Cyrus thought with sharpness, and Ariana responded calmly.
“Do you have to experience it to understand?”
“Princess is too young to experience it before. The means of the princess seen in the capital seemed to be completed in just a day or two.”
“But didn’t the Northern Regent return splendidly at just 14?”
“I had many helpers by my side. But the princess is alone.”
“There was the help of the Northern Regent.”
“No, even without my help, the princess could have found a way out of that situation on her own.”
Cyrus pinched Ariana’s chin with his thumb and forefinger. Ariana raised her head following his touch.
His red pupils seemed to penetrate Ariana. The intense gaze seemed to explore every inch of Ariana’s body.
His hand was cold, but for some reason, the touched area felt warm. She tried to step back to avoid his hand, but he lowered his hand first.
“When news of my parents’ death in the war reached the Northern Territory, I was in my room reading a book, oblivious to everything. Can you guess who the first person to enter my room was?”
“…Who was it?”
“My father’s younger brother. The man I call uncle tried to suffocate me with a pillow. That way, he could take the seat of the Northern Regent.”
It was the first time Cyrus shared his story.
“Our usual relationship was good. No, it was very good. When my parents left the country because of the war, I considered him my father and followed him. My parents trusted him so much that they told me to rely on him if anything happened.”
Even as he spoke of betrayal, Cyrus’ expression remained calm.
“The people I trusted tried to kill me. My father’s loyalists were actually aiming for my father’s position. I managed to escape luckily, but I couldn’t trust anyone. There were helping hands, but I had to drive them all away. Duke Heron and Baron Ferran tried to find and help me, but I couldn’t trust them, and in the process, Baron Ferran died.”
“If it’s Baron Ferran…”
“Isaac’s father.”
“…”
“It was only then that I realized I made a mistake. It’s natural to harbor hatred and suspicion in a precarious situation, but I learned that there should be a distinction in the direction it points.”
While talking with Ariana, Cyrus turned his gaze to the river. Ariana also stood by his side, staring at the sparkling river like the night sky.
“Petty hatred and suspicion will interfere with the princess’s purpose. The princess will suffer, and someday, that suffering will hinder the princess.”
“Have you forgiven them?”
“Who?”
“Those who tried to kill the Northern Regent.”
“No. I killed them all.”
“…”
“I killed those who betrayed me. But I believed in those who showed loyalty to me.”
“What if they betray the Northern Regent later?”
“Then I must kill them. I must cut their throats without hesitation.”
“What if, instead, the Northern Regent becomes the target first?”
“At that time, I lamented that I should die foolishly.”
“…I don’t want that now.”
When Cyrus looked at Ariana as if she were strange after using the word ‘now,’ Ariana didn’t realize his gaze.
She spoke quietly, keeping her eyes on the flowing river.
“I don’t want to die believing and being betrayed anymore.”
Although her tone sounded as if she had been betrayed and died many times, Cyrus did not comment.
Ariana, standing upright with both hands clenched in front of her, looked elegant yet vulnerable. Despite appearing uneasy, as if she could be blown away by the gentle spring breeze, at the same time, she seemed unshakable like she wouldn’t sway even in a storm.
In her blue eyes facing the river, there was a sense of sadness, regret, and loneliness. That pitiful gaze clenched Cyrus’s heart.
Unable to understand why Ariana’s unrelated emotions hurt his chest, he just wanted to sweep away all the uninteresting emotions filling her blue eyes.
He felt like he could do anything to see those clear eyes.
He wanted to convey that to Ariana, but Cyrus, who had lived his whole life seeking revenge for his parents, did not know how to express his feelings.
“There are those who brought dishonorable death to my parents. I plan to erase them from this world.”
As Cyrus revealed his purpose, Ariana, surprised, turned to him.
“I thought there was a connection to the Northern Regent’s death in my parents’ death, but I found evidence to the contrary.”
Cyrus remembered the warmth exchanged with the Northern Regent before his parents died. He believed that the affection of White Ga could erase the cold pain engraved in Ariana’s eyes.
But Cyrus didn’t know how to express such sweet words.
“I need the Northern Regent’s power. So, Ariana, if you want to repay me, establish yourself properly in the Northern Territory. Thoroughly capture their hearts and become a lovely princess of the Northern Regent. Then you can repay me.”
He didn’t know if his words froze Ariana’s heart.
When a picturesque smile appeared on Ariana’s lips, he realized that he might have said something wrong.
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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