“What is this gift?
“I’m not sure, I didn’t prepare it…”
The Duke shrugged in response.
He briefly focused his attention on the jewelry box he was holding, then turned to look at the faces of the two concubines.
Rosie and Fescillini were staring intently at the jewelry box he was holding, their eyes filled with curiosity.
“If the gift isn’t from you, Duke, then who sent it?”
“It’s from the Shat’oneil royal family. From Prince Tesler.”
While speaking to me, Duke Martins couldn’t help but sneak glances at them.
His pathetic appearance, showing interest in the concubines of the Lapeon Empire, involuntarily made me frown.
“Rosie, Fescillini, you should go now. I need to have a conversation with the Duke.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then we’ll take our leave.”
Rosie and Fescillini said goodbye to me and walked out of the main gate of the Imperial Palace together.
I opened my mouth as I climbed the central stairs with Duke Martins.
“Duke, isn’t it a bit blatant to show interest in the concubines of other countries?”
“Do I seem that obvious?”
Duke Martins asked cheekily.
“Well, it’s okay to stare at someone’s back, but be careful when you’re in front of them. There are many watching eyes.”
“Thank you for the advice, Your Majesty.”
Duke Martins responded with a smirk.
Something about the Duke’s smirking expression, as if he were mocking my words, bothered me, but I didn’t let it show.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]Upon entering the reception room with Duke Martins, I ordered all the attendants out.
Shortly thereafter, Sharon brought in a cup of mint tea.
The Duke lifted his cup, savoring the aroma of the mint.
The jewelry box was placed neatly beside his tea tray.
He didn’t immediately hand the jewelry box over to me.
What could be so valuable that he hesitated like this?
There was no lock on the jewelry box.
Before bringing that jewelry box to me, he probably opened it first.
Then it was one of two things.
Either it contained something very valuable, and he didn’t want to hand it over so easily, or it was so trivial that he didn’t feel the need to give it to me right away.
“I heard you went directly to His Majesty’s bedroom last night.”
After taking a sip of his tea, Duke Martins asked.
“I need to fulfill the role of an empress.”
There wasn’t a better excuse.
“You went voluntarily, even though His Majesty didn’t call you? Aren’t you immersing yourself too much in your role?”
“Duke.”
I put my teacup on the tray and called him.
“Yes?”
“How do you know whether His Majesty called me or whether I went there on my own?”
“So… Did His Majesty call you?”
“If His Majesty hadn’t called me, wouldn’t I have been kicked out of the main palace bedroom?”
I cleverly avoided answering Duke Martins’ question.
Although it was a lie, I didn’t feel guilty at all.
“Well, that’s true.”
He was momentarily silent, then asked another question.
“I’m curious. Why do you think His Majesty does not visit the concubines’ quarters?”
“Why don’t you ask His Majesty directly about that?”
“I think His Majesty is a bit uncomfortable with me.”
Duke Martins laughed out loud.
“Well, it’s not so much that His Majesty is uncomfortable with you…”
“Then?”
“He just seems to dislike you outright.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
Duke Martins feigned a hurt expression.
“You are quick to notice, Your Majesty. I thought I was the only one who felt that way.”
“Well, since I was a child, I’ve been trained to read people. It’s my specialty.”
At my sad story, Duke Martins burst into laughter.
But his laughter was shortlived.
“Then, Your Majesty, who is quick to notice, would you like to guess?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Whether this is a gift or not.”
He slid the jewelry box he had brought towards me.
I picked up the jewelry box that Prince Tesler had sent.
Why did the Duke look so mysterious when I wondered what was in it?
“Is there a bomb in here?”
I shook the jewelry box slightly as I asked.
At that, Duke Martins’ expression became strange.
“I think it would be better if we have a conversation after you see it.”
“That’s true.”
I removed my gaze from Duke Martins’ frozen face and opened the jewelry box.
“Huh? Is this a box made with coldhot magic?”
Upon opening the jewel box, a misty cold air spread into the room.
“Seems to be a ring?”
A sparkling jewel shone faintly through the cold air.
The Kingdom of Chatonil possesses the largest diamond deposit in the northern continent.
It was said that 40% of the kingdom’s treasury comes from diamond exports.
“Looks like a pink diamond…?”
Among them, pink diamonds, due to their rarity and small deposit amount, were traded at quite high prices even in the Kingdom of Chatonil.
The sparkling pink diamond from the jewel box was not extremely high in price, it was a ring with a simple design.
A pink diamond of that size would be something wealthy young nobles would typically have.
For nonwealthy nobles, it was common to receive it as a gift, like me.
Wait a minute, the design seems familiar…
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
