#Prologue
In the Great Hall of the royal palace, filled with nobles dressed up to celebrate the founding festival of Paradium Empire.
“His Majesty, the Emperor of Bashuker Empire, has arrived!”
A servant shouted amid the turmoil.
At the appearance of the enemy Emperor, the eyes of the nobles simultaneously turned to the entrance.
They began to murmur quietly, watching a pair of man and woman confidently walk in.
The man was Icar, the coldblooded young Emperor of Bashuker Empire, and the woman, smiling and clinging to his arm, was none other than the Duchess of Paradium, Reneb.
Three years ago, she had been the sacrifice for the peace treaty between the empires and had left for Bashuker. But now, the two appeared to be affectionate, like lovers.
They had reached the center of the hall.
“……Reneb?”
At the sight of the two standing side by side, the face of Paradium’s Third Prince, Lucius, distorted miserably.
The Empress, walking behind him, also furrowed her brow upon seeing the two.
“Duchess Reneb?”
“It’s been a long time. Your Highness, Your Majesty. Have you been well?”
Reneb gently stroked Icar’s arm and smiled faintly.
“Reneb, what is going on?”
Lucius questioned with a grim expression. The Empress intervened.
“Duchess Reneb? An explanation seems necessary.”
“An explanation…”
From among the watching nobles, Reneb spotted a familiar face.
Lucius’s consort, Esika.
Her lips twisted slightly.
“Bashuker Empire’s Empress must be treated with the appropriate respect. Your Majesty. And Your Highness.”
Icar warned coldly.
“ThThat’s impossible! What is……!”
The Empress stumbled over her words in shock,
“What has happened in the past three years? Yes…… We need to talk. Right, Reneb?”
Lucius trembled with clenched fists.
In her previous life, there was the stepmother Empress who continuously gaslighted and controlled Reneb.
And the husband, Lucius, who she devoted her life to but eventually killed her.
Lastly, the beautiful consort she never loved, Esika.
“It is as His Majesty said. Since the Emperor and I have promised to marry.”
Reneb held their astonished expressions in her eyes and gave a sweet smile.
‘It’s your turn to suffer in this life.’
#Chapter 1: The Dethroned Empress
In the drawing room with high ceilings adorned by dozens of crystal chandeliers, and creamcolored walls graced with paintings and statues, Reneb was having teatime on a plush creamcolored sofa. A precious few moments of rest for the Empress.
Even so, there were heaps of documents on the table, left over from the morning that she hadn’t yet had a chance to look at.
Just as Reneb was about to pick up the papers, the door opened without a knock.
A small golden head peeked in. Reneb’s lips quickly curved into a smile.
“Kael.”
“Mother!”
With short legs darting, Kael ran into the drawing room and flung himself into Reneb’s dress.
Though pleased with her young son’s affection, Reneb remembered that Kael was missing lessons he should be attending.
“Kael, wasn’t it lesson time now?”
At Reneb’s stern voice, Kael’s tiny shoulders drooped.
“Yes……. ”
It was too cute and pitiful.
Even aristocratic children who had been strictly educated from a young age were playing outside at Kael’s age.
The relentless education was bound to be burdensome.
Of course, Reneb was tired too. After completing busy work, looking briefly at her sleeping son’s face was her entire day.
“I missed you so much……. Can’t I stay here for a while?”
The fingers fidgeting like ferns, Kael lifted his head, his lips protruding distinctly.
It seemed he missed the warmth of his mother’s embrace.
Reneb lifted Kael into her arms and momentarily patted his back. Kael quickly snuggled into Reneb’s bosom.
“You may come and visit. But skipping lessons without a valid reason is….”
Suddenly, the thumping sound of footsteps was heard from beyond the corridor.
‘Who is so rude in the corridor….’
Reneb furrowed her brow. She soon thought that it must be the education supervisor coming for Kael, and she held her tongue.
“It’s not right.”
“Yes….”
Kael’s round eyes quickly drooped as if he was disheartened.
“Then promise to stay here for a while and go back to your lessons.”
“Can I really?”
Kael’s face brightened at the permission, and a smile found its way to Reneb’s face too.
Just then.
Suddenly, the Emperor’s personal knights poured into the reception room.
Sensing something serious was about to happen, Reneb hid Kael behind her and spoke sternly.
“What are you doing? Haven’t you forgotten that I’m the Empress? And that this is my place of rest?”
Two of the knights in the front hesitated and stepped back at the Empress’s authority.
“Do not hesitate! We have the Emperor’s order to quickly arrest the traitor!”
Unfazed, the knight commander at the back of the knights caught it, and the knights approached Reneb once again.
“The Emperor’s orders? What’s going on?”
Though inwardly bewildered, Reneb calmly tried to question the situation.
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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