“The first day I saw you. I smelled the fragrance emanating from you at the party. It was the first time since my coronation.”
Nikolai approached boldly.
The sharp tip of his nose seemed to be close.
He breathed in my neck as if to inhale my breath.
“As if washing away the senses paralyzed by the stench, it was a clear fragrance. Sweet yet refreshing, intense but never tiresome. The only scent I smell is your body odor.”
“You’ve been following my scent.”
“Only if you weren’t too far away.”
Nikolai nodded as if he were going to show himself.
“So you appeared wherever I was. Not stalking… but…”
I wanted to be casual, but my veins were loosening relentlessly.
Wherever I went, Nikolai came.
Like a person casting a spell.
I thought it was a coincidence.
Perhaps it could be fate.
Nikolai reached out to me.
A gentle touch that brushed my flowing crimson hair behind my ear.
My whole body tingled as if electrocuted.
Unextinguished flames flickered in Nikolai’s fixed gaze on me.
I knew that those flames would transfer to me, becoming a blazing torch, and sometimes an unbearable pillar of fire.
My heart fluttered every time Nikolai uttered a husky voice.
“You saved me several times, Elizabeth.”
“Your Majesty…”
“I almost drove you mad. It was irresistibly sweet.”
Even now, Nikolai narrowed his eyes as if it was still difficult to endure.
He ran his thumb over my lips.
It was a delicate action, like handling a glass artifact, but a strange sensation clung to my tender skin.
Breathing became difficult.
My heart was pounding wildly, losing its reason.
The space around us heated up.
The distance between us gradually diminished.
Lips that seemed to touch, getting closer.
Saliva accumulated in my mouth.
I vividly remembered the texture and scent of his lips.
“…So, you can’t taste food at all?”
I quickly changed the subject.
Otherwise, it seemed like something hot would happen in the temple.
“In my Prince days, I secretly escaped from the palace and had skewers. I can’t remember that taste now.”
With a melancholic face, Nikolai reminisced about the past.
The shabby restaurant they visited together felt vivid, like it happened yesterday.
The scent of fragrant oil, the appetizing smell of fire, and the sauce odor harmonized with various vegetables and spices.
Nikolai neatly placed well-cooked skewers in front of me.
With his chin rested, he seemed to enjoy watching me eat with gusto.
‘So, you always ate like a machine. You can only smell stench, and living must have been so horrific for you…’
Understanding the life Nikolai had endured with a few words was impossible.
But I knew as much about the horrors of the plague as anyone.
In my past life, I died from a new infectious disease.
A disease with a high infection and fatality rate, and no cure was a curse in itself.
In a moment, the once robust medical system, advanced technology, and accumulated human culture all collapsed.
In Nikolai’s world, it would have brought about even more horrific results.
‘You want me to go through that again? Isn’t this too much? Did you possess me for this?’
The fear from my past life crept in insidiously.
In front of my whitening eyes, thin and black fingers like iron rattled.
Those fingers seemed to seize my throat, pulling me into an abyss of unfathomable depth.
“Elizabeth…”
Nikolai wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
He sensed that I was trembling before I did.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you frightened.”
“Is there a way to stop the spread of the Reaper Blossom?”
“To be honest, there is no way.”
Nikolai bit his lip in embarrassment.
“All I can do is monitor and isolate. Moreover, the Reaper Blossom is undergoing some mutation compared to before.”
“Wouldn’t the Goddess Moracinea help?”
“I cannot guarantee that. I met Archon Sochung, but he didn’t reveal anything about the divine trust.”
Does the original work also feature a character named Archon Sochung?
I simply couldn’t recall.
‘If there was such a character, I should know. It feels like I’ve heard it somewhere…’
An uneasy anxiety twisted in my stomach.
Yes, now is the time when I can’t rely on the original work.
Too much has already been overturned.
The setting of the Reaper Blossom didn’t even exist in the original work.
‘I have to meet this Archon Sochung. He’s the first person who found out that I have Moracinea’s eyes.’
Is Archon Sochung related to the white light?
Why on earth did the white light bring me to the world just before the outbreak of the plague?
Nikolai raised his hand on my confused shoulders.
“I sensed it when I smelled your scent. It might be a clue to solving the Reaper Blossom.”
Somewhere, a chilly wind swept through.
Though I clenched my fists hard enough for my nails to dig into my palms, it was hard to endure the dizziness.
“So, did you bring me to the palace for that?”
“I couldn’t afford to lose you.”
Suddenly, my heart sank.
I didn’t want to hear such a story.
Nikolai didn’t stop.
“You were my first and last hope. That’s why I wanted to keep you by my side.”
So, did he force me into a contract?
Did he coerce me into becoming the Empress?
It felt like my blood was draining out through my fingertips due to the bitterness.
Nikolai continued, undeterred.
“You were my first and last hope. That’s why I wanted to keep you by my side.”
So, did he force me
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
