The Tragic Male Lead Chose the Wrong Partner

* * *

Sitting with Cynthia in the glass greenhouse, Masera hesitated as he fiddled with a small gift box in his coat pocket.
It was an opal hairpin he’d bought from a shop—but he’d missed the right timing to give it to her.
‘I’ll just save it for the next time I need to apologize…’

Wait. Did that mean he was already assuming he’d do something wrong again? The more he thought about it, the more petty he felt.
In the end, he pulled out the gift box and placed it on the table.
Cynthia, who had been eating cherries, blinked her red eyes rapidly.

“What’s that?”
“I bought it as a gift of reconciliation.”
“How badly did you want to apologize, exactly?”

A faint blush colored Cynthia’s cheeks. She quickly opened the box, examined the opal hairpin from various angles, and smiled brightly.
“Wow, it’s really beautiful. You picked something that goes so well with my hair color. I’ll wear it every day. Thank you!”
Cynthia put the pin in her hair and turned to show him.

“Is it pretty? Does it suit me? I expect a sincere and heartfelt answer filled with nothing but praise.”
Masera, who had been staring at her blankly, finally opened his mouth slowly.
“…It’s beautiful.”

Watching Cynthia smile like a delighted child, Masera was seized by an emotion he could hardly believe.
“The beginning is always the hardest, but when you see the happy smile of the person you love, you’ll feel like you could command the whole world. Joy isn’t just in receiving—it’s in giving too.”
That’s what the chatty flower shop owner had said.

If you treat someone poorly, you’re tormented by guilt. If you offer kindness, you share in their joy. That’s only natural in human relationships.
‘I don’t love her, though.’
That kind of thing would never happen.
Masera told himself again, and avoided Cynthia’s beaming gaze.

“Eugene! Come quick and have some cherry cake!”
At Cynthia’s call, Eugene, who had been playing ball in the garden, came running over and sat beside her. He somehow seemed more polite now.
“Say ah—”

“Ah.”
In the past, he would’ve acted prickly and refused, but now he obediently accepted the bite of cake she offered.
“Isn’t it good? The brigadier bought it.”

“Yeah. It’s good.”
With his cheeks slightly flushed, Eugene now seemed more like a tail-wagging puppy than a wary cat.
Masera sighed as he watched Cynthia, who had even managed to win over Eugene.

“You look like a real family. It’s nice to see.”
The maid who brought Eugene’s fork and milk said with a warm smile.
‘A family…’

Was Cynthia able to give affection because she had received it before?
Masera watched the two smiling at each other and felt something he couldn’t quite name.
* * *

The next day, Cynthia was invited to the duke’s family tea party by the Grand Madam.
“As the brigadier’s wife, you’ll now be engaging with many people. Think of it as playing the role of a headquarters diplomat.”
So, I’m basically the foreign minister, huh?

Networking, currying favor with higher-ups, standing in the right lines… social life is the same everywhere.
As I sighed, Diego handed me a notebook that felt like a human encyclopedia.
“These are the people attending today.”

“Thank you, as always.”
“I’m only doing my job.”
I wore a composed-looking dress and pinned my hair up, adding the opal hairpin Masera gave me.

They wanted me to wear bold makeup, but my assigned stylist maid firmly insisted it would make me look like a ghost.
‘I’ll have to see Helene regularly now. I’m not thrilled.’
Still, there was no need to antagonize her out of personal emotion. We had to act like loving sisters, after all.

I headed to the duke’s estate, preparing myself for what might unfold at the tea party.
The tea party was held in the central garden, with its lavish fountain.
Was it not cold? Were these people immune to winter?

I shivered as I walked toward the tea party venue.
“My dear sister, welcome.”
Helene greeted me with a bright smile. For some reason, she actually seemed sincere today.

“Snow White is here. I heard you were hurt—are you all right?”
The Grand Madam, Madam Hills, and Madam Beraché looked worriedly at the bandage on my hand.
“I’m perfectly fine. And thanks to the Grand Madam and aunts, my honeymoon was truly joyful and delightful.”

“Oh? Tell us all about it. We’ve been looking forward to it.”
I sat with them and started recounting stories from my honeymoon.
Like how we saw a river turned to mud, how the ferris wheel broke down, how I made pen pals on a pilgrimage trail, how I became friendly with the cathedral priests and was promised a free exorcism if I ever got possessed…

The ladies burst into laughter as they listened.
“Just hearing about it is entertaining. Life must never be dull for you.”
As we chatted, Helene stood up and drew everyone’s attention.

“My younger sister’s land in the Nox region has begun development. Since it’s the legacy of the Bariesa royal family, there’s a strong possibility of resource deposits, so Brigadier del Visente has started exploration.”
She smiled softly and continued.
“At the next banquet, we’ll be hosting an investment presentation for my sister. If anyone is interested, please speak with her—or with me.”

Why is she suddenly acting like she’s helping? I eyed her with suspicion.
Just then, a man who appeared to be her aide approached and whispered in her ear.
After listening, Helene looked at me with a face full of regret.

“Cindy. Did you hear there’s a bad article about your business?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Somehow, word had already spread. The murmur around us grew louder.

Helene sighed deeply and touched my shoulder.
“A well-known explorer who visited the area said that Nox is a barren wasteland, and that the idea of it having value is a delusional lie. Apparently, critical articles are starting to pile up.”
Then I heard the women at the neighboring table whispering.

“Didn’t we just have that fiasco with the diamond mine investments? Turns out there was nothing there either.”
“A wealthy officer went bankrupt because of that and died with not a coin to his name.”
“Brigadier Steve was clever to pull his investment quickly. The real thing is the ‘Dies’ estate the Duchess inherited, right?”

So they revealed Nox as fake and claimed her estate was real at the same time?
I didn’t know what was in Dies, but was it really worth all this?
After what happened before, and now this article—of course people would be scared. Even if it meant taking losses, they’d want to pull out quickly.

“The biggest issue is that all the money already put into the business will turn into a massive debt. Even wealthy families have gone under because of it.”
People began to murmur predictions that Masera del Visente would also be ruined.
“This is why marrying the wrong person changes your fate. If he’d married the daughter of another rich family, none of this would’ve happened. With enough money, any scandal can be silenced.”

Someone openly said it and laughed loudly.
“The war hero got fooled by the white rat princess. Is he going to get divorced next?”
As if assuming we’d lost everything, they crossed the line.

But they quieted down at the sharp glares from the Grand Madam and the princesses.
Helene looked flustered and clasped my hand.
“Cindy, I’ll help you. If you accept my husband’s assistance, you’ll at least avoid bankruptcy…”

So this was her plan—to put me in her debt and keep me beneath her.
I shook my head.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll just take your beautiful sentiment.”

They ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) must’ve thought I’d given up and planned to shut down the business. The ones who had been mocking me openly now laughed with glee.
They really are demons who delight in others’ misery. Maybe I should call in the exorcists.
“Princess, don’t worry too much. We’ll help you. We’re family, aren’t we?”

I gave a bright smile to the Grand Madam and the royal women watching me with concern.
“Thank you. But I’ve already secured the funding. Her Majesty the Queen of Medeia arranged a major investment.”
At my words, the entire area fell silent as if cold water had been poured over them.

Clang—!
The sound of someone dropping their teacup in shock.
The joy on their faces as they mocked my downfall vanished in real time.

Helene stared at me in a daze.
“…Queen Grace II invested? In a private individual?”
“She didn’t invest in a private person anymore. It’s now an international corporation. We’ll be running it together.”

Her letter had arrived this morning.
So from now on, instead of the cringeworthy title of “Princess,” I’d be addressed as… “CEO.”