When the Cruel Dark Lord Tenderly Seduces (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
“Nellia.”
As she tried to stand up, leaving Duke Hart behind, a firm forearm wrapped around her waist.
“Weren’t you supposed to be sleeping…?”
Duke Hart slowly closed and then opened his eyes.
“You woke me up.”
At the very least, he should have made some noise when stepping closer—waking someone the instant they sit up seemed far too abrupt.
“Nellia kept trying to run away again.”
Duke Hart stared intently at Nellia and pulled her waist closer.
Overpowered, Nellia flopped back onto the bed.
“Why do you keep trying to run away?”
“Well… you looked like you were asleep…”
As Nellia mumbled in her defense, Duke Hart buried his face into her shoulder.
“Don’t go.”
His murmured voice tickled against her collarbone.
“If you’re not here, I’ll change back again.”
“I know that, but…”
Nellia trailed off, gazing at the dazzling man leaning against her.
This man, who held her tightly with an expression of pure innocence, was Duke Hart—the ruthless mastermind from the novel.
Hiding his true identity as the mastermind, he was widely renowned throughout the empire as a man of exceptional virtue.
Yet, beyond being the mastermind, he harbored another astonishing secret—one that others would find utterly unbelievable.
Recalling the day she discovered this secret, Nellia silently shook her head.
‘I never could have imagined it.’
That a mere supporting character like herself would uncover the mastermind’s secret.
Just as the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can stir a storm on the opposite side of the globe, it all began with something utterly trivial.
Now, let us return to the time before she met the mastermind.
In her previous life, Nellia had lived in Korea as a university student.
And quite unhappily at that.
Dying of overwork at the mere age of twenty-one was something no one could deny as tragic.
Thanks to relentless loan sharks constantly showing up, she had tried every possible part-time job during school, and adulthood only made life harder.
While others talked about buying pretty clothes or drinking alcohol once they turned adults, such things felt like distant dreams to her.
Her sole wish and daily goal had simply been, “I just want to eat until I’m full.”
Then, one day,
while restocking shelves at a convenience store, she found a book someone had left behind.
The book, adorned with a beautiful pink rose, remained unclaimed no matter how much time passed.
So, during quiet moments without customers, she read it bit by bit.
In hindsight, the story of wasn’t particularly special—but since it was her first romance novel, she read it with fascination.
‘Of course, that was before I knew I’d end up reincarnating into this novel.’
At the moment of her death, she had been reincarnated into the character “Nellia” from the novel.
At first, she had no idea what was happening—everyone had wildly colorful hair, and the surroundings were filled with Western-style buildings.
Though she had always adapted quickly to unfamiliar or difficult situations in her past life, this time was an exception.
The environment, the people around her, even her own reflection in the mirror—all felt too strange to adjust to.
Just as she was quietly trying to figure things out alone in her room, she finally realized something when a maid mentioned the name “Anat.”
“…What did you just say?”
“I said it’s Anat’s Founding Day!”
Anat was the name of the empire in .
‘No way…’
To confirm, she asked again.
“Who is the current Emperor…?”
“His Majesty Emperor Argen?”
Wobble.
Argen was indeed the Emperor of the Anat Empire.
Pale-faced, Nellia dismissed the maid and sank into thought.
She had somehow ended up inside the book . The empire and Emperor’s names mentioned by the maid matched those from the novel, confirming her suspicion.
was a romance novel in which the kind and lovely heroine Charlotte gently healed the emotionally scarred and prickly hero Carlos, leading them into a passionate love story.
Though it seemed like a typical romance, its fantasy setting added a unique touch, while Carlos’s troubled past and the steadily deteriorating love triangle cast a faintly dark atmosphere over the tale.
As Nellia recalled the plot, she realized there was something urgent she needed to clarify right away.
“People have been calling me ‘Nellia’…”
…But who exactly was Nellia?
Just as she strained to remember the name, her eyes widened.
She remembered! Nellia!
But soon, Nellia’s expression inevitably darkened.
According to the original story, she was about to die.
In the novel, Nellia had been raised in a wealthy and harmonious family, yet her personality left much to be desired—spoiled to the point of being utterly naive.
That personality eventually brought about great misfortune.
It all started when she attended a royal party hosted by the imperial family. That day, the Emperor wished for all nobles in the capital to attend, as he planned to make an important announcement.
‘No one knew that this “important announcement” was actually the formal introduction of Crown Prince Carlos, who had never appeared publicly before.’
Nellia from the original story was no exception.
Blinded by the imperial family’s radiant treasure, she foolishly tried to touch it—and ended up damaging it, right in front of Carlos.
Had she simply bowed her head and apologized, the situation might not have escalated—but unaware that Carlos was the Crown Prince, Nellia raised her voice instead.
‘She even said, “What’s so special about this anyway?”‘
As a result, she was charged with crimes including imperial disrespect, destruction of a national treasure, and public indecency, and was soon executed.
Thus, in the original story, Nellia was merely an extra—a foolish character who failed to recognize Crown Prince Carlos and foolishly provoked him.
She existed only to showcase Carlos’s ruthless nature and served as his sacrificial victim.
But it was too early to despair.
Even if the original Nellia had acted that way, she herself didn’t have to.
Most importantly, she already knew what Crown Prince Carlos looked like and certainly wouldn’t make the stupid mistake of recklessly touching the imperial treasure.
Having been given a new life, she had no intention of throwing it away so foolishly.
Although the current situation was startling, compared to her past life, her present circumstances were incomparably affluent and stable.
‘Alright, let’s give this a try.’
As Nellia clenched her fists in determination, her mother Lily’s voice floated up from downstairs.
“Nellia, come down and have some strawberry tart.”
.
.
.
Entering the dining room, she found a brilliantly gleaming strawberry tart sitting on the table.
“I bought it because you’ve seemed so exhausted lately.”
Her mother must have been worried about her daughter’s unusual behavior.
After all, a daughter who used to be out and about every day had been cooped up in her room for several days—it was only natural for a parent to worry.
Having woken up in someone else’s body, Nellia had felt deeply uncomfortable, making her afraid to speak with anyone. Hence, she had stayed in her room, exchanging only the bare minimum of words.
But now that she had realized this world was the one from the novel she’d read and understood her own status, there was no need to keep hiding in her room.
Still, it was true she remained slightly downcast.
Adapting to this new environment wasn’t easy, nor was accepting that she was now the daughter of complete strangers.
Though they didn’t know it, she was fundamentally an outsider.
So occasionally, she felt lonely and confused—though the frequency was slowly decreasing.
“Go ahead and eat.”
Unaware of these thoughts, her mother Lily spoke with evident concern for her daughter.
Pushing aside her gloomy thoughts, Nellia picked up her fork and poked at the tart.
The sweet aroma tickling her nose seemed to evaporate some of her melancholy.
Munch, munch.
‘…Huh? This is actually delicious.’
The tart tasted far better than she’d expected.
Before she knew it, bite after bite disappeared, and the tart was gone faster than anticipated.
Thump thump.
Just then, footsteps sounded from the stairs.
Soon, a man with light brown hair—just like Nellia’s—appeared.
“What? You ate it all by yourself?”
The man was Nellia’s only older brother, Layton.
“This is Pasche Bakery’s tart! Mother, I’m hurt! You only bought it for Nellia!”
Living as Nellia had taught her one undeniable truth:
This family had clearly failed at parenting.
Not only had the original Nellia been hopelessly naive, but her older brother Layton was equally astonishing in his childishness for someone his age.
Just look at him—complaining to their mother like a child simply because his younger sister ate a tart!
“This was bought because Nellia looked exhausted. You can just go buy your own.”
“But you have to queue for that tart! Hurry up and send Daina to get some!”
Exasperated by Layton’s tantrum, Lily rubbed her temples.
“Daina just went out on an errand and isn’t here right now…”
Daina was a maid in their household who often ran errands to the bakery, but she happened to be away at the moment.
‘Ugh, what a pathetic guy.’
Nellia sighed inwardly.
“Mother, I’ll just go to the bakery myself.”
She could have sent another maid, but she thought this might be a good opportunity for a walk. Since she’d decided to adapt, it would be good to step outside and explore.
“Yeah, if you have any conscience, you should be the one to go.”
Seeing Nellia volunteer, Layton nodded as if it were only natural.
The original Nellia must have acted similarly—no wonder their mother was constantly frustrated.
Clicking her tongue internally, Nellia prepared to go out.
“Hurry back. I need to go out this afternoon.”
Clenching her fist at the back of Layton’s smug head, Nellia quickly left the house.
The Count’s mansion, located in the capital, happened to be close to the city center.
Stepping outside after so long, Nellia enjoyed the fresh air.
But the moment she arrived at the bakery, she heard disheartening news.
“Oh dear, what should I do? The strawberry tarts just sold out.”
Hearing the shopkeeper’s regretful words, Nellia lowered her head.
‘After coming all this way…!’
Just as she was about to leave the shop, thoroughly disheartened—
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
A shrill female scream sounded behind her, and Nellia instinctively turned her head.
A small crowd had gathered around a spot.
“It’s fine! I’ve caught it!”
A man confidently declared, holding a sack in his hand.
Something alive seemed to be inside—the sack wriggled slightly.
‘What is it…?’
Curious, Nellia approached.
“Ugh, it’s hideous! Hurry up and tie it shut with this!”
The woman who had presumably screamed handed the man a handkerchief.
“I suppose I should.”
The man tightly wrapped the handkerchief around the sack’s opening. Nellia stared at the sack and asked.
“What’s inside?”
The man glanced briefly at Nellia as he secured the sack.
“You’d be better off not getting involved. It’s superstition, but they say if you make eye contact, you’ll be cursed.”
His tone was so firm that Nellia didn’t dare ask further.
“I don’t know why it came down from the mountains into the city, but I’ll take care of it, so please don’t worry, my lady.”
Nellia was deeply unsettled by his words—”I’ll take care of it.”
It seemed a wild animal had simply strayed into the city by mistake, and now it was as good as dead…
At that moment, she couldn’t help but think:
That lost wild animal might be just like her.
Just a week ago, she had been as lost in this unfamiliar city as that poor creature.
‘Judging by the sack’s size, it must be a small animal…’
Perhaps that was why, without even realizing it, Nellia hid herself and followed the man.
He stopped by a stream flowing through the city.
Then, with a swift motion—
he threw the sack into the water.
‘…!’
As the man brushed off his hands and walked away without a second glance, Nellia hurried after the drifting sack.
The wild animal inside must have sensed danger—it thrashed violently within the sack.
Fearing the creature might drown, Nellia grew frantic.
Even when she reached out, she couldn’t quite grab it, so she changed direction to search for a long branch.
Soon, she spotted a suitable one. Quickly grabbing it, she extended it toward the sack.
‘Got it…!’
The tip of the branch barely touched the sack. Slowly, she dragged it closer until it finally reached her hands.
The sack was already damp. Had she not pulled it out now, it would have soon soaked through and sunk to the bottom of the stream.
‘What a relief.’
Nellia quickly scanned her surroundings for a safe place to release it.
But being right in the city center, there was nowhere suitable.
‘Well, since I rescued it from the water…’
She took a shared carriage all the way to the city outskirts.
During the ride, Nellia narrowed her eyes and stared quietly at the sack.
‘What kind of animal could be inside?’
The thick fabric made it hard to discern its shape, but she could tell it was fairly light and not round.
As she kept watching, the sack’s movements gradually slowed.
‘It can’t be dead… can it?’
Looking down anxiously, Nellia muttered.
“Hold on just a little longer. I’ll free you soon. You absolutely can’t die.”
Worried, she hurried her steps the moment she stepped off the carriage.
She arrived at a quiet forest seldom visited by people.
Crouching down, Nellia quickly placed the sack on the ground. It twitched faintly from within.
Thankfully, it was still alive.
‘Hmm…’
Relieved, Nellia now pondered how best to release the creature.
It was a wild animal—potentially dangerous—and she couldn’t forget the man’s warning.
‘It’s superstition, but they say if you make eye contact, you’ll be cursed.’
Right. She’d just untie the sack. It would find its own way out.
Determined, Nellia loosened the string around the sack’s opening and quickly stood up.
“This might not be where you originally lived, but I hope you can adapt well.”
That was her wish.
Perhaps those words were also meant as encouragement for herself.
“Never come down to the city again.”
With those final words, Nellia ran back toward where she’d left the carriage.
Completely unaware of the true nature of the life she’d saved that day.
.
.
.
As Nellia ran off, something silently slipped out of the sack.
Even in the dim surroundings, its luminous eyes remained fixed on Nellia’s retreating back—
until she vanished entirely from sight.
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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