The Wolf Lord is Enduring (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
A narrow alley densely lined with shabby houses.
The rain that had fallen from last night until midday left traces everywhere.
Tiny feet bustled restlessly over the small puddles scattered across the uneven ground.
“This should be enough…”
The sound of footsteps squelching against the wet earth came to a halt.
The girl crouched down and turned her face this way and that before a broken mirror. After studying her reflection intently, her expression soon turned gloomy.
“What is this.”
A whimper escaped her involuntarily.
Her cheeks were hollow from years of street life, and dark shadows ringed her eyes from sleepless nights caused by the noisy sky.
To make matters worse, her forcibly cut hair was unkempt and unsightly.
She clutched the jagged, messy strands of hair in her hands.
It felt as though even the last hint of girlishness had vanished entirely, leaving her deeply upset.
“I hate it.”
Unhappy with her appearance, the girl rested her chin between her knees and let out a heavy sigh. The sight that met her lowered gaze was even more pitiful.
The ragged clothes clinging to her thin frame were filthy, and what hung on her small feet was barely worthy of being called shoes.
‘I’m hopeless.’
Beyond what she saw reflected in the mirror right now, she felt there were countless other things about herself that were inadequate.
Her body showed almost no signs of secondary sexual development—making her seventeen years seem meaningless—her short stature, and her voice and mannerisms that seemed stuck somewhere between childhood and adulthood.
As she recalled how immature she was compared to her peers, the voice of the pickpocket gang’s leader echoed in her mind.
‘You’re perfect just as you are now. Don’t grow any bigger. You need to look young so people will pity you and give more money. Act even more like a child—just copy exactly what that other kid does.’
A moderately small height, an age-hard-to-guess appearance, childlike behavior.
‘Right. This look is better for earning sympathy.’
For survival, this was better.
Even as she thought this, the girl bit hard on her chapped lips and clenched her teeth.
Inside her, every day, the desire for a better life and personal growth clashed fiercely with the fear of her boss that urged her to obey his every command.
In the end, the latter always claimed victory over her wretched reality.
Frustrated and heartbroken by the despair of having no choice but to submit, her unusually large eyes glistened faintly with tears.
But knowing that crying in her current state would only make her look more pathetic, she forcibly swallowed her tears and rose quickly to her feet.
“Ugh! So cold.”
She shivered as she held out both hands beneath the dripping eaves. Though the rainwater felt quite cold against her thin hands, she didn’t pull them back despite trembling from the chill.
Resolutely collecting the water, she splashed her face vigorously.
“Uuuuh.”
A pained sound escaped through her teeth, and her dry cheeks and adorably prominent nose turned red from the cold.
Knowing people would avoid her if she looked too filthy, she kept scrubbing diligently without stopping.
After rubbing her face thoroughly to her satisfaction, she looked down again at the broken mirror.
“Is it a little better than before?”
Perhaps because her skin was flushed, she seemed to have a bit more color than earlier.
As she turned her face this way and that, comparing it to how she looked before, the distant sound of bells tolling reached her ears.
The chime announcing the hour resonated through the cold air of Abellon, in the northern region of the Aserion Empire, where winter was drawing near.
Four chimes—it was already 4 p.m.
“I shouldn’t be wasting time like this. I’ve got no head left to cut off and sell, so I’d better hurry.”
Though she’d grown up her whole life in a pickpocket den, she had no talent for thievery.
But with nowhere else to go, she clung to the den, surviving by begging to meet her daily quota.
To her, the pickpocket boss always shouted, “You’re utterly useless—good for nothing but those glaring red eyes! I’ll sell you off!”
Though she wondered, ‘Who would buy someone as pitiful as me?’ the fear of possibly ending up in an even worse place drove her to dash frantically out of the shabby alley.
“It was raining just a moment ago—today, I really wish things would go a little easier for me.”
She sighed, clutched her hungry stomach, and quickened her pace.
She was already late, so she needed to move faster, even if just a little.
Otherwise, she’d not only get scolded by the boss but also miss out on even a dry crust of bread.
Her face now bore no trace of disappointment over her appearance—only desperate urgency for survival remained.
‘Just a little faster. Faster.’
Her small body skillfully wove through the crowd.
From between her tiny lips, white puffs of breath escaped, leaving hazy traces before vanishing.
“Hah. Hah.”
The faint white vapor quietly dissipated from her dry lips again and again, and just as her tattered shoes tore a bit more, the girl abruptly skidded to a halt.
“Huh!”
Her already large eyes widened even further.
The boy crossing the road suddenly—poof!—turned into a puppy and froze in place.
“No, no! I have to avoid it!”
Her head shook rapidly from side to side.
Glancing back and forth between the white puppy and the black car speeding toward it, she stamped her feet anxiously before finally steeling herself.
“Ah, whatever. I don’t care anymore.”
Her feet, which had been tapping impatiently, moved faster than anyone else on the street.
She stretched out her thin arms toward the helpless, whimpering puppy.
And at that very moment—
Screeeeech!
A sharp noise erupted in the bustling street.
Raphelian, the young master of House Mosteros—the dominant noble family of the North—strode down the school’s long corridor.
True to his lineage as a direct descendant of the white wolf shifter Mosteros, he embodied the very image of nobility: elegant yet dignifiedly aloof.
At the edges of his refined features lay a keen sharpness, and between the graceful lines of his face lingered a piercing, icy coldness.
A biting wind rushed in through the open window meant for ventilation, tousling his silver hair.
Raphelian swept back his slightly disheveled hair and lowered his gaze.
His already sharp aura grew even more pronounced, radiating an untouchable nobility.
“Oh, he’s here! He’s coming!”
“Is he still far? Hurry up and get ready!”
As always, countless desires clung to him with every straight, dignified step he took.
He maintained an utterly indifferent expression, though inwardly he sighed quietly.
The overwhelming cacophony assaulting his ears made his mind spin—he could barely endure it.
‘Just one day—please!’
Raphelian longed, even for a moment, to be in a quiet world.
Shifter senses were naturally several times keener than those of humans, and among them, his were exceptionally sensitive—especially his hearing, which had developed to an extreme degree, making every sound torment him.
Though he’d gained some ability to regulate his senses and was somewhat better now, he still couldn’t block them out completely.
On days like today, in crowded places like school, Raphelian’s nerves grew razor-sharp.
The pheromones of immature young shifters and all manner of noise tangled together into a heavy fatigue that pressed down on him. Under the weight of exhaustion enveloping his entire body, his icy composure seemed on the verge of shattering.
“Now, right now!”
A minor commotion broke out not far from him.
Though it was noticeable enough for everyone to sense the disturbance, Raphelian didn’t spare it even a glance.
He wasn’t the sort to let trivial matters distract him.
“Th-that is… Lord Raphelian.”
But this commotion was caused by Raphelian himself—and the figure who burst out from the chaos blocked the path of someone who seemed impossible to stop. That changed everything.
Raphelian reluctantly halted and slowly lowered his eyes. His long lashes cast deep shadows over his eyes.
His gaze was terrifyingly indifferent, yet the girl blushed just from receiving his attention.
“Um, Raphel—”
“I’ve never given you permission to use my name.”
His cold voice instantly silenced the surroundings.
He was so breathtakingly beautiful that one might say the word “beauty” existed solely for him—but he was a beauty armed with sharp thorns.
The old saying that beauties bear thorns seemed undeniably true.
Though not of House Mosteros herself, the girl came from a respectable family and had received quite a few marriage proposals. Thus, his icy response made her expression darken sharply.
“I-I’m sorry, Young Lord Mosteros.”
Her voice trembled as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
Her delicate quivering stirred protective instincts in the hearts of the watching young men.
Yet, sadly, it evoked no particular emotion in him.
In fact, finding the situation bothersome, Raphelian had already withdrawn his indifferent gaze from her.
He stared ahead with a bored expression.
This was a subtle hint for her to state her business briefly and leave.
He was only this courteous because she was of the opposite sex; had it been a male, he would have walked past without mercy.
Glancing quickly at Raphelian’s expression, the girl moistened her lips with her tongue and continued.
“W-well, holidays are coming soon, and the Duke is also returning…”
“I wonder if that’s a valid reason to stop me.”
His voice, colder than solid ice, cut her off mid-sentence.
He was never particularly warm toward anyone outside his blood relatives.
He rarely showed interest in others.
Most people only sought to entangle themselves with him for personal gain, so there was no need to be kind.
Yet people admired and yearned even for his aloof demeanor.
His haughtily noble bearing was something only he could possess.
And many girls firmly believed that if they could have him, they too would become like that.
Countless noble houses and their daughters were frantic to secure the position of the next Duchess, regardless of whether they were shifter or human families.
This girl today harbored grand dreams as well.
If she could only win the noble young lord of the North, she wouldn’t mind enduring any humiliation.
Though her face grew increasingly pale, she refused to back down.
“I l-like you, Young Lord.”
Raphelian, who had been perfectly still, twitched his eyebrows for the briefest instant.
“I’d like you to accept this.”
She held out an elegant box and a letter envelope.
Raphelian’s gaze briefly touched the box before dropping away.
As always, her gesture carried not simple affection but clearly ulterior motives.
‘If she truly liked me, she wouldn’t offer something like this. She only covets the position of future Duchess. How bold of her…’
At the sight of the myrtle motif decorating the box, his previously indifferent blue eyes turned chillingly fierce.
The myrtle—a small, pure white flower with long, lush stamens—was the emblem of Duke Mosteros, and only the Duke and his Duchess were permitted to exchange gifts bearing this symbol.
For someone with no connection to House Mosteros to present such a gift…
Raphelian’s displeasure peaked at the girl’s blatant overstep.
Yet, accustomed to controlling his emotions and remembering she was a much younger shifter, he decided to be magnanimous.
Suppressing his rising irritation, Raphelian behaved with remarkable gentlemanly grace.
“I see no reason to accept this.”
He rejected her curtly and walked past.
Though his merciless attitude, offering not even a sliver of hope, nearly brought tears to her eyes, she had already steeled herself for this outcome—it was fine.
Indeed, it was precisely because he wasn’t someone easily won over that she desired him even more.
Swallowing her tears, she turned to grab him.
“Young Lor—”
But by the time she turned around, Raphelian was already far ahead.
Raphelian exited the building and boarded the waiting car.
The vehicle carrying him smoothly glided out through the school’s main gate.
While most central nobles avoided automobiles, citing tradition, House Mosteros prioritized efficiency above all and had eagerly adopted them from the moment they were introduced.
Now accustomed to the familiar swaying motion, Raphelian gazed out the window at the rapidly passing scenery.
‘So today marks the end of pointless errands.’
Unlike other shifters his age, Raphelian had no trouble controlling his powers, so he had no real reason to attend school.
Yet he continued attending regularly—even if intermittently—merely as a means to demonstrate his loyalty to the Imperial Court.
“Tale, we should hurry.”
Soon to come of age, Raphelian urged his driver, thinking this would be his final trip to school.
“Yes, Young Master. Shall we stop by the dessert district?”
“Briel and Riello like it there—let’s make a quick stop.”
“The young masters are quite excited about the Duke’s return after so long.”
“Then we must hurry. I have a bad feeling.”
Today, the fading northern landscape, usually possessing its own wintry charm, felt unusually bleak to Raphelian. When a place known for its seasonal grace felt this ominous, there was surely a reason.
He was especially perceptive in such matters, so it was best to stay alert and prepared for anything.
Knowing well his young master’s heightened senses, the driver grimly accelerated. The scenery outside the window changed even faster than before, and soon the car entered the city proper, heading toward the dessert district.
“We’ll arrive soon…”
“Stop the car!”
The driver, who had been reporting their nearing destination, couldn’t finish his sentence.
At Raphelian’s shout, the driver slammed on the brakes.
In Raphelian’s and the driver’s line of sight appeared a black car screeching to an abrupt halt across the street—and just before colliding with it, a small figure narrowly dodged aside and tumbled onto the ground.
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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Our poor El! I can’t believe this injustice! I thought this family would surely have someone follow her. Also why is she being referred to he. Did the others also believe she was a boy? The gas to have known she was a girl!
Our poor El! I can’t believe this injustice! I thought this family would surely have someone follow her. Also why is she being referred to he. Did the others also believe she was a boy? The gas to have known she was a girl!
For a child to be used to such abuse that it’s programmed into their instincts is upsetting. How did el raise herself to be so good-natured? And why was Ralph’s only idea to adopt her? You think she would be okay with that? Good luck though!!