He shouldn’t have been swayed by her apologies, he should have been more cruel and harsh. If he had, he wouldn’t have been so foolish as to only think about Estelle.
Now he started to feel a strange sense of unease.
The woman who once smiled innocently, seems like she will surely collapse the grand revenge she set up against Libertan.
So, Erich watched every step of Estelle’s with sharper eyes. He thought she must be in collusion with Libertan.
Then there was another incident.
“Ah, I must have made a mistake.”
That wasn’t a mistake anyone could make by being mistaken.
The appearance of Baron Gasper and Lexius Polman were completely different, and they were not related.
“The amethyst brooch is very pretty. It suits your outfit and brooch very well.”
Estelle complimented the amethyst brooch that Baron Gasper was not even wearing. And there was only one famous incident involving an amethyst brooch in the Duchy of Blanchet.
The incident connected to ‘Lexius Polman,’ as Estelle herself had mentioned.
At first, Erich was very confused by what Estelle said. Although that incident was famous within Blanchet, he didn’t expect it to come from Estelle’s mouth.
“An amethyst brooch was found in Baron Gasper’s room.”
And even that Baron Gasper was revealed as the real culprit.
‘What is she thinking?’
If she wanted to gain the trust of the Duchy of Blanchet, it would have been better to honestly say that she knew who the culprit was. But Estelle’s actions were too ambiguous to reveal the culprit.
‘What the…’
Furthermore, after saying all this, Estelle calmly turned around and finally let out a sigh of relief. It meant that she had made a big decision.
‘What is that woman’s purpose?’
His mind was complicated whenever he thought of Estelle.
Then Erich, who had entered the library, witnessed another shocking scene. He saw the title of the book that Estelle was holding.
It wasn’t clearly visible from afar, but the front part was clearly visible.
Erich approached Estelle, who was lingering in the forbidden library and finally took out such a book.
“I want to die. It seemed like there was no other way in an inescapable situation”
Could it be a protest because I’ve been a bit harsh? The complex thoughts disappeared, and anger surged. I felt pathetic for worrying about figuring out such a woman.
‘Impudent woman.’
It seems that the vulgar nature of Libertan cannot be hidden. Therefore, Erich was no longer swayed by Estelle’s apologies.
‘I’m glad I realized her terrible nature.’
As he did, he returned to the library from where he had left due to an ominous hunch.
‘What’s that……’
Estelle was standing by the window at some point.
Her shimmering platinum hair was swaying dangerously at the window. The wind at the window was blowing fiercely, as if it would push Estelle away at any moment.
“Is it my fault……”
There, Estelle was crying.
“So it ends up like this.”
At that moment, his mind went blank. Erich remembered what he had said in a moment.
‘Why are you asking me that? Isn’t atonement something you have to think about yourself?’
Did she think dying like that was the only atonement?
‘Or… was pushing Baron Gasper her own way of acting?’
Reflecting on her behavior, it began to make a strange sense. And as he understood, his fear also grew.
‘Is she going to die like this?’
Guilt, like tormenting a helpless young animal, washed over him. Estelle did not move as she looked at him. Her calm face appeared blurry, like a mirage.
“Hold on!”
Ultimately, Erich could not bear the moment and grabbed Estelle.
“……Why?”
“Why……are you asking? What are you saying.”
“Wasn’t that what you wanted?”
It was indeed what Erich wanted more than anyone else.
Until not so long ago, he even went as far as to say there was no reason to keep such a woman alive after putting so much effort into it.
If it weren’t for their master, Johan, Estelle would have already been put to the execution stand, and her parents would have been driven to despair. He thought it would be more certain to cause pain by making them lose their beloved child.
“Really, if I hadn’t stopped you, would you have really fallen?”
He grabbed Estelle, who was about to leave with a lonely expression, and asked. He didn’t have the courage to turn his head and look at her face.
“No.”
“……Are you telling me to believe that?”
“What’s the use of thinking about something that didn’t happen.”
Erich seemed to know the woman’s expression that he hadn’t even seen.
Because when he heard her voice, wet with moisture, he could only imagine her tears silently streaming down.
“But reality remains the same.”
He heard the sound of Estelle disappearing from the study. Only then did Erich turn his head, and he couldn’t easily take his eyes off her empty spot.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]The place I decided to escape to was the garden.
I had already received permission to go to the garden from Johan. Plus, looking through the window, it didn’t seem like people were coming in and out a lot.
It seemed perfect for secretly hiding and reading a book.
But there was already someone in the garden before me.
“Duke?”
Under the huge tree where I had planned to read my book, Johan was already leaning back in his comfortable clothes.
Johan, who was asleep under the shade of the huge tree, reminded me of a satiated beast lying down after a hunt. He was so handsome that he looked like a painting even when he was still.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Johan waved his hand and patted the spot next to him.
“Come quickly. Isn’t the weather just perfect right now?”
I tried to naturally turn the book cover over and sat down next to Johan. Then, Johan led me to lean on his shoulder with his right hand. It felt like I couldn’t even reach his shoulder because of the height difference.
But leaning on Johan’s shoulder was more comfortable than leaning on the tree.
When I glanced sideways, the breathtaking side profile that ran from Johan’s forehead to his strong chin was highlighted.
He was handsome from every angle.
“Did you know I was going to be here?”
I didn’t meet anyone on the way here. Then he replied with a languid smile.
“There’s a way to know everything.”
“Is there such a way?”
“This entire mansion is under my influence. If I wanted to, I could know anything.”
It seemed like this method was black magic.
‘Really cheeky.’
Even if he’s the villain, doesn’t he have too much power?
“Then have you been watching me all this time?”
“Of course not. Even a wife has something called privacy.”
He winked and smirked mischievously.
“I’d like to know everything about my wife from one to ten.”
The end of his sentence felt like he would if I allowed him to.
‘Strange.’
Even though it should mean that he is watching the fake to prevent her from escaping, I had a different feeling.
‘When did Johan’s gaze start to feel different…?’
Laughably, I even started to feel the illusion that Johan was now looking at me as a person. I awkwardly laughed with puffed cheeks.
“That’s a little unfair.”
“What part?”
“I don’t know exactly, but only you get to know about me all the time.”
“It certainly could be unfair.”
Johan readily nodded and grinned.
“So if you feel aggrieved, try to think of a way yourself.”
“Where is such a thing?”
“You should make an effort for what you want.”
Looking at Johan shrugging casually, my resentment grew. Will the powerless live with sorrow?
Then suddenly Johan’s big hand grabbed my wrist.
“But, my lady.”
However, his gaze was still directed at my face. I couldn’t avoid his gaze and just stared at him.
“Did you just meet another man?”
There was a strange annoyance in his low voice.
‘Annoyance?’
Isn’t that an emotion that really doesn’t suit the villain? Startled, I blinked my eyes and retorted to him.
“Another man?”
“Yes. From my wife……”
Yohan, who brought my wrist to his mouth, slightly bit my wrist.
“There’s a smell of another guy.”
A red mark from Yohan remained on my wrist with delicate skin. He twisted his lips as if he was satisfied with that mark.
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
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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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