The Count Clint moved stealthily outside.
Seeing the unusual expression on Duke Hart’s face, he knew a major fuss would ensue if he didn’t leave right now.
Duke Hart gently pulled the troubled Nelia’s wrist, leading her inside.
“Nelia.”
Despite Duke Hart calling out, Nelia’s gaze remained fixed on the departing Count Clint.
Duke Hart’s large hand grabbed Nelia’s chin, redirecting her gaze.
“You don’t need to worry about Count Clint…”
“Is it okay to just let the Count go like this…? He seemed quite upset…”
“Whether he’s upset or not, it’s not important at all.”
Tension rose on the smooth forehead of Duke Hart, as if enduring something.
“Furthermore, I don’t even like men.”
“Ah…! I never thought that way…”
Nelia hastily excused herself. But the trailing off of her words was inevitable.
‘Well… the rumors said he’s a lover of men, so he wouldn’t be interested in you.’
This thought arose because she remembered a scene she had seen earlier and words Leighton had spoken.
“Huff.”
Duke Hart brushed his hair back and let out a breath.
“Really, Nelia. He’s just my cousin. The reason he comes here so often is… because he has something to give me.”
At the earnest explanation, Nelia nodded.
Even when she came here yesterday, Count Clint was there, and from what she heard, it seemed like he had something to give then too.
The expression on Duke Hart’s face remained hard, as if he found his explanation unsatisfying.
“Nelia, I’d like to prove to you that I don’t like men, if I can.”
Listening silently, Nelia thought Duke Hart’s words carried heavy implications.
“How so…?”
“If Nelia stays here, she’ll naturally understand. She’ll see that no one visits here.”
She was to stay here, observing his private life.
‘The private life of a dark lord…’
Then she heard Duke Hart’s subtle voice.
“Not only for that reason, but also you can eat as many desserts as you want, like strawberry tart,”
“…”
“And it will reduce your commute time.”
It was a sweet temptation.
‘Besides, if I stay here, I won’t have to see that obnoxious Leighton.’
That was indeed a huge advantage.
Nelia almost said, ‘I’ll think about it,’ but managed to restrain herself.
After all, it was not a decision to be made lightly.
The first reason was, despite his angelic face, Duke Hart was a dark lord with a cruel nature.
She didn’t know what kind of mischief he might play on her at night.
The second reason was the risk of getting stuck in a deadend by eating and sleeping here.
She didn’t want to get married yet, but she’d have to someday. Staying overnight in a mansion where a Duke lived alone would be an easy way to invite misunderstanding from others.
If there were other maids or the Duke’s family in the mansion, it would be okay. But in this mansion, she was the only woman apart from the maids.
So, the conclusion was that she absolutely refused to sleep here.
“Duke Hart, I trust your words.”
It didn’t matter whether he was a lover of men or not.
If he was involved with Count Clint… it would be a bit shocking, but…
“…Understood.”
Duke Hart made a face that seemed somewhat disappointed.
“Nelia, you’re really stubborn.”
Nelia wanted to respond, ‘You’re really persistent.’
Even if he had no other intentions, his insistence that she stay here was suspicious.
She felt there was some other plot.
The subtlety and naturalness of the guidance almost caused me to fall for it.
“You’ve arrived early today, Nelia.”
The Duke glanced at the clock as he spoke.
“Yes, I woke up early this morning…”
I should have lounged a bit more on the bed. Uncomfortably, it felt like I had witnessed a secret rendezvous.
“Shall we have a brief tea time before starting work?”
“Yes, I’d love that.”
When Duke Hart pulled the bell cord, a maid entered.
Upon his request for a teapot and tea, the maid bowed deeply and then disappeared.
Both the butler and the maid, all the employees here, worked to an almost excessive degree.
They rarely spoke.
I have maids in my own house who occasionally joke and laugh.
Here, even if you strike up a conversation, they respond with short answers. Everyone seemed to have heavy tongues as if burdened by a stone.
‘Due to being employees of the Duke’s house, perhaps?’
Nelia found herself becoming a little curious about this peculiar Duke’s house.
As absurd as the thought was that the employees might be robots made by the Duke’s household, a maid came in with a tray before long.
“Here it is, sir.”
“Thank you.”
On the tray, there was a teapot and tea cups, decorated with blue leaves on white porcelain.
When the Duke picked up the steaming teapot, Nelia quickly extended her hand.
“I can…”
I know this is Duke Hart’s house, but I am not here as a guest.
Pouring the tea is part of my duties as a maid.
But Duke Hart stopped Nelia with a kind smile.
“It’s okay. I can do it.”
The Duke sometimes showed excessive kindness. Not only to me, but to everyone.
Even to the maid earlier, he used polite language.
Moreover, his reputation in the social world was the same.
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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