⌜However, a rebellion occurred in Mile, the largest territory within the empire, and to suppress it, the lady of the Mile family and the emperor had to be wed. Ultimately, Emperor Upieter, who chose the stability of the empire, could not keep his promise of marriage with Flora.⌟
Emperor Upieter, with a rational mind, chose to protect power over love. He viewed the union between man and woman as a political gain rather than a matter of affection.
As a result, the heartbroken Flora gradually weakened. In the end, she languished in agony before departing from this world.
⌜Deeply saddened by the death of Flora, the flower fairy who cherished her the most prophesied over the Upieter Imperial Family. Upon hearing the prophecy, Emperor Upieter declared it a curse that weakened the imperial power and warned the Fleur family.⌟
‘A curse that weakens…?’
What could that be?
Adel, with confused eyes, quickly turned to the next chapter. Unfortunately, starting from the next chapter, the content was damaged, making it impossible to properly verify the information.
‘What on earth… is written in this ancient book…?’
From the tale of her family’s ancestor and the first emperor to the curse cast by the flower fairy… It was a story full of unbelievable elements.
She was too curious about what the curse of the flower fairy was, and why the imperial family had cautioned her family.
‘Does Father know about this?’
She thought of Viscount Fleur. Perhaps her father, as the head of the family, might be aware of the content of this ancient book. If she returned to the capital, she would definitely have to ask him.
The book detailing the early foundation of Upieter seemed to record more detailed information than any history book. The contents of this ancient book did not seem to deal with unreal events.
‘If it’s something that shouldn’t be entangled between our family and the imperial family…’
A hypothesis that she didn’t want to think about raised its tail.
‘Could it be… that the relationship between His Grace and me… should not be formed?’
Adel’s pupils shook significantly. For a moment, a piercing pain penetrated her chest, and she bit down on her lower lip firmly.
‘No… that can’t be.’
If the curse warned by the fairy weakened the power of the royal family, then her family would have faced the same fate if the curse had manifested.
The fact that her family had continued through the ages in the Upieter Empire until now either disproved the curse as a false prophecy or indicated that the history was inaccurately recorded.
She tried her best to calm her pounding heart, considering it merely a groundless speculation.
Adel entered the reception room with Pierre, who had visited the library earlier than scheduled. It was due to the unexpected visit of someone.
“Miss Adel…!”
As soon as he saw her, the man who had been sitting at the table stood up abruptly. Rainian, who had been waiting for her with a face full of worry and anxiety, welcomed her with a voice that trembled with intense emotions. His eyes became teary with undeniable relief and joy upon seeing her.
“I’m truly relieved that you’re safe!”
Seeing Adel, his voice broke with intense emotions. His eyes glistened with indescribable relief and joy.
“I deeply apologize for causing you concern, Rainian.”
“What are you saying? I should have safely protected Miss Adel, who accompanied me… I’m truly sorry.”
Rainian, with a face stained with self-blame, lowered his head. His bright and gentle face, which used to emanate warmth, now looked dark and somber. It reflected the hardships he had endured.
“Don’t blame yourself. I’m fine now. Everything has been resolved.”
“I saw it in the newspaper. A person named Chalay Marquis and Douglas… are they the culprits?”
As a prince of the neighboring empire Lisandro, Rainian had limited authority within Upieter’s territory. It was a protocol to prevent potential issues between empires.
All he could do was keep an eye on the news reported in the newspapers and observe the ongoing inspections in the capital.
However, as soon as the capital blockade was lifted, news of the arrest of Chalay Marquis and Douglas was delivered as a special report.
Hearing that the Duke himself, who was relentless in the search, personally conducted their trial, Rainian deduced that these two were somehow related to Adel’s kidnapping.
“Yes, they were involved in the conspiracy against me. His Grace rescued me from their wicked plot and rightfully handed down the punishment.”
“I see… I’m truly relieved that you were rescued safely.”
The presence that rescued her was Rainian himself… For a moment, a lonely light flashed in Rainian’s eyes, as if it were an impossible wish.
However, he quickly shook off such futile thoughts, lowering his head. Just being able to see her safely again was more than enough.
“Is your health okay? I heard you took a leave of absence from Dean Jefferson.”
Imperial University Dean Jefferson informed him of the Duchess’s sick leave. That’s why he rushed here as soon as he heard the news that she was not attending classes for over a week due to nursing at the ducal palace.
“As you can see, I’ve recovered. I even took a walk today.”
“Although it’s not a proper visit, please forgive my sudden and rude appearance upon hearing the news of Miss Adel’s presence.”
“No need to apologize. Aren’t we friends?”
As Adel smiled softly, as if telling him not to worry, Rainian also smiled warmly, narrowing his eyes.
Watching the two of them smiling at each other, Pierre, who had been attentively observing, cleared his throat and intervened.
“Ahem! The guest room is ready. After your long journey, it would be good to rest for a while before joining the evening dinner with His Highness.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“Then… I’ll see you again later.”
Following Pierre’s suggestion, Rainian nodded. Despite having many things to discuss with her, he chose to anticipate their conversation during the dinner.
‘Certainly, that room should be suitable.’
In Pierre’s glance, which briefly surveyed Rainian, a faint sense of caution passed. Pierre’s steps moved toward the guest room farthest from the Duchess’s chamber and the Grand Duchess’s room.
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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