Surviving as the Adopted Daughter of the Genius Duke (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
“Here we go!”
He pushed the swing by the lakeside with all his might. When it reached the peak, the boy on the swing leaped off with a joyful shriek. Kirian soared like a flying squirrel and landed right in the middle of the lake with a splash.
“Wow—!”
Kirian bobbed up to the surface, spitting out water.
“This is awesome! Nuna! You try it too!”
“Me… me?”
I swallowed hard. This was the perfect game to send someone straight to the afterlife.
This boy, destined to become the Sword Master and the strongest in this world, would be fine—but for an utterly ordinary person like me, even a slight misstep would snap my neck clean in two.
“Yeah! Hurry up and get on the swing! I’ll push you!”
“Uh… okay… Alright. Wow… that looks fun.”
I had no choice but to climb onto the swing. My body was already trembling uncontrollably, even before I’d fallen into the water.
“Alright, here we go—.”
Kirian shoved my back with monstrous strength, and I sliced through the air like a North Korean missile from the news in my past life.
“Graaaah!”
Instead of a cry of joy, a desperate roar for survival burst from my mouth.
Splash!
I plunged beneath the surface with a spray of water, and it flooded into my eyes, nose, and mouth all at once.
“Ugh—! Glub glub!”
I thrashed with all my might, but couldn’t tell up from down.
My body began to sink.
Ah, no matter how much I struggled, it seemed I couldn’t escape death after all.
Just as I closed my eyes, gulping down water, someone grabbed my arm and hauled me back to the lakeshore.
“Nuna! Nuna!”
He slapped my cheeks—hard and repeatedly.
My cheeks stung so fiercely it felt like they were on fire.
True to his future status as the world’s strongest, his hand movements were anything but ordinary.
If he didn’t stop right now, my cheeks would swell up like a hamster’s.
“I’m fine!”
I waved my hand while coughing up water.
“Totally fine!”
“Phew… You really scared me!”
Kirian pouted, sticking out his lips sulkily.
“You’re faking being dead again to trick me!”
“Uh… yeah… Sorry. That was a bit too much of a joke. I’m sorry, Nuna.”
I forced back tears and put on a deliberately gentle, sisterly smile.
Though just moments ago my short life had nearly flashed before my eyes like a reel of memories, I absolutely couldn’t let it show.
Kirian already disliked me—if I couldn’t even humor him, my future life wouldn’t be guaranteed.
“You don’t have to ride the swing… I’ll just push Kirian really hard!”
Kirian’s cheeks puffed out even more.
“Tch. I want to play with Nuna! If you don’t like this game, let’s do something else—something we can do together!”
A sudden chill ran down my spine. I had no idea what “something else” might be.
It’d be safer to stick with this game, where I at least had a fighting chance of survival.
“Oh… no, let’s keep playing this! Nuna thinks this game is super fun…!”
I flashed the same practiced smile I’d perfected as a grad student in my past life—the kind that made professors believe absurd demands like “Make an elephant fit inside a fridge” were profound truths.
I’m a dog… Professor—no, Kirian’s dog. Woof.
“Wow! This is so funni—no, so fun!”
Exactly one year ago, I was an ordinary graduate student in South Korea.
The kind who, on a Saturday morning meant for sleeping in, was dragged up the hill behind campus with all the lab assistants for some so-called “team bonding.”
Our professor, whose hobby was hiking, led the way as always—fully geared up in hiking clothes, backpack, and trekking poles, missing nothing.
“You youngsters shouldn’t laze around like that—it’s useless!”
He boomed with hearty laughter.
Having pulled an all-nighter in the lab, I was barely dragging my worn-out slippers along, so just keeping up felt miraculous.
Still, I smiled as broadly as possible—showing even my gums—and said,
“Professor, your stamina is incredible—it’s really hard to keep up with you. You’re amazing.”
Upon finally reaching the summit—a narrow peak flanked by steep cliffs—the professor sank into nostalgic reverie once more.
“Wow, nothing’s changed since I was a student! We should take a photo to commemorate this.”
I didn’t hesitate for even a second.
I immediately pulled out my phone, crouched down, and tilted it forward about fifteen degrees.
“I take absolutely stunning photos, Professor.”
The professor didn’t hesitate either.
He instantly planted a foot on a rock and struck a pose gazing into the distant mountains.
“Is the background coming out well? It’s meaningless if the background doesn’t show.”
Following his instructions, I began stumbling backward awkwardly.
“It’s perfect, Professor! You have such great proportions—the photo really pops!”
The professor glanced at me briefly, then shook his head.
“Ah, at that angle the background won’t fully show. Step back a bit more, will you?”
Worried about the framing, I took one more step back.
The professor, shielding his eyes like an adventurer, resumed gazing into the distance.
“The background—does it capture the entire mountain range from one end to the other?”
No matter how I angled my phone, the shot wasn’t working, so absentmindedly, I stepped back one more time—and slipped.
My slippers, having reached the end of their lifespan, bid me farewell.
Right after, I too said goodbye to the mountaintop as I tumbled over the cliff.
Even as I fell, I couldn’t believe it—it was too absurd.
Judging by the trivial thoughts that crossed my mind in that brief instant—like “If I survive, I should buy a lottery ticket, since the odds are as good as getting struck by lightning” or “Is this really how my grad school life ends?”—I clearly hadn’t accepted reality yet.
But when searing pain overwhelmed me, stealing even my voice, I finally believed it.
Ah, I’m going to die here.
“What do you mean, how can we take her? We already have five kids!”
“So you’re dumping her on us? Even though you know our situation perfectly well?”
I opened my dry, gritty eyes to the sound of a deafening argument.
And froze instantly.
I was standing right in the middle of a graveyard.
For a moment, I thought I’d become a ghost watching my own funeral—until I saw relatives on either side of me, pointing fingers and shouting at each other.
Their appearances weren’t Korean at all, and their clothing looked like it belonged in a Western classical painting. It felt as if I’d been dropped into another world entirely.
Even the torrent of words they shouted was in an unfamiliar language—yet somehow, I understood it as naturally as my native tongue.
When I raised my hand to rub my eyes, I saw plump little palms.
I looked around again carefully, and my height—barely reaching an adult’s waist—told me everything.
I’d been reborn into another body. And not just any body—an extremely young one.
The shock stole my breath for a moment, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. Panicking wouldn’t change my situation.
I strained my eyes wide open, trying desperately to assess what was happening.
Judging by the two coffins in front of me, I was an orphan—and judging by the relatives, an unwanted one at that.
“What should I do…”
The moment I muttered to myself, someone shoved me hard.
“You take her!”
I was shoved hard again toward the other side.
“What are you talking about!”
My vision swam so violently I nearly got dizzy.
Afraid they’d grab me by the hair next, I quickly crawled away.
At this point, an orphanage seemed better.
“Just send her to the orphanage!”
Hearing the words I’d hoped for, I turned around, momentarily tempted.
“They say orphanages are desperate for girls these days—they’ll even pay you.”
More voices began agreeing, and soon every eye was fixed on me, lying sprawled on the ground.
A chill ran down my spine.
If it came to this, I’d rather struggle alone somehow.
I made up my mind and started running frantically.
“Grab her!”
“Waaaaah!”
I ran for my life—but my legs were short.
Unlike my previous body, honed by hiking, this one was soft and chubby, and waddling was the best I could manage.
Just as my breath caught in my throat, my foot caught on a rock.
I was about to crash face-first when someone suddenly scooped me up.
“Are you alright?”
A woman with hair and eyes the same rich brown color smiled warmly at me. Beside her stood a man with silver hair and crimson eyes—clearly a strikingly handsome man in his youth.
My startled new relatives finally caught up, blinking in surprise.
“Hand her over, please.”
“No!”
If I got taken by them, I’d surely become a slave in this life. I wrapped my arms tightly around the woman’s neck and clung on.
“They’re trying to sell me into slavery!”
To stir the seemingly kind woman’s sympathy, I even let tears well up as I clung to her.
“Oh?”
The woman’s eyes flashed—she was clearly dressed in fine clothes—and the shabbily dressed relatives visibly hesitated.
“Slavery? Nonsense. It’s a misunderstanding. She must have confused the orphanage with something else.”
When a relative reached out again, the man stepped in front.
“If you’re just going to send her to an orphanage anyway, we’ll take her.”
The relatives exchanged glances, then stared at the man—more precisely, at his expensive attire.
“How can we trust you with our precious child? At the very least, you must prove you can properly raise her…”
“Will this be enough?”
The man handed over a small pouch that jingled with coins. After checking the amount, the relatives’ mouths gaped wide open.
“Well then… I suppose you can raise her properly.”
Just like that, I was sold off and placed inside a large carriage.
The seat hugged my bottom snugly—it felt like I could sleep soundly even on the bumpiest road.
My circumstances had flipped in an instant, yet strangely, anxiety outweighed relief.
Why would they spend money to take me in?
Was I as irresistibly cute as a cat—so adorable that my looks alone forgave everything?
I touched my face, but all I felt was plump, squishy cheeks.
“You must be very frightened, Reina?”
The woman stroked my head.
She called me by a name I didn’t even know was mine—with complete familiarity.
“We should’ve come sooner. I’m truly sorry for being late.”
“Do… do you know me?”
I didn’t even know who I was.
“Yes, I was your mother’s closest friend.”
“My mother?”
It was hard to believe that someone wearing a tattered dress like me could possibly be connected to such wealthy people.
“Yes, your mother was a noblewoman when she was young. She was quite famous in high society—until she ran away with your father.”
“Hmm.”
Still, would anyone really take in a friend’s child on the spot like this?
But I had nowhere else to go, so I stayed silent.
I didn’t want to risk being abandoned again for asking too many annoying questions.
“Everything must feel sudden, but from now on, we’ll be by your side—so don’t worry.”
I nodded vigorously and pressed myself tightly against the woman, making sure she wouldn’t think of sending me away again.
The carriage soon stopped in front of a mansion so enormous that no matter how far back I tilted my head, I couldn’t see the tip of its highest spire.
Inside, an even more opulent interior unfolded before my eyes.
A chandelier adorned with crystals that reflected light like a silver waterfall. Lavish frescoes covering the entire ceiling. Marble statues placed throughout.
The breathtaking sight made me instinctively clasp my hands together.
“Did I die again…?”
It felt like I was seeing in this world the heaven I’d never witnessed even after death.
Even the picture frames on the walls looked like real gold.
“Say hello.”
While I was gawking, the man returned, carrying a small child.
“This is Reina, who’ll be joining our family. Reina, this is Kirian. You’re only two years apart, so you’ll get along well.”
A little boy—practically a miniature version of a stout middle-aged man—was placed before me.
The moment our eyes met, I gasped sharply.
If I looked anything like this child, I could understand why I’d been adopted.
He had the kind of face that, if you grabbed a stranger on the street and said, “Raise me!” while hugging them, they’d instantly reply, “Of course!” and start saving for your college tuition that very day.
His large crimson eyes were framed by long, dense silver lashes. His chubby cheeks looked pinchable, and even his tiny nose was elegantly shaped.
So… what about me?
I touched my face again and glanced around, half-hoping to find a mirror.
“Hello, Nuna.”
Kirian reached out his hand, straightening his back as much as possible to appear taller—clearly trying to look mature.
Sadly, no matter how much he stretched, the top of his head barely reached my shoulder.
“Hello, Kirian. Let’s get along well.”
His plump little hand settled snugly in mine, and without thinking, I began gently kneading it. Even his fingers were adorably chubby.
Mesmerized by the soft, springy feel, I instinctively grabbed Kirian’s cheek too.
Oh my, it felt even better.
Having discovered a new world, I started squeezing one hand while fondling his cheek with the other.
“Heavens, you’re so cute… How can anyone be this cute…?”
But despite my praise, Kirian’s face suddenly cracked with visible discomfort.
“Oh, sorry! Did I squeeze too hard?”
Embarrassed, I immediately let go.
I saw Kirian subtly wipe his hand on his pants, pretending nothing happened.
“Reina seems very fond of Kirian—Kirian, do you like Reina too?”
The watching woman asked Kirian.
Even I held my breath, anxiously awaiting his answer.
I didn’t know why, but I felt I’d already made a bad first impression—and grew even more nervous.
I had nowhere else to go; if the biological son said he disliked me, the woman would surely reconsider.
After all, a friend’s daughter could never take priority over her own son.
Kirian stared at me silently for a while—until sweat had thoroughly soaked my palms—and then slowly opened his small mouth.
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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Goodness what a scary toddler? Isn’t he probably only 4-5?
BWAHAHAHAH if only we all had a buff in life 🫡🫡it should be tha easy 😩