“Father… so, does father know about this?”
“…….”
When their eyes met, and Gaijen, trembling, remained silent, Vialle felt her heart sink once more.
“Did father really know all along?”
Unable to close her mouth in the face of this unbelievable reality, Vialle could only stare at him in desolation.
“…….”
Seeing Gaijen persist in his silence, Vialle felt increasingly suffocated, as if she was running out of air.
She struggled to cope with why such things were happening to her, but she was trying her hardest to confront the grim realities.
Looking back, happiness seemed to be an elusive mirage, slipping away just as it seemed within reach.
“It makes me so angry that I’ve been so ignorant.”
“Gaijen…….”
“I just don’t understand. Neither you nor father….”
Above all, Vialle felt unbearable anger towards her own ignorance.
She tried to hide her shaking, clenched fists, but her emotions were too strong to be masked, even in her voice.
“Are you really the person I thought I knew?”
Gaijen, faced with his sister’s despondent state, couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
His eyes were as red and swollen as Vialle’s, betraying his inner turmoil.
“Sorry, sister. I have nothing more to say.”
Knowing that staying any longer might make him say something regrettable, Gaijen reluctantly got up from his seat.
“I should go now.”
Ultimately, Gaijen left without giving Vialle the answers she sought, maintaining a resolute silence.
As Vialle remained lost in thought with a gloomy expression, Manolin, concerned, watched her closely and suggested.
“Lady, shouldn’t we start preparing for the autumn social season dresses?”
Usually, by now, designers would have already visited the mansion with catalogs, but due to the season’s dressmaking already underway, a personal visit to the atelier was needed.
Especially since this autumn social season would mark Vialle’s first birthday celebration since her debutante ball, Manolin was already excited about the preparations.
Considering Manolin’s suggestion, Vialle, not wanting to spend the day brooding, nodded in agreement.
“Yes, it would be good to take a look in person.”
“Then I’ll tell Diane to get ready to go out.”
“Why aren’t you coming with us, Manolin?”
“Diane knows much more about these matters than I do.”
Indeed, Diane’s expertise in dressing Vialle was comparable to that of the imperial court’s designated designers.
Seeing the latest trends in dresses and jewels firsthand was a privilege not easily afforded to those outside the aristocracy.
After getting ready, Vialle decided to take only Tonio as an escort and boarded the carriage with Diane.
Although two knights appeared disappointed at not being able to accompany them, it couldn’t be helped; the carriage was too cramped for three large men and two women.
The ateliers in Arkan, the capital of the Marta Empire, were mostly located on Lavine Street of Arts, on the opposite side of the central plaza.
The Empire was renowned for generously supporting artists, having established an academy of arts and providing substantial funding.
Therefore, compared to other countries, all forms of art, including painting, music, and literature, resonated well with the times in the Empire and attracted attention.
Art galleries, museums, opera houses, theaters, dressmaking ateliers, and salons for the nobility, and other appealing sights were all gathered on Lavine Street of Arts, showcasing the epitome of imperial culture.
The street had become increasingly vibrant since it became a popular dating spot for young couples.
Vialle had once visited this place with Dension. That visit, however, ended in an argument, neither here nor there…
Their frequent quarrels before her regression were because she didn’t know how to express love honestly.
She loved her partner genuinely, but the task of verifying the counterpart’s emotions, comparable to her own, was both difficult and frightening.
That’s why she doubted, misunderstood, and could not trust in love.
‘I must not have fully trusted the love you spoke of.’
Those petty thoughts must have misconstrued pure affection as a deficiency, providing the pretext for his decision to break up.
Even if it was a trivial emotional play, driven by worthless pride and stubbornness, for Vialle, these memories were still precious.
A bittersweet smile lingered on Vialle’s lips, and the carriage continued its journey across the vast plains.
Soon, Lavine Street of Arts, beloved by all artists, would appear.
“Lady, we’ll be arriving soon,” informed the coachman.
Hearing this, Tonio relayed the message to Vialle, who donned a wide-brimmed bonnet and said,
“Alright, let’s get ready to get off.”
Assisted by the knight, Vialle descended from the carriage and began strolling through the Art Street with an umbrella, prepared by Diane.
The strong summer sun was pouring down on the street, and its heat lingered heavily.
Tonio, unable to wear light clothing due to his duty, was sweating profusely.
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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