Even while disparaging me as a villain, he’s obsessed.
Remembering Liandro’s coercive actions, my fingers trembled slightly without my realizing it.
‘I really don’t like Liandro.’
It was no longer just because of the past enmity.
‘…Johan was never so coercive to me.’
No matter what the situation, he listened to me. Even in a crisis situation where the Crollin gang attacked.
‘Sometimes it feels like he sees me as I am, not as an object of revenge.’
Maybe that’s why I found myself leaning on Johan.
“The next auction item is Undine’s Tear, said to be the last thing left by the water spirit Undine before disappearing from this world!”
Undine’s Tear was visible under the glamorous chandelier light.
‘I really see something inside the gem.’
It’s a shimmering power, rippling in aurora colors.
“The starting bid for Undine’s Tear is 5,000 gold. Everyone, please hold up your number plates, and state the price you wish to bid.”
I held up the plate and said,
“100,000 gold.”
The people below the auction house were buzzing. It was an excessive price, after all.
Leandro was visible among the people.
Leandro was staring blankly ahead, lost in thought without even considering lifting the number plate.
He looks like a madman.
‘Somehow, it seems to have sold better than I thought.’
The auctioneer counted and found another bidder. However, there were no nobles who called a higher amount than me.
‘Fortunately, I would have had to spend all my fortune if it went higher.’
So, I obtained the Undine Tier without competition.
(This is a time delimiter.)
I returned to the Duke of Blanchet’s estate as soon as the auction was over.
Erich greeted me right away.
“You weren’t caught by Johann, were you?”
“He did look for the madam, but it seems he didn’t find her. You came back earlier than I expected.”
“But, Sir Erich, I think my outing will be discovered today.”
“……Yes?”
Erich asked with a surprised expression.
“Was there any trouble outside?”
“I ran into Prince Felcis and there was a commotion. Unfortunately, the nobles at the auction house all witnessed it.”
Johann cannot be unaware of such rumors.
But rather than complaining to me, Erich seemed more furious at Leandro.
“……That barbaric rascal. It won’t be enough even if he’s ground to dust.”
“Erich?”
“Don’t worry too much, madam. I can handle it.”
Erich neatly replied, adjusting his glasses. I handed him the receipt.
“I bought a few jewels under the name of the Duchess of Blanchet, just in case. Can I use this as an excuse to tell Johann that I went out for a minor deviation?”
“With everything so perfectly prepared, what could be difficult? Please go in at ease.”
It was comforting to have someone on my side.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
After washing up, I prepared cookies with Betty and went to Johann’s office.
‘Johann’s reaction was quite good last time, wasn’t it?’
But even though I knocked gently, there was no response as usual.
Quietly opening the door and looking inside, I found Johann asleep on the office sofa, looking tired.
“He must be really exhausted.”
I had never seen him sleep in the office before.
“Johann, are you asleep?”
I moved quietly to Johann’s side, making sure not to wake him.
“He’s really handsome…….”
His breathtakingly beautiful face was perfect even in sleep.
Perhaps it was because of Johann’s intense red eyes, but he felt a little different when he was awake.
‘Maybe it’s a comfortable atmosphere that seems okay to cross the line…….’
I found myself caressing his handsome face and muttering.
“I missed Johann so much today.”
Surprisingly, Johann did not wake up. He must have been really tired.
“I kept thinking about you even when I was outside.”
Seeing Johann asleep after being tormented by Leandro, my heart swelled with something unexplainable.
“Johann, maybe I am…….”
A statement I would never have the courage to make to Johann while he was awake.
But a statement I wanted to keep saying.
“I think I love you.”
Having uttered those words, I was startled and fled the room with the cookies I had prepared.
(This is a time delimiter.)
After Estelle left,
Johann, who had risen from the sofa, chuckled softly.
“……She thinks she loves me?”
His ears turned red.
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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