“I was about to say the same. Are you planning to follow Etienne everywhere? Last time, you showed up where she was having tea, right?”
Lehart quickly painted Fernando as someone who follows Etienne around.
“Wouldn’t it be better to follow one’s parents?”
“I plan to stick with Etienne.”
“Does the Duke of Supracher know about this?”
“And does His Majesty the Emperor know about your actions?”
Lehart was momentarily speechless. He had been worried about the Emperor’s interest in Etienne, and Fernando had hit a nerve.
“I won’t go to His Majesty if you back off now.”
“You think I’ll step down because of that threat?”
Lehart retorted dismissively, and Fernando stood up, seemingly ready to confront the Emperor.
“If His Majesty finds out about this, he might consider Etienne as a potential royal consort.”
Lehart’s words stopped Fernando.
“Still going to tell him?”
Fernando glared at Lehart but didn’t move.
“I don’t want to burden Etienne either. That’s why I haven’t involved His Majesty.”
Lehart then made a suggestion.
“Let’s do this. Since neither of us intends to step back, let’s return to square one.”
Lehart placated Fernando, suggesting there was no other way.
“Let Etienne decide, right?”
Alex, quietly listening to their conversation, shook his head in silence.
The verbal duel between the two men ended anticlimactically.
As the banquet approached, Etienne felt increasingly burdened, like a snowball growing larger.
“Why are they both doing this to me?”
Her name was already buzzing in the social circles. So much so, she lost count of how many friends had visited her that day. Including the letters, it must have been dozens.
“Do you know what Rachel said? I’m now the most famous person in the social circles because of that one banquet. I’ve become incredibly famous.”
“Congratulations.”
“Is this really something to congratulate?”
Having two people request her as a partner was one thing, but it was the fame of those two that made it such a big deal.
“Is it difficult to choose?”
Lettin, the butler, asked as he offered her a cup of tea good for sleep. The warmth in her palms, or perhaps the aroma of the tea, seemed to lighten her expression.
“It’s not about choosing someone, but rather whom to push away.”
“Why is that?”
“If I reject the Crown Prince, it might become an obstacle in our family’s support for him later. And if I push away Fernando, I worry about the Duke of Supracher’s reaction.”
After sipping her tea, Etienne continued.
“Last time, there was a fuss about taking Fernando as a husband. Won’t the Duke bring that up? When I was ready to take Fernando then, why push him away now?”
That’s why she was troubled.
Whichever side she chose, there were consequences to bear. So, Etienne had to be even more cautious.
“Miss?”
“Hmm?”
As she sipped her tea, Etienne looked up at the butler.
“How old are you?”
Etienne, about to say twenty-one, averted her eyes and mumbled.
“Are you asking because you don’t know my age?”
“Miss, you are sixteen this year.”
Seeing her younger face every day, the age of sixteen still felt awkward.
“But why make it so complicated? Even if you choose the Crown Prince, the Duke of Supracher won’t nag, and choosing Fernando doesn’t mean our family won’t support the Crown Prince.”
“Ah… really?”
“Currently, Miss, you shouldn’t be worrying about the gains and losses for the family, but rather who would make the banquet more exciting and enjoyable for you.”
The butler eased Etienne’s worries. She wasn’t an adult yet, so she should think and act according to her age.
“That’s true. I am sixteen.”
“Have you made your decision?”
“Yes.”
Thanks to the butler, Etienne felt much lighter. She nodded, feeling that she would sleep well tonight.
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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