‘Was she always like this? Was everything until now an act? Why would she help me?’
A black aura, unseen in the palace, surrounded the woman.
Rose shivered, raising goosebumps on her arms.
“Did you come to use me? To deal with Elizabeth using someone else’s hands?”
“You caught on quickly. So, do you dislike it?”
“This is your true self!”
“You have no choice, Rose.”
The woman covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.
“Plotting against the empress after deceiving everyone?”
“The heart of Hartman must become someone as wise as me.”
“If someone like you becomes the empress, the empire will fall! You will become a greater villain than Elizabeth!”
The woman who had been silently listening knocked over the soup bowl with her foot.
“No!”
Rose belatedly reached out her hand.
But she couldn’t stop the soup from seeping through the cold stone floor.
“Shouldn’t you be careful with your words? Especially when dealing with a benefactor offering a chance for revenge.”
“You…!”
“If you kill Elizabeth, I can arrange for you to escape overseas.”
“R-really?”
“Revenge and saving your life. Isn’t it an excellent condition for you?”
“You could hire an assassin. Why did you come directly to me, trapped in the Ice Tower?”
Rose didn’t let go of her suspicion.
“Desperation is what creates miracles.”
“What nonsense is this?”
“People like you will never understand. Haha.”
The woman, with a secretive smile, tilted her head.
“I should go now. Decide whether you’ll freeze to death here or kill the woman who ruined your family.”
“How can I trust you? You deceived everyone thoroughly until now!”
The woman tapped the iron bars with her fingers.
The lock that had been tightly secured was now undone.
A secretive voice penetrated Rose’s ears.
“Elizabeth is under strict protection. Only those closest to her can kill her.”
“?”
“I use Nisa, your maid. The one who became Elizabeth’s dog after being abandoned by you.”
It had been exactly 30 days since she was locked in the canary room.
She rested her chin on her hand and stared blankly out the window.
Today, the hawthorn fence looked dense and lush.
The familiar scenery seemed barren and desolate today.
I wonder if Laila felt the same.
“Miss Elizabeth. Are you there?”
A small voice came from beyond the fence.
She looked around in surprise.
“Nisa? How did you come here when visits are forbidden?”
“His Highness informed me of the gap. It’s a bit narrow for me, though.”
“Is His Highness well?”
“He’s very well. He blames himself for causing you distress. He’s raising a fuss, saying he’ll save you.”
“Tell him not to do so. Everything will be fine.”
“He’ll be quiet for a while. Her Majesty has ordered a ban on visits.”
So, it has come to this.
She replied with a bitter smile.
“If he’s causing a commotion, he must be in good health.”
“Miss Elizabeth. The situation is quite serious.”
“Tell me in detail.”
“I don’t know if I should say this, but…”
“I expect it, so don’t hide anything.”
Nisa sighed as if there was no other way.
“People are delighted that Her Majesty has confined you. There are complaints about the leniency of the punishment, but…”
“What crime are they trying to accuse me of?”
“…It’s an accusation of plotting against His Highness.”
Why wouldn’t they?
It was an expected outcome, but it felt suffocating as if a stone was placed on her chest.
“The noble aristocrats must have been ecstatic and jumping around.”
“The atmosphere is also shifting towards blaming Elizabeth for the poisoning incident.”
“I poisoned His Highness and played the role of a hero? Thanks to that, I secured the position of the education supervisor?”
“That’s right.”
No one knew about the phenomenon in Moransia.
No one knew about the ability to see through all illnesses.
The fact that this power was given to me.
Even Nikolai doubted me.
The nobles who tried to catch my tail wouldn’t miss that unnaturalness.
“If found guilty, I’ll probably get a minimum sentence of education.”
“There’s no way Her Majesty would abandon Miss Elizabeth. She’s just momentarily upset due to the recent incident involving His Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“Just endure it a bit until you’re forgiven. Her Majesty will soon realize that Miss Elizabeth is innocent.”
Did Nisa misunderstand too?
That I would be punished?
‘Nikolai didn’t know that I was being used to trap him. If I play my cards right, I might be able to use this situation.’
A solution to the problem came to mind.
I had to keep it a secret for a while.
That way, it would be safer.
“Don’t get your hopes up too much, Nisa. I’ve been abandoned by Her Majesty.”
I spoke in a lonely voice.
Nisa was surprised and asked, “What do you mean?”
“Her Majesty must be tired too. She must have had a heavy burden running the country.”
“But Her Majesty loves Miss Elizabeth, doesn’t she?”
Did it seem that way to others?
Did Nikolai truly love me without a shred of doubt?
“Nikolai doesn’t engage in things like love. He can’t tolerate me resisting him. He just prevented what’s his from escaping.”
It felt like one side of my heart had crumbled.
My eyelids felt hot, and the bridge of my nose stung.
But it wasn’t the time for tears.
“Nisa, I have one last request. Something only you can do.”
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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