“Don’t overdo it. It’s natural to struggle when you haven’t ridden in a while. Give your body time to adjust. I respect your wishes, but if it gets too hard, just let me know and I’ll carry you.”
“……”
For a moment, Brody felt a strong urge to agree.
‘But I can’t weaken my resolve now.’
Pushing him away might have hurt his feelings, but going back would make it harder not to depend on him again.
Brody steadied her trembling heart and shook her head.
“I think it will be fine. I’ll have to adapt eventually.”
Sighing, Ian nodded as if he had expected this.
“Then apply this before sleeping. It’s a good essential oil for muscle pain. You’ll notice a difference.”
Ian brought a bottle with a pungent aroma from his bag. Being knowledgeable about plants, Brody immediately recognized what kind of essential oil it was.
Partially sitting up, she eagerly reached for it.
However, Ian sighed again and gently pushed her back down.
“How do you plan to apply it?”
“What? Oh, Your Highness!”
Startled, Brody flailed, but Ian easily immobilized her.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything improper.”
Saying so, he slid his oil-coated hand into her clothing.
“Ah!”
He didn’t just apply the oil; he meticulously massaged her muscles.
The refreshing scent spread, and her body tingled.
‘Ah, this is…too…embarrassing.’
Being hugged while sleeping was different. Wasn’t he blatantly examining her body?
But it was too late to stop now. It would be awkward to tell him to stop at this point.
Moreover, as his hand moved down her back, flanks, and waist, she found herself unwittingly enjoying it.
His firm, warm, and reassuring touch felt incredibly good.
“Could it… create that kind of atmosphere?”
Though she had muscle soreness, her health was not poor. He had shown restraint while physically close to her for a long time. So, it felt like it wouldn’t be strange if he approached her like he used to.
Perhaps, she felt a little hopeful.
Because she didn’t really dislike spending the night with him.
As his hands meticulously worked her muscles, sweeping down her calf, he made her feel drowsy.
He carefully applied balm all the way down to Brody’s toes.
And then,
After straightening her clothes, he covered her with a blanket and stood up from the bed.
“……”
“Sleep well. I’ll prepare breakfast when you wake up.”
He said, washing his hands and sitting back down at the table.
“……”
Brody watched him silently, finally succumbing to her drowsiness and closing her eyes.
How much time had passed?
When she woke up, feeling refreshed as if she had slept deeply, it was still dark outside.
“Night…or dawn? What time is it?”
She squinted, looking around.
However, Aiden was not in the bed.
Feeling the cool air of the dark night, Brody then realized.
That he had definitely changed.
If it were like before, he would have been close to her by now, using the excuse of not having crossed the Ferdan Fortress yet.
He was still kind, but he didn’t seem to be unable to resist her anymore.
Why was that?
“Why, you ask? If you’re a responsible Duke of the North who has the North right in front of him, isn’t it obvious? Maybe he’s amused that he’s lost in the South over a woman.”
Or perhaps,
He lost interest.
In her previous life, she hadn’t dated much due to being busy. The more she tried not to be dependent, the more the other person would complain about losing interest.
She knew she was stubborn.
A person who struggled to stand on her own without leaning on others.
But that was a point she could never compromise on.
“After all, he wanted me so much, but I refused. It’s understandable.”
Come to think of it, hadn’t he been acting distant since handing over the contract?
It seemed that way in hindsight.
Maybe by writing the contract…, he sorted out his feelings.
Was it a final test, perhaps?
If after all this she didn’t accept his feelings, he might give up?
She sat up slightly in bed.
Then she looked at Aiden’s face, lit by candlelight, observing the sharp shadows.
He was still wrestling with paperwork, his expression stern.
“Wasn’t this what I wanted? To leave after living decently with him for three years.”
Even if his feelings had cooled, they would still welcome Herbologist Brody working for the North for three years.
He would fulfill the contract.
So all she had to do now was fulfill the contract, too.
She braced herself, knowing this was all of her own making. It would be shameless to feel hurt.
But the moment Aiden lifted his eyes from the documents,
The moment their deep gazes crossed, Brody’s heart sank.
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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