Who Spent the Night with the Tower Master (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
“…Ah, my head.”
Riley, jolted awake by the effects of alcohol, clutched her throbbing head and froze mid-glance around the room.
An unfamiliar room, an unfamiliar bed, unfamiliar blankets.
And a stranger lying beside her—not just any person, but a man. Moreover, bare-skinned.
The man’s solid, completely unclothed body seized her attention. The moment Riley, just roused from sleep, faced this stranger’s sculpted nudity, her mind snapped wide awake.
“No way… No way.”
Vivid, unwanted scenes of raw flesh flashed through her mind like a panorama.
A face slightly flushed, damp with sweat.
“More… please, just a little more.”
I’m insane!
Riley blinked blankly, utterly dumbfounded. It would take a little time—or perhaps a great deal—to fully process this shocking situation.
“Will you do it with me?”
“Well… what should I do?”
“…”
“Do you want to?”
“Okay.”
Fragments of memory returned. Puzzle-like shards of recollection hovered just out of reach, muddling her thoughts.
Yet one fact remained crystal clear.
Alcohol. The drink she’d had at the reception had caused this unforeseen disaster—her drunkenness had spiraled far too high.
This was a major catastrophe.
“…It was something utterly mad I’d never do without the courage from alcohol. But still—why on earth did I say such an outrageous thing?”
Riley sighed and turned to look beside her.
His face was buried in the pillow, barely visible. All she could see was his tousled, shimmering silver hair.
He must have been drunk too, right? Otherwise… things wouldn’t have reached this point.
Riley covered her face with both hands.
“I really went through with it. I really did…”
Her first life-altering transgression—and her first time sharing a bed with a complete stranger—was profoundly shocking, even though every detail of this situation had been meticulously planned from the start.
What now? Once fully conscious, the reality before her eyes made her dizzy. Though she’d steeled herself to do this, the weight and pressure of it all felt far heavier than she’d anticipated.
It wasn’t the act itself from last night that troubled her.
The problem was the man she’d spent the night with.
“I need to get out of here first.”
She needed time to sort through her chaotic thoughts.
But not here. She couldn’t even imagine the moment he woke up. Just thinking about it filled her with unbearable embarrassment. Even if they’d have to meet later and discuss what happened, it wouldn’t be now.
First, she needed to clear her head.
Riley carefully rose, gathering the scattered clothes from beneath the bed.
It wasn’t Claire’s dress she’d worn here, but a simple dress provided by the hotel—she briefly considered returning it, but in her haste, she threw it on and fled like she was escaping.
Of all the people she could have accidentally spent the night with, why did it have to be this man—the famously youngest Tower Master of the Horizon Mage Tower?
Why did it have to be the Tower Master?
Why him, of all people!
[This is the timeline separator]This dreadful incident began with a repulsive, one-sided marriage arrangement.
“Miss, the Young Lord summons you.”
Her uncle had called for her. What could he possibly want to say? A bad premonition crept over her.
And as always, that premonition hit the mark perfectly.
“Congratulations on your engagement, Riley.”
Riley couldn’t utter a word in response to Baron Ryan’s announcement. Unsure how to react, the forced smile she’d managed trembled faintly at the corners.
An unpleasant jolt made her hairs stand on end; her blood rushed hotly, pounding in her ears. Anxiety struck her squarely from behind, as if to prove its point.
Snippets of the maids’ whispered conversations flashed through her mind. Instinctively, she knew.
Something truly horrifying had just happened.
“The wedding will take place next month. Count Ermeintz will cover all expenses. It’s an honor far beyond what you deserve—truly exceptional. Isn’t this wonderful? Where else could we find such a match? It’s a great opportunity—for you and for our family.”
Ah, so it’s come to this.
Riley’s vision blurred as she exhaled sharply and clenched her fists.
She tried her best to steady her ragged breathing, afraid that if her uncle heard it, he might take offense.
After all, if she upset him, she might be locked in her room again.
“He saw you when he came here for convalescence before. It seems you’ve quite captured his fancy.”
“…”
“Count Ermeintz is a central noble of Blesstige. He’s far too distinguished a match for you. He’s generously provided an enormous dowry—so excessive you’d wonder if it’s even proper to accept it outright. With that amount, we could expand our business and still have plenty left over. Since such a fine opportunity has come our way, conduct yourself properly until the engagement is officially announced.”
“…Yes, Uncle.”
The marriage was decided.
Her uncle called it an honor beyond her station—after all, the Eadallin family, mere stewards of a small frontier territory, paled in comparison to the Ermeintz family, one of Blesstige’s capital powerhouses.
But that was likely just empty talk from those ignorant of the Ermeintz family.
Though marrying for the family’s prosperity upon reaching marriageable age was customary, this was different. Her first marriage—something that should have been blessed—had become a cruel death sentence.
She was being sold off to fund her uncle’s business ventures.
To a man twenty years older than her late father, who’d already taken four wives and discarded them all. To an old man so frail he could barely move without constant care.
Yet this madman still craved and pursued only young, innocent girls.
[This is the timeline separator]Riley became an orphan around the age of fourteen when she lost her only parent.
Her father died right before her eyes, crushed by a carriage. Left utterly alone, all her relatives turned their backs on her.
All except one—her uncle, Baron Ryan Eadallin.
He was held up as a paragon of charity. He regularly visited those in need, offering his service. He’d go to disaster-stricken areas to aid reconstruction, took in parentless orphans with nowhere to go and ran an orphanage for them, and even founded social enterprises to provide them jobs.
He earned money by selling goods crafted by the disabled and orphaned, or through donations.
Gradually expanding his charitable work, he became famous as the exemplary noble everyone admired.
His fame grew day by day, eventually earning him the position of “Young Lord”—acting steward managing the territory on the lord’s behalf.
To others, he was a good man. Riley, too, once believed her uncle was good. There was even a time she foolishly thought herself lucky to be taken in by such a respectable, admirable gentleman.
But not everything that glitters is gold. Beneath his polished exterior lay a man far from kind. His charity was merely a tool to gain prestige and amass wealth.
He craved recognition, was consumed by ambition for honor, and harbored immense desire for advancement. That was the true nature of Baron Ryan Eadallin.
“You should be grateful I took in someone as utterly useless as you. Don’t do anything foolish—always be careful not to bring shame upon the family. I only took you in because others were watching; I don’t consider you my child, nor do I intend to accept you as family. So don’t harbor any sense of belonging. Do nothing. Hear nothing. Say nothing. Act as if you’re barely there. Don’t draw attention, and don’t cause trouble. Even someone as foolish as you should manage that much.”
“You’ll just live quietly, as if you barely exist, and once you’re old enough, marry into some suitable family. I took you in only because you might prove useful to our house someday. Which also means that once you’re no longer useful, I can cast you out at any time.”
Could it have been an obsession stemming from losing her only parent at such a young age?
“I’ve lived exactly as you instructed, Uncle.”
Unobtrusively, without causing offense. She’d obeyed to the best of her ability.
She told herself to be grateful simply for being taken in, hoping that if she tried hard enough to please them, they might someday open their hearts to her. Clinging to that vain hope, she believed she could become a real part of their family.
Living in a controlled environment, accepting only what was given. Not an independent life—but a dependent one.
Was this all she got after years of silent endurance, too afraid to speak up lest she be abandoned or left alone again?
No matter what, this was too much. No matter… this just wasn’t right.
“I don’t want to get married, I don’t! To share a room every day with that old man, to be intimate with him… to flatter him and tend to his sickbed for the rest of my life? I’ll be cast out like his other wives—tossed aside like a worn-out rag, not knowing if I’m alive or dead…
No! Disgusting! Revolting!”
The emotions knotted in her chest felt ready to explode.
Fierce betrayal toward her uncle. Profound disillusionment with her harsh reality. And shame at her own foolishness for clinging to empty hopes and wasting her life.
“Maybe I should just jump and end it all…”
The impulse to leap out the window struck her instantly. Death seemed preferable to dragging out such a miserable existence. The situation was simply too unbearable, too painful.
“Riley… I’m sorry… But you must live. You absolutely must live—show them all. No matter how hard it gets, even if you regret it, you must endure steadfastly.”
Remembering her father’s final words just before he died, Riley covered her face and murmured,
“…Why did you say that? Why say those words at the very end, making it impossible for me to give up?”
Her father’s last words, spoken just before succumbing to his injuries from the carriage accident.
It was his final wish.
That desperate plea—to survive no matter what—must have been the most heartfelt request he could make to his daughter, left alone in the world.
And that last request became both the driving force that kept her struggling onward through pain and hardship—and an unbreakable chain she could never escape.
“Why should I have to die? Why me? After everything I’ve been through…”
Her sorrow quickly turned to indignation.
Riley no longer wanted to live unhappily. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to die—not with her father’s dying wish weighing on her, and not after enduring so much for so long, only to feel it was all for nothing.
She’d lived in obedience, terrified of being abandoned—but perhaps she’d always known, deep down.
To them, she was nothing more than a disposable item—useful until her purpose was served, then discarded.
Should she run away? But how? Monsters surely prowled beyond the city walls.
Besides, guards would surely be assigned to watch her. And as long as she remained legally registered under her uncle’s household, he was her legal guardian. Simply running away wouldn’t free her completely from the Eadallin estate.
Her thoughts spiraled endlessly, each one deepening her sense of suffocation. The future looked utterly dark. Alone, she had no idea what to do or where to begin.
Just as she clutched her aching head, the door burst open without so much as a knock.
“What are you doing, Miss? It’s cold—leaving the window wide open like this?”
“…”
“I hate to ask, but… you weren’t thinking of jumping out there, were you?”
It was Head Maid McDalyn. She always barged in without permission.
Though her behavior was shamelessly rude, no one ever dared reprimand her—Riley was the only one in the mansion she treated without courtesy.
“Well, even if you jumped, it’s not high enough to kill you.”
“…”
“He’s an old man who won’t live much longer anyway. If you endure flattering him for a few years, you’ll inherit the Ermeintz family’s vast fortune. It’s hardly a bad deal for you.”
“But… I might get cast out like his other wives before that.”
“That depends entirely on how well you perform, Miss. His previous wives were all foolish and fell out of Count Ermeintz’s favor. Your survival there now hinges on your own capabilities.”
Haven’t I told you repeatedly?
“The strong are the ones who survive.”
“It’s not that his wives were strange—it’s Count Ermeintz who’s strange! Is it normal for a man his age to obsess over girls so young? Or to replace his wife four times on his own? Can you really blame everything on his former wives?”
At Riley’s indignant outburst, McDalyn gave a soft, mocking laugh, then fetched a comb and began brushing Riley’s hair.
“You can’t possibly run away from here, Miss, nor can you undo this already-decided engagement. You simply lack the power and ability to do either.”
“…”
“I’ve always said: power is strength, and strength is justice. That’s how the world works. If you don’t want to be ignored, you must build your strength. Count Ermeintz is powerful—therefore, he is justice, and his former wives were merely foolish fools.”
“…”
“From now until the wedding, you’ll be strictly forbidden from leaving the house, and a guard will be assigned to you. You’ll simply stay quietly in your room, as you always have—present but unseen.”
McDalyn, who feigned dignity and refinement but was truly a twisted monster inside, had clearly come only to mock Riley under the guise of giving advice.
“Still, you must truly dread this marriage—your current state is the complete opposite of your usual soulless doll-like demeanor.”
After finishing the brushing, McDalyn smiled and gently patted Riley’s head.
“If nothing’s going to change anyway, you might as well struggle a bit. At least then you won’t have regrets.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It means I’m curious whether you’ll just accept this reality meekly and foolishly as usual—or if you’ll somehow fight back.”
“…”
“After all, watching someone else’s misfortune is always the most entertaining.”
McDalyn laughed carelessly, openly mocking Riley. Her laughter was so cheerful it was chilling—truly the mark of a psychopath.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave, Miss. Rest well, and let me know if you need anything.”
After McDalyn left, Riley stared blankly at the closed door until her legs gave out and she sank to the floor.
McDalyn’s words kept circling in her mind.
Should she continue living meekly, obediently accepting reality as always—or should she fight back, do something, anything?
“Father… I don’t want to be sold off like this…”
If only she hadn’t been registered under her uncle’s household—if only she’d remained a simple orphan, not the daughter of the Eadallin baronial house—could she have lived more freely, more happily? Could she have grown into a more proactive, self-reliant person?
Could she have shed even a little of that blind obedience, that passive, submissive attitude?
This suffocating house.
“I need to devise a plan.”
She had to find a solution before the engagement was officially announced.
So Riley resolved to wrack her brain relentlessly until her wedding day.
[This is the timeline separator]Then, unexpectedly, a golden opportunity appeared.
“Darling, look at this—an invitation from the Horizon Mage Tower!”
“From Horizon?”
“Yes! They’re hosting a reception to celebrate the new Tower Master’s inauguration.”
“Horizon sent an invitation to me—a minor noble from the frontier? Why?”
“Your reputation must have reached Blesstige!”
“But why are there four invitations?”
“Riley’s included too.”
“…This is troublesome.”
“You probably didn’t know. Our acquaintances understand Riley is frail and avoids public events, but we’ve never had any dealings with the Horizon Mage Tower before.”
“I’m uneasy about exposing Riley at such a grand gathering.”
“I heard Count Ermeintz will be attending as well.”
Upon hearing Count Ermeintz would attend the reception, Baron Ryan hesitated briefly, then summoned Riley.
“You called for me, Uncle?”
“Prepare to travel to the capital.”
“…Yes?”
“The Horizon Mage Tower sent an invitation for their new Tower Master’s inauguration reception—and yours is included. I debated whether to bring someone as inadequate as you to such an important event, but since Count Ermeintz will be there, it’s best we go together so I can pay my respects.”
Refusing wasn’t an option. This was more an announcement than a request.
The thought of facing Count Ermeintz in person filled her with revulsion. She desperately wanted to run away—but then, a brilliant idea struck her.
“I understand.”
A gathering of countless nobles. The perfect moment when her uncle’s watchfulness would weaken. That would be her only chance to escape—or to devise another plan.
“I won’t live in fear and foolish passivity anymore, Father.”
It was now or never.
There was no turning back.
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Calling her sister while discussing how she will be treated as your wife is so weird
murder and torture, no question or hesitation, But this? This is where you flinch? I hope they all get whats coming to them
yikes girl, these are not good dreams. at this point is the sleep even doing anything?