“You’re not one to easily open up to others. I heard Taylor Lorenson was an exception.”
Upon hearing the Duchess’ voice, Rayna was taken aback.
Rayna had been avoiding interaction with anyone in order to prevent any leaks related to the Duke’s family secrets, but Taylor Lorenson was an exception.
It was because he was a doctor.
Because he was the one she could ask a little bit about her sick grandmother.
“Ma, madam.”
Rayna, worrying she might be suspected of failing to keep the secret, reflexively tried to explain herself.
However, the Duchess raised her hand to stop Rayna’s words.
“I’m not blaming you. You’re a child who doesn’t cross the line, and surely you acted wisely. I just thought it might be alright to allow even Taylor Lorenson from now on. After all, Mr. Lorenson has come to know a certain extent.”
Rayna held her breath.
The Duchess continued to speak.
“I wonder if you were desperate. In the future, meet Taylor frequently and have conversations.”
The Duchess smiled.
“It means I’m officially allowing it.”
Rayna’s heart pounded as she clenched her fists on her skirt.
Doctor.
Although she desired it so much, it was an impossible action for Rayna.
A doctor would take care of her grandmother every day?
If that were possible, her grandmother’s complete recovery wouldn’t be a dream.
“You must have a lot to say? It seems like you have a lot of unsaid words because you’ve been keeping it to yourself.”
As the Duchess said, Rayna had kept everything to herself and not told anyone, including Taylor, since the fire five years ago. Her grandmother had not been able to fully recover her health.
Although the caretaker sent from the Duke’s house was continuously looking after her grandmother…
The frequency with which her grandmother failed to recognize Rayna was increasing.
Not only that, the wounds on her back sometimes became inflamed, tormenting her grandmother with fever.
But neither the story of her grandmother’s illness, the story of the Duke’s house looking after her grandmother, nor the secrets shared between the Duke’s house and Rayna could be shared with anyone.
But now, they officially allowed a doctor.
That too, the doctor of the Duke’s house…
It was a condition Rayna couldn’t get anywhere with her abilities.
Aside from Mr. Lorenson, Taylor was the only person Rayna could approach and ask about her grandmother’s illness.
But even then, the information was not allowed to him, so the questions Rayna asked him were only about burns, inflammation, fever, memory disorders, and so on, as if they were someone else’s story.
That was the limit that Rayna could attempt while watching the Duke’s eyes.
“……”
Rayna had asked the Duchess to ask Mr. Lorenson.
But the Duchess…
“…Are you feeling very uncomfortable?”
“The house doctor of the Duke’s house, when it’s not immediate danger or serious illness?”
“If I keep showing you such excessive kindness, it might seem strange to Mr. Lorenson or others, and that could be problematic.”
“I think I’m already taking good care of your grandmother. Isn’t that so?”
Rayna had no choice but to back down.
The fact that the caregiver attached by the Duke’s house was actually enjoying a level of luxury that was difficult for Rayna to afford was true, so it was difficult to ask the Duke’s house for more.
Rayna knew that her grandmother’s illness was not something that could be cured with a day or two of treatment.
The best Rayna could choose was to save as much money as she could while her grandmother was being cared for by the Duke’s house, so that she could take care of her grandmother herself and become independent.
But now a doctor would be by her grandmother’s side, promising to officially care for her.
It was a proposal that would make Rayna consider whether to give up independence and bury her bones in the Duke’s house.
If it were Taylor, Rayna could trust him with her grandmother.
Not only as a doctor but also as a friend.
“……”
The Duchess had a faint smile on her lips, as if she knew what Rayna was thinking.
“It seems you like my proposal.”
“……”
As the Duchess had already predicted, Rayna couldn’t possibly refuse this proposal.
In the end, Rayna bit her lip and bowed her head.
Her resigned acceptance, always familiar, never took long.
“What… should I do?”
The Duchess smiled.
“I like that you’re quick to talk.”
So that’s why we keep you alive.
There was satisfaction on the lips of the Duchess.
The lady elegantly adjusted her shawl and rose from her seat, looking down at Reyna.
“Observe him while staying by Arthur’s side.”
Her leisurely voice commanded Reyna smoothly.
“And find something that could be his weakness, and bring it to me.”
Reyna listened to the order, her head bowed in silence.
The taste of the dark, bitter red liquid remained strong in her mouth.
The sweetness from the candy couldn’t mask the bitterness, it simply danced around it.
[This is the time separator]Arthur chuckled.
‘So that’s it. My weakness.’
Arthur, sitting in his chair, leaned back and retracted the aura he had spread out.
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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