In the opulent and antique room.
Velia gazed blankly out of the window, awaiting someone who would soon arrive.
As expected, not much time had passed when the bedroom door opened abruptly with a rough sound.
Along with the murmuring noise of the maids, a man with a cold expression walked into the room without hesitation.
“Empress.”
Despite the sound calling her, Velia did not turn around.
The man, annoyed by her behavior, shrugged. But soon, he sat opposite the empty Velia, his cold smile intact.
“Even if your health isn’t the best, isn’t this too much for the emperor of a country?”
It was a friendly and affectionate tone, as if he was fawning over a lover. But Velia nearly burst into laughter at the audacity of his words.
Too much? What exactly?
Did this man who stole everything from her have the right to say such things?
“Just say what you came to say.”
“…….”
“There’s no need for such a worthless play in front of me, is there?”
“Huh, right.”
The emperor chuckled in a deflated manner, then rang the bell placed on the table.
Following this, the maids came in and flawlessly prepared teatime. From the snacks she once told him she liked, to the strong aromatic black tea.
“Let’s enjoy teatime together.”
As the emperor said this, pouring the black tea, Velia burst into loud laughter as if she had heard a hilarious joke.
“……why are you laughing?”
“I’m doubting whether what Your Highness said to me is true.”
Eight years had already passed since she became the empress and entered the imperial palace.
In all that time, she had teatime with the emperor only twice.
Velia understood and accepted his negligent attitude. Since he had ascended the emperor’s seat, he must be very busy, and there was nothing to be done about it.
He loves me. So, this must be a situation he didn’t want, she persuaded herself to believe.
‘……I was really a fool.’
At that moment, the emperor offered her the tea poured into a tea cup.
“Drink.”
“I don’t want to.”
“……You will have to drink this.”
At the lowered voice of the emperor, Velia, as if she had realized something, reluctantly asked.
“Is it poison?”
The emperor didn’t answer.
Velia was sure that this cup of tea was prepared to kill her.
“Did you have to take everything from me? Why are you so brutally greedy?”
“I will spare your only brother, Orabi. I promise not to touch your kingdom anymore. So, please drink this yourself.”
Velia bit her lips to swallow the emotions welling up.
However, unable to hold back her miserable heart, she cried out bitterly.
“Lies!”
And then she swept the teacup and dishes on the table onto the floor.
The sound of breaking dishes echoed through the room.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know if you hid the fact that my brother died in battle?”
Her clenched fists trembled.
It was hard to control her anger.
The emperor had killed her father, mother, brother, and even her younger sibling. Her homeland also fell into this man’s hands.
Even so, he shamelessly lied to her.
“Sigh. If you know everything, it would make things faster.”
The emperor, as if annoyed, ran his hand through his hair and spoke coldly.
At his gesture, the maids prepared new black tea and snacks.
“Just die, Velia.”
He pointed to the teacup placed in front of Velia.
There was not even a hint of pity in his face, it was an indifferent and tired expression, as if he had lost the need for an object he had.
This must have been his true nature.
Why was she deceived by his outward behavior and words and ruined everything?
Every moment Velia had spent with the emperor was regrettable.
In the end, didn’t she have nothing left by her side?
“…….”
There was no desire to live in this hellish life after losing everything.
But if she disappeared, what about the Kingdom of Ronica?
As the sole royalty of Ronika, she could not face her end like this. Despite her pitiful and miserable situation, she had to survive.
Velia stared intently at the teacup offered by the Emperor, enduring until the end.
However, the Emperor did not wish to waste time.
He begrudgingly rose from his seat and approached Velia.
With a rough touch devoid of any affection, he grabbed her chin and poured the contents of the teacup into her mouth.
“Gah!”
“Drink.”
His voice was indifferent, devoid of any lowness.
“Gasp!!”
He gripped her slender, shaking face even more harshly to prevent her from shaking her head.
Then he stuffed every last drop into her mouth.
“Gulp!”
During the brief moment when the Emperor placed the empty teacup on the table,
She felt the poison that had passed through her throat ignite her body as though it was burning her from within.
Her stomach twisted in pain as if it was tearing apart.
Velia endured the pain by clenching her fists so hard that her nails dug into her skin and blood started oozing out.
But soon, something rose from within her stomach.
“Cough!”
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but the crimson blood flowed between her white fingers.
“Velia. I am grateful. You have made the empire even more prosperous.”
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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