Arthur looked at her in surprise, kneeling down.
So.
You said you’d be outside and disappeared.
Because I didn’t come back all night…
So, were you upset because of that?
Arthur looked at her in bewilderment.
Raina sniffled.
Even though he wasn’t sure, Arthur instinctively answered, holding Raina’s hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
Arthur, wiping his forehead with a bewildered expression, said, “I didn’t know you were thinking like that.”
Taylor was supposed to come.
I thought you’d be excited.
Worries about that kind of thing…
But Taylor, like smoke, disappeared instantly.
It wasn’t a problem that she was crying because of me.
Arthur looked at her with an unusually uncertain expression.
One hand continued to hold Raina’s clasped hand without letting go.
“Sorry for suddenly leaving yesterday. For going out without a word. The reason I left in such a hurry yesterday was because…”
Arthur, with a face that didn’t know where to start explaining, began to explain to Raina.
“I have a friend named Dylan. He’s a precious subordinate and comrade to me… He’s a military officer.”
A little flustered, Arthur ended up listing the name of someone she wouldn’t know.
But Raina’s eyes widened at that name.
Her eyes grew larger at the mention of a military officer, thinking Arthur was explaining why she was worried.
“But yesterday, during your interview, news came that he had been poisoned. It was shocking for all of us…”
“!”
Raina was surprised and covered her mouth.
Arthur calmly faced her, continuing to explain.
“I couldn’t stay away. I’m sorry for going without explaining. He’s as precious to me as Tristan…”
And Arthur hesitated, not knowing where to start explaining how valuable he was.
But contrary to Arthur’s expectations, Raina already knew that name.
“Dylan Osborne?”
Raina asked in surprise.
“He was poisoned?”
Arthur, who had read all the articles related to her, memorized them all.
So Raina’s heart sank at the news that Dylan Osborne, the one who returned victorious, was poisoned. She could guess what it meant for those who returned victorious.
“What should I do… What should I do? Are you safe?”
Raina stammered in greater confusion.
Dylan Osborne.
He had been a forgotten figure for a long time with no news.
But Raina remembered everything.
Severe torture and sacrifice for comrades.
The terrible aftereffects left by the severe torture.
And how important he was to the soldiers.
Raina’s eyes filled with confusion and guilt.
She felt so sorry for resenting Arthur for disappearing for a moment.
He had to go, of course.
And this time, Arthur’s eyes widened.
“How do you… know Dylan?”
Raina said with widened eyes, as if asking how she wouldn’t know.
“You’re the hero who saved 72 people in the Battle of the Crimson Gorge. Even though it was a defeated battle…”
Arthur looked at Raina, slightly surprised.
How does she know about it?
And in such detail…
Thinking that she might need more explanation, she realized that she already knew everything.
After a short silence, Arthur awkwardly touched his face.
“…Did Julius hear that story too? It wasn’t a good story, and there was no supply coming in, so I thought no one outside would be interested…”
Raina, realizing a moment late that she made a mistake, stopped breathing.
It wasn’t a story that had spread so loudly to Julius, and it wasn’t a famous story.
During the time when no one was interested in Arthur,
Even though there were many casualties in the battle, the exploits of the knights who fought fiercely and valiantly were only impressive to her…
Arthur murmured, patting his shoulder.
“…You’ve picked up military terms. ‘Outside’ is a military term referring to the territory outside the war zone and the unit’s homeland.”
“……”
With just that, he couldn’t figure out Raina’s unusual hobby.
Still, he asked.
“It’s an old story, and I thought it wasn’t the time when I was receiving attention. …How do you remember?”
Raina froze for a moment.
She seemed like she might expose her passionate stalking.
Raina’s face turned red.
Arthur scratched his eyebrow slightly, looking a bit puzzled.
“…Did you hear it at the mansion? Or from a newsletter?”
Flustered, Raina mumbled before hiccupping.
“!”
Hiccup.
She suddenly started to hiccup.
Raina covered her mouth in embarrassment.
Looking at the bewildered Arthur, she met his eyes.
“…….”
Hiccup.
Hiccup.
Successive hiccups erupted.
Raina blushed deeply, covering her mouth with a feeling of embarrassment.
“……!”
Hiccup.
But once the hiccups started, they didn’t stop easily.
Raina pressed her chest with a red face, feeling embarrassed.
Hiccup.
“…….”
Raina turned red as if about to burst and pounded her chest with a shocked face.
Arthur, who was watching Raina embarrassedly, calmly took hold of her elbow as if to calm her down.
“Breathe deeply.”
“…….”
Hiccup.
When Raina, with a red face, looked at him, she took a deep breath.
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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