Although I was frustrated… I wasn’t in a position to say anything, so I quietly took a seat opposite him.
Leus put the documents on the table and relaxed a bit.
“I’m glad to see your willingness to talk is still valid.”
“…….”
His attitude was very leisurely. I wished I could be as relaxed in this conversation.
Having awaited this moment all night, I got straight to the point.
“…Duke. Who exactly is the person who said they saw me?”
However, the response I received was somewhat unexpected.
“Miss Ivel. I truly appreciate you saving my life. But separate from that, I’m still undecided about whether I can trust you.”
“…So, you mean to say you can’t tell me?”
“That depends on the answers you give to my questions.”
He has questions for me? I couldn’t guess what they might be.
Then, Leus spoke.
“I heard you sent a letter of annulment to the Count of Ersian.”
‘How does he know that…?’
Caught off guard by his unexpected words, I asked.
“How much do you know about me, Duke?”
“Well… from the beginning to the end.”
“From the beginning to the end, you mean…”
“Anas. Your identity. Your birth. The first things that come to mind seem to be these three.”
That meant he already knew I had no choice but to surrender.
Leus was just waiting for the right time.
“So, now it’s my turn to ask. Miss Ivel. Was the annulment a necessity to leave the empire?”
I didn’t understand why he kept asking about the annulment.
But… I couldn’t avoid answering.
Realizing the topic at hand, I responded a beat late.
“No, it wasn’t. The annulment was a separate matter.”
“Then this conversation will be easier.”
What followed from Leus was something I never imagined.
“Miss Ivel. How about marrying me?”
His tone was as casual as if he were suggesting a dinner invitation, which made it even more confusing.
Marry? Who? With whom…?
“Weren’t you planning to obtain a new identity and flee to another country?”
“That was the plan, but….”
How does marriage relate to this?
“I will provide you with enough money to settle in another country.”
‘…So he knew I was planning to leave the empire penniless.’
How did he find that out? I was amazed by Leus’s information-gathering capabilities. But I soon regained my composure.
Ultimately, the reason I wanted to leave the empire was to avoid engagement with Leus.
‘But this man is proposing marriage to me, oblivious to that.’
There must be some reason behind Leus’s proposal, but marriage, not just an engagement!
I shook my head, ready to make my position clear.
No, I was about to.
“Duke, I don’t think marriage is….”
“The Earl of Ivel.”
“…Yes?”
“I will give you the Earl of Ivel.”
Leus reiterated as I remained rigid.
“I’m saying I will give you everything pertaining to the Earl of Ivel.”
“…….”
“Of course, that would be predicated on our marriage.”
From providing funds for settling in another country…
‘Was he talking about the wealth of the Earl of Ivel?’
That’s not just settlement money, that’s a fortune…!
How can every word from this man be so astonishing?
“Is there any affection left for the Earl of Ivel? If so, it would be somewhat awkward for both the giver and the receiver….”
Leus genuinely seemed perplexed. Who should be the one feeling perplexed right now?
So dumbfounded, I just stared at Leus when a thought struck me.
‘But would he really give me the Earl of Ivel just for getting married?’
Given his question about my affection for the Earl of Ivel, it seems transferring the earldom’s wealth to me is not exactly in a positive light.
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.]
