I looked at the milk tea Sikar placed in front of me once again.
“Did you make this yourself?”
“Of course.”
It’s true that he imitated the romanticist at Gillian’s wedding, but why is this man suddenly doing this when there’s no one around?
As I had that thought, I heard noisy chatter around.
“I just passed by, and the duke personally made milk tea for the duchess.”
“They say the duchess only drinks milk tea, and the duke made it himself. I wonder if the rumor is true.”
They aimed for that, placing the tea in front of me when a noble lady was passing by.
Sikar’s expression seemed proud, as if enjoying the situation. By now, it became clear.
Initially, Sikar pretended to be a romanticist to make Gillian believe that we truly loved each other and got married. Now, he was clearly enjoying people’s reactions.
It seemed even more so because people who were once afraid of him now showed favor, which fascinated him.
Even after leaving the tea shop, Sikar continued to be conscious of his surroundings. Rather than being conscious, it seemed like he was enjoying the reactions even more.
Is he so conscious of his surroundings?
‘If he enjoys it that much, I should let him enjoy it more. Hehe.’
I stopped and gently pulled Kian’s hand, which I was holding. Then, I lowered my body slightly to match Kian’s eye level and whispered.
“Kian, should I ask the duke to give you a ride on a horse?”
“A horse?”
“Yeah.”
In the original work, Kian liked horses, but since losing Vallis, he had never ridden a horse again.
He had always envied seeing Radocs ride the twins.
In his tender and young heart, children loved by their parents couldn’t be enviable.
Therefore, there came a time when I wanted to give him a horse ride.
Although Kian didn’t like sitting on Sikar’s lap, at the mention of a horse, his expression wavered a bit, showing that he wasn’t entirely against the idea.
“Would the duke ride for you…?”
Yeah, it might seem suspicious to you too. In fact, I’m not sure myself, but when else can I make such a request if not today?
“Of course. I’ll speak to him.”
Just trust me. Although I didn’t say it explicitly, I winked at Kian, as if to say, just trust me.
I smiled awkwardly and called Sikar over.
“Sikar.”
“Why?”
I approached Sikar, and with a low whisper, I said:
“Give Kian a horse ride.”
Sikar frowned as if wondering if he heard something wrong.
“What did you say?”
“Give Kian a horse ride.”
“That’s a bit unreasonable.”
‘I already knew it wouldn’t be easy.’
I approached Sikar, speaking firmly as if giving a critical order.
“As you said, if we want our fake marriage to look perfect, people must see you loving me very, very much. So, if that’s the case, you should give Kian a ride on a horse.”
Sikar looked hesitant. Riding a horse with a child—it’s an unimaginable thing.
To make Sikar decide quickly, I added one more word.
“I guess you’re not planning to break the atmosphere you’ve been maintaining so far, right? Everyone passing by is glancing at us.”
That was indeed true. In the Lecador Kingdom, Sikar, whose reputation was scarier than the former king, was known to have suddenly married a woman from a foreign land who had a child.
And now, he was in the middle of enjoying a family date with that child and woman. To the eyes of the people, our trio might look like a rare spectacle.
“Did you forget that we decided to become a lovely family?”
Perhaps Sikar had anticipated it to that extent; he didn’t hesitate any longer. He awkwardly walked over, picked up Kian in one swift motion, and put him on the horse.
So, I got to witness the moment when Sikar actually rode Kian on a horse.
Of course, their expressions were extremely awkward, but people around were surprised.
The terrifying duke, who had a rumor that was even scarier than the deposed king, now had such a side. How shocking it must be for people to realize this.
Not only raising someone else’s child but also being a caring foster parent giving a horse ride!
Of course, it was all staged, but outwardly, it looked like a peaceful scene. Even though the expressions of the two were awkward, it made the scene more natural.
However, as I watched Sikar and Kian, I could see some subtle similarities between them. Of course, their appearances were completely different, but there was a stubbornness in their eyes and a strong, authoritative atmosphere that made them seem alike.
Even while riding a horse, they looked so awkward that they were looking in different directions, and it was perfect!
Seeing Sikar riding with Kian on a horse was delightful, so I hoped that the two of them would appear even more affectionate to others. So, I added a slight touch.
“The expressions on your faces right now look like you just fought. It would be nice if you looked happier. Then I would feel happier too.”
A slight touch subtly reached the two men. As soon as I finished speaking, their expressions changed dramatically.
So, the two laughed. Of course, it was a very awkward smile, but that made it even more pleasing to the eyes.
Whenever I saw Sikar unable to hide his true feelings like this, somehow, I felt affectionate. Although he was scary and insane, I felt he wasn’t a bad person.
I wanted to watch the awkward but affectionate appearance of the two wealthy men a little longer, but unfortunately, the carriage was right in front of us, so I couldn’t watch for long.
After the two of them got on the carriage, they both simultaneously turned their gazes awkwardly toward the window. It looked so similar that it made me laugh.
And somehow, I had a feeling that they might grow fond of each other in this way.
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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