Onyx, who had returned to the capital, was walking through the alleyways towards the guild. His mood desperately wanted to go into a tavern somewhere and drink heavily during the day, but he had to hold back. There was much to do.
‘I need to make all preparations so that we can leave immediately if Veronia changes her mind or the situation changes. I should have at least three perfect options ready.’
It was while he was walking, concretizing various plans in his head. His attention was caught by people gathered in front of the notice board.
“Wow, so this is the silver-haired healer I’ve only heard about!”
“But why is the imperial family looking for her?”
“How can you not remember what you just read? It says they’re going to give a reward to that precious person.”
“Ah. I see. These days I forget everything I read right away. Hahaha.”
Onyx’s eyes sharpened at the words ‘silver-haired healer’. Then he quickly squeezed through the crowd to the front of the notice board to check the contents.
On the board was a depiction of Veronia’s appearance, with long silver hair flowing down and wearing a hood. The description was so accurate and detailed that anyone who knew Veronia would immediately think of her upon seeing the picture.
And it said that a generous reward would be given to anyone who could provide information to find the silver-haired healer. It was an amount that an ordinary commoner could live off of for several months.
‘At this rate, finding Veronia will be quick.’
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he had to acknowledge it. It seemed true that when the Empress Dowager became sincere about her goal, she would stop at nothing.
‘In this situation, the Drea ducal family would be the safest.’
If Veronia became the Duchess of Drea, at least she wouldn’t have to face the Empress Dowager one-on-one… At least she wouldn’t have to show her bare face to the Empress Dowager in a defenseless state.
‘Veronia as the Duchess of Drea…! Veronia with Killian, that guy… Damn it!’
The bitter thoughts weighed down not only his head but also his chest, causing his irritation to surge.
Onyx quickly moved his steps with a face flushed red and blue. If he stayed here any longer, he felt he might not be able to suppress the urge to tear apart the depiction of Veronia hanging on the notice board.
[This is the timeline separator]That night, in Jediel’s room, Veronia was packing Jediel’s belongings into a large bag. Jediel, packing with her small delicate hands, asked.
“So from now on, we’re going to live with Uncle Killian?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
As the child tilted her head in confusion, Veronia also asked worriedly.
“Don’t you like living with uncle?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just a bit strange. Isn’t it weird to live together when we’re not family?”
“Uncle’s house is extremely big and has many rooms. I think it will be safer there.”
An even bigger question mark appeared on the child’s entire face. It was a frightened expression.
“Isn’t it safe here? Is it dangerous? Then grandmother and grandfather are in danger too, aren’t they?”
“No. I’m not saying it’s dangerous here. I’m talking about just in case.”
“Just in case?”
Veronia swallowed a sigh at the child’s continued questions. It was natural that the child didn’t understand, as she had only said they would live with Killian without mentioning the key points.
‘What should I say and how much…’
She had been thinking all day about how to explain it to Jediel, but she still couldn’t figure it out. There was no need to tell the child everything, but some explanation seemed necessary.
After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Veronia looked into Jediel’s eyes gently and slowly opened her mouth.
“Jediel, listen to mommy carefully.”
“Yes.”
“You know that mommy likes you very much and loves you a lot, right?”
“Yes. Me too.”
The child nodded vigorously with a bright smile.
“Just like that, mommy has come to like Uncle Killian very much.”
“You like uncle?”
“Yes. Uncle says he likes mommy too. He likes our Jediel even more.”
“Are you and Uncle Killian lovers?”
“Yes, that’s right. Lovers.”
She was glad the child knew the word ‘lovers’.
“Then what about Aunt Espin? Aren’t Aunt Espin and Uncle Killian lovers?”
“Those two were just friends. Like how mommy and Uncle Onyx are friends.”
“Ah, so you and Uncle Killian are lovers!”
Hehe, Jediel grinned widely, seeming to be in a good mood.
“Then are we becoming a family with Uncle Killian?”
“We’re not becoming family right away. Becoming a real family requires going through some more complicated steps. So for now, we’re just trying living together first.”
“…”
“If we live together and grow to like each other more and become closer, then we might become a real family.”
“Ah…”
The story seemed a bit complicated, as the child was rolling her eyes around in deep thought for a while. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she opened her eyes wide and asked.
“If we become a real family, does that mean Uncle Killian will be Jediel’s daddy? Will I get a daddy?”
“Yes. Uncle Killian will become our Jediel’s daddy.”
“Wow! I’m so excited!”
The child, in a greatly improved mood, hopped up and down on the spot.
“Then can I practice playing ball with uncle every day?”
“Of course. But uncle is a busy person, so he won’t be able to do it for long.”
“That’s okay. I was told that practice should be done a little bit every day consistently anyway.”
Jediel smiled brightly, seemingly very happy. The child’s hands packing the bag moved faster and faster. Then suddenly stopping her hands, the child looked up at Veronia with a serious expression and asked.
“But we’ll still come here often to see grandmother and grandfather, right?”
“Of course we will.”
“Then can I sleep with grandmother downstairs tonight?”
“Of course. Grandmother will like that too.”
Veronia stroked Jediel’s head.
[This is the timeline separator]“Mother, I have something to tell you.”
After dinner, Killian stood before the Grand Duchess.
The Grand Duchess was surprised by her son’s sudden appearance. It was a natural reaction as this had never happened before. Her heart even started pounding as it seemed Killian was about to drop some huge bomb.
“What is it?”
The Grand Duchess asked calmly, trying to hide her anxious feelings. And as she expected, Killian dropped a bomb in front of her.
“There is a woman I have in mind. I have proposed to her.”
“What? So suddenly? What do you…”
For a moment, the Grand Duchess was dumbfounded and couldn’t continue speaking with her mouth open. Neither her brain muscles nor her facial muscles were working properly.
Meanwhile, Killian continued nonchalantly.
“I fell for her at first sight and I like her very much.”
“R-really? This is news I’ve been waiting and waiting for.”
Finally, the Grand Duchess’s brain and facial muscles that had been creaking started working properly again. Her eyes gleamed with bright expectation.
“Is it a lady I know? Which family’s daughter is she? Why didn’t you give me a hint beforehand?”
“She is a woman you don’t know, Mother. She’s not a lady from a noble family, but a commoner.”
“What? What are you… A co-commoner? A commoner? Did I hear that correctly?”
“Yes, you heard correctly, Mother.”
“…”
The Grand Duchess was at a loss for words for a moment. Her mind went blank from the sheer absurdity. What nonsense was this! The Grand Duchess felt dizzy from the situation she couldn’t comprehend.
The son before her was the head of the long-established Drea ducal family. It was a family that no one would dare say was too much to stand shoulder to shoulder with the imperial family. That’s why he had even been engaged to an imperial princess. Though that was a story from the distant past.
No, there wasn’t even a need to mention the family name. The son before her was a perfect man lacking nothing in looks, brains, swordsmanship, or character.
It wasn’t that she was being lenient because he was her son, but that was the public opinion. Killian always ranked in the top tier of men people wanted to date in the monthly gossip magazines.
He was always ranked first among men people wanted to marry. He ranked higher than even the princes and other high nobles.
‘But… proposed to a commoner woman? Why on earth…? Is that even possible? A duke, a minister… marrying a commoner. This isn’t some fantasy fairy tale…’
The shock from the appearance of an option she had never even considered was so immense that the Grand Duchess could only move her lips without properly continuing her words.
Killian continued his words regardless of what state the Grand Duchess was in. Still with a very calm expression.
“You must have seen it in the newspaper. The silver-haired healer who saved a child hit by a carriage in the festival square.”
“Y-yes. I saw that. They said she was an extremely talented healer. Why are you suddenly talking about that?”
“It’s her. The silver-haired healer.”
“What…?”
It was one surprise after another. Not just an ordinary commoner, but a healer? She disliked that even more. Suddenly, a sharp pain clawed at her entire head. The Grand Duchess frowned, pressing her temples tightly to endure the pain.
“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is looking for her.”
“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?”
Why was the Empress Dowager being mentioned now? The Grand Duchess was starting to get scared. Goosebumps rose all over her body. Her tightly clenched fists were slippery with cold sweat.
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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