The Tragic Male Lead Chose the Wrong Partner Chapter 16

After the banquet, Helene was immediately summoned by the Dowager Duchess and reprimanded.

 

The Dowager Duchess’ sisters, Madame Verace and Madame Hills, were still staying at the Duke’s estate, and as usual, they took this opportunity to ridicule Helene.

 

“How could you steal your little sister’s dress? What a disgrace to the royal family.”

 

“To think a girl blessed with ten would envy and snatch the one thing someone else has. Tsk tsk.”

 

Helene lifted her eyes, her gaze sharp as she began to refute their accusations one by one.

 

“I’m not the lady of the house yet. I don’t have the authority to spend such an extravagant sum on a dress. And I’m not on such bad terms with my sister that we’d fight over something like that, nor am I so shameless as to steal what isn’t mine.”

 

“Oh? Then you’re saying Duke Lecanosa snatched your sister’s dress and handed it to you instead? How utterly shameless.”

 

That was true.

 

But even if she provided evidence, they wouldn’t believe her. They weren’t on her side to begin with.

 

At that moment, the Duke showed up and intervened.

 

“There seems to have been a mistake at the boutique. The dress I ordered for her must have gotten mixed up. It wasn’t her fault, so please don’t be too harsh.”

 

Helene bit her lip.

 

‘Then you should’ve explained that in front of everyone…’

 

“You don’t even recognize the dress you wore? You must’ve received it the day before the wedding. You had plenty of time to check.”

 

Madame Hills pressed relentlessly.

 

‘Right. That’s probably why he didn’t bother explaining anything on the spot and avoided it.’

 

Helene let out a quiet sigh.

 

The Medeia nobles were sharp and notoriously difficult to deal with. Since they were a prominent royal family, they didn’t bother to talk indirectly out of consideration for the other person’s reputation. On top of that, they were so rigidly formal, which was exhausting just to hold a conversation.

 

As Helene fell silent, the Duke spoke again to clear the air.

 

“She must have been preoccupied with the wedding preparations. Let’s leave it at that. Let’s go now, my lady.”

 

Helene followed him, offering a polite bow.

 

“Your Grace, did the boutique truly mix up the dresses?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then I’d like to contact Mary Siren and have my original gown brought over.”

 

The Duke stopped walking. He turned to face her, his expression instantly turning cold.

 

“Don’t be a nuisance. Are you suggesting we hold another wedding?”

 

“No. I just want the gown that was tailored for me.”

 

“I will instruct the butler to handle it, so please wait.”

 

Helene felt anger rising once again.

 

“So whenever something goes wrong, you’re just going to dump the blame on me and walk away clean?”

 

“Blame? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“You humiliated me by making it seem like I was the one scheming, just because you were being conscious of Brigadier General Vicente.”

 

As Helene’s words, the Duke grabbed her shoulder tightly. His eyes flashed fiercely.

 

“Watch your words. What are you insinuating? That I’m conscious of him?”

 

However, Helene wasn’t someone who would back down so easily.

 

“Then are you saying I was conscious of my sister? I don’t live my life drowning in inferiority. I just compete. That’s it. I don’t understand why you’re so fixated on a war orphan who wouldn’t even see you as a rival, let alone care about your presence. Why are you acting like the roles of noble and commoner have reversed?”

 

“A fallen bloodline of royalty who shouldn’t even be treated like a princess… and yet you dare talk like that?”

 

His voice was seething with fury.

 

Helene met his gaze coldly

 

“For someone so noble and distinguished, you sure humiliated your wife in front of everyone.”

 

“Isn’t it a wife’s duty to support her husband?”

 

“I thought this marriage was a strategic partnership. If you wanted a self-sacrificing wife who’d stroke your ego, you should’ve picked someone else.”

 

“So this is what you learned during your ‘bride training’? How to argue and defy your husband?”

 

Helene looked at him with cold eyes as he continued to belittle her without any logic.

 

“Duke. I think you’re mistaken about something. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. Because your offer was the best.”

 

“What?”

 

“I had no shortage of suitors willing to treat me like a proper princess. So if you talk down to me one more time, I’ll make sure you regret it. And I suppose we’re dropping formalities now? Fine by me.”

 

Now that she was officially the Duchess, Helene realized she didn’t really need him anymore.

 

Helene turned away coldly and composed.

 

Behind her, the Duke glared at her retreating figure with a scowl.

 

“Hah. She’s just like those loud-mouthed aunts of my maternal family.”

 

Proud, sharp-tongued, undermining their husbands while demanding to be treated like royalty.

 

Now that he had one of those women for a wife, he finally understood why his father, the former duke, had died young.

 

‘If I want to live long, I’d better keep my distance.’

 

It was a political marriage anyway, nothing more than a tool. He’d never intended to have affection for her.

 

The Duke clicked his tongue and turned away from her.

 

That’s how a clear and irreversible rift split between them.

 

* * *

 

Maceira and I maintained a long, awkward silence once we stepped into the room.

 

Eventually, I spoke up, because, honestly, the silence was worse.

 

“So… I guess we’re sleeping in the same room tonight?”

 

“That’s how it turned out.”

 

He said it as if it was an unexpected accident.

 

Oddly enough, it reminded me of how our marriage came to be.

 

I rubbed my gloved hands together and looked out the window.

 

“The butler was right. It’s really snowing a lot.”

 

Thick snow was falling from the darkened sky.

 

To be honest, I’d suspected the butler was a secret villain when he suggested we stay the night. But turns out, he was just being thoughtful, probably didn’t want us getting stranded.

 

I wrapped a blanket around myself and settled in front of the crackling fireplace.

 

“Why are you sitting on the floor? I thought you were going to rest.”

 

“This is where I rest. It’s also the warmest spot.”

 

I was in my favorite ‘staring-into-the-fire’ mode, but Maceira must’ve thought I was uncomfortable with him.

 

He grabbed his neatly hung coat and put it back on.

 

“I’ll step out for a bit.”

 

“No, don’t!”

 

Maybe it was because we were in someone else’s house, or maybe it was the creepy portraits on the wall, but I really didn’t want to be left alone.

 

I jumped up and grabbed Maceira’s sleeve.

 

“I just need to take care of something outside. I won’t be long…”

 

“What is it? I’ll go with you.”

 

“It’s nothing important.”

 

“I can’t stand being curious.”

 

Now it wasn’t just about not wanting to be left alone. I was genuinely curious. Call it stubborn pride, but I had to find out what he was up to.

 

While struggling a little, I lost my footing and stumbled backward.

 

“Eeh!”

 

Maceira quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him.

 

Thankfully, my head didn’t break, but the cliche ‘Top 10 Essential Romantic Comedy Incidents: Accidental Hugging’ moment? Yeah, it didn’t break either.

 

I ended up being held in his arms.

 

Maceira let out a sharp breath and grumpily pushed me off him, but also very gently. He probably thought if I tripped again, we’d end up in the same awkward position. Again.

 

“Really….”

 

For some reason, he muttered in a clearly irritated tone before storming out of the room.

 

I couldn’t quite make out what he said after that, maybe because I was still dazed from my first hug with a handsome man.

 

Left alone, I shrugged my shoulders and sighed.

 

“Well, guess I’ll go hunt down that uptight cheese-cat.”

 

I had to know what he was up to now. I was way too curious to let this go. 

 

I left the room and glanced down the hallway.

 

“Wow. Did he sprint or something?”

 

He was already gone.

 

As I blinked at the empty corridor, I heard footsteps behind me, followed by a warm, gentle voice.

 

“Princess, what are you doing there?”

 

The unfamiliar form of title made my shoulders twitch.

 

I turned around to find none other than Duke Henry Lecanosa.

 

“Oh! Hello. I was just looking for the brigadier general. He said he’d be right back, but it’s been a while, so I’m worried. Have you seen him?”

 

A minute is a long time.

 

He gave a small smile as he looked at my blinking face.

 

“Well, maybe he stepped out to smoke a cigar.”

 

“A cigar? I wouldn’t know. He never smokes around me.”

 

“Are you worried he’s off meeting some secret lover?”

 

“No?”

 

I was sure he was one of those guys who couldn’t juggle multiple relationships.

 

The Duke continued with a teasing glint in his eyes.

 

“Well, I wouldn’t blame you. He’s rather popular with the ladies with that handsome face and all.”

 

“You too, Your Grace. I’m sure many women have fallen for you. But I get the feeling that no matter what, you’d stay loyal to one person, through thick and thin.”

 

I said it as a compliment while casually glancing at the hallway windows.

 

But when no response came, I turned back to him.

 

Did he not like what I said? I mean, come on, he looked like the type to fall into obsessive one-sided love and turn into a villain. The textbook tragic second lead.

 

The look on his face as he gazed at me was hard to describe.