“Second?”
At the moment when Reneve was about to ask what the first one was.
“……!”
Icar, who suddenly stood up from his seat, looked down at Reneve with one knee on the floor of the carriage.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
Naturally, Reneve’s pupils swelled like lanterns. It was not appropriate for the Emperor of the Empire to kneel.
“P-Please get up.”
Momentarily surprised by Icar’s abrupt action, Reneve was about to stand up as well.
“Will you marry me, Siren Reneve?”
“……!”
Reneve froze in an awkward position, neither sitting nor standing.
When Reneve didn’t answer immediately, an anxious expression appeared on Icar’s face. He seemed to fear that Reneve might change her mind.
“I already gave you an answer, though…”
“Properly, again.”
“……Siren Reneve. I accept the proposal of the Emperor.”
Only after hearing the permission from Reneve’s lips did Icar, satisfied, rise with a smile.
Returning to the Basuker Palace after a long time, Icar headed straight to his office.
The knights guarding the front of the office discovered Icar and respectfully bowed.
“Congratulations on the victory, Emperor!”
“Congratulations on the safe return, Emperor!”
Icar patted their shoulders appreciatively.
“You’ve always worked hard.”
Instead of the usual indifferent expression and brusque attitude, Icar smiled broadly at the knights.
Humming a tune, Icar walked into the office, causing the knights to exchange surprised glances.
“Doesn’t His Majesty seem unusually happy? Am I mistaken?”
“Isn’t he pleased about winning the war with Solti?”
There was no other reason that immediately came to mind. However, it felt inadequate to attribute it solely to that.
Even before the war with Solti, the Basuker Empire had achieved consecutive victories in battles with neighboring countries.
Moreover, Emperor Icar was not the type of person to easily get carried away by small victories.
He set goals, devised plans to achieve them, and accomplished them.
That was their Lord Icar’s way.
So, this recent victory was just a step closer to his grand achievements, neither more nor less.
In other words, there was no reason for him to be so happy.
Each knight, knowing all these facts, got lost in their thoughts, wondering what could be the reason for Icar’s elation.
Icar, humming a tune, entered the office. Dran stood up from his seat and bowed deeply.
“Congratulations on the victory, Your Majesty!”
“Dran. You must have worked hard on your own during this time.”
With a mild smile, Icar nodded appreciatively.
It seemed like there had never been a day as beautiful as today in his life.
“……?”
Dran, looking at Icar, who seemed extremely happy, tilted his head with an amused expression.
Icar, who had entered the office and was about to start working, didn’t sit at the desk. Instead, he stood in front of the bookshelf. Dran quickly approached Icar and asked.
“Your Majesty, are you looking for some documents?”
“Here they are.”
It seemed he quickly found the necessary documents.
“What kind of document is that?”
“It’s good to write up the marriage contract as soon as possible.”
An urgent contract…
“Ah! You’re hurrying to write the peace treaty with Solti.”
Dran, deeply sympathizing with Icar’s wise and prompt judgment, nodded approvingly.
The war ended with the victory of Basuker, and now only the task of establishing a new order between the two countries remained.
“No, not that.”
Icar sat down at the desk, tilting his head. Naturally, Dran also tilted his head as he stood beside Icar.
“Then what… contract are you talking about?”
“I should write a marriage contract with the Empress.”
Icar chuckled, and Dran’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
As soon as the war ended, it was surprising enough that Icar went to meet Siren Viscountess Yeongae first, but the more surprising news followed.
“Ah, Lady Yeongae! Have you agreed to the marriage…?”
“Of course. She accepted very willingly.”
Icar nodded satisfactorily. With a compassionate and kind smile reminiscent of the murals in the temple.
“Finally… Your Majesty! Congratulations on your marriage from the bottom of my heart.”
Dran’s voice, shouting loudly, gradually faded.
It seemed like tears were about to fall. No, if one let their guard down a little, it seemed like they would cry. The saying that people shed tears when they are too happy turned out to be true.
‘Finally! Liberation from this harsh duty!’
She was so happy that she forgot even the foreign proverb that claimed there would be physical changes when one goes from crying to laughing.
To the extent that she felt like dancing the hula without a care in the world right now.
However, when Dran looked at the contract Icar had written, he couldn’t help but frown.
“You cannot have any other spouse for your lifetime except your companion.”
The content of the contract was strange from the first line.
“Only the child between the Emperor and the Empress can inherit the imperial succession.”
As it went down the page, it became even more severe.
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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