The Duke lifted his gaze.
“When I see the Duke, my right arm burns. As if I’ve been scorched.”
Carlos’s dark pupils sank deeply as he continued.
“People say I was born with a disability, but I don’t see it that way.”
Carlos’s dark pupils and Duke Hart’s silver pupils faced each other.
Black and white, the colors were in stark contrast, but their gazes emanated a similar atmosphere.
“My lifelong tormenting, neverimproving right arm is clearly close to a curse.”
Duke Hart thought.
‘A curse….’
He found a common point called a “curse” from the odious Crown Prince, with whom he had nothing in common.
However, more than compassion, a scoff erupted.
The curse of becoming a vicious monster and a sometimes malfunctioning arm were incomparable.
He babbles about the curse in his selfpity, but could it really be considered a curse if he knew my secret?
“What is the reason you’re telling me this?”
“I said, my right arm burns when I see you.”
“You dislike me, that must be it.”
As Duke Hart replied nonchalantly, Carlos’s dark pupils momentarily flashed menacingly.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“I’m saying that your Highness’s right arm and I have no relation.”
The atmosphere in the dining room became tense with their strained dialogue.
“Duke, I told you earlier that my offer to your maid was sincere.”
“I clearly said not to involve Nelia.”
The Duke’s voice lowered.
However, Carlos ignored it and continued.
“At first, I poked because I was curious what you were interested in. But now it’s different. I need your maid.”
Carlos lifted himself off the chair back.
“I was certain today.”
He then rotated his right wrist this way and that.
“When I’m with your maid, my curse is alleviated.”
Duke Hart’s silver pupils faced Carlos. A voice like an abyss soon followed.
“If that’s the case, then I must not allow Nelia to get more involved with your Highness.”
The surrounding air filled with a burning smell.
(This is a time separator.)
Meanwhile, Nelia walked along a long corridor following a maid.
Since she couldn’t stray too far from Duke Hart, she asked the maid again.
“The Duke’s room isn’t far from here, right?”
“Yes.”
Nelia moved her steps with relief.
‘How did I end up going all the way to Carlos’s room?’
Not just his office, but now even his room.
Would she have ever expected to go to the room of Carlos, the hellish lion that kills her in the original story?
She had no choice but to change her clothes there, but…
Then… she realized something odd.
“Uh, why are there women’s clothes in His Highness’s room?”
Did Carlos have a secret lover before meeting the female lead Charlotte? Or some clandestine hobby…
“The clothes will be brought from elsewhere. We’re going there because the closest bathroom is in His Highness’s room.”
At the maid’s stern reply, Nelia felt awkward.
Unnecessary imagination…
“Here we are.”
The maid stopped and opened the door.
Unlike the Duke’s lavish estate, filled with expensive decorations, the Crown Prince’s room was surprisingly simple.
It seemed to fit Carlos’s temperament, who seemed irritable and easily bothered.
“I’ll call another maid to help you bathe. I’ll bring a new dress quickly while you bathe.”
“Ah, no! I can bathe myself.”
Nelia quickly waved her hand.
She was accustomed to bathing alone at the Duke’s estate, and having someone bathe her was quite uncomfortable.
Seeing Nelia’s distaste, the maid nodded.
“Yes, then take your time and rest.”
Once the maid disappeared, Nelia, now alone, entered the bathroom and dried her wet legs with a towel.
The tea without sugar was not sticky, so wiping it off was enough.
Exiting the bathroom, Nelia waited for the maid to bring new clothes and looked around the room.
The room was neat, but sparsely decorated.
The first thing she noticed was the sword hanging on the wall. As befitting a Sword Master, various types of swords were displayed on a rack.
Next was the desk.
Oddly enough, there was nothing on the desk.
Every time she saw this, she felt that Carlos and Duke Hart were polar opposites.
‘Duke Hart’s desk is full of books.’
But upon closer inspection, one book was on the desk.
Curious about what book Carlos had chosen, Nelia approached the desk.
[Siegfried Mythology]A gray dragon was drawn below the title.
Carlos would also gradually become interested in the Siegfried Mythology. He had to fix his stiffening right arm after all.
Nelia was suddenly curious.
Why did Carlos’s arm suddenly stiffen? Yet he seemed fine to others due to consistent rehabilitation.
Was it the male protagonist’s inevitable fate?
She felt regret every time.
‘If I had known I would end up in this book, I would have read it till the end no matter what…!’
Nelia looked down at the desk with a regretful face. A slightly ajar desk drawer peeked out.
‘Huh…?’
Something in the drawer shimmered and caught her eye.
The blue shimmer induced an illusion as if the sight was wavering, like a mirage in the desert.
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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