Trampled and Broken (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
Princess of Elsword, and Saintess.
On the day of Hestia’s wedding—the day she was finally branded as Elsword’s unwanted child.
No trace of bridal excitement could be found on her face as she sat before the mirror.
And for good reason.
‘This isn’t something I chose myself.’
To be precise, it was a marriage dependent entirely on Stephan Chereto’s goodwill and pity.
Thus, Hestia’s expression remained stubbornly dim. She felt as though she’d been reduced to mere property, and the despair that came with it was nearly impossible to shake.
She gazed into the mirror.
She’d applied makeup to conceal her thin, pallid face, yet it felt as stifling as if she’d draped a single layer of silk over her features.
“Your Highness, how do you like it? Does it please you?”
Angela, Hestia’s childhood friend and handmaiden, spoke with unmistakable excitement in her voice.
“I’ve always felt sorry seeing you in training clothes—never imagined the day would come when you’d wear such a beautiful dress…”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit too much? There must be someone who suits this dress better than I do.”
“What are you saying! You look absolutely stunning right now! No one could possibly wear this dress better than you—I swear it!”
“You really are something.”
Hestia, feeling oddly awkward, glanced down at her own attire.
This dress—the most splendid she’d ever worn in her life—was lavishly adorned with jewels and lace, its white fabric purer than snow.
Yet to onlookers, the embellishments never seemed excessive, thanks to Hestia’s appearance: however gaunt she might be, she never lost her grace or radiance.
Moreover, her signature silver hair—reminiscent of cold moonlight—shone with exceptional brilliance today, exuding an air of noble dignity.
But Hestia herself couldn’t shake her discomfort, continually fiddling with the hem of her dress with her fingertips.
Angela watched her mistress for a moment with eyes full of pity.
She knew better than anyone just how deeply Hestia’s self-worth had been eroded.
So, taking a sharp breath, Angela spoke with firm conviction.
“Your Highness, please believe me—it’s absolutely not too much.”
Then, as if forbidding any further negative thoughts, she deliberately adopted a stern tone.
“You are Elsword’s one and only princess—and a saintess, no less. Of course everything for such a distinguished lady’s wedding must be of the highest quality.”
“Well… technically, I’m not the only saintess.”
Hestia murmured so softly it was barely audible, lowering her gaze.
Angela, momentarily at a loss for words—unsure how to respond this time—simply changed the subject.
“Now, Your Highness, please lift your chin. Once we place the veil, your preparations will be complete.”
“Mm.”
Hestia obediently raised her head.
As Angela settled the veil over her, Hestia’s violet eyes shyly disappeared beneath her eyelids, then reappeared.
Angela let out a small, proud sigh of admiration.
“You truly are beautiful.”
“Thank you, Angela. It’s all thanks to you working so hard to prepare me since this morning.”
Flattered by the praise, Angela puffed out her chest playfully with a boastful grin.
“Sir Stephan will surely fall for you all over again when he sees you like this today.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course! Have you ever seen me say anything untrue?”
“…No.”
Hestia deliberately shook her head gently from side to side as she answered.
Finally reassured, Angela beamed with a wide smile.
“Your Highness, shall we head to the chapel now? You can wait for Sir Stephan there.”
“…Yes, let’s. There isn’t much time left.”
With Angela’s assistance, Hestia slowly made her way from the waiting room toward the chapel where the ceremony was to be held.
No sooner had she stepped inside than someone immediately approached her, as if they’d been waiting.
“Lady Hestia! You’re here at last! I was so worried I’d leave without seeing you!”
“…Lady Anetsa.”
Hestia quickly moistened her dry lips with her tongue before calling out the name of the woman who seemed even more excited than herself.
Elsword’s other saintess—the woman who, unlike Hestia, truly received the love of the gods and heard their voice.
Whenever standing before this ever-confident, vibrant woman, Hestia couldn’t help but feel inexplicably diminished.
‘Is it because she’s the real one?’
Just the thought alone made her chest feel painfully constricted.
Oblivious to Hestia’s inner turmoil, Anetsa continued chattering cheerfully.
“To think your wedding would fall on the very day I’m set to depart! Please forgive me for not being able to stay until the end.”
“Don’t say such things. Thank you for stopping by despite your busy schedule.”
At this mere courtesy, Anetsa dramatically lowered both eyebrows and firmly grasped Hestia’s hands.
‘It hurts…’
Hestia clenched her lips tightly, swallowing the involuntary groan that nearly escaped.
Anetsa raised her voice.
“What nonsense! What kind of relationship do you think we have?”
That was precisely what Hestia wanted to ask herself.
She couldn’t fathom what kind of bond they truly shared that entangled them in such a bitter fate.
But she dared not voice the question aloud. Instead, she swallowed it along with a practiced smile.
Still smiling, Anetsa quickly scanned Hestia’s attire from head to toe.
“How can there possibly be a dress so dazzling and exquisite? Anyone seeing Lady Hestia for the first time today would never have guessed that the famed ascetic saintess could be so breathtakingly beautiful.”
It didn’t sound like a compliment at all.
Hestia was glad she’d worn the veil; without it, her crumbling expression would’ve been laid bare.
Even through the veil, Anetsa persistently stared at her face as if determined to see her expression clearly.
Without blinking, she spoke again.
“We won’t be living together at the temple anymore, but you’ll still come to pray, won’t you?”
Hestia unconsciously drew a sharp breath. Her grip on the bouquet tightened until her knuckles turned white.
“…Of course I will.”
“I’m relieved. Lord El Rapa will surely rejoice at the chance to grant Lady Hestia another opportunity.”
Really?
If the gods truly loved me—if they’d truly rejoiced even at my smallest actions—then they wouldn’t have…
‘Pushed me into this marriage.’
Hestia’s violet eyes finally succumbed to the weight of her eyelids and dropped downward.
At that moment, one of Anetsa’s attendants approached and whispered something in her ear—
apparently conveying that they could delay no longer and must depart immediately.
Anetsa turned back to Hestia, still wearing a gentle smile.
“Your Highness, I must take my leave now.”
Hestia quickly composed herself and nodded.
“Alright. Please take care on your journey.”
“I will! I’ll return to see you again—looking even healthier next time.”
True to her usual self, Anetsa smiled brightly as she addressed Hestia once more.
“Once again, my sincerest congratulations on your wedding.”
Anetsa fixed her narrowed eyes on Hestia for a brief moment, then reached toward her forehead.
“Your divine grace is nearly depleted. Let me bestow a ‘blessing’ upon you.”
Before Hestia could protest,
“…Ah!”
A small gasp slipped from her lips. The center of her forehead burned as if branded by fire where Anetsa’s fingertips had touched.
With a meaningful smile, Anetsa gave a slight bow and turned away.
Hestia finally thought she could breathe again—yet, to her surprise,
a fresh commotion erupted near the entrance.
“What’s going on?”
Hestia turned toward the source of the sound.
‘…!’
The noble guests who’d come to attend the ceremony began murmuring among themselves.
“Why on earth is that man here?”
At someone’s voice thick with displeasure, everyone seated in the chapel turned their eyes toward the door.
Thud.
The unwelcome man stepped inside.
Though he’d taken only a single step forward, his presence alone seemed to fill the entire vast chapel.
Moreover, Hestia felt as if an invisible hand had seized her throat, choking off her breath.
A man like the north wind—freezing everyone with his mere appearance.
Yet at the same time, a man like the blazing sun.
Aslan Kalati had appeared at Hestia’s wedding.
All the wedding guests lowered their voices, whispering among themselves.
“Who on earth sent him an invitation?”
“Could it have been… the princess herself?”
“Don’t be absurd! Everyone knows their relationship is anything but good.”
“So no one invited him, yet he came anyway? Could he be here to cast a curse?”
“A curse? On the princess?”
Some particularly nervous noblewomen, who both feared and relished such tales, exaggeratedly feigned shock.
Though everyone knew it was ridiculous, the thought that Aslan Kalati might actually do something like that made them add a few words of their own.
Thus, the nobles of the capital regarded Aslan with undisguised hostility.
Yet not a single one among them dared ask how he’d gotten in, why he’d come, or what his intentions were.
Naturally, all that grew was gossip.
“But is that barbarian even allowed inside Elsword? Shouldn’t he be guarding the borders?”
Goodness—treating him like a stray dog.
Yet Aslan ignored them completely, fixing his gaze solely on Hestia.
As if to say, “I’m treated this way—all because of you.”
The murmurs continued.
“Could his presence here bring ‘Winter’ over Elsword’s walls?”
Just imagining it sent chills racing from the tops of their heads down their spines.
Though none of them had ever faced Winter themselves, they were already overwhelmed by the terror the word alone evoked.
Meanwhile, Aslan’s expression remained as impassive as if he wore an iron mask.
Hestia quietly watched him.
Soon, their eyes met across the empty space between them.
No matter when they met, he always looked at her with eyes as sharp and honed as a blade.
‘Aslan Kalati.’
That was his name.
Lord of the North—the man called a barbarian.
Uninvited, he had come to Hestia’s wedding.
And he wore a scowl so fierce it seemed he’d tear apart and kill the first person who crossed his path.
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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