Peering into the situation beyond the wall as if estimating it, Julian, who had been looking closely, successfully discovered a massive light cluster behind the black, rippling thing.
“It’s not too late.”
Julian, who smiled faintly, brought his cold hand to the ice wall without hesitation.
That moment.
Kwoong.
With a thunderous noise shaking the ground, the massive ice wall shattered into pieces.
In the bright, twinkling surroundings, Julian faced himself beyond the ice wall with eyes that looked exactly the same.
It was just the right pair of eyes.
Julian looked at it and slowly smiled.
At that moment, without a blink, the gigantic golden eye that had been staring at him suddenly lit up fiercely, tearing through the pupil like a blade.
⭐⭐⭐
“Hey.”
“Why.”
Those who had been captured in the underground prison were tensed at the strangely quiet state of their captors.
“It seems like something big is happening.”
“It’s probably worse than being caught and brought here.”
“No, it’s strange.”
These people were the ones who, not long ago, were captured for sowing dissent against ‘Princess Termina.’
Those who had been detained under Duke Baloch’s henchmen quickly realized that rebellion was a futile effort.
The man, who had a pale and dry appearance, showed a stark temperature difference when his master was present and absent.
Still, even in front of the duke, he made quite human sounds, but when the duke disappeared, he transformed.
“Cretan Barhan.”
“Why, why again!”
When they mentioned the name of the guy who treated them mercilessly, the guy next to them went crazy and made a fuss.
“I can’t see that guy anywhere.”
After being captured, he was a guy who forced people to the limit.
Even though he knew everything, he would come down to the underground and squeeze them whenever they were careless.
Meanwhile, when the duke appeared, he immediately put on a harmless expression and acted awkwardly.
It felt like seeing a well-cut poisonous snake.
“Ugh.”
A poisonous snake with a bird’s beak.
Even thinking about it made her sick.
The man who was shivering and trembling regained his senses and called the party.
“Let’s get out. It seems like something big is happening. ”
“If we run away, we’ll be caught by that poisonous guy, and we’ll be killed right away.”
“Did he say he’d let us live if we stayed?”
That’s true.
They had been left alive so far, but it didn’t mean they were spared.
“I don’t know where to go. We can’t go to the North, and we can’t go to Khatan since we’ve been exposed. Rather, they’ll probably try to deal with us.”
“Anywhere is better than here.”
At his words, the colleague who had been skeptical all along sighed deeply.
“I don’t know. Anyway, it’s all over. Let’s go check it out. It’s better than doing nothing.”
Those who had been silently observing the situation also agreed one by one.
They were originally mercenaries.
Free mercenaries without any affiliation.
No nationality, no guild, and the only proof of identity was the ‘Continent Free Mercenary’ badge.
Once they ran away, it was impossible to track them down.
The Continent Free Mercenary Guild made it possible because it strictly ensured the ‘anonymity’ of guild members.
“Alright, let’s go! It’s a commission we accepted deceived, and it would be unfair to face death too.”
The commissioned task was to manipulate public opinion and assist in the escape to save a princess who was facing an ‘unwanted marriage.’
Duke Baloch’s notorious reputation was well-known, and the saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be better for the fragile princess to be by the side of the lord of the South than a beast,’ played a significant role.
This was an act beyond the norms.
A crime, a corrupt deed.
They were mercenaries, not criminals who sold their conscience.
However, they accepted it because the princess’s life revealed during their own investigation was too pitiful.
Persecuted throughout her life without committing any crime, she was eventually sent to die.
Could a pitiful princess like her be happy at least once?
That’s why they accepted the job.
In reality, the duke they faced didn’t seem human at all.
“Move aside; she must die.”
He was merciless.
“Will you die together?”
Cold-hearted.
“Please, spare her.”
“Even if she looks like that, she’s still a monster. Consider it fortunate that it can end with your tears today.”
Not his blood.
With a sword in hand, threatening a mutated child trying to hide, the duke emitted no warmth.
“Please. Please.”
“Move aside.”
He was incredibly handsome, but whether it was because no emotions could be felt, he didn’t seem human.
It truly felt like he wasn’t human.
Perhaps because of this.
The malicious words pouring out from people’s mouths didn’t make them feel sorry at all for helping the pitiful princess. It was even more regrettable that they couldn’t speak more harshly.
However, when they actually arrived at the duke’s residence, things were strange.
‘Jillian!’
The face of the princess, calling out Duke Baloch’s name and hugging him, sparkled.
‘My queen.’
The duke, who seemed irrational, willingly extended his arms to embrace the princess.
‘I’ve been waiting.’
The princess, nestled in his arms, looked happy.
As happy as Duke Baloch embracing her.
Didn’t seem unhappy…?
For a moment, a sinister thought that had never occurred to him crossed his mind.
He hadn’t investigated about the ‘Duchess Baloch.’
‘What would be the best way to discipline an unruly beak?’
‘Did you think you could steal a legitimate ‘Lady of the North’? Did you believe that by instigating Ongjimin and bringing up discord between Termina and Baloch, the princess would be cast away unhappily?’
It was Cretan Barhan who was crazier than Duke Baloch.
A beak like a poisonous snake.
How did this happen?
Continuously, the thought that something was wrong became stronger.
“Ugh…”
As the man recalled Cretan’s gaze staring at him, he shivered.
“Ugh…la.”
As he hugged himself and collapsed, his comrades burst into laughter, pointing at him.
“Anyway, let’s get out.”
At his words, someone pulled out a small piece of iron from their hair and unlocked the handcuffs.
Clank.
With a muffled sound, the handcuffs fell off their wrists.
It was time to escape.
Leaving behind the princess.
Contrary to the words of the Southern King, the duchess even looked happy.
There was even a loyal snake…
“Ugh…”
“Oh, why again!”
“Suddenly got goosebumps.”
“What nonsense is this… Let’s go back.”
“Why?”
The man pointed somewhere with his hand.
“We were wrong. It seems wrong to leave her behind.”
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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