snowy mountains had killed his daughter.
‘Since Wales Rowe’s only daughter died in winter before reaching 8 years old…’
There was still time for Blanche, who was much younger than that.
Because of this incident, Wales Rowe established the custom of only recognizing succession rights for those who trained in the snowy mountains.
Ayla, who smoothly spit out the jewel, had already given up her succession rights to avoid going to the snowy mountains.
Because the snowy mountains were a place where one had to endure extreme cold.
In any case, if Blanche couldn’t transform, her life would be in danger.
‘Unless she transforms into a wolf and doesn’t spit out the jewel, she’ll likely follow the same path as Wales Rowe’s only daughter.’
The problem was that even if she went to the snowy mountains, she might fail to transform and be unable to spit out the jewel.
She might end up freezing to death in the snowy mountains with no way out.
That was why Wales Rowe didn’t send his daughter to the snowy mountains in the first place.
Jade struggled internally, unable to make a clear decision.
If she would die either way, should he spare her from the cold, or send her to the snowy mountains?
“…It might have been better if she wasn’t my daughter.”
[This is the timeline separator]I was surprised to see Jade, whom I thought had left, sitting on a bench in the garden.
Just as I was about to approach him, I held my breath at the words that came from between his lips.
At that age.
There was disappointment mixed in his murmuring.
My heart’s trembling subsided at the words that followed.
‘He said it would have been better if she wasn’t his daughter…?’
Ah.
He wasn’t angry about being deceived, but because Blanche, who hadn’t manifested as a wolf, was his own daughter.
‘After being so kind to Blanche all this time, saying it would be fine if she was his child…!’
Was it all a lie? Or was he disappointed that Blanche, who couldn’t transform, was his own flesh and blood?
‘…The Duke of Belaste looked down on me too.’
At that moment, the place where I was standing changed.
‘What’s going on?’
I, who had been in the garden, was now kneeling on cold marble.
‘This is… the Duke’s office…?’
The air around was filled with coldness. The Duke of Belaste wasn’t leaning on his cane, and looked younger.
As if I had gone back over a decade.
I reflexively looked down at my palms.
They were small.
Feeling my body, I realized I had a child’s frame.
“Well done, Uriel. I hear your grades are excellent again.”
The Duke of Belaste praised Uriel, patting him, then pointed at me.
“Your younger brother improves day by day, yet why have you suddenly become unable to transform? You weakling.”
The Duke of Belaste’s face contorted.
“Father, don’t be angry.”
Giggling, Uriel grabbed his waist and stuck out his tongue.
Looking at me with eyes that said, unlike you, I’m someone who can be embraced by father.
“Your younger brother, who’s younger than you, has not only manifested already, but can freely transform…”
It didn’t take long to realize what was happening.
This was a space that had been sleeping in my memories.
An illusion created in my mind from a pain that wouldn’t fade, leaving a lump.
‘For several years after possessing Larien, I couldn’t transform into a sparrow for a while…’
Whenever I failed to transform, the Duke of Belaste would often bring Uriel along to scold me.
It was just a memory being replayed, yet it felt so vivid, and my knees hurt – it didn’t make sense.
It was fake, so the cold floor full of chill shouldn’t feel cold.
Feeling that some stimulation might wake me from this memory, I pinched my cheek hard.
I slapped my face. It stung.
It just hurt, but nothing changed.
“You, instead of reflecting, you’re doing other things! How dare you cover your ears and touch yourself while your father is speaking! You’ve developed quite a naughty habit!”
“…”
“Do you think I’ll stop if you do that!”
The Duke of Belaste’s glare at me only grew fiercer.
“This is all the fault of those around you who failed to properly teach and support you, and they will be severely punished!”
“…”
“Reflect on yourself until I find new people to teach you transformation.”
The Duke of Belaste waved his hand at the butler.
‘Me, Mary?’
I turned my head quickly. Mary was trembling, biting her lip.
“Your Grace! Please forgive me just this once! The young lady can’t sleep well without me. I’m fine with being assigned to other duties! Please, just let me stay by the young lady’s side, in the Belaste mansion!”
“How noisy. Now I see why you turned out like this, with your personal maid coddling you so. Take her away!”
“Young lady!”
As the door opened, Mary was dragged out by the butler.
The Duke of Belaste had never driven Mary away before.
“The mansion is never quiet because of young lady Larien.”
“I know. It’s so annoying. She’s just ruining Belaste’s reputation, and Mary is the only one to pity!”
The servants’ mockery continued.
…Why?
Could it be that I really went back to the past?
It felt like time flowing now, not just reminiscing.
“Hey, let’s quickly return to our places, young lady Larien is looking here!”
“Y-yeah. How can a child look so creepy without even crying.”
Do I have to endure these gazes again, and live in fear of when I might die…
‘Blanche is waiting for me…!’
What if she’s crying, looking for me?
No. If I’ve entered the past, it means Blanche has disappeared too.
In this time, Blanche is still a being from the future who hasn’t arrived yet.
‘No. No, my baby.’
I can’t be without Blanche!
I can endure everything else, but I can’t bear not meeting Blanche.
“Larien.”
“…Blanche.”
“Snap out of it! What’s wrong with you!”
Jade’s voice penetrated deep into my eardrums.
I wasn’t kneeling on the cold marble anymore.
There were no mocking laughs from the servants, no Duke of Belaste looking down on me, no Uriel sneering.
The warm spring breeze gently touched my cheek.
This wasn’t the Belaste mansion.
It was the garden where I had been originally.
‘…Thank goodness.’
I hadn’t gone back to the past.
“Larien, what just happened? Your eyes glazed over and you couldn’t hear me calling, and why were you hitting your cheek…!”
Jade grabbed my shoulders with trembling eyes.
“Let go of me!”
“…Larien.”
“You, you’re the worst. You know the person I hate most is the Duke of Belaste, and you who know that best, how could you…”
I was angry. At Jade, who would revive my most horrible memories and inflict the same pain on Blanche.
“Why is the Duke of Belaste suddenly being mentioned? Larien. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Thinking I hadn’t heard the earlier conversation, Jade tried to deny it.
“…Indeed, it would have been better if she wasn’t your daughter.”
I left those words hanging as I left the garden.
I could feel Jade’s gaze on my back.
In the distance, Blanche came running towards me.
“Blanche, did you come out without putting anything on? What if you step on something sharp…”
“Mommy was taking so long, so Shu Shu came. Shu Shu didn’t get hurt at all. Look.”
Blanche lifted her left foot. Her sock was just dusty, but otherwise fine.
“Mommy. Where are Shu Shu’s shoes?”
“…Huh?”
“You said you’d bring shoes from the garden. Did you forget?”
I realized I had gone to the garden to find Blanche’s shoes.
“That’s right, I did.”
“Let’s go find them together with Shu Shu!”
Jade was in the garden right now. I didn’t want to meet him at the moment.
Especially not with Blanche.
“Blanche, let’s go inside and have a snack, we’ll look for the shoes later.”
“Snacks? Yay!”
I carried Blanche and went into the dining room.
Blanche, in my arms, said:
“Mommy. But where did the Marquis go?”
“He said he had urgent business and left. Seems he won’t be able to come for a while.”
“Aww, so I can’t see him? Hey, the Marquis isn’t really disappointed in Shu Shu, is he…?”
Blanche curled up and lowered her eyebrows.
Seeing her upset expression made a corner of my heart ache.
“No, Blanche…”
Was her guess right that he disliked her for being his daughter who couldn’t transform into a wolf?
Unlike before, my voice lacked conviction.
[This is the timeline separator]Night fell. I stroked the cheek of the sleeping Blanche.
‘I can’t sleep.’
I got up from the bed, wrapped a shawl around myself, and opened the balcony door.
The wind was chillier than before.
‘It’s spring, but it gets cold at night.’
I closed the door to prevent the cold air from seeping in.
Leaning on the railing, I took a deep breath.
My chest tingled.
Was it because I breathed deeply into my lungs?
Or was it because I felt numb thinking about what happened earlier?
‘Don’t get caught up in unnecessary sentimentality.’
I tried to compose my weakening heart.
“I should go back in-”
Someone hugged me from behind. I sensed a presence that wasn’t there just moments ago.
‘Citrus scent…’
A fragrance I could recognize without even looking.
“…Larien.”
Jade’s voice calling me was dry.
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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