Walter’s answer was not just refreshing; it was almost mechanical.
It was like saying the moon sets when the sun rises in his monotonous response, Russell scratched his short hair.
It wasn’t nervous, not knowing Walter’s intentions like last time.
No, to be honest… it was still a bit unknown.
“You said you would marry the 4th Princess.”
Since the tea party at the palace, Walter had been inactive for several days.
He stopped visiting Queen Katarina abruptly and ignored the persistent invitations from Lise Marsen.
Had he shown some actions, the courtiers would have focused on him and excitedly chatted about it.
Of course, there was an intention in this ambiguous attitude.
“People tend to become quiet when the knife is at their throat.”
The moment when people talk the most is not when they are sure that the knife will cut their throat.
It’s when the blade that comes out of the scabbard has not yet found its target.
And Walter accurately used this, making the courtiers weigh Lise Marsen and Odette on the same scale.
Meaning, they started to compare the two on an equal footing.
“It’s something to behold.”
Lise Marsen, who carried Queen Katarina on her back and controlled the social world, and Odette, who hardly ever attended not only official banquets but also any social gatherings since childhood.
Comparing the two on the same line was practically absurd.
At least, until Walter had created a confrontational situation with himself in the middle.
“It will probably be an overwhelming victory for the 3rd Princess, won’t it? She has been meeting with Duke Ertman, and the 3rd Princess herself said that the Duke was very affectionate.”
“But then, would he have taken the act of carrying off the 4th Princess in his arms? Besides, Duke Ertman even acknowledged his secret meeting with the 4th Princess, didn’t he?”
“That was said to be a happening because they happened to be on the same terrace. The 4th Princess herself said so. And everyone knows that the 3rd Princess is an exceptional beauty, how can she be compared to the 4th Princess?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure. But… from what I’ve seen, the 4th Princess was also quite beautiful. Not eyecatching like the 3rd Princess… but it seems hard for young men full of vitality to keep their wits about them. Duke Ertman might not be an exception.”
While speaking elegantly, conversations assessing Lise Marsen and Odette could be heard everywhere.
From the beginning, the members of the royal family were closer to symbols displayed in a shop window rather than individuals, so people compared the two without hesitation.
In the process, Odette’s status naturally rose as well.
“It was a popular story that she was a beauty with a pure impression that stimulates protective instincts.”
If Odette had been brought to the surface as she was, there would certainly have been talk that she was not up to standard.
But now, no one thought it was strange to compare Lise Marsen and Odette.
Even if Walter married Odette, the talk that Odette had a marriage above her status would not be greatly ridiculed.
“Well, everything is fine up to here.”
If the situation was just this, Russell would not have been particularly nervous.
The problem was.
“That damned Earl Clovis….”
Russell closed his eyes tightly, recalling a few days ago.
[Dash]Did you enjoy the tea party, Your Highness? Did the conversation go well with the person you were speaking to[Dash].And Russell voluntarily closed his mouth.
He knew the situation without needing to hear the answer.
“I… I lost.”
Walter’s face didn’t easily reveal his emotions.
Nevertheless, having such an uncomfortable face meant, without needing to say, that the conversation with Odette had failed.
And not only Russell felt that, but Walter’s attendants also exchanged glances and wisely shut their mouths, each catching each other’s eye.
“No, he was in such a good mood when he left….”
“What on earth is going on here?”
“Did someone try to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor at the tea party? If not, then……”
As only Russell knew the circumstances, most seemed to have no idea what was going on.
With half confusion and half tension, their eyes met, and amidst them, Walter slowly opened his mouth.
[Dash] You guys. [Dash] Yes, yes?! [Dash] Has anyone here committed adultery? Or perhaps stolen someone’s lover? [Dash] ……Yes?No way.
Everyone here had only experience in knightly endeavors, their dealings with the opposite sex no different from Walter’s.
Adultery among them? Out of the question.
Walter himself seemed to realize this fact a beat too late, glancing around at their bewildered faces before clicking his tongue.
[Dash] Forget it.The next command was to watch over Count Clovis, specifically, Louis Clovis.
While others followed the command without understanding the reason, Russell was rather quickwitted.
“It seems like the 4th Princess is involved with Count Clovis.”
The problem was… a slight misunderstanding had crept in.
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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