Second Male Lead, You Said It Was A Contract Marriage? (7 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 001
The chirping of birds did not feel noisy this morning.
I stretched pleasantly and got up.
“Ah. Today, the weather is so nice.”
While I smiled lazily at the sunlight streaming through the window, someone entered the bedroom.
“Miss Julietta, it’s time to get up now.”
“Nanny. Good morning.”
“Yes, good morning… Oh, you’re already awake?”
Apparently, she had expected me to still be lazily sleeping.
“So, why did you wake up so early today?”
“You always sleep in so late. Why are you up so early? Do you have something important planned?”
Important? Well, there was something important—something important enough to decide Julietta’s entire life!
“Nanny. Of course I have something important. Today is the day His Majesty the Emperor welcomes Her Majesty the Empress.”
“That’s true, but you’ve never shown interest in such matters, Miss. You always said before that as long as our family isn’t dragged into the royal affairs, it doesn’t matter what happens in the palace.”
That was quite an uncomfortable remark. Well, truthfully, I didn’t care whether His Majesty the Emperor welcomed someone as Empress or not.
Under normal circumstances, I would have grumbled about the Emperor’s lack of flexibility in forcing all the nobles to attend such events.
“Still, His Majesty and Her Majesty are such a well-matched couple. I’m just curious to see what they look like together.”
“That’s true. They really are a well-matched pair.”
The conversation flowed smoothly. I let out a sigh of relief and smiled joyfully.
‘It’s been such a long wait.’
Truthfully, I had been eagerly anticipating this day for a long time. Today was the day the original story finally concluded.
[This is the timeline separator]Julietta Orbetian. She was the youngest daughter of the House of Count Orbetian, a minor antagonist character who, in an obscure novel, gets eliminated after casually speaking out against the female lead, who appears close to the male lead.
“Why?! I only tried to stop that insignificant noble lady from throwing herself at His Highness…”
“When did I ever ask you, Miss Orbetian, to do such a thing? Don’t you know your place? There’s a limit to how far arrogance should go.”
Julietta felt her entire body freeze at the icy cold voice. She barely managed to open her trembling lips to beg for forgiveness.
“If forgiveness could solve everything, life would be so convenient. Be careful on your way out. If your carriage has an accident and that delicate neck of yours snaps, what then?”
After that, Julietta fled in terror. A few days later, she really did get into a carriage accident and was severely injured. Had it gone slightly worse, her neck would have broken. The culprit behind the accident was obvious without even needing to look.
‘It’s the male lead of this novel. Who else could it be?’
On the first day of possession, I went through intense denial of reality, then afterward, I isolated myself from the world to avoid entanglement with that madman as much as possible.
I didn’t even attempt to awkwardly befriend the female lead. I severed almost all ties with the noble ladies Julietta originally associated with and began living as a recluse.
‘Well, anyway, there must be plenty of people who could take the place of minor antagonist number one.’
That thought wasn’t entirely absent. As long as I didn’t recklessly step forward, I hoped I could live comfortably in this wealthy noble household, laughing carefree.
But one problem arose—there was nothing to do at home.
“Smartphones! YouTube! All the OTTs! Give them back to me!”
Without the things that used to fill my daily life, everything felt unbearably boring. Perhaps due to the side effects of being forcibly separated from modern civilization, I even developed withdrawal symptoms—my hands trembled, I flailed them in the air, desperately searching for a smartphone.
As a child, I once dreamt with sparkling eyes about being reincarnated. But as a modern adult steeped in contemporary culture, all I wanted now was to go back.
But as the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. Though the image of a smartphone still flickered in my mind, I no longer craved it desperately enough to flail my hands in the air. I had found alternative entertainment.
‘Everything is good. I’ve adapted to life here, the original story has ended. All that’s left is to enjoy the life of a wealthy noble lady.’
It truly sounded like a dream. Having money was the greatest thing in the world.
‘Your Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, please be happy! And may minor antagonist number one, who suffered in my place, be reincarnated into a happy life in their next life!’
I thought everything had ended. Surely, it had.
Then why, why on earth…
Right in front of my eyes now…
“I’ve been waiting, Miss Orbetian.”
“…Huh?”
“You seem surprised. Please, take your time and calm down.”
A voice so sweet it made one turn around even while passing by. Endlessly gentle and kind in appearance, yet with flawlessly handsome features, silky blonde hair, and devoted, deep blue eyes.
The epitome of a loyal puppy-like secondary male lead—Yezar Ferhaem. Why was the secondary male lead from the original story standing before me?
And not just that…
“Would you happen to be interested in a contract marriage?”
Waving a contract document with such a soft, gentle expression.
What on earth was going on? Why was the secondary male lead, who never interacted with me during the original plot, now waving a contract like this?
Just a week before this absurd event occurred—
That is, when I was relaxing comfortably, relieved that the original story had ended.
I clearly remember…
[This is the timeline separator]“Nanny, shall we go on a trip this time?”
Since I no longer needed to stay cooped up inside the mansion, I was excited about traveling. The nanny, who was brushing my hair, smiled.
“Our Miss, who’s been stuck inside the mansion all this time, what wind has blown you this way?”
“Really? Do I seem strange to you?”
Since I had avoided going outside to evade the characters from the original story, it wasn’t surprising that the nanny found it odd.
Then the nanny gently stroked my head.
“Not at all strange. In fact, I’ve been worried because you’ve always stayed inside. Miss Julietta, you’re of marriageable age. You should do what you want while you still can.”
“Then, shall I go to the desert in the neighboring country…”
Just as I was excitedly continuing, the door burst open violently.
Bang! The loud noise made my heart pound as if my eardrums would burst.
“What trip? How can you even talk about a trip at a time like this?”
That unpleasant, irritating voice could only belong to my detestable younger brother, Weaslet. His fiery temper was evident in his bright red hair and sharply upturned green eyes glaring at me.
Seriously, if I were to be reincarnated into a novel, why couldn’t I have a brother like a unicorn? Instead, I’m stuck with this annoying, real-life-level irritating mama’s boy as my older brother.
When was it that you used to nag me for staying at home all day? Now you’re telling me not to travel?
“Think about what you’ve done. Do you know how much Father is sighing?”
“What does Father have to do with it?”
I hadn’t done anything wrong. Why was he sighing all alone again?
“You don’t know? Father said he can’t take it anymore and wants you to stop rejecting suitors.”
“Stop rejecting? What are you talking about?”
As I frowned in response, suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind.
“Oh. Is this about the marriage proposals?”
“Yes. Father introduced only excellent matches, yet you rejected every single one. Do you even know what people are calling you now?”
“What are they calling me?”
Curious, I asked, and Weaslet sighed deeply before answering.
“The Thorn Flower of Orbetian.”
“What’s that? Sounds cheesy.”
People in this era really had terrible naming sense. I listened to the nickname calmly, but Weaslet seemed even more frustrated, his face twisting in annoyance.
“You really… At least tell me why. Why do you keep rejecting them? There won’t be any more suitable matches left.”
Since he asked for a reason, I supposed I had to answer.
“Well, on our first meeting, they’d claim we’re destined and swear to love me forever while grabbing my hand.”
Even recalling it made me feel uncomfortable.
“Then they’d subtly grope my hand, sneak glances at my chest. Ugh. How can I trust a man whose mind is elsewhere? And they’ve just met me—how can they claim to love me forever? I don’t believe them. Most likely, they’ll have multiple mistresses behind my back.”
“If they were that kind of man, I’d have beaten them senseless by now.”
“Whatever. It’s not worth wasting time on such men.”
As I waved my hand dismissively, Weaslet paused in thought before speaking.
“Alright, I understand your point, Julietta. But there was one decent guy.”
“Oh, the second son of Marquess Theorian’s family?”
“Yes. Good family, decent appearance—wasn’t he a suitable match?”
“No. He was the worst. He was completely full of himself. Do you know what he told me? He said he only wanted a wife who’d faithfully support him and smile prettily by his side.”
“Ugh. With your personality, would you really accept that?”
I glared at him for immediately provoking me.
“Watch your words.”
“Oh come on. I’m still your older brother, aren’t I?”
“Would you watch your words, younger brother?”
Mocking the gentle, affectionate voice of my elder brother as he called my name, I felt a sudden wave of disgust.
I made a vomiting gesture, and Weaslet chuckled and laughed. After laughing for a while, he asked me.
“Anyway, I get why you disliked them. But what exactly do you want?”
When Weaslet actually asked what I wanted, I paused in thought. Appearance-wise, in this romance novel world, everyone was at least decent-looking, so I didn’t need to worry about that.
As for personality… well, it’s a political marriage anyway. We’d be busy and rarely see each other, so as long as he wasn’t a complete jerk, it’d be fine.
After pondering, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Hmm. Someone who doesn’t talk about eternal love on our first meeting, who plays the role of a husband adequately without interfering too much in my life?”
“Julietta. I always think this—you’re too cold.”
He was looking at me as if I were heartless. I was offended, but I understood.
‘He’s passionately in love with his fiancée right now, so of course he’d react like that. Honestly, he’s more romantic than he looks.’
“You’re too romantic, brother. It’s a political marriage anyway. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we just fulfilled our roles and respected each other’s boundaries instead of talking about love?”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll tell Father. But Julietta, I wish you could marry someone truly worthy of your love.”
Saying that, Weaslet left the room. Then, the nanny, who had quietly listened to our conversation, took my hand.
“The young master seems to care about you deeply, coming all the way here to speak like that.”
“I know. How could I not?”
How could I not know? While my busy father and elder brother were absent, it was Weaslet who had always paid attention to Julietta. From the memories that flowed into me upon possession, I saw he wasn’t such a bad brother after all.
Of course, Julietta disliked Weaslet for constantly provoking her, and resented her father and elder brother for being too busy to spend time with her. Her mother, who passed away early, hadn’t been enough to fill Julietta’s heart, so she had searched for someone who would love her.
That was why she mistook a single act of kindness from the seemingly perfect male lead as love, and ruined her entire life.
“Marriage…”
Though I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, if marriage was a duty tied to my food and shelter, I was willing to comply. But for the sake of the original Julietta, I had absolutely no intention of ending up with some weird man.
“Nanny, do you think there’s any man out there who fits the conditions I mentioned?”
Someone who wouldn’t talk about love and wouldn’t interfere in my life more than necessary—someone who could play the ideal husband role.
“Well, I’m not sure. But our Miss is kind and gentle. I’m certain you’ll meet a good person.”
Hearing such warm words from such a kind person made my heart swell. I suddenly hugged the nanny tightly.
“Maybe I should just marry you?”
“If others hear you say that, they’ll be shocked.”
“But the men Father brings will probably all be the same anyway.”
Whether it’s my younger brother or the nanny, though they care for me, I know my father’s taste is always the same.
‘Hmm. Maybe I should spread a rumor after all?’
There must be at least one unusual man out there who would be intrigued by my conditions.
[This is the timeline separator]And now.
That unusual man had appeared.
“I heard the rumor.”
“Ah…”
So the rumor I casually spread had reached even the ears of the secondary male lead.
“You’re seeking a man who won’t speak of fated love and won’t interfere in your life beyond necessity, someone who can fulfill the ideal role of a husband?”
He recited my rumored conditions flawlessly, not a single word off.
“Y-yes… that’s right.”
“Would you still be open to a contract marriage?”
Yezar’s gaze was unusually serious. Honestly, seeing the secondary male lead from the original story approach me, making all my previous efforts to avoid entanglement with the characters meaningless, did surprise me…
“But when you say contract marriage, do you mean a marriage that isn’t meant to last forever?”
To me, this was an unexpected opportunity.
“Yes… I don’t yet feel ready to love anyone.”
His calm blue eyes darkened. His trembling hands and voice filled with longing made my nose tingle.
I understand, I know. That heartbreaking love of yours. Anyone who invested in the secondary male lead’s stock inevitably faces this pain. How could I not know? I once held that stock, only to see it turn into worthless scraps.
“But I can become the ideal husband you’re looking for.”
He must also be under pressure to marry from his family. It would be odd to keep the position of a duke vacant for too long. Yet, due to his inherently kind nature, he probably worried that forcing himself to marry someone he didn’t love would only make that person suffer.
‘How can a duke be this kind and gentle?’
But thanks to that, a wonderful opportunity had rolled right into my hands.
From what I’d seen of his character in the novel, he was nothing but kind, and I couldn’t imagine being disrespected during a married life with him.
There would be no love, but I was past the age of believing in fated love anyway.
“Alright.”
“You said… alright?”
“Yes. Since you mentioned a contract marriage, how about maintaining the marriage for about two years? As you may know, I’ve recently been under pressure from my family to marry, so I need a suitable partner. Oh, of course, the grounds for divorce will be attributed to you, and property division will be handled fairly—understood?”
I winked, and he nodded.
“Yes. For two years, I will be the ideal husband for you, Miss.”
This was the beginning of my contract marriage with the secondary male lead from the novel.
Little did I know, I was about to be scammed!
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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MANGA DISCUSSION
2 Comments
Chapter Comments (5)
The sibling’s relationship is so normal unlike the usual child care novels that it feels weird
Well things sure took a weird turn all of a sudden???
Really???? A nosebleed ? It would have been better if you had hit your nose
Inline Comments (54)
“I’m not the pure, noble man you think I am. I was driven by selfish desire, kee
I’m so excited to get to the synopsis part! I can’t wait to hear him tell Julietta how she takes advantage of him and then leaves him. Yezar, hold on to that, don’t let her go! 🙂↕️🙂↕️
“I’m not the pure, noble man you think I am. I was driven by selfish desire, kee
That’s right Yezar, go for it! I’m supporting you, don’t let her get away!
I love this so much 😌😌🤩‘Really, I shouldn’t be indulging in such selfishness.’
No girl, please stay. If you leave, Yezar and I will cry a lot.
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VKotaku28
For once, a FL making a smart preemptive move only to be ruined!
VKotaku28
Her thoughts on marriage were rational too, again thwarted!!