I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched the fans in their hands accelerate simultaneously.
‘Why wouldn’t they.’
As Kaidel Gongja entered, he looked exceptionally sleek and dazzling today.
Anyone who sees him might think it’s my birthday.
Although judging by the reactions of the young ladies, it’s not that my evaluation is malicious, but what can I do about my feelings.
As he headed to Grayan’s seat, he gave me a passing eye greeting. I nodded in response awkwardly.
And a moment later, I received a guest.
“What are you doing?”
When the Viscountess signaled the Princess to be courteous, she gestured to me to talk to the Viscount.
I awkwardly went to the side with the Viscount. He gazed at the medal on my chest with a subtle expression.
“Viscount…”
What’s going on? Why can’t I speak? I should’ve just said, “I’m living well and eating well, but how have you been, Viscount?”
The Viscount spoke with a soft face.
“You look good, Loria.”
“Um… do I? Viscount, you look good too, as always.”
I glanced over his shoulder. There, after bidding farewell to the Princess, the Viscountess and Misha were watching me. The first gaze I met was from the Viscountess, full of scrutiny.
Even though she sent me here herself, she regretted my medal being wasted. Misha’s gaze was equally intense. She still believed that I stole hers.
It felt strange. I’ve changed like this, yet they remain the same as before.
As I awkwardly smiled, the Viscount asked, “You had good results in the first competition, right?”
Misha’s gaze was just as fierce. She still believed that I had stolen her place.
It felt strange. I’ve changed like this, yet they remain the same as before.
As I awkwardly smiled, the Viscount asked, “You had good results in the first competition, right?”
“It was just the luck of a beginner.”
Upon hearing that, the Viscount showed a slightly relieved expression. It seemed he was reassured that I was handling things appropriately.
I’m not a fool either.
After that, there was nothing more to say.
I felt a bit uneasy about meeting the Viscount after a long time and realizing there was nothing to discuss.
“I think it’s time for me to return to Princess Miliola.”
“Sure. Go ahead. If you need anything, contact us anytime. Loria.”
“Yes, Viscount.”
I returned to my seat and watched from a distance as the Viscount and Viscountess greeted the guests. Misha, on the other hand, accepted dance requests from peers and went to the dance floor.
Then, I noticed a middle-aged man sitting alone at a table set aside in a corner of the banquet hall.
He was sitting in a chair, simply observing the inside of the hall. No one approached him as if there were an invisible fence around him.
I squinted my eyes and focused, managing to confirm a badge on his chest.
‘Oh, my goodness!’
He was a messenger from Agael.
I whispered to Princess Miliola, who was close by.
“Your Highness, there’s an Agaelian sitting over there.”
“Did you see? He’s an Agael messenger. He came to beg for iron ore from Her Majesty. Shameless.”
‘Oops. Your Highness, if you knew that, shouldn’t you have said something to this maid?’
“When a messenger comes, it’s customary to host a party. Nobles meet them, exchange information, and so on. But for an Agael messenger? No way. So Her Majesty moved up the birthday party to open a party and bury the messenger.”
Bury him… what?
Although the expression sounded a bit rough, the fact that they didn’t host a party to welcome the messenger was a significant moment revealing the Emperor’s feelings.
The Empire had waged war against the Amata tribe, but officially, they had not severed diplomatic ties with Agael. So, there was no outright reason to mistreat the Agaelian messenger. This timid expression of dissatisfaction seemed to be due to the lack of a legitimate excuse to openly confront Agael.
The reason why no nobles approached the messenger at the party was likely for the same reason.
“How does Her Majesty plan to handle this?”
“What can she do? She’ll probably endure it. Instead of sending the messenger back with his head on a stick, she just let him sit there. What a waste of food.”
While listening to Princess Miliola, my gaze was fixed forward.
It was noticeable that some young men were glancing at the Princess, likely contemplating whether to ask her for a dance.
The Princess had already noticed that and was gauging whether she should accept their requests or not. She seemed to enjoy such moments.
“Since the topic came up, what did you decide to say for the second competition?”
At that moment, members of the Tea Party rushed in.
Even Her Highness the Princess was gauging whether to accept the request or not when she noticed it. At that moment, she seemed pleased.
“Now that we’re on the subject, what did you decide to say for the second competition?”
Just then, members of the Tea Party gathered around.
They praised and happily chattered about how distinctive and beautiful Her Highness the Princess was at this party.
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.]
