There Is No Paradise Where I Ran Away To (14 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 1
The auction house was packed today, so crowded there was barely room to stand. Though the crowd size was somewhat expected, it turned out even larger than imagined, making it hard to take a step without hesitation.
“I guess I’m getting old. My mind’s completely blank.”
Shepherd tucked a handkerchief beneath his hat and wiped away the beads of sweat. The cause of all this commotion was the ultra-luxurious mansion—commonly known as either the Rodinia Mansion or the Ebelline Mansion.
Its owner had been Lawrence Ebelline, the foremost hero who restored the Mayer dynasty in Preston. Ironically, however, after the restoration, Lawrence had been forced to choose the status of a fallen noble to escape Mayer’s intentions of taking his only daughter as a consort.
Lawrence Ebelline likely never anticipated, even as he built this very mansion, that this symbol of a fresh start in a new place would soon be mercilessly hunted down by the wolves of Newway.
“Surely there’s no place left to sit?”
Brushing off his wrinkled clothes after squeezing through the throng, he searched desperately for a spot to stand. Just then, fortune smiled upon him—a bench briefly emptied, and his legs moved faster than the countless envious eyes also longing for that seat.
Of course, he’d gotten grabbed roughly by the scruff of his neck by some ruffian, but standing through a long auction would only waste energy. Today, he had to secure the Rodinia Mansion—also known as the Ebelline Mansion. It was Anthony Shepherd’s first and final chance to repay the kindness he owed the Ebellines.
As Shepherd adjusted the spot on his neck where he’d just been grabbed, his elbow bumped the person beside him.
“Sorry about that. It’s terribly cramped here.”
He gave a slight nod to the man sitting on the same bench, whom he had to look up at even from a seated position.
‘He looks just like a pretty young girl—so fair-faced.’
Indeed, the young man had an unforgettable face: neatly combed black hair and pale blue eyes that gleamed with an icy sharpness. Swallowing his first impression of the youth and offering a gentle smile, Shepherd saw the man give a faint nod of acceptance to his apology.
Once that cold gaze shifted away, Shepherd took his time examining the man more closely.
With his long limbs, the tightly packed bench must have felt cramped for this fellow. In that fleeting moment, Shepherd consoled himself—glad for once that he was short.
‘But… I’m certain I’ve seen that handsome face somewhere before.’
A tiny suspicion sprouted, and he forgot entirely that scrutinizing a familiar-looking face so intently might be rude.
“Caspian, didn’t you say you were interested in Rodinia Mansion? Or more precisely—more interested in Ebelline’s only daughter?”
His attention shifted from the young man due to the name “Ebelline” drifting over from the bench directly ahead.
“Planning to try your luck here after Miss Ebelline rejected your marriage proposal?”
“Cut that creepy joke right there. Not everyone gathered here wants to marry an Ebelline. Besides, taking in a destitute Ebelline as a mere consort would be just another accessory bundled with the mansion. And if she begs, I might consider treating her that way myself.”
It was Shepherd who blushed at the crude remark. Intending to reprimand the man’s disrespect toward the Ebelline heiress, Shepherd instead hastily settled back onto the bench.
“You really are mischievous. Show her a bit more kindness—she’s just a poor, delicate lamb.”
“Rumors say she’s been inviting men into the mansion just to survive. ‘Poor, delicate lamb’? Please. And then she coldly rejects suitors like that. People only reveal their true nature once they’ve hit rock bottom. Anyway, Benjamin—since you’re somewhat acquainted with that Ebelline fellow, don’t go defending him. It’s making me feel rather slighted, given our long friendship.”
“I’m not defending him. I’m just saying you shouldn’t take Miss Ebelline’s marriage refusal so much to heart.”
Caspian Howde, the nouveau riche, and Viscount Benjamin Quinlan.
Only a handful in Newway—including the dukes and Caspian Howde himself—could freely tease Viscount Quinlan like this. Thus, there was clearly no one worth approaching within that pair.
“In any case, Miss Ebelline truly is pitiful. Are the Ebelline couple dead or alive? And didn’t their last remaining maid run off with a bag of money?”
“She was actually the smart one. And if the Ebellines were still alive, would they really abandon their precious daughter who sacrifices herself just to survive?”
Howde’s words stripped bare the dignity of the Ebelline heiress, twisting her image into something pitiful. Shepherd, unable to bear hearing more, furrowed his brow and squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to crowd out Howde’s desires with other thoughts.
[This is the timeline separator]The warm afternoon sun spilled through the broad windows, scattering its light. Vivian’s golden hair shimmered like the surface of a lake rippling under sunset hues. Though her hair had already lost its luster, to Theo it felt softer and more beautiful than silk.
Theo, holding a dome dish, snapped out of his daze the moment Vivian’s eyes—focused intently on her needlework—met his.
“Have you been embroidering all day again?”
Vivian pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her face filled with gratitude. Ignoring her thankful smile, Theo placed the dome dish and fork before her.
“Please eat, miss. You’ll need your strength to keep embroidering.”
“Thank you, Theo.”
The only one left for the once-pampered Ebelline heiress was Theo Evans, a humble tailor from a small village.
The sturdy fortress that once surrounded Vivian had long crumbled. Day by day, worn down by deep emotional strain, Vivian Ebelline grew thinner, no longer resembling the cherished only daughter of a distinguished household.
“You don’t have to come here every day. Leaving your shop empty on my account just means lost business.”
“Have you forgotten? I must care for you until your parents return safely.”
“But…”
“If I don’t make sure you eat, you won’t. And you need to gain weight—otherwise, they’ll scold me when they come back.”
He slipped the fork gently between Vivian’s fingers. A simple tailor from a small town dared not touch a noble miss so freely, yet Vivian accepted his kindness with only a faint, bittersweet smile.
“So many people have suffered because of me. If only I’d become Mayer’s consort, my parents, Mr. Shepherd, and even you, Theo… none of you would be going through such hardship.”
Her sudden, despondent smile pierced Theo’s solar plexus.
“I thought this place I ran to would be paradise. Had I known better, I’d have stayed there and lived as Mayer’s consort.”
Though Theo didn’t know the full details of what happened in Preston, he did know this much—the king of Preston had coveted the beautiful only daughter of House Ebelline, forcing her to flee to Newway.
Having heard only the outcome, Theo could hardly imagine what turmoil must have driven Viscount Ebelline to betray the very king he’d helped establish and go into exile.
“Don’t say such things. Weak words like that don’t suit you at all.”
“Theo… do you think Mr. Shepherd can win the auction for this house?”
He felt momentarily relieved by the faint hope in Vivian’s voice. But a chill crept over his shoulders—he couldn’t be certain of what would happen next.
“Miss… are you truly unaware of where the money Mrs. Ebelline entrusted to Mr. Shepherd came from?”
After losing the family fortune in a failed business venture, Lawrence Ebelline vanished. Unable to repay bank debts, their mansion was put up for auction, and Mrs. Ebelline left Newway, leaving Vivian behind.
Yet just before her departure—despite her ruined credit—Monica Ebelline had borrowed the enormous sum of 700,000 mori and entrusted it to Shepherd.
“I don’t know either… Where on earth did Mother borrow such a large sum?”
“Even if the mansion sells and the immediate crisis passes, if Mrs. Ebelline doesn’t return soon, some creditor might appear and cause trouble—that’s what worries me…”
Theo fell silent after reading the despair in her ashen eyes. The shadow cast over her face by the spring sunlight etched his mistake plainly.
The fork was already set neatly back on the table. Filled with a mix of guilt and complexity, Theo retrieved the embroidery frame from the corner and placed it firmly in Vivian’s hands.
Instead of the fork—an embroidery frame.
A harsh reality saying, “Don’t eat—work,” yet carrying all his anxious sincerity.
“You don’t seem hungry. And you keep saying weak things that don’t suit you at all. It worries me, so you’d better embroider instead—because that earns money. Worrying like we do won’t put food on the table.”
The sorrow in her ashen eyes vanished as if it had never existed. Her familiar, comforting laugh rang out, and Theo’s heart lightened.
“You’re right. What good is worrying, anyway? Father and Mother will return soon, and Mr. Shepherd will surely win the mansion.”
“We’ll overcome this together. I’ll always be by your side, miss. Keep your resolve—but don’t worry. Isn’t that what Mr. Ebelline always used to say?”
“Yes. My father left us with good advice. I’ll stay strong—hold firm to my resolve and stop worrying needlessly.”
The needle returned to Vivian’s hand. Quietly, Theo closed the dome dish and pushed it aside. Vivian’s ashen eyes, now free to concentrate comfortably, sparkled with renewed focus.
[This is the timeline separator]“Next up is the Rodinia Mansion! Bidding starts at 200,000 mori!”
At last, the star of today’s auction—the Rodinia Mansion—was introduced. No sooner had it appeared than bids began skyrocketing uncontrollably.
From 200,000 mori to 400,000 mori, then pausing briefly before jumping to 500,000 mori. Once it surpassed 500,000 mori, bidders began to drop out one by one.
Those who gave up started mocking the remaining competitors. Shepherd understood their genuine frustration all too well.
That unattainable, silent beauty—and the men reaching for it with dark intentions. Their hypocrisy, judging others while soothing their own regrets, was painfully obvious.
Regardless, what mattered was that Shepherd could likely secure the Rodinia Mansion without much difficulty, and in doing so, lift a fragment of sorrow from House Ebelline.
“Say, young man—whom do you think will end up owning this mansion?”
Shepherd suddenly leaned toward the man seated beside him and asked. Though his excited mood made him want to chatter, the man’s blue eyes locking onto Shepherd’s furrowed brow made him wonder if he’d picked the wrong person.
“605,000 mori! 605,000 mori! Any higher bids?”
Ah—right.
It was time to step in. No matter how much people shouted about “old money” or “new money,” nobody in their right mind would pay this much for a mansion on the outskirts of Rodinia—not even near the capital.
If you exist, come forward! I’ll label your forehead “fool” and call you that until the day you die!
“700,000 mori!”
When Shepherd raised his paddle and shouted, every eye turned in unison—mostly curious to see who’d bid such an outrageous sum.
One day, Mrs. Ebelline had abruptly handed him 700,000 mori—an enormous sum she’d somehow borrowed. Though Shepherd had wondered where and from whom she’d acquired it, given her lack of credit, Mrs. Ebelline had firmly refused to reveal the source.
“700,000 mori! No higher bids?”
Caspian Howde’s face twisted in clear irritation—so he’d given up. That one, and that one, all of them—quit.
If only the Rodinia Mansion became legendary by selling for 700,000 mori, this long struggle would finally end.
“It seems you truly desired the Rodinia Mansion, my lord.”
A flat, toneless voice sounded beside the hopeful Shepherd. Despite his dignified appearance, there was something aristocratically stamped into his voice—clean, upright, and refined.
Slightly startled that this man had addressed him, Shepherd quickly composed himself.
“I wanted it terribly—enough to call it the wish of my lifetime. Haha. If you don’t mind my asking—are we acquainted? Your face looks vaguely familiar, like my old teacher’s, but for the life of me I can’t recall where we’ve met. Ah—by the way, I’m Anthony Shepherd. Pleased to meet you.”
“I feel awkward saying this while you’re so excited.”
His smile was unnervingly perfect—as if measured with a ruler—flawless yet strangely alien. Shepherd felt embarrassed by his own hand hovering in midair, unsure what the man could possibly be apologizing for.
“Haha—I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m sorry to inform you, Mr. Shepherd, that you won’t be acquiring the Rodinia Mansion.”
Dousing Shepherd’s joy like this was nothing short of spiteful. Just as that polished mockery began to grate on him, the man calmly raised his paddle—prompting gasps of shock to ripple through the room.
“One million mori.”
His heart stopped at the man’s words. A mansion worth, at best, 500,000 mori had already jumped to 700,000.
But one million mori? Has this fellow lost his mind? Is there something wrong with his head?
Sometimes, forces beyond control thwart even the best-laid plans. Today’s turn of events felt no different from a natural disaster.
“One million mori! One million mori! Any higher bids? If not, the Rodinia Mansion auction ends here!”
Shepherd stared helplessly at the man who’d shattered his plans. Those pale blue eyes slowly met his, cradling a flawless—but unsettling—smile.
“Edwin Beitnes, Mr. Shepherd. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
A large hand extended toward Shepherd. In that instant, the true identity of this young man flashed through Shepherd’s mind like lightning.
Before he knew it, their hands had clasped—and the man was already gone. Regaining his senses, Shepherd immediately scanned the crowd for his retreating figure.
If one were to name the greatest contributor to Newway’s rise as a world power, Edwin Beitnes would be the first mentioned.
Once adopted into a baronial family, then granted a dukedom, he now stood as Newway’s wealthiest magnate and most influential figure—a man so dominant that even the alliance of Caspian Howde and Viscount Benjamin Quinlan couldn’t hold a candle to him.
‘Now that it’s come to this, I must catch him and talk—otherwise, Miss Ebelline will truly have nowhere left to go.’
Reporters who’d already recognized Edwin Beitnes swarmed around him, snapping photos relentlessly now that he owned the Ebelline Mansion. Tomorrow’s headlines were painfully predictable.
‘Duke Beitnes of Newway mercilessly devours the fallen Ebelline of Preston.’
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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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (5)
“Edwin wouldn’t have the same desires as those other men?”
Man is man after all
So he is a debt collector? Poor her. How can they left her like that. Alone and full of debt…
I can understand if he hated her but she was innocent man. The one responsibility for the sins were her parents
Inline Comments (1)
Revenge against Ebelline, who had sent his family to the executioner’s block. An
But she wasn’t involved in the death of his parents.
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Blairwoods
All men are the same. They can’t stand beautiful woman and always thought women are like decorative objects.