Ishar’s day couldn’t be smoother than this.
The morning started peacefully, and the meeting with the officials also ended without any hitch. There wasn’t a single mistake from the rookie officials, who seemed as prickly as protruding thorns, today.
He successfully sent a testimony proposing a thousand horses to the Elkmene Kingdom as a reinforcement condition. Although the Tarendis Kingdom would undoubtedly be angered by this and declare a halt to the trade of their main products, he had already prepared countermeasures for it.
The council was quiet, and Duke Montaner was even quieter, making it a perfect day.
He thought about leaving early for the palace and inspecting the Duke’s household management. Just as he was about to tidy up the documents and rise from his seat, his aide interrupted him with an announcement.
“Your Highness, a response has arrived from Alain.”
Alain was the chief chef of the palace.
He had sent a letter asking if the tasteless Empress enjoyed the dish she wanted to eat, and the response seemed to be about that.
“That… I couldn’t make it.”
“Why?”
Ishar’s eyes showed confusion.
‘Is the dish Alain couldn’t make so difficult?’
“The Queen said she’s fine. You don’t need to worry.”
So, he hadn’t even tried to start making it!
‘Well, if she says so.’
Ishar stood up from his seat without any regrets.
It didn’t seem necessary for him to intervene when the Queen herself said it was okay. He was thinking of leaving the palace like this.
When he left the main palace and walked along the corridor, he came to a crossroads. Going left would lead to the carriage storage, and the right was the way to the Empress’s palace.
Ishar naturally turned left. However…
After a few steps, he stopped.
His steps wouldn’t go any further, as if the ground had grabbed onto him.
Ishar turned back.
Beyond the oak tree, the top of the Empress’s palace could be vaguely seen.
‘What kind of perplexing dish could it be that I can’t even mention it?’
He was curious.
If Alain had said, ‘I tried, but I couldn’t make it,’ he wouldn’t be so curious.
A strange desire to challenge sprouted within him.
Ishar moved his steps in the opposite direction.
‘Yeah, it’s worth a try.’
He decided to consider it as an expression of good intentions. After all, it was for the Emperor. Moreover, it wasn’t the first time.
He recalled the day when he had spent the night at Liz’s house and made beef stew for her.
That day, she had filled the stew with jalapeños as if pouring out her resentment towards the only bed in her only room. There was even a bit of a wish for her to find it too spicy.
However, she ate it without drinking water, her face unchanged. It seemed like she even wished it was a bit spicier.
It felt like he had fallen for his own trick.
I don’t know well, but it seemed to be that kind of spicy food again this time.
“I’ll make it so spicy that even tears will dry up this time.”
For some reason, his steps quickened with this cheerful thought. During the approach to the Empress’s palace, he never stopped.
Entering energetically, Ishar noticed Rosa standing quietly on one side of the lobby like a statue.
Upon spotting Ishar, Rosa also bowed her head, showing courtesy.
“Why are you here?”
Ishar asked why Rosa, who should always be waiting near the Empress’s residence, was in the lobby.
In response, Rosa said, “Her Majesty is currently receiving a guest. She ordered me to wait in the lobby.”
‘Why would she be waiting so far away to meet someone?’
It was unusual, and Ishar was curious. So, he remained standing there for a moment, feeling like he should wait here as well.
Ding, ding, ding.
The sound of a bell rang. It was the sound of bells from the Empress’s residence.
Rosa climbed the stairs, and after a while, she appeared with a woman.
Golden-brown hair and light blue eyes.
‘Genes of the Esmond family.’
So, Ishar realized that she was Rene Esmond, the new maid of the Empress.
He was puzzled.
The woman with a slender figure and a pale complexion looked fragile, as if she couldn’t protect her body at all. When their eyes met, and she quickly lowered her gaze to the floor, it was clear that her social skills were lacking.
‘Even if she’s trying to embrace the Esmond family, a prestigious aristocratic family, that seems a bit much.’
Thinking like that, as Rosa, who approached Ishar, politely greeted him, Rene, still looking at the floor, knelt down and got up.
When the greetings were over, Ishar immediately left his seat.
“Come this way. I’ll guide you to the residence.”
Rosa indicated the direction with her palm, leading Rene. However, after a while, Rosa realized that she was walking alone.
Rene, still standing in the same spot, stared silently at Ishar’s back.
Through the narrowed eyes, her light blue eyes sparkled sharply.
‘Good! It’s done now!’
A radiant smile of joy appeared on Liz’s face, leaning against the backrest.
Although it was just one resolution among a pile of worries, it still lightened her heart.
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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