In the year 321 of the Svergen Empire.
The spring of the 7th year of Bolstark II’s reign.
Vivid droplets of blood fell onto the newly sprouted Dark Opal Basil seedlings.
“Oh my!”
Before Frida’s hand, startled, could even touch her nose, people around her had already gathered, causing a commotion.
“Ma, ma’am. Are you alright?”
“Oh dear, what to do. You’re bleeding, you’re bleeding.”
Ricardo Moli, who had flung the basil seedlings he held onto the ground, hurriedly knelt before her.
The dirtcovered hand of a man who had lived his life holding a sword, now in his fifties, was flailing aimlessly in the air.
The servants who were planting herbs around her jumped to their feet and paced around.
Dominic, Ricardo’s son who had approached at some point, quickly took off the cloth around his neck and handed it to her.
“For now, stop the bleeding with this. You lot, don’t just stand there, fetch some water!”
“Yes. We will be back shortly.”
Upon his instruction, the servants quickly left the field.
“Father, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to call a doctor?”
At his son’s rebuke, Ricardo turned to rush into the castle.
However, he ended up standing still on the spot, unable to move due to Frida, who was holding onto the hem of her flapping dress.
As Frida shook her head, the long, drawnout awning over her forehead elegantly fluttered.
“It’s alright, Ricardo. It’s just a nosebleed. It’s nothing serious, just stay here.”
Ricardo exclaimed as if he had heard that the sun rises in the evening and sets in the morning.
“Our esteemed Duchess has a nosebleed and you say it’s nothing? How could it not be serious? It’s a very serious matter. Just wait a moment. I’ll call the doctor right away.”
While he moved hurriedly, the touch that removed Frida’s hand from her dress was as careful as if handling a child.
After asking her to endure a little longer and passing on his instruction, Ricardo disappeared into the castle like a shot arrow.
“Duchess, please stay still. You might collapse again like before. Sit here, quickly.”
Dominic, who had taken off his top and spread it on the ground, urged her to sit down quickly.
“When was that……”
Frida sighed deeply, stretched her legs, and sat on his clothes.
Otherwise, there would be someone around her who would carry her into the castle right away.
In fact, it happened only once.
During the past three years, she had only collapsed once in front of them.
Frida, born in the north, had somehow collapsed due to her inability to adapt to the intense sun of this southern region.
Yet, since that day, the Moli father and son have been acting as if she, a frail woman who faints once a day, had become weak.
After all, they were renowned for their toughness, being from the southern part of Lapas, from Milabo’s mercenary background.
In their eyes, it might be miraculous for Frida, who was half their size, to even walk around.
Frida, pressing her nose hard with the cloth Dominic had handed her, slightly lifted the ostentatious awning above her hat.
“Hasn’t the bleeding stopped?”
Dominic, looking alternately at the cloth becoming saturated with bright blood and Frida, was wandering around in confusion, just like his father.
How much blood could there be in this skinny body to flow so much, really.
Looking at her face, which was smaller than his palm, turn completely red, he started to fidget, out of sympathy.
It seemed he could not stand it any longer, so Dominic turned his back to Frida quickly.
“This won’t do. Let me carry you. It will be quicker than waiting for the doctor. Quickly.”
Instead of getting onto Dominic’s back, Frida, with her pale purple eyes sparkling, passed a request to him.
“Dominic. Keep it a secret from Muriel. If she finds out, she’ll lock me in my room for days again.”
“If you wanted to keep a secret, you should not have sent a noisy person like Leader Moli into the castle.”
From behind Frida, a voice too cold and heavy for a woman echoed.
Dominic, who already knew that Muriel had arrived, whispered a suggestion into Frida’s ear.
“Promise first that you will not move a step out of the castle for three days. It’s better than being locked up for a week like last time.”
As Dominic squinted his eyes and stepped back, Frida, with her shoulders hunched, slowly turned around.
Her escort knight, who had followed Frida from her homeland, Muriel Rochibalt, was staring at her with cold grey eyes, as cold as her voice.
“I distinctly remember saying you should not go out more than twice a week….”
“Move aside. Why are you blocking the way when I’m in a hurry?”
Ricardo, who arrived out of nowhere, pushed aside the cold and merciless knight known here.
He had hurled the doctor he had carried on his shoulder into the dirt field and bellowed for the bustle of the entire castle to leave.
“Take care of the Duchess right away! If anything happens to our Lady, I’ll tear your throat first.”
A spring breeze full of warm air wafted into the midst of the noisy turmoil.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]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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