Duke Hart’s voice was oddly cold, though it wasn’t clear whom he was thinking of.
Did he have someone he was interested in? The number of people he met while staying in the duke’s residence every day was extremely limited.
Could it be Ton…?
He had been kind recently, but I never thought he was interested in me…
“If Nelia doesn’t know, it’s fine.”
Duke Hart asked the question with a smile to a confused Nelia.
‘What… I’m curious.’
However, the duke seemed to have no intention of answering, and approached the carriage to open the door.
“Nelia, get in.”
Nelia, approaching the carriage, admired its luxurious exterior before boarding.
The carriage door bore a gray dragon design. This carriage, manufactured by the royal family, was said to be so exclusive that even highranking officials rarely rode in it.
‘Wow…’
The interior of the carriage was as impressive as its exterior.
The space was spacious and comfortable, and the velvet chair seats were incredibly soft.
In contrast, Duke Hart sat across from Nelia with an unimpressed expression.
Soon, the carriage set off.
The royal palace and Duke Hart’s residence weren’t far apart, so they’d arrive shortly.
As time passed, Nelia grew increasingly tense.
It was her first time going to the royal palace since the day of the party where the crown prince was introduced.
“Your Grace… if people ask me on what basis I came here, what should I say?”
She had worked as the duke’s maid for quite some time, but few people would know this fact. Really, the household staff were tightlipped, and the only people who had seen her were a few guests who had come to meet the duke.
So, walking side by side with the duke in the royal palace would certainly draw attention.
“You will say you’re my maid.”
It was true she was his maid, so introducing her as such was correct, but…
In fact, the duke was the center of attention.
So rumors circulated about him, even saying he used stimulants for homosexual affairs.
The duke himself seemed indifferent to the rumors, but Nelia was not. Drawing attention from many people was uncomfortable and difficult, especially when standing next to someone so dazzling.
“Won’t it be strange for a mere maid like me to accompany you to the royal palace?”
“No, it’s fine.”
The duke reassured her with a slight smile.
“People may show interest because you’re my maid, but that interest won’t last long.”
Nelia decided to trust the duke’s words. She had to go to the royal palace anyway, so she might as well think positively.
However, as soon as Nelia set foot in the royal palace, she felt the curious gazes of many people.
Occasionally, people inquired about the duke and also asked about Nelia.
Each time, the duke responded with a polite smile, saying she was his maid.
Fortunately, people quickly lost interest upon hearing she was a maid. Just as the duke had said, it wasn’t strange for even highranking officials to bring maids along.
“We’ve arrived.”
The duke announced their arrival at his office. It was located in a remote corner on the third floor of the main palace.
Nelia looked around. No matter how she saw it, it felt like the building only contained the duke’s office.
“Is your office located in a somewhat secluded area?”
“I inherited this office from my father. He seemed to find this corner more comfortable, perhaps due to the curse.”
Nelia examined the duke’s expression at the mention of his deceased father, but he appeared indifferent.
Upon entering the office, a wellorganized space came into view.
“I haven’t prepared a spot for Nelia yet, but for now, you can sit here.”
The duke pointed to a sofa in front of a desk, a space likely used for receiving guests.
“Alright.”
As Nelia sat down on the sofa, looking awkwardly around, someone knocked on the door.
The person who appeared with permission was the duke’s aide.
“Your Grace, His Majesty the Emperor has summoned you.”
“Understood.”
Nelia felt tense for a moment.
It seemed the Duke might have to see the Emperor, so what should be done in this case? What if he were to transform into a snake if separated from her?
However, the Duke simply offered an easy solution to these concerns.
“Nelia, shall we go together?”
(This is a time separator.)
Nelia moved with the Duke to the top floor of the palace.
“For your information, my aide is a family member, so you don’t have to be selfconscious.”
Somehow, the aide never cast a curious glance at Nelia.
As if he already knew.
Looking at it now, the Duke had filled his inner circle solely with family members.
So that’s why this secret had not been exposed for so long.
“Please wait here for a moment. It won’t take long.”
“Yes, take your time.”
The Duke showed a brief smile before entering the Emperor’s office.
Nelia thought it was not easy to stay close to him in order to avoid transforming into a snake.
With frequent sudden movements like now.
There was a need to run multiple tests to figure out how far they could be separated and how long they could endure.
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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