Diana spilled all the stories she had accumulated while waiting for me on the way. However, there was lingering fatigue on her face that she couldn’t hide.
“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”
I heard that the situation in the Kingdom of Royum became more complicated due to Miryu’s suicide. Upon hearing this, Diana smiled bitterly.
“…It’s not like my mother or Hessen Oppa. What could be difficult for me?”
“Still, it could be challenging.”
“Is it? Still, when I see my mother or Hessen Oppa, the words ‘difficult’ don’t come out. I thought everyone had gotten better, but it seems like they received a significant shock, no matter how much they tried to hide it.”
From the perspective of the Kingdom of Royum, which had spent a long time together like a family, Miryu’s death must have been shocking.
“My mother works all day long, and Hessen Oppa is left alone. He avoids talking to anyone. I’m worried that our family might be permanently damaged like this.”
Diana, who came near the reception room, seemed choked up. I held Diana’s hand and said,
“It will get better.”
“Do you think so?”
“Sure. Because Isabella King Regent and Crown Prince Hessen have Diana.”
Diana’s eyes widened.
“Really? I don’t have much to do.”
“Sometimes just being by someone’s side can be a source of strength.”
“That’s true. After all, it’s natural for a family.”
Diana laughed shyly. Suddenly, I envied Diana’s natural talk about ‘family.’
“That’s because there’s a family that thinks so, it will be okay.”
I always wanted a family.
“Now, is Johan my family?”
But there was a somewhat awkward feeling. If he’s my husband, he should be family.
“If so, have I already fulfilled my wish long ago?”
“It’s been a while, Duchess Blanshet.”
King Isabella’s regent, whom I met after a long time, looked much paler than before.
“I sincerely apologize for the confusion in the Royum Kingdom’s situation. Although it was not intentional on the part of the Royum Kingdom, it is true that we did not know the true identity of Miryu Juti and took care of her. I am sincerely sorry for causing harm to Duchess Blanshet.”
From the Royum Kingdom’s perspective, there were many ways to avoid responsibility, but King Isabella’s regent did not do so at all.
“The Royum Kingdom will compensate Duchess Blanshet as much as possible. If there is anything you need, please let us know.”
In their attitude of not avoiding responsibility for what happened based on my judgment, there was a royal dignity.
“I’m fine. And most importantly, King Isabella’s regent has always tried to show the appropriate response whenever a problem occurred.”
“But still, the fact that I proceeded with the wedding without considering Duchess Blanshet’s feelings remains unchanged.”
“I accept the apology from the Royum Kingdom’s regent.”
Since the Royum Kingdom had already prepared compensation, there seemed to be no need to tear it apart further.
“The Duchess Blanshet’s virtuous attitude makes me even more ashamed of my past.”
In the eyes of Isabella, the regent of the Kingdom, who was closely watching me, there was a sense of guilt. She slowly placed something on the desk in the reception room.
“Separate from the official compensation from the Kingdom of Royum, this is a personal gift to Duchess Blanshet. I hope this gift will be helpful to you.”
“This is…”
“Yes, it’s a joint kingdom bank account.”
I admired the passbook account.
“It’s an account with no name written on it…”
Although it was a secret account, the amount was extraordinary.
‘How many zeros are there?’
Even with my elevated status as the Duchess, it was a considerable sum.
“While it may not compare to the Duchess’s wealth, there may be times when you need property to use freely. You can use this amount without any constraints when such a need arises.”
“Even with the official compensation, there must have been quite a loss…”
“If it weren’t for you, who helped prevent someone from entering the kingdom and causing trouble, Royum Kingdom would have been in dire straits. You are an invaluable benefactor to Royum Kingdom.”
‘I wish it was me!’
It was perfect for moving around with my secret identity.
‘Honestly, maybe it’s time to run away.’
The more money I saved, the more it would become a weapon that could be used someday.
“Of course, the losses incurred from this compensation will be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
Isabella’s eyes shone like a beast.
“Especially, the Holy Empire, having lied during the official events of the Royum Kingdom, must bear a significant price.”
“If you need my help, feel free to ask. Dealing with the Holy Empire alone could be tough for the Royum Kingdom.”
“How could you show such kindness to the Royum Kingdom…”
“It’s not just kindness. I’ll be preparing to request help from the Royum Kingdom while preparing for my debutante ball. Right?”
No matter how impressive the Royum Kingdom was, it couldn’t compare to the Holy Empire.
‘Besides, I need to further investigate Yestela, the Holy Maiden.’
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.]
