In the quiet night, above the chirping of the grasshoppers, a sigh mixed with a voice gently fell. The fact that there were sweet worries at the end of that sigh was something only he didn’t know.
[This is the time separator]Meanwhile, late in the night at the imperial palace.
A dazzling carriage slowly approached the entrance of Tiage Palace.
Leopold, with the top button of his shirt loosely undone, sat as if leaning against the carriage, his handsome brow furrowed.
“Your Highness seems to be with me in body today, but your mind appears to be elsewhere.”
Maria’s whimpering voice seemed to ring in his ears. Leopold ruffled his hair.
Even by his own assessment, today’s date was a mess. Despite Maria being by his side, his mind was filled with other thoughts.
Olivia.
His bright blue eyes sparkled for a moment. It was enough to startle the adjutant, Count Bertang Hajis, who was in front of him.
“…You have conveyed my message properly.”
The message that he would visit late in the evening, so she should wait.
Count Hajis responded affirmatively. Even so, his eyes seemed to be hinting that he had something to say.
“What is it? Don’t whine, just speak.”
“Your Highness, the behavior of the Princess lately has been unusual. Shall we prepare flowers?”
“Flowers?”
Leopold furrowed his brow. After all, those damn flowers. Olivia had talked about flowers on their first date at the coffee house, and now it was Count Hajis.
Count Hajis, sensing the discomfort, shut his mouth. Tsk, Leopold clicked his tongue.
Lately, Olivia had not been moving as he wished. Even during the date with Maria, he kept thinking of Olivia.
It was already enough that she had accepted the Duke’s vow of knighthood, allowed the first dance, and even accepted a proposal without refusal. Now she even refused his summons while staying at the Duke’s residence.
It was utterly absurd. The Duke must have used some trick on Olivia.
If they met today, it wouldn’t be bad to command her to reside in Tiage Palace. Maria would be sad, but it was better than Olivia’s unreasonable stubbornness.
Somehow frustrated, Leopold unbuttoned one more button and exhaled deeply. Even in this ridiculous situation, one thing was certain.
Of course, Olivia would be waiting for me.
Always following me around, annoyingly trying to catch my eye. Olivia was such a person.
.
.
.
“What? Say it again.”
Leopold growled. The sound from his throat, threatening like a beast, made Lady Sophron of the Baron tremble, holding her shaking hand tightly.
“The Pri, Princess has returned home.”
“Ha.”
It was no laughing matter. Olivia going home?
She was a woman who would barge into the prince’s palace to see me whenever she wished. That Olivia had turned back without even seeing me. There was surely something going on.
Leopold looked at Countess Sopron with sharp eyes.
“What on earth is going on? Has something really happened to the princess that I don’t know about?”
“That, that is…”
The Countess glanced at Leopold for a moment. Leopold spoke with restraint, swallowing his anger.
“Tell me, my lady. If there is something wrong with Olivia, isn’t it your duty to notice it?”
Is it because the Duke proposed and she’s acting arrogant, not knowing her place? Or could there be another reason? As Leopold’s mind raced, Countess Sopron hesitated to speak.
“Do you remember last Wednesday?”
“Last Wednesday?”
Leopold tilted his head. There was no special occasion. Olivia had come to Tiaje Palace since dawn, that was all.
For a moment, Leopold’s keen mind quickly processed.
“The princess saw Maria and me.”
The Countess lowered her head instead of answering. Looking at her disappointed face, Leopold gave a slight laugh. Then he stretched himself out languidly.
“Anyway. Is she leaving first today just for that? Won’t she accept the Duke’s proposal? Now, she’s not even coming because she’s sick. She must want me to personally soothe her again.”
Leopold’s voice was finally relaxed, as if he had figured out the answer. The Countess Sopron’s mind was filled with unsettling thoughts at Leopold’s scolding words.
Countess Sopron had watched Princess Olivia Madelene since she became the Crown Prince’s fiancée. The always calm and composed princess would become excited on official meeting days, just like others her age.
But last Wednesday was different.
She realized what it looked like for a person to crumble that day. And today, the princess left with the Duke in a carriage, looking like a completely different person.
Countess Sopron wanted to tell the prince what she had seen. That it would be different from before.
But Leopold only chuckled and did not listen to Countess Sopron’s words.
“Send a letter to the princess. Move this Wednesday’s appointment to tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
Leopold acted as if it was no problem. On the contrary, Countess Sopron standing beside him seemed even more nervous.
[This is the time separator]Midday at Tiaje Palace.
Olivia walked down the hallway at a leisurely pace.
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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