The Empire’s 3rd Princess, Elena von Integra, is sentenced to death.
The morning of the longawaited comingofage ceremony.
Instead of the promised freedom, I was sentenced to death and was dragged by the soldiers to the execution grounds.
“That woman up in the tower is said to be a monster princess.”
“She looks fine on the outside, but inside she’s a witch, right? There are even rumors that she plucks out young men’s eyeballs and eats them.”
“Ugh, that’s horrible.”
As I walked barefoot over the high pile of firewood, the only things I heard were absurd stories.
There wasn’t a single person on my side.
To me, who had been confined to a tower all my life, the title of princess was nothing but a decoration.
“Look at that ominous black hair. She really looks like a witch.”
The unkempt long black hair with eyes of the same color.
Among the royal family with dazzling blonde hair, I was a complete outsider.
But there was a man who told me I was beautiful.
He taught me about the outside world and how to write and read.
My teacher and fiancé, Ranian, the only visitor to the tower for nearly twenty years.
He was gazing down at me from the guest seats reserved for the royal family.
“Hurry up and get on the execution stand.”
“Ugh.”
A spear thrust into my shoulder by a soldier tore my tattered dress, and blood flowed.
It was an attitude that it didn’t matter if a person soon to be ashes was hurt or not.
‘It hurts.’
But neither the wooden splinters in my bare feet nor the spear in my shoulder were as painful as my shattered heart.
“You…”
Ranian, you.
How could you do this to me?
I looked up at him with a lost look, standing beside my brother and crown prince, Carl.
I loved him.
No, I thought I loved him.
The only dazzling moment in a life that felt like walking through endless darkness was the short time spent with him.
But now he was standing next to my betraying brother, looking down at me with an emotionless face.
In the exact place where he could see me burning to death best.
“Ha ha……”
A futile laugh that could not reach the audience scattered into the air.
The happiness I had dreamed of for a moment was shattered like glass, piercing my entire body.
‘How did it come to this?’
My lifelong confinement began with a prophecy from a single priest.
On the day I turned 20, the Emperor’s evidence, the ‘mark,’ would appear.
‘What on earth is going on? A mark that appears to only one of the royals, and it appears on that halfhearted princess.’
‘We must never allow the princess to gain power. We must confine her deep within the palace and wait for her to grow up.’
‘But… what about those who already know?’
‘We must silence them and make them disappear without a trace. Over time, people will forget that there ever was a princess.’
My mother, who was defeated by the Empire and dragged into the harem, could not prevent my confinement, and she languished away afterward.
And not long ago, the mark appeared on my body as the priest had prophesied.
I made a sort of deal with Carl, who seemed to have been waiting for this.
In exchange for giving him the Emperor’s mark, I was promised future freedom.
‘Arrange for a marriage with Ranian, and provide me with a mansion and enough wealth to leave the palace and live peacefully.’
‘…Are you serious, brother?’
‘Yes. You don’t have to suffer any more because of that mark. You can live freely now. I promise a normal life as a princess, as you wished.’
But Carl didn’t keep his promise.
The comingofage ceremony, which was to announce my marriage, was transformed into my execution day.
‘You’re foolish. Did you really think you could enjoy such a dreamlike life?’
What did I expect?
Tied to the stake for burning, I knew my brother would be watching with glee, and Lanian would be by his side, guarding him.
Had I known that his gaze would be so cold it sent shivers down my spine, I would never have made such a choice.
“Light the fire quickly! Give the witch who cursed the royal family a fitting death!”
“For peace and stability in Integra!”
“Burn the filthy demon to ashes without a trace!”
The cries that echoed from all sides gradually grew feverish.
They climbed over my body like insects, their eyes full of anticipation, like an audience calling for an encore after an opera.
‘How terrible.’
Why did I ever desire people so much?
Was I hoping someone among them would save me?
‘Ah, I see.’
Only now, with death upon me, did I realize the truth.
Only I could save myself, and all they wanted was a show.
In an empire where a woman could never ascend to the throne, my pitiful fate of being born and dying unjustly was nothing more to them than a spectacle.
“Sinful Elena, do you confess to selling your soul to the wicked devil and cursing the royal family?”
I grinned sardonically, lifting my head towards Karl.
“I have never done such a thing, Karl Oraboni. You know my innocence better than anyone, don’t you?”
“How insolent!! How dare a criminal call the Crown Prince by his name so casually!”
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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